It's nice to open the editorial page of the Palm Beach Post and read advice from Randy Schultz on our fire assessment. The Post's editor, Andrew Marra, already said that the fire assessment was fair and now we have Mr. Schultz touting the same. Did the City send him a "whoa is me?"Schultz suggests that we could "raid the reserves." Unfortunately the city manager spent most all of our reserves on things that were not emergencies. We have no clue as to where the money went. Monies were moved here and there and everywhere. We do have $25 million in capital projects this year. Something besides the beach and casino can be delayed. What about the three pensions that have a strong hold around the necks of every property owner in the city? We know what our problem is but it seems we are impotent to doing one thing about it and we settle for a nickel when it comes to the unions.
There is nothing "fair" or equitable about special assessments. There never was unless, of course, you are living under socialism. And although this country is becoming a tax and spend and Robin Hood state, there is nothing "just" about a special assessment with the poor paying exactly the same as the rich. The taxpaying people in our last elections told you that and they kicked your endorsement for mayor out the door.
Operate the city and live within a normal budget just like all the rest of us have to do in our personal lives. That should be your advice.
7 comments:
Lynn, you have long claimed that there was fat and waste in the Budget. Now we have a Mayor who claims that she will cut the Budget in excess of what will be lost from the elimination of the Fire Special Assessment-----and she will do it in 100 days!
Day 97 and counting.
I think that they will do it by the end of Monday. And if they do, they will ALL be Lake Worth super heroes--Scott, Pam and Andy.
You will have staff and the CM fighting this and giving all sorts of reasons why they can't. Ooops, the library has to go. Ooops, we will have to have Johnny Longboats after all. Ooops, I won't be able to ever redecorate again. Gosh darn. We had better get these hurricane impact glass windows right the first time.
How can the post even justify this editorial when we still do not have a CLEAR line item accountablitity for everything that was and will be spent? You don't assess when you don't know what the "REAL" numbers are!
I think the public needs a public line item reporting of what was spent in the last 5 years and any future proposals to also be line itemed with out all the narrative and fluff.
I think we would be absolutely amazed of where every penny goes.
Once again PB Post NO to any assessments until we have a real picture of the finances to make real decisions.
Thanks Lynn for keeping us informed!
The Palm Beach Post is wrong again, they are the worst, they love to pit the LW citizens against the leadership in the city. Any kind of sensationalism they can whip up to try and sell papers, they try, this editorial is just another example. I have lost all respect for this paper and the people running it. I never buy their papers any more, refuse to, I hope they go bankrupt and shut down soon. At least the Sun Sentinel is a little more fair and balanced. We need to cat all the waste and high salaries in this city, let the 6-figure folks take a 10% pay cut like Triolo pledged and what they did in WPB. The Palm Beach Post sucks!
Never mind the last 5 years, let's just do what was spent since Stanton came on board.........
I agree Lynn. it will be done.
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