Elmont Online

ALBANY -- Winning plaudits from government transparency advocates, Gov. Andrew Cuomo released eight months of detailed appointment books as part of a new website he hopes will increase citizen engagement in government.

The same site, www.citizenconnects.com, will also host an online chat with the governor on Saturday -- the first in a series, Cuomo promised.

"I can't change Albany if the universe is the universe within the beltway," he said on Talk1300 Thursday morning. "Why have we had success so far? Because the people were more engaged. ... I believe this takes that to the next level and institutionalizes it."

Cuomo's tenure as an elected official and political candidate has been characterized by tight management of information and message, which at times has prompted criticism. As attorney general, Cuomo did not keep a public schedule -- citing his work as a prosecutor, and the sensitivity of ongoing investigations -- for two years, and only partially released his appointment books to the Times Union in response to a 2010 Freedom of Information Law request.

He promised to post his schedules when speaking to the Times Union editorial board in October 2010.

It is settled law that state executives' schedules are subject to FOIL, said Bob Freeman of the Committee on Open Government, who has pushed for years for "proactive disclosure" like this new initiative. Other examples include posting state contracts online, which is done by the Office of the State Comptroller, and schedules.

In a statement, Freeman praised Cuomo for "taking government transparency to a new level."

"By providing information of importance to the public, even before anyone asks for it, the website will give New Yorkers the opportunity to know how their government serves them and offer their points of view," Freeman said.

Upon taking office in January, Cuomo reopened the hallway outside his Capitol office to the public -- a symbol, he said, of bringing government back to the people.

The documents do not account for every minute of Cuomo's time, but contain a similar level of detail to appointment books posted online by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and, when released under FOIL by previous governors or New York City mayors.

Cuomo said the calendars show meetings with "legislators, lobbyists, public meetings, official meetings. That's what's all there, in a way that's never been done before."

Indeed, the new data offer insight into how Cuomo courted legislators and what topics occupied his time, as well as revealing the foundation for future public events.

The governor met with Republican and Democratic senators either individually or in small groups, including four Republicans who voted to legalize same-sex marriage -- one of them, Steve Saland, several weeks before it became publicly known he was a potential yes vote on the issue -- as well as several others thought to be on the fence. They also document strategy sessions involving senior administration officials and lobbyists.

Cuomo dined with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie just before the Port Authority, a bi-state agency both men control, announced steep toll hikes the governors later repudiated. He had lunch in July with his old boss, former President Bill Clinton, who will speak Tuesday at an economic development conference in Albany.

And the schedules show Cuomo's use of state aircraft, which came to public attention earlier this summer. On two occasions he flew with his daughters: Michaela and a friend traveled to Long Island with the governor for the weekend on Aug. 5, and Cuomo reimbursed the state $1,185 for the friend's travel "out of an abundance of caution" and "not to give the naysayers any blog fodder."

On Aug. 30, Cuomo's daughter Mariah flew with him from Albany to Keene, where she accompanied the governor on a tour of storm damage related to Tropical Storm Irene. There is no prohibition on family members using state aircraft, though previous governors have been tripped up by family members using aircraft when not accompanied by the officials themselves.

The records also show Cuomo twice used private aircraft provided by political donors. The first came when he flew to New York City amid the push for same-sex marriage to an LGBT-themed fundraiser on June 14. Campaign finance records suggest the plane was paid for by Gregg Hymowitz, an investment banker, for $8,452.

Cuomo also flew aboard a private aircraft from an airport near the Westchester County home he shares with Food Network star Sandra Lee to the State Fair in Syracuse on Aug. 25. Cuomo was accompanied by all three of his daughters, and planned to attend a fundraiser in nearby Skaneateles Falls that evening. He cancelled the appearance due to the approach of Tropical Storm Irene.

State regulations do not preclude the governor from using state aircraft for a mix of official and political business, provided a trip is primary for official work and a reimbursement is paid. Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno was faulted for his use of aircraft.

Cuomo has not engaged in "mixed-use" trips through September, but did not rule it out.

And if such trips occurred, the flights would be disclosed.

"People are so quick to find issues to try to breed scandal in Albany," Cuomo said. "I'm doing everything I can to try to build trust in Albany."

Reach Vielkind at 454-5081 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .