The following is a letter from the LAC. The views expressed within, are not necessarily the views of TLS. Politics is always full of twists and surprises. This past week we witnessed a very interesting phenomenon. We had voted in a Republican majority under the promise of lowering taxes, smaller government, and an administration that will be for the people. With all the excitement in the air, we really thought that this year the Mayor and his Deputy will be able to bring down taxes. Yet we were terribly disappointed. The budget was past without any significant reductions whatsoever. While the Committee did create a "Budget Advisory Committee" for the first time, their recommendations went unheeded. While it is obvious that some of the recommendations were in contradiction to State mandates, and some were plain unfeasible, there were many that could have been adopted. The LAC took the position that we were not going to get bogged down in the specifics, however if the Advisory Committee can find ways to reduce 4 million then the Township Committee should either find some of their own cuts or adopt some of the ones proposed. We were ignored by the ruling Administration. We were told that they simply cannot tell the Township employees that we are in a recession. While every homeowner in Lakewood is going to pay an extra 50.00 a month, they felt it was not significant enough to warrant the employees to take a cut. We will now be working for our employees instead of the other way around. Continued here.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Letter From The LAC On Budget Vote
The following is a letter from the LAC. The views expressed within, are not necessarily the views of TLS. Politics is always full of twists and surprises. This past week we witnessed a very interesting phenomenon. We had voted in a Republican majority under the promise of lowering taxes, smaller government, and an administration that will be for the people. With all the excitement in the air, we really thought that this year the Mayor and his Deputy will be able to bring down taxes. Yet we were terribly disappointed. The budget was past without any significant reductions whatsoever. While the Committee did create a "Budget Advisory Committee" for the first time, their recommendations went unheeded. While it is obvious that some of the recommendations were in contradiction to State mandates, and some were plain unfeasible, there were many that could have been adopted. The LAC took the position that we were not going to get bogged down in the specifics, however if the Advisory Committee can find ways to reduce 4 million then the Township Committee should either find some of their own cuts or adopt some of the ones proposed. We were ignored by the ruling Administration. We were told that they simply cannot tell the Township employees that we are in a recession. While every homeowner in Lakewood is going to pay an extra 50.00 a month, they felt it was not significant enough to warrant the employees to take a cut. We will now be working for our employees instead of the other way around. Continued here.
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54 comments:
this LAC is a bunch of hock!! they are no better then the rest of the bunch!!
its about time someone took a stand!
No one ever put out an official letter like this before! GO LAC!
as soon as the new guy got in, he saw the $$$ to be had by playing along, so another one bites the dust. Way to go LW.
Besides the BOE the next geneiva is the Publics work Department,it would be cheaper for the taxpayesrs if all garbage pick up were to be contracted out ,origionally when they built the new complex it was nased on the fact that they will produce income from other townships by servicing and washing thei trucks in the new state of the art facility.well that never happened.
how about the pick up of private buisnesses in the downtown area on the taxpayers expense????
it is run by one individual with no oversight.
and what about the mosdos? why should they get free pickup? that costed us 1 milion per year
What the LAC isn't telling you is that nearly 8% of that 13% increase is a direct result of the reassessments which they encouraged and facilitated.
What they also aren't telling you is the impact of the services they lobbied for on behalf of the developments in terms of the municipal budget.
The "trim the budget" clarion call of the LAC was initially just a smoke screen to cover the cost of the additional services they were extorting the township for on behalf of the developments. When they realized in resonated more than they anticipated, they ran with it, but the sad truth is these kids don't know the difference between the tax rate and the tax levy and shouldn't be playing politics at the tzibbur's expence.
THE LAC IS THE POLITICAL BRANCH OF THE BUFF
anon 8:18,
I fully agree with you. I don't believe we have gained anything from the LAC except to let them run wild just because of their political aspirations..
I am willing (for free) to lend them a hand and proofread their letters for spelling and grammar errors. Perhaps that would help their image as they would come across somewhat more professional.. Who do I call?
Unlike other real organizations in town which list Board member's names and an office contact number, I still haven't seen any leadership names & contact numbers for the LAC.
Why is that??
