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Date: 10/25/2022
WESTFIELD – According to Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl, Democrats believe that “government should control everything.”
His message was heard by a room of supporters on Oct. 14 in a campaign event along with Republican congressional candidate Dean Martilli.
Both men detailed what they would like to do if they win in the November election.
The two candidates were at the event joined by other Republicans on the ballot: Agawam City Councilor Cecilia Calabrese who is running for the Senate against incumbent John Velis and John Comerford, seeking a position on the Governor’s Council. Also in the audience was Holyoke City Councilor Linda Vacon and Westfield City Councilor Nick Morganelli.
Martilli introduced Diehl and led off what would be eventually a question-and-answer period by flatly declaring. “There is no leadership on the other side of the line.”
The West Springfield business consultant said of his motivation to challenge incumbent Richard Neal, “Watching what was going on in politics made me upset.”
He asserted the coronavirus pandemic policies isolated people and “picked on small business.” He further stated that Democrats are “breaking down churches and religion especially on the Christian side.”
He added public schools are indoctrinating children and “ruining the family; the nuclear family is not important to them.”
Martilli said the Democrats have two issues: abortion and former President Donald Trump, who he said he is being cast as a “boogeyman.”
He noted that Neal “won’t debate us … won’t talk to us.”
In introducing Diehl, Martilli said, “This guy is going to be great for schools and for police.” He added, “Nothing is more important than Geoff Diehl being elected governor.”
Diehl said that Western Massachusetts was “not getting any perspective from a Republican” as all of the region’s legislative delegation are Democrats.”
He called the Legislature “aggressive” and “left-leaning.”
The governor “has to be the adult in the room,” he added.
He pledged to bring “open transparent government to Beacon Hill.” He also promised to re-hire any state employee who was fired because he or she did not agree to receiving a COVID-19 inoculation.
Speaking about the ballot question concerning the proposed millionaire’s tax – a 4 percent surtax on taxable incomes over $1 million – Diehl said that although the claim has been made to use that additional revenue for public education and transportation as well as infrastructure improvements, it will go to the general fund. He asked why people are “being punished for success in Massachusetts?” He also said that “everyone is going to suffer” from the implementation of that tax.
Diehl also shared his daughter’s reaction to a presentation in her school about race that made her “feel guilty for being white.”
He declared, “That’s not what America is all about.”
Speaking about education, he called for more vocational schools and for the creation of a parental bill of right for education, allocating state funds to private schools and home-schooling efforts. He would also change the open meeting laws so parents could directly question School Committee members during meetings.
He offered a solution to how the commonwealth determines highway funds to communities by saying that instead of population, the factor should be road miles, which would help communities in Western Massachusetts.
For more information about Diehl and his platform go to https://diehlallen.com. For additional information about Martilli go to https://martilliforcongress.com.