GOP Candidate Herskowitz On Running A Positive Campaign, Discusses Taxes And More
On Friday night, my son stood up and said a D’var Torah(biblical insight) at the sabbath table. He was discussing a passage from the weeks Torah reading. It states thou shalt not exact revenge nor harbor anger in your heart. He proceeded to read a parable that explains the importance of always granting forgiveness no matter what. Last week someone that I considered a close friend of mine called me a backstabber at the Republican meeting. I now understand that it was obviously done in order to please certain people. I spent the entire week enacting revenge in writing and speech against those that attacked me. I was so angry, I even lashed out at some simply for sitting at the same committee table with those that upset me.
I realize now that enacting revenge just distracts from discussing the real issues. Bearing a grudge will just cause more of the same problems that I am dedicated to resolving. It seems that so many of the things that go on in our local government are based on friendships, alliances, and conversely, grudges, and long simmering hatreds.
I refuse to become a part of that which has been the cause of waste, corruption, favoritism, nepotism, and greed. I will not allow myself to become jaded, and cynical about what can be accomplished. I will not allow personal attacks to keep me from focusing on the issues that matter to all the people of our town.
I apologize to anybody that I may have browbeaten this past week. I look forward to working together to do what is fair, and equitable in the eyes of all of the people of our wonderful town. I will not bear a grudge. The attacks were simply due to the anger of those that are upset that I am running in this race. The attacks were not based on the issues.
In the next month I will be discussing in detail all the issues I would like to see considered should I win this race.
1. Lowering taxes through ending the corruptive behaviors that cause us to allow waste.
2. Enacting policies that will bring full transparency in all zoning, planning, and special requests from the township, and its people.
3. Expect budgetary policies to be constrained by what we can afford to pay, not by what we are told we must pay.
4.Implement solutions from experts in their given fields regarding Immigration, homelessness, blighted properties, growth and development, quality of life and safety for our children.
5. Seek new non taxpayer funded avenues for funding projects to replace the dissolution of the UEZ.
Should any of my statements or essays upset anybody currently in our local governing body, I hope they will attack my statements, and not me personally. If they insist on going that route, I will still do my best to simply ignore it, and continue to look for better solutions to our most common problems.
There are 62 Comments to "GOP Candidate Herskowitz On Running A Positive Campaign, Discusses Taxes And More"
While your intentions are noble, you need really some polish. Such a statement will be used against you in the future, and can cause you much more harm than any supposed short-term goodwill. A statement like this makes you seem reactionary, prone to acting emotionally rather than rationally, etc. Although it’s probably very distasteful to you, you should really have someone advise you on how to tread the political waters.
Here we have a honest person saying what he thinks. We need someone like him to represent us. Not a polished politician like the ones who have robbed us blind . Don’t listen to the naysayers, they are for the old corrupt ways. Go Hershel!
Nicely written; typical political talk though. Every time H.H writes anything he gets a whole slew of posts that go something to the effect of ” Go Herskowitz we loooooooooove you” or “your mamish what we need givaldig” or “H.H kock out singer” blah blah blah
But, with all due respect, if TLS is the only place where you are campaigning then something is wrong. As I stated in the past, its wrong to use an open forum such as TLS to constantly push your own agenda.
Also, in this daas torah age, wheres yours?????
Can you give us a list of Rabonim who back you?
Do you have a Rav who can vouch for you?
I think the people of Lakewood can use some clarity on who exactly you are and where you come from and how exactly you are more qualified than anyone else, and who backs you before you try to get our vote.
Way to go Hershel!!! You will win. The town is behind you and we are sick of the corruption. In my opinion, all the people that are coming hard against you have something to hide. Thank you Hershel you have my vote, and many others!!
these numbers speak for themselves…
the municipal tax levy history (all public record):
2005 – $23,497,996
2006 – $31,016,934
2007 – $35,269,360
2008 – $39,914,374
2009 – $43,594,339
2010 – ??,???,???
now go take look at your property taxes (forget about the assessments, that’s all a smoke screen) from 2005 till now….
need i say more?
HH – the questions you need to be asking & answering is how did we get here, and how will we STOP this??
