Why I’m Voting for Ed Day

Disclaimer – I am a proud supporter of Ed Day and have been working on his campaign!

Over the past several weeks, I have watched as the attacks on Ed Day have mounted with increasing vitriol. There have been similar attacks on his opponent, and I can’t tell you for sure that none of these are from those within Ed’s campaign. But I can tell you that those willing to sign their real name to their posts in support of Ed have not taken any shots that I am aware of against David Fried. But the lobbing of insults is not the real issue, but merely a diversion. The real and only issue to me is who do I see as a person to lead Rockland out of its mess, both financial and political.

Now I am not a former President, nor a sitting US Senator or Congressman (or woman), so my views are not as important as those esteemed politicians I suppose. I have lived in Rockland for 33 years, having grown up in Brooklyn. Ironically, I grew up just blocks from Ed Day, although I never knew him when we lived in Brooklyn. I have worked in Rockland in law enforcement for 26 years. I raised my family here. I have been involved and served on Boards of several non-profit organizations. I have been very involved with the youth of our county through several organizations. In short, I believe I have lived and participated in the fabric of Rockland in a meaningful and productive manner. It is that body of work if you will on which I offer my opinion as to this upcoming election.

Endorsements are interesting depending on where they come from. As has been duly noted, you would expect Dems to endorse Dems, Republicans to support Republicans, and so on. So when looking for abnormalities, one would be more interested in those that are willing to look beyond party lines. I also look to see who has any stake in the game. Former politicians who are retired and no longer live in Rockland nor will ever need to seek public office again have nothing at stake. So when Jim Kralik speaks out against Ed it doesn’t have the same weight to me as when sitting local Democrats speak on behalf of Ed. But that is just my opinion. I have great respect for Sheriff Kralik, and was proud to have his support the two times I ran for office. But I also am very aware of how political he was and the way he built the Sheriff’s Department into a virtual county police force with much duplication of service and certainly some questionable patronage hiring, including that of David Fried. What disappoints me the most is he felt the need to paint Ed as one who used the Brink’s tragedies for political gain. I have know Ed for over 30 years, and have never considered him to be anything other than an engaged activist, a family man of unquestioned values, and a true law enforcement professional. Nothing I can say in a short blog contribution will sway those that want to bash Ed at every chance, but since there are almost 180,000 registered voters in Rockland and only about 15 of them are repeatedly bashing Ed here I suspect there are many rationale, open-minded people who will weigh in solely with their votes on November 5th. It is to those I address my remarks.

The beauty of a free society is you can say almost anything you want. To paraphrase Michael Douglas in The American president, “Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.” Much of what people post here is not grounded in fact – it is their opinion that they claim to be factual. Many times they use conclusory terms rather than supply the reader with facts. They dance around questions and replies, as they deem appropriate. In short, they do what many politicians do – they put a spin on their version. This is not a court of law, so they don’t need to respond to the requests or demands of other posters. But this is often a higher-level court – this is the court of public opinion. And in this court, facts still rule the day. Intelligent people can distinguish between base accusations and unsupported conclusions from factual accounts. Of course, facts can be twisted as well. Two people can be at the same meeting, hear and see the same things, and walk away with two different interpretations.

So putting all of this aside, what we are left with is one undisputable fact. Come November 5th, either Ed Day or David Fried will become the next County Executive (Elect) of Rockland County. I know both men and their political history. I think David Fried is a smooth, polished well-spoken young man. I could spend time trying to belittle him and what he has accomplished, but at what expense? To his credit, he did get elected to political office twice, and as one who has run for office that is no small accomplishment, no matter who his support group was. I also have no doubt David will ascend to higher political callings going forward. I just think in the current times we live in, and the climate of Rockland as it now exists, the better choice for me, as well as my family, is Ed Day. Ed has the wisdom of greater life experience, of both private and public sector leadership that is needed now. More importantly, Ed has the gumption to stand up against the political landscape when needed and say and do what may be unpopular. Rockland isn’t in need of popularity – it needs strong leadership. I think David Fried is a good man; I think Ed Day will be a great leader.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t address the claims of Ed Day being anti-Semitic. Being Jewish and in law enforcement for a long time, I have come across more than my fair share of anti-Semitism. Never did I get that sense from Ed. There is a huge difference between anti-Semitism and concern over some parts of the Hassidic community and the effect on this county. You can choose to put your head in the sand, to not discuss the elephant in the room, or whatever other metaphor you choose, but the America I know is one where assimilation of many diverse groups leads to a strong united country (you know, the UNITED States of America). Growing up, I knew of groups that did not assimilate, such as the Amish. But I don’t believe the Amish led to adverse quality of life in the surrounding areas. Please do not interpret this as a broad disparaging of all who are Hassidic – I am sure like any other community there are many decent people who due to their faith and beliefs prefer to not intermingle the way we traditionally view our melting pot of a society. But there are many issues of concern within Rockland, and some have direct correlation with this insular community. At the very least, I want someone leading my government who will be open to exploring these issues, not pander to them to ensure their united, bloc vote. That’s not to say David Fried would do so, but many a politician has, and I don’t thin anyone but Ed will take an affirmative stance and pursue a rigorous course of government even if it upsets segments of our collective community.

I will step aside now and let those that want to tear this apart do so. I may jump back in if you really get my blood boiling – that is the beauty of the Patch and the free press.