Saturday, March 08, 2014
Ramapo's nonprofit funding distribution questioned
A group of candidates who unsuccessfully ran against town incumbents in the fall claims that Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence's administration is giving a disproportionate share of funding to nonprofits that serve the ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic communities.
According to Preserve Ramapo, and confirmed by documents obtained by The Journal News through Freedom of Information Law, nearly 80 percent of the town's funding for nonprofits for 2014, or $309,000, have been allocated to organizations based in the hamlet of Monsey or the villages of New Square and Kaser, communities that are heavily populated by ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic Jews.
In 2011, 2012 and 2013, Orthodox organizations received about 60 percent of the town's total nonprofit funding. But the pattern became more apparent this year as Ramapo cut back allocations for other organizations to cope with its financial crunch. Funding for several non-Orthodox organizations were drastically reduced, if they got money at all, while distributions for Orthodox organizations were mostly left intact.
Michael Parietti, Betty Carmand, Weldon McWilliams IV and Hiram Rivera, who ran for town seats on the Preserve Rockland line in November, along with Steven White of Spring Valley, are questioning the fairness of the funding distribution. St. Lawrence, however, says the Town Board decided case-by-case basis to use taxpayers' money effective to benefit the entire town. The Town Board unanimously approved the allocation of funds at its Dec. 11 meeting.
The organization that received the most funding is the Rockland Opportunity Development Association in Kaser. Its stated mission is to "promote, foster and improve the health, welfare and economic status of the needy, elderly and those living below the poverty level," according to the organization's Form 990 filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
A total of $105,000 — $55,000 for seniors and $50,000 for youth — has been allocated for the Kaser organization for 2014. The amount is more than 25 percent of the town's total nonprofit funding of $392,500 for this year.
Israel Neiman, who is listed as president of the organization on tax documents, didn't return messages left at his office and home. The tax document lists a post office box as the nonprofit's address. One of the addresses associated with the organization found on the Internet, 15 Elyon Road, Monsey, is the home for a Viznitz school.
The second biggest allocation for 2014 has been awarded to New Square Emergency Services, a volunteer first-responder organization. The organization got $40,000 for 2014, up by $10,000 from its 2013 allocation, $30,000.
Sije Dirnfeld, who was identified as the head of the organization by his staff and a family member, declined to speak with a reporter who asked how the funding would help operate the organization.
"I'm not authorized to talk to the press," he said.
While Orthodox organizations received generous amounts of funds, other nonprofits are being left out. For example, Head Start of Rockland, which received $20,000 annually from Ramapo in recent years, will receive no funds this year. Ramapo Haitian Task Force, Haitian Caucus-Safe Spring Valley and the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center received $10,000 each last year but will get nothing this year.
Ann Jerema, volunteer program director for Christ Church of Ramapo in Suffern, said the church has been in charge of the pantry and soup kitchen program that was originally launched in 1980 by Ramapo Ecumenical, a group of local churches. The volunteer program had received $2,000 a year from Ramapo in the past years, but the funding was eliminated for 2014.
"It takes a lot of overhead, particularly when you are serving lunches every day," Jerema said. "The lack of the $2,000 is certainly going to make a difference in our budget."
The church's soup kitchen served 17,000 hot meals last year, and its pantry helps 48 households a month on average, Jerema said.
"We serve people from Hillburn, Suffern and all the way to Monsey," Jerema said. "We even have people who live in other areas of Ramapo who take the buss in because they appreciate what we do and how we treat our clients."
The Preserve Rockland candidates argue that St. Lawrence is rewarding the communities who helped them re-elected with its bloc vote.
"This disproportionate allocation of money is an extension of ongoing pattern of discrimination by the St. Lawrence administration and the town of Ramapo against the secular (community)," said Parietti, who ran for town supervisor against St. Lawrence.
Rivera, who ran against Town Justice Rhoda Schoenberger, called the allocations "favoritism."
"There's definitely favoritism existing in the current administration," Rivera said. "If it's not favoritism, they should be able to justify why funding is just so lopsided."
St. Lawrence disputed the allegations and said the Town Board made the decision to benefit the entire town.
"We looked to see where we can cut back. We did that a case-by-case basis. Some were things that people didn't ask for as much money, and some were areas that we thought we could save some money. So that's what we did," St. Lawrence said. "We are helping organizations across the town that provide services for the town in a cost effective way for our citizens."
He added that because certain nonprofits petitioned for more money after the board's decision, he decided to restore funds for Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center and the NAACP.
Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center had received $30,000 in 2013. Its 2014 funding was initially cut back to $5,000, but after the center's officials sought more help, the town increased the amount to $22,000, St. Lawrence said. The $3,500 annual funding for NAACP was initially eliminated for 2014, but it was later restored, he said.