As a taxpayer and voter, i RESPECT you frank approach, i really don’t care if your “polished” or not, as long as your erlich (honest) – that’s what means the most to me. were all human, we all make mistakes. however the difference is whos a “man”, and whos not.
wishing you lots of hatzlocha. keep up your wonderful work.keep at it, you will win!!
#3, Are you fed up with 30 years of B”S, it’s been costing us taxpayers-perhaps you are from the self interest groups? We could easily figure out who is backing you.
#3 You can say whatever you want about the Scoop and all that, bottom line is we live in a democratic country (well at least for now anyway) if enough people say “go Hershel” and then vote for him he wins. People in this town are getting nervous, and rightfully so they don’t want to be exposed. And now I will say it GO HERSHEL!!!!
To all those with the insightful questions for Hershel: Where were you back then?
Where were your insightful questions to the past township committeemen?
Where were your insightful questions to the PRESENT township committeemen?
Did you ever ask Mr. Singer any of your insightful Questions?
Did you ever ask what their qualifications were? Did you ask if any of them took even one class on fiscal responsibility? On urban planning? Or on any other important matters?
Did you ask any of the members of the VAAD any of these questions?
Your silence is deafening!
So clearly you have a vendetta against Hershel.
This leads me to ask, WHY are you fighting Hershel?
Does his attitude about corruption scare you? Does his fairness (that everyone shouldn’t burden the weight of the few well connected) offend your notion of fairness?
Are you on the wrong side of the table?
Remember, there will come a day of truth. Maybe not in this world. But I promise, the day will come.
Hershel, Thank you for fighting our fight! You have my vote!
I’m sure HH has a board of Rabbis backing him HOWEVER I highly doubt anybody will be willing to come out and publicly back him since they will risk backlash from the current powers that be!
Why must he have a rabbi behind him anyway? A rabbi is not a politician and vice versa. If the voters feel he represents their values and needs they will vote for him.
Why must he have a rabbi behind him anyway?
Because although some in Lakewood seem to have forgotten, we are still in Golus and don’t want to risk either making a Chilul Hashem or causing Sinas Yisroel.Also in public office there are many questions of ‘Mi Nidcah m’Pney Mi’ particularly when there is negios etc. Someone with a Rov he consults with regularly will mess up less in regard to such issues.
To Mr. Bigson,
why do you care who is Hershel’s rabbi?
And if I told you that Hershel consults Rabbi X, would that Rabbi’s philosophies be binding upon you.
If you have a question whom to vote for, and you deem this to be a question fit to ask a rabbi, then ask YOUR rabbi.
Did you ask your rabbi who you should vote for last election?
Did you ask your rabbi if you should ask Hershel who is his rabbi?
Did you ask your rabbi if you should post negative questions on the internet?
Or are you the same person posting numerous postings attacking Hershel’s Character?
Hershel has a Cheskas Kashrus. That means, that you could assume that if he is doing something that warrants the guidance of Daas Torah, then he did seek Daas Torah.
If Hershel were to come out and say “Lets shut down yeshivas,” then you could ask “where is your Daas Torah.” But if Hershel says “Lets stop corruption, and make this town a pleasant and affordable place to live” then you probably don’t need to ask him who is his Daas Torah.
Come on, A little common sense.
Hershel, looking forward to hearing from you on these issues. At least you are a candidate who is focused on stopping corruption.
Thanks for your hishtadlus!!!!!
Who is Bob’s Rabbi, once we are comparing?
When Hershel wins, I’ll be proud to put his bumper sticker on my vehicle. Come to Bagel Nosh to get yours.
Obama wants all you young people to vote Democratic, so leave Hershel and Bob alone. Marta rocks!!
Well at least you were man enough to admit that you were running an extremely negative campaign until now. That’s a lot more than the TLS editor has allowed anyone to write in their comments. Here’s to hoping that you do change your tone and get down to telling us exactly what your plan is going forward. Without emphasis on what every member on the commitee for the last 10 years did wrong.
Herschel said he has S’micha from the Rosh Yeshiva R’ A.M. isnt that good backing. Why dont u get a certification and just update your old S’micha ? I think it may be a little harder this time around…
Hershel: where do you stand on the #1 issue in this campaign?
We must be allowed to paint or cover our big bird trash bins with blue or brown paint/contact paper and the DPW must recognize this change.
