Over the weekend, Governor Kathy Hochul gave an address from the pulpit at True Bethel Baptist Church in Western New York, a prominent place of worship with congregations in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Her speech was billed as “Discussing the State of America." The Governor was there to deliver remarks about tax credits for families with young children and the state tax rebate checks.
Hochul is coming under intense fire for her comments concerning the predominantly African American congregation, lecturing and warning churchgoers not to spend their soon-to-be government-issued inflation rebate checks "at the liquor store."
When New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerry Kassar saw the video of Hochul's remarks from the pulpit, his reaction was, “Is she out of touch or just out of her mind?”
While Hochul was talking about the $250 tax rebate checks, she said to the mostly African American congregation, “Don't spend it all in one day. Get something you really need, okay? Don't stop by the liquor store, okay? Buy something for the kids — buy them some food.”
Kassar noted that there was a brief reaction and pause by some in the audience, and hesitant laughs before obligatory applause began.
Kassar said, “The laughs actually were nervous laughs, but the aspect of laughing made it even worse. I think she knew that was a dud. That was the cringe moment. It just amazes me that a governor would say something like that. It just goes to the fact that she's out of her mind.”
Hochul has a history of racially assumptive remarks.
Last year, the New York Governor was criticized for saying, “Right now, we have young black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.”
Hochul later expressed regret for that remark.
In her Western New York address this past weekend, Hochul also used foul language in the house of worship.
Hochul said, “Forgive me. Who gets really pissed off about what you're (Trump) doing to my people, okay? I don't want to crash out, so I'm going to get calm, take a breath. I'm going to my calm, happy place. But it just makes your blood boil what they're doing to our people. So I'm going to do what I can as your Governor. I'm going to fight like heck.”
Kassar, the NYS Conservative Chairman, added, “It's a change in conversation by Governor Hochul as she attempts to come up with mechanisms for her re-election next year. She is attempting to create what she considers more empathy with the average New Yorker, which in my view creates more of a separation from the average New Yorker.”
“I dislike the use of slang and curse words in public life. It sends the completely wrong message. They're not making a cogent point. They're just trying to show their intensity by using some foul words,” said Kassar.
“What a joke,” responded Assemblyman Joe DeStefano. “The Democrats milk us for everything they can and then give us back crumbs like it’s a big deal, and then the governor insults people by telling them not to spend it at the liquor store—pathetic.”