Advocate: Cuomo’s asterisk on minimum wage just ‘semantics’

Laura Nahmias

ALBANY—Karen Scharff, the executive director of Citizen Action, said she remains confident in Governor Andrew Cuomo's support for a minimum wage increase, even after Cuomo outlined some limits in comments on Sunday.

Cuomo said yesterday he supports allowing localities to adjust the minimum wage, within certain limits.

“What we’re saying, [in] the video last night I said we have to recognize the difference in the cost of living in different markets and I would allow localities within a state-prescribed formula to adjust a local wage,” the governor said, referencing his video address to the Working Families Party on Saturday night, when he agreed to back a number of the party's priorities. “But not that the locality gets to set rate wherever they want. I’m against that. I was against it. I am against it.”

Scharff said Monday those comments didn’t change the governor’s promises to the W.F.P.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2014/06/8546423/advocate-cuomos-asterisk-minimum-wage-just-semantics