"The buck stops here."

 

That's what the sign read on Harry Truman's desk during his years in the Oval Office. What it meant was:  I'm accountable.  I'm in charge. Responsibility, ultimately, resides in me.   

 

It's unfortunate that New Yorkers don't have a governor like that today. For the 300,000-plus New Yorkers who rely on the Long Island Railroad to get to and from work, school, and medical appointments in the city, the sign on Governor Cuomo's desk instead reads, "Don't look at me." "I punt on third down" or simply "blame it on the feds." 

 

As the clock ticks down on a looming Long Island Railroad strike, Mr. Cuomo is washing his hands of the matter. He's telling New Yorkers to call their member of congress, call their senators, email the White House -- do anything, but for god's sake don't bother him.  He's not responsible.  But when the very same negotiating team working on the Long Island Railroad issue successfully negotiated an MTA settlement, guess who took credit?  You guessed it, Andrew Cuomo.  

 

That's not leadership, Mr. Cuomo.  There's a major railroad strike coming that will affect hundreds of thousands of lives. You have to get involved.  It's gut check time, governor.  Just ask yourself, "What would Harry Truman do?"

 

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