I respect the state workers and I respect their unions, but we

The words of Andrew Cuomo strike with the weight of reality: “I respect the state workers and I respect their unions, but we simply can't afford to pay benefits and pensions that are out of line with economic reality.” This is not the cry of a man who scorns labor, nor of one who dismisses sacrifice. Rather, it is the sober recognition that reverence for service must be balanced with the hard limits of resources. His words are both reverent and unyielding—reverent toward the dignity of workers and their unions, yet unyielding before the immovable wall of economic reality.

From the ancients we learn that leaders often walk a narrow path between honor and necessity. To deny respect to those who toil for the good of the people would be folly, for the strength of a state lies in the hands of its servants. Yet to ignore the bounds of wealth and the capacity of the treasury is likewise folly, for no kingdom, however noble, can stand if it bleeds itself dry in promises it cannot keep. Cuomo’s words echo the wisdom of rulers who knew that justice is not indulgence, but balance.

Consider the fate of the Roman Empire. In its later years, Rome grew bloated with obligations, paying pensions and benefits to legions and citizens alike, even as its coffers grew thin and its enemies pressed at the borders. The respect for the soldier was noble, but the refusal to temper generosity with prudence hastened collapse. Bread and circuses could not conceal the emptiness of the treasury. Thus, Rome teaches us that economic reality is not an enemy to be ignored, but a law as binding as gravity, one that punishes all who defy it.

Cuomo’s words also carry within them a deeper truth: that respect is not blind indulgence. True respect for workers and unions does not lie in making promises that will crumble, but in securing the stability that ensures those promises can endure. To grant unsustainable benefits is to build a house upon sand, one that will fall and bury those it was meant to shelter. To align with reality is not to dishonor labor, but to protect it from ruin.

History offers another tale—this one of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in the depths of the Great Depression forged the Social Security system. He gave workers hope and dignity, but even in his boldness, he spoke of the need for sustainability. He warned that a system which gave more than the economy could bear would not survive, and thus carefully crafted policies with the endurance of generations in mind. Roosevelt, like Cuomo, understood that compassion must walk hand in hand with prudence.

The lesson is clear: respect must be matched with responsibility. It is not enough to honor labor with words; one must also ensure that the structures of society are strong enough to uphold those who labor. Empty promises dishonor more than they uplift. The wise leader seeks balance—between generosity and prudence, between gratitude and realism, between the heart that longs to give and the hand that must count the cost.

And so, what must we do in our own lives? We must learn to respect those around us not only in word but also in sustainable action. In our families, do not promise what you cannot deliver. In your work, honor others not with flattery, but with fair and enduring support. And in your communities, seek policies and practices that endure, rather than those that shine brightly but vanish quickly. For the true measure of respect lies not in the grandeur of gifts, but in the strength of what lasts.

Thus, Andrew Cuomo’s words should be heeded: respect is sacred, but it must walk with reality. The path of wisdom is balance. To honor the worker is right, to strengthen the union is noble, but to ignore the limits of the possible is to build ruin disguised as generosity. Let this truth endure: respect and reality must walk together, or both will fall.