ALBANY, N.Y. – Two Staten Island lawmakers stood with former Conservative Borough President James Molinaro on Monday after reports that liberals in the state Senate were trying to derail his appointment to the CUNY board of trustees because Molinaro once called singer Lady Gaga a “slut.”
“I know where he’s coming from,” said state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island). “I’m the father of three children, including two girls. I don’t want them to act the way Lady Gaga acts. Her example is one that’s hurtful to young people.”
The New York Post reported that lawmakers, including Democratic Manhattan state Sen. Liz Krueger, are holding up Molinaro’s appointment because of his comments about the pop star as well as remarks about teen moms.
“To me, she’s not an actress — she is a slut in the pure meaning of the word,” Molinaro said of the singer in 2012. He said that Gaga, who has admitted using marijuana and other drugs, is a bad role model for kids.
Separately, he has also said that taxpayers have to foot the bill for the costs of teen births in the city.
The Post said that Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appointed Molinaro to the CUNY board pending Senate approval, last month asked that the appointment be temporarily set aside.
But the paper said that Cuomo is certain he has the votes to get Molinaro through. Molinaro went to Albany for an expected confirmation but was told that the vote was postponed.
Lanza, who said he will vote for Molinaro, said that Molinaro brings “a wealth of knowledge and experience and perspective that will be very beneficial to the CUNY system.”
Taking aim at liberals, Lanza said, “I suppose it’s all right to have colleges inundated with people from the far left, who criticize America.”
He said Molinaro needed to be judged “on the totality of his experience.”
“If we’re going to start censoring people, then let’s go through all of CUNY with a fine-tooth comb,” he said.
Ms. Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) is a neighbor of Molinaro’s and has worked on a number of issues with him despite their differing political philosophies.
“The life experience he has, people with multiple degrees will never achieve,” she said. “We’re not supposed to be so intolerant of each other that we reject the totality of experience that someone has.”
Ms. Savino said she too will vote for Molinaro.
“Has Jim Molinaro said intemperate things?” she said. “Yes. Who among us hasn’t, including myself?”
Molinaro, who is in private consulting these days, dismissed the controversy, saying, “it doesn’t make sense at all.”
Said Molinaro, “I’m more interested in preventing young people from having overdoses than in someone walking around half naked doing drugs in front of children who admire her.”