ALBANY -- Former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino was in Albany addressing the State's Conservative Party at its annual convention.
Carl Paladino's passion these days is education.
And on the eve of Governor Cuomo's budget address, the colorful Buffalo Businessman had some advice on the issue for the guy who trounced him this past November.
Carl Paladino said, "There is a lot to do..he should take every issue and study it – listen to both sides..don't make a bias decision because the word "union" is involved."
Paladino has been a vocal critic of the Buffalo City Schools, its superintendent, its unions and its slow pace of reform. "I know the system we have is failing. I think there are some high quality people that can save our system" Paladino said.
Paladino's answer is an unusual one. Boarding schools. And he will be briefing decision-makers in Buffalo this week on his plans. He detailed them for us saying, "You take five or six years old from dysfunctional homes…Kids go home on weekends…During the week they receive uniformed clothing for self-esteem…nourishing meals…given sports and athletics. Their minds would be channeled to do the right thing. I do not believe in any of the other solutions they have…Teachers point to them and say that "this is wrong." Well then what are we doing about it? You're not going to reeducate kids of dysfunction"..
Finally, in a surprising shift from the rhetoric of the campaign, Paladino told the Capitol Report that he currently supports the property tax cap bill proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
