Democrats continue to Confuse

Comment Up
Below is an e-mail just received--Besides writing to the WRONG PERSON, $143,000 isn't enough for this guy.

Lynn --

Karen couldn't have said it better: 2010 is about making history in Florida, and I know we can do it. But, with a little more than 12 hours left in 2009, we also can make a little Florida Democratic Party history of our own.

I looked up our reports this morning, and as of right now, you have generously given $143,000 in online donations this year. I know we can reach $150,000 by midnight, if just a few more of you help us make history.

Thanks for all you've done!

- Scott

Scott Arceneaux
Executive Director
Florida Democratic Party

Holiday Party

The Hostess with the "Mostess"
Doris Dorsey

I want to apologize to all those I missed in photographs who are not displayed in this slideshow especially those who arrived a little later-- but most of all to our Hostess who stayed the entire time in the kitchen preparing and serving food. Doris did a magnificent job, as usual.
The Dorsey parties are always special.

Some Lake Worth Highlights for 2009

A YEAR IN REVIEW

Rejected red-light image recording. Vote 4/1 with Clemens dissenting

Suspended activity with the County Water Contract. Vote 5/0

Commission authorized payment of the Motorola contract for police radios of $427,933.26 as the Sheriff had no use for them. Decide to sell them for pennies on the dollar.

Spent $2,085,985 on tube replacement to the S3 boiler. Vote 5/0

Charles Celi loses his appeal on the Gulfstream Hotel. 4/1 vote with Mulvehill dissenting

Kimley Horn selected for site plan development at our beach. Jennings brings Michael Singer Artist into the equation on Varela suggestion. Vote to eliminate 164 upper dune parking spaces and decal parking is limited to 55 spaces on northern end and spend $5 million on re-designing parking lots.

Interim Building Inspector who had re-flagged the Casino, gone. Forensic engineer hired who says building is structurally sound. Eventually the Commission votes to restore the Casino.

Public commentary changed to 2 minutes on each item. 3/2 with Clemens and Lowe dissenting

In March, prohibited the issuance of revocable permits on any real property owned or maintained by the City or has access to public waterways. Called for a Public Hearing. Vote 5/0

Larry Karns, City Attorney, terminated. 3/2 with Clemens and Lowe dissenting

Commission votes to exempt the CRA of County MSTU tax increments and approves an interlocal agreement with the County for Fire Rescue. 5/0

In March, Mock Roos says that we can build RO plant for 25% less

On April 7, Commission votes 4/1 to hire Susan Stanton as new city manager. Lowe says No. Stanton proceeds to fire many top employees.

Voted to spend $50,000 on an electrical arc study and Rebecca Mattey admits that our own staff engineer could have done it. Vote 5/0 to spend the money anyway.

Lake Worth Pier opens on May 9

Chicken Ordinance fails

Ordinance on Sunset to keep zoning at SF7. Vote 5/0

Commission votes to go downtown with a noise decibel meter. Residents nearby have complained about noise and how it affects their sleep.

Vote not to pay the County $5.9 million under the Water Contract. 4/1 with Clemens dissenting. Mary Lindsey sides with Clemens…something to do with breaking contracts even though they might be hideous for Lake Worth and the taste of West Palm Beach water that we only buy when needed.

Community Relations Board formed on 2^nd Reading in June. Vote 5/0

Celi’s appeal and Motion to deny the extension of the Gulfstream Hotel. 3/2 vote with Clemens and Lowe dissenting. Motion failed because it needed a supermajority vote.

Commission wastes $300,000 by spending $565,000 by bypassing insurance company requirements on transformer. NO valid reason for doing this. Vote 5/0

Take-over of CRA on July 23, fails on a 2/3 with Clemens, Lowe and Mulvehill dissenting. Mary Lindsey says that the qualifications for the CRA Board are more demanding than for City Commissioner.

City Hall ups the fees for public information. Vote 4/1 with Jennings dissenting

Rates go up for just about everything: water, electric, recreation

2^nd Reading on Sunset repealing Ordinance on a large scale amendment. Vote 5/0

Approves contract with Reynolds to construct a 9.0 MGD RO plant. Vote 5/0

Heights limited to 35 feet for new construction. 3/2 with Clemens and Lowe dissenting.

Adopted the Comprehensive Plan with amendments. 3/2 with Clemens and Lowe dissenting.

Rene Varela, partner in a company that is involved in Dolphin trafficking, voted in as Mayor. Deceptive flier mailed around city by Mary Lindsey indicating it is from the LW Utility Dept. Deceptive robo call made by Firefighter’s Union using Lake Worth city phone number in support of Varela. City makes NO comment.

Scott Maxwell voted in as Commissioner District 1. Jo-Ann Golden voted back in as Commissioner District 3.

Former Fire Chief Blockson says he is screwed out of accumulated sick pay benefits because the firefighter's went to the County. Stanton's position is you only get it if you retire. Chief speaks on the issue at public meetings and City Commission is silent.

City Manager hires Annabeth Karson for Census. Gives it back to the Commission to decide. Stanton says not aware of political ramifications. "Political witchhunt" from handful of residents against Annabeth Karson who is subsequently fired from her Census job. Commission goes out on RFP.

Commission approves Publix going into our downtown. CRA gives Publix, a multi-billion dollar corporation, $500,000 for infrastructure.

Compass, that occupies a city building for $83.00 a month, asks for money from the City because it spent more than anticipated to occupy the building and is about to go belly-up. City authorizes $250,000 to Compass.

Tom Ramiccio gets fired as CEO of the Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce.

Then we have the new lawsuits:

Former fired Utility employees sue the City for Whistleblower termination. Former Mayor Clemens calls employees "liars" in public meeting.

Greater Bay sues the City for kicking them out of town for non-performance.

Sunset parcel owners notify the City that they want the up-zoning promised to them by former Commission.

