Exclusive | Bolshevik-buster Bruce Blakeman battles socialism with Protect the New York Dream initiative

He’s the Bolshevik-buster.Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman is amping up his fight to vanquish socialism from New York, showcasing a new initiative with The Post this week he says will protect the Empire State now and in the future.His “Protect the New York Dream” agenda is a multi-pronged approach focused on protecting homeownership, merit-based public education, private-property rights and jobs, Blakeman said.“When [Gov.

Kathy] Hochul and [NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani] tell homeowners that their success is a problem, tell high-achieving students that merit doesn’t matter, and give politically connected organizations greater control over private property, they are undermining the very people who built this state.That ends when I’m governor,” crowed Blakeman.Blakeman – who has narrowed the Democratic incumbent’s lead in the gubernatorial race to 10% based on a Siena Poll released Tuesday – said the initiative is in response to a wave of socialist policies, such as NYC’s controversial new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes championed by Mamdani with little to no opposition from Hochul.The initiative includes fighting to protect and expand the Gifted & Talented programs and NYC’s specialized high schools — like Stuyvesant HS in Manhattan and Brooklyn Tech – from Mamdani’s efforts to phase out merit-based admissions because he believes they deepen systemic inequities.Blakeman said that if elected, he’d guarantee students are rewarded for academic excellence and achievement – and that educational standards would not be lowered.He’s also pledged to protect New Yorkers’ right to own, control and sell their properties without government interference.He pointed out that Hochul’s running mate, former City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, is a big supporter of the Mamdani-backed  “Community Opportunity for Purchase Act.”The stalled Stalinesque legislation is designed to control how private property is sold, ...