New York City – 30,000 Signed Letters To Stop Proposed Child Care Voucher Cuts Delivered To Mayor Bloomberg

    39

    New York City – Letters from 30,000 Orthodox Jewish parents were delivered by Agudath Israel community activists to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg this afternoon.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    The missives make the case for preserving a city program than benefits needy parents, the large majority of them in the city’s Orthodox community, to the tune of approximately $15 million a year.

    The program provides child care vouchers to parents of school-age children if certain criteria are met. Under “Priority 7” of the program, vouchers are provided to families where one parent is working full time and the other faces a substantial degree of social difficulty without child care assistance.

    With its often large families and particular financial challenges, the city’s Orthodox community has been the main beneficiary of the Priority 7 category. Some 2000 child care vouchers, worth approximately $15 million dollars to their recipients, have been distributed yearly to parents in heavily Orthodox parts of New York. Mr. Bloomberg’s proposed budget would eliminate Priority 7, prompting the outpouring of concern.

    Joining the Agudath Israel activists and leaders on the steps of City Hall were City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio, Simcha Felder, Lewis A. Fidler, Melinda R. Katz, Michael C. Nelson, David I. Weprin and David Yassky.

    “This is not a protest,” said Agudath Israel of America vice president for community affairs Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz. “It is a simple – and unprecedented – demonstration of how much this program means to our community, and a plea to the Mayor that he reconsider.”

    Added Rabbi David Zwiebel, the organization’s executive vice president: “We hope that if we bring City Hall’s attention to the fact that the elimination of Priority 7 will have a disproportionate effect on a particular segment of the city’s population – us – they will reconsider and find a way to let whatever cuts are absolutely necessary be distributed fairly among all priority groups.”

    In 2002, Priority 7 was also endangered, and Mayor Bloomberg, noting the disproportionate effect removing the priority would have, rescinded the proposed elimination.

    At that time he said “I’ve said repeatedly that New Yorkers need to share the pain of budget cuts, but that the pain shouldn’t fall on anyone or any group unfairly.”


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    39 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    the rich mayor won’t give a damn on 60,000 letters. we need to get a mayor who understand our needs

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Why aren’t they collecting letters against To’avah?????? Oh I forgot there’s no $$ involved

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The letter was sent home and I, as a parent of a school age child, was told to sign it. It makes the point that the Orthodox community would be disproportionately burdened. That is only because we, as a community, are sophisticated enough to avail ourselves of every available entitlement…even ones that no one knows about (how many of you have heard of this before it was eliminated?). I question whether it is in fact in the interest of the frum community to argue this. It was never intended to disproportionally benefit the Orthodox community — highlighting that will give legislators another reason to eliminate it. Sometimes I wonder what the Agudah is thinking….I don’t question their halacha, but I time and time again think that they are just tone-deaf when it comes to politics.

    dave
    dave
    14 years ago

    This is astounding. I have a one year old baby and I pay roughly $4,000 a year for full time daycare. Now, $15 million divided by 2000 kids is $7500 per kid. Almost double what I pay. I wonder where all that extra is going.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    This is not the best way to handle this. Why should we focus on the fact that frumme yiddin with big families demand their entitlement to these welfare payments. It only focuses attention on this dependency issue and raises the obvious question as to why these ehrleche yiddin are having children they cannot afford to take care.of.

    Achdus wins.
    Achdus wins.
    14 years ago

    #1 your a self hater and you should be ashamed.If it wouldnt be Toaiva marriage it would be something else. A hater is a hater. Get off your chair and do something anything for somebody else if only to stop your miserable existance.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Um, Dave … let’s say childcare for 35 hours/ week and 45 weeks a year … that 1575 childcare hours at, say a low $5/hr, and you are already at $7875. I don’t think your $4000 is covering full-time or you are paying an extremely low amount.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #5
    really you pay $4000 a year?
    Your paying less than minimum wage and im sure its off the books. Who are you screwing?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    #3 this was an organized effort with the particapation of many top level organizations. I heard both Satmers and Bobov were involved as well as well as dozens of other Yeshivos Chasidish and Litvesh with numerous affiliations.It also had the participationan and encouragement of very knowlegable and powerful elected officials who directed the effort.So again im not sure why your questionsing the beutiful display of effective Achdus and advocasy led by the Agudah. Can we all for once just support our community.It gets to be that we are our own worst enemy and no longer need the hatred of the Goyim to hurt us.It seems on this site, that we have enough hate and jealosy to go around.We need to rally for our Mosdos not rip every effort.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Has anyone thought about the chillul Hashem that could come out of this that we send to private schools (even though this is an after school program only and “technically” no tuition credits are allowed to be given for people that get this vouchers – but we all know the truth) and get paid by the City, and this will start a whole tumult that Jews take programs etc, and this program (priority 7) is really for families that they cannot manage their children only, and how is it possible that one community has so many families that cant manage.
    The best thing is when (orthordox) Jews dont take from the American people and keep as far away as possible from being called from the “takers” in society instead of the “givers”, and if we really have to take governement program’s – for heaven’s sake – lets keep it quiet and not make a public display of it.

    I wonder if the Aguda asked their gedoilim if they should make such a tumult about this issue or not.

    I can understand the schools, since this program is a major source of their tuition income they are geting parents to write letters to the politicians, but has anyone thought into the ramifications of their actions? Have the gedoilim and roshei yeshiva been consulted? Do we really have to let all the non-jews of NY, know that we utilise governemnt programs to this extent?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    how does one receive/qualify for such aid?

    Avrohom Abba
    Avrohom Abba
    14 years ago

    I wish al the Catholic schools would also collect signatures because then Mr. Mayor would be a little more moved by so many signatures. Elections are coming up and Mr. Bloomberg would be wise to address the people’s concerns. Also, he cancelled a 57 million product for Williamsburg. Also, he has hired even more ticket givers.
    Last election he was wiser.

    Dag
    Dag
    14 years ago

    To protect money, we can get 30,000 sigs in less than 2 weeks! To protect our children from molesters (JBAC’s background checks, not Markey) we get no support. Amazing

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Can someone explain why funding for an after-school program could affect tuition. As I understand it , this program is not for the costs of operating the regular school program or what goes on during the school day.

    give it a rest
    give it a rest
    14 years ago

    Dag no your missing the point, this is about saving families who are suffering fianancial troubles and are counting on this voucher program to actually protect their kids. Are you so stuck on the Markey issue that you dont see the real story.Kids are the real story here not the money.
    ok ok we understand markey is important but is that it? If every issue from now on will be judged by Markey your going tobe very cynical poster?
    Give it a rest-please.

    Charles Hall
    Charles Hall
    14 years ago

    In order for this cut to have any chance of being reversed, the mayor is going to have to get his sales tax increase — which is in serious jeopardy thanks to the Republican takeover of the State Senate that many here at VIN are cheering on. This makes us look like hypocrites.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Can someone explain the $$ here? I thought this was for after-school day care. $7500 a year for after-school care seems really high, even for NY. Could this be another example of wasteful spending? I know, the $$ goes to benefit everyone, not just these kids, but that’s not what it was intended for and I’m not so sure that the city would like that.
    Another thought – do we really have 2000 kids in NY where one parent works and the other is incapable of caring for the children? If so, we really need moshiach. If not, then what exactly is going on here?

    PMO
    PMO
    14 years ago

    Well now… isn’t this interesting. I’ve never seen a bigger bunch of phonies than I have with this issue. When it comes time to attack an Obama plan as “socialist”, people are quick to jump and shout with hysteria quoting the likes of Rush Limbaugh. However, when it is a socialist program that that they can claim an entitlement to, they will jump on the liberal bandwagon.

    I’d like to see someone call Hannity or Limbaugh’s show and say “what do you think about the program in NY that allows me to get thousands of dollars from the city to pay for child care while my husband sits and learns in yeshiva all day instead of getting a job?”

    ALL socialist programs should be done away with. If you can’t afford to have so many children, DON’T HAVE THEM. Why do you think you pay so much in parking fines, and other fees to live in NYC? It is because of these insane socialist programs! Even Obama doesn’t condone this level of socialism! GO GET A JOB AND PAY FOR IT YOURSELF. Stop living off the backs of your neighbor’s hard work and do some yourself for a change!

    EMES
    EMES
    14 years ago

    There is a Yiddish saying “Ehrlich is Shverlich”, meaning being honest is not easy.
    Boruch Hashem most of us are honest. Of course nothing is perfect and neither are we. There is always room for improvement. However, as much as these vouchers were meant to help parents, many of them who are really in need. For example, let’s take a couple with 5 children living in a one bedroom apartment because they can’t afford to move-no they are not complaining . They were received vouchers, which should cover full tuition for twelve months meaning day camp would be covered.
    Well here’s the pitch. The majority of the institutions accepting vouchers are doing so nicely and charging the parents tuition and day camp money -and giving them $500 off. So for example the person paying $4,000 tuition, instead of $4,000 plus the vouchers!!! You get the picture. Let the Yeshivos tell these parents, we were wrong, we were not allowed to take money from you and let’s see how quickly things could get resolved!
    The same goes with Headstart and Daycare- these are programs to make it easier for low income families and no cost, not at discount.
    One of the ten commandments are LO SIGNOV-THOU SHALL NOT STEAL.