The following is a statement from New York City Council Member Joseph Borelli on his endorsement of Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro for New York Governor:
“If it feels like there is momentum gathering behind Marc Molinaro’s candidacy for Governor, it is only because there truly is. Today, I am proud to add my name to the growing list of his supporters and be one of the first in New York City to urge him to take on Andrew Cuomo this fall.
I had the pleasure of living in Dutchess County for four years, and the Poughkeepsie I lived in is not the Poughkeepsie of today. Under Marc’s leadership, the county saw a transformation into a community where business and families thrive. He is a pragmatic executive, willing to work with all sides, and has a reputation as a problem-solver. Most importantly, he has good character and a strong moral compass that guides his decisions.
New York City could benefit from someone like him at the helm of our state. As both Republicans and Democrats can agree, the Cuomo administration and their smoke and mirror approach to governing has not lived up to its own rhetoric. People flee businesses close, and taxes go up; all while the Governor and his allies tout fly-by-night economic development schemes. How’s ‘TaxFreeNY’ working out for you?
For New York City, Governor Cuomo’s approach to policy is more about foiling the Mayor’s plans or beating him to the photo op, all while he seeks to shake every dollar out of the middle class through tools, taxes, and fees. This is the same Governor who hired a brass band and laser light show to help him cut the ribbon on the 2nd Avenue Subway, late and over-budget; all while the rest of the MTA crumpled into the ‘summer of hell.’ HE might as well had played the fiddle.
For fellow Staten Islanders, we all should be optimistic about Marc Molinaro’s candidacy. In many ways, Dutchess County is like Richmond and shares many of the same woes, from long commutes to rising costs. Wappingers Falls might as well be Westerleigh. I think he is the right person who understands our needs, and I look forward to being in the thick of this race when it heats up.”