To the Editor,
Ramapo’s Orthodox community is facing an unsustainable burden. We pay the highest property taxes of any Orthodox neighborhood in the country—driven in large part by a discriminatory state funding formula that shifts the weight onto our shoulders.
And yet, the pressure keeps mounting.
Recently, the State Education Commissioner imposed a staggering 5.38% tax hike on the East Ramapo Central School District—despite the district sitting on a $100 million surplus. It was a unilateral move, made with no regard for our families and with no local recourse. Where was our representation? Where was our voice in Albany?
Unfortunately, we had none.
Our current State Senator is in the minority party—without any leverage to prevent or reverse these decisions. Promises were made that the state-appointed monitor overseeing East Ramapo would be removed when the law authorizing it expired. That law did expire. But the monitor was quietly extended anyway—proof that those promises were empty, and that our representative was powerless to stop it.
Meanwhile, other Orthodox communities—Williamsburg, Boro Park, Kiryas Joel—are represented by Democrats in the majority. They didn’t have to shout to be heard. They used their political influence to protect their yeshivas, push back against state overreach, and deliver real results.
This isn’t about slogans. And it isn’t about party loyalty. It’s about effectiveness.
Albany is controlled by Democrats. Like it or not, only a senator in the majority can bring change. Sending a Republican may feel like “sending a message,” but if they can’t deliver, the cost is ours to bear: more taxes, more oversight, less autonomy.
Ramapo deserves a fighter with power. Someone who can fix the formula, stop the hikes, and finally get that monitor removed.
We need more than symbolism. We need solutions.
Moshe F.
Monsey
The views expressed in this letter do not necessarily represent those of Monsey Scoop. Have an opinion you’d like to share? Send it to us for review at monseyscoop@gmail.com.
Was this fixed before when Democrats were representing us? Don’t think so…
I totally agree with you
Our representative in the state assembly is a Democrat. He was elected with great fanfare.
He doesn’t either care. He cares to make his 2 most important and reliable voting blocks, happy.
Kaser and New Square.
He doesn’t need the vote of us simpletons.
You’re correct, we don’t matter and we don’t have representation.
That’s why we should vote the democrats out of office here is one example take a look on “choke cheese” Schumer who doesn’t do anything has a very big mouth with his ben frankel glasses keeps taking has a paper with what he going to do and after he finishes taking her finds the waste basket and throws in their and that’s it … etc.
The Democrats create issues and they block Republicans from solving them #Hippocrates
Not letting Republicans do what’s needed just because they are not in there party is stupidity
And by the way our senator “Bill Weber” voted on the budget with the Democrats because he understood they chinuch for our community is important, and now these people say he voted for the monetur… So number one that the Democrats included it in the budget .. and number two our heimish assemblys voted in the same so if you blame Bill Weber blame them too, but I don’t blame them all they all “Senator Bill Weber” “Assembly Asken R Aron weider” and “R s eichenstein” all deserve a big thank you for their hard work