Thursday, August 30, 2012

Citizen volunteers and qualified candidates are getting harder to find

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I would imagine that serving on a volunteer board can be a rewarding experience or the biggest frustration of one's life.

It seems that Boynton Beach has similar problems to Lake Worth when it comes to even finding volunteers for city boards.  What do you expect when you volunteer your time to help your city?  Cooperation from staff, as a starter. Respect from the city commission for another. And of course, appreciation. Often times you get none of these.

Certain boards need information in order to make judgment calls and give recommendations to the commission they serve. Time and time again as a spectator, I had to witness the Finance Advisory Board going round and round and trying to jump through hoops, getting no where slow. Seldom were they given any information needed to make the call. It became a joke of the first order. Good people resigned, one stating she had better things to do with her time. Mary Lindsey, Chair of the Electrical Utility Advisory board, recently resigned citing no reasons. Sometimes reasons are best left unsaid or way too complicated for explanation.

Certain boards are hard to fill. With others, there is a mile long waiting line for appointment, such as the PZ and the CRA. These boards wield the power or the money or both and they are highly political. The CRA does not have to answer to the City Commission. They can virtually do what they want and generally have control over a lot of money.

We had an excellent Planning/Zoning board until this trio commission of Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso decided they wanted to stop this board in its tracks as it, as well as the community  sustainability director, recommended low heights in the city. The former Planning/Zoning board also valued the single family neighborhoods. The board members were all removed to allow the trio city commission to proceed with its agenda of 65 feet in the downtown and the up-zoning of the Pinecrest single family neighborhood as examples of the commission's Mack truck and disrespectful approach.

Who wants to volunteer for any city board when the city you are volunteering for is so dysfunctional and treats volunteers or its entire citizenry, for that matter, with no respect? It is no wonder that we have a difficult time finding qualified candidates to serve or run for office.

The one thing where Boynton Beach is ahead of Lake Worth--they can't hire or fire a city manager without a supermajority vote. Lake Worth needs to take the politics out of this decision.

18 comments:

  1. The people they treat like crap as you like to say.......
    well what comes around goes around so get used to it. You treat people like crap you should get it right back.
    In a lot of people's opinions it's about time.

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  2. Is this city going to be in constant combat mode? It is this present trio treating people like crap.

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  3. Just once, I mean "JUST ONCE", maybe you should be tell the general public who was on the P&Z Board, then the citizens can make their own conclusions. Is the word Anarchist associated with any of the board members?? If so, how can you say, "we had an excellent Board".

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  4. No one on the old P&Z were anarchists. How dumb can you get. As far as "asociation" goes, explain what that means? We all have to work together in this city and most of us are not as paranoid as you anony above. If you want to know who was on the board then, look it up..

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  5. Even the newspapers describe Cara Jennings as a "self-described" anarchist. I have never believed that she was really an anarchist as she was elected to office. Anarchists are anti-government. I believe she is more of an opportunist and a Socialist.

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  6. The thing that you all fail to realize,and speaking as an anarchist ,is that our goal is to work on causing anarchy in government from the inside.What better way is there then to be elected and gain creditability.First we do it financialy then create havoc and dessent throughout the ranks of the city workings. When the money is gone and enough turmoil has been tossed about we move on. That simple.Yes we are socialist but to the extreme. What I have is yours and what you have is mine. We share all.One world.Take it from me we do not have "leanings", we are commited to this way of life.If asked I believe Cara would tell anyone that same thing.

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  7. Lynn, I thought you were going to keep your posters on topic? The last one was well not about the subject title. I would love to give a statement on this topic but it went left or right field and become a foul ball.

    These topics are not about Cara and God Bless her for what she believes in and at least she stands up for her cause.

    When the people in the middle that are willing to find common ground to stand on stop name calling then we can all move forward.

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  8. Basically, the "foul ball" here are the anarchists attempting to disrupt democracy -FOR MONEY, mind you. Pretty sick I would say. They, apparently, don't even respect the Constitution of the United States and the rights of anyone other than their own.

    What IS Cara's cause? The people would like to know.

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  9. Our cause is anarchy.This is a movement, a lifestyle, and as you can see in countries like Greece it can be very successful. Cara is just a very small part of this and she and others were able to infiltrate and monkeywrench where she could. I for one think like others who have posted here that she did a very good job.There will be sucesses and failures but the cause is just and we are not afraid of the consequences.

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  10. It is a pointless "movement." Greece is bankrupt. Is that an example of a success story? Even the Eurpopean bailout can't even pay down their debt. She did a very good job making an azz out of herself once again. It is nuts. A "vagina" costume? Gads.

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  11. See you really do not understand anarchy. Yes the point is to bankrupt countries. All countries including the U.S.. What do you think this is all about? I know you have had conversation with Peter. Did you understand anything he had said to you? Or were you taken by his charm which as I can tell you is a disarming weapon which we all use.Again you put way too much importance on Cara she is a small part but she is able to bring alot of attention to herself because of her positions in government. We are all very nice and helpful people until we stand up for our causes. Then we become gorillas in our strengh and resolve.

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  12. Don't recall ever talking to Peter.

    You must be right--I don't understand anyone like you. As far as I am concerned, you are an enemy of the country. It is not I putting importance on Cara. The news picks up these pesky people and writes about them. Cara was a commissioner here, so it is news how she conducts herself, not only then, but now. She lives in this city and her neighborhood has the worst slum and blight in the city.

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  13. I was there but you don't recall. That is O.K. it matters not. I am not the enemy the American dream is the enemy. The constant drive for more and betteris the enemy. It's not me you have to understand it is the movement.It's bloggers who help put the word out and give credability to our causes, be it the government or the enviroment. Every time you mention Cara's name you help the cause and I appreciate it as do many others in Lake Worth. This blog has encouraged and in many ways supported our causes many times and again it is appreciated.The words slum and blight are used as a bad thing here. Well when all is said and done everything will be equal no one will have more than the other. Our properties and your properties will have the same values no more and no less. One city. One World.

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  14. It won't ever happen. It is the most stupid philosophy ever dreamed.

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  15. Really! Just look around you. It is already happening. In less than six years things have changed in this city that would be unheard of in any other city. There are many ciitzens including myself who are very proud of this.We may be occupied by other things now, however our homes are in Lake Worth and as the saying goes Home is where the Heart is.

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  16. Talk about off topic! Pam Triolo,Scott Maxwell and Andy Amaroso disbanded AN ENTIRE BOARD rather than follow the rules and make their three appointments to it!Then Triolo gets upset that none of them re-apply?!?

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  17. Did you read one word that Being There wrote? Are you not afraid?
    A board was disbanded because Cara was the controlling member of that board.

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  18. It simply amazes me that there are people who actually believe that nonsense.

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