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Mayor Waterman said that she has a 3 Rule Policy before ejecting someone from a meeting--She asks them to refrain from certain behavior. If she has to ask them the third time, she implements her ejection policy. No one ever heard of this policy until the end of the meeting on Tuesday night. This did NOT happen with Mark Parrilla. He whispered and she threw him out.
The situation involving Cesar Figueroa is a totally different situation entirely. He had received his assessment notice on stormwater. He has a business in the North Park. For weeks, he tried to get information from the city on how it calculated the charges as it went up from a charge for 2 units to 8, all this time being professional and cordial. The cost was astronomical and he continued to get no satisfaction and basically what he felt was a run-around from the City.
He was leaving for New York in a few days after the September 13 meeting and needed to straighten out this bill. The City, according to him, did not want to give him the formula that calculated his tax. Through a threat of a lawsuit, his bill was finally re-billed. He says that to this day, it is still not correct. He was really rip roaring mad and had kept his cool until that night at City Hall when he got to speak during public commentary. His issue was coming up on the Agenda after he was ejected.
I do not condone his behavior but I do understand why he was so mad. Just because he is extended family does not mean that I automatically take sides. However, when Waterman removed him from the chamber, all he did was say "thank you" on her warning to him. It was those little words, the fact that he dare speak again, that instigated his removal.
They had charged him for an easement that was not his property but property that belonged to South Florida Water Management. He had to go through hoops and prove that the City was incorrect rather than the other way around and the City working with him. However, he is still being charged much more than he has ever been charged and has told the City that he will not pay more than 3 units. The City still has not satisfied this business owner. They, once again, will play hardball and end up putting a lien on his property.
Two days after the September 13 meeting, he sent an e-mail to the Finance Department telling them that he was a "Mother F**ker" accusing them of over-charging him and thinking that he was not going to notice or do anything about it. He had totally "had it" at that point.
On Tuesday night, Mayor Waterman said that he had sent threatening letters to the City Staff--that he was a very "rowdy gentleman." How did she even have knowledge of his e-mails? Staff supported her action. The fact of the matter is, Cesar sent one e-mail to someone in Finance using the F word and signed his e-mail, F U, the real American, the Algonquin, Cesar Figueroa, two days after this commission meeting when he was thrown out by the Mayor.
When speaking with Cesar, he said, "We are turning into a Fascist State here. I should know. I moved here from Cuba and they are acting the same."
There are reasons why people are mad, Mayor.
She just made another rule:
ReplyDelete"Please be advised I will only be attending the NAPC Candidate Forum at the Lake Worth Playhouse on Monday, October 24th.
We live in a great city that is funky, cool, diverse, creative, and replete with social capital. However, the important work that neighborhood associations can do is undermined when they become vehicles for the politics of division.
The TRNA Forum that I attended on Monday, October 3rd had no objective discussion of the issues relevant to our city and instead served as a platform for vicious personal attacks. The neighborhood association leadership failed to create an objective environment in which issues could be respectfully debated. Moreover, the neighborhood association leadership failed to prevent abusive behavior from participants and event volunteers.
I DO NOT support the politics of division. We are One City with One Future.
Until such time that the neighborhood association leadership, organizers and moderators can appropriately facilitate forums with decorum and propriety, I decline to participate.
I welcome the opportunity to meet ALL those who make Lake Worth their home. I am open to meeting with small groups of residents in their homes, businesses, churches, organizations or during my weekly open office hours on Tuesdays, 9:30AM-12:30PM and Wednesdays, 4:00PM-7:00PM. Please contact me regarding the upcoming election at watermanformayor@gmail.com
Rachel Waterman"
I think that's fine. It'll just give the other candidates more time to convey their message.
Poor Rachel, is everybody ganging up on her? Or maybe her policies?
As I commented today on your blog under the heading 'Dustin the Dirty', Lynn you are always fair... calling it as you see it. Not only do you expect 'fair' from others, you actually practice it! BRAVO! For those who cannot attend the meetings and even in your response to comments on your blog, you give the facts and it is sincerely appreciated. For example, your graciousness to Mary Lindsey – also a very cool and special person who calls it as she sees it. Another BRAVO! Now I know the backstory. Bless you!