Let us clear the record once and for all. The LAC got services for the developements. TRUE! however you may not be aware that they were recieving money all these years in compensation. the amount was equal to what the township would have paid had they done it, since the cost of private contractors are higher, the people were losing money. they simply got the township to do it instead of just paying for it. It did not coat anyone one dime. as for them being political, there is not one member there who has any financial or other form of gain out of this. many times they have decided to give up. the only thing that keeps them going is that they know they are doing what is right. as for their inexperience, well look at the vaad- they have a lot of experience and all we have form them is corruption. Maybe their inexperience is a good thing? Never thought of that? lets see where we get with them in 2 years. as for the issue with the appeals. it is all political games. the appeals did not cost 3 million that is absurd. the only reasin why you hear that is because Langert is going around saying it. it is a way to try and shift the blame onto the LAC and away from him such games work in regular politics where the other side wants to be popular. The LAC couldn't care less if they get bad press. If the public does not like them they will all go away tomorrow. The truth is that the appeals cost a lot less than that. In any case 4000 frum yidden saved between 500-1000 doollars this year. Has the vaad or anyone ever done anything like that? Did anyone else ever give out their private cell phone number on a ionfo line just to help yidden file their appeals? did anyone ever take out 2 nights and sit and explain to everyone how to do the appeals process for free? if that is something you feel is wrong, I will have to conclude you are either a vaad member or one of their kids.
One thing we do see from all this is that politics is a dirty game and we citizens gain nothing from it all except watching the circus unfold. What a waste of time and yiddishe gelt….shame.
4000 families did NOT save $500-1000 on their property taxes by filing appeals.
1. There are less than 7000 frum homeowners in Lakewood - not all of them appealed, not all of those who appealed had their cases heard yet and not all of those who have had their cases heard actually saw their property favorably reassessed.
2. The Township doesn't suddenly need LESS money because a bunch of homeowners won their appeals. So the next year, what do you get? that's right, a 13% tax -rate- increase to cover for the smaller
tax -base-. Any reduction as the result of an appeal based upon a shift in the entire housing market is just smoke and mirrors.
The Township was not reimbursing ALL developments for ALL services. That was the very reason d'etre of the LAC in the beginning - to secure Township provision of services that they had agreed to pay for themselves when they purchased their home in a development in the first place.
It's a great maneuver, really.
First buy a home in a development that is not eligible for certain city services - at a substantial discount, mind you, precisely because the developer is able to squeeze more homes into a development by not building the streets to spec, which in turn enables him to sell the same house for considerable less that if he had been forced to meet the spec (since in such a case, he'd end up with far fewer homes in a given project to sell). Then, once you've taken advantage of the arrangement, pressure the Township to provide those very same services, at now greater expense than if the development had been built to spec in the first place. Finally, take advantage of general anti-incumbent and anti-Vaad sentiment for political cover.
Brilliant. A bit more convoluted than if they had just gone shnorring door to door for the rest of the taxpayers in town to subsidize the purchase of their homes, of course, but equally effective. Hey, and as a bonus, they get their pictures in the Shopper every so often...
You abviously did not file an appeal this year. Oh well, next time don't be such a hot shot. If you do not have the ability to file , the LAC was offering help. If you would have recieved a reduction you would have ben singing a different tune. At least be happy for those who did. They are all happy about it. Do you think you knwo what is better for them than they themselves? Another proof you are closely associated with the vaad mentality. "We know best. everyone else should just listen to us because they dont understand" If 4000 people are walking around happy, they must know something you dont.
Again, 4000 people aren't walking around happy - you'd be lucky to evidence half that number in terms of frum homeowners who have received a favorable reassessment.
Secondly, a favorable reassessment means absolutely nothing if the following year the tax rate skyrockets as a result of mass appeals.
Sure, it sounds great in theory, but a mass appeal has zero net impact (other than consuming tax dollars to facilitate the appeals).
i don’t know if the numbers for the appeals are right but when I was there it was jamb packed and so I heard from the other locations I got of a few hundred dollars from the appeal it didn’t take long since it didn’t go the tax board they just settled. Most people got 5% reduction that doesn’t make up for 13% increase in the township THE NUMBERS JUST DON’T MAKE ANY SENCE. About the service for the developments it does not cost extra they have the truck out anyway the spend 10 minutes to clean a development AT LEAST WE HAVE THE LAC TRYING TO REDUCE THE BUDGET without the LAC now one would ask any questions and let the politicians do whets best for them. LAC keep up the good work minutes to clean a dovlopment
Mr anonynmous,
Please find me the developer that gave a REDUCED price for ahouse because he stuckin a few more!!!! You are either nuts or you live in Brooklyn! Houses in developments went for astronomical prices back in the heyday. You are outof touch qith reality as we all see. In any case the developer all said that the raods will be public!!! Again you keep sproutimng the naarishkiet of the vaad. Wake up to the real world where real people live and pay taxes.
one more point, if you are correct that only 200o were frum, then why is the lac being blamed for the entire cost????????