Shepherds sue the City because they want the right-of-way next to their property that leads to the Intracoastal to be theirs for $10.

This has to STOP!

Comment Up

Eight Americans die in Afghanistan Suicide Blast

Crime Stats for Lake Worth

Comment Up

December 10 – December 30
December 20, 21, 22, 23, 28 not included

Homicide...1

Breaking and Entering…40

Theft…31

Theft of vehicle…7 with 1 recovery

Assault…14

Traffic…48

Property…7

Robbery…7

Other…90

Quality of Life…21

Proactive Policing…15

TOTAL NUMBER OF CRIMES IN 3 WEEKS: 281

GPS cell phone for Illegals

I believe in entrepreneurship and the free enterprise system; it’s what has made America great. I also am a big believer in people giving back to society. But I couldn't believe my ears when I heard about this on Fox News yesterday--sometimes you have to wonder what people are thinking when they invent a GPS cell phone for illegals to find water when they have illegally crossed our border...to aid them in a criminal act against the United States.

There are a couple of professors at the University of California aided by grants, developing software that will integrate with a GPS transponder cell phone. This will be ready by summer. The phone costs about $30 and they will be giving these free phones to illegals so that they can find water and not die of thirst while sneaking into our country. To top it off, there is actual technology that you can buy at retail stores that will give illegals the best routes for success in entering our country illegally.

These left-wing professors believe that this is an act of kindness. They believe that they are humanitarians in this growing illegal alien nightmare that has cost this country nearly 398 billion dollars in social services in the last 13 years. The real irony is that the Border Patrol has just started a $6.7-billion project to drape the border with high tech equipment such as cameras and sensors.

Will the new GPS phone eliminate the dialing 1 for English?

The Moon

As I was glancing out my picture window to view the Christmas lights and the billboard blight, I noticed the moon was almost full--95% to be exact. The next date for the full moon is New Year's Eve!

2009 Top Quotes - Ten Plus One

Comment Up

Some of my favorites

As we approach the New Year, we can't forget some of the best quotations from the mouths of prominent politicians and citizens in Lake Worth. Here are eleven of my favorites. If you have any, please let us know.

“I don’t like West Palm Beach water. I will never drink it.” Jeff Clemens. When the Commission elected to buy water from West Palm Beach it was for emergency use and to take a little pressure off our well field. It was zero cost to us other than the price of water per mgd. The County would have cost us originally $24 million, which they later reduced to $8 million in order to even buy a lesser amount of water. We are still negotiating the final amount. Clemens voted against West Palm Beach water and elected to go with the County.No cost versus $24 million. But “I don’t like the taste of WPB water,” he says.

“The Casino building is unsafe and needs to be demolished.” Jeff Clemens. Although the citizen activists and engineers spoke over and over again on the building being structurally sound, Clemens never even considered getting a forensic study and defied us all the way. We have subsequently learned that the building is structurally sound.

“They are all liars.” Jeff Clemens speaking out on the whistleblowers who have filed suit against the City of Lake Worth.

**I could come up with hundreds for Jeff but those stand out!!

"I'm totally baffled; this is so amazing; this is insane." City Manager, Susan Stanton, after citizens spoke out at a public meeting making her believe that they were accusing the City of malfeasance.

"Throw the Bums out." Bill Coakley's theme on his radio show regarding some corrupt and inept officials and staff at City Hall

“I' ve never made a dime off of dolphins,” says Rene Varela. He is a partner in a company involved in dolphin trafficking that made over $4 million selling 28 captured dolphins to Dubai.

“He is a racist.” Cara Jennings talking about Scott Maxwell who is an advocate of legal immigration. Jennings then threatens to boycott Nature’s Way because Maxwell had booked a fund raiser there.

"If Commissioner Jennings' actions toward the Nature's Way Cafe owner are what passes for ethical behavior, it's no wonder that the people of Florida have so little faith and confidence in our elected officials or in the state's ability and willingness to hold them accountable," said Mary Lindsey. Mary then files an ethics complaint against Cara Jennings that is eventually dismissed by the Ethics Commission. Mary forgot to mention the negative and deceptive flier against candidate Laurence McNamara with a return address of LW Utilities that she sent out during the Mayoral run-off.

“I don’t know who he is; we were just told to show up and wave his sign.” Union Firefighter for Rene Varela. The Union continues negotiations with Lake Worth for higher retirement benefits. This is the same Union, that had merged to the County, that sent out a deceptive robo call the night of the election using a City of Lake Worth phone number belonging to the former LW Fire Department.

"This is nothing but a witchhunt," says Commissioner Jennings regarding the firing of Annabeth Karson. The Commission then capitulates and decides to go out on an RFP to hire someone else for the job.

“This is a reverse witch-hunt to make me look bad and I am sick and tired of these games.” Commissioner Scott Maxwell, with the perfected spin of a politician, makes the statement after citizens used his name in e-mails to the City Manager in 10 to 1 support of Annabeth Karson to keep her in the position to coordinate the 2010 census. The implication was that Maxwell was one of those who spearheaded the firing of Annabeth Karson.

Mortgage delinquencies

Supreme Court of Florida Administrative Order on Foreclosure Cases

"Foreclosure case filings in Florida trial courts stood at nearly 369,000 in December, 2008. At the beginning of the last quarter of 2009, foreclosure filings statewide totaled in excess of 296,000.

Florida has the third highest mortgage delinquency rate, the worst foreclosure investory and the most foreclosure starts in the nation. At the close of 2009, it is estimated there will be an inventory of approximately 456,000 pending foreclosure cases statewide. The crisis continues unabated."
Source: Becker/Polikoff

Monday's paper noted that there is a new surge in mortgage broker applications, double the amount of last year. Loan modifers have been added to the list of those needing a license with nearly 4,000 complaints this year alone regarding these types of companies with 53 of them located in PB County. During the height of the housing boom in 2006 there were 26,585 mortgage broker license applications.