If not, I’m convinced that in 5 or 6 months of having this town being yellow, many people will lose their rational thought process and vote to increase property taxes by 50%.
Herschel, welcome to polotics. That’s the way it goes in polotica its not for the faint of heart. If you can’t handle it…maybe open a toy store or some other not so stressful business
harold 4 mayor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who is Bob Singer’s Rabbi????
Besides…I rather vote in a heimishe to begin with…
yet you were able to bring to light in your ‘ positive campaigning’ the backstabbers, the wastefull corrupt spenders, those that angered you, etc etc… way to go hh, you are still talking with a condecending and vindictive tone. I will be voting for bob singer, a polished, proven friend of our community. Oh and please TLS dont publish this like you didn’t piblish all my other comments just because I am anti hh.
your selection process is a wee bit hypocritical, dontcha think??
To those that ask who my daas torah is:
If any rov or rosh hayeshiva has concerns, I would be more than happy to meet with them. I have already met with many rabbonim to explain my position on various issues, and discuss any problems that may arise. Especially the question of causing others to feel the need to make a chillul hashem.
Get rid of the Yellow trash bin, Get rid of the Yellow trash bin
Get rid, Get rid, Get rid–Get rid
Get rid of the Yellow trash bin
If ever a horrible bin there was
the Yellow trash bin is one becuz’
Becuz’ Becuz’ Becuz’ Becuz’ Becuz’
Becuz’ of the pain to my eyes it does….
Hershel stop avoiding the question! Is this transparacy? WHO DID YOU ASK? a simple name is all we want!
I could throw away my pickle jar, from Gefen or from Hadar
and my a-lu-minum pan
A jar of chrein or mayonnaise , could lay there for so many days
In my old Blue garbage can
I would throw away my pickles, I had purchased with my nickels
and a broken plastic fan
I would throw out my recyclables, but not my rusty bicycles
In my old Blue garbage can…..
I’ve bin waitin’ for a bin like you to come into my life. Yes I’m waiting for a bin like you to come into myyy life.
We welcome you to Public Works , to Public Works, to Public Works
and while we were explaining, you just kept complaining
so we’ll take them back today.
Ding Dong! The Yellow bins, The Yellow bins, your seltzer’s in
Ding Dong! The yellow bins are gone
Look what’s back– Welcome back! grab your bottles, a six pack
toss them in–Blue garbage cans are back!!!
Why is everyone freaking out because I want to know who his Rav is? As if when it says Asai licha rav; Herskowiz was excluded??
Someone posted something inane asking why he needs a Rav altogether because hes just fighting corruption which is basic. To answer that post is answering a fool which Solomon says not to do………but…….let me state the obivous………………do you think that someone in politics doesnt need a Rav (as the mishnah says) because its obvious that fighting corruption is the right thing to do? Do you have any idea how many issues come up that need to be approched from a torah true view??
Anyone who will blindly follow some guy because hes heimish without really understanding the fellow is insane.
Who is Bob’s builder?
Orange revolution for Ukraine. Red shirt revolution for Thailand.
YELLOW revolution for Lakewood!
Stick to the classics.
No need to call everyone names! And read post #11. I think it addresses your concerns. It does not say that Hershel doesn’t need the guidance of a rabbi. Just read it carefully, and hopefully it will answer all your questions.
But it seems to me that you are not looking for any answers.
why doesn’t hershel open his own blog
Yellow = bad.
Blue = good.
Bigson, I’m starting to get p’shat.
Bigson hu Tyrone.
hh start going puplic
since you are soooo concerned about HH rov, and you will only vote for him if you know who hi rov is.. i ask you:
who is Meir Leictensteins rov?
who is menashe milles rov?
who is steve langerts rov?
lets find this info out.. as it seems from your comments, this is all very important info WE should all know.
Hershel is a gift to TLS. You must have z’chus avos.
I don’t know much about lakewood politics, but someone who strives for transparancy has my vote. Go hershel!
Actually post #11 addresses no concerns and answers no questions.
It starts off saying:
“To Mr. Bigson,
why do you care who is Hershel’s rabbi?”
Answer: Because hes running for office and rabbis typically represent Torah so his rabbi gives us an idea of where he stands with regard to the Torah.
