Brooklyn, NY – Hikind Versus Caller: 48th District Race Hotter Than Ever

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    FILE - Aug. 20, 2012 Caller, who founded the Community First party within the 48th District, threw the party’s support behind Hikind in his last re-election bid.( Community first)Brooklyn, NY – With just one week remaining until election day, the race in Brooklyn’s 48th Assembly District continues to escalate, with incumbent Assemblyman Dov Hikind placing his faith in a long history of service to the district, while challenger Nachman Caller continues a well-financed campaign hoping to corral voters’ support with promises of more housing and greater job opportunities.

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    Reports in The Daily News (http://nydn.us/1wzhrXS) quote several insiders in the Caller campaign who say they plan to spend half a million dollars to continue a media blitz, bombarding the airwaves and Jewish media outlets with ads bashing Hikind and his record. Hikind has waged a considerable campaign of his own, touting his proven years of dedication and service to residents of the 48th district.

    Ironically, it was just over two years ago that Caller, who founded the Community First party to better represent the needs of the Jewish community within the 48th District, threw the party’s support behind Hikind in his last re-election bid, as previously reported on VIN News.

    Caller praised Hikind in the August, 2012 nomination (http://bit.ly/10ysLZE) saying, “We are proud to nominate my dear friend, esteemed Assemblyman Dov Hikind as our candidate for the 48th Assembly District. I have known and worked with Dov for more than 25 years.

    Dov represents the essence of Community First. Dov has always stood out for every Jewish cause and candidate without regard to party affiliation. We are confident that Dov will continue to work for the individual needs of our community. I urge all voters who have the interests of the community at heart to vote for Assemblyman dov Hikind on Community First line.”

    Hikind responded with warm words of his own.

    “Nachman Caller represents what a lot more people should be doing which is to not just talk about problems but to be involved, to take a stand to really be in the front lines as they say and you know that’s an amazing, amazing thing,” said Hikind. “I want to thank you personally for always being there, for caring about issues that involve our community and now actually stepping, as they say, to the front lines.”
    Caller meeting voters in Borough park on Oct. 28, 2014 (Shimon Gifter/VINnews.com)
    Brooklyn political activist Moshe Friedman, who is now a campaign advisor to the Caller campaign, also lauded Hikind’s accomplishments in a VIN News interview (http://bit.ly/1wFy9pk).

    “Dov has always been there, giving his all for both large institutions as well as the individual,” said Friedman. “When you talk about a politician who literally gives his life to help others, even people outside his district, you are describing Dov. He is someone who really wants to make a difference.”

    According to his website, Caller is a graduate of both Brooklyn and Columbia law schools, whose years of Torah learning and real estate expertise position him as singularly qualified to understand the unique needs of the Jewish community. Head of Kolel Nachlas Yisroel Asher in Lakewood, where he also gives regular shiurim, and author of a sefer on wills titled “Kuntres Hatzavoah”, the site describes him as the only candidate in the history of the United States who is “a known Talmid Chochom, a Marbitz Torah and a Mechaber of Seforim.”

    Caller, who has come out strongly opposing planned casino projects in the Catskills, as reported in The Times Herald Record, released a 16 page plan earlier this month, describing his four year plan to add 2,000 more affordable housing units to the 48th District.

    One advertisement released by Caller quotes statistics which state that while the population of Williamsburg is ten percent smaller than that of Borough Park and Flatbush, Borough Park and Flatbush have thirty percent less housing space due to their greater proportion of one and two family homes and that the construction of more multi-family residential homes will alleviate the difficult housing situation.

    Caller’s site also claims that 42.2 percent of renters in the 48th District pay more than half of their income in monthly rental fees.
    Hikind meeting voters in Borough park on Oct. 28, 2014 (Courtesy)
    Hikind, who says he has played a part in plans for many proposed housing projects, categorized Caller’s plan as unrealistic.

    “I have been involved for ten to twelve years in creating housing in the area he is talking about and if could have been done already it would have gotten done,” Hikind told VIN News. “That doesn’t mean we should stop trying, but it isn’t realistic to say that this can be done in ten years, let alone four. Even little projects take forever to get done. Ask anyone who builds houses and they will tell you that this plan is pie in the sky.”

    Hikind defended his 32 year record in office as an advocate for both the 48th District as a whole and his many constituents.

    “It is about making a difference, being there for people and for the klal,” said Hikind. “We don’t believe in giving up.

    When you know you are right, when you have a good cause you fight, and you continue to fight even when they say no ten times. We did this with the New York State Tuition Assistance Program, which provides millions annually to rabbinical students, we did this with bus transportation, we did this with special needs children in the private school community and we will continue to fight for what we believe in.”

