|
|
NEWS
Pindrus Claims Government Ignores Needs of Chareidi
Towns
by Yated Ne'eman Staff
Beitar Illit Mayor Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus, commenting on
figures released by the Bureau for Statistics that
demonstrate chareidi settlements, particularly Beitar Illit,
are at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder, said the
Israeli government's budget fails to reflect social needs and
disregards the needs of the country's chareidi
settlements.
Chareidi towns Beitar Illit and Modi'in Illit are both in
"Cluster 1," the State's lowest socioeconomic ranking, along
with another eight Arab and Bedouin settlements. This
represents a decline in ranking compared to previous years.
All of the other chareidi towns and cities--Bnei Brak, Elad,
Telzstone, Rechasim and Emanuel--also dropped in their
respective rankings. Meanwhile Jerusalem is the country's
poorest major city.
"In its imperviousness the government has brought about a
difficult economic situation that has caused all of the
chareidi local authorities to decline in their socioeconomic
ranking. For a long time I have been trying to tell figures
involved in the matter that the writing is on the wall, but
unfortunately not the slightest effort is being made out in
the field to alter the painful and worrisome situation," said
Pindrus, who recently became chairman of the Center for Local
Government's Forum of Chareidi Settlements in Israel.
Mayor Pindrus added that the government must raise national
emergency funding to develop jobs and industry in chareidi
areas in order to reduce the drastic cuts in funding to the
local authorities and to reduce unemployment rates. He
expressed concern over how he and his colleagues serving as
mayors and council chairmen in other chareidi towns will be
able to run the local authorities in light of the recent
economic decrees.
|
