In six weeks, will we throw the bums out?

Our good friend Mayor Ed Koch has spent the past few months traveling the state, encouraging New Yorkers to “Throw the bums out!” Well, on Primary Day we got the message and threw out Pedro Espada, the worst offender in Albany when it comes to greed and arrogance. The American people are angry and revolted by the status quo. The results of last Tuesday’s voting may have surprised some, but not me. I’ve been watching the mood of this nation change, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

Americans, particularly those in suburban communities, have become increasingly hostile. People are tired of paying high taxes, exhausted by the lack of jobs and sickened by government spending and scandals. Countless voters feel betrayed by their elected officials and have grown weary of seeing the same names on the ballot election after election, particularly since we’ve not seen any validation that extensive reform or progress is near. It feels like many of our politicians have abandoned us for the sake of politics. They’ve become so arrogant and they’ll do anything to get re-elected.

The public’s outrage has made it easier for an anti-incumbent, anti-establishment nominee to mount a grass-roots campaign. Suddenly, candidates who stood no chance defeated opponents by alarming margins.

Look at the Republican gubernatorial primary in New York. Carl Paladino, a Buffalo businessman and political novice, was able to attract 63 percent of the Republican vote in the state, including 93 percent in upstate Erie County. Paladino, a man who leaves a strong distaste in my mouth, was backed by the Tea Party and capitalized on people’s anger with Albany. He campaigned with the “I’m mad as hell” slogan and said he planned to “bring his baseball bat to the dysfunctional government in Albany.”

In Delaware, Christine O’Donnell shocked the country by knocking off longtime Republican Congressman Mike Castle. There the Tea Party pointed out that things haven’t been getting any better in this country; in fact, they’re only going to get worse. These are ideas that have no political ownership and resonate across party lines. Even though we won’t all agree on the best candidates to rebuild our state and our country, most of us realize that we’re in trouble and we need change — fast. Last week I chided President Obama on his refusal to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for families earning over $250,000 per year. Again, $250,000 per year for a family in New York isn’t a lot of money.

Some families are forced to pay half their incomes in taxes. Can you imagine? On Long Island there are middle-income families paying $20,000 or more in property taxes alone. If you combine this tax with state and federal income taxes and Social Security taxes, the total amount New Yorkers pay could support a family of four in another state!

Taxes have become so confiscatory that they’re forcing out our greatest investment — our youth. Young people aren’t returning to their communities after college, and if they do, they aren’t staying long.

It’s a serious problem when your home becomes a burden. I applaud Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s proactive approach to property taxes. His plan would cap property taxes at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Regardless of your party, it’s time to elect people ready to battle for the taxpayer. We need fiscally conservative leaders who aren’t afraid to stand up and fight for what is right.

Whoever our next governor is — and I believe it’ll be Andrew Cuomo — must not only tackle spending, but also the special interests that have bankrupted our state. It’ll take guts and tenacity, but we have no other option. We can no longer afford to be the special-interest ATM machine.

Many people have asked me, What do you think Republicans’ chances are in November? Well, if the elections were held tomorrow, I believe Republicans would capture the House of Representatives and pick up at least six Senate seats. That would turn Washington upside down — a much-needed change.

In New York, the Republicans have a better-than-even chance of taking back the state Senate. This is essential in order to bring any semblance of a two-party system back to our state.

However, friends, the election is still six weeks away, and that’s a lifetime in politics. Stay tuned.

Al D’Amato, a former U.S. senator from New York, is the founder of Park Strategies LLC, a public policy and business development firm. Comments about this column? ADAmato@liherald.com.