An American Son

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The book, An American Son by Senator Marco Rubio, just arrived. I ordered a signed copy because I think Rubio is going places. It is already on the New York times best seller's list. Can't wait to find the time to read it.

Shame on you, Barack Obama

Politics got him into trouble; Politics saved him

Attorney General Eric Holder has friends in higher places than the United States Congress,

“We will not prosecute an executive branch official (Attorney General Eric Holder) under the contempt of Congress statute for withholding subpoenaed documents pursuant to a presidential assertion of executive privilege,” Cole wrote.

Deputy Attorney General James Cole said the decision is in line with long-standing Justice Department practice across administrations of both political parties.

 Read more...

What's in a Name? Everything

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Now comes another grandstanding politician who wants to change a name. This time it is not the name change of an entire city like Lake Worth, Florida that has had the same name since it was founded but that of the loftiest mountain in America in Mount McKinley National Park since 1917. Mount McKinley towers 23,000 feet above tide.

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has introduced legislation to change the name of North America's tallest peak from Mount McKinley to Mount Denali.
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Property Values up In Palm Beach County but NOT in Lake Worth

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Property values have slightly increased in Palm Beach County.

The biggest decrease, a drop of nearly 15 percent in a single year, came in the poor Lake Okeechobee town of Pahokee, followed by Glenridge, Cloud Lake, Belle Glade, Palm Springs, Lake Worth, Greenacres, Palm Beach Shores, Briny Breezes and Lake Park.

As the City of Lake Worth continues to attract people with lower incomes by building more affordable housing, reversing the trend of lower property values is made more difficult. But I am sure that there will still be some blaming it all on Cara Jennings and the minority commission.

Read more...

Jeff Clemens a lousy driver?

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Palm Beach County has asked for the suspension of candidate for Florida Senate Jeff Clemens' driver's license. Clemens says his driving record shouldn't be an issue in this race.

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Lake Worth Budget Workshop -

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Budget Workshop #4 took place last night.  Under every circumstance, a budget workshop is where staff presents and commissioners ask questions and set the policy as to what they will be spending and where they will be spending it as well as to understand all the particulars. This is the time that they do that--during the workshop--not after the Budget has been formulated.

Last night, however, was another exception to normal protocol that we have always expected. When questions were asked or comments were made by Commissioners McVoy and Mulvehill, they were shot down by the mayor, Pam Triolo, and told to move on...questions would be answered at a later meeting. When asked "when" by Commissioner McVoy, it was left unanswered...time and date unknown. Then she would roll her eyes and then Scott Maxwell would follow suit.

Normally Maxwell is tough on any budget presentation (he has never approved of any Budget in the past) but last night the only thing he seemed to focus on was having a baseball field in the south end of town.  Commissioner Mulvehill came well prepared to ask the questions and to get to the bottom of the discrepancies but she was stopped in her tracks. Even McVoy asked about transparency and the eyes would roll again. Commissioner Amoroso made some good points.

The City Manager Bornstein intimated that he had not been able to meet with them one on one--ran out of time-- and that is how he likes to do it (answer their questions) prior to the workshop and then just present his numbers. Meeting with commissioners prior to a public workshop meeting is alright but all that communication should be in the Sunshine. Telling commissioners that they are not allowed to ask questions that involve the spending of tax dollars, is outrageous in itself.

The Sunshine Law is applicable to a workshop meeting held by the city commission to discuss future city business. "The obvious intent [of the Sunshine Law] was to cover any gathering of the members where the members deal with some matter on which foreseeable action will be taken by the board." The public has a right to know what questions were asked and what answers were given and how Staff wants to spend all of the revenue.

In the Town of Palm Beach v. Gradison, 296 So.2d 473, 475 (Fla. 1974), the Supreme Court expostulated: "Every meeting of any board, commission, agency or authority of a municipality should be a marketplace of ideas, so that the governmental agency may have sufficient input from the citizens who are going to be affected by the subsequent action of the municipality. The ordinary taxpayer can no longer be led blindly down the path of government, for the news media, by constantly reporting community affairs, has made the taxpayer aware of governmental problems. Government, more so now that ever before, should be responsive to the wishes of the public. These wishes could never be known in nonpublic meetings, and the governmental agencies would be deprived of the benefit of suggestions and ideas which may be advanced by the knowledgeable public."

This workshop meeting was a farce and a total waste of time especially when the city manager told the commission that they could make recommendations during their one on one meetings out of the Sunshine. All this boiled down to was a budget presentation by the Finance Director on behalf of the City Manager...all were to sit there like good little subjects...questions were not going to be tolerated.

Attorney General Gets Walloped

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Attorney General Eric Holder.

Contempt of Congress.

Vote 255 ayes, 67 nays, and 1 present vote for

Contempt Perjury Lied to House.

Planning & Zoning's Recommendations - Lake Worth

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The graphic below shows the heights approved by the removed Planning and Zoning Board.

This change is shown on the Revised Future Land Use Map (FLUM) page 272 and the P&ZB Recommended FLUM page 273 of the backup for the June 19, 2012, City Commission Meeting. The Revised Zoning Map showing the zoning change is not included in the backup.

Last Planning and Zoning Meeting video

Click to enlarge

Sorry--this is too small to read. If you want a copy of the pdf, e-mail me.

As a reference, Table 1 and Notes were included in the backup for the June 19, 2012, City Commission Meeting on pages 250 and 251 and combined on the “Revised Summary Table 1” found on page 274. The referenced documents do NOT show the proposed up-zoning of the area around Pinecrest Cemetery from Single Family Residential (SFR) Land Use Category/ Single Family Residential 7 du/acre (SFR) Zoning District to Medium Density Residential (MDR) Land Use Category/ Single-Family and Two-Family Residential 14 du/acre (SF-TF-14) Zoning District. However, the Medium Density Residential Land Use Category also includes the Low Density Multi-Family Residential 20 du/acre (MF-20) Zoning District, which would allow the Commission to further up-zone that area to the maximum zoning allowed under the Land Use Category of 20 du/acre.

