(VIDEO) The following article and video were submitted by a local resident, who wishes to remain anonymous. “I was reading a few days ago on TLS how some person was upset about an electronic traffic sign that had a Holiday message written on it. There were people that were upset, and felt it was an improper use of public property. There were others who felt that we should be entitled as taxpayers to use this sign as we see fit. In the end the sign changed to avoid further controversy. Last night, there were many angry residents at the township meeting angered over a shaimos dump site. They were angry and felt that our religious needs were infringing on their rights to a peaceful existence.
For years now, we have preachers using Town Square, plugging amplifiers into our electrical supply, paid for with taxpayer money, and preaching about religion.Very often the preaching turns to a hate speech, saying that if I don’t accept a certain historical figure into my heart, I will be subjected to eternal damnation. My insistence to our Township manager that these preachers use their own power supply was ignored.
So here we have the problem. When we feel that we should be allowed certain insignificant privileges that may be construed as improper use of taxpayers dollars, we forfeit our rights to protest even more blatant abuses of public funds.
I hope now that we have this recorded for all to see, and that everyone will demand that the town no longer allow the electricity that is billed to all people of our town to be used for proselytizing purposes.
I thank The Lakewood Scoop for allowing this issue to be brought to the attention of the people of Lakewood.”
Aw C’mon. So they used 10 cents worth of electricity. How much did it cost the taxpayers for all the extra garbage pickups before Yomtov?
How much taxpayers money is being used by an ammplifier. The outlets there are for the porpose of plugging whatever you want. The sign however, is a public sign with messages from the township to the people.
Where is Hershel! Those illegal preachers yelling in spanish are again draining our resources. They also give chizuk to the day laborers! What abouit the “santa” parachute event which is attended primarily by illegal alien. Its those investors who bring these people here gevald! And the strand! Which just ties up traffic on erev shbbos! Who’s paying for this
I think a message urging pedestrian safety on Purim is a lot more legitimate than hate speech – even if it’s 10 cents! And we pay more then enough taxes to cover extra garbage pick up that we as tax payors request.
I pay property taxes greater than 10K
I dont send my kids to Public schools
I have my garbage picked up once a week
please oh please allow me to have a sign up!
(I also wonder what would be if all of us sent our kids to public school – how much more can property taxes rise)
Pull the plug on dah preacher and you can be assured that Jesse and Al will be here to preach racism.
I was so happy to see this issue being discussed. The associated cost in this case is not the issue. It is an abuse of every citizens constitutional rights to allow any use of public equipment for the promotion of ones religion or deity. These laws were made to protect all people from the threat of religious coersion. It does not matter if it is one penny of public funds being used.
This should not be confused with giving any public works help for a religious observance. For example pre passover trash pickup, burning of bread, or crossing guards for large synagogue or church events are not church and state issues, as they do not promote any religion. They are simply a nice gesture for the safety needs of a segment of the community. If there was a large Muslim community in Lakewood, and they required special assistance during Ramadan, I hope we all would understand that our town should help fulfill their needs as residents of our town.
The problems arise when these needs impinge on the rights of others, or seem to promote ones faith.
Dumping of religious objects, or using traffic signs to wish a Happy Passover, even if they may be technically legal, can cause undue harm. When any group seemingly uses its position of power in a way that smells of favoritism. This can cause them to lose their right to protest other abuses of public funds.
I would hope that our committeemen will put a stop to these downtown displays of religious fervor, that I have also witnessed many times turning into hate speech towards the Jewish community. I also hope that they will learn that before they allow any use of public funds for any specific group, that there should be a communication with the public as to its need for the safety of our residents, whether it be crossing guards for Purim, Halloween, or trash removal for Passover, or spring cleaning. There needs to be a transparent understanding between all residents. And under no circumstances can anyone use Township electricity for the promotion of any religion. I will be there next week to pull the plug personally, I promise.
HH! Where may I make a campaign donation?
They hate us why can’t you guys get it golus golus
harold herskowitz ,
The governmant funding goes twoards having outlets in this public area. so if someone decides to plug in the amp. let them. I can charge my phone there if I want. But using a sign that is owned by the town, made to display notices for the public should not say hebrew greeting.
If anybody has the right to use public electricity, they have the right to use it for whatever they want…. incluiding hate speech.
What does that have to do with burying shaimos illegally. I don’t get it.
Harold,
Can you arrange for the town to provide chargers for cellphones at these outlets? I know I can use a charge in between chess games and clothing pickup in the square
she said in the name of cheeses! she was obviously giving away government cheese.
Stop with how much you pay in taxes everyone of us that has a job pay taxes.So enough already! And as far as you threating to place your children in public schools do it already, and stop with the complaining about how much taxes you pay for public schools.Everything falls on how much taxes you pay.
actually if everyone in town sent their children to the public school the school budget would pass, more money would be saved on busing and everyone would see that the state would allow more $ for aid
as for using land illegally to bury anything, religious or not, if it is illegal, it’s illegal, illegal, and no matter what not a moral thing to do.
Dear Leroy,
I could not agree with you more, about the sign saying a specific holiday greeting to any one segment of the town in hebrew or english. It was wrong and I hope whoever was responsible for that will never do it again.
As for the electricity in Town Square. The cost of the electricity is there for public event use. If the public event is of a religious nature it becomes a sticky situation as far as church and state issues. There have been many less blatant cases fought in the courts in this regard. I assure you it is completely illegal use of public resources, and I will not stand for it, especially when the speeches often contain racist or vindictive remarks. Please do not make this an us and them issue. It is simply a right and wrong issue. I would be the first person to protest a jewish group having a hoseana in the town square. If they wish to distribute food to the homeless, and refrain from religious speeches there would be absolutely no problem. As it stands it is illegal.
Every year starting about November, Public funds are used for holiday decorations in the offices and streets of this town illegally. Accompanying this is usually a slowdown of service in municipal offices, as I experienced in the police records department at that season last year.
HMM what about the Christmas decorations on Clifton. Maybe we should have a public vote and see if we want to spend such monies on decorating down town with Christmas Holiday Decorations. No one has ever questione dit until NOW. But if we are going to be atttacked for allowing a digital sign to state “Happy Passover’ or what ever it said may be we shoudl start nit picking back at those who are being insensitive to a very large public majority that make up lakewoods residents and yes – THE JEWS.
Which costs more? a digital sign with a holiday message of passover or the use of public trucks, street poles and signs, and the cost of labor and to purchase the christmas oriented props for the Christmas Holiday..
How about the Strand and the Christmas Holiday Shows which many students from many other townships and counties are bussed into. Who pays for all the police presence??? it does not being in more revenue for the store owners?? on the contrary I run away from downtown on every Friday i see the busses lined up all around the Strand.
There is no end to this not picking… Before it was safety bussing, Now its Shaimos, whats next????
RABBOISAI!!! Wake up and STOP using the goiyim for useless and unnecesary things like stupid signs telling us when soif zeman achila is , or happy purim .We don’t need that. We should be getting only the services coming to us as tax paying citizens , if we would be getting that it would be fine , but we are not . DO NOT forget we are still in Galus and we should not try to stand out in any not needy way . Besides that we should not be mixing the goyim into our yiddishkeit .
#18
great point
isnt the sign solar?