Application filed to build in Intracoastal Waterway

Comment Up

The Application

3/4's of a mile south of the Lake Worth Bridge on the Intracoastal Waterway, William Donner of Aventura, Florida, has made application to build 21 mutli-family townhouses along with a pool, recreation center, parking and 2 bridges that will connect the proposed island to A1A.

This property is just south of the submerged property that was leased to Steinhart for 99 years by the City of lake Worth. The fill will cover 1.94 acres and it will impact 2.72 acres of navigable waters.

The Army Corp of Engineers has reported that it may affect the smalltooth sawfish, the endangered West Indian manatee and Johnson's sawgrass.

The Man

Comment Up

He drove around town with his mayoral license plate that he had from when he was Mayor. And why not? Afterall, he had aspirations of being Mayor of Lake Worth again. Back in April 2009 Tom Ramiccio declared he was going to run for Mayor. What happened? Why did he change his mind?

Perhaps it was just circumstances-- the political atmosphere was just not quite right for him to enter the race. Perhaps he weighed the opportunity--$15,000 a year as Mayor or a possible $200,000 a year as CEO of the LW Chamber of Commerce. Who knows. What we do know is that nothing more was said from Tom about his mayoral ambition. The announcement just died on the vine.

Instead, he concentrated on his job at the Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce and how to go about getting more members and making more money. He knew if he could bring in more members and have more events, it would be lucrative for him. He knew with more members that he could be even a more powerful political influence in the City. Membership was off and it was getting more difficult to attract new members. Stores were still empty on Lake. He needed to devise ways to go about this so he got creative and contacted Ian Saltzman, principal at Lake Worth High, and stated he wanted 25% of their flea market income based on some old agreement no longer in force.

I believe that it was this one thing...that final display of greed...that did him in.

It wasn't the slick deal he pulled with the CRA and it paying taxpayer money towards the Chamber of Commerce building with the promise of taxes coming back to the CRA that they NEVER got. It wasn't the heavy handed tactics against certain merchants or certain citizens. It wasn't even the lack of transparency that got him in the end but that certainly was a big factor. It wasn't the fact that he treated Commissioner Mulvehill with contempt even though she was the appointed liaison to the Chamber. It wasn't the very real perception that he aligned himself politically with one faction in this city against all the rest. It wasn't even the fact that he introduced Rene Varela as the next mayor of Lake Worth at a Chamber breakfast BEFORE the election. But no one wants to put up with someone trying to elicit money out of the mouths of school kids.

All of "it" came to a screeching halt on December 17, when the Board of Directors of the Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce fired him and put a new lock on his office.

Tom now has conferred with an attorney, John Byrne, who said, "It's kind of like this was a rush decision," speaking of the Ramiccio firing by the Chamber Board.

Well, we don’t know about that Mr. Byrne. Tom is not "twisting in the wind" as the Herald states. Tom says it was just politics. Any position with any company involves politics. A lack of confidence happens over a long period of time, not just one Board meeting. It is only his lawyer, about three merchants, a minority number of directors on its Board, a couple of residents and the local newspaper that believe Tom was unjustly fired.

One of the Post's top photos of 2009 - Circle of Light

Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill giving statement

One of the highlights of 2009 was Suzanne Mulvehill's
Circle of Light
The Lake Worth Casino.

On 2/22 at 2, citizens of Lake Worth circled the casino in support of restoration and pride in our history. Through a lot of work, dedication and determination, our Casino was finally saved from demolition and the developer factions that wanted to knock it down. After being red-tagged three times, the City hired a forensic engineer who certified that the building was structurally sound. The Commission then had a consensus to restore it.

Today, the Post depicts the Circle of Light as one of its top photos of 2009 and it is on the front page of the Accent section. To see Bruce Bennett's photo, click on the LINK and then click on the photo.

From left to right in the Post photo starting with the red shirt: Robert Waples, Me, Chad Drake, James Addison, Dee McNamara and Laurence McNamara.

Katie and Shae McGiveron and Commissioner Mulvehill

Dr. Steve Rosen - Florida Hometown Democracy Part IV - Conclusion

Comment Up

A Payback on Politicians--
By Dr. Steve Rosen

As I attempted to work with the Florida Fish and Widlife and the system in general in what began as a serious effort to protect the gopher tortoise with no results, I one day happened to read an article in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel about Florida Hometown Democracy.

After mulling it over, I determined that there was still hope. I could effectively bypass the Florida Legislature, the Fla Fish and Wildlife “Con’servation Commission stacked to the hilt with development interests, the courts and the developers and go directly to the public. When I finally met Lesley Blackner, Chair of Florida Hometown Democracy, she had already reached this conclusion about bypassing the courts and politicians who could care less about the rest of us.

I told Lesley I wanted to contribute enough money to assure this issue makes the ballot and sure enough, thanks to a great team effort, it happened.

Meanwhile, none of the detractors will attack me. No newspapers want to interview me. I wonder why. I am the second largest donor to FHD. Even Ryan Houck and company refuse to acknowledge me. Maybe I should buy some strip clubs? They won’t touch me because there is no ammunition in their box with which to attack me.

What started as an animal rights action became a payback on politicians and judges when I joined FHD. Given the current political climate, consider that FHD is the ONLY avenue available in the United States today that can directly transfer power back to the people where it belongs. The judges and politicians can no longer stop it. The Florida Chamber and all the Ryan Houck motor mouths parroting talking points can’t stop it either.

So now I ask you, why won’t the newspaper’s talk to me? Why won’t the opposition attack me? Well, I did file a few other lawsuits against politicians for killing animals which they really seem to enjoy. Go search Miami International Airport jackrabbit rescue, 2003. The lawsuit I filed against Miami Dade County where I was born is still open.