Respectful Planning Political Action Committee

Building height PAC formed in Lake Worth

By Willie Howard

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

LAKE WORTH —

Supporters of a charter amendment that would limit building heights along Lake and Lucerne avenues have created a political committee to raise money for the cause.

Read the rest of his story.

We invite all of you to come out and help. If you need further information, please call Carolyn Deli, 586-4999. Donations are payable to Respectful Planning PAC and sent c/o Deli at 126 N. E. St, Lake Worth, FL 33460. Get out your sunscreen, your hat and good walking shoes. Time is a wasting!

Jack says...

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Mr. Integrity

If you ever need any advice on ANYTHING, go to Jack.
 He has ALL of the answers.

Jack said...

A bit of friendly advice Lynn, accept your total lack of ability to influence any elected officials, even the ones you back. Your dishonesty, lack of integrity and misinformation have all been well documented.

It would seem your primary function today is to rally the opposition. I guess that spells trouble for Mulvehill's petition and Mack Benard's Primary campaign.

Let's see how that works out!

Well, Jack, if both fail, it is not because of me.

Divided Supreme Court Ruling a Mixed Bag

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We now have another tax

With Rasmussen saying just days ago that 54% of Americans were against Obamacare, we got it anyway. President Obama said he was not being political but instead pushed for what he considered the right thing for Americans. Not all of the plan was approved today but he won a victory and his campaign might have gotten a shot in the arm by the socialists and liberals.

Obama says it isn't a tax but the Supreme Court says that it is. Read the Mixed Bag on Obama's Healthcare.

Even the Supreme Court's decision was divided: Nearly all of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions also survived the states’ challenge. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal wing of the Court in the 5-4 opinion...he was was the "swing" vote.  The four justices joining Roberts in upholding the law were Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The dissenting justices were Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.

There are hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country who simply can't afford nor do they want medical insurance. Too bad, said Obama. Congress gave them a break as far as penalities:  only $95 for 2014; $325 for 2015; and $695 in 2016. After 2016, that $695 amount is indexed to the consumer price index.

Congress also decided to give the people a "break" and said that they would not allow the use of liens and seizures of property as methods of enforcing the penalty.

Quote of the Day - Kathy Barco

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"This is a success story."

~Kathy Barco

 Chair of  The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission


The Florida Black Bear has been allowed to survive in Florida thanks to the fact that it was on the threatened species list. It has rebounded now to a population of 3,000.

Now that we have a good population again, yesterday the Commission removed the protection of the Florida Black Bear. It will no longer be a felony to shoot one--only a misdemeanor.

These beautiful animals, destroyed to nearly extinction by man, will now be at their mercy again. This was a bad decision by The Fish and Wildlife Commission. And Ms. Barco, your success story of the Forida Black Bear is now meaningless by your vote yesterday. Your quote makes you appear like a callous fool.

Felon in Lake Worth promoting Medical Marijuana

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Robert Platshorn

See the video and reporting by WSJ's Arian Campo-Flores in Lake Worth.

Former convicted drug felon, Robert Platshorn, (Black Tuna) who is America's most notorious drug smuggler, is still advocating for medical marijuana even now when he is he an old dude of 69. He's also been hanging around with Jeff Clemens, candidate for Florida State Senate. Jeff was the former mayor of Lake Worth who sponsored a bill to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.

Robert Platshorn served nearly 30 years in prison on federal drug charges. Since getting out four years ago, he's been promoting medical marijuana use to seniors in Florida.

Tonight's Sky

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Although there was no sunset to witness tonight, the southeastern part of the sky was bright with one beautiful bright cloud.

So says the Judge

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Illegals or non-citizens can not vote in Florida.

 A federal judge has refused to stop Florida and Governor Rick Scott from removing potentially non-U.S. citizens from its rolls. The U.S. Department of Justice sued the state to halt the purge, arguing it was going on too close to a federal election.

 Read more...

I'm not political," says Mayor Pam Triolo

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The Mayor

By the sheer description of what you are, a politician, makes you so. You were elected into political office.

Today I tuned into the Mayor's radio show for the first time. I have a curiosity as to what the other opinion is but wondered if there was any disclaimer about her show being political or is this radio show simply being treated as a news event for all of us uninformed schmos out here.

The Mayor said that she  wasn't a politician and then she said, "I don't believe in scare tactics." She wants people to present all of the facts. She further went on to say that "the only people dividing this city are those using the word 'divisive'."  In other words, do not dare disagree with her political view. She had William Waters on the show to confirm, well golly gee, there is no way you can build high because of FAR's and LDR's and such. He fed the company line throughout the entire time I listened.

The LDR's and Comp Plan have been in conflict and now the City has fined tuned what can and can't be built that can not be in conflict with the Comprehensive Plan. The recent as well as past Planning & Zoning boards have been working on the LDR's for years now.

True, the proposed heights in the Comp Plan are less than what was voted upon in a Charter amendment sixteen or twenty years ago. Situations have changed and now we know much more about sustainability. However, staff wants higher heights in areas of our city that were not recommended by the Planning & Zoning board. Staff wanted lower heights in the Park of Commerce and the Commission voted to approve that against the P&Z's recommendation. This was a very weird vote by the Commission because this area is where we will get our tax base, not in the downtown. That all goes to the CRA and the taxpayers will pick up the cost of services.

The graphics that were done to show how high 65 feet is, were torn apart by the Mayor. It is all about heights, Mayor. No one was implying that box shaped buildings would be built with no set-backs and no green, etc.  You and your friends twisted the truth and intent of the graphics. This is not a "scare tactic." There is nothing scary about it. It is about getting it finally "right" about heights and we want to ensure that this city stays a low-rise city.

 Keep it low. Let the people vote on 45 feet between Golfview and F Street and 35 feet between F and A Streets. The only "scary thing" is why are you so scared about the people having a voice at the ballot box?

Raising the Social Security Cap

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Allen West receiving award in 2011 for protecting Social Security

"Raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on incomes above $250,000 would make Social Security strong for the next 75 years while affecting only 1.4 percent of the wealthiest workers in the United States," says Bernie Sanders.

