Walking around Javits, I could see on the faces of National Guard members that they were scared. They were mostly young, in their twenties, white, Black, brown, from all over the state. Some of them had worked on previous disasters with me and approached me, saying, “I was with you in Buffalo.” “I was with you on Long Island.” They had just gotten an extensive briefing about what to do and not do, what not to touch, what to wash. I’m sure their families had said to them, “Do you really have to do this?” I knew how they felt. Between the empty city outside, the thousands of green uniforms and Humvees and military jeeps, and the vision of row upon row of hospital beds, it felt like the end of the world. I wanted them to know I knew they were scared, and it was okay, and how proud I was of them for showing up anyway.
As I was doing the briefing from Javits that day, what people couldn’t see on the television was that sitting in front of me were hundreds of National Guard and army personnel. In my remarks, I was speaking directly to them. I knew everyone was anxious and they were looking for guidance and comfort. I wanted to energize them and thank them for their courage. I said,
Ten years from now you’ll be talking about today to your children or your grandchildren and you will shed a tear because you will remember the lives lost. You’ll remember the faces and you’ll remember the names, and you’ll remember how hard we worked and that we still lost loved ones, and you should because it will be sad. But you will also be proud.
I had an issue close to home as well. A couple of the state troopers on my security detail tested positive. My state police security detail is critical. When I was at HUD, we had tremendous logistical support from the U.S. Marshals and military. Now that I’m governor, the state police provide all logistical support. While security is the priority for the state police, my priority is my ability to travel and actually get to places. I know I present them challenges. On a sunny day, life is easy, but if there is an emergency, I want to be on site. In emergencies, I want the first responders to know that I respect them and understand their sacrifice. Snowstorms, hurricanes, prison breaks—whatever the situation, I need to be able to get there. New York State is large, and in the midst of an emergency that’s often easier said than done. Sometimes it is a scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles. The state police have been extraordinary. The superintendent is Keith Corlett, who worked his way through the ranks. The deputy superintendent is Kevin Bruen, who is experienced in all aspects of criminal justice. And the head of the detail, Major Vincent Straface, served on other governors’ details and has been with me from the beginning of my first term. He knows that as soon as a situation develops, we will need to be on site ASAP. Their support has allowed an additional dimension to my role as governor. I would never be comfortable as an “armchair general.” I won’t ask anyone to put themselves in a situation in which I’m unwilling to put myself.
The challenge presented by troopers testing positive for COVID was obviously a new one. Being in a car, a closed environment, is a huge risk for contracting COVID.
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ONCE AGAIN, I was on notice to see if I was infected. The constancy of people around me getting infected created its own anxiety and was a reminder of how real this threat was. It seemed every few days someone close to me, or someone I was just with, tested positive. I was always wondering if I had gotten infected. Between the lack of sleep and the anxiety, I often thought I was coming down with it. It was another mind game for me to resolve. Ironically, I never did get COVID—so far! After we discovered the risk of being in a car with other people, we decided I would drive myself. There was actually a silver lining for me. I like the ability to drive and move around alone. I am very aware of the “bubble” that executives can become trapped in. I’ve seen presidents, mayors, and governors become isolated to the point where they are talking only to a small cadre of sycophants. I enjoy walking the dog, going into a store and meeting people casually, and having candid conversations. It keeps me grounded and in tune with what people feel. I learn what they actually think about what I am doing and what they are concerned about. It also reminds me that being governor is a temporary state. Always remembering my experience and my father’s experience after losing office, I am acutely aware of the difficult return to reality upon leaving office, so I don’t want to leave reality in the first place!
MARCH 28 | 7,681 NEW CASES | 7,328 HOSPITALIZED | 209 DEATHS
“You go to war with what you have, not with what you need.”
THE FIRST SLIDE OF THE PowerPoint said, “Today is Saturday,” and everyone at the briefing laughed. After a month in the land of COVID, with everyone confined largely to home for weeks, no one knew what day it was anymore. There was no workweek as we knew it. There was no weekend. Every day was the
