What is a "progressive," the description that Javier likes to use in describing himself? Will we find Javier walking around on stilts tonight dressed in his famous T-shirt calling everyone a "racist" at his fund-raiser at the illegal hiring hall? Or is it the Green Party behind his campaign? Perhaps our anarchist Commissioner herself? When you ask one of these "forward-thinking" people what the word "progressive" means, they don't know.
Read the above and let me know if you find anything, whatsoever, in the slightest detail, that might be offensive to the residents of Lake Worth.
If you think having this function at this building might be a problem, then read the Lease that the City of Lake Worth has with The Mentoring Center, ooops, illegal hiring hall. Having a fund raiser or kick-off party for a Mayoral candidate is not one of the permitted uses under the Contract. The uses are as follows:
2.2 The parties understand and agree that the primary use of the Premises is the operation of the Resource Center. Services include: workforce assistance, afterschool tutorials, public safety education programs, citizenship/legal assistance, language literacy, business education programs and cultural/recreation activities.Although the premises may be used for social services to the Lake Worth community at large, I challenge the use of the premises of a candidate for elected office as fitting into that description. The Mentoring Center as well as Javier and his campaign should familiarize themselves with the facts. Also, it is very clear that The Mentoring Center can not sublet or assign without consent of The City. Do they have that?
15.1 No subletting or Assignment. This Lease may not be sold, assigned, sublet, or transferred by Tenant without the prior advance written consent of the City. Tenant, and its successor and assigns, shall not use the Premises for any other purposes other than those contained herein,.....
In the above campaign promotional, it talks about working towards social justice and fiscal responsibility. Here is the big problem. The candidate and his supporters are using this center against the permitted uses under the Lease Agreement while Lake Worth picks up the tab for the electricity, the water, the garbage and sewer and a give-away lease. Is this a responsible act?
Also, according to State Statues, 106.15 (4), No person shall make and no person shall solicit or knowingly accept any political contribution in a building owned by a governmental entity. For purposes of this subsection, "accept" means to receive a contribution by personal hand delivery from a contributor or the contributor's agent. This subsection shall not apply when a government-owned building or any portion thereof is rented for the specific purpose of holding a campaign fund raiser.
So, Javier and his campaign think it is legal because they have "rented" the space for the event from The Mentoring Center. Let's see the Lease that was made between them. If there is one, and there was no written permission from The City, then it is grounds to ask The Mentoring Center to vacate. There is no clause in the Lease between The Mentoring Center and The City of Lake Worth that give them the right to sub-lease any space to anyone for even a few hours without the City's written permission. They think they can get away with it under Florida Statutes and are believing their own hype.
What Javier says about it all-I heard the kickoff was at the Resource Center. Is it legal to hold a campaign event at a publicly owned facility?
We have received a lot of questions about this issue already. It is true that it is illegal to solicit or raise money for a candidate in a publicly owned location. However, the law says the exception is when the facility is rented by a candidate for a fundraiser.
We chose to rent the Resource Center because we wanted to bring attention to center and want to encourage the other candidates to do the same as well.
Don't believe the hype!
Just having a Mentoring Center is highly questionable as its main reason for its existence was to get the day laborers off the city streets and have them register for employment. They encourage the hiring of undocumented workers with the blessing of Lake Worth's government.
So, what do we have here?
1. A fundraiser in a government building leased to a questionable enterprise
2. Does the campaign have a written agreement from The Mentoring Center?
3. Did the City of Lake Worth give advanced written permission?
4. Does a campaign kick-off fall under any named uses under the Lease Agreement?
The campaign of Mr. Del Sol is writing its own explanation. They can say anything they want but what are the facts? The questions are posed and now the Campaign of Javier De Sol must answer to the taxpayers of Lake Worth. Javier states that he is "compelled to set an example of how a clean campaign can succeed..."
We can only hope that all the T's were crossed and the I's dotted. If they have been, then my sincere apologies. Starting off on the wrong foot will just allow this candidate to trip over his own social justice...and everyone else's.
I received this e-mail earlier today and the writer said to post it--here it is.
ReplyDeleteTo continue your thoughts on the Javier Del Sol Mentoring center. By a candidate having a party there it gives the impression to other residents that he is a City Sponsored and supported candidate. Which is an interesting view because that party is not supposed to like State/ Government candidates What countries have state party candidate? Communistic
...once the focus of pride and achievement in Lake Worth... the Shuffle Board Court was a sad sight to film in its present decay and neglect. Especially so after investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into fixing it up for a project that has failed to maintain an acceptable standard of cleanliness and appearance. Instead they have turned it into a poorly maintained filthy public toilet.
ReplyDeleteIts boarded up windows, ripped screens, trash, its loitering public, beer cans everywhere, and outright filth are the silent witnesses of neglect by management unconcerned with basic standards of cleanliness and decency.
What an embarrassment to those who promoted this project.
It's the outright contempt and disrespect with which our public building has been treated that offends.
The pig sty walkways at the beach Casino were bad enough leaving an unforgettable impression of decay and neglect on the whole tourist world ...but now this cancer has spread to our Shuffle Board Court which has become the pig sty annex.