Lakewood, NJ – Lakewood Disbands Merchants Commission

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    e Lakewood Downtown Merchants Commission Photo: thelakewoodscoop.comLakewood, NJ – The Township Committee has disbanded the Lakewood Downtown Merchants Commission less than a year after its formation, following claims by the mayor that its chairman had made the business-support group “too political.”

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    Mayor Steven Langert, in an interview a day after the committee’s unanimous vote Thursday, said he plans to reshape the commission and fold it into the township’s Lakewood Development Corp., which already oversees the Urban Enterprise Zone — the town’s funding apparatus for commercial growth.

    It “lost its way in its mission,” he said of the commission. “But I still want a platform for downtown merchants to have a voice.”

    Langert accused the commission’s leader, Hershel Herskowitz, of using the position to attack political opponents, namely Langert and Committeeman Robert Singer. Herskowitz lost a close committee race against Singer in April.

    In turn, Herskowitz called the committee’s move a “vengeful act.”

    “What they don’t understand is I was just trying to get things accomplished,” he said.

    The commission of six local business owners was created and sanctioned by the township last winter as a lobbying force to restore the downtown area around Clifton Avenue and tailor its commercial makeup.

    Langert said he hopes to get a recommendation from the town’s economic development director, Steven Reinman, shortly on how to reincarnate the commission under the LDC.


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    20 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    There is no reason why a handful of merchants should be able to have their own commission to direct public funds to better their businesses, maybe we should have an uptown commission, a around the lake commission.. This is corruption

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    The true corruption lies within the current township commitee and the powers to be who run the town they felt threatened by the merchant commission for exposing their shenanigans and in revenge abolished it.

    glatekup
    glatekup
    13 years ago

    #1 .Totally agree with you. They bamboozled the twp. HH is a wierdo.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    It can’t be that there’s corruption in holy Lakewood. Not possible at all. Next you’re going to tell me there is pedophilia in the big Yeshiva. Come on, just like there is no pedophilia, there is no corruption.

    Admit it. You are just mkana so you make up stories. True? Admit it.

    Hudson county politicain
    Hudson county politicain
    13 years ago

    these local groups are created because we must shakedown the community for more…..more money …for our services witch we dont render….entertianment, cleaning, young men as security guards, farm day….just another gimmick to shakedown the taxpayer under the ruse of services….we dont care…we just tax….

    old time Lakewooder
    old time Lakewooder
    13 years ago

    Hershel Herskowitz, the points you bring out are mostly valid, but the method is unacceptable. Don’t look for a chairmanship, Township committee seat, etc. Do only for the taxpayers, vi soif hakovod luvoi.
    What happened to the Senate Recall movement, that’s seems to be the most viable solution to rid Lakewood of its corruption.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    HH is a great man and Langert is under the influence of BMG that is not what he said when he ran the first time ,I will NOT vote for him again….Hershel will one day win ……

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    I live in Lakewood and I totally agree with #6 . It is pretty obvious that some of the above commentators don’t live in Lakewood nor do they have any clue of the corruption plaguing our town.

    chaim
    chaim
    13 years ago

    herschel hershkowitz had some common sense ideas that the committe just ignored bec they didn’t want him to get credit for thw improvements. Also why is singer giving the blueclaws another $1,275,000 when he just said prior to the primary that the township should renegotiate their outrageous contract of $25,000 lease a year while the township is responsible for maintenance (alot more than the lease). Get the bums out!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Time for Langert and Singer to go. They are on top of all the corruption. Langert has become Singer’s pupet as he is eyeing senete positions.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    HH won a majority of unzeree votes because unZere support him. the township comittee members are running scared as they know HH is looking and will let all of us know about the shenanigans that they are playing. HH is frustrated as anyone in his position would be. I give hima llt he credit for doing what he does and not getting a red cent for it HH has no negios at all.
    Long live HH!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    HH may be right in some aspects but hes too extreme. He’s got to come back a little to the middle.

    There’s no way he wasn’t using his forum for views he cant help himself.

    The Whole Story
    The Whole Story
    13 years ago

    If ur not from Lkwd its hard to get the whole story. The TWSP committee is totally, not a little bit, but Totally corrupt. A few ppl (mosdos) arte benefitting while the other 8,000+ families are being totally screwed. The downtown commission was trying to help, at least a little bit, but they got abolished by the TWSP committee. Its really bad. The oilam in BP, Queens, Flatbush, Monsey et al should know, there are ppl in lkwd, barely making ends meet, who have to pay 6, 8, or $10,000 a year for property taxes for services worth, maybe, a third of that. Hershel Herkowitz is trying to fight that. Go Hershel !! We Love u !!!

    Monsey Man
    Monsey Man
    13 years ago

    Politics in Monsey make Lakewood look like a breath of fresh ocean air.

    Lakewood
    Lakewood
    13 years ago

    The fact is, if not for the senior vote HH would have been elected. Basically, that means that a majority of the Frum voters voted for HH. Therefore, HH clearly has a mandate from the Frum voters.

    They should be working with him instead of against him.

    lkwd working man
    lkwd working man
    13 years ago

    HH ran for office to help the people. The current committee is in there too long and they have continuosly voted against helping the average guy. HH is frusterated from the backlash the powers to be are playing against him for they are afraid of the control they will lose and jail time. HH is representing all frum taxpayers and not the corrupt few. The commission was disbanded is an example of their corruption. They didn’t institute even one sugggestion the local business owners voted for for. The Township committee caused him to make it political because THEY ignored ALL suggestions. We need BIG change in lakewood gov’t!