The Winners and the Loser

Carla Blockson--46.66%...2,591...
Christopher McVoy--53.34%...2,962...

Lisa Maxwell--46.59%...2,195...
Suzanne Mulvehill--53.41%...2,516......

Well, the three candidates for whom I worked, won--McVoy, Mulvehill and Col. Allen West! Amendment 4, however, was slaughtered at the polls. Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida in Tampa, said several factors — including the amount of money spent on the “Vote No on 4” campaign and the economic slowdown — contributed to the amendment’s defeat."

I want to personally thank all those who worked so hard and believed in the people's right to vote on what their communities should look like. There are so many people throughout the State who volunteered countless hours to bring awareness to Amendment 4. It truly was a grassroots movement with little money, an ingredient that you must have in order to have a chance to bring the message to the people. A special thanks to the entire FHD Team, Lesley Blackner, Steve Rosen and to Katie McGiveron in Lake Worth whose dedication and determination were amazing and whose speeches were awesome!

People were told that the Amendment would cost jobs and that it would stop growth. Neither claim was true. The fear factor worked. We now will have to depend upon our elected officials to make the right decisions, decisions in which they have miserably failed especially over the past two decades. We will have to do more to preserve our environment, the Everglades, protect our Florida panther and our wildlife and call elected officials to task, never giving up. We will have to be more vocal than ever.

Here in Lake Worth, the fear factor did not work. Union money did not make a difference nor did Sun Recycling's campaign contributions or the barbecue's in the south end of town. The people voted in two people that will do the right thing by the residents and for Lake Worth, both supporting Amendment 4. The land-use on Sunset will NOT change now.

Using the money that was raised rather than the expense figures, as there is one more report to be filed, Lisa Maxwell raised $33,485.13 to date which equates to $15.53 a vote. Carla Blockson raised $19,638.46 to date equating to $7.70 per vote. The BAC PAC reported $15,565 to date, spending nearly all of it on the Blockson and Maxwell cause. A total of $68,688 was raised by these two candidates and this PAC to defeat McVoy and Mulvehill.