More pushback on “Workforce Housing”
Another writer to the Journal News today bashed Thom Kleiner for promoting Tom Stoner’s “Workforce Housing” Bill. The writer connects subsidized housing with increased taxes and excessive tax-exempt properties in Ramapo.
The truth about this bill is that it was a “poison pill” presented by Stoner, who is opposing Kleiner with a placeholder candidate. Kleiner was faced with opposing a liberal issue or risking the wrath of an overtaxed workforce.
Ellen Jaffee successfully avoided this trap when Stoner tried to push her on the “Living Wage” bill. That bill was killed twice under mysterious circumstances, when a Democrat mysteriously defected. Stoner’s WFP ran two spoiler candidates in the last county legislative rounds, preventing the Democrats from winning a veto-proof majority and putting their money where their mouth is on the living wage issue.
The WFP membership is dominated by the ultra-orthodox religious sect in Ramapo, and Tom Stoner follows the advice of their senior legislator, Ilan Schoenberger. Kleiner has no chance of getting this “Bloc” vote, and Stoner’s successful manipulation of Kleiner with the “Workforce Housing” issue was designed to reduce support from the many Rocklanders who dislike Vanderhoef for his pandering to the “Bloc” voters.
It should be noted that the State WFP frowns on running spoiler candidates, and Rockland is unique in that the WFP line has been used to both prevent a veto-proof Democratic Legislature and now to oppose a Progressive Democrat for County Executive. The Rockland WFP chapter was officially disbanded in 2007 as the vice-chair resigned over Stoner’s strong-arm tactics, and membership was below the amount needed to maintain a chapter.
