Sen. Bernie Sanders stumps for Teachout in New Paltz on Friday
NEW PALTZ – Thousands of screaming supporters filled Hasbrouck
Park in downtown New Paltz on Friday to hear former presidential candidate
Bernie Sanders speak at a campaign rally for congressional hopeful Zephyr
Teachout.
The rare appearance is meant to help Democrats win the contested New York
19th District, currently held by retiring Republican Chris Gibson, who
has kept the seat for two terms. Prior to Gibson, the district was held
for many years by Maurice Hinchey. Teachout’s opponent, Republican
John Faso, is a former state assemblyman.
Early birds began camping out the night before, to secure a spot close
to the stage, according to organizer Dan Torres, the deputy town supervisor.
“There was already an Occupy-esque village that had formed,”
Torres said.
Sanders warned voters against what he called Zephyr’s wealthy opponents.
“The great crisis, of all that we face, is that in many respects,
our country today is marching toward oligarchy. What we are looking at
is a nation where a handful of billionaire families not only control our
economy, but also they want to buy the US Government,” he said.
Teachout agreed. “We are at a crisis moment in our democracy and
our economy,” she said. “It’s a once in a generation
crisis, one might say it’s a once in a hundred years crisis.”
She vowed to take polluters to task if elected. “We’re not
going to let these anchorages go into the Hudson River; we’re not
going to let fracked gas into our state, and we’re not going to
let the polluters get away without paying their fair share,” she
said.
Bringing manufacturing back home and ending disastrous trade deals, along
with helping family farms, are other issues she touched upon; plus ending
Citizens United.