Florida Hometown Democracy has morphed in my mind into more than its face value of public control of comp plan changes. It can be the focal point of a new wave of efforts that show the public how they too can take back their power!!

Go Amendment 4 in 2010!!!!

Steve Rosen

Dr. Rosen's Story, Part III
Dr. Rosen's Story Part II

Dr. Rosen's Story Part I

Birds at Lake Osborne today

Trying to work off the effects of all those X'mas cookies, today I took a 2 mile walk at Lake Osborne to see what wildlife was there. No Moscovie ducks. No Iquanas. No pigeons or doves. But someone's pet cockatoo was there.

Over Christmas and Ms. Cleo

Photos are from Christmas Eve at Atlantis and
Christmas Day at the McNamara's

I remember the first time I saw Ms. Cleo live--it was at the Lake Worth City Hall Commission meeting. I have no clue as to what she was addressing...probably Compass or something, I just remember her. She was a formidable presence, tall, nice looking and eloquent.

Ms. Cleo is known for being a psychic and a spokeswoman for a psychic pay per call in the late 1990's and early 2000's. You probably remember it on television. It has also been claimed that she earned around $13.5 million off this scam.

I learned yesterday at Christmas dinner that this was all untrue. She only made $3,000 from the deal and was scammed herself.

One thing for sure, she makes a heck of a berry pie and the McNamara's are gracious hosts. Laurence McNamara cooked the best turkey I have ever had!

Joy

X'mas on Lake Osborne Drive

If you get a chance, drive down Lake Osborne Drive to Collier Avenue and take in a spectacular X'mas light exhibition.

Remember Him

As Christmas is here and a New Year approaches, we reflect on all our blessings—our health, our families and we are grateful for all those still here to love. We are appreciative of our friends for without them life would not be as fun or as interesting. We are thankful for our jobs, a roof over our heads and that we can pay our bills. Most of us got through another year unscathed and we are hopeful for the future.

We in America, in spite of our incomes that have stagnated or have lost value due to our country in recession, are still the most generous people on the planet. We still put money in the Salvation Army bucket at X’mas. This is the time of year that every charity imaginable solicits donations and we give to many knowing that it might stress the budget but that someone out there might need it more.

According to an article I read, low-income working families are the most generous group in the country and give away an average of 4.5 percent of their income. The middle class gives about 2.5 percent and the wealthy around 3 percent.

There are some who feel guilty for even having the basic necessities. They question themselves for simply enjoying that Christmas turkey dinner with all the dressings and believe that they should suffer right along with the rest who have less. They impose their own personal guilt trip. The only one who carried the world on his shoulders was Jesus Christ. He would not want us to join him on the cross.

We should rejoice in knowing that for a country that has a growing debt of over $12 trillion dollars and with 15.4 million unemployed in November, we still are the most generous people of all, who can still reach into our pockets for someone less fortunate.

Merry Christmas; relax and enjoy the turkey and while doing so, remember Him and the miracle of his birth--the one who suffered so that we could live and who, without a doubt, has influenced the world like no other.

Obama Health-Care

Just a thought on the health-care plan.

It was stated that the legislation would ban the insurance industry from denying benefits or charging higher premiums on the basis of preexisting medical conditions. My question is, will the insurance industry be charging premiums based on your health and your age?

Right now we know for instance that women are charged more than men for health insurance. We live longer. Will the health-care insurance companies rate the consumer like the car insurance industry does...the more accidents, the higher the rate? I break a toe, my rate goes up?

Although the government says that they must spend 85% of all premiums collected on health-care, we know that insurance companies are in collusion and they are here to make big bucks. They play games with people all of the time. When looking for auto insurance, you are forced to shop around to get a better rate. Is this what we will have to do with health-care? Is this all a game? Is this all about getting something passed by Christmas?

If anyone knows, please comment.

FPL

Hedging on energy contracts paid off for FPL last year. Its gross profits went up in spite of the fact that they had lost over 5,000 customers by mid-year due to customers affected by the recession thus less power consumption.

The company, saying that money doesn’t grow on trees, has asked for a $1.35 billion increase in base electric rate over the next 2 years. That amounts to a 12.5 % ROE and a 30% increase to its customers. If they don’t get the rate increase that they want, they say that modernization (capital projects) will halt and thousands of people will lose jobs. FPL’s biggest argument is that it gives exceptional value to its customers and it is the cheapest in the State. Customers will be paying $63 billion in nuclear costs next year.

In 2008, FPL had revenues of $16 billion and has over 15,000 employees in 27 States and in Canada. Collectively, FPL operates the third largest U.S. nuclear power generation fleet and is the number one producer of renewable energy. They will be building two new nuclear reactors near Miami at Turkey Point that will be built in 2021with a projected cost of $12 to $18 billion. Consumers will be paying for this now and a big percentage of them will not receive any value for this cost as FPL charges them years in advance of even obtaining any permits.

The CEO, Lewis Hay’s executive package was over $11.5 million a year in 2008.

Although we in Lake Worth have our own utility that has increased rates in order to operate its City budget, we all can relate to high energy costs. We hear of the neighbor that can’t afford his high electric bill. We learn of our neighbor whose electricity was turned off, not knowing that he had lost his job and was unemployed for 6 months but had always paid on time for years. When you read about corporate profits such as FPL’s and see what these executives are making along with the company plane, country club memberships and the “free lunch,” you have to wonder if regulators, who are continually lobbied and wined and dined themselves, are 100% looking after the consumer’s interests.

The Florida Public Service Commission says FPL should only get about one-quarter of the $1.35 billion and have asked the company to reduce in several areas such as executive compensation by $33.9 million. The rate hike comes up again on January 13 and the PSC will be voting on the amount of revenue it can collect.