ReplyDeleteWaterman needs to realize she is not effective as a Mayor and should resign ASAP. (Yes I know that she has only been there for a short term but this is how you behave and dictate?) This temporary Mayor's seat should never have been filled and was only by a technicality that it was.
ReplyDeleteSHE is not representative of the people, and as listed in prior posts she does not think she is "one of the people" How Arrogant and Crash.
Thank the God above that November is just around the corner.
Agreed, she should just resign. She has no business being our mayor. She was only elected because Ramiccio is repulsive and her people were able to fool just enough voters to get her in. What a horrible choice - Ramiccio or Waterman.
ReplyDeleteBetween her and Stanton, you would think we were all a bunch of kindergarteners who can tie our own shoes. The 2 of them think they own this town, but every dictator will eventually fall
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why we sold everything 10 years ago and moved out of LW.I dont know how people can live in LW anymore.Cost to own and operate a business has gone thru the roof.What service does the city provide anymore?I know. A constant headache.
ReplyDeleteIt was deplorable what Zacks did. I don't blame Rachel for not wanting to be subjected to this sort of disgusting behavior from a lawyer kid in the race to do nothing but humiliate her. This is worse than any street gang thug. A moderator would have stopped this in any normal forum that was not controlled by politics and the simple joy of watching someone squirm. Free speech should go so far. What Zacks did was not right and it should have been stopped. Everything he brought up was already discussed in the first election. To bring it up again is just plain stupid, gross. It wasn't so much what he said but how he said it. I would love to know what he earned for this and by whom. You can bet he didn't awaken one morning and declare to the world --"I am going to be a punk in this election." He's not being a jerk for the hell of it.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Rachel, I would come back stronger than ever. You know now why he's in the race--not to win but to stomp on you until you are dead. I wouldn't let any little kid get the best of me if I were a candidate.
Rachel, you handled the Zack Attack & horrible episode very well. Come on back but I don't blame you if you don't. Most everyone within NA's who are active have already made up their minds on whom they are voting for. These organizations are political. Bring your message elsewhere.
Zach's delivery was childish and volatile but his points were valid. And just because they are points that were brought up in the last election, does not mean they are untouchable in this election.
ReplyDeleteI think there's a very valid position in wondering how someone who has had serious financial problems with credit cards and mortgages, is qualified to oversee the budget of a town in deep financial distress.
Politics is rough and tumble as we all know - I would think she has to find a way to assuage the issues surrounding her.
Not go to her room and slam the door because things got a little rough out there.
In the last election, didn't this blog take Lisa Maxwell to the cleaners, even for the way she looks?
There were ever-present personal attacks this blog made about certain candidates.
It's just the name of the game
I never attacked Lisa Maxwell on her looks. As far as I am concerned she looks the way she looks. I did do some poltiical parody equating her to a She Devil I believe. I went after Lisa because she never learned the facts and kept repeating the same falsehoods during her campaign. She never reached out to learn.
ReplyDeletePlease take into consideration that this is a blog to express opinion. I was and am not a candidate. As a candidate, everyone should be conducting themselves much better than displayed at this last forum by a candidate who is NOT really a candidate but a TOP GUN to bring Waterman down.
To say that things "got a little rough" is the understatement of the year.
Now the town has two narcissists running it, Stanton and Waterman.
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing her demeanor during the broadcast of the commission meeting she obviously fooled many people into voting for her. She defiantly has an opinion of herself that is much higher than the public now has, but she does fit in with the circus called LW leadership. I’m also sorry that she is taking away some of the limelight that the CM deserves, who needs a pier in LW soon everyone can walk on water as the two of them seem to be able to do. Now that’s entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI didn't vote in the summer election, first time since I've lived here. I wasn't going to vote for Tom R., I didn't care for Lisa Maxwell and Rachel was too much of an unkown (although she was the only candidate who knocked on my door and spoke to me). So I didn't vote.
