They Feared The Questions More Than The Answers

They didn’t just cut off a microphone; they showed New Yorkers exactly what happens when those in power cannot defend their record.

On February 11, they cut my microphone. Today, let me be perfectly clear: You can silence a mic, but you cannot silence the truth.

My first words to Mayor Zohran Mamdani were simple and undeniable. I said, “I think we can agree that the first obligation of government is to protect its citizens.” That is not a partisan statement. That is the foundation of government itself.

As Ranking Member of the Local Governments Committee, I asked the Mayor straightforward yes or no questions about antisemitism and public safety. Instead of answers, the Democrat majority chose censorship. From the moment I began pressing him on rising hate, dangerous rhetoric, and decisions made under his administration, it was clear they were looking for a way to shut me down. When I refused to back off, they cut the microphone. That is not debate, that is intimidation.

When the only yarmulke-wearing Republican elected to state-level office in New York is silenced for raising concerns about antisemitism, that is not procedure; that is a warning sign. If they are afraid of the question, they are afraid of the answer.

Some claimed antisemitism had nothing to do with a public hearing on the budget. That argument collapses immediately. At least 70 percent of the questions asked by my colleagues had nothing specifically to do with the budget. Many legislators asked about antisemitism. Many asked about ideology, policy, and public safety. They were allowed to continue. Their microphones stayed on.

Mine did not.

The difference was not the topic. The difference was who was asking the questions. I am a Republican, and I wear a yarmulke. They saw immediately that I was not going to be steamrolled. They saw someone willing to press forward and demand direct answers. That is when they decided to silence me.

The questions themselves were not complicated. They were direct, factual, and grounded in reality. Antisemitic hate crimes have surged. Dangerous rhetoric that once would have been condemned without hesitation is now tolerated or excused. Individuals with troubling public records and extreme ideological views have been elevated into positions of influence. These are not abstract debates. These are real-world consequences affecting real people and real families.

I represent Cedarhurst today, but you never stop being a kid from Franklin Square. I am a Long Islander through and through. I swing a 32-ounce hammer. I operate heavy machinery. I spent decades in the construction business doing real work in the real world. Most of the people trying to silence me have never built anything in their lives. They are career politicians. The mayor is the definition of one.

Let’s call this what it is. Mamdani governs like a communist, and Democrats enable it because they are terrified of the Democratic Socialists of America. No matter how far left they go, there is always someone more radical waiting to primary them, so they fall in line and silence anyone who challenges their agenda. Ronald Reagan warned that communism only works when people are forced to obey. When a microphone gets cut in a legislative hearing instead of questions being answered, that warning stops sounding like history and starts sounding like reality.

People ask what they should do. The answer is simple. Vote Republican. Period.

Jewish voters in particular must stop playing the short game. Too many continue voting Democrat because their community receives a small token, an ambulance, a grant, or a symbolic gesture. They focus on what they receive today and ignore what is being built around them tomorrow. Safety is not a token. Freedom is not a favor. When politicians believe they own your vote, they stop respecting your voice.

For anyone who wants to know what I was asking before Democrats cut the microphone, here is the truth. I asked yes or no questions about public safety, antisemitism, extremist rhetoric, and the decisions made by the Mayor and his administration.

I asked whether antisemitic hate crimes had surged. I asked whether dangerous slogans tied to violence had been condemned. I asked whether individuals with documented extremist statements had been elevated into positions of authority. I asked whether policies weakening law enforcement had made New Yorkers safer.

These were yes or no questions.

Instead of answering them, they cut the microphone.

That decision told New Yorkers everything they needed to know.

They can cut a microphone, but they cannot cut the truth. They can try to silence a moment, but they cannot silence reality. Long Islanders do not back down. We do not quit. We do not scare easily. I pushed forward on February 11, I will push forward tomorrow. I will keep fighting for the Jewish community, for public safety, and for the American values that made this country the greatest nation on earth.

Because the truth does not belong to politicians. It belongs to the people. 

Assemblyman Ari Brown represents the 20th Assembly District, which includes the towns and villages of Cedarhurst, East Rockaway, Hewlett, Woodmere, Inwood, Island Park, Lawrence and Oceanside, along with the barrier island from Atlantic Beach to Point Lookout.

Bruce Blakeman: Hochul’s $1.5 Billion Gotham Bailout Should Go To Tax Relief Instead

Nassau County Executive and Republican candidate for New York State Governor Bruce Blakeman slammed Kathy Hochul for sending $1.5 billion in state taxpayer funds to bail out New York City as it confronts a fiscal shortfall under newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani—money that Blakeman says should instead be used to reduce school taxes across New York State and deliver real relief to families struggling with high property taxes and the cost of living.

Despite reports that New York City has trimmed its projected deficit—from an initial $12 billion to $7 billion—Hochul is set to deliver $1 billion in this fiscal year and another $510 million next year to the city.

“Kathy Hochul is happily handing billions to New York City while suburban and upstate taxpayers struggle to pay their bills,” said Blakeman. “If Albany truly has a $1.5 billion surplus—or if the Governor simply has that much money just laying around—that money should be used to cut school taxes for hard-working New Yorkers, not parked in a bailout that rewards fiscal mismanagement.”

Blakeman pointed to other recent state commitments that benefit New York City disproportionately, including rising state support for childcare and voucher programs that cost nearly $1.8 billion statewide annually, with the lion’s share being spent in the Big Apple.

Blakeman also highlighted the ongoing costs associated with New York City’s role as a so-called “sanctuary city.” According to local financial reports, city funds dedicated to services for asylum seekers and related programs are expected to total more than $6 billion over current multi-year spending plans—with state and local governments grappling with reimbursement structures at the state level.

