We in the field of Public life have accepted a fiduciary responsibility on behalf of the Lakewood residents at large. Therefore, we owe our fidelity to the Lakewood residents to uphold and maintain that fiduciary responsibility. Executives who face troubling decisions are often confused about how to arrive at the right, moral and ethical course of action. This is not surprising since by definition a “moral dilemma” is one where there is no clear right and wrong, only positives and negatives. We should be guided in our moral reasoning by the insight that comes from respecting the moral rights of the Lakewood residents; justice to colleagues and peers; consequences and outcomes; explaining and defending to others as well as to ourselves the decisions we make. Have I searched for all alternatives? Are there other ways I could look at the situation? Have I listened and considered all points of view of my colleagues and peers, while still maintaining high ethical standards?
Even if there is sound rational for this decision, and even if I could defend it publicly, does my inner sense tell me this is right? Will my colleagues, peers, and the educated Lakewood residents agree with my rational? Does this decision agree with my moral beliefs and with my personal principles and sense of responsibility to the Lakewood residents? Would I want others in Public office to make the same decision and to take the same action if faced with the same circumstances?
What are my true motives for this action? Would this action infringe on the moral rights and dignity of others? Would this action involve deceiving others in any way? Would I feel this action was just (ethical or fair) if I were on the other side of the decision? Am I being unduly influenced by others who may not be as sensitive to these ethical standards?
How would I feel (or how will I feel) if (or when) this action becomes known to the educated Lakewood residents? Would others feel that my action or decision is ethically and morally justifiable to the educated Lakewood residents? Can I justify my action as directly beneficial to the Lakewood residents and to their betterment in general? We can stretch and expand our moral reasoning and ethical judgment, and sharpen our ethical sensitivity and moral awareness by thinking through particular dilemmas in light of the above. If we consider all the questions discussed above with real intent and pure motives, then we can be confident that we will come with the Almighty’s help, to sound and ethical decisions.
When we achieve clarity as to the issues of the dilemma, we are better prepared to make a decision that is both right and defensible. We must remember that our goal is to achieve an ethical course of action in all areas affecting the public, not to find a way to construct a rational argument in support of an unethical decision. Our daily decisions do (at times indirectly) impact the Lakewood residents. We live in a world where other concerns e.g. profits etc., often come into conflict with the concern for ethics and principles; and where society is demanding a higher standard of transparency, and a higher ethic of social responsibility to the Lakewood residents.
We must be willing and able to give the Lakewood residents in fact, that which the Lakewood resident believes he / she is getting in theory. We owe it to ourselves…..we are all “Lakewood-residents”.
Yehuda Shain,
Lakewood resident
Waht was your point exactly. Cmon r’ yudel tell us what you hold on this issue. And others.
The ones that hijacked the control the votes they are therefore “entitled” to hand outs, on the backs of the taxpayers. I am asking the Township to have them “justify” it without the threat of “I control the votes”.
We need specifics from you. How do you feel about the ems being fired? The uez. Ldc. The new downtown merchants commission. Tell us what their angle is. You know a velt don’t keep us hanging. Do you really think only one guy controls the votes anymore? Or are those days over?
yude is one great guy chazk vematz
Yudel will not run Office. I used to be a member of the Lakewwod First aid. In this economy we must economize in every area, including but not limited to privatization. Privatization or combining with other agencies should be considered for other areas as well e.g. Public Works, Trash, Inspection Dept, Parks, etc. There shall be some serious negoiations with the Unions for give backs, Health benefits, overtime, severance, etc.
There are so many ways that we must cut our budget, including some of the professionals to move back in house, e.g. engineering.
One thing we must get across to the Township is Belt tightening, & they must be able to ethically justify not only every dollar but every cent as well. Enough is enough.
Yudel will not run for Office. I used to be a member of the Lakewwod First aid. In this economy we must economize in every area, including but not limited to privatization. Privatization or combining with other agencies should be considered for other areas as well e.g. Public Works, Trash, Inspection Dept, Parks, etc. There shall be some serious negoiations with the Unions for give backs, Health benefits, overtime, severance, etc.
There are so many ways that we must cut our budget, including some of the professionals to move back in house, e.g. engineering.
One thing we must get across to the Township is Belt tightening, & they must be able to ethically justify not only every dollar but every cent as well. Enough is enough.
we need true leaders not republican in name only
Sounds like any other politician 2 me. A lot of words. Now what exactlry (pushat please ) does that mean ? English ?
IF YOU WANT TO ECONOMIZE THEN WHY DID U NOT MENTIOND PRIVATE SCHOOLS AS WELL?
CLOSE DOWN 50% of the mosdos /SCHOOLS and consolidate. THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE MOSDOS LIKE WE HAVE SHULS. EVERY TIME ANOTHER MOSOD OPENS UP IT PUTS A TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON AN ALREADY COLLAPSED BUDGET AND PUTTING US INTO A DEEPER RESSESION.
Remember the Malibu….
To mother of victim,
Where are our children supposed to go to school if there are no more mosdos?
Would שבעה טובי העיר duly elected by the taxpayers be a sollution?
How does private mosdod make adifference on the town budget? the only reason I can think of is the bussed do not have to make a stop at different schools. That is a folloish and clearly biased opinion. That is the last problem on the budget. Private schools are only good because imagine what type of schoool taxes you would have it all the kids went to public schools. I think the public school budget is a good palce to start like has teachers been laid-off because over the teh past 10 yearas teh student population has been decreasing. I once went into the Clifton Ave school it looks liek a ghost town hardly any kids tehre. and I am sure it is clearly eating upo lots of our dollars.
To mother of victim: That is fine if you enjoy having your child in a huge school with many parallel classes. There is also much to be said for the value of smaller institutions, assuming, of course, that they are able to balance their budgets. Also, education is not one-size-fits-all, and there is a need for different schools to service different requirements. This is not a socialist country (yet) and your proposal is not necessarily the best for everyone!
Obviously mother of victim would like our kids to go to public school. This talk about consolidating is nonsense. The public schools are consolidated and it costs them 15,000 per kid. Our schools have a dual curiculum and costs are 5000 a kid or even less in some cases. 90 per cent of the expenses goes to teachers payroll. Consolidation would do nothing other than creating such a fund raising nightmare that most schools would collapse and close down. The only way we survive with our education system is that the burden of the fund raising for the shortfall is spread out between many schools.
Consolidation works fine when your costs are covered by taxpayers. Just imagine that one individual in Lakewood Mosdos had the responsibility to make a 5 million dollar teachers payroll every month. He would buckle under the strain within 2 weeks and the entire school would collapse finacially. It is impossible for any one mosad to be responsible for such a big budget , when there is a always a shortfall that needs schnorring to make up. The bigger Mosdos just have to keep borrowing until their debts are so large that nobody wants to lend them anymore.
The only way we can close down half the schools as you suggest ,is for YOU to fund the expansion of the existing schools. Since you are not funding them and they have no money to expand even if the wanted to and have run out of sources to shnor from , we are left with no choice other than begging new fresh people to become the schnorrers for our nd YOUR children and open up new schools.
Mother of victim.
We have a shortage this year of 150 elementary school slots. There are schools that would expand if they had the money. Please put your money where your mouth is and come up with the needed millions for the expansion , so that we don’t need to open more schools. We are lucky that until now ,bderech nes we always found a few new tzadikim willing to open new schools and collect the money for our kids. its comments by people like you that makes it harder to find those people.