"Myopic Political Clods "

It is too bad that candidate Lisa Maxwell made a poor decision before the Gate was even opened to her campaign when she decided to announce her candidacy at the Compass building preceding Tropical Ridge’s community crime walk. I refer to Tom's Page and his report on the incident.

Her intent was to announce and then join the NA in its Crime Walk that was scheduled at 4pm. It was announced in the PB Post as well as an e-mail sent around by the top officers of TRNA. I can’t think of anything more inappropriate than a Neighborhood Association sanctioning a candidate at the exclusion of any other candidate running for the same office. Maxwell, at least, should have known better.

TRNA officers did a disservice to its entire neighborhood for making that decision when its officers publicly supported a candidate by allowing her to have an exclusive forum. These officers should step down--all of them. John Jordan, former candidate who lives in that neighborhood said, "I don't believe that neighborhood associations should get involved in political campaigns."

The object of an elected official is to represent all of the people in a neighborhood and in this city, not just a chosen few. The object of Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association is to represent ALL of its residents. To forbid a blogger or any other resident of the City to walk on a Crime Walk is certainly preposterous. Has Lisa Maxwell ever walked a crime walk at Tropical Ridge?

Learn from Jeff Clemens. He knew how to be friendly to the press, to the bloggers, to all those who spoke out against him. He always greeted me with a friendly “hello” and did not hold grudges. Politics is what it is, and someone you know or think to be a political enemy may just be in alliance with you on an issue in the future. Politics is not about alienating people right out of the gate.

For Vince Rogers, former President of TRNA to say that “there is a war going on in this neighborhood and the other side just won a little battle,” shows that we are a totally dysfunctional city. Everything needs to be about correct process.

As one citizen said, “These statements originate from inexperienced myopic political clods whose discriminatory personal vendettas against targeted groups are no different than neo Nazis. And those who attain office with these aberrant notions are no less a danger to the public and the political process.”

Perhaps we should be de-annexed to Palm Beach County. We can’t run a city. We can’t maintain anything. We spend money like a drunk sailor. Remember that CIP Wish List? We have constant infighting and "little battles" that never seem to end.

"This is the same old dull-witted disingenuous saw of the right versus the left, rich versus the poor, good versus evil …exploiting the illusion of disunity for political benefit. Rather than bringing unity …it is divisive, discriminatory, and reveals political immaturity unfit for office," said a former candidate.