SHOCKING: 75,000 residents of Lakewood have already mailed back their census forms, yet Lakewood still retains only a 67% response rate. Not surprising though, after all, Lakewood is probably the most densely populated area in Ocean County. What is surprising however is the areas that are dragging down the response rate. While there are minorities of Frum pockets that have responded poorly, such as the families residing in census tracts that are approved for HUD funding, the majority of the low response comes from within the Hispanic Community.
“The shocking part about this is – the majority of the Hispanic community lives in Lakewood because of employment opportunities and rental conditions that are not available to them elsewhere. They are draining our cities resources whether by using educational dollars, health care dollars, crime fighting dollars etc. But we continuously provide them the optimal conditions necessary for them to stick around. So they’re here to stay”, a real estate investor, who encouraged his Hispanic tenants to fill out the forms, told TLS.
Many local real estate investors are encouraging thir tenants to fill out the form. Store owners and contractors who employ Day Laborers as well, are encouraging their Hispanic employees to fill out the form, seeing it as an opportunity provide Township with the data required to set the stage for lifting zoning restrictions and lowering property taxes.
He added, “But shouldn’t we all be reaching out to those we carry influence over? If they’re costing us money, and they’re here to stay, shouldn’t we try to get that money back into our pockets?” (TLS)
if they don’t play then we don’t pay.
Great – our cleaning ladies don’t pay a dime in taxes while we have to pay them with after tax dollars. It’s about time we see that money coming back to us. Keep up the good work.
Wow…. So we pay taxes to fund the HUD Program. And they just sit around and wait for the money to come rolling in…
Nice efforts an the part of the real estate investors and employers. As a matter of fact I’m going over to my mexican co-workers right now. Where’s the closest place to kenedy and lexington to pick up some forms from?
If I received a second census form in the mail after I already sent back the first one – Can I get my cleaning lady to fill that one out?
What does Herschel have to say about this? I’m smelling a rat over here.
My Husband brought one home from shul last night. He said there’s a box of census forms there. I gonna sneak in and take one for my cleaning lady. Hey Guys – when’s the best time for a women to sneak into shul?
Hey TLS – not a bad idea. Where can I get hold of a bunch of forms for my husband’s tenants and my cleaning lady?
How many real estate agent’s does it take to get the Hispanic community to fill out their forms?
that’s absolutely disgusting. I work hard and can barely pay my bills. Every time I try to get on HUD they tell me that the waiting list is very long. I filled out my form and mailed it back and now these lazy people just sit and drain the funding for HUD and I can barely put bread on my table.
this makes me sick to my stomach. Doesn’t any body in this town have any brains? doesn’t anybody realize that this census is what saves us from Christies budget cuts? doesn’t anybody realize how important this is for the HUD people. I hope that HUD see’s this and they rezone the approved areas to accomadate higher growth areas.
The census people in Lakewood are not getting he word out. Places are having “concerts” (nish unzerer) sponserred by census of that town. Why doesn’t the census people of Lakewood sponser a shiur or asomething and have forms filled out there.
I thought I saw something on TLS about a hispanic census event here(editor?) few weeks back. But that would be pretty cool how about a Census Shiur.
To # 12 https://thelakewoodscoop.com/2010/03/census-bureau-event-for-hispanic-community.html
While the landlords are making sure their tenants fill out the census, they can check to see how many families are in their one house, and if they are living in humane conditions.
I agree with you guys. This is disgusting. I’m a hard working individual who can barely make ends meet and my wife needs cleaning help to to stay sane. My cleaning girl doesn’t pay a dime in taxes and here’s the Shell shocking part – I’ve been on a HUD waiting list through the period of time my house got foreclosed on – now renting and three months behind.
I think it’s time to move out of Lakewood…
Instead of putting in ads that the roshei yeshiva endorse filling out the census put more details like maybe by filling it out and switching our status to a city it will help lower our property taxes here in lakewood. That is more tachlis. Give us the reason why it will be good for us. For all of us not just a certain group.
hey anonymous – instead of postig your suggestions – why not do somethng. That’s right – get off your couch and go out and make sure everyone fills out their census forms. Maybe do something about these HUD people and the Hispanics. Our city can definetely use geniuses like you to get get the response higher.
Or maybe you really couldn’t care less.
Now don’t get me wrong. The Census is very important and the fund are important to EVERYONE in this town, but it’s the horrible things all of you write that bother me so much. It’s down right mean!!!
I don’t understand… Didn’t anyone advise the Hispanic community that the Roshei Yeshiva & Rabbonim stated very clearly that everyone should complete the form and send them out before the deadline??