I have often wondered how a company such as FPL can be the cheapest power in the State and its reliability 47 percent better than the national average when it spends so much. It seems to be an efficiently run company with energy conservation goals and they have a long-term plan for success by charging the consumer in advance.

It is just the exorbitant executive pay, stock options, that company plane and the big Christmas bonus that bothers me.

Roland W. Burris' X'mas message

Majority of residents say YES to Amendment 4

Even though city commissioners in Fernandina Beach were bing pushed by Staff to make a resolution against Florida Hometown Democracy, the Commission instead voted to have a workshop today on the Amendment. All the residents who spoke, minus one, spoke in favor of FHD.

Read about it HERE

Publix spends $3.4 million

Publix is on the move to start building its store on Dixie Highway in Lake Worth. READ ABOUT IT HERE

Is there any danger to the Florida Coast if we drill for Oil?

Last week, I commended the Commission for passing a resolution in support of banning off-shore drilling. I received a series of e-mails from a reader who states that natural oil seepage is a bigger problem and that we have no valid reason NOT to drill for oil over our coastlines.

As we continue to try and be less dependent on foreign oil, we have been reluctant to take the necessary steps to drill for oil because of fear of hurting the environment and our lack of limited technology in cleaning up oil spills.

None of us has gotten over the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 20 years ago that spilled 10.8 million gallons of oil over 1,300 square miles. It was devastating. If we could get over the fear of oil spills, Florida could possibly play a major role in America's energy security as oil prices are expected to rise to $76.40 a barrel.

He says that--

"This is the 'Cascading Effect' that I spoke about. The people of Lake Worth get their news and opinions from their neighbors and believe it to be the truth."

Therefore, I wanted to get the other side of the argument out there for you all to make up your own mind on this matter. Is drilling for oil worth the risk? Is there a risk?

Read the University of California Report on oil and gas seepage.

"natural oil seepage from the ocean floor accounts for far greater petroleum contamination than man-made sources in the United States"

Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » No Excuse Not to Drill Here: It Won’t Take Ten Years to Get the Oil

Our Lake Worth Beach

Benny's for breakfast, always a treat

Rough and cold

Lake Worth Beach

Today at the Beach

Merry X'mas!

Christmas is fun!
Merry X'mas from a ROLOH resident

Quote of the Day

"The worst day at work is still better than the best day in prison," said the South Florida FBI’s new Corruption Chief, John Gilles.

What got the five who went to prison from Palm Beach County was all about greed. "One of the things that frustrates me the most is that these people already have everything. They have money, they have power and they have education," he said. "It just seems never to be enough."

He calls public corruption the number one crime.

The Super Majority, The Census and Annabeth

Comment Up

Several years back, the Palm Beach Post endorsed the Super Majority vote here in Lake Worth. Because of a huge and expensive lobby against it by the Chamber of Commerce and other groups, we lost that election by 119 votes. I remember the Power Grab people speaking out against it and saying it was undemocratic. They were saying and doing anything to fight the initiative because they did not want to lose any power and control.

Today the Post in its editorial says that the Senate should only be required to get 51 votes for majority to rule otherwise it is a minority rule.

When it comes to certain legislation, the super-majority vote is the only one that will ensure that the legislation proposed is indeed the best for all and in the best interests of the majority. We need full and even exhausting debate when we have laws that will affect us. No one has ever been hurt by healthy debate.

However, the 60 vote rule in the Senate makes sense. The 60 votes prove that an over-whelming majority think it is good for the country. Once there are 60 votes in the Senate, it ends the filibuster and prevents that one lone Senator from trying to delay a vote on a bill and debating it to death thus driving it to defeat. It stops the bull. What it did on the health-care bill was end the power grab by the federal government and the SEIU. The 60 vote rule does not apply when passing budget bills.

The 60 vote rule has strengthened the vote of the majority.

The reason for the 60 vote rule was to aid the minority in keeping the majority in check. It kept the simple majority of 1 vote from instituting major legislation. Our founding fathers would agree that this added protection for the people IS democracy.

On another note, with the reported 11.7% unemployed in Palm Beach County, the Census had only 150 show up at the Urban League of PB County to apply for a job paying $14.75 an hour plus expenses. They need anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 workers. Can we please just hire Annabeth or get one of those who got her fired to apply for the job here in Lake Worth and not have to go through a silly RFQ?

Community Development Block Grant of $250,000

With a laundry list of items, Tropical Ridge definitely presented its case for the CDBG Grant money of $250,000. This program is one of the longest continuously run programs of HUD.

HUD is the organization that determines the amount of each grant by using a formula which comprises community need and the extent of poverty.

In need of just about everything from sidewalks, parking stripes, speed bumps, a dog park and pocket parks, Tropical Ridge fits two of the criteria for this Grant: a lot of the neighborhood is riddled with slum and blight; it is populated by some who are poor or of moderate income. The third one is that the money can be used to fit a particular urgency such as a disaster caused by a hurricane, as an example or some condition that would be a threat to the health and welfare of the community.

As explained by Carlos Serrano with the Palm Beach County HDC, the City is allowed to take on three projects that fit within these guidelines and many citizens attended the meeting at The Osborne Center tonight and a few voiced their needs and wants. One of the criteria for obtaining this grant is for public participation.

Every six years the City identifies the target area which at present is in a six block radius going as far north as 7^th Avenue North and ending at 17^th Avenue South between A and H streets. The last time this target area was identified was in 2003. Lake Worth is allowed, however, to use the funds out of this area.

January 20^th is the deadline for the municipal applicants. All the suggestions will be presented to the Commission by Staff for its decision in a future commission meeting.

Some Nuts are Hard to Crack

Yesterday, the Justice Department asked for a reversal on the recent court ruling that ended all government funding to ACORN. It said that it was unconstitutional.

ACORN has received more than $53 million in federal funds and Congress, with a margin of 4 to 1, pulled the plug in September.

