Monday, March 12, 2012

Political Action Committee formed to fight huge development in Wellington

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Well, lo and behold--a fat cat actually fighting development and urban sprawl. Where was he during the Amendment 4 campaign? That mentality sure wasn't in Lake Worth then and nothing has changed because we still have the normal suspects with deep pockets looking out for their own special interests.

Just last month, the Wellington Town Council on a 3/2 vote approved a plan to amend the town's Comprehensive Plan, allowing developers of Equestrian Village to build structures larger in size than what current land use regulations allow. Source: Channel 5. This is why I have always said that land-use changes should be considered only on a super-majority at the least. It is easier to compromise three commissioners than it is four because land-use changes are always political.

Jeremy Jacobs, Sr. whose family owns land there and best known as the owner of the Boston Bruins, is also Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Delaware North Companies. Forbes magazine ranks him as #746 of the world's billionaires. The development, Equestrian Village and commercial complex, is proposed to be built near the Jacobs' land at the northeast corner of Pierson Road and South Shore Boulevard. This action caused the Jacobs family to form a PAC called Taxpayers for Integrity.

Normally my antenna goes up when I hear these warm and fuzzy names for PAC's as in most cases they are far removed from what they portray. Remember back in 2007 when the Florida Chamber people, egged on by our local Chamber under Ramiccio, got involved in our Lake Worth election with a Chamber PAC called Protect Our Constitution out of Tallahassee to defeat The Supermajority. They sent money and foot soldiers into Lake Worth.

There were also all those angry looking Lake Worth citizens, many who were members of the Chamber, who were a part of Last Chance Lake Worth PAC spreading fear and falsehoods. This was only 5 years ago when developers had a hold on our City. Now that the dais has changed in Lake Worth, those same people seem to be creeping back, trying to grab the power even to the point of changing out members of our Planning & Zoning Board to their liking and to only those with "qualifications" such as developer, Realtor, land-use attorney--you know, the very same people with special interests of years ago.

The Taxpayers for Integrity PAC was formed to go after the defeat of the current Wellington Mayor, Darell Bowen, and support two new candidates running for election who are against this project. A quarter of a million big bucks has been infused into this campaign.

Of course, you have the Wellington Chamber of Commerce that is organizing and sending out fliers countering Jacobs and his new PAC. Anywhere there is development you can be assured that the Chamber of Commerce will be for it, good, bad or indifferent.


Let's see how this Wellington election goes tomorrow and whether or not John Greene, vice president of business development for an international private security firm; Matt Willhite, currently the only Democrat on the council; and Bob Margolis, a former council member running for mayor win their elections.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

What "developers" have a "hold" on our city? Who's "creeping back"? Where's all this development you are so afraid of?
Don't you ever get tired of writing these b.s. lies?

Lynn Anderson said...

Every now and then I will let something like the above to appear in order to point out that some refuse to really see the truth in our city. They forever have their heads in the sand and that is one of the big problems that continually sets us back. When you have a commission hell bent on changing the planning and zoning board to suit their friends and stack it with the same types of yesteryear, there is corruption. The above poster is probably the same person who does not believe there IS any corruption in LW or that any bad decisions were made in LW by those developer types who were on the board. We now have a good P&Z board and no one is making decisions other than to make a project better than originally presented.
So, stop your uninformed B.S. anonymous and get educated. No one is afraid of development in this city. We want development that makes sense. The only way to go is higher as Loretta wants 100 feet. William Waters says no to that and so does the P&Z.

Anonymous said...

I met with the P&Z board last week, and Ms. Mahoney was against everything that staff recomended.

Anonymous said...

It is not what Loretta want's, it is what the people voted on.

Lynn Anderson said...

What year did the people vote on heights?

Anonymous said...

As Lynn Anderson would say. " Do you want me to do your research?" Check the Charter.

Lynn Anderson said...

Well, you are the one making the point--let's get the facts. We know that there was a vote at some time in the past. No one seems to know when that was. Help us all out. Do I have to make your point for you too?

Anonymous said...

That is totally untrue about Mahoney.

Anonymous said...

Duhh, you idiots in Wellington could have been protected by Amendment 4. Oh well, too bad,so sad.When Wellington looks like Maiami and the only ones living there are drug dealing gang bangers just remember the paradise that you destroyed.