Charles Komanoff

For what it's worth, I think everyone in New York should get out and pull the lever for Gov. Kathy Hochul. When it comes the energy system and the task of reindustrializing the state, Hochul is the right leader. * Across the United States, Hochul is the state leader sticking her neck out the farthest, in front of some of the sharpest axes in her own party, for new nuclear power development. The easier path would be for her to pull a Cuomo and be just another liberal Democrat giving in to green pressure, passing "targets" and getting pats on the back, and let "the market" figure it out. That's not what Hochul's administration has been doing. * Hochul is today's governing champion of public power, having heeded the demand laudably built from the socialist and environment left to task the state's public power authority, NYPA, with entering the modern business of renewable energy development. Not enough people on the left recognize her administration's role in completely rewriting the Build Public Renewables Act -- which thankfully *did not become law* -- and turning it into something real. * Clowns to the left her and jokers to the right would steer the state's dire energy system in the stupidest of directions, informed by their idiotic and irresponsible 100%-renewables or 0%-renewables culture war maximalism. * Listen to Hochul's speech from the 2025 nuclear announcement and you will hear someone who's experienced the social and economic devastation wrought by deindustrialization and who wants to change the machinery of the state to bring back those jobs. Taking clearer control of the development of the state's energy system is a critical part of that. Mamdani and AOC recognize the fortunate position the left is in with a responsible liberal Democrat in charge, even if she's not always in alignment with the left on, e.g., taxing the rich. Count me in as recognizing the positive case for Hochul.