Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Lake Worth's Oldest Business - Trapped in the Closet

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No, it's not prostitution, at least not in the traditional sense...the local paper, the most political newspaper I have ever read (unless I would throw the New York Times into the mix), is trapped in the closet of reality. There are basically three political factions in this city and two out of the three normally always agree on local issues. The highly politically charged newspaper is always placing the blame on these two factions for just about anything.

Lake Worth's oldest newspaper said, and the editor firmly believes, that there are people who want to keep unemployment high in our city. Is he stark-raving crazy? In its editorial last week, once again, the editor plays the blame game and is removed from normal reality. As an example of this fallacious written opinion:
They, include at least one, one percenter, were responsible for blowing through millions of dollars of city reserves with nothing to show for it when they had control of the purse strings. Ask yourself, do we need any more of that type of leadership? Ask the question, Why do they want to keep unemployment high?
He never identifies these people, the one-percenter or the commission but likes everyone to assume that it was the majority commission that preceded this present elected body...believing them to be the problem, and states that this previous  group was "voted out of office." Actually if he is talking about Jennings, Golden and Mulvehill, only one was voted out of office. This is just another charge that is incorrect. Szerdi was voted out.  Dave Vespo was voted out. The Lake Worth newspaper needs to identify who it is charging with this serious allegation--"blowing through millions of dollars of city reserves with nothing to show for it..." rather than leading its readership to assume that it was the previous commission whose hands never touch the purse strings.

It is a real shame when you pick up a newspaper expecting news and you get falsehoods and fantasy. It mentions that we are fortunate to have a Publix here.  Well, we had one here less than a mile away from the one in the downtown that was located on Lake Worth Road. The paper seems to want to forget about that one. All those employees were hired in the new store or transferred as the new Publix downtown is half the size of the old one. If this new store had not been built, it would not have cost any jobs in Lake Worth as the paper suggests.

The "news"paper also states that the business plan at the beach is "a proven failure" and once again blames a former commission. The Business Plan not only was approved by a previous commission but the Finance Advisory Board. It was chair John Pickett's plan. It was also  perfected and approved by Steven Carr our former Finance Director who ran every type of number scenario to ensure its credibility.  As William Waters said in one of the ITN Selection Committee Meetings, the plan was good based on the 2nd floor space being rented out and we had no comparisons on the CAM at that time. We now have better information going forward. 

Below is a graph from the City of Lake Worth's Budget that shows when the "money went missing."  When the former city manager, Susan Stanton, was hired, she "pulled a Bill Clinton" by getting our city back in the black by reversing this trend of spending more than we took in and going through millions as the Lake Worth newspaper has charged a previous commission of doing. While she was city manager, she attempted to get approval for a one time yearly fee of $60 for fire services and was met with the most dreadful of attacks but we now have a commission that wanted to tax you for 34 years for God knows what and tonight will vote to go out on a loan for $16 million for 2 inch pipes.

It is the city manager who runs and operates this city and presents his case to the commission to approve the Budget.  The Commission has to rely on accurate information from its city manager. The commission states policy. There was no more "missing money" or spending more than we made when Stanton was City Manager. And Mr. Herald, it was not the dreaded past commission, the one in which you are totally obsessed, that ran through millions of our savings.

13 comments:

Steve Ellman said...

The Herald, that racist rag, could reduce local unemployment by one if they'd hire a proofreader.

Anonymous said...

Yes, please Commissioner Scott Maxwell, tell us why there has never been an audit on our utility. What are you hiding? That is where the money is and where it was spent.

Anonymous said...

Better yet, a fact-finder Steve.

Anonymous said...

Sheesh and how do they stay in business for all these many, many, many, years?Longer than any other....no one reads it, no one advertises in it, no one agrees with the editorials, yet here it is...hmmmmm It defies the laws of physics even. I just do not understand it. Its crazy I tell ya!

Anonymous said...

Why do you say "trapped in the closet?" Are you trying to say that Mark Easton is really a gay closet case? I am confused?

Anonymous said...

Every year the commission changes and there is always someone from the developer crowd on it. LW just can't get rid of these greedy bums. The Herald derives its income from ads from businesses and realtors. So, that is taken into mind on everything he writes. He slants the editorials to always favor this crowd that essentially has supported his paper. No one has picked up his Coastal Observer and thrown them in the trash because they are free. No one has gone into businesses or called them on the phone and told them not to advertise with a competitor.

Anonymous said...

The Herald had the "N" word blazed all across it's front page ! It is a RACIST newspaper who's editor must be a RACIST because he allowed that word to be on the front page ! That Mark Easton is walking a fine line ! Someone could probably SUE HIM !!! P.F.

Lynn Anderson said...

@2:06--LOL

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a very successful business model. Everyone complains but no one does anything about it.....interesting.

Anonymous said...

Isn't the Herald bldg. up for sale? Doesn't sound like a very successful business model. F.P.

Anonymous said...

Someone tried to do something about it anony at 2:12 but these little bandits drove her business out and parilla is lining his bird cage with newspapers he stole. We have more azzHoles in this town.

Anonymous said...

Right, not successful at all..mmso how many businesses in lake worth have lasted that long??? And anon at 4:03. Sounds like just another lame excuse.. the other guys and girls are tougher and meaner lol. Waaaaaah sheesh the amusement around here is freaking better than Breaking Bad!

tm said...

The paper is very unprofessional. Very few read it as I am told. Perhaps because it is just a small time version of what media is today, biased and slanted. This is why many print publications are struggling. Too many other news avenues out there to have to pay for biased publications.