VIDEO: The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Committeeman Steven Langert – the three from the Township Committee who were present at this evening’s Township Committee meeting – commented on the approved reduced Fire Budget as it was handed down to the Commissioners.
The Mayor appointed Committeeman Meir Lichtenstien and Deputy Mayor Albert Ackerman as liaisons to the Commissioners to oversee the process and to ensure both the Commissioners and the tax-payers walked away from the table satisfied.
This year was the third consecutive year the budget was voted down at the polls, and required the Township’s approval.
Fire Chaplain Rabbi Moshe Rotberg opened the meeting with a Prayer for Lakewood’s Bravest. TLS.
What a beautiful prayer don’t think ive ever heard such a nice one on many years. Let the rabbis prayer ring true.
Rabbi Rotberg thank you for all that you do for our community . May you be blessed with great sucess in all that you do . Our GREAT firefighters deserve to have you on board ! May our firefighters always return home safe . Thanks !
thank you rabbi rotberg for all your work you do on behalf of the community. may god watch over you and all the brave men you work with.
Good job with your opening prayer
Rabbi Rotberg is truly a one of a kind. We can use a lot more people just like him.
Nice prayer. I guess that’s the only thing you can write about this without getting “moderated”.
mr rotberg
thank you for all that you do for our town
“oy-vey” enough with the schmoozing already….how about thanking the commitee for a job well done. and a thank you and mozel-tov to our newest commishioner Larry Loigman a real meanch to our community
Wow, you have gone out of your way to kick out a long time member of the LFD from his position as commissioner. You managed to have our budget lowered by a WOPPING 150,000. you have saved lakewood residents a whole nickle on there taxes and by doing this you have managed to anger and entire volenteer department that is there to help you. All in the name of trying to save money.
As our chief has said the LFD will continue to fight fires but that IS IT. We took an oath to protect the residents in lakewood from fires and we will continue to do that, BUT, in my own oppinion I will not kill myself to get to a fire. If it takes me an extra minute or two to get there so be it. in those extra 2 minutes we could have saved some of the items in your house that are not replaceable (pics, baby shoes, cash…oh and maybe your life) maybe we will fight the fires from outside in stead of making entry and risking our lives..
Remember all of this when you pay your tax bill and save that nickle. You can (moderated) off the people who are here to help you just so many times till they fight back. Think of this as a warning shot across the bow. when you have vol. starting to resign and the LFD can not put up a large enough vol. department, I will be the first one to call OSHA and any other agency to come in and tell lakewood they must hire an entire paid department. Just wait till you see what it will cost you than.
Be happy now with your nickle, it will soon cost you millions.
great post lakewood ff!!!! could not have said it any better…a bunch of small minded people!
What a beautiful prayer…Rabbi Rotberg, you are an awesome, awesome man. Thank you for everything you do.
Very mature! You should be prosecuted for making such irresponsible threats.
If you are willing to put people’s lives on the line then you shouldn’t be a fire fighter-how could you even threaten to show up late???
The cuts won’t have any affect on you being able to do your job so just take a chill and you and your chief should stop letting your ego get the better of you.
Thank you very much for you service!
To #12 who said -“…You should be prosecuted for making such irresponsible threats…”
You seem to forget that, with the exception of the 3 paid men, ALL the firemen/women in Lakewood are VOLUNTEERS. They are not paid to show up at a fire. They are not forced to show up at a fire. Some do not even live in Lakewood but want to help and protect the town. If you keep on making threats like you did you will soon have to either come up with the 200 firefighters you said you can get or you will see your tax bill go WAY UP due to the requirement for 120 PAID FIREFIGHTERS WITH BENEFITS. Yes, I said 120 men. 10 trucks with 4 man crews = 40 men per shift. 40 men times 3 shifts = 120 men. Paid men only work their shift. Volunteers stay until the work is done no matter how long it takes, WITHOUT PAY.
Maybe I’m missing something here but I’m confused. The fact that the budget was turned down is not a suprise that’s been happening to every budget in nj for the last few years. The budget could have been 17 dollars and it soups be voted down. The township then approves it after a ceremonial cut.
If you are upset about the commissioner voted out here are a few points. Firstly its a democratic process so that is what happens. That makes us America and not Syria. Also it isn’t like the Jewish community or any other community turned on you. The fact that do few people heeded their banking is because noone really gets involved on such elections. A few people riled up a few hundred people to come out do you condemn a town?
Where in a town of hundred thousand were your supporters? 318 people who backed Vince? I know of at least 40-50 of my friends (who I asked to vote) who did so. I wonder if the fire fighters did the same or iternally behind the curtain felt he was not a good candidate.
I know a few firemen and they are good people. I know they would never let a baby die because they feel slighted. Chief may be saying certain things but I know he wouldn’t either let anyone die in a fire no matter the race nationality or who they support. I know Vince (who me and my wife voted for) would still risk his life for someone elses.
Thus you may have just been emotional and not really thinking when you wrote your comment but if not you don’t represent the lfd. All I can say I was disappointed that the lfd didn’t show their side enough to the public but in the end one commissioner is a civilian that’s all.
I respect the lfd vollied as I do Hatzolah and the first aid. You are all awesome and may g_d protect us all.
to # 14
yes it’s a Democrat country so
way the tls did not publish most of the fire fighters response
And if I answer you it will not get in .
And this year I will Not do jewish holiday.
You know gas has gone up this month a lot more than the few cents the fire department haters “saved” on our tax rate. Guess I’ll have to save some more by picking when and where I respond to fires. After all, I do it for FREE. Have a problem with that? Hire more PAID men.
I appreciate and am grateful for the efforts of our volunteer FF but where does this hate come from? A fire commisioner, a longstanding member was voted out, big deal. Its a democratic country that’s why we all love America. So why the threats of diminished service and delayed reaction time. Its chilling to think that our fellow citizens that we rely on could have such a disproportional response to losing an election. Did the voters threaten your physical safety and well-being by Voting in a new commissioner? is the new commissioner saying he will be lackadaisical in the efforts to protect you as Fire fighters. from my understanding he just ran on platform of reducing a SURPLUS in a budget, that’s it. So why the threats, what did i miss?