How can bloc vote swing so quickly?Letter appeared in The Journal News November 16, 2007 More than 60,000 residents of Rockland County came out and voted in the November elections. In two extremely close races, Republican incumbent District Attorney Michael Bongiorno lost and Democratic Rockland sheriff challenger Tim O'Neill lost. On Nov. 8, The Journal News reported that both races were greatly influenced by the Hasidic bloc vote ("Ramapo bloc vote decides Rockland DA and sheriff races."). Incumbent Republican Sheriff James Kralik, and Democratic District Attorney challenger Tom Zugibe received approximately 3,000 and 2,000 votes respectively from the Hasidic community. It was reported that Gov. Eliot Spitzer met with the Hasidic leaders just a few days prior to the election. Miraculously, after that meeting, approximately 2,000 votes that had previously been "promised" to Bongiorno were now "promised" to Zugibe. A spokesman for the Hasidic community was proudly quoted as saying that they had won the election for Kralik and Zugibe. He went on to say that no promises were made between the governor and the Hasidic community during their meeting. Does the governor really believe that the voters of Rockland County are that naive? One of the privileges of living in this great country is your "individual" right to vote for a candidate of your choice. One day 2,000 adults are told to vote for a particular candidate and the next day after a "no promises" meeting with the governor they are instructed to change their vote and they do so without question? I don't think that is what millions of Americans have fought and died for throughout our history. Timothy P. O'Neill
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