Dan Castricone announces bid for Congress
CENTRAL VALLEY — Dan Castricone declared his candidacy for Congress Saturday, Dec. 5, vowing to “end the rules that allow the elites to thrive off the carcass of the middle class.”
“We have two economies in this country,” said Castricone. “One for the powerful and the well-connected who rig the rules. Another for everybody else. The percentage of Americans who are not working is the highest since the days of malaise during the Carter years. Almost 40 percent of Americans do not work, or have given up hope of finding work. Disposable income is down. Real wages have declined.”
Different set of rulesCastricone, a Republican, is a former Orange County legislator and former deputy supervisor of the Town of Tuxedo. He is president of Castricone Enterprises Inc, an insurance, brokerage and financial services company and a radio host at WTBQ in Warwick.
In a press release following the his announcement, Castricone took direct aim at the Democratic incumbent, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.
“When Citibank needed a Democratic sponsor of a bill to gut the bank reforms, Mr. Maloney was quick to volunteer,” Castricone said.
“As Mr. Maloney drank from the well of plenty, he tightened the screws on the safety net upon which so many in this anemic economy depend,” Castricone added, noting that Maloney voted to cut $21 billion from the food stamp program and for a budget bill that reduced cost of living increases for military retirees.
“One set of rules for the well connected,” Castricone said. “ Another set of rules for us.”
“We need to get our economy working again for the forgotten middle class,” the candidate said. “Real competition in health insurance marketplace, reform of the tax code, easing up on regulations that stifle entrepreneurs, and ending rules that allow monied interests to pick the pockets of the middle class.”
Silence on Kiryas Joel annexation
Castricone also criticized Maloney for his silence on the Village of Kiryas Joel’s attempt to annex another square mile of land in Orange County for high density housing.
“Not a whisper of support for the communities that have sued to stop the annexation; not a word of concern about the strain this explosive growth will place on our schools, water supplies and sewage treatment plants; not a whimper about the decline of our property values that is sure to come from tripling the size of Maloney’s voting bloc.”
Crowded field Three other Republicans also are seeking the Republican endorsement to unseat Maloney:
Sakima Brown of Poughkeepsie.
Phil Oliva of Somers in Westchester County.
Frank Spampinato, who announced this week in Newburgh.