Amid talks of a flailing campaign, Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota hit the campaign trail Sunday morning with a fresh start. With 16 days to go to Election Day, Mr. Lhota visited 3 Jewish communities in a matter of hours, pounding the pavement in reaching out to communities who would find his message compelling.

In the morning, Mr. Lhota attend the Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council Breakfast in the Bronx. An hour later, he attended the annual Borough Park Jewish Community Council, headed by Yeruchem Silber, where he was given the spotlight in addressing the crowd in the presence of NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly and ultimately introducing him to deliver the keynote speech.

“I want Ray Kelly to stay as Police Commissioner of New York City,” Mr. Lhota said to loud applause.

Mr. Lhota also spoke about maintaining social programs for the ocmmunity. “You have my word that I’ll continue funding our social service programs all through out,” he said.

Mr. Lhota then rushed to Midwood to meet with the newly established Flatbush Jewish Community Coalition leadership and members of the Flatbush Jewish community. In an hour long meeting, Mr. Lhota addressed the issues at great concern to the community and all New Yorkers, thanking the free press for publicizing his remarks.

On the issue of Metzitzah B’peh, Mr. Lhota reiterated his position in putting an end to government’s interference with religious practice, issuing a practical solution to the NYC Health department’s concerns by including a form among the various forms given to the parents as they discharge from the hospital.

Mr. Lhota also expressed his strong support for School-Choice vouchers. “I was always a supporter of vouchers. I can talk about vouchers until I am blue in the face,” he said.

In laying out the differences with Bill de Blasio, Mr. Lhota described his opponent as ‘an Income Redistributionist’ who will raise people’s taxes and keep the City less safe.

The meeting ended after Mr. Lhota got to answer all the questions that were raised by members of the community. The low poll numbers continued to cloud the meeting, due to the fact that Mr. Lhota managed to impress most of the attendees with his articulate vision for the future of New York City, but Mr. Lhota assured the members that he’ll make up the gap over the next 16 days.

“You will see a very different debate on Tuesday night,”Mr. Lhota promised. “I am going to talk about Bill de Blasio and all the things that he’s done in his life that i think make him – not only inexperience – but not prepared to Mayor of New York. We have to get out who he is and what he has done, more importantly what he has not done. I’m not going ot pander But I am going to describe who he is.”

(Jacob Kornbluh-  YWN)