Even with those changes, about 75 percent of the town's 2014 nonprofit funding goes to organizations that serve ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic communities.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2014/03/08/ramapo-nonprofit-funding-questioned/6178089/
According to Preserve Ramapo, and confirmed by documents obtained by The Journal News through Freedom of Information Law, nearly 80 percent of the town's funding for nonprofits for 2014, or $309,000, have been allocated to organizations based in the hamlet of Monsey or the villages of New Square and Kaser, communities that are heavily populated by ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic Jews.
In 2011, 2012 and 2013, Orthodox organizations received about 60 percent of the town's total nonprofit funding. But the pattern became more apparent this year as Ramapo cut back allocations for other organizations to cope with its financial crunch. Funding for several non-Orthodox organizations were drastically reduced, if they got money at all, while distributions for Orthodox organizations were mostly left intact.
Michael Parietti, Betty Carmand, Weldon McWilliams IV and Hiram Rivera, who ran for town seats on the Preserve Rockland line in November, along with Steven White of Spring Valley, are questioning the fairness of the funding distribution. St. Lawrence, however, says the Town Board decided case-by-case basis to use taxpayers' money effective to benefit the entire town. The Town Board unanimously approved the allocation of funds at its Dec. 11 meeting.
The organization that received the most funding is the Rockland Opportunity Development Association in Kaser. Its stated mission is to "promote, foster and improve the health, welfare and economic status of the needy, elderly and those living below the poverty level," according to the organization's Form 990 filed with the Internal Revenue Service.
A total of $105,000 — $55,000 for seniors and $50,000 for youth — has been allocated for the Kaser organization for 2014. The amount is more than 25 percent of the town's total nonprofit funding of $392,500 for this year.
Israel Neiman, who is listed as president of the organization on tax documents, didn't return messages left at his office and home. The tax document lists a post office box as the nonprofit's address. One of the addresses associated with the organization found on the Internet, 15 Elyon Road, Monsey, is the home for a Viznitz school.
The second biggest allocation for 2014 has been awarded to New Square Emergency Services, a volunteer first-responder organization. The organization got $40,000 for 2014, up by $10,000 from its 2013 allocation, $30,000.
Sije Dirnfeld, who was identified as the head of the organization by his staff and a family member, declined to speak with a reporter who asked how the funding would help operate the organization.
"I'm not authorized to talk to the press," he said.
While Orthodox organizations received generous amounts of funds, other nonprofits are being left out. For example, Head Start of Rockland, which received $20,000 annually from Ramapo in recent years, will receive no funds this year. Ramapo Haitian Task Force, Haitian Caucus-Safe Spring Valley and the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center received $10,000 each last year but will get nothing this year.
Ann Jerema, volunteer program director for Christ Church of Ramapo in Suffern, said the church has been in charge of the pantry and soup kitchen program that was originally launched in 1980 by Ramapo Ecumenical, a group of local churches. The volunteer program had received $2,000 a year from Ramapo in the past years, but the funding was eliminated for 2014.
"It takes a lot of overhead, particularly when you are serving lunches every day," Jerema said. "The lack of the $2,000 is certainly going to make a difference in our budget."
The church's soup kitchen served 17,000 hot meals last year, and its pantry helps 48 households a month on average, Jerema said.
"We serve people from Hillburn, Suffern and all the way to Monsey," Jerema said. "We even have people who live in other areas of Ramapo who take the buss in because they appreciate what we do and how we treat our clients."
The Preserve Rockland candidates argue that St. Lawrence is rewarding the communities who helped them re-elected with its bloc vote.
"This disproportionate allocation of money is an extension of ongoing pattern of discrimination by the St. Lawrence administration and the town of Ramapo against the secular (community)," said Parietti, who ran for town supervisor against St. Lawrence.
Rivera, who ran against Town Justice Rhoda Schoenberger, called the allocations "favoritism."
"There's definitely favoritism existing in the current administration," Rivera said. "If it's not favoritism, they should be able to justify why funding is just so lopsided."
St. Lawrence disputed the allegations and said the Town Board made the decision to benefit the entire town.
"We looked to see where we can cut back. We did that a case-by-case basis. Some were things that people didn't ask for as much money, and some were areas that we thought we could save some money. So that's what we did," St. Lawrence said. "We are helping organizations across the town that provide services for the town in a cost effective way for our citizens."
He added that because certain nonprofits petitioned for more money after the board's decision, he decided to restore funds for Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center and the NAACP.
Martin Luther King Multi-Purpose Center had received $30,000 in 2013. Its 2014 funding was initially cut back to $5,000, but after the center's officials sought more help, the town increased the amount to $22,000, St. Lawrence said. The $3,500 annual funding for NAACP was initially eliminated for 2014, but it was later restored, he said.
Even with those changes, about 75 percent of the town's 2014 nonprofit funding goes to organizations that serve ultra-Orthodox and Hasidic communities.
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/2014/03/08/ramapo-nonprofit-funding-questioned/6178089/
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