That’s what the Center for Economic and Policy Research concluded in an analysis of a bill Sanders introduced. “The report makes clear that if we simply asked the top 1.4 percent of Americans to pay their fair share into the Social Security Trust Fund, Social Security would be solvent for the next 75 years.”

And social security is not socialism or an "entitlement" as some like to comment here as all workers who work the required amount of quarters and contribute to the Plan, receive social security. Basically, it is an insurance annuity retirement plan.

This is how the top one percenters can give back and get the heat off their back from the Democrats that say they are nothing but selfish pigs who contribute little and they will stop Bernie from sleazy politics by saying that Republicans believe that this is a country Of the Rich, By the Rich and For the Rich.

We definitely need to lift the cap from the maximum taxable earnings amount for Social Security (OASDI) taxes of $110,100 and leave the rest of it alone such as raising the age for Seniors and essentially forcing them to work until they die. One thing never mentioned, is the federal government robbing the Social Security Trust Fund. This needs to stop now.

Lake Worth mustn’t lose small-town feel

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Palm Beach Post
June 27, 2012
By: Laurence McNamara

Lake Worth mustn’t lose small-town feel

The editorial regarding height limits in Lake Worth creates some misconceptions. It refers to our Downtown Historic District as the “entertainment district,” which it is, but this characterization ignores the architectural character, quality and low profile of the buildings which together make up our city’s second-most important and attractive asset to both tourists and potential homebuyers.

The consensus reached by residents and officials over the past seven years has been to protect our small-town feel. But the commission changed this goal. Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill’s charter amendment petition is a reaction to this misrepresentation of the people’s will by the commission.

Increasing height to attract development in the downtown area will place a burden on the general fund since this entire area is a community redevelopment district and all increases in tax revenue go to the CRA, not the city. Taxpayers will pick up the tab for services and concurrency required for development which does not reflect their vision.

Our civic leaders will do well to focus on creating infrastructure in the Park of Commerce to allow industrial and commercial development to occur there.

LAURENCE McNAMARA

Lake Worth

Admin Note: Your right to vote on this issue was refused by the "visionary" commission. All those who want to get involved in your right to petition under the Constitution of the United States and help get this issue on the ballot, please contact this blogger or anyone in the Respectful Planning PAC.

To Jack:
Please attend so that we all can shake your hand for being such an upstanding citizen who devotes all of his free time in making Lake Worth a better place.
With love, L

Planning & Zoning Board Lake Worth

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There was no reasonable explanation as to why the visionaries on the City Commission wanted to kick the former Planning & Zoning board to the curb--a Board that had done a highly professional job. This was unprecedented in the City of Lake Worth. Bullying from the dais is unacceptable to most reasonable people. The Commission has the final word anyway. Even the Member Log of the P&Z was altered to reflect that all their terms expired on 6/26/12. They made sure that all of their ducks were in a row.

Now we have a predominance of people on this Board who are more inclined to have their "vision"... higher buildings in the downtown with the taller buildings already here as exceptions. They even want higher buildings in certain residential areas.

Someone asked a question on this blog regarding education of the final members of the new "visionary" Planning & Zoning Board. Although education is important and certainly necessary when choosing a "qualified" candidate as that entails a profession of some sort such as law, architecture, etc., (a new requirement for this Board), higher education is not everything in life and does not guaranty success or that someone will be better at this volunteer position than someone without a degree.

Usually college graduates make more money than those who do not. There are always exceptions and huge success stories come to mind: Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs. My grandfather was an immigrant from Scotland with a 9th grade education but he was the most educated man I have ever known and a big success in his life, actually living the American Dream that so many get the opportunity to do in this great country through hard work.



Palm Beach State College, degree in Hotel Management



Greenwich University and U. of Pennsylvania, planner 1983



Capital University, JD in 1978Business owner



Allegheny College BA 1969 and U. of Buffalo, JD in 1974



Attended Palm Beach Junior College, former Real Estate BrokerMarketing guru



University of Michigan, BA 2004 & JD 2007

I found his answers to questions to be in alignment with my own other than his wanting to attract more young people to the city. We have an abundance of young here with the average age at about 34.  Attracting more affluent would help build up the neighborhoods and those people are usually older than our average age with over 56% of our populous under the age of 44. The average age has drastically changed over the last several decades.

NYU, AA 1983Videographer

New Planning and Zoning Board Lake Worth

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Robert Waples, 5 votes, term to 7/31/2015
Dean Sherwin, 4 votes, term to 7/31/2014
John Rinaldi, 4 votes. term to 7/31/2014
Frank Palen, 3 votes, term to 7/31/2013
Greg Rice, 3 votes, term to 7/31/2013
Dustin Zacks, 3 votes (alternate), term to 7/31/2013
Mark Parrilla, 4 votes (alternate), term to 7/31/2013

The above Board appointees were approved on a 3 to 2 vote with McVoy and Mulvehill dissenting.

Important Message about the threatened Florida Black Bear

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This Wednesday, June 27th, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will vote on a historic measure which - if passed - will finalize removal of the Florida black bear from the state list of imperiled species.

For the past 38 years Florida's black bears - a unique subspecies of the Americn black bear - have been designated as "threatened" and have been given special protection under the law.  Those protections include a ban on hunting (intentionally killing a bear - or any threatened species in Florida - is a third degree felony and can carry a prison term of up to 5 years and/or a fine of up to $5,000 dollars) as well as a ban on other activities considered "take" (e.g. harming, harassing, trapping or collecting).  But "take" under Florida law can also include "significant habitat modification or degradation where it actually kills or injures wildlife by significantly impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering."

Up till now, threatened status designation has been an extremely effective tool for the protection of the bear - and has in fact led to a significant rebound in the population.  Once found throughout Florida, by the 1950s Florida's estimated 11,000 bears had dwindled to only a few hundred.  Indiscriminate hunting (as well as killing of bears as "nuisance animals"), loss and degradation of bear habitat due to Florida's legendary population boom, and fragmentation of habitat due to sprawl and road building (roadkill is now by far the most common cause of bear deaths in the state) have all taken their toll.  Largely a result of the protections the bear currently enjoys, approximately 2,500 to 3,000 bears can be found in Florida today.