The Center for Constitutional Rights filed a motion yesterday as well asking U.S. District Judge, Nina Gershon, to amend her ruling to include the new federal budget provisions signed into law by President Barack Obama the previous day that also called for halting federal funds to ACORN. This group says that Congress violated the Fifth Amendment, the right to due process and also cited the First Amendment.

Showing fiscal restraint, in spite of appointing liberal judges, most of us cheered when President Obama cracked down on this group. Cracking nuts can be difficult.

Bill of Rights Day

The Bill of Rights Day was December 16.

Last Tuesday night I was on a mission to find out more about our Constitution, our law. I attended the Bill of Rights Day celebration in West Palm Beach by The Constitution Committee of the United States Florida Chapter. If you're like me, you have some knowledge and history on our Constitution but just take it for granted never giving it a 2nd thought. I don't think about it unless I think of the pit-bull talk board and its CEO's claim to the First Amendment.

Before we entered the meeting the National Rifle Association had a table set up at the front door for those wanting to apply. When I saw this, I immediately copped an an attitude--I knew I was at the right place. I was going to encounter right-wing nuts! (I don't like extremists of any kind!) How can anyone justify packing a gun unless you want to kill someone, I asked myself? I couldn't wait until one of those guys spoke. I was ready.

Some who did attend the meeting were Curt Price, running for U.S. Congress District 19, Francisco Rodriguez, candidate for State House District 83 and Alex Larson, activist who always speaks in front of the Palm Beach County Commission and tries to point out corruption, waste and who is one gutsy dame. I believe that she is a member of the Environmental Coalition. I went with Katie McGiveron, Chair of Save Our Neighborhood and a supporter of Florida Hometown Democracy. Katie will be working very hard in this coming year for the FHD cause in Palm Beach County for the November 2010 election. Extraordinary but normal people taking active roles.

From the Constitution Party's web site it says, "The monopoly of political power held by Republicans and Democrats must and can be broken. That is the mission of the Constitution Party of Florida. By restoring the constitutional rule of law, the Constitution Party can begin the process of breaking the corrupt politicians’ stranglehold over the rights and liberties of Floridians." Sound a little radical? Ok. I was ready to learn more.

As a patriot and a believer in our Constitution and always interested in the other side of the argument, I wanted to listen and learn what Constitutional advocates had to say. I was particularly interested in the 1st and 2nd Amendments. Unfortunately individual amendments were not discussed at this meeting and I did not get to butt heads with the NRA. We did learn, however, that the Obama healthcare plan is unconstitutional.

Also I was interested in some of the people behind Scott Maxwell’s campaign that are affiliated with this group and wanted to learn more about them...just who was going to show up? People in hoods? Racists? Hate mongerers? To my dismay, everyone appeared to be, OMG, "normal."

Kevin J. Brogan a ten year member of the Supreme Court Historical Society sat across from me at dinner and was the main guest speaker. He set me straight. We can only abolish or change something in the Constitution by amendment and it would all have to start at the State level.

Kevin said, "Contrary to the long time popular notion, Article VI of the Constitution DOES NOT PERMIT the provisions of a treaty to either abolish or amend any part of our Constitution including, of course, the Bill of Rights, including the 2nd Amendment." That burst my bubble on the 1st and 2nd amendments, amendments that I have often thought should be brought up to 21st Century standards.
Dan Gonzales, Chairman of The Constitution Party, spoke briefly. He probably was the most "radical" of anyone who spoke. Actually, he is a guy who is just fed up. I can relate to that, Dan. Come down to Lake Worth. Everything is a political nightmare here. I'll introduce you to Annabeth who just got screwed. Basically Dan was very concerned about the direction of our country and stated that nothing short of a revolution could stop its destructive direction. My ears perked up at that one...revolution! Was I at the wrong meeting? Was this really a bunch of anarchists? He also said that all voting was corrupt and that we all need to wake up because we will be doomed. Oh, the doom and gloom stuff I thought, but the word "corrupt" got my adrenalin up.

We know about corruption in Palm Beach County and we certainly have had our share in Lake Worth. I thought of the last election with fliers, racists, Q's and the LW Herald and robo calls with everyone sweeping the unpleasantness under the rug...no apologies. He mentioned the New World Order and at that point I got very excited. You see, it had been a staid meeting of sorts up to this point full of normal citizens having normal conversations and I was waiting for it to get "rightest" crazy. Silently I cheered on, "Go Dan go," hoping to "out" all of them one by one.

Nope, it was not to be. He only had a few minutes to speak and therefore spoke in sound bites. I did get the distinct impression, however, that he felt that the New World Order theory was actually a reality in our world today--that globalists are conspiring to take over and rule the world. he believes in protecting our Constitution, the supreme law of our land.

All in all, it was a normal meeting attended by mostly Republicans and average, normal citizens concerned about the direction of our country that does not seem to be all that "normal" these days...people who came to listen to experts on the most amazing document ever written and one that has withstood the test of time.

What does the Constitution say about immigration? Absolutely nothing.

Coakley on Compass

Coakley has taken a break from Lake Worth politics but hopefully we will be hearing from him more and more as the new year progresses. If you haven't been to Lake Worth Media lately, read what Bill Coakley has to say about Compass.

Merry X'mas but it will Cost ya

Comment Up

Using the Obama phrase “change” and saying that “change is never easy but change is what’s necessary in America,” Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska got back in the good graces of President Obama. He was holding out for his little piece of the quid pro quo on the Health-Care Plan and he gave the President as well as the private Insurance industry one big X’mas present. His vote, in favor of the plan after concessions, means that it will probably pass on X’mas Eve.

As more and more polls indicate, 80% of American citizens who say that they are happy with their present health-care are against this health-care overhaul with only 38% approving it according to the Rasmussen Poll taken at the end of November. They say that it is not affordable and that they will get less coverage than they presently have.