To anonymous
If it is as you say that the numbers are far less than 4000 then the numbers don’t add up. The average homeowner got reduced by 5% that would come out up to 2mil and the township wants to increase 13% which is far greater the 2mil maybe 10-14mil if you know what you’re talking about please explain.
lac saved me 850$ and i am gratefull to them i went to one of those meeting and they helped me a lot, sorry but i didnt see any vaad people there.
Also even according to you theory there were thousands appeals by seniors who got their property taxes reduced if the frum people wouldnt file, the reduction that went to seniors would raise them so now thanks to lac its a leveled playing field, did you think of that angel.
Lac the oilam is fully behind you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't understand what the LAC is thinking you can demand and demand more services but not expect to pay for it sorry that's the way the world turns you have to pay for what you get one way or another .
But on the other hand why is the Vaad so scared of in regards to the LAC do they not want to make sure the lakewood community is taken care of one way or another or do they want to make sure all the political power stays as they see fit to push trough whatever agenda they have at that particular moment IE: parking garage money for a particular mosed or cause
makes you wonder on what's going on
to Anonymous
good point about the seniors
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
TO FAN OF NO ONE
we do pay for service just like evrybody else our taxes are not lower becouse we live a dovelopment
The LAC never demanded any services which were not being paid for already. Look at the [ast budgets of the Public Works, ask John Franklin, they were always getting reimbursed. The only service they got this year was snow plowing which was reimbursed previously. Why can't we get this point straight. We are not in a presidential ebate here, we are trying to get to the truth.
All I know is that they can never be wrong because they'll just keep claiming that they were 'duped'
Its nice to see how the very people who put us into this situation (the Vaad, askonim & some members of the twp committee) & who have been feeding us inaccurate information for years, are continuing in their ways & writing false & inaccurate accusations against the LAC!! As a friend of a member on the LAC, I know firsthand that what's been written in previous comments are totally false. The services (garbage pickup & snow removal) that they got for developments is saving the township $ NOT costing them $. Prior to the twp doing the services in-house, the twp was responsible to reimburse the developments for these services. The cost was much more expensive as the developments had to outsource these jobs rather then have the twp, who has the manpower & machines to do it at no extra cost do it. The twp is saving money by doing it themselves. As for the tax appeal issue, as we all know the seniors went out en-masse to appeal they're taxes. If we wouldn't have appealed ours, we would all pick up the extra tab from the seniors. I applaud the LAC for the great job they are doing. They're individual's with NO ulterior motives other then helping the tzibbur. They have NO political aspiration's & nothing personally to benefit from this. Without them, we wouldn't even be having this discussion now as we would all be bowing our heads to the powers that be telling us that there's no choice. Keep it up!! The yeshivaleit, balabatim & most of the town are behind you. As you saw by the BOE election, we will keep on backing you!!!!!
the VAAD is corrupt ad you can get look at the conflict of interest that comes along with every member its either they have a mosad which they channel grants and land to, or developers who yield their power with the zoning commitee or someone whose job is to get the grants for his buddies they are all in it for themselves and to protect their friends ill wash yours you wash mine" the tax payers are the ones who are left with the tab and lots of these members don't pay taxes themselves...vehameivin yavin
I like how they (Vaad members/fans)throw the request for services into the LAC's face. It is the developers who ARE Vaad members or hide behind the skirts of Vaad members who negotiate the "no services" at corrupt planning board hearings so that they can squeeze an outrages amount of houses into a development. They then pocket the profit and lie to the prospective home buyers that the township will reimburse them for all the costs associated with these services.
All brought to you by our town's corrupt, thieving developers in association with their friends on the vaad (if they themselves aren't members).
Sorry for misspelling.
Should be "outrageous amount of homes"
LAC fan big time said...
