Opinion

Gov. gumby’s gimmicks

Gov. Cuomo yesterday said he was only joshing when he earlier referred to himself as so flexible on pension reform that he’s a “veritable Gumby.”

But the way he seems to be bending on the issue, maybe he was right the first time.

Yesterday, for example, Cuomo vowed to stick firmly to his plan to offer less generous and costly pensions to future government employees, despite suggestions that he crack down on waste and abuse in the system instead.

“I’m going to continue to push my position,” Cuomo said.

Fighting waste just won’t save enough cash. And, he added, reform must achieve a “maximum amount of savings”

Cuomo got a boost from Mayor Bloomberg and a host of county leaders from around the state who traveled to Albany to “urge every legislator to get behind [the governor’s pension] plan.”

But which plan?

No sooner had Cuomo fashioned himself as Gov. Backbone, as opposed to Gov. Gumby, than he said he’d be hunky-dory with larding up a new pension tier if there’s an economic boom.

“[If, in] five years, 10 years, the economy comes roaring back, pass a different pension system,” he said yesterday.

Indeed, he’s been saying likewise for days: “Let’s say the economy turns around and people say we want to have a better pension plan to attract different workers, then raise [benefits] — fine,” he said.

But it’s not fine.

Cuomo’s pension reform is meant to save $113 billion over 30 years. But if Albany sweetens benefits and re-inflates costs, much of the savings will go down the drain.

And anyway, what kind of sweeteners can be rolled back in just a few years? Remember, it’s easy to add perks, but once added, it’s literally unconstitutional to scrap them.

There’s more: Cuomo is reportedly toying with dropping the 401(k)-style “direct contribution” component of his plan.

Sheesh! Gumby seems like a veritable Rock of Gibraltar by comparison.