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Local Republicans lead rally for Blakeman

Local Republicans lead rally for Blakeman

LAKEWOOD -- Bruce Blakeman, Republican candidate for governor, has made his final campaign pitch to Chautauqua County voters.

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, state Sen. George Borrello, Assemblyman Andrew Molitor and County Executive PJ Wendel were all guest speakers at Blakeman's rally held at the American Legion Lakewood Memorial Post 1286 in front of a standing-room-only crowd.

"We're here for a very important reason. How many people want to see a change in Albany?" Wendel asked when kicking off the rally. "I can tell you there is no person more fitting to change New York than Bruce Blakeman. ... He needs our support to get him into that office in Albany."

Wendel said there needs to be significant change in New York, with more than 360,000 people having moved out of the state and with nearly half of county taxes paying for state-mandated programs.

"We need to take back our state, and we need to take back and hold our country," he said. "Make no bones about it – this is the most important election in many of our lives."

Molitor asked, "What is at stake here in this election?"

Those who own a business, Molitor said, are likely feeling the pressure of New York’s challenging regulatory landscape and rising energy costs. Taxpayers might also be grappling with property taxes that seem to rise perpetually and never decrease, Molitor said to the crowd.

"Every year New York reaches its greedy little hand into your pocket and takes an accumulative $9 billion dollars through property taxes to fund its Medicaid program," he said. "The most expensive Medicaid program in the nation; last year New York state spent more than $134 billion. People, that's more than Florida and Texas combined. Why is that important? Because they have 30 million more people to serve than New York state."

Chants echoed through the crowd at the event: "Ditch the Witch," accompanied by several posters of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz movie, each featuring a green face resembling Kathy Hochul in the witch's place.

"Kathy Hochul, who runs the largest ever-growing Medicare program in the United States – but for some reason very little goes to actual medical care," Molitor said. "New York has been paying Medicare premiums for people who don't actually live here in New York. The amount New York extracts for Medicare alone is more than all the counties combined in America."

As Borrello took the mic, he asked the crowd, "Are we ready to fire Kathy Hochul?"

"How can we trust someone to lead the state who can't lead a Bills chant at the Bills stadium" he said.

This was a direct shot at Hochul, who failed to successfully lead a "Go Bills" chant back in June that made national news.

Borrello then led a proper "Go Bills" chant – successfully.

"Folks, this is the most important election in our history," he said.

Langworthy then took the stage. "We've got six days left. I would not be in Congress if not for this community and your support. This is home, and it’s worth fighting for. This is the last shot; after that, the math doesn't work."

Langworthy said he never thought he would say, "Cuomo wasn’t that bad" as compared to Hochul.

Blakeman took the stage and laid out several of his platforms, contrasting them with Hochul’s. Blakeman specifically noted legislation that he said favors those who break the law, cashless bail, Raise the Age, the HALT Act in prisons and Hochul's ensuing move to fire 2,000 corrections officers after a wildcat strike over working conditions and prison safety, and Hochul's support of green energy programs.

"I'm going to 'drill baby, drill'," he said.