Thursday's Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Lake Worth should have ignored immigration law

Dan Moffett's column highlighted the Lake Worth City Commission's late- night debate and resolution opposing the Arizona immigration law. It seems to be a complete waste of city time and resources passing resolutions that will have no real impact on the issue. Some commissioners appear to be grandstanding for political correctness and their own agendas while they should be focused on the many real challenges Lake Worth faces.

In all fairness, some positive changes are becoming evident: merging with the sheriff's office and overhauling the utility department. As a resident of Lake Worth for nearly 10 years, this is the best I have ever seen our city work.

JEFF BERKOFF

Lake Worth

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Jeff, there have been some positive changes in Lake Worth but merging with the Sheriff's department is not one of them, if you consider cost. The Sheriff is costing us large fortunes and if it were not for their remarkable PR department and their officers presence on our streets and appearing at our neighborhood meetings, we would be able to look at the reality of this decision and come to a totally different conclusion. There is still plenty of crime and a heck of a lot more expense.

Perhaps their reaction time is quicker, I don't know. We could have put more cops on the street under our own police department. Why buy Clos Du Mesnil 1995, when a cheaper champagne will get the same results. Management was the problem. However, what we do know is, the Sheriff is not preventing crime. The only thing that will reduce crime in our city is to clean up the slums, the blight and the illegal immigration problem, not necessarily in that order. We need to make it very attractive for homeownership and reduce the vast amount of rental property. Implement a 287G program in PB County and close down The Mentoring Center. Arrest employers who hire illegal immigrants. The decay of our City has been going on for the last decade, not just the last four years as the Mayor said.

Feeling safer is only a perception. The reality is entirely different. The citizens, however, seem to want to support the PBSO no matter the cost (because most of them don't know the cost and those who do, don't care). Public safety makes up 49% of the budget with PBSO at 41%. We pay $1,098,022.23 each month for the Sheriff. Not only does Lake Worth pay the County for the Sheriff, we as taxpayers, pay the County each year on our ad valorem taxes, a percentage of which is for Public Safety...the Sheriff... and a separate tax for Fire/Rescue.

If we don't stop the waste, end the high salaries and benefits, stop the spending and giving it all away to the Unions, we are out of business. Even then, the crime will rage on. This City has been a money pit for way too long. It is time that we stand up to the Unions. Learn to say "no."

And what exactly is "overhauling the utility department?" Sounds like a sound bite from our Mayor's last campaign. What we need to overhaul is our Code Department...stronger code enforcement, not less. Let's "re-tool" the entire code complaint process--speed it up and take quick action against those who are allowing their property to look like junk yards.

I do agree with you that supporting a resolution against Arizona 1070 was inappropriate with 4 out of the 5 of our elected officials voting against Arizona in support of illegals.