County Exec. Sue Serino Criticized For Gushing Over Anti-Union, Racist Hulk Hogan During Social Security Office Closure Demonstration
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Screenshot of the post Dutchess County made on Facebook of County Executive Sue Serino helping Hulk Hogan promote his beer while demonstrators were outside the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office demanding that it not be closed by DOGE.
While Dutchess County residents and the union representing frontline Social Security employees in New York (AFGE Local 3343) were outside of the Social Security Office in Poughkeepsie, demanding that it be removed from the DOGE list of supposed lease cancellations, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino was gushing over Hulk Hogan, a self-declared racist and anti-union wrestler who was promoting his new Real American Beer at a ShopRite in Poughkeepsie.
Sue Serino took it a step further by declaring the day Hulk Hogan Day, without consulting with constituents, many of whom objected in the comments of Dutchess County's announcement of these decisions. Sue Serino used to be a New York State Senator before losing her seat and running for the Dutchess County Executive position,
Not only did Dutchess County not prioritize the protest outside of the Social Security Office, it also slighted the new name of the Mid-Hudson Civic Center to an asterisk, dismissing the man who has paid for its upgrades: Majed J. Nesheiwat. In 2018, Majed, who also goes by “Mitch,” explained why modernizing the center was so important to him: “I came to Poughkeepsie at the age of 15 from Jordan. With hard work and opportunity, I built my business and raised my family here. As a teenager, my first thrilling experience in life was at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, when I went to watch a live wrestling match. I have countless happy memories here and now my children and grandchildren are creating their own memories here. I love this community and I feel like it is only right to give back, especially after all it has given me. This opportunity with the civic center is the perfect way for us to do that. My family and I are looking forward to working with the civic center and serving our community for many years to come,” as reported by 101.5 WPDH.
Dutchess County’s Satement
Dutchess County’s statement gushed:
"Some 40 years after the Hulkster first flexed his 24-inch pythons to the delight of fans at the former Mid-Hudson Civic Center*, County Executive Sue Serino proclaimed today “𝐇𝐮𝐥𝐤 𝐇𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲” in Dutchess County, as the former WWF champ returned to Poughkeepsie. More than an entertainment icon, Hulk Hogan has for years given his time to terminally ill children through the Make-A-Wish foundation, among his other charitable activities. Hundreds of local fans today were thrilled to see the Hulkster back in Dutchess County today at Shop-Rite at Hudson Heritage in Poughkeepsie, where his new beer line is being sold.
* = Now the Majed J. Nesheiwat Convention Center"
The Hulk Hogan statement was made on Facebook the day of the protest at Social Security Office at 8:05pm and has received 590 comments so far, mostly critical. The next post Dutchess County made was the following morning at 6:27am, telling people how to use their HELPLINE to reach trained mental health professionals.
Finally, Dutchess County posted about the "uncertainty and questions surrounding the Social Security Office in Poughkeepsie" at 8:30am. The critical comments continued. The post offered to help people navigate the phone line to call into the office. Not sure if Dutchess County has tried calling the line themselves, but it does go in a circle and sometimes ends up in West Nyack, which is also on the DOGE list for lease termination.
A Sampling of Comments from Dutchess County’s Facebook Page:
Vincent Kennedy
"Racist, anti union, jabroni. What I'm trying to say is, he's right on brand for Republican politicians."
Hudson Valley Strong - Indivisible
"We were protesting the closure of the Poughkeepsie Social Security Office on Main St. Your supporters were asking why you weren't there. Now we know."
Deb Van Beusichem Heilmann
"He is a hateful misogynist and DC spends time and money naming a day for him? Meanwhile down the street people are begging for help outside of the closed SSA doors! Poor leadership, Ms. Serino, poor leadership."
Brian MacGregor
"You should have been with us rallying against the closing of the Poughkeepsie Social Security office."
John Gorman
"Services that our neighbors, your constituents, rely on to survive each and everyday are being gutted and slashed to the bone and what are you doing? Doing what you do best…never missing a photo op."
Amer Ahmed
"Sue serino only cares about her next photo op when will you people understand"
Kate Grantz
"This is shameful. Sue, shouldn’t you have been paying attention to what was going on at the SSA? Get your priorities straight."
Nicole Marie
"No kid has wanted him for a Make a Wish for at least 20 years. Don't give us those lies."
Tim Kirtland
"I wonder if she will keep that blissful smile on her face after a bunch of her voters lose their SSD, SSI Medicaid, Medicare and Food Stamp benefits."
Zenta Janks
"🤣 Great. An old, washed-up, fake fighter, peddling cheap beer.. Fitting for our current environment. Wow, Dutchess co. is lame."
Todd Musselman
"Why did you invite that 🤡? Call it Jabroni day. The Jokester not the Hulkster."
Nil O'Boyle
"So Serino decided this was the most important thing to do? Supporting a racist steroid junky pushing beer. Talk about being out of touch."
Resident of Poughkeepsie, Ryan Manzi, told ALBB that he knows of senior citizens who need services from the building now, but cannot get it. “A friend told me she had an issue and they told her she had to schedule an appointment weeks out. She’s disabled and uses a cane and walker all of the time.”