However, Florida's beloved bear is hardly "out of the woods".  Bears exist today on only 18 percent of their historic range.  Equally troubling is the fact that the Florida black bear is no longer a single inter-connected and inter-breeding population.  Decades of geographic separation caused by urbanization and road building means that Florida's black bears have been pushed into genetically isolated sub-populations - some of which are just on the brink of survival. And that lack of genetic diversity means bears are already exhibiting some of the same genetic defects - e.g. reproductive and anatomical abnormalities - which have also plagued the single isolated population of Florida panthers in our region.

In short - this is not the time to de-list the Florida black bear and strip it of the very protections which have brought it back from near extinction.  Florida is once again adding to its already massive population and the state's own vision of the future -  "Wildlife 2060" - anticipates that growth over the next few decades (to a possible population of 35 million!) could lead to the development of about 7 million acres of rural and natural land - an area about equal in size to the state of Vermont.

Right here in south Florida, our own Big Cypress sub-population of bears is facing habitat loss and degradation from proposed construction of "new towns" (one ironically named "Big Cypress"); a new and greatly expanded road network across rural lands; the proposed construction of the largest fossil fuel plant in the nation just outside the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation (FPL's gas-fired "Clean Energy Center"); and the National Park Service's recent decision to run 130 miles of off-road vehicle trails through some of the least disturbed bear habitat which remains inside the Big Cypress National Preserve.

Time is unfortunately very short.  The Fish and Wildlife Commission will be meeting this Wednesday morning to make this decision.  If you can, please send a quick message to the commissioners and ask them to maintain the Florida black bear on their list of threatened species - and give this magnificent representative of Florida's natural heritage the continued protection it requires.

The commissioners can be reached at the following web address:

http://m1e.net/c?121296310-d7Te6011/LJj6%407633477-jUxyJqUZEd9.w

Or you can email the commission on this topic at bearplan@myfwc.com

Thanks as always for your support.

Matt Schwartz
Executive Director
South Florida Wildlands Association
P.O. Box 30211
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33303
Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/southfloridawild
954-634-7173

Lake Worth Volunteer Board Interviews tonight

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UPDATE
Tonight begins the interviews of the applicants for Planning & Zoning and the CRA, two out of four of our top boards. This top four includes the Electric Utility where citizens were appointed without interviews by the Commission. The Historical Preservation Board is not on the list, and the last we knew, they only had three members. I am assuming it was advertised again to the public. This Board is equally as powerful and important as the P&Z and is in charge of a lot of territory within Lake Worth.

Go to the CRA and view all of the maps.

Planning & Zoning Board (a 5 member board with 2 alternates) and the CRA (1 vacancy)

Political Pay-Backs

Dustin Zacks:  Lawyer specializing in foreclosures. Also a specialist in Zack Attacks as witnessed in the last campaign. As he was the primary reason why Waterman was defeated, look for him to get appointed.

Frank Palen:  One of the good ole boys from a past Planning & Zoning Board. He did a lot of fine work in historical preservation while on the Board and later stepped down. He represented the owner of The Gulfstream Hotel.

Greg Rice:  A real estate investor and part of the growth team. Owns a unit in The Lucerne.

John Rinaldi:  An inactive lawyer who owns a Bed & Breakfast in the area proposed for up-zoning to 65 feet. Also, he did a political "number" as master of ceremonies during the last political debate at the LW Playhouse..

Laura Starr:  An attorney. Her large donations in the last election to the winners will likely clinch her a seat on a major board. She has applied before and this will be her time.

Mark Parrilla:  RUMOR OF WITHDRAWING...TRYING TO CONFIRM. Possibly a political pay-back as he campaigned heavily for the new commission and has been an avid supporter.

Herman Robinson:  Downtown property owner who advocates for heights.

Wes Blackman:  Planner. Although he is not on the list tonight to be interviewed, he has re-applied to the Historical Preservation Board as his first choice. He is a former Chair of the P&Z and was there when The Lucerne was approved. 

The Rest of the Pack

Kate Sheffield:  WITHDREW. A Planner On the Board for the last 9 months.She is part of the past P&Z, a board that this new commission dissolved. She may get a nod as she is non-political.

Robert Waples:  Vice Chair of the now defunct Planning & Zoning board. Robert maintains his neutrality in political issues. Even as President of his own Neighborhood Association, he keeps politics out of it. It is possible that he will be reappointed.

Dean Sherwin:  An architect. He might get appointed to the P&Z because he is not entrenched in the heavy politics.

Tag Line for Respectful Planning Pac

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Voters Rights on
Building Heights 
Not this

Your Voice

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"Never believe that a small group of people can't change the world… Indeed, they are the only ones who do."

~  Margaret Meade

I really like this quote that I just grabbed from Original Save Our Beach, Inc., a political action committee in Deerfield Beach and our friend, Bett Willett, who is a Co-President of that PAC. I especially like the acronym:  oSOB. It is catchy and clever and right in your face.

Your Voice is important. Join the Respectful Planning PAC Facebook page today. Let's hear what you have to say about respectful heights in our downtown.

Strutting his Stuff

Pauly, our resident Peacock, has a morning ritual after he flies down from his Pine tree. He walks towards the south-east end of our property and spreads his feathers, prancing around in circles, occasionally squawking. Another peacock some distance away can be heard answering him. They just have never connected. He has been one lonely bird for seven years and the feral cats are his only companions.

Obama's New Plan

Not only does Obama sleep with the one-percenters, he is asking the hard working middle and lower classes to donate whatever money they or their relatives/friends would spend on little Suzy darling's birthday gift to HIM--the anointed one! How low can you get. The American people have already sacrificed enough with his $5 trillion added to the national debt since 2008.