................
THERE IS NO SUCH A THING JUST WRITE YOUR TRUE NAME LAC MEMBER
Emes Seeker,
What makes someone a LAC member?
As far I know it is just a hodge-podge group of yungerlite. Who come or don't come to meetings. As far as I know everyone is welcome and that they make decisions by consensus.
No special privileges or inside deals that allows them to feed at the public trough.
"A hodge podge group of yngerlite..." who have ZERO experience in this area, ZERO education is this area, ZERO specific talents in this area, ZERO track record in this area, ZERO political currency/credibility outside of the coffee room... What precisely do they bring to the table that any other random group of hockers wouldn't? Just look at the guy they pushed (presumable whom they felt was most qualified for the position) for the school board - "I was duped!". No, it's everyone else that's being duped - duped by the LAC!
Were talking peanuts here, but I recall a sign up in my development how the LAC got the city to spring for child proof grates over the sewer openings, claiming to have saved the local home owner's association a bundle. I don't know anything about plowing and trash pick up, but it's utterly false to claim that the LAC didn't extort the township for at least some special considerations and I find it hard to believe anything else that someone who claims otherwise might have to contribute on the subject. A liar for a little is a liar for a lot.
Every one who wants there taxes lower is an lac member.Unless you are part of the elite club of builders or so called mechanchim thas milks this town you are welcome to be one.NO BACK ROOM DEALS NO "favors" at the expense of the taxpayers,just regular people who are fed up with paying the highest property taxes in the state of nj and the 3rd or 4th highest in the nation.mostly because of a bunch of bearded fellows in station wagons.
Exactly Mr. Anonymous June 12, 2009 5:28 PM,
Zero experience at scamming, ZERO education in thievery, ZERO talents at conning and best of all ZERO track record like all the rest of you crooks!!!!!
Just continue DUPING the lemmings into voting for your vaad backed candidates (with scare tactics like "the mosdos are going to close down", "you won't get busing", "This is Daas Torah") and then filling all township positions with people that are there to see how they can line their own pockets on the back of all the other hard-working people of Lakewood
If the LAC hasn'T ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING AT LEASE ONE OF THEIR OWN MANAGED TO TEACH THE HATE MONGERING ANONYMOUS A NEW WORD "DUPED"you seem to be quite confortable with your new word.It may have done you some good if you got an education maybe then you would have been able to see how your politicians are "DUPING" YOU!!!!
The Vaad has an entitlement mentality we were here all along and no one dared go against us we paid off all opposition and now this LAC is being a Thorn on our side....we have to figure out another way how to fool the goulable tzibbur once again maybe we will scare them with busing again or some other issue that will keep us in power and our pocket$ lined.
How about taking away your meals on wheels program or our fancy new medical building,actually I have an idea why don't you scare the public by withholding their new parking garage
if you go to any other town in this state developments like e.g. westgate, forest park, whispering pines, do get township or city services, these are private developments and are not and should not be entitled to township services other than emergency services, they should not receive trash pickup, bus pickup or road maintenance, they should have to pay waste management like anywhere else e.g. leisure village, their children should have to wait at the entrance to the development and get private contractors to maintain the streets, the cops can't come in there and write parking tickets for all the illegal parking but you want trash pickup, i think thats ridiculous
I guess that means you want a gheto treatment for people that pay outrages prices to builders who build junk with none complying roads with the approval of the corrupt zoning boards.and they should also pay the same amount of taxes as every one else,im sorry but you really sound like a nazi
oy yoy chillul shabbos du?
ver shreibt du oif shabbes koidesh
annon ?
You'd pay a far more outrageous price for your development home if the builder was forced to build compliant roads. You chose to purchase their, you benefited from the sweetheart deal the developer got as well, and now you want the taxpayers to foot the bill for services that you knew you weren't entitled to. First class shnorrers, the lot of them.
The biggest proof that the LAC is accomplishing something can be seen by all these bitter anonymouses writing here.
Seems to be the robber barons are starting to feel uncomfortable. About time you guys start to think twice before you dip your grubby hands into the public's hard earned money.
Rather be a first class schnorrer any day then a nidrigah ganav like yourselves.
Mr. anaonymous from 5:51 AM Saturday morning,
You are mistaken. westgate, forest park, whispering pines all have public streets. They are not private roads like Coventry Square and the like. Cops DO drive through and DO give tickets.
