My thought for the day--
Corruption starts with an individual--someone in a position to gain who accepts favors or money. Corruption is found in government every day. Even though there are thousands of people who have never been exposed for the gains they have received through elected public office, board appointments or working for government, corruption is there and it is a big time problem.
Some get appointed to Boards with the purpose of exposure for their political philosophies and further their ambitions or to promote or better their business. When you are in the public eye, you instantly gain rewards in some fashion. The majority of board volunteers and elected officials are there for no other purpose but to give back to the community they serve. Some believe that once they are elected they deserve that convention trip to Washington or Colorado on the taxpayer dime and never bring back a report on what they learned. It was, afterall, a mini vacation that "I deserve."
Just within the last six years, West Palm Beach had two commissioners go to prison. Palm Beach County is the "corruption county" of the United States with Newell, McCarty and Masilotti also ending up in the slammer. All of them probably started as an elected official with pure intentions but along the way, they were tempted; they got corrupted.
Sometimes corruption starts with something innocuous. You get away with murder once, it is easier the second time when you pull that trigger. I will always remember years ago when Katie and I had invited Cara Jennings to breakfast at John G's, before I was writing a blog. She would not allow us to pay for her breakfast because of ethics. She was vehement about it. That incident stands out in my mind. She went over and above the "ethical rule" and we had no such thing as an Ethics Czar/Inspector General then. And she is the very one that certain people in this city blame for anything and everything.
14 comments:
Mulvehill,Germany, corrupt
At least she was invited to present at a global conference and market Lake Worth. Tell it to Maxwell who always votes for the free lunch who not once has ever presented nor has he ever reported back to the public on the benefits of his excursions. Tell it to the entire commission who wants this "benefit" to stay in place.
I do not remember a report from her last european vacation
She gave a Power Point on her Vancouver trip. You must have been sleeping and just dreaming up ways to knock her. Take it somewhere else.
lynn,
commissioner mulvehill was not invited to go to germany. she invited herself by sending them a paper. she wants us to believe that she was sought after and is in demand to speak on a subject that is important to her, not necessarily the community. i believe that if she were sought after, she would have been given a formal invitation to attend along with expenses or an honorarium.
also, her trips abroad are primarily paid for from her office occount (campaign contributions) please see her office account reports.
thanks for considering my thoughts
You may or may not know that I have always been against the travel and meeting budget. It is the little things that drive me crazy. I would like to see it all relegated to the State of Florida in order to cut down on superfluous spending and those nice little weekend vacations.
However, every commission that has ever been in place desires it and promotes its importance. Let's not single out Mulvehill here. It is ALL of them. This one in Germany may have some public benefit but rubbing elbows with fellow elected officials at The League of Cities is a crock.
Very true and insightful post. Thanks Lynn. Katie Mcgiveron
Isnt deceiving the public about how you really came to be a part of a conference a form of corruption?
Or how about using city money for transportation to destinations that enable extra days the commissioner tacks on to her trips so see can enjoy the skiing, visit family members and the like. Isn't that a form of corruption?
A simple public records request would solve that question and more.
No more vacations!
Ask Scott Maxwell. He's the one into trips to nowhere on taxpayer money. Until the commission ends this BS, it will continue. Your charges are baseless if you are talking about Suzanne Mulvehill. NO skiing. NO family...no "the like."
Ask her why and when she went and visited her family on her last jaunt to Europe.All on tax payers money...
Why don't you ask her since you like to make up crap?
As far as I know, all her trips to Southend, England were on her dime unless approved by the Commission. Southend is a sister City. They also put on a street painting festival. So, if she got reimbursed for that, good. It brought in tourism to our street painting festival. She is the ONLY commissioner who ever markets Lake Worth...THE ONLY ONE.
This blog is not about Commissioner Mulvehill. Please get your facts straight before you comment here. This is not an attack site for either side to use for political gain.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT, EVEN STARTING WITH THE NA'S THERE IS SO MUCH CORRUPTION, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE NON-POLITICAL AND THEY ARE FAR FROM THAT, IT IS A HUGE JOKE THE WAY NA LEADERS RUN THINGS IN THIS CITY.
Public records show Commissioner Mulvehill stayed in Vancour for four additional days after the Vancouver conference concluded. She might have paid for accomodations over that time, the ability to be in the area was paid for by the residents of Lake Worth.
Just the facts......
Ok--I am obviously not on top of Mulvehill's travel as are you. The only reason someone is doing that is to present a case. Do we know that the taxpayer paid for those extra days for her to remain there? She was representing in Vancouver. Was it cheaper to book her flight over a certain period of time rather than quickly fly up there and fly right back? Do you know the circumstances? Was it cheaper for her to stay longer?
Why not work on your friend Scott and convince him to end all travel, conferences and mini vacations like his trip to Washington to rub elbows with Col. West. Didn't he do that? Not that I blame him for wanting to.
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