Orange County, NY – New data compiled from 2013 records show that almost 93% of the 21,894 residents of Kiryas Joel are enrolled in Medicaid and the Medicaid-funded Family Health Plus Program.
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RECORDONLINE.com (http://bit.ly/1mYg8f4) reports that the according to information provided by the the Orange County Department of Social Services and the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 11,000 more Medicaid recipients in Kiryas Joel than there were in the previous report issued in January of 2011.
According to the report, the median family income in Kiryas Joel is $23,000.
These current numbers are of particular interest to opponents of Kiryas Joel’s attempts to annex 507 acres from neighboring Monroe, who insist that continued growth of KJ’s predominantly ultra-Orthodox population will place a heavier burden social service costs and local taxes.
KJ officials and community leaders are claiming that the numbers are being skewed purposely to be used against the village, and that, while KJ residents may in fact have a higher rate of enrollment in Medicaid, a certain trade-off of sorts exists because KJ’s Hasidic residents underutilize other Orange County services like SUNY Orange and the nursing home.
Kiryas Joel School Superintendent Joel Petlin said,”I think these numbers are being used to attack a community, and that’s what I have a problem with. If we’re going to do that cost-revenue analysis, why are we only looking at one area of the county budget?”
“Kiryas Joel residents underutilize most Orange County services, and cost the county less than the average resident,” Petlin added.
But Orange County officials rejected Petin’s claim and are standing by the methodology used to compile the data.
Its a busha any way you try to spin it. Reb Yolish, z’tl, is probably turning in his grave knowing that his progeny have become a bunch of welfare dependent grubbers from the taxpayers.
A radical idea: how about working for a living and paying one’s own health care costs. Why is it the state’s obligation to pay for the health care costs of Kiryas Joel families?
all public school children in OC are eligible to visit the School Health Physician, free of charge.
Just watch all the nasty comments that will be coming about KJ….I see nothing wrong of so many residents being on Health care…You all critics voted for Obama and this comes with Obama Care….The government wants every person to be insured and if you cant pay for it Mr. Obama wants us on Medicaid…
What other intention can it be by releasing such a report, other then anti-semetism? Who benefits of this information? Why is this “report” important on an annual basis?
A question might be asked as to where the residents manage to get the funds for a downpayment on monthly mortgage payments on large one-to-four family homes. Seems like lots of people are on programs such as Medicaid because of income that allegedly is not earned. Unfortunately, cash businesses and payment of wages in cash place an undue burden on those whose income taxes on withhheld, and it is very presumptuous for the residents of Kiryas Joel to think that mouths will remain shut forever about this blatant form of geneivah min ha-rabim.
This is disturbing to me. Talk about working the system. Hey – how about having the no’ar do a couple of years of national service in exchange for all these taxpayer provided benefits?
Okay so let’s be fair here. …
What percentage of Harlem is on public assistance?
What about Bed Sty?
What about inner city Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, etc etc etc?
Wait…I know yekkel shmekel who can’t speak English but became a millionaire flipping houses. NOT! As the unskilled jobs continue to decrease and competition for highly skilled jobs increase KJ residents will continue to find themselves sinking deeper and deeper into poverty. Get ready for more shnorrers to hit middle class neighborhoods. However, middle class neighborhoods will not be immune to these statistics as well.
What about the state saving that KJ not using there public school system they paying them self high tuition, what about water? They not washing there car daily & the list go’s on………
The average frum family saves the city/state about 75k in education costs per year.
Even if every family gets FS Medecaid section 8 we are still being shortchanged.
Anybody bringing up only one side of the equation is either ignorrant or a blatant Anti Semite
How do they all afford several trips to Israel with their entire families each year? How do they afford to go to South America also with their entire families for every wedding? What about a the designer clothes the kids wear to nice affairs? My friends in KJ have diamonds to die for! A few of my friends have Louis Vuittant bags worth up to 4k each!!!!!! They get their nails and toes polished weekly, along with facials. I must be doing something wrong since I work 40 hours a week and pay taxes.
The headline is misleading and you guys don’t seem to bother the actual article. Did you know that a family of 8 may earn over $158,000 annually and be eligible for subsidized Child Health Plus of $160 a month total for all children? We are not just talking Medicaid here, NYS is very generous when it comes to insuring kids.
Sorry, my mistake, the article only mentions Family Heath Plus, not CHP. Incidentally, because of Obamacare FHP is being phased out for individuals…
Wow! This is a HUGE “kiddush hashem”…no wait….internet is ossur, but chillul hashem (which there is no teshuva for) is muttar. Bottom line. Easy to pick and choose what you feel is convenient. As I always said….don’t judge another because they sin differently than you however they (Satmar) are busy basjing everyone else as not being holy enough.