Rabbosai!
I am an LAC member and this is the first time i am reading these comments.
Why is this turning into a mud slinging fight here? Yes, most of these comments are based on inaccuracies, like the fact that cops do not write tickets in the developments!, but who cares. The LAC started out trying to get services. We got snow plowing this year which did not coat anything to the taxpayer as we were already getting reimbursed. Any other service we wanted we did not get nor did we ask. (besides for drain covers which was just to get to the front of the line as there are more kids playing in the street in a development than a regular street. we were getting them anyways eventually) But the point now is that we are trying to lower taxes. why are we getting side tracked? This letter is driving home one point. We voted a new administration because they said they will lower taxes. They didn't. Period! It may be because it is really impossible, it may be because there was too much pressure, it may be because they don't want to. Whatever the reason, the point is taxes are being raised. If that is the case we can go back to the old administration who at least were nicer and easier to deal with. We took them on a campaign promise which they obviously cannot deliver on. Therefore it is time for them to go. That's it. Let us try and work together on this and stick to the matter at hand.
Thank You
Chesky S.
Who's the old administration that you're speaking about? Cunliffe? Langert/Cunliffe was the only recent switch on the committee. Coles was swapped out for Singer as Mayor, sure, but that wouldn't be reveresed without restoring a Democratic majority as noted previously.
I thought that there were no LAC Board members and that it was just a hodgepodge of younf people. So either anyone can claim to bw aboard mmember/chairman and therefore none of these claimants have a shred of credibility. Or there truly is some kind of leadership, and in that case I refer back to an earlier question; How can they really help if they don't reveal WHO they are and what their contact number is??
To help close the budget gap maybe the police sould be allowed to issue parking tickets in Westgate which is atrocious. There are no parking signs for a reason, g-d forbid there is a fire how would the fire trucks get through the streets but as usual people in our community do what ever they want and expect the rest of the population to live with it. But don't say anything or you'll be called an Anti-Semite!!!!!!!!
Dear Chesky S.
You sound like a nice reasonable and intelligent person . I appreciate your efforts . Could you please explain why you are thanking certain committemen if they obviously didnt vote tolower the budget . If the commiteeeman you thanked together with the 2 Democrats had voted against the mayor ,then the taxes would be lower . This is a sincere question so please answer clearly . Thank you
Dear anonymous,
your question is a valid one. I had the same question. however we have to realize that while lowering taxes is the number one issue today, voting against the budget would not lower taxes. the way it works is that if they vote no then the budget fails. that means the town manager has to rewrite the budget. It does not make it lower, just makes him come up with a new one. If the Manager comes back with another 500,000 in cuts then they have to vote no again. this will eventually end up going to July 1st at which time the township closes down due to the lack of a working budget. (like the us govt did in 1994)such a scenario is not comfortable. you never know where the blame will go. the state will come in, and you have now propelled the issue into the big leagues. While this is always an option, the best way to do it is together with everyone on the Committee. they tried to bridge the gaps and make some kind of agreable budget. We all agree that it is too risky to make the doomsday move of voting no unless we are 100% sure of the outcome of which we are not. so while we cannot blame them for voting with the budget in this case, we can compliment them for trying to make it work, and more importantly we can blame the administration for not being flexible in trying to work something out for the benefit of the taxpayer. i hope this answers your question.
Cut the doublepeak. It doesn't answer the question at all. You mentioned a return to a previous administration. Specifically to what were you referring? The only recent changes were Langert replacing Cunliffe on the Committee and Singer replacing Coles as the Mayor. Are we to understand that the LAC will be supporting Cunliffe's Independant bid to return to the Committee? If so, at who's expense - Langert is not up for reelection yet, so it's not as simple as turning back the clock. If your comments instead were about the Mayor, the only way to return Coles to that office would be to shift the balance of power on the Committee, replacing a Republican with a Democrat. Who specifically did you understand to be a help in the budget trimming effort and who did you understand to be a hindrance? We've got three members of the community on the Committee, Coles is widely respected and Singer is politically untouchable. I'm really at a loss to see where the issue lies and your farenfering doesn't clarify a thing.
Is the LAC asking people to come to the township meeting to demand a no vote or just protest against the Township Manager?
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