Beauty and Blight

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In spite of the fact that the shuffleboard courts have been allowed to go to hell because the city wants to give us some song and dance that 1) old people use them and we count for squat 2)  they are part of the past 3)  courts are unsustainable and 4) whatever other ridiculous reason they give, the city has a beautiful and magnificent Magnolia tree on the east side of the property. Even its fate has the potential possibility of  destruction in order to free up that little green space for some sort of recreation for God knows whom.

It is truly unbelievable to me what little regard we have for our assets, our history, and of course, the reason why we were at the Courts this morning--the people's right to vote and not three politicians acting like dictators telling us what we want.

The word “magnolia” is synonymous with our native Magnolia grandiflora, the classic Southern magnolia with large, glossy leaves and huge, fragrant white blossoms―the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana. Few trees can match it for year-round beauty and we have this magnificence right in our own backyard.

It is more than too bad that this stunning tree is growing around blight and run down shuffleboard courts that are trashed and mildewed with half the courts on the jackhammer block with no public input.

Respectful Planning - Your Voice Needs to be heard

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A good campaign slogan should remain consistent and endure throughout the entire campaign. The slogan should connect voter concerns and the current political environment in a way that's succinct and to the point. But, because of the rush to get this political action going and the time constraints it is under, it was decided that--

there would be two messages throughout the campaign:  the initial message of Your Voice and the final message of Vote Smart, Vote Yes.

Your Voice would be during the initial petition signature gathering.  Vote Smart, Vote Yes will be after the signatures are qualified for the November 6 vote. Petitions will be ready on Monday, June 25 and signature gatherers will be ready to go forward. Another meeting is scheduled next Saturday, June 30, 9am at the LW Shuffleboard Courts.

If you need further information, please call Carolyn Deli, 586-4999. Donations are payable to Respectful Planning PAC and sent c/o Deli at 126 N. E. St, Lake Worth, FL  33460. A Facebook page in the name of the PAC is in the process of being developed.

Plus and Minus for Jeff Clemens

A PLUS for Jeff Clemens
Clemens is campaigning as a true-blue Democrat who’s proud that Associated Industries of Florida gives him a 48.5 percent pro-business rating while Bernard scores 66 percent.

MINUS' for Jeff Clemens
Against all inspirational messages in the classroom
Wants to legalize medical marijuana
Cohorts with a known drug felon
Voted against Florida's budget
Against random drug testing for State employees

List of Moody's downgraded banks

Moody's said, "All of the banks affected by today’s actions have significant exposure to the volatility and risk of outsized losses inherent to capital markets activities. In the past, these risks have led many institutions to fail or to require outside support, including several firms affected by today’s rating actions."

And just think--we still have some in our city who continue to play the sleazy political game by blaming a few present and past commissioners on everything wrong with our city.  It just isn't working anymore.

List of the 15 financial institutions just downgraded by Moody's:

downgraded 3 notches:
Credit Suisse, from Aa2 to A2

downgraded 2 notches:
Morgan Stanley, to Baa1
Union Bank of Switzerland
Goldman Sachs, from A1 to A3
Barclays, to A3
BNP Paribas, AA3
Credit Agricole, to AA3
Royal Bank of Canada, to Aa3
Deutsche Bank, to A2
Fortis
Lloyds
Bank of America

downgraded 1 notch:
Royal Bank of Scotland, to Baa1, outlook negative
HSBC, to AA2
Soc Gen, to A2
Citigroup, to Baa2, outlook negative

Lake Worth man arrested by FDLE

This time the Palm Beach Post actually got it right--the alleged criminal IS from Lake Worth--1407 S. E Street, to be exact.

 Frank Wooden was arrested for conspiracy to commit racketeering, first-degree money laundering, conspiracy to traffic in oxycodone and obtaining a controlled substance by fraud.

Read more...

Quote of the Day - Shanon Materio

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“I know one side of it is that you’re giving up the control, and that’s everybody’s fear. But sometimes you get better quality for less money because sometimes (an outside company) can just do a better job.”

~ Shanon Materio, West Palm Beach City Commissioner

Speaking about the cost of garbage pick-up in West Palm Beach--their $6.2 million budget short-fall this year and outsourcing sanitation services.

I agree with Shanon on this one.

Choosing an Energy Provider

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After last night everyone in the room must realize what an awesome job this Selection Committee has in front of them in choosing the correct energy provider for Lake Worth. Heck, this is a Commission that has been complaining about electric rates in Lake Worth and blaming the two sitting minority commissioners on everything but the leaky kitchen sink.

Everyone had better pray as the selection committee consists of our five commissioners, three of whom are "visionaries," one volunteer who is Chair of the newly formed Electric Utility Advisory Board and Steve Carr, Finance Director. They are expected to contract with some company to give us better rates than we are now experiencing--the best deal possible.

This entire matter came about because we want lower rates. We therefore, gave FMPA a five year notice that we were exiting to find another provider. As FPL is one of the companies that submitted a bid and some of the commissioners are getting feedback from some citizens that we should sell our Utility to them, don't be surprised in the end that FPL comes out on top in the rankings.

Don't they know that if we (Lake Worth) sell our utility, that we will have to pay back the sales price in the form of rate increases to whomever buys it...possibly $75 million or more? Don't they know that it is really handing over an asset that in essence benefits the buyer and not the seller? Don't they know that we have to pay back the Bond money? Don't they know that we will lose $10 million in our operating budget and we will have to reduce services?

Watching over the entire discussion

Michael Kennedy
Contract Oversight Specialist
Office of Inspector General Palm Beach County

Political Action Committee Formed

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From: Pamela Lopez
Sent: Friday, June 22, 2012 10:50 AM
To: Andy Amoroso; Christopher McVoy; Elaine Humphreys; Michael Bornstein; Pam Triolo; Scott Maxwell; Silvina Donaldson; Suzanne Mulvehill
Subject: new Political Committee

Please be advised that on June 22, 2012, I have registered the Respectful Planning Lake Worth Political Committee for the purpose of supporting a City Charter Amendment regarding heights of buildings in Lake Worth not to exceed 45 ft. downtown between Golfview and Dixie and not to exceed 35 ft. along Lake and Lucerne A Street and F Street’s.