ReplyDeleteI do plan to vote in Nov. and therefore will attend my upcoming neighborhood association candidate forum, Parrot Cove, it sounds like Rachel will not be there. That will make it harder for me to learn about her positions and therefore more likely not to vote for her. Thus far I've not been impressed but I also recognize she is still quite new to the game and the majority of our problems predate her.
She should come to the forums and address the attacks and set forth her positions.
Politics is not easy. Everything about you becomes public record. I am surprised that Waterman has decided not to participate in future neighborhood association events given how well she responded to her critics. I think she is making a big mistake. If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. I wish these candidates and commissioners would start to realize how mad the citizens of this city are and do something about it. Instead they refuse to get it. The same lines of supporting code and lower electric don't work any more. We need action not bullshit responses.
ReplyDelete"If it works with my 3 Yr. Old, I would expect it should work with Adults."
ReplyDelete(10.4.11 LW City Mtg Audio beginning around 5:22:30)
Then if ur "Jewel Curious"
go to 4:13:30
(Earlier at this meeting I was told to watch my tone and show respect. I wasn't present in the Chambers to hear this personally but listen to the audio and tell me did she (almost) slip and say, "I Ru(le), I manage these meetings, I manage these meetings".)
I wonder was it a freudian slip?
As I listened again, the audio and Waterman's tone was SO LOUD I had to turn down the volume.
Wassup w/that?
Is it "Do as I say, not as I do"?
Hear it for yourself and you decide
2011 Archived Audio - 10.4.11: http://lakeworth.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={92DDD349-58CC-4612-B5BA-3898CA0CC6AB}&DE={F25C414F-8C44-4183-B8A0-B3ADF45A1327}
Maybe some of you remember other "fringe" candidates.... How about Javier, the biggest racist hater in town. If you are white skinned, you are privileged and owe everything you own to someone less fortunate.
ReplyDeleteHow about Pangioti Tolzszkas? Didn't he make a splash with trashing all law abiding citizens and people who work for a living trying to get a message across that can only be done by putting your hat into the ring.
Dustin paid his fee to enter his race and in so doing, is given the opportunity to speak for more than two minutes.
He was passed over for an appointment for a board position he was very qualified to fill and having Pangioti be the person picked over someone as qualified would have pissed off a nun.
Cronyism. Cara's hallmark.
The pendulum swings and sanity will again reign.
It already sounds like Lynn is behind Waterman. So her "victim game" is working. C'mon Rachel, pull your big girl pants up and greet your voters. After all, you are not an ordinary person..... You are the MAYOR!!!
Because I condemn what Zacks did does not mean that I support Waterman. How do you come to that conclusion? Two wrongs don't make a right here.
ReplyDeleteZacks attacked her. She attacks the people. Both wrong.
I agree that Javier is the biggest racist in town.
When it comes right down to it, I support NO ONE and pray that we survive it all.
I am not surpirsed she won't be at any of the other neighbor associations meet and greets or the Debate. She doesnt like or believe in neighborhood assoc. She stated at a meet in greet in college park early on that they are all political and exclusionary. I don't think she believes they have any value. Is she a member of her own Tropical Ridge?
ReplyDeleteAt the June 2011 debate at the Playhouse, the candidates were specifically asked about the neighborhood associations where they lived. Ms. Waterman said that she was involved with her neighborhood association and had submitted her application to join. Interesting thing is she lives in the Tropical Ridge neighborhood. She didn't say anything about neighborhood associations being divise then.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Gosh, listening to the audio I thought the individual had threatened to harm someone based on what the Mayor said. But obviously that was not the case. Why did Waterman misrepresent the facts? Or to put it more directly, why did she lie? And I agree with you Lynn, how did see even know about the emails?
ReplyDeleteShe is set on treating us like 3-year-olds so she should remember the saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Even if they are cuss words.
First order of business is to apologize to both these people plus anyone else in the public for whom you don't like who has a different opinion. The next order of business is to calm down and smell the roses. Then take a swing at Zacks the first chance you get.
ReplyDeleteSpread the word. Change the dais.
ReplyDeleteThe problem Lynn is you are not the mayor. She will hid behind Cara and her cronies until she feels safe to come out again.
ReplyDelete