Video: The Dishonest, Unethical Haredi-Dominated East Ramapo School Board In Action

Daniel Schwartz, the Orthodox Jew who is president the scandal-plagued East Ramapo school board and affiliated with the haredi faction that dominates it, motions to haredi board member Moses Friedman to leave the meeting room so the board loses it quorum. When the quorum is lost, the public cannot speak and votes cannot be taken. Schwartz – an attorney – promptly adjourns the meeting, cutting off the public comment called for by law.

 

Comments

[Mel From Monsey]

I am embarassed to be frum Jew from Monsey. Hopefully, these scoundrels on the board will eventually be arrested. They are a chilul Hashem and will cause anti-semitism. Shame on them.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

Odd. In other videos of board meetings they clearly doesn't give a rat's ass what the public says. So why bother to foreclose public input?
Schwartz must have been in a hurry to get out of there. Someone offering free doughnuts outside?

[mel thejew]

mel the jew says; I am embarassed to be a jew associated with other jews including those from Monsey where paedophiles lurk and plus this bulll sh- t, supra,. see am also an expert on law but i dont look anything as loathsome as that a-hole shown, supra.

[Rare View]

Rules are rules.... those rules were in effect for over 30 years at East Ramapo... nothing new here, except for people wanting to bash the people who want to cut programs in East Ramapo...
Why is it that the schools in New York City and Westchester can cut programs and nobody says anything... but if we who pay the bulk of the schools taxes (the parents of East Ramapo dont own houses and do not pay property taxes) want to cut the outrageous programs that other school districts have done...its Dan Schwartz's problems..
Dan .. all the power to you...
Thank G-D we finally put our people on the board...
This is America and if the parents don't like what's going on... let them vote them out next year...

[Rachael]

When the quorum is lost, the public cannot speak and votes cannot be taken. Schwartz – an attorney – promptly adjourns the meeting

Sounds like they really had no pressing issues on the table and this was the quickest way to get it adjourned.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

Rare View, if rules were really rules and were oobeyed they would not be redirecting public funds to private, sectarian schools. This, alone, is a gross violation of the first amendment's establishment clause.

[Devorah]

"but if we who pay the bulk of the schools taxes (the parents of East Ramapo dont own houses and do not pay property taxes) want to cut the outrageous programs that other school districts have done...its Dan Schwartz's problems.."

I'm in East Ramapo since the 70's and so are most of my neighbors. We all work and pay taxes, lots of taxes. You have tax exempt charities and declare your houses as Shuls and DON'T pay a cent. Even retail clerks at the mall complain that 100% of you buy gym equipment with your tax exempt numbers. Sound like the lingerie story?

I will be more than happy when I visit Danny-the-donuthead-boy in jail for fraud. We secular Jews don't buy his BS about arts, music, foreign languages and SCHOOL SECURITY not being relevant.

[Pearl of Wisdom]

Rare View, I hope your views are rare in the Orthodox community....but they probably are not. This disgusting Board was looking out into space as the children begged to retain their programs. It is on film and will capture the essence of these dispicable men...including Dr.Klein. The Dept. of Education sent the District yet another letter that will soon be revealed ordering them to obey the law.

While these guys had 350 people waiting while they were eating dinner in executive session. What's the word? Chuztpah? They will all get what is coming to them...sooner than they think.

We know that the Board does not care about what the parents have to say, but they could at least act like decent human being when a little boy gets up to speak and starts crying...but not this souless individuals. Even D'Agostino was able to relate to the kids and gave them the courtesy to listen and give them eye contact. Maybe he thinks that little brown children are humans. Clearly, the rest of the Orthodox members of the Board do not.
Ashunda!

[tesyaa]

People who do not own their homes have the property taxes on the space they rent built into the rent they pay. Isn't that obvious?

[Barry]

Clearly Schwartz and Friedman had more important things to do that evening such as coin clipping.

[Valhalla]

tesyaa: Rent paid to Haredi slumlords is often not taxed.

[Gevezener Chusid]

School boards are elected. If people don't like them they have to vote them out of office.

As for gym equipt with the shuls' tax ID numbers - when is this country going to get smart and start taxing religious institutions. I personlly do not understand how giving them tax breaks is NOT helping to "establish religion"

[mmm]

it starts with the head Christopher st Lawrence he works for the few on the top and tramples on the rights and needs of the average citizens. don't get fooled by his constant smile/smirk

[Rare View]

To "Eli, what me messiah? "
What funds were being redirecting " public funds to private, sectarian schools?"
Busing and special ed to private schools are mandated...and East Ramapo must provide that to private schools... I think you are missing your marbles.

To devorah... like all schools around the country we can no longer afford these programs ... I live in this district for over 35 years...enough is enough... the school buildings in East Ramapo are practically empty ...and have an average of 18 children to a class while my grandchildren in private schools sit in a class of 45 ... its time that we sell these empty buildings to Yeshivas for low bids... G-D knows how much we already paid to maintain these buildings...
Again... if the parents have a different view ..vote them out in the next election.. this is a democracy .
and I have a secret for you...even a new board with non-Jews will have to cut the budget drastically and cut the programs its not sustainable..
And they have every right to tell someone from the board to walk out so they can close the meeting because there is no quorum
this is done on a daily basis in Washington in congress and is done routinely up in Albany... this is not illegal ..its done all the time..
if you dont like them ..vote them out..this is not China

[Rare View]

and finally to the "smart one" Tesyaa
Your comment
"People who do not own their homes have the property taxes on the space they rent built into the rent they pay. Isn't that obvious?"
It's actually not obvious!
Most of the population of these apartments have their apartments paid by section 8 ....they the parents are not paying any school taxes .. if they did they would be in the forefront to lower the taxes even at the expense of cutting taxes...
I love the people commenting on this blog who do not live in our district and are "embarassed to be a jew associated with other jews "
If you lived in East ramapo and bought a house just 5 years ago your property taxes then would have been 4,000 its now just 5 years later 11,000.00
Its time to close those schools ...

