Dirty politics plays too big a role in Rockland

By JUDAH LERER
(Commentary appeared in The Journal News Nov. 16, 2007)
 

Rockland County voters did not witness many unsullied election races in 2007, just as The Journal News has assessed. In fact, I must confess to some mudslinging in my recent campaign against Democrat Alden Wolfe. Post-election, I promised Wolfe that I would behave more gentlemanly, and as I agreed to, I publicly apologize for misstatements that I inadvertently made about his record; specifically in the areas of his voting allegiances and budgetary issues. I was wrong.

When fighting an insurmountable uphill battle in politics, throwing mud is like throwing a haymaker in a boxing match. Better yet, as the sales adage states: "Throw enough mud against the wall and some of it may stick."

There were other types of un-cleanliness in Rockland Election '07 that go way beyond mud, specifically dirt and filth. These are not so easily cleaned up. Mud is on the surface; dirt and filth are more imbedded.

In the race for Ramapo supervisor, for the third time in a row, the Preserve Ramapo-supported candidate was subjected to a dirty campaign waged on behalf of Democratic Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence. The supervisor has consistently denied any knowledge of the actions. Two elections ago, Preserve Ramapo candidate Kathy Ellsworth was anonymously labeled an "anti-Semite" and Mr. St. Lawrence feigned outrage. In the previous election, Preserve Ramapo candidate Joe Brennan was labeled an "anti-Semitic evil hater of Torah" and the supervisor feigned ignorance. In the most recent election, Preserve Ramapo candidate Anthony Mele was called a "Nazi," and this time Mr. St. Lawrence did not even bother to feign anything.

It is actually a simple matter to restore dignity to his next campaign. Supervisor St. Lawrence needs to tell a handful of people to behave, in advance of the next election. If he needs help identifying these "anonymous" folks, I will gladly give him names and phone numbers. It's also a safe political maneuver for our supervisor, because after "anti-Semite," "evil" and "Nazi," St. Lawrence's supporters are probably out of adjectives anyway. This one is relatively easy to clean up if St. Lawrence has the political moral will to do so.

What will take decades to clean up in Rockland is the political filth in the Rockland district attorney race between incubment Republican Michael Bongiorno and Democrat Tom Zugibe. There is no reason to believe that DA-elect Zugibe is aware of what went on behind closed doors during the closing weeks of the campaign; and those on my side of the aisle report that he did nothing more than any other candidate vying for swing groups of votes. Beyond Mr. Zugibe's reach, however, our self-described reform-minded governor made a deal, likely with our tax dollars. No one believes that the governor simply "asked" for support. It was a deal that ended the political career of a decent man. While it may have brought us another decent man in his place, it did so under filthy circumstances of promises made and broken.

Just so that no one misunderstands the latest spin, there is a huge difference between getting the support of a union and that of a bloc vote. In the latter case, the vote comes from people who out of fear, are unable to research or express political differences. Such individual expression would put them on the fringe of the community affecting prospects of housing, income, and marriage and schooling for their children. In a union, a member simply votes for the "other guy," and can even try to vote out their union head.　 New Square Deputy Mayor Israel Spitzer's statement of equivalence is completely disingenuous.

Fortunately, this type of deal-making will not go on forever.　It may take a decade or two, but due to personal ambition and free-market capitalism, the hold will eventually be broken. Nearly every prince envisions himself as an eventual king. Sullivan County may be beautiful, but the real estate value will remain in Rockland County. As the rabbis of old said: "Those who understand, understand."

The writer, a Monsey resident, ran unsuccessfully for the Rockland County Legislature District 6 seat on the Republican and Conservative lines.