Bill Maher, the "comedian?"

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Bill Maher is a punk. He's a wise guy. He's an anomaly. He says stuff to make big bucks and idiots laugh...an ultra-liberal obnoxious know-it-all. He supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage, and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion. He's basically a New Yorker but now lives in California, which explains Bill Maher.




The following excerpts of an e-mail were received by the campaign for Allen West.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Bill Maher has made racist and sexist remarks. He has a history of offensive, misogynistic attacks on women as well.

In one 11-day period in 2011, Maher repeatedly assaulted Sarah Palin, calling her a “bimbo” and hurling two sexist epithets during his stand-up “comedy routine.”

He has repeatedly leveled insults at Bristol Palin as well, saying just this past May that Bristol would “name her next kid Colt 45 after what she’s drinking when she gets pregnant.”

And in April,Maher attacked Ann Romney saying she has “never gotten her ass out of the house to work.”

President Obama and Allen’s left-wing opponent won’t speak out against these racist and sexist attacks. In fact, they’ll likely circle the wagons. Help us fight back by donating today! Help ensure we keep Allen West in Washington to restore honor and integrity to government.

Click here to donate.

Call to Action - Referendum in Lake Worth

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Let's take back our city and tell the trio that our city is not for sale.

As the "visionaries" will not allow the people to vote on what our downtown should look like, Commissioner Mulvehill has organized a petition drive. Volunteers will be meeting tomorrow at 9am at the Lake Worth Shuffleboard Courts to listen to the Plan.

And although these visionaries say that all this is political grandstanding on the part of Commissioner Mulvehill because she is running for re-election, the only grandstanding that was done on Tuesday night was by Maxwell and Triolo. The fair decision was to put it on the ballot if they really respected the people they serve. They don't.

All Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso had to do was to listen to the citizens instead of leaning back in their chairs and stuffing cotton in their ears. All they had to do was to vote to place the issue on the ballot and let the people decide, not continue the love fest they have for each other, with developers/Realtors/investors, with the false notion that building higher will bring more ad valorem to the City, that building higher will not cause a strain on our public services and resources, the love fest with their own voices and their own power...unhappy people who don't even like the name of our City or respect the majority who reside within it. Read more...

So, all of you who are interested in democracy, who believe that it is your city, not the city owned by three people sitting on the dais and believe that you should have a vote on what your city looks like and whether or not you want more buildings the size of the Lucerne in our downtown, please come tomorrow and get involved. It is your future.

Let's take back our City.

Out of the Clear Blue Sky

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Out of a clear blue sky, our "visionaries" decided that changing the name of our city was a "swell" idea. No previous public input...no survey...no particular complaints...fictional and historical revisionism...No wonder we are in trouble.

Special Meeting tonight on Power Provider

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UPDATE from tonight's meeting
Since we gave FMPA notice to exit, fifteen competitive bids were received from eight qualified bidders  to the initial RFP and have successfully completed the screening process and submitted signed Participation Agreements by which they must comply. The companies as of April 2012 were:

1. Constellation Energy
2. Florida Power and Light
3. Orlando Utilities Commission
4. Gainesville Regional Utility
 Seminole
 TECO
5. Wartsila and Burns and McDonnell (Being treated as one provider as Wartsila does generation and Burns does the Engineering)
6. UR Solar
 GE Energy
7. Covanta
8.  Tampa Electric

In looking at the evaluation matrix developed by the City, there are only lines for 9 companies. The City's Selection Committee will be evaluating all the proposals and ranking them as to preference.  They will not know the names of the companies, only their answers.

I wonder if we will need "Peggy's Papers" tonight for the spreadsheet?

Note: As it turned out, the meeting was only for discussion. No ratings of providers were done.

Thought for the Day

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

This is a reference to a quotation from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, meant to say that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.

Lake Weird and the Vice Mayor

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Cerabino is a scream. Lake Weird is his suggestion for the name change of Lake Worth. Sometimes his humor is weird and depending upon your mood at that moment, you can find him outrageously funny, like today, or a total boob, like today...take your pick.

He wrote about the proposed name change to our city and in many respects, he was in tandem with Mark Parrilla and Barbara Jean Weber who both spoke before the commission the other night. To paraphrase what Mark said, "Naming someone Marilyn Monroe doesn't make that person sexy...Let's act as if, to become as if."  Barbara Jean said, "I don't have to say I have a diamond--you can see that it's a diamond." The Commission looked at them both with blank stares.

The Vice Mayor who dreamed up this entire matter of our name change to put it on the ballot, even down-played the potential costs of renaming our City by saying costs of 50 years ago were a lot more than costs today because of the Internet, or some such statement. No one twists things better than Maxwell to make a point. White is black and vice versa. It depends. He gives reasons why one should vote on one matter and gives opposite reasons why they should not on a different matter. Whatever turns him on is democracy in action. Why did the name of our city even become an issue?

This is a commissioner who is obsessed by costs. This is a commissioner who accuses everyone of being political but himself who, as it turns out, is the most political commissioner we have had in well over a decade. He accuses other commissioners on the minority side of the vote of playing politics for any statement they make that is opposite to his view (the Mayor did this as well) when in truth, Maxwell is always running for election. It certainly seems as if he is reaching out in this instance to the special interests--he didn't reach out to me or anyone I know who lives in his District. Did he ask anyone from a Pioneer family? Our opinion was unimportant.

It is totally outrageous that this Commission wants to change the name of our city that has been named Lake Worth since 1896 and a commission that is pandering to the business community and being led around by the Vice Mayor who just doesn't like a whole heck of a lot in our City. He believes by changing the name that the people will come; investment will begin and our city will soon change before our very eyes with taller buildings and single family neighborhoods with multi-family development that will change our character forever...like some fairy wand was waved over our city, an instant transformation for the better. Even a president of a neighborhood association believes that by building taller downtown, we will get more advalorem taxes. NO WE WON'T. This is why I have little regard for most neighborhood associations...they are way too political.