Health-care lobbyists spent $486 million last year and so far this year they have spent $396 million but the entire tab is not in. The average citizen can not get fair representation when this much money is at stake and a President who is not listening to those very same citizens who will pick up the tab. But government always knows better than the very citizens it governs.

What will Obama get for Xmas?
A health-care plan and a government insurance option dropped...
Lowering the age from 65 for Medicare to those 55 or older was dropped...
His legacy for the history books...
36 million more people insured...
Possible defeat at the polls

What will the American people get?
$400 billion in new taxes over the next 10 years...
$500 billion in reductions to older (and the majority of whom are poor) people already on Medicare...
Every American would be required to obtain insurance or be fined $750 a year or 2% of their income which ever is greater...cost uncertain...
The loss of Freedom to choose what is in your plan...
The loss of Freedom of being rewarded for healthy living...
The loss of Freedom to choose high deductible coverage...
The loss of Freedom to keep your existing plan

What did Senator Ben Nelson get?
Full federal funding for Nebraska to expand Medicaid at no cost to its citizens...
Exemption for the insurance tax for Mutual of Omaha...
Concessions on Abortion option

What do the insurance companies get?
30-36 million new customers...
No competition from a government insured plan

What do the Drug companies get?
No competition from drugs from foreign countries--they are banned from the Plan

What does AARP get?
35 million unhappy members

What do the Supreme Court Justices get?
An entire plan that is unconstitutional.

Dr. Steve Rosen's Story - Florida Hometown Democracy Part III

PART III- Gopher tortoise not really protected

The way around the stringent protections offered by the Endangered Species Act is the so called Candidate Conservation Agreement or CCA. A CCA is a “private” contract like you or I might undertake with someone who builds a home or provides some other service that completely bypasses the Endangered Species Act and allows this flimsy approach to protecting the animals. This agreement can have whatever policies, protections or other stipulations that the parties forming it want to include. The bottom line is that, based on research by my attorney which is in my possession, these so-called CCA’s NEVER WORK. The animals covered by these private agreements always lose out.

When my attorney attempted to attend a second meeting with these sociopaths at Booz Allen, in Atlanta, Georgia, he was initially invited and prepared to go. He reserved a hotel room, rented a car and bought his airline tickets. Two weeks before the meeting, he received a phone call telling him he could not attend the meeting. He could be arrested if he appeared. Apparently, the wildlife goons were aware of who he was and were refusing to attend the meeting if he were there. This second meeting was to finalize terms for the Candidate Conservation Agreement.Thus my attorney and I had to eat some of the costs involved with canceling his trip.

The group goes by the acronym SERPPAS for South East Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability. The gopher tortoise CCA can be found by clicking on the “projects” link at the left and scrolling down to the bottom of the page. CLICK HERE for a link to the page. Scroll down to the end of that page for the link to the final Gopher Tortoise CCA that they cooked up for the phony protection of the gopher tortoise.

in my opinion, all of these dealings, "winings and dinings" were done behind the backs of Florida voters in violation of the Sunshine laws. The Fla. Fish and Wildlife Con-mission never listed any of this material on their web site because they do not want the public to know about it. I handed a stack of documents from these meetings to Dave Fleshler who promptly killed the story asking me why I am complaining because he writes stories about the gopher tortoise.

With these defeats, my attorney advised me to try to force US Fish and Wildlife to review the Endangered Species Act application for the gopher tortoise. I learned that even if they did agree to review the application and even if they agreed to offer the protection, you still need to protect the habitat as a separate action. That would never happen given the politics involved in massive uncontrolled development power in Florida. There was no way I was going to win this, or was there?

Steve Rosen

Next Sunday is the conclusion to Dr. Rosen's story and his payback on politicians.

Dr. Rosen's Story Part II

Dr. Rosen's Story Part I

The X'mas Thief

Some thief stole an inflatable snowman off the front lawn of Denise's property in the ROLOH neighborhood. She lives on Snowden Drive.

You really can't get much lower than to steal someone's Christmas decoration right off their front lawn. I hope that Santa by-passes that callous, miserable thief on December 25th. Also hope that PBSO finds the !@#$%.

Banks have the Money but have no Sense

We all know about the banks and what kind of trouble they all got into. They had a bunch of bad debts. People did not pay them for the money that they were given on a promise to pay it back with interest. Some people had hard luck excuses but a big percentage of them borrowed money they knew they could never pay back. Well, one of my banks, Washington Mutual was briefly taken over by the FDIC over a year ago before they handed all the deposits and branches over to JPMorgan Chase. The FDIC got $1.9 billion.

Washington Mutual had 2,200 branches. I did condo business at a branch in Houston, Texas and for a few years I asked for an accounting of money I sent to them every month. We are paying on a 99 year recreational land lease and have been doing so since 1966. I wanted to make sure that they 1) got it and 2) that it was being credited to the correct account and 3) that the beneficiary of the payment received it. I never received a word from this bank and on top of that, I could not figure out how to even reach them because I was sending money to a LockBox. It was an insane way of doing business and I was elected Treasurer with little documentation.

So, finally what I feared happened. With all the banks being taken over and merging, and employees changing like yesterday’s underwear, my December payment came back. I am one of the few people left in the country trying to pay its debt and the Bank deposit location closes down. Washington Mutual had closed the LockBox. No one from the bank has notified me where to send a payment and no one affiliated with this bank has any idea and can’t even direct me to anyone who can help. Earlier in the month I attempted to call the bank and got shuffled around throughout the bank for 25 minutes with NO ONE knowing which end was up.

JPMorgan Chase paid $1.9 billion to buy Washington Mutual so I can see why they are not the least bit interested in my $165 a month payment.

Why do we ever wonder why we are in so much trouble in this country?

