We keep harping about this dreadful company that came into our City and threatened to sue us unless we allowed them to put up these billboards along I-95. They pulled this tactic with many cities, some in the same boat as we, poor and struggling with no money to defend ourselves. These people make Zack Attacks look like pussy cats. Instead of telling them to shove it, we said, "Thanks."
The famous Clemens, Vespo and Lowe team are the ones we should thank for this mess. Golden voted it down. The billboard company "settled" this threat of a law suit by giving us a heck of a lot less money than what was originally agreed. After the settlement, it was designated to a CIP project. Now, you can't find the money on a line item anywhere. It was moved out of the CIP when staff got itchy fingers.
No one can tell us where it is or what money has been extracted from it. Find out Commissioners. Didn't Stanton tell you where the money went on one of those 2 hour weekly out of the Sunshine meetings? Commissioner Golden still believes it is sitting in a Capital Improvement Fund. How could this happen and why do you allow it to happen? And why don't you say something?
You can't really blame the commissioners that approved the billboards. The city does need the money. The blame is on those that can't or won't say where the $1.2 million is now. That's the assessment money they're collecting now.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you don't blame them but I blame any commission that contributes to the blight in our City. I blame any Commission that would whore its principles for the almighty dollar. To allow these in our City for 20 years is beyond disgusting. And just think, in 20 years, this corrupt company comes back and threatens to sue again. This is beyond DISGUSTING. Talk about prostituting oneself.
ReplyDeleteI think now the city manager in charge should be blamed since she is in charge and she should be making sure we are collecting this money, period. Where is her authority here? Why isn't she doing her job to the fullest?
ReplyDeleteI am voting for the candidate that will tell me to my face or publicly that they will work toward firing the city manager.
If the company was going to sue and the city was going to lose anyway the signs were inevitable.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger issue is where's the money?
Well, if everyone who came to town threatened to sue us, we should therefore just give them the money or give them our city, or give them our beach or give them whatever? Roll over to threats? I don't think so. The city should have counter-sued them instead of being scared to death by a law suit that had no teeth.
ReplyDelete