Clean up the blight. Stop attracting slum lords who rent to slobs or owners who leave their property vacant, ignoring it to become blighted. Stop trying to re-write our history and condemn a war hero of the United States. Preserve our heritage that is so important--a city that I am proud to call Lake Worth and one in which I am proud to call home. How weird is that?

Can we get a Recall Petition going?

Quote of the Day - Shanon Materio

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"Who has oversight over the Ethics Commission?...I'm struggling with this...it almost feels like the Ethics Commission has an assumption of guilt, and sometimes we take these things too far."

~ Shanon Materio, West Palm Beach City Commissioner

The West Palm Beach and County Commissions are used to the "free lunch" just like all city/county  commissions across the country. So, nothing new here. But their travel and fun stuff included their spouses or "significant other" with the City and/or County picking up the tab. Even the Mayor of West Palm Beach, Jeri Muoio questioned whether the Ethics Commission understood the "nitty gritty" effect it could have on people by the Commission coming down this hard if they can't pad the system.

The Palm Beach County Ethics Commission  said, "no, no. no." Spouses and family members of County and City employees should not be able to stay in hotels on the taxpayer's dime if that hotel charges more for a double occupancy nor should they be able to receive reward credits on their personal credit cards for work-related educational and fun stuff.

Elected officials just LOVE that free lunch. If it benefits them in some way, they are all for spending taxpayer money. Some elected officials will even go so far as to stop democracy--stop the people's right to vote on how their city should look but they sure like that taxpayer paid martini.

Barry gets his Lease!

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BF Enterprises (Lake Worth T-Shirt Company and Barry Freedman) now has a signed Lease for the remaining space at our Lake Worth Casino. Perseverance is a virtue.

All the spaces on the ground floor have now been leased. The second floor space is still available.

The Three people who control your Life and Limb

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The leader of the pack, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell

The Mayor, Pam Triolo

Commissioner and downtown merchant, Andy Amoroso.
"I will go with the people," he said.

Turn the Senate Red

"Democrats and their Labor Union allies tried to recall Governor Scott Walker for simply trying to reign in Wisconsin's ballooning budget.

Wouldn't it make more sense to recall Harry Reid as Senate Majority Leader this November? Under Reid's watch, Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget in 1,143 days – over 3 years!

Without a budget, the Obama Administration ballooned our debt to nearly $16 trillion."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee

George LeMieux drops out of Senate race in Florida

This is sad. We are losing a great candidate.
It all comes down to lack of resources.

Yada, yada, yada and the Political 3 to 2

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Well it certainly wasn't boring last night but it was empty, shallow political bull. Vice Mayor, you are getting confused as to what IS political and what is not. Yada, yada, yada.

• Large Scale Comprehensive Plan passed--3/2 vote. The Commission went with Staff's recommendation on taller buildings in our downtown and upzoning of single family neighborhoods.

• Future Land Use Map passed--3/2 vote. The Mayor said that she was sorry that former members of our Planning & Zoning Board did not reapply. That's totally insincere and invalid as she was the one to vote this present Board into oblivion. They want members to tout their developer mindset.

• A Charter Amendment to change the name of the City of Lake Worth passed--3/2 vote. Can you even imagine that we will be celebrating the 100th birthday of Lake Worth and this Commission wants to change its name after 116 years of being named Lake Worth right before the Centennial? The Downtown Cultural Alliance (Downtown Development Council) wants it to change--better image they say. Isn't Andy Amoroso on this council? Is that a conflict?

• A Charter Amendment allowing the people to vote for heights in our downtown in order to preserve the uniqueness of our low rise city failed  on a 3/2 vote. This Visionary did not want the people to vote on how their city should look. They were afraid of the voice of the people other than their 40 friends. More density downtown will drive more business for Andy. Isn't this a possible conflict of interest that Laurence McNamara suggested? City Attorney, Elaine Humphreys said that only Amoroso could answer that question. He disagreed. It will be much more costly regarding city services to the taxpayers of Lake Worth as every dollar received in ad valorem, the city spends anywhere from $1.19 to $1.50 to service the property. And even more importantly, the city will not get the tax revenue, the CRA will.

The only voices that the Visionary heard last night were the voices in their heads. Shiny objects in the sky. The Boogy Man. Hell to the people. The hell with our history. Even General Worth, the Seminole War hero was chastised for a Seminole War fought from 1835 to 1842 in Florida. God we can be ridiculous. Times have changed. Greed is good. Phoniness is in. Amoroso even said that he wanted no set heights in our city--build whatever you damn well please Mr. Developer man....we will decide on a case by case basis.

This entire evening reminded me of the Hope and Change we all voted for in the last Presidential election. We got it and we are worse off for it.

Resolution 24-2012 - The Worst of the Worst

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The entire night felt like this graphic

My theory has always been, expect the worst and things never are that bad. My theory was shot to hell last night. Resolution 24-2012 was the first of the worst and it was a "worst" for various reasons.

Two commissioners had the audacity to allow the city manager to waive utility fees for the CRA for those people who have been granted new low cost housing in the NSP2 program and given mortgages at zero interest. Thanks to the U.S. government, a government that continues to be more socialistic on a daily basis, the CRA is spending this money like a wild fire. It's bad enough that they are on a mission to attract more poor folks to our city and now they want the taxpayers to pick up the utility connection fees for a homeowner that is in the CRA district. The city doesn't even get the real estate taxes. Such a deal. But to add insult to injury, the City of Lake Worth put it on the agenda for a quick vote with NO discussion and has given the power to the City Manager to waive utility fees for these folks via the CRA.

These start-up fees would give the CRA the following breaks: • Water and sewer tapping charges $1,295.00 each • Water reserve capacity charges. $3,416.00 each • Sewer reserve capacity charges $2,650.00 each • Water meter set-up fees $230.00 each • Any water meter down-sizing costs • Unmetered fire line inspection charges

These charges, fees and costs have been set by the City Commission by Resolution Nos. 30-2011 and 32-2011 and by Ordinance No. 2009-12, respectively.