    Hikind said he plans to continue negotiating with City Hall to minimize traffic congestion by rescheduling sanitation trucks in Borough Park so that they don’t create a conflict with school bus routes and his next big project will be tackling the education tax credits to further help tuition-weary parents shoulder their financial responsibilities.

    Hikind also pointed to his records on jobs, saying that job fairs held by his office have been responsible for employing hundreds of people.

    In press releases issued by their respective offices on Tuesday, both candidates announced endorsements by local rabbonim, with Caller saying he had the backing of R’ Yechezkel Roth, R’ Aharon Schechter, R; Avrohom Yaakov Nelkenbaum and R’ Osher Kalmanowitz and Hikind announcing his backing from R’ Chaim Yisroel Belsky and R’ Yisroel Reisman.

    “I am humbled and privileged to receive the support of so many gedolim, whom i have had a relationship withfor years, while advocating for community needs,” said Caller in his official statement. “Following Daas Torah and represent[ing] the community’s values and needs will be my guiding principles when elected to represent the community in the State Assembly.”

    Hikind said in his statement, “I am honored to be endorsed by two of our community’s most respected rabbonim, HaRav Chaim Yisroel Belsky Shlita and HaRav Yisroel Resiman, Shlita. I know that neither of these beloved Torah leaders give their personal endorsement lightly and I am truly humbled by their continued faith in me as I seek reelection.”

    Nachman Caller’s office declined to make the candidate available for this article.


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    39 Comments
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    ralph1527
    ralph1527
    9 years ago

    How can we abandon Mr Hikind ,after all he has done ?

    9 years ago

    Who are the big chasidim supporting? Bobov, Satamar, Belz. Those are the big players.
    Also why not have a public debate so that the community can better get a feel for the candidiates?

    admin
    Admin
    Member
    9 years ago

    Caller means well, but he is an old man, if there is someone we need, its fresh YOUNG blood NOT Caller.

    IMHOpinion
    IMHOpinion
    9 years ago

    Caller is leading a very negative and Hikind bashing campaign.
    Not my taste at all.
    I don’t know much about the two, but Someone who constantly bashes their opponent and leads an unprofessional, immature campaign, definitely doesn’t get my vote.

    Adddd
    Adddd
    9 years ago

    I find this hard to believe

    behiema
    behiema
    9 years ago

    Hikind you got my vote

    commonsense99
    commonsense99
    9 years ago

    “Head of Kolel Nachlas Yisroel Asher in Lakewood, where he also gives regular shiurim, and author of a sefer on wills titled “Kuntres Hatzavoah”, the site describes him as the only candidate in the history of the United States who is “a known Talmid Chochom, a Marbitz Torah and a Mechaber of Seforim.”

    i will make sure to vote for him for rosh hakollel, how does that quality you for elective office? i would soon vote for a amharetz and brubber ying then vote for a tamild chuchem, politics is not the arena for refined people

    LouKay
    LouKay
    9 years ago

    Dov has EARNED and deserves our continued support!

    Caller is making the typical “POLITICAL” promises like his “promise” to build 2,000 apartments! Where? How? where’s the plan?….

    now if he had promised 2000 parking places then maybe….;)

    Secular
    Secular
    9 years ago

    A posek endorsing a candidate, is like asking a NAVI for a hechsher.

    …inappropriate.

    9 years ago

    Funny stuff. Caller wants to win and thinks he can. #4 Perhaps it is not Caller who is running a negative campaign. Caller is being used. The people running him are not interested in his success, they are interested in hurting Hikind so that others can gain. Yes, I agree pretty disgusting. Follow the money train; follow the names of those who are running his shop; follow those who endorse him… This will not lead to anything good.

    9 years ago

    Hopefully Reb Caller will do more for Flatbush and it’s mistreatment by the MTA than Hikind has done.

    arongreen
    arongreen
    9 years ago

    first of all many many people had a lot of favors or hikind. and even some people claim we need someone new , could be but who is caller ? he is working with a teem that wants to see hikind out… they took a big problem for the boro park people (housing) and claims he has a solution , but if anyone remembers that david greenfield promised housing in 2010 and he promised other things that in the end Dov hikind delivered it (like sanitation, transportation and many more… )
    one thing i did see that caller was fighting for almost a year to move the casino’s and didnt see he got somewhere… yes the casino’s wont be in the mountains but its because they decided to move it somewhere else and im sure he will take credit …

    BarryLS1
    BarryLS1
    9 years ago

    Affordable housing means low/moderate income housing and you can’t discriminate by only renting to Jews. He may come to regret the plan if it ever happens.

    shmielglassman
    shmielglassman
    9 years ago

    hikind will win BUT what numbers would be considered a win by caller 20%??
    put in your anticipated results? 65 /35caller

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    9 years ago

    It is wrong for rabbonim to endorse any candidate. They should be above such mundane things. After the election you will see that neither candidate can create any significant number of housing units in already overcrowded Boro Park. Not everyone has to live in Boro Park, anyway. There’s a whole world outside of Boro Park, with grass and trees, parking and affordable housing.