He then writes:
“And if I told you that Hershel consults Rabbi X, would that Rabbi’s philosophies be binding upon you.”
Answer:
No. But it would be on him.
cont.
“If you have a question whom to vote for, and you deem this to be a question fit to ask a rabbi, then ask YOUR rabbi.”
your right. But so should he.
“Did you ask your rabbi who you should vote for last election?”
I should have. But keep in mind that I had one question to ask, an elected officer has very many….so he should consult Rabbonim alll the more.
“Did you ask your rabbi if you should ask Hershel who is his rabbi?”
lol
“Did you ask your rabbi if you should post negative questions on the internet?”
grow up.
“Or are you the same person posting numerous postings attacking Hershel’s Character?”
that was very hurtful
“Hershel has a Cheskas Kashrus. That means, that you could assume that if he is doing something that warrants the guidance of Daas Torah, then he did seek Daas Torah.”
I dont mean to be rude; maybe I do….Im just dumbfounded by the logic! O.K…….in other words….if someone is doing something which people would say that before he takes action he should consult a Rav, than there is no need to ask him if he asked a competant Rav because he definitly did… because since he an upstanding jew he probably did.
Or maybe he didnt. (especially if hes running for office).
“If Hershel were to come out and say “Lets shut down yeshivas,” then you could ask “where is your Daas Torah.” But if Hershel says “Lets stop corruption, and make this town a pleasant and affordable place to live” then you probably don’t need to ask him who is his Daas Torah.”
First off ,you probably should. But even if not, thats if what you just stated was all he would be doing. But being that being elected to office goes far beyond what you stated so you definitly should consult Daas Torah.
(Furthermore, finding out what is Hashem’s will on even the smallest issue is probably a good thing.)
“Come on, A little common sense.”
whatever.
I hope readers will honestly weigh my view vs. #11′s view and come to their own logical honest conclusion (whatever it is) instead of yelling off the cuff about how any heimish guy is automatically good.
How many tickets must people receive, before they can call it a blitz?
How many complaints must a board member hear, before just deciding to quit?
Yes and how many articles must our Hershel compose
before he gets 1000 hits?
the answer my friend is only on the Scoop,
the answer is on TheLakewood Scoop
Did you hear the news? yes!
Guess what’s back in town? what?
Hershel and my ol’ Blue garbage can.
And still with a brocha?
the answer my friend is in the yellow bin, the answer is in the yellow bin
uglyyellowgarbagecansjustsimplylookatrocious
HershelHaroldHerskowitziskindandnotferocious
canyouchangethisHershelsoIwon’tbealwaysnauseous
Hemusttalktothevotersaselectiondayapproaches
Leave off the last T for tax relief.
just an observation.
I’m thankful to TLS for posting some of my comments, but there have been some that they did not. None of them violated the rules but they were pointed.
Here is what part of the “comment rules” state:
“…TLS encourages and appreciates healthy comment and robust debate. Please argue sensibly. Please post thoughtfully. Please reply to comments intelligently…”
so much for posting #47 and “46 and #44…..and on and on….
just a simple observation.
but i digress…..
We open one bin we open two
We love our Blue garbage bin but we hate you
We see yellow everywhere but we want blue
That’s the most important thing that Hershel must do
For an article on being positive and friendly and having teamwork,
I think the post’s picture is inappropriate.
Bigson for moderator!
to number 47
best post ever… if you want a job contact me offline
47 said it best
post #26 ain’t too shabby either.
harold 4 mayor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HH, now some budget issues, enough with Downtown. BTW, where do we go for a visa to visit downtown Lakewood?
Reb h:very well written. However this realization should have come from your daas torah that you consult …..
You should hear how he dissects my shopping lists.
“You should hear”…
I presume “you” means TLS moderator. So why can’t it say “Bigson to TLS moderator”?
“dissects”…. we’re not in a lab–unless you think you can scientifically
prove that I am wrong.
“shopping lists”…..in the plural form. Is this something I do so often?
Please give me a break. I hope readers will see (not “hear”) who is right……
We will need the larger bins for all the primary election signs! Just in time!
Thank-you.
I have no idea how to contact you offline. The TLS does not have your e-mail unless you give it to them. If you contact the TLS, he can put us in touch.