A Guest Post from Tov - Bet Shemesh
Now that we are a month after the elections and the new Mayor and Moatzah has taken over, we wanted to give you an update from TOV.
After lengthily discussions and negotiations with Mayor Abutbol, TOV has decided (for the time being) to be in the opposition in the Moatzah.
Just some background on the process.
The Moatzah is made of of 17 members. The Mayor must form a colation of a majority of members who will support his initiatives. Members of the collation usually receive responsibilities for certain areas of the government in return for their support. However, coalition members must vote with the Mayor and can NOT speak out publicly against the Mayor or his policies.
As the newest, and smallest party in town, TOV was not offered anything realistic that would help us promote our main agenda's of helping youth at risk, cleaning up the parks and streets, and creating a neighborhood environment where everyone feels comfortable living. We were also, as you can imagine, up against other coalition members who were not too happy to include TOV in the coalition.
Therefore, it has been decided that TOV will remain in the opposition. This will give us the opportunity to speak out against positions and issues that we feel are important to the community and as members of the opposition we also received seats on many of the important "Vaadot" (committees) where most of the decisions get made. The Vaadot that TOV will be on include
* ועדת ביקורת
* ועדה לקידום מעמד הילד וקידום הנוער החרדי
* ועדת משנה לתכנון ובניה
* תמיכות
* הקצאות
* כח אדם
* בטחון
* ונציג מקצועי מטעם תנועת טוב בחברה הכלכלית
On a more practical note, we have met with the Mayor regarding the incidents in Ramah Bet a few weeks ago, and he has assured us that he will be dealing with it very seriously.
Thank you,
Chanukah Sameach,
TOV Bet Shemesh
Interesting. Can anyone out there imagine a situation that Chen got a seat, and BiYachad tried to pressure the Mayor to keep them out of the coalition?
ReplyDeleteIt is scary that a two-seat faction appears to have a real hold over Abutbul. It is part of the irony that a party that it based on Sephardi pride has a real inferiority complex towards the Litvish.
Support in exchange for jobs?
ReplyDeleteSounds corrupt to me.
it is not support for jobs in the sense of "I'll give you $50000 for your campaign and you give me all the building contracts of the city".
ReplyDeleteThat would be corrupt.
This is support for jobs in the sense of "I (my party) will join your municipal coalition in exchange for the position of being in charge of the Department of Planning and Building, or the Department of Education". That is not corruption, but normal government management.
Eli,
ReplyDeleteI think the party that objects to Tov is Yahadut HaTorah, with 5 seats, not a two-seat faction
Anon-Although Gimmel ran on one list, after the elections they split along 3 factions; Degel, Ger, and the other Chasidim (in this case-including Belz). They all enterned the coalition separately.
ReplyDeleteTov sources claim that Degel reps tried to pressure R Shteinman to tell the Mayor not to bring Tov into the coalition. R Shteinman told Abutbul to not bring them in initially, but to wait a month.
Negotiations with Tov only commenced after the new city concil took office, and by then there wasn't much left to offer.
"Tov sources claim that Degel reps tried to pressure R Shteinman to tell the Mayor not to bring Tov into the coalition. R Shteinman told Abutbul to not bring them in initially, but to wait a month."
ReplyDeleteMore Chilul HaShem.
It amazes me tha more people don't go "off the derech" due to these mafioso tactics on the part of certain factions in the charedi community.
anonymous - who says they don't???
ReplyDeleteregardless, I did not understand why Abutbol, a sfardi, has a question of what to do about his coalition, and he goes to Rav Steinman? Why not go to Rav Ovadiah Yosef? How dependant on the ashkenazim does he really want to be?
What happened to shas' mantra of "lehachazir atara l'yoshna"?
"regardless, I did not understand why Abutbol, a sfardi, has a question of what to do about his coalition, and he goes to Rav Steinman? Why not go to Rav Ovadiah Yosef? How dependant on the ashkenazim does he really want to be?"
ReplyDeleteRafi-the bottom line is that Abutbol knows he can always rely on the Sefardim both Chardei and Mesorati. He is trying to "court" and find favor with the Gimmel chevra thus he goes to Rav Shteinman.
Rafi- There are two types of Shas politicians:
ReplyDeleteBTs whose kids go to Ashkenazi Charedi mosdos and those who grew up in Ashenazki Yeshivas and kids go to Ashkenazi mosdos.
Despite the fact that Shas has more seats then gimmel (at one point more than 3 times the amount) Shas has done nothing to end discrimination against Sephardim in Bais Yaakov or in Chadarim. The poiticians all use a system that views Sephardim as inferior, and they've internalized that idea. LHachazir Atarah LiYoshnah is there to make Sephardim frumer. It only makes the frum more Sephardi in a very limited Halachic context.