On June 19th the Lakewood planning board approved the Smart Growth plan that has been brought to them many times before as a supposed solution to the explosive growth that Lakewood has experienced.
Included in the smart growth plan was a proposed 3000 units more or less to be added to our already overburdened infrastructure system. I will not go through all the obvious reasons why adding 3000 homes is a burden to taxpayers, a loss to homeowners that have their life savings in their homes, and a danger to those already living here. The purpose of this short article is to discuss how such an obviously flawed plan could possibly get past our planning board. I could go through all kinds of funny little hints and riddles to get my point across. I could say things like "did anyone have any undue influence on two members of the planning board?" and then simply allow people to comment and fill in the blanks. But I thought, why not? Why not just say it? it was the elephant in the room the whole night at the planning board meeting.
The night of the meeting had all those in the audience that spoke out saying the same thing. "How is this a good idea?" Was the general statement. No real answers came. "We have to grow and this tells us how we can grow responsibly" was the answer from one board member. Such an answer seemed not only absurd but rehearsed. Almost as if someone told him to say that in response to any opposition. If you listen to the audio tapes you can faintly hear Shuie Shmukler telling Moshe Neiman that he wants to just vote and go home already. Neiman tells him that they have to at least listen to what the people have to say. But whatever was said fell on deaf ears. It was obvious they were voting yes to the plan, and for one reason only.
There was a meeting.
A meeting with the CEO of BMG in which they were told to vote for the smart growth plan. They were neither convinced nor charmed. They were simply told that there is no other choice. Shmukler most probably did his duty for his future political hopes. He is still looking forward to all of the "perks" that he would be able to get if he were on the committee once it is his turn. And Mr. Neiman? Let's just say he doesn't have the strength to fight someone with as much stamina as Aaron Kotler. John Franklin also voted yes while at the same time warning the board of all the new roads and other infrastructure that we would need to pay for. He obviously also had no strength to fight. One member abstained understanding that his vote was meaningless and another member voted no, not wanting to be responsible for the misdeeds of the planning board.
So in summation, in case I did not make it perfectly clear, the reason that the fatally flawed smart growth plan passed was because Aaron Kotler CEO of BMG had a meeting with Shuie Shmukler and Moshe Neiman and told them to make sure it passes. It wasn't done for the good of the Klal or even for the good of the current students of BMG. It was done, like many other times before, because one man said so.
Hershel Herskowitz
Included in the smart growth plan was a proposed 3000 units more or less to be added to our already overburdened infrastructure system. I will not go through all the obvious reasons why adding 3000 homes is a burden to taxpayers, a loss to homeowners that have their life savings in their homes, and a danger to those already living here. The purpose of this short article is to discuss how such an obviously flawed plan could possibly get past our planning board. I could go through all kinds of funny little hints and riddles to get my point across. I could say things like "did anyone have any undue influence on two members of the planning board?" and then simply allow people to comment and fill in the blanks. But I thought, why not? Why not just say it? it was the elephant in the room the whole night at the planning board meeting.
The night of the meeting had all those in the audience that spoke out saying the same thing. "How is this a good idea?" Was the general statement. No real answers came. "We have to grow and this tells us how we can grow responsibly" was the answer from one board member. Such an answer seemed not only absurd but rehearsed. Almost as if someone told him to say that in response to any opposition. If you listen to the audio tapes you can faintly hear Shuie Shmukler telling Moshe Neiman that he wants to just vote and go home already. Neiman tells him that they have to at least listen to what the people have to say. But whatever was said fell on deaf ears. It was obvious they were voting yes to the plan, and for one reason only.
There was a meeting.
A meeting with the CEO of BMG in which they were told to vote for the smart growth plan. They were neither convinced nor charmed. They were simply told that there is no other choice. Shmukler most probably did his duty for his future political hopes. He is still looking forward to all of the "perks" that he would be able to get if he were on the committee once it is his turn. And Mr. Neiman? Let's just say he doesn't have the strength to fight someone with as much stamina as Aaron Kotler. John Franklin also voted yes while at the same time warning the board of all the new roads and other infrastructure that we would need to pay for. He obviously also had no strength to fight. One member abstained understanding that his vote was meaningless and another member voted no, not wanting to be responsible for the misdeeds of the planning board.
So in summation, in case I did not make it perfectly clear, the reason that the fatally flawed smart growth plan passed was because Aaron Kotler CEO of BMG had a meeting with Shuie Shmukler and Moshe Neiman and told them to make sure it passes. It wasn't done for the good of the Klal or even for the good of the current students of BMG. It was done, like many other times before, because one man said so.
Hershel Herskowitz
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