Words such as "dysfunctional," "corrupt" and "flawed" were on the lips of a few hundred

people who rallied Sunday afternoon at Buffalo's Templeton Landing.

They were there for the final stop on Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl P. Paladino's

12-day, 14-county tour on the Erie Canal, a trek that allowed him to meet with the state's

leaders and voters to generate support for his candidacy and to spread his message of lower

taxes and less government spending.

Facing dozens of bright signs bearing his name, Paladino stood before the crowd and said,

"I don't have to tell you who I am, and I don't have to tell you any more about the problems.

I have to tell you about hope.

"We know what we're doing. We know how to do it. The decisions aren't that hard when you're

not bound up with all kinds of promises you've made."

Harold Hopkins traveled from his home in Varysburg for the rally. He had kept his "Paladino

for Governor" sign at arm's length and above crowd level for most of Paladino's speech.

He also was among the most-vocal attendees to respond to each of Paladino's points.

"We can start with I'm delighted and I think you're witnessing history," Hopkins said in

between each "that's right" and "yes" he hollered into the crowd.

Paladino said crowds were as responsive in Buffalo as they were on every campaign event he

held along the canal, including those in Albany, Utica, Syracuse and Rochester.

"It's been like this right across the state," he said. "That look in people's eye —

they want change. The message is so simple."

Soon after Paladino left the podium, several of his supporters approached him, including

Deborah Natalizia. The Lancaster resident pushed her hand toward Paladino and vowed her vote

next November, but not before asking him how he wasn't going to disappoint her.

Paladino responded, "It's just not in my nature."

Natalizia said she has voted in a lot of elections and has considered herself shortchanged

by how things are carried out in Albany and in Washington. She said she hopes Paladino would

be different.

"Every time you turn around, the legislators, Congress, the politicians across the board,

they're not working for us," she said. "It's a very corrupt, dysfunctional state of affairs we

are living in."

In addition to voters, a few other political hopefuls were there in support, including

Republican Jill Rowland, who is vying for Rep. Louise M. Slaughter's 28th District position in

Congress, and Lenny Roberto, who is running against Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo.

All of them pledged to take down their Democratic counterparts, but Paladino told the crowd

that fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio, whom the New York Conservative

Party recently endorsed, "just doesn't have it."

Should he not be endorsed by the state Republican Party during the nominating convention

that begins Tuesday in Manhattan, Paladino said he would petition to be on the ballot.

He said the process was to obtain 15,000 signatures statewide and 100 signatures from at

least half of the congressional districts in the state.

But Paladino said he is making plans to be governor.

"On Jan. 1, when I take my hand off the Bible, I'm going to warn the Legislature," Paladino

said of the state's ongoing budget processes. " "No more extenders beyond March 31, except for

health and welfare and public safety.' Everybody else goes home and doesn't get a check."