We are NOT a social services agency. We are not in the government give-away business. Commissioner Mulvehill attempted to pull this consent agenda item to New Business for discussion and to allow the public to speak to it but the visionaries were having no part of that. Why did this commission of Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso allow this to happen especially when the Mayor is always concerned about transparency? Do they care about the people they represent? It was a 2/2 vote (McVoy had not yet arrived at the meeting) so it failed. There should have been discussion when fees are being waived for anyone receiving money on the taxpayer dime. This has set a bad policy.

And even though Scott Maxwell voted "no" on Resolution 24-2012, he voted with the Duo to make the Visionary Trio complete. The Consent Agenda was passed on a 3 to 2 vote. Nothing like solidarity.

Put on your Rain Gear

Quote of the Day - Allen West

"I guess I feel a little bit dejected because I think that it goes back to what my mother taught me, 'a man must stand for something, or else he’ll fall for anything'."

~ Allen West

Speaking about Mitt Romney constantly dodging questions on Obama's recent decision to circumvent Congress on immigration policy.

Celebrate Lake Worth High School's 90th Birthday on July 15

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Lake Worth High School 1922

You've come a long way, baby!

When our city was first founded, children were home educated and the Pioneers, with their own labor, hurried and built a one room school in 1912. Ten years later, our first high school was built and it cost $70,262 and it was for grades 8 through 12. It consisted of 8 rooms with the largest auditorium in the State with a capacity of 1,500 persons.

This is a celebration event for our wonderful high school, and for all proud Lake Worth High School graduates, friends of Lake Worth High School and present students. Come one; come all.

"THE REUNION PARTY IN THE PARK"

John Prince Park at the Center Drive Pavilion
off of Congress Avenue entrance

July 15

11am to 6pm

 LWSHS' 90th birthday (EST.1922 - 2012 )

Barbecue pork and chicken, drinks

Music

Raffles

50/50 drawing

Open to the public
I have been assured that there will be shade!

$15 for one dinner or $20 for All you can Eat

Event T-Shirts for Sale for $15 (long and short sleeve)

Respond to JOHN M. HARVEY CLASS OF "77".

 or (561-502-1156)
Checks (no cash) payable to LWHS Alumni Foundation can be sent to
John Harvey, 609 Cypress Key Drive, Atlantis, FL  33462

You can also visit the Lake Worth High School Alumni Foundation for more information.
 Paypal will be set up in the very near future.

Heights in downtown Lake Worth

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As the Palm Beach Post has made it much more difficult to comment, I have provided the link to Andrew  Marra's editorial in today's paper entitled, Reject overly strict Height Limits as proposed by Commissioner Mulvehill that will be on tonight's agenda.

Andrew Marra is a resident of Lake Worth and certainly entitled to his opinion even if it does differ from mine. The Planning & Zoning Board as well as William Waters, development Sustainability Director, have both recommended the proposed heights. There are sound and concrete reasons to do so as well as to just wanting to keep our downtown a low-rise city.

I have always believed that the people have the right to vote on land-use issues. However, the Florida Legislature in 2011, made it illegal to challenge Comprehensive Plans. Governor Rick Scott, supported by big business, believes that it stops growth. We will have no recourse on land-use changes unless we take action now to protect our city in how we want it to look.

Change the name of Lake Worth?

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Forty people participated in the poll on this Blog on the question, should we change the name of our city?

Scott Maxwell has brought this forward on the Agenda tonight under New Business 12.A for discussion and a vote in order to place the question on the ballot this November to have the voters decide in changing the name to Lake Worth Beach. The Vice Mayor reminds us that our city is approaching its Centennial. The name of our City was already decided in 1896.

POLL
Should we change the name of our city:

Change to Lake Worth Beach--	18 (45%)
Hell no, keep it the same--	8 (20%)
Name it something else--	1 (2%)
Tell the Post to get it right--	20 (50%)

Sunset

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Message from the Tea Party on Sheriff Joe

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Dear Patriot,

Sheriff Joe is in the middle of the biggest fight of his life.

Attorney General Eric Holder has just filed suit trying to destroy this man's reputation.

Pro-illegal immigrant activists have produced a slanderous movie calling Sheriff Joe a racist.

Left-wing billionaire George Soros has pledged to spend millions to defeat America's toughest Sheriff.

And Joe Arpaio's opponents are raising record sums of money for his campaign.

Please, make an urgent donation to Americans for Sheriff Joe right away. $15, $20, $25, $50, $100, $250 or whatever you can afford.

I fully expect Sheriff Joe's opponents will begin air attack ads against him any day now. We need to make up this budget shortfall quickly so we can refute these lies and remain on offense during this campaign.
Please click here to make a special, urgent contribution.

This may be the nastiest political campaign in the history of America.
The radical left wants to defeat Joe Arpaio more than anything. They are spending millions of YOUR taxes on lawsuits to destroy this man. They are pouring money and professional activists into Maricopa County simply to defeat a single Arizona county sheriff.

They are obsessed against Sheriff Joe!
So, I need you to be as equally fired up to defend this American hero. Too many Americans seem to believe that Sheriff Joe can't be defeated. They think that he's won so many elections and that he is so beloved that nobody in their right mind would throw him out of office. So, they have held back helping this brave man. And that may be why our campaign is falling behind in our fundraising schedule. It is true that Sheriff Joe is currently very popular in his county. And it is certainly the case that this man is as tough as nails. However, the political onslaught he's facing is unprecedented in American history.

He is battling against the entire might and fury of the Obama Administration, the illegal alien lobby, all the leftist Occupy Wall Street protesters and at least one left-wing billionaire!
Frankly, the odds are against Sheriff Joe. His enemies have nearly unlimited resources to spread lies and smears.

That's why he needs YOU.
Please make an urgent contribution to Americans for Sheriff Joe campaign right away.
We need to  remain on the political offensive. We need to defend Sheriff Joe!
Please do what you can.