Ryan continued: “Sue Serino makes $185,500 as County Executive to declare a random day for a guy whose racism was exposed. While people on her own premises are struggling. The history of the Civic Center had to professional wrestling cannot be understated. It was huge in the territory days of wrestling! Randy Savage introduced Ms. Elizabeth at the Civic Center…The Macho Man and Ms. Elizabeth! Nobody will argue the history of the venue. Hogan made a few appearances, although not always wrestling. And yet Sue Serino felt it more important to show face to a disgraced bigot than make any motion to defend at Social Security Office during the protest.”
The County Executive’s salary is a raised from $157,424 to $185,500 that was passed in 2023, as reported by the The Highlands Current.
Ryan told ALBB that he saw a 30 foot or so dumpster on the sidewalk of Academy Street along the side of the Social Security Office building one month ago, but nothing as of late. “No one comes out. No guys with hard hats or reflective vests like it was when they first announced the renovations.”
News 12 reported that Hulk Hogan abandoned little kid fans who had been waiting for hours to see him. Blaise Gomz reported: “The fans reached out exclusively to News 12 saying they waited four hours at the ShopRite in Montgomery on Wednesday for a promised meet-and-greet with Hogan during one of his stops in the Hudson Valley to promote his new beer brand, Real American Beer.”
A feather said that his son had a Pokémon card he wanted Hogan to sign, but as the family got closer to their turn in line, the father claimed that Hogan abruptly left. “It was really quick,” the father told News 12. “They just stood up and bolted along the back. Some lady was very upset, screaming and cursing. My son just started crying and a bunch of other kids were crying.”
News 12 said that they tried contacting Hogan’s publicist for comment about the complaints from the father and others, but weren’t given a response.
Pro-Hogan, Anti-Politics Comments
A few comments at Facebook were accepting of the County Executive’s decision, like these:
Grace Rafferty
"Its hulk hogan. An 80s icon. Why make this political? Yes he supports Trump but this wasn’t a Trump rally he was promoting his beer."
Pasquale Mirra
"Look at all the crybabies on this thread 😂😂😂"
Mary Skovan
"go Sue, go MAGA"
Dolores Peluso
"nothing wrong with being maga"
Patrick Panzarino
"A bunch of lefties in this comment section"
The cover image at the union AFGE Local 3343 who represents employees in 14 New York Social Security Offices.
A demonstrator with their poster.
Photo Credit: Patrick Grego/The New Pine Plains Herald
The County Executive's State of the County Address was called "The Lives We Touch." Some of those those lives wrote out their statements on protest posters published in The New Pine Plain's Herald, and stated: "Dutchess County Needs A Social Security Office For 100,684 Elders, 26.5% of Population." Another poster stated: "Dutchess County Needs To Keep This Office Accessible To Seniors and the Disabled. Do Not Close SSA For Good."
Dutchess County Dems posted a statement criticizing County Executive Sue Serino for not participating in the demonstration outside the Social SEcurity Office in Poughkeepsie.
Former City Councilmember for Beacon, Dan Aymar-Blair, who ran for and won the Dutchess County Comptroller seat, did attend the protest and spoke to demonstrators. The New Pine Plains Herald quoted him as saying: “These are critical services the Social Security Administration provides for our community. I can’t even imagine how we’ve come to the point where we are attacking and taking away services from the most vulnerable people in our community.”
His office recently published a report that outlines how federal funding impacts the county: “Dutchess County is dependent on 10% of our budget being federal funding. Entitlements coming into Dutchess County — Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other services going directly to the people of Dutchess County — amount to $1.9 billion. If anyone touches this federal funding, we’re all going to feel it. Whether you get these services or other services, it’s going to cascade through our economy.”
After the demonstration, the The New Pine Plains Herald reported that the SSA emailed them to comment on the office’s status, saying: “We do not plan on closing the Poughkeepsie Social Security office,” a spokesperson wrote. “There is a new ten-year lease for that office that will become effective upon completion of the renovation.”
However, as of March 16, the office still remains on the DOGE list.
Is Hulk Hogan Anti-Union?
According to The Sportster and Jesse Ventura, yes. Jesse was trying to unionize the wrestler performers for WWE in the 1980s. According to the publication, wrestlers did not have health insurance or pension from their employer WWE.
From the article: "There have been occasions where people have tried to get a union off the ground, notably in the 80s when the industry was undergoing wholesale change. The story of Jesse Venture trying to get his fellow performers to unite in the face of Vince McMahon's unchecked power is one that could have caused a meaningful difference, if it were not for Hulk Hogan."
Is Hulk Hogan Racist?
According to many, including himself, yes. The BBC reported: "In a video made public by The National Enquirer, Hogan said: "I guess we're all a little racist" and used the n-word while referring to his daughter's love life." Reporting states that he calls his statement "the biggest mistake of his life." It cost him a reversal of his placement into the Wrestling Hall Of Fame and the WWE terminating his contract, although at the time, BBC reports, his lawyer called it a resignation.
Hogan was later reinstated into the Wrestling Hall Of Fame, and not all Black wrestlers were happy about it. The trio called The New Day posted a statement through Koji Kingston, who is part of the trio: "Who WWE puts into the HOF is totally and completely up to the company. On a personal level when someone makes racist and hateful comments about any race or group of people, especially to the degree that Hogan made about our people, we find it difficult to simply forget - regardless of how long ago it was, or the situation in which those comments were made."