Let’s see, ShellShocked could afford to have a cleaning lady while he could not afford his mortgage, and is complaining because he couldn’t get HUD housing? Now his is behind in his rent. And this guy still has a cleaning lady? I somehow don’t have empathy for him.
to Zack – believe it or not – but an unhappy wife and children for me is more stressful than any financial burden.
But Zack – the point still remains – it’s downriht digusing.
Was the hispanic community not just rallying a few days ago for immigration reform? Would they not think the best way to achieve their goals be to fill out the census and show the government how many undocumented people are in this country. Maybe force the federal governments hand? You can’t just go around yelling and protesting, start thinking intelligently!!
What about all the frum couples liviving in basement apartments that aren’t being counted? How do they get included in the census? Also, my kids just bought and moved into a new development and also never recd the census form. They called and didn’t get a definitive answer to their question.
Maybe the WIC office should hand out Census forms to all the Hispanics. They speak thier language and they are always there.
Stop complaining. Businesses & households chose to employ the Latino population. Listening to NPR, {National Public Radio} the Satmar community in NY chooses not to fill out the US census. People in glass houses should not throw stones. My census form was completed & sent.
If your undocumented you can not get on Hud so why is it there problem they pay there full amount of rent without any help unlike you that sit all day on the computer and collect welfare and foodstamps and yes HUD SO WHY WOULD THEY HELP YOU
Harold I dont understand, why is it the landlords achrayus to make sure they dont shtup fifty ppl in one room like animals? if hes not worried about being sued etc how is this your business, are you a PETA advocate or something? (im just ASKING not attacking or degrading or bashing you or anyone els)
Hey Buddy – you seem prrety upset there. Is there someone in particular that you’re yelling at?
Your post sounds racist to me. how would you react to the NYT or NYP stating the Jewish population fails to fill out Cesus?
to # 25 – why would Satmar not fill out the form? when I went to take a test to be an enumerator – which by the way I found out about from the TLS classifieds – thank you thank you TLS – I was talking to the guy giving the test and he said he’s been around doing Census Recruiting by the last three censuses and has a letter from the SATMAR REBBE encouraging the Chasidim to fill it out….
also – it’s our after tax dollars that they pay tax free rent with and and then we go ahead and pay taxes on it again. Get it?
Take it easy man – we’ll explain yo everything – just ask nicely..
you got to be kidding me why group all latinos together just say it the mexican population either they dont understand enough english to fill it out or their scared immigrations coming to get them i am a proud puerto rican that already did it about almost a month ago
I’ve had many spanish tenats over the years, & none of then are on HUD. Also, w/out the mexican work force in our stores, schools, etc, our prices would go up ‘cuz they would have to hire legal help which is much more expensive. That’s y the gov’t isn’t throwing them out. Like it or not, they contribute to the Country.
My wife has hud and we filled out ours. Can someone explain what being on hud has to do with not filling out census??? Is there some connection I don’t get it? Also what does areas with hud mean? The sec 8 program let’s you rent where ever you want so hud tenants are all mixed into every area. Can someone explain this to me it doesn’t seem to make sense.
#34 it is all about funding we would get more funding for programs like hud if the real numbers were out thier. Lakewood would most likely be a city if the real numbers were counted.
i got a great idea. Everyone just listen to this. Let’s hold a cleaning ladies registration day. Get a hold of a census forem and tell your cleaning lady if she doesn’t fill it out she will not work in lakewood. Bet the response rate will soar!
just btw: I knew I could find someone in your community with enough brains to explain the truth of the matter. Even if Lakewood becomes a city, things will not improve because of your community’s limited tolerance and acceptance. It is only when you stop pointing fingers and decide to work as part of A COMMUNITY that things will begin to change in Lakewood. As per Dear Ms. Great Idea…why don’t you do that and hold that census forum you are so intelligently planning to hold by deceiving and threatening people. Perhaps, the cleaning ladies will get greater ideas than you and leave town. Then, you will all need to get together and come up with rocket scientist ideas to try and find cleaning ladies in town. But again, I bet you will!!!!!!!
The census is important, Thas a fact,
yenta101; “your” cleaning lady is paying taxes and as I can see in your post, you did not know, when you see they do not pay a dime in taxes you do not realize that every time you buy some item you are paying 7% os sales tax.
Now, I believe that many of the people that acuse hispanics not to pay taxes, is the people that hire them to avoid taxes too.
It is just something no sense, that they are costing money as they are not living for free, and whatever resource they use, it is well compensated by the work and productivity they provide to the economy, be honest;
How much money would we be paying to clean our houses if they were not here?
Who would rent our houses tha allow us to pay our mortgage?
How you want to ask a hispanic to participe in the census if our town is always blaming them and treating them as not part of the commmunity?