“Why should someone on Long Island, the Hudson Valley, or Western New York be asked to pay for policies and programs that don’t benefit their communities?” asked Blakeman. “The people of this state deserve a Governor who prioritizes tax relief, common-sense fiscal management, and fairness for all New Yorkers—not just another bailout for Albany’s big city allies.”

Blakeman reiterated his pledge that if elected Governor he will:

Return unused state surplus dollars to taxpayers, starting with school tax relief.

Stop one-off bailouts that reward fiscal mismanagement and take money away from education, infrastructure, and essential services statewide.

Demand accountability for all state spending—including childcare and intergovernmental transfers—so that taxpayers see value for every dollar they send to Albany.

“New Yorkers deserve leadership that respects every community,” said Blakeman. “I will be a Governor for all—not just for Zohran Mamdani.” n

Request to Add Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation to EO 157 BDS List

By Jeffrey Lax

Board of Directors Chair, on behalf of

Students, Alumni, and Faculty for Equality on Campus (S.A.F.E. Campus)

Dear Commissioner Jeanette M. Moy, New York State Office of General Services,

We write to request that the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation (BNYDC) be promptly added to the list of institutions and companies that participate in boycott, divestment, or sanctions (BDS) activity targeting Israel, pursuant to Executive Order No. 157 (issued June 2016 and still in full effect).

Executive Order 157 directs all affected state entities to divest public funds from, and refrain from investing in, any “institution or company” determined—based on credible public information—to engage in BDS activity against Israel. The Order defines such activity to include any refusal to deal with, or termination of business relations with, companies because they conduct business with or in Israel.

The Commissioner of the Office of General Services is responsible for maintaining and updating the public list using credible public sources.

Credible public evidence now exists that BNYDC has engaged in precisely this conduct. On February 14, 2026, the New York Post reported (“City Hall boots Israel drone supplier from Brooklyn Navy Yard—after Mamdani took office,” by Rich Calder) that BNYDC has decided not to renew the lease of Easy Aerial, a Brooklyn-based manufacturer of drone-in-a-box systems.

Easy Aerial supplies its technology to the Israeli military for border security operations along the Gaza Strip, among other customers. The article and related reporting detail the following:

BNYDC notified Easy Aerial early in 2026 that its lease would not be renewed.

The decision came approximately six weeks after Zohran Mamdani took office, a mayor openly supportive of the BDS movement and who previously removed his predecessor, Mayor Adam’s anti-BDS Executive Order within one hour of taking office on January 1, 2026.

Brooklyn City Council Member Lincoln Restler publicly celebrated the non-renewal on X (formerly Twitter), writing that “This public asset should not be leasing space to companies producing drones that are being transformed into weapons of war” and stating he had been “in close touch with BNY leadership & am grateful for their decision.”

Although a BNYDC spokesperson later claimed the decision was based solely on “business reasons related to operational and campus compliance matters,” the timing, the council member’s explicit statements linking the eviction to the company’s work with Israel, and the public campaign by the “Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard” collective provide credible public evidence that the non-renewal constitutes participation in BDS activity targeting Israel.

By refusing to continue a commercial landlord-tenant relationship with a company solely (or primarily) because it does business with Israel, BNYDC has engaged in the very boycott activity prohibited under Executive Order 157.

As a public-benefit corporation managing city-owned property and whose board members serve at the pleasure of the Mayor, BNYDC qualifies as an “institution or company” subject to the Order’s divestment and listing provisions. We respectfully request that you:

Immediately review the New York Post article (and any related public statements) as credible public information.

Provide BNYDC with the notice required under the Order and an opportunity to respond.

Add BNYDC to the public BDS list if the evidence warrants, as it has for other entities in the past.

Confirm in writing to us once the review is complete and any action is taken.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We believe strict enforcement of Executive Order 157 is essential to prevent New York State from indirectly supporting discriminatory boycotts against Israel. n

{Mayor Samuel Nahmias Invites Easy Aerial To Relocate To Lawrence Community

In light of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s decision not to renew Easy Aerial’s lease at the Brooklyn Navy Yard—part of a series of deeply concerning actions and policy signals since his first day in office that have created uncertainty for companies connected to Israel and the broader Jewish community—the Village of Lawrence formally invites Easy Aerial to relocate its operations to our community, where businesses of all backgrounds are welcomed and supported.

Lawrence is a village open to all. We believe innovation, enterprise, and technological advancement should be encouraged based on their merit and contribution to society, not subjected to political hostility or ideological targeting.

Easy Aerial represents the very best of modern innovation. Their advanced drone systems contribute to infrastructure protection, emergency response, and national security. Many of the technologies that shape today’s world, including cellular communications, cybersecurity systems, unmanned aerial platforms, and advanced data storage, emerged from the same culture of ingenuity and scientific excellence that companies like Easy Aerial continue to advance.

Located directly on the border of New York City, Lawrence offers immediate access to the region’s workforce, transportation networks, and commercial infrastructure, while providing a stable, cooperative, and pro-innovation municipal environment. We are prepared to work in partnership with the Town of Hempstead to explore Industrial Development Agency tax incentives, PILOT agreements, and other lawful economic development tools to support investment and job creation.

In consultation with Assemblyman Ari Brown, Ranking Member of the New York State Assembly Local Governments Committee, we are confident in our ability to help facilitate a smooth and successful transition.

Lawrence is a community that values progress, welcomes enterprise, and supports companies building the future. We stand ready to assist Easy Aerial in identifying appropriate facilities, coordinating approvals, and ensuring a seamless relocation.

Easy Aerial will find in Lawrence not only a strategic location, but a municipal partner committed to its success.