Challenges to Bloomingburg Voters Mount

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village-of-bloomingburgThe Times Herald Record reports: Monticello – Village of Bloomingburg resident Anita Hoppe was busy Wednesday filing 190 voter registration challenges. This was in addition to the 32 challenges already filed with the Sullivan County Board of Elections by Town of Bethel resident Rabbi Joseph Kolakowski, a supporter of developer Shalom Lamm. Elections Commissioners Ann Prusinski and Rodney Gaebel said it was allowed.

Bloomingburg residents are scheduled to vote on a referendum to dissolve the village into the Town of Mamakating Sept. 30. It comes in the midst of rampant opposition to a 396-home frum development being built by Lamm.

Hoppe was joined by Holly Roche, president of the village’s Rural Community Coalition, as they both have been opponents of Lamm’s development and proponents of the dissolution.

The vote is shaping up to be as nasty as the March mayoral election in this eastern Sullivan County village – an election settled in court because of more than 100 voter challenges.

Both Prusinski and Gaebel predicted the vote on Sept. 30 could end the same way. The village has 362 registered voters.

Hoppe said the voters being challenged by her claim to live in various parts of the village, not just on Main Street.

Michael Fragin, a spokesman for Lamm, questioned the timing of the filing. Fragin said it could be difficult for some residents to respond in a timely manner since Rosh Hashanah began on Wednesday and ended Friday.

“I think the discrimination – I don’t want to speculate someone’s motivations,” Fragin said. “I would hope the Board of Elections, hypothetically of course, (realizes) that there are people observing a holiday.”

Gaebel said voters who were challenged will be notified by mail and given a questionnaire they must return within 10 days.

Prusinski said no one will be denied the right to vote and a decision on the challenges will be made after the vote. Residents can challenge the decision in court.

Prusinski said a third party – the county sheriff’s department – will investigate the legitimacy of a voter’s residency.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


5 COMMENTS

  1. If the Chassidim were black, the outcry woud be national. Led by Al Sharpton, the President of the United States would publicly condemn this blatant discrimination. Shame on the organizzers. Lamm should sell the entire effort to low-income blacks and let’s see how this develops !!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Anita Hoppe is NOT a resident of the Village of Bloomingburg – she resides in Bloomingburg but outside of the Village limits

  3. I’m worry about the long term consequences of such actions. Forcing ourselves in a place we are not wanted is creating unnecessary hatred.

    By the way…there are reasons that need to be explore as to why Jews are not welcome in many places…

    I can name a few that we can be directly responsible for giving us a bad name. I can guarantee you that if Jews behaved like Yosef Hatzadik in golus…we would have been welcomed in any town. (just saying the truth)

  4. Forcing your way into a community, not following any laws, giving yourself a reputation of a liar and being downright rude will win no one’s trust. Religion allows for no seniority. No religion is better than the other and should be given special privileges against any other. Do you not think of the lies and manipulation as sin? I refuse to believe that people that spend so much time reading and praying are able to believe that with all of the lies and deceit…they are actually living by what they read.

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