[Pearl of Wisdom]

OMG!! Rare you are drinking the Kool Aide. Our schools are NOT half empty. In fact, I am sure that one of your board members could get you a tour. What you will find is special education students being humiliated by having to recieve their OT and PT on the stage in the gym because there is no room elsewhere. What you will find is students packed in like sardines and where a green line had to be drawn the floor so that we have lines to keep to the left like they do in prisons. I don't know what you consider the luxuries that our students are getting...do they get Mardarin Chinese lessons, a swimming pool, LaCross, Fencing, Debate Club, Jr.ROTC, Golf,business courses, BOCES technical training, Drivers Ed....the list goes on and on. Our schools look and smell like shit. The curtains on the stage where our illustrious Board sat last night is in tatters with the hem falling and holes all over, the seats are broken, the stairs are filthy, don't even look up at the ceilings...I don't know what that dreck was!

You are right, this is not china. This is a theocracy running a public school. You are also right that even an all public school Board could fix what these evil doers have done to this once proud disstrict. That is exactly why the State must come in and provide oversight and bail out the District because their hands are dirty too. The State did not want to help all the poor, brown children for fear of upsetting the bloc. Well, the day has come where they have no choice...when you become a burden to the rest of the County by being a dead beat district and not paying BOCES bills for over 6 months, the other 'REAL' Superintendents are going to fight back. And finally, Rare...stop your lying about the taxes! I moved here in 1992 and my taxes where about 5,000 now they are about 8,000 and that includes the extremely high taxes for the illegally built Ball Park and the huge tax increases at the County level. You must live in a palace! I wonder how many rooms you have added or accessory apartments you attached to your house?

Start telling the truth. I will gladly meet you for lunch and try to reprogram you. How does the Purple Pear sound to you?

[Rare View]

Pearl of Wisdom
I can't meet you for lunch because after paying my school taxes in a 3 bedroom house at 11,000 (no its not a mansion its a bi-level)..
Now for the empty schools: New Hempstead School on Brick Church has 13 kids to a class.. thats near me.. I go in there all the time..
Stop having such rachmones on your (as you so nicely put it) poor BROWN children... and have some rachmones on our children ..
I wont cry for BOCES ... Obama will bail them out..
We have to sell the EMPTY BUILDINGS to our Yeshivos for very cheap prices since parents of this district already paid millions to support your "BROWN" (you wrote that) children!
Time to stop this nonsense ...
If you dont like it VOTE THEM OUT!
but as long as we have the votes we will and should do everything in our power to make sure our Yeshivos YES our Yeshivos have enough federal and state funds and thats why we voted these guys in...
YOU ARE THE LIAR ... IF YOU MOVED HERE IN 1992 your taxes would now be 13,000 so you are probably either lying or your house is a bungalow

[Pearl of Wisdom]

First, I do not live in a bungalow. I live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. I just saw my tax bill and what I said is the truth. Now, with regard to the school rooms at Hempstead, the reason that there are 13 students in a room is because they are special education, self contained classes. Those are the most disabled students who attend classes in the District. Try going to Ramapo High School and see what you see there since it is just around the corner. It is more like a prison...but I am sure you already know that.

You guys really messed up with the sales of schools this year. There were two schools, one was a converted house, that sold for 7 million dollars in Ramapo. How are you going to explain that to the AG? Then the same congregation bought another school in Clarkstown...just down the road from Hillcrest in Clarkstown for about 7 Million dollars....and the Illustrious Board tried to sell Hillcrest for 3.2 mllion dollars...wow! You guys are not as smart as I thought you were. Start making up you next set of lies to tell to the AG and the Governor and the Commissioner. It could take a while to come up with that whopper! LOL! Oh...and buy the way, both schools that were sold for 7 hot million dollars are MUCH SMALLER and on MUCH LESS land. Tangled web?

[Pearl of Wisdom]

Since you are so finacially strapped, it's my treat at the Purple Pear. XOXO :)

[East Ramapo Parent]

I think you better take a look at that tax bill again Rare View. That sounds more like your property and school tax bill. You can thank CSL for half of that bill with his $70 million dollar baseball stadium.

[Rare View]

Hey Pearl of Wisdom
Ill take you up on that lunch one day ... :)

[Pearl of Wisdom]

Rare...it would be my pleasure. You know where to find me.

[Devorah]

I would be very wary to meet anyone from here who advocates beliefs you are opposed to. They tried to burn down Rothenberg's house in New Square because he disagreed with them. Daniel Schwartz has more to gain if your identity is revealed. Remember, they survive and succeed through intimidation and harmful acts. Since many on here are currently working with the Feds and NYS to expose Daniel's machinations, it's not really safe to mingle. Just my humble opinion. :)

I wouldn't want you to make the headlines on FM!

[yehudis]

Rare View-Why do you forget about the towns other than Monsey that are within East Ramapo? There are people that live in Pearl River, Nanuet, New City, Pomona, Chestnut Ridge, and Hillcrest that aren't "religious" and own lovely homes and pay taxes to the school district. Why do you think that the "religious" people in Monsey pay the bulk of the taxes? I believe you are mistaking. I am sure there are much, much fewer tax exempt properties in those neighborhoods, too.

[Devorah]

http://www.taxexemptworld.com/organizations/monsey_ny_10952.asp?spg=2

Here is a partial list of just zip code 10952, Monsey.

[Jim D]

What are all these "congregations"? Are there that many churches , temples?