Molinaro to Staten Island: Let Me Be Your Cuomo Solution

"We're here to support a conservative, Republican candidate for governor," said Hinane Dbejat, a 29-year-old accountant from Graniteville, Staten Island.

So what do you know about Marc Molinaro?

"Not much, aside from what's on the literature," Dbejat said, referring to a glossy flyer she picked up from a table at the entrance of the Knights of Columbus hall in Richmondtown. "We're just here to see what he has to say."

Thursday night was Dutchess County Executive and Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro's first town hall on Staten Island. The Island's Republican establishment sat in the front row, including Congressman Dan Donovan and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. Curtis Sliwa was there in his capacity as Chairman of the New York State Reform Party, but he also had his crew of Guardian Angels with him.

Molinaro went without a microphone and instead projected to the audience, making his way through a getting-to-know-you speech about his career in politics, which began when he was elected mayor of the upstate town of Tivoli at the age of 19. As he began outlining his platform, Molinaro freely criticized New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for everything from shirking his duty to fix the MTA to openly dueling with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

A yard sign for Marc Molinaro for governor.

(Shumita Basu/WNYC)

Earlier on Thursday, Molinaro had called on the NYPD to investigate Cuomo's conduct in letting a close aide use a government office to run his re-election campaign in 2014. The NYPD responded by saying Molinaro should take it up with the attorney general; a spokesperson for Attorney General Barbara Underwood's office told WNYC it would need a referral from an agency like the State Board of Elections to investigate or prosecute a case like this.

"Someone needs to hold the governor accountable and take up what is clearly a violation of law," Molinaro told WNYC. "And again, the governor seems to believe that he's above the law. He isn't. And taxpayers deserve answers."

That seemed to be a common theme of the biggest applause lines at the Staten Island town hall: Taxpayers deserve better. Molinaro said he's for property tax reductions, against sanctuary cities and against Cuomo's cost-free tuition program for low-income families.

"Every individual, regardless of means, if they want to access secondary education, should have an opportunity to do that," Molinaro told the crowd. "Not just those that the governor picks."

One town hall attendee, who arrived without knowing much about Molinaro, said she was happy to hear him speak out against free college. Loretta Drogon is a North Shore resident who said she spent 33 years working for the New York City Department of Education. She said she sent her kids to college — with loans — and dealt with student loans herself.

"I believe every kid should have an opportunity to have a student loan, a job on campus, all kinds of paid internships," said Drogon. "I want academic rigor with opportunity to participate and to provide service to your college that you’re at — not a free ride! It’s fundamentally wrong."

Drogon said she currently has lawn signs for three of the elected officials' campaigns at Molinaro's town hall. After hearing him speak, she's considering adding his sign too.