    Boochie
    Boochie
    9 years ago

    I don’t know much about caller but it’s time for change……i vote term limits

    lamdan
    lamdan
    9 years ago

    I really don’t care who’s a bigger masmid I care which politician helps the individual constituents and that’s Dov

    ELEPHANT
    Member
    ELEPHANT
    9 years ago

    Caller is a rip off ask any Condo owner in Williamsburg.

    9 years ago

    Time and time again Dov has come thru for us he shows no signs of slowing
    down his fight to get us what we are entitled to

    9 years ago

    I doubt that the Rabbonim mentioned really “endorsed” the candidates. They probably gave them a brocho which the candidates twisted into an endorsement.
    Let’s have a debate on the issues facing our community.
    I’m worried that Dov Hikind is not finished with the legal problems potentially facing him even though the Moreland Commission has been disbanded. He may still be in hot water.

    BoroParkVoter
    BoroParkVoter
    9 years ago

    The issue is which voters will come out to vote. Hikind has strong armed the moisdos. The “MEMBER ITEM” millions hes distributed to moisdos over the 30+ years went to “HIS MOISDOS”. It did not trickle down to the average shmerel and Berel. Also a recurrent refrain I’ve heard is what moved those who have contributed in the aggregate more than ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Nachman is funding his own campaign

    joodle
    joodle
    9 years ago

    Why does Caller need to run for a seat to do it? He can “try” to do this unrealistic dream without being elected. Dov would try to help him. Now, Greenfeld endorsing him, his sanitation plan did not work either. Cause it was not so possible. (all shinagies)Find first parking spaces/garages. Also, some of the houses you converted to condos, covert them back. Might get some houses easier that way.

    yiddishkind
    yiddishkind
    9 years ago

    All our goyisheh sonim truly enjoy this fight and they will vote for Reb what’s his name caller.
    ENOUGH already with this Baal machlokes.
    Is this is what we need now?

    commonsense99
    commonsense99
    9 years ago

    Please write in my name for assemblyman, I finshed shas 4 times, won the perchai menoyis bal peh contest at age 12, i do tikkun chatzos and daven vaskin, my wife did hafrish challah with Reb, Kavinitzky AH. that gives me more credentials then any other candidate

    consultmi
    consultmi
    9 years ago

    Caller is being used by some ‘Nasty Chevrah’ to pay for his own campaign and now they have an opportunity to bash and hurt our “beloved and Dear Dov Hikind” our long term outspoken asken! and stinking the bill to Caller! making him think he can win! STILL FUNNY ??
    What a shame to Bring out Nachman Caller and make him act like a clown for their own game, and sticking him with the bill !!!!
    GEVALD GEVALD GEVALD

    Objective1
    Objective1
    9 years ago

    In Williamsburg their is only 10% less families than in boro park?

    lazer12004@yahoo.com
    9 years ago

    We all need dov hikind to stay in office, when anyone has a problem they run to dov for help & he’s always available to help anyone no matter how you look or how you dress or where you belong he himself will return your calls if he’s here in brooklyn or on the way to Albany he calls back people to help he loves to help anyone who calls him he’s a good person

    HeshyEkes
    HeshyEkes
    9 years ago

    1. Nachman is definitely being manipulated. He is considered an illy, but if you know him you know that he’s not cut out for politics.

    2. Da’as Torah is wonderful, but I would prefer that my assemblyman votes Da’as constituents (whom he represents), rather than Da’as Torah.

    boro_park_yid
    boro_park_yid
    9 years ago

    #29 you are right. Thats exactly what people were saying tonihgt outside shomer shabas. Who from the community benefitted from the many millions of dollars of taxpayer money “member items” that Hikind gave out over the years. And why have yechidim given hikind more than 1 million dollars in campaign contributions. What favors did he do for them with taxpayer money. Meanwhile taxes go up and hes donte nothing for the community in 30 years. He should run for assemblyman in sderot, Hes more in Israel than here. He thinks we are all naaronim

    arongreen
    arongreen
    9 years ago

    Till now boro park had about 3000 votes in every election
    Im wondering how many people will vote this time