Thursday, May 26, 2011

Andy Amoroso - Candidate for Commissioner District 3

Amoroso has qualified to run for Commissioner District 3

The PB Post reported on April 4 that he is running for Commissioner Golden's seat. Tuesday night during the CRA meeting Andy Amoroso mentioned that he was running and the City Clerk has confirmed that he has qualified. He is already known as the "mayor of downtown Lake Worth" as he is the go-to person if you want to find out what's up or find out who's doing what to whom.

Just like your friendly barber or bartender, he will have some sort of "news" that will turn you on. Cordial and polite, he has the savvy to know what or what not to say when speaking to someone one-on-one. It doesn't matter what side of politics you support. He will make you feel comfortable talking with him on just about any subject. You just never really know what candidate he is supporting as he has an uncanny way of making you believe that he agrees with your candidate and your side of politics. One thing that is certain, he would prefer that you agree to the City making things easier on the pocketbooks of business owners. Businesses are a special priority in his mind as he is an owner and the head of the Downtown Cultural Alliance.

As a downtown businessman and essentially a one-man show, Andy says that business is bad, blaming the present Commission. He wants to be elected to office to change all of that he says. Other businesses have reported that they are doing well and many new ones are moving to town as the economy starts to pick up.

Some of our downtown businesses are one man operations as is Andy's and consequently this must be more difficult. Wearing several hats as a business owner is laborious. It is difficult to market, advertise, be the buyer and the technician and do everything alone. We give him a lot of credit as a small business owner in these difficult times. Even as a Commissioner, you have four others helping on the decision process and you have to make decisions for ALL the residents, not just the businesses.

His Platform:
  1. stronger code enforcement in neighborhoods
  2. an internal audit of the city and Lake Worth Utilities
  3. better follow-up work by city staff on matters such as parking meter enforcement
  4. elimination of parking impact fees
I approve of #1, 2. #3 supposedly has been fixed. #4--Well sure, I can understand why Andy wants to eliminate this charge. Downtown businesses are his priority.

We all know the problems. We need solutions. Parking impact fees are fair. If we don't have parking, no one will be here to buy from these stores or support our downtown. This money from parking impact fees should have been saved to purchase parking spaces and/or maintain what we have. The businesses attract people downtown thus wear and tear on our roads. And a little bit of trivia to add into the mix--this Commission can not help the fact that a past commission on a 3/2 sold the L Street parking lot to a favored friend for development. The vote to sell was Romano, Lowe, and McKinnon, When it came down to the vote, Nadine Burns changed her mind from yes to no as her election was coming up.

Andy, is a member of the "give-away the money" CRA and a Board that has a lot of questionable enterprises. They do not bring money into the City but spend millions on developing two road improvements to the tune of $15 million, deals to favored friends, and now buying properties well over market value as examples. Their Cookie Jar is not empty yet.

The economy is picking up. The present Lake Worth Commission is working long hours for little pay and continues on the right track by re-doing our worn-out Casino building, a total beach redevelopment as well as building our own Reverse Osmosis system that will prove to be the best investment we have ever made, and to find ways to afford the PBSO, negotiate with the Unions and balance the Budget.

Andy, in an audaciously rude and disrespectful manner, and out of character from his usual public persona, asked the Commission, the very body that appointed him to the CRA, "What have you done for Lake Worth?" The Commission has done a lot, Andy, and as a candidate we would hope that you already know that.


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