BREAKING: Haredi Daily: Bloomberg ‘Lackadaisical’ On Community’s Concerns

by Staff Report

After an exclusive interview with Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an influential haredi daily said his “lackadaisical attitude on issues of community concern” was “worrisome.”

The Brooklyn-based Hamodia cited housing shortages, the burdens of yeshiva tuition and “a parking situation that severely interferes with people’s lives” as some of the concerns raised.

While saying Bloomberg was “relaxed and confident” during the hourlong meeting, and that his “extensive experience in governing the city was apparent,” Hamodia wrote that the mayor’s justification of parking ticket fines that are “wreaking financial havoc with too many hard-working citizens demonstrated a lack of empathy and understanding of the burdens the man in the street carries.” The paper added that “his boast about the completion of nearly 100,000 housing units to address the housing crisis had no relevance to our community.”

Hamodia’s editors said the questions submitted to the mayor came from readers.

Bloomberg was accompanied to the interview by Borough Park Councilman Simcha Felder, who told the paper, “One of the things people like about the mayor is that he’s an honest person. No question about that, no games.” Felder’s counterpart in the state Assembly, Dov Hikind, is backing Democrat William Thompson.

Hamodia made no endorsement in the mayoral race, unlike another haredi publication, Mishpacha Magazine, which gave Bloomberg a warm nod following an interview. The Jewish Press, an Orthodox weekly, also endorsed Bloomberg’s re-election.

The haredi community, which tends to support the more conservative candidates and votes in blocs, is often heavily courted in local elections.

Westchester Jewish Conference

Westchester’s Jewish Community Relations Organization