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I'm sinking and I can't get up!
It all came out in the budget hearings--Lake Worth continues to tread water and struggles to keep its head afloat.
Because of unions, 70% of the city's budget costs are fixed. The City has little money for anything else. The commission Trio's solution? Build higher downtown for the tax base. How many times do we have to tell them that the city does not get the ad-valorem from the downtown. It doesn't get it from the commercial buildings on Dixie Highway either. The Community Redevelopment Agency gets that money and they WASTE IT. All the city gets is the cost for all the services to all those buildings.
The CRA spent $15 million on 6th Avenue South and 10th Avenue North and now it is the city that must maintain those roads and we are struggling just to pick up a cigarette butt--struggling just to keep our city streets clean of debris and repair the potholes. All the CRA knows how to do is SPEND money on more affordable housing...like we don't have enough.
Commissioners need to stop perpetuating the myth that raising the heights in our downtown will bring more taxes to Lake Worth. "Miscreants" my butt. The new Comp Plan will allow higher buildings with a public benefit. What about making developers pay for the cost of infrastructure? Impact fees? Why is that being excluded from the Plan?
The problem, and we all know it, is the Unions. Commissions need to know what and what not to outsource to get a benefit. We outsourced our police and fire and now we have NO control over escalating costs and crime is NOT going down. This Trio could have eradicated one of those Union problems earlier in the year by outsourcing the utility customer service department. They didn't do it.
We can keep on robbing our savings to pay the bills. After that is depleted, then what? Is that when we get serious? It has to make you wonder if the "visionaries" have considered the grave consequences if they don't start making the correct decisions for Lake Worth or is it all about perpetuating myths because they don't really have a clue?
Read more... on Lake Worth's budget woes.
30 comments:
Lynn, you brought up and issue that I see as a real problem with our city, the gateways, both 10th ave and 6th ave are overgrown and uncared for, they look horrible, who is supposed to keep them trimmed and clean? Too, from Congress to the traffic circle at A Street the median look horrible, so overgrown and not appealing for people driving into our city, even the side of the road from Congress into our city on Lake Worth road, the grass is like a foot tall or more, it looks really bad. Who is responsible for this? Our three gateways coming into the downtown city from the west all look very bad now, no one is trimming or maintaining them. What is this new CM doing? He really stinks.
Do they owe their souls to developers or do they even have a soul?
The entire city is a blighted dump and these people think building high will solve all the problems. They will just get worse.
Thank Jeff Clemens,Shanon Materio and their CRA gang for wasting MILLIONS of our tax dollars on two roads the county should be maintaining.All these CRA members did was to give the drug dealers in the neighborhood nice corners to sit on.6th avenue and 10th avenus are now extremely dangerous for the people living in the blighted neighborhoods that SHOULD have been the focus of the CRA funds. But then ,gee, no one could have skimed millions off the top from this farce of a job,could they?Materio certainly is her father's daughter.The Related Group in West Palm is probably thrilled to be working with Materio. She certainly knows how things work!
Higher buildings. More taxes. that's all it means.
The CRA was always the agency that is suppose to fund the landscapng maintenance and upkeep of 6th ave and 10th ave from A Street to Dixie Hwy. Lake Worth Road Gateway from Congress Ave to the City limits is Palm Beach County.
Chris Fleming
Yup--they were also to sweep and take care of the downtown
Katie who "skimmed millions off the top"?
Anonymous at 9:56 its not even worthy of discussing. Any talk of slimming on the gateway projects in any way is simply a lie. The accuser is beating the drums of BS to rally the other faithful who never check a single fact or even care too.
Now if one does not care for the Gateway projects thats fine and worthy of discussion. Either way I for one am disappointed that the investment in our City's infrastructure is allowed to deriorate...a major ball drop by the CRA in my opinion.
Chris Fleming
Sorry I meant skimmming versus slimming
Chris
Whether facts are checked or not, (an it certainly would be impossible to follow the money) it does not escape the obvious--a lot of money was spent on these two roads that has not achieved the CRA objective and may never. The only thing we see as citizens are roads people are unable to cross, overgrown and unkept more often than not. Most people don't know how much the CRA spent for this highly questionable "improvement" to attract development.
Ok Lynn that is your opinion, hindsight is always 20/20 and I am alway fine with constructive discussion as long as both sides can have a reasonable discussion. Once we start throwing out accusations of illegal activity which is truly what was stated I have a huge problem with it when there is no substantiation.
I was involved in the project long before Clemens was ever even on the CRA Board. I was the one in meetings choosing the contractor and design teams and I know as a fact ALL was on an arms length relationship.
In fact I lost income due to my time on the CRA board and that's a fact. So I have a major problem with an anonymous poster accusing people who worked hard of illegal activity when there was none. And just a further FYI the Pugh property was purchased by the CRA without a single dollar going to my company or any agents of my company. Not a penny. Go pull the closing statement it is public record.
You don't like the dollars spent ok, the fact is that besides the pretty trees and benches a huge part of h expense was under grounding Utilties, replacing aging utility lines and doing the work that the city would have waited to do until we had sewer lines breaks and the road was torn up again in the case of 6th Ave.
Chris Fleming
Chris-I think we have had this discussion before. I would not expect you to change your opinion as former Chair of the CRA. Utility undergrounding was probably the bulk of the expense. The costs are only something that the CRA can justify. I think it would be naive to believe that plenty of people didn't make plenty of money off our Gateways.
Yes Lynn, I'm sure we have a number of times. I wouldn't expect you to change your opinion either. The repeat discussion is for those that go beyond whether it was money well spent or not and choose to inflame others by throwing out accusations of impropriety. There was NONE. Ok I'm done.
You can read into my comments any way you choose. My blog is not to inflame but rather to make a point, a point that I might add, is agreed to by many.
Fleming,are you crazy or just stupid?!? The COUNTY is required to maintain COUNTY roads. Period.You did NOTHING to fight blight in those neighborhoods surrounding your "golden road". You did NOTHING that applied to your own mission statement!You were told about the issues of citizen safety Fleming, but you turned a blind eye to that little detail,didn't you?Fleming,you,Materio and the rest of your "let them eat cake" gang bankrupted the CRA.It was your private piggy bank, and you refused to open your books to the city Commission.Thank God our present CRA has some scruples. L55 lannispook the word up ,Fleming. It's one I'm sure that you are totally unfamiliar with.I have to ask ,Fleming,did you really think it was okay to ignore the neighborhoods just a feew feet from your "beautification " project? I mean really,how did you choose a road over people and their neighborhoods? And can we watch while you and your family try to cross this nightmare that you are responsible for?
Fleming ,you incompetant idiot! Had you EVER negotiated with a construction company before?!You were overcharged MILLIONS!!!!And like the previous poster asked,why a COUNTY ROAD and not a blighted neighborhood and the families in it? If anybody gets run over trying to cross that street their blood is on your hands. And your fellow board members hands.You were a bunch of arrogant prats trying to impress your developer friends to come into town by way of "a pretty road".
And now we get to here from one of Lake Worth's finest anonymous self proclaimed sheep or maybe one of Lake Worth's finest prior leaders either way the same. Is that you Dennis? Love peeps that can call people names and don't have the balls to post a name. Lynn, really? If this is what you allow, anonymous attacks and name calling you lost my respect. Has to be a family member and leader of one the very low points in Lake Worth politics.
You know, anonymous above, that is so low on every level imaginable. Dennis is out of the area on an Alaskan cruise. Dennis, as far as I know, doesn't even know how to post on a blog but if he did, he would use his name. He is not a coward like most people in this city who just like to trash and hit and run.
You are accusing someone of not posting their name and you just made a false accusation without posting your name. What does that make you?
It's at the point that I might disallow ALL posting. This one takes the cake and insulting my family to boot. Have a great day.
Thank you to my anonymous defender, and we or most know that Mr. Dorsey has issues with me as I do with him, but that's politics. He did take care of my family after the loss of both of my grandparents so I respect him as a business man, just not his brand of politics. I prefer civil discussion which somehow got lost with the self proclaimed expert on all things construction - anonymous poster - above that referred to me as an idiot. Doesn't mean a thing to me, I've been called worse, and yet respected by many more. And that seems to be OK with Lynn and so it goes that the wishful thinking that this maybe, possibly, with a glimmer of hope, could be a venue for such civil discussion, is allowed to deteriorate, and seemingly encouraged by Lynn. I am just fine with my decisions and will always sign my name.
Chris Fleming
Chris--Sorry about personal attacks. It is easy to cyber attack instead of debating an issue. Most people just want to hurl insults without ever trying to understand any other point of view. As the other blog allows deadly personal insults, it is difficult for me, at times, to decide which comment stays and which goes considering the freedom of speech issue. It's a call and I apologize. No one pays attention to comment policy.
Election time it gets worse.
P.S. Did not know Dennis had issues with you. That's a first.
Thank you Lynn. I appreciate your post.
Chris Fleming
Fleming,don't deflect with your self rightous hog wash. Answer the question. WHY did you think it was okay to spend MILLIONS on a county road and not one dime on the families just a few feet away?And why did you turn a deaf ear to the citizens telling you about the dangers you were about to build into 6th Ave south and 10th ave North? What are the details of your "negotiations" with the construction company that so outrageously overcharged us? Answer the questions.
Hey anonacoward post your name and we will have a discussion. Otherwise take your own self righteousness and self appointed for the people b.s. and spare me. I'm easily found, want to find me?
Forgot to post my name t the above
Chris Fleming
Fleming,why in the hell do you need a name to answer the questions everybody was asking at the time? Answer the questions-Why spend millions on county roads already being paid for by county taxes and not on the people living by them? How did you bid out this job?Did you have any experience bidding out construction jobs?Was this really the best offer you got? Hard to believe.Do you feel guilty about endangering innocent men,women and children who have to live with what you and the rest of your arrogant let them eat cake board did? Fleming ,you are still refusing to give the public an accounting .You told the Commission to go fuc$ themselves and you're still telling us all to do the same.Answer the questions.
Well anonymous, Chris here, I believe your actual name would go along ways to reveal to this audience your true agenda. But I sure do understand why you wouldn't want to. It is much easier to ask the misinformed questions with out anyone knowing who you are.
Let me ask you a couple of questions first if I may, and then I would be happy to answer your questions.
Do you even know who the commission was when I was on the CRA? If you do know then you would realize that your statement about me telling the commission to go F themselves is the farthest thing from the truth. I was appointed by all of them unanimously and worked with them closely when I was chair.
Another few questions, exactly what is your opinion specifically on how those millions should have been invested into the private property owners in that neighborhood? And you can't just say yeah give the money to the people, 'cause it doesn’t work that way. I mean really Anon, there were lots of opportunities if you were around back then to come up with other ideas. In fact any of the neighborhood charettes where everyone was giving us the thumbs up