Not enough to pull it offI can't tell you who is smarter--who will do the best job--but one thing in which we all agree, from the day that Pam Triolo introduced herself to all of us as a candidate for mayor, we liked her instantly. We believed her. There was no monkeying around. She got right to the point and understood what was in our hearts. Warm and sincere, we just knew that she would like us back.
This Mayoral election boiled down to a couple of things:
1. The Neighborhood Associations have become political over the past several years. If you recall, I predicted this in a Dirty Dozen series. Although there are a few neighborhood associations that insist they are non-political, when it comes down to taking off the wrapper, they are as political as the next. Everyone wants to make Lake Worth a better place to live. Kicking one perceived bum out and replacing that person with someone of like mind is a big objective. Many of the leaders of these neighborhoods are convincing their members that the city is being run by anarchists, officials who do not approve of code enforcement; love slum and blight, illegals and the homeless and are basically gypsies.
The neighborhood associations are out in their communities daily with crime walks and trash pick-ups and doing good deeds. They are influencing the community by working in them to make positive changes. Those who live in the neighborhoods are impressed by these deeds and the leaders of these associations who are pro-active. They have come to trust them to give them the "skinny" when it comes to casting their vote. Just in my own community, a forgotten one I might add, residents are always asking me for whom they should vote. This year I totally abstained from taking a position.
2. Negativity caught on. Two of the candidate forums put on by the Neighborhood Associations had many questions that were asked with prejudice. The forum at the Playhouse is tied with Tropical Ridge's forum as a put up job to cast doubt on the incumbents, especially Waterman...not sure which forum was worse. Dustin Zacks was there to do the dirty for the Triolo campaign. There was no other reason for him to be there. He could have dropped out immediately after Triolo filed. He said what Triolo couldn't say. All his comments trickled throughout the entire city of Lake Worth by those living in the neighborhood by those who had attended the debates.
3. The incumbent, Rachel Waterman, has no one to blame but herself. In a short term of less than four months, she managed to alienate many in the community. Several people who had been active for years were ignored as their concerns hit a brick wall and went dormant. She kicked 2 people out of the Chamber, one for whispering. She used an iron fist. Every time she smiled from the dais, or when she rolled her eyes, we all wondered when the sparks would fly. She voted for a budget after spending 80 hours reviewing it, not changing a thing. She allowed the city manager to jerk her chain at every opportunity. She voted for the free lunches: travel, membership fees, conventions and conferences. She brought up a salary increase at election time, knowing that voters would be very critical after she just voted to increase taxes. She had no conception of what the fire assessment was really about--all she knew is that the city manager just had to have the money to balance her budget and to get much needed cash. She tried to con us by saying that she never voted for the fire assessment. Her own personal finances had been a disaster and voters did not agree with the tax and spend mentality at city hall. She did not take her constituents seriously and in her mind, classified them as trouble makers, stupid, complainers and even used the words "rabble rouser" describing one resident. He voted for Triolo.
So, because of these three things, we now have a new Mayor, an extremely likable gal, Pam Triolo, who did understand. We have high hopes that she will be a leader and not be lead.
13 comments:
Congrats Pam and Andy. Now get rid of the fire tax.
I'd like to congratulate Rachel for going down in history as our shortest term and most divisive and hated Mayor. Don't let the door hit you in the @$$ RW.
To Jo-Ann, thank you for your 5 years of service. Even though I voted for Andy, your service is appreciated.
Being a on the Lake Worth Commission is a very hard task and I would never say it ain't so. Personal I wish Rachael and Jo-ann nothing but the best.
I also Welcome Pam and Andy and look forward to moving forward. Its just as important to have people in office that frankly We the People can relate to and work with. Remember that your new offices come with a lot of responsibility and you are there to represent the people as a whole.
Regardless of Anarchist or no Anarchist we are a diverse community and if we can find that central harmony to where we can grow as a city and as neighbors.
Thank you Joann for voting for every tax increase, every utility increase, every assessment and every non-ad tax that you could to raise my tax bill way beyond the 10 mil cap. Thank you for destroying code compliance and spending hundreds of thousands on the day labor center. Thank you for never fixing the permit process so it still takes weeks to even get a simple permit. Thank you for caring more about the illegals than you did for the average citizen. Thank you for the biggest drop in our property values seen by any Palm Beach County city. Finally, I did not appreciate getting your mailers telling me that you lowered my utility rates. That's a dirty lie. Now you can save the world and enjoy your trust fund money. You will not be missed.
Congratulations to Pam and Andy! I know they love this city as much as all their supporters, the people labeled as "haters" by Rachel Waterman.
FYI Lynn, the supporters of the incumbents tried their dirty tricks at the some precincts yesterday. Fortunately, most failed, but they were documented and will be investigated.
I am certain it is not necessary to continue to hold hostility for Rachel and Joanne and I am equally certain Pam and Andy will not be able to do what they said they would. I wish each of the four well.
Finally election results that many are happy about, that goodness we go rid of JoAnn and Waterman, both of which would not return calls or e-mails, they feel they are above us and not have to answer to their constituents. We need new blood, hopefully new blood that cares and will be more respectful toward us. I am glad that Golden and Waterman are out, Adios. May our little city by the sea go forward now progressing and keeping a balance to make it better and better.
Hopefully now with the change of guard in Lake Worth the City Manager, Stanton, will change her tune. She treats the public like dirt, maybe now she will be kinder and get her butt off that office chair and out into the fields to see the conditions of this city and do more and listen more. It will be interesting to see if she improves and is better toward the citizens now that we have new leadership. I hope so, otherwise I think they should fire her.
Mike, she is probably planning her exit strategy, and hiding and shredding all incriminating evidence.
Hopefully, Susan Stanton is going no where if this Commission is smart. All they have to do is learn how to say "no" from time to time. It will eventually sink in.
But Lynn, Stanton does not like to hear the word no. You should realize by now, It is Her way, or No way
Maybe the hate-festival against Stanton could be put on hold while we see how the new Commission and Mayor work with her.
We may have just enough change on the Dais, to facilitate a better working relationship up there.
We do not need upheaval right now, especially without any plan to replace her.
Things just may work out for the best here..wouldn't that be something?
To anon at 6:11 pm. I want some of what you are smoking. Stanton could not get along with her own reflection in a mirror.
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