More government intrusion

Just when you think travel on Amtrak might be just a whole lot safer, guess what?

Amtrak made a corporate decision after 9-11--no guns on its trains. It's their business so it seems that it should be their right. The government stepped in 8 years later and just told Amtrak that is MUST allow guns on its passenger trains. Terrorists, are you listening?

This is just more and more government intrusion into our lives. What can we do to curb this powerful gun lobby? Moon them?

This is what happens when you take government funding.

What goes around, Comes around

Comment Up
Please forgive me when I say that I will not miss Tom.

His political shenanigans were often times too much to bear. He cultivated political cronies through the years and managed to get a lot of his friends elected, people that I might add, have done a lot of harm to Lake Worth.

He came down hard on the SuperMajority and took a prominent political stand against it not even allowing us to speak at his Chamber Forum. He was not the least bit friendly towards anyone with whom he even suspected did not agree with him. You were instantly his enemy. He bullied downtown merchants and many feared him. He bullied the school principal. He bullied private citizens. He used his power to destroy and was a "force to be reckoned with." And he surrounded himself with those with like views who cheered him on. He was their "man."

The Chamber’s web site states its mission:
The mission of the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce is to foster and promote business growth through networking, education and leadership while preserving a positive community image. We serve as the liaison between business, government, and the community, providing member services and promoting economic development.

Our objective is to serve our membership and community through leadership, building a positive business climate while enhancing and protecting the quality of life for all.

Our Chamber of Commerce is here to develop, advance and promote all aspects of entrepreneurial, professional and civic welfare for Lake Worth. It is here to improve the business climate, not hinder it. Ending Evening on the Avenues is just one example where that leadership failed and the bully factor took over. It was not the way to make this community more prosperous. It did not demonstrate to the merchants that their best interests were at heart. He held the city hostage on this event. He held the CRA hostage as well.

It’s funny how things happen in this city. This last election gave Tom and his friends new found confidence. That confidence is being demonstrated in commission meetings as well as the Annabeth Karson firing blitz by those who have been big Tom supporters.

Now turn about is fair play I suppose.

Dick Morris on Obama's Healthcare Plan

As the bill now stands, it doesn't have any teeth.

* Without the public option, the government does not have the financial clout to enforce the decisions of the new secretary of Health about the protocols of care to be followed. The left had hoped that the federal public option insurance company would put the private firms out of business and leave a single governmental payer in place. This single payer could slice reimbursements to providers at will and bring them into line offering low costs, long waiting lists and rationed medical care. But with no expansion of Medicare to those over 55 and no federal public option, the secretary of Health won't have the power to force bad medical care down the throats of the American people.

* Relatively few new people will get health insurance. The costs of coverage are too high, the subsidies too shallow and the punitive fines too low to force people to buy policies they don't want and think they don't need. What young, childless couple is going to pay 8 to 12 percent of their income for Insurance rather than just pay the $1,000 fine for not having coverage? Oddly, this bill is really just a tax on the uninsured.

* Without the feared flood of new patients into the system, the rationing that threatened may not be as bad as it once seemed. With only a few newly insured people, the long waiting lists and shortages of medical personnel Massachusetts is experiencing under Romney-Care may not happen nationally.

* The Medicare cuts are to be proposed by a special commission in the executive branch akin to the federal commission that decides which military bases to shutter. But then they will have to be approved each year by Congress. A former secretary of Health and Human Services under a Republican president told me recently he expects the cuts will be vetoed by Congress each year and never really take effect. He says that the savings won't materialize and the additional costs of Obama's program will just be financed through even more deficit spending. He cites, for example, Congress's refusal for each of the past five years to approve the automatic 6 percent cut in physicians' fees.

What's left is a bill that expands Medicaid to cover more of the poor and working poor. It requires that all states cover everyone making 150 percent or less of the poverty level. This will end the practice of many states of restricting Medicaid, in effect, to the elderly in nursing homes.

Arkansas, for example, only covers up to 17 percent of the poverty level (about $4,000 of income). Under the new law, anyone in the state whose income is less than about $27,000 will have to be covered. This provision will, of course, mean much higher state taxes throughout the South and in Texas, California, Pennsylvania and Florida, states with low Medicaid thresholds.

The rest of the bill is essentially a consumer-protection statute that bars insurers from denying coverage to anyone and stops them from charging more for those who are sick. Both the expansion of Medicaid and this reform of insurance-company practices could have been achieved in considerably less than the 2,000 pages of dead trees this bill consumed.

There are still bad parts of the legislation:

* Medicare Advantage, an important program for 10 million elderly, will be gutted and replaced by Medigap insurance, which is more limited in coverage, higher in cost and more profitable to the AARP.

* Medical devices -- from pacemakers to automated wheelchairs -- will still be taxed, and sick people will be forced to pay higher taxes and deduct fewer of their medical costs.

* Reimbursements under Medicare are likely to continue to drop, forcing more and more providers to refuse to treat patients under the program.

Obama is left with the symbol of a victory but not much substance. He will still sign the bill -- if it ever passes -- with great fanfare, but its substance will be painfully thin.

We haven't dodged the bullet yet. The left is still to be heard from. But the momentum against the bill and the focus on its worst provisions is paying off. Keep up the pressure!

Offshore drilling

Comment Up


Another highly appropriate and responsible resolution was passed and approved on Tuesday night.

Commissioner Jennings makes the motion to oppose offshore drilling off the State of Florida

St. Joe No Saint

"After listening to dueling land use lawyers present conflicting opinions as to the risks involved, county commissioners Tuesday night voted to shut the door entirely on The St. Joe Company’s plans for two large mixed use projects slated for St. James Island."

Read about how FHD land-use attorney, through his efforts over the past 4 years, helped quash the biggest land-owner in the State, St. Joe Paper, and its plans to develop St. James Island. CLICK HERE