Suffern Mayor and Democratic candidate for Rockland County Executive Dagan Lacorte publicly apologized Thursday for a text he inadvertently sent to rival Democratic candidate David Fried this past weekend. Lacorte’s message was intended for his campaign manager and directed him to ask Fried probing questions about his positions on the proposed desalination water treatment plant and gay marriage.
“I can only apologize for the mistake that I made,” he said. “I’m not proud of what I did."
Lacorte said he took full responsibility for the text and had called to apologize to Fried earlier in the day. He noted Fried has been a friend for 10 years.
“I didn’t try to hide the fact I sent the text,” Lacorte acknowledged.
Fried, a former Spring Valley judge and county legislator, said “underhanded tactics” do not have a place in the campaign.
“This was not the way to do business,” said Fried. “I’m disappointed in it.”
Fried added, “I’m running for Rockland County Executive because the county is in its deepest financial valley in its history. I would hope each of the campaigns would focus on a solution.”
Lacorte tried to draw attention away from the text that went awry by speaking about his campaign and the issues he sees as critical to the county. He does not think the incident will hurt his campaign.
“But this campaign is not about texts, it’s about taxes,” he told a small gathering of supporters at a private home in New City on Thursday evening.
Lacorte said all the candidates in the county executive race should address the issues facing Rockland – the budget deficit he put at $118 million, the proposed desalination plant, county imposed tax on residential energy bills. Lacorte said he opposed the water treatment plant, supported marriage equality and would repeal the energy tax if elected.
Fried spoke about his platform’s two categories: short term and long-term actions to cut the deficit. He pledged to make government learned and rein in spending by reducing salaries for the county executive and staff and commissioners by $250,000. He said county workers should not be the only ones asked to give back.
“This is something I have demonstrated I will do and a promise I will fulfill,” said Fried who explained he had turned down raises when he served as county legislator.
A longer-term goal is to boost the county’s economy. Fried said the county did not have an economic development strategy and that was a mistake he would rectify.
“I want to open Rockland for business again,” said Fried.
The other declared candidates for county executive are Legislators Ed Day of New City, a Republican, and Ilan Schoenberger of Suffern, a Democrat.
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/08/19/in-verizon-strike-unions-protest-obamacare-law-they-helped-pass/
"Two unions are on strike against Verizon Communications in protest of proposed company policies that the unions themselves helped bring about. The new Obamacare law, which both unions supported, dramatically hikes the cost of Verizon’s employee health care plan. Efforts to pass some of that cost on to employees have sparked outrage. Verizon’s health care plan is what President Obama commonly referred to as a “Cadillac plan” – expensive and luxurious – during his push to get health care legislation through Congress. The new law will levy a 40 percent tax on all health care plans with individual coverage worth more than $10,200 and family coverage worth more than $24,000."
We support Obamacare as a first step. The effect it has on Verizon is different than us. We are a multi-employer fund. Our members pay for insurance as a part of their whole negotiated rate. If insurance goes up, we pay out of pocket if we choose to maintain benefits. If our pension gets hit, we take lower benefits or pay more. No bail out for us. You have to be a billion dollar corporation for that. We have cp-pays , deductibles, and 80/20 coverage. No extravagant plan. We take offense to your characterization of all unions as "greedy". Do your research and become enlightened.
http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2010/10/obamacare-waivers.html?m=1
I suggest you familiarize yourself with Federal campaign contribution laws. Political contributions from union dues are strictly prohibited. Any campaign contributions by an organization must come from a registered PAC that gets voluntary donations from individuals. Your comments could be taken as libelous , but we believe they stem from misinformation.
"We agree with Mr. Hirsch. The last 4 years have taught us that partisanship and catering to vocal special interest groups results in the paralysis of government. We must elect leaders who can work with others that have a different view so they can find a compromise that benefits the whole. " I understand the candidate you are backing, LaCorte, was attempting to secretly record his opponent in the Democratic Party, his own party for his own political gain. Newspapers reported this transgression and LaCorte later apologized. I have two questions and I will number them so you can answer both. 1)If LaCorte admitted he was secretly trying to undermine someone in his own party, how can voters expect him to "work with others that have a different view so they can find a compromise that benefits the whole" It does not make sense. 2)You never answered my question as to why you are backing LaCorte who is capable of such serious transgressions and not a guy like Ed Day who has a stellar record in the Legislature and was a tireless volunteer for decades before entering politics? PATCH. readers want to know. Thanks
Perhaps that is precisely because LaCort has not been very vocal about the financial disaster we are in. A Johnny come lately political opportunist while Ed Day has been on the front lines. BTW did YOU check Days record? His accomplishments over the last 20-25 years both as a volunteer, Community leader and Legislator? Or did you give financial support to LaCorte because he is a Democrat, while you were "considering" Days record? Can you say Disingenuous? You have no intention of supporting anyone but LaCort so why not just admit it since your remarks are so transparent, it is pitiful.