Staff Report
Guilderland lawyer Warren Redlich, a candidate for the Republican and Libertarian party nomination for state governor, stopped by The Daily Star office Monday to discuss his campaign.
The parties will be choosing candidates to run against a Democratic nominee later this year. Former Rep. Rick Lazio has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination.
Democratic Gov. David Paterson, who was elected lieutenant governor and succeeded Eliot Spitzer after he resigned because of a sex scandal, has yet to declare whether he will seek the office.
Redlich, a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer, is a member of the Guilderland Town Board. He was an attorney on Ron Paul's 2008 presidential campaign, he said. He has a wife and two daughters. He announced his candidacy Feb. 1.
Serving on the town board made him more aware of the problems facing the state, he said. This includes declining revenue and spending that was out of control, he said.
This includes public sector salaries that were out of line, he said.
For instance, the president of the State University College at Albany makes $280,000, gets a $261,000 pension from another job and earns $100,000 as a consultant for the state teachers retirement system, Redlich noted.
Redlich's platform includes capping most public sector salaries at $100,000 and eliminating unnecessary state agencies, such as the Commission of Corrections and the Thruway Authority.
He said he hopes his message of cutting corporate welfare and government spending appeals to the Tea Party movement.
