The rumor that Bob Duffy will depart the Cuomo administration to head the Rochester Business Alliance when current RBA leader Sandra Parker retires at the end of the year is sprouting legs. Neither Duffy nor Cuomo have done anything to quash the speculation. Instead, Duffy’s refusal to discuss it has stoked the buzz into a near roar.
Duffy’s selection as lieutenant governor was always a bit curious and was likely meant to burnish Cuomo’s appeal upstate — though Duffy’s background may have hurt him. Downstate drives Albany’s machinery and some say that the cognoscente didn’t know how to take this too-tall ex-cop with the nasal “a.”
Rochesterians consoled themselves for the loss of Duffy with the knowledge that at least their former mayor would have the governor’s ear — whatever that meant (possibly, yelling “Rochester!” whenever he ran into Cuomo in the Capitol Building’s men’s room).
Duffy’s tenure as Cuomo’s right-hand man hasn’t been particularly remarkable — though short of an Eliot Spitzer-like detonation, it’s tough for a lieutenant governor to stand out. Duffy has been a traveling salesman for Cuomo’s budgets, and he chairs all 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, though the councils’ locally based representatives seem to do the heavy lifting there.
Duffy hasn’t hurt Cuomo, either, though his intrusion into Rochester’s mayoral race was ill-conceived — a fact he later acknowledged. (Duffy told the Democrat and Chronicle in January that Lovely Warren should stay out of the mayor’s race. Warren entered the race anyway and wound up winning the primary election. And Duffy got singed for opening his mouth.)
It’s unclear what Duffy’s future as an elected representative might be. Governor seems out of reach, and though Duffy was once talked about as a successor to Louise Slaughter in Congress, Slaughter seems to have the constitution of a triathlete.
As head of the RBA, Duffy would spend a lot of time promoting the city to investors — a task that he’s very familiar with and for which he is well-suited. He would also be the face and the voice of Rochester’s business community. Duffy certainly knows the economic and financial topography here, so in that sense, he’s a good match for the RBA. But in the past, his indecisiveness and impulsiveness have been counterproductive.
Duffy’s relationship with Warren is another question. He has been one of Warren’s strongest supporters, but it’s not clear if his ill-timed remarks about the mayor’s race damaged that bond. If Duffy does get the RBA job and he and Warren are able to mend fences, it could help settle the business community’s stomachs over a possible Warren administration.
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2013.
Interesting to think that Bob Duffy would be suited for this job…or any in the private sector! First, he is not going to be able to lobby at the state level for two years. Second, he has never worked in the private sector a day in his career, this is a business of businesses! Third, while he is liked, he is seen an inept by the business community.
Forth, he got on the wrong side of the Mayoral primary. Fifth, he killed the fast ferry. Sixth, he killed Ren. Square. Seventh, he purchased Sandy Parker’s lake home from her, which, by conflict of interest, should disqualify him from consideration. Eigth, he awarded a 1 dollar deal to Christa Morgan to build midtown…which is now still a hole in the ground. Ninth…oh, never mind, this list is getting too long to continue!
”Rochesterians consoled themselves for the loss of Duffy with the knowledge that at least their former mayor would have the governor’s ear “
Consoled themselves? I guess that would be the ones who weren’t dancing in the streets over the fact that Rochester had rid itself of a Republican-in-sheep’s clothing who cynically switch his party affiliation to the Democrats merely so he could run for office. A mayor who, like his predecessor,
the genius behind Bill’s Barge, was willing to blow millions of tax dollars on an asinine civic “improvement”. In this case, a project to rip out the Broad Street bridge and replace it with a stagnant frog pond.
As to having the governor’s “ear”, I would agree. If by “ear” you mean he picked up Andy’s coffee and dry cleaning.
Clint – Dumping the Less-Than-Fast-Ferry and killing RenSquare are actually two of Duffy’s very few positive accomplishments. As to buying Parker’s house, who the hell cares? Only a conspiracy lover would see that as a conflict of interest. Although selling a home in the Browncroft district and buying one on Keuka Lake does seems a strange way to demonstrate one’s commitment to Rochchacha.
Oh well, I still think he intends to run for Tom Reed’s House seat and the rumors about going after Parker’s job is just smoke and mirrors to mislead the gullible.
Okay, City and MJN…lets try this. An isider deal for Duffy to be the head of RBA got derailed by too much media scrutiny. Lets ask the obvious…Sandy says she is staying, but, will she publically say there is no inside deal to bring Duffy on? How about a direct question…”Does your sale of your home to Duffy, conflict him out of applying for the job?” Now, I am not saying that there was insider baseball here…but, the fact base is kind of scary. Bob Duffy buys the house of the lady that is leaving the job…and, they do not use a realtor. And, then, she sponsors him to replace her at RBA…then the media looks closely and she decides that she will work for another year or so.
Here is my take…Sandy had a deal with Duffy. He bought and paid for the job. Then people started to pay attention…so, they called time out till the dust settles! Ouch!
Clint – News flash !!!! Parker doesn’t appoint her replacement. He (or she) will be elected by the Board of Directors of the RBA. And by my count that’s over 50 business men and women. And these people are professionals, not Parker’s stooges.
So while Duffy’s no rocket scientist, his qualifications for the job are sufficient so that he doesn’t need Parker’s backing. And certainly not enough to pay a half million bucks for a house that he wouldn’t have bought anyway.
But if as you state Duffy can’t fully represent the RBA because of restrictions resulting from his service as Jr. Ass’t Governor then why would he go after the job in the first place?
As to not using a realtor, so what? I sold my parents home several years ago without using one either.
Oh, by the way, your conspiracy angle with the Parker home sale only works if Duffy was paying well above market value (i.e. a bribe). But the story being circulated by another group of conspiracy nuts is that he UNDERpaid for it.