Cash…….
According to Wikipedia, Kiryas Joel is the poorest town – of the tens of thousands of towns – in America, and has the highest percentage of welfare recipients. Or LaGoyim indeed.
You vote for politicians who enact entitlement privileges witthout corresponding responsibilities and them act surprised when people utilize the programs without restraint? Chutzpah.
I can criticize some things when it comes to KJ but this article is a hatchet job. As many people are noting Medicaid was expanded as part of Obamacare and I’m sure that’s why the KJ numbers skyrocketed. This coverage is for working people and it’s very misleading to imply it’s a scam. BTW, it’s my observation that in America most Chassidim work and they don’t have an expectation everyone should sit in kollel. That is (in America today) a Litvishe concept. Does anyone feel otherwise?
The fact is that the kj families are the largest in average in the united states. That gives a simple explannation for the medicaid. If you signed up fo obama care and you got the “congratulations” of you are approved for medicaid then who said the state of NY is not in approval of KJ residents being approved for medicaid just as ant other citizen.
First and foremost I strongly condemn any one taking any of the government funds thru not being honest about their financial affairs this is illegal and it’s also forbidden in Jewish law its “geneivah gezeilah” period, and a rabbi that that says different must have been on these programs himself and corrupt (ki hashioched yeaver einei chachomim)
Having said that, as a fellow Jew, it is also forbidden to believe any “loshon hora” especially on a klal. Hence, I am giving the benefit of the doubt to this people that every application is true and honest.
Regardless, this whole article and the reporting from the county are misleading and biased. First of all, of all the villages KJ was the only village that they felt the need for separate data.
1. They extracted all areas by ZIP code but in KJ they went the extra mile of extracting KJ in a separate data sheet by street. Had they done the same thing with Newburgh and Middletown the comparison might not be so depart.
2. They were including Family health plus (CHP might very easily be part of this programs) as well which you can earn a nice living and still be eligible to get these programs free or buying into it.
Continue:
But, this is the art of writing you can write a few pointers you make a big “chulent” and the outcome becomes an optical illusion were the reader doesn’t even realize what the writer did to his brain. They throw in the median income of 23k (most people don’t even pay attention that this is a median not average) so the reader sees a few numbers 93% 23k income those 2 numbers have no correlation as explained above. Why didn’t they choose to report on average income rather than median? Because, it wouldn’t suit their agenda.
Technically it could be a community where the average income is 10 million and the median should be 100 nothing is more misleading then this. Kiryas Joel might very easily be a community where there are hundreds (and maybe thousands) of “avrechie kolel”, retirees etc. they are being supported by the other half of the working “baaly batim”, family etc. So, what is wrong if half of the community doesn’t earn a living and the other half could make a nice livings (which does not show up when you use median) to support the other half.
Continued:
Actually if you have the right positive attitude (as in my second paragraph) all these negative questions and rants are answered, not only would this article not be a “chilul hashem” but it could of been a “Kiddush hashem”; that a community, where the median income is so low, does not look like other poor communities. Rather the fortunate half takes care of the poor families that everyone should have what they need “bderch kovud”
#15 - I am not from ky or of satmar sect. I am responding to your ludicrous accusations of manicures and pedicures weekly. I have yet to see a satmar woman with her nails polished , not even clear polish. obviously I cannot attest to her toes. I do not see women in ky with LV bags either. the closest I have seen in willy are MK Michael kors bags. also, keep in mind that the fakes are a fraction of the real ones in cost. believe me I am not here to defend anyone but I am speaking up when I feel someone is making a totally baloney story.
in answer to others who speak of harlem and bed stuy etc….try looking at the catskills when it is not summer season. the area is filled with closed up stores, Medicaid is running amok up there. majority of folks are paying with foodstamps. not that this justifies anyone who is being deceitful but feel free to open your eyes totally before casting stones. where do down payments for houses come from? probably the parents of the young couples who work and worked their tails off to raise the children who became learners rather than earners.
Instead of being a model community, KJ is almost universally hated by everyone in the surrounding communities. As a Jew I am confronted to explain the corruption and deceptive business practices of KJ. Secular Jewish businesses stear clear of KJ, the reputation is so horrible. And now this. If 50% of KJ is above the povertyine but 93% gets some form of welfare, something is very wrong. I work in nearby Monroe, so I know.
Okay so let’s be fair here. …
What percentage of Harlem is on public assistance?
What about Bed Sty?
What about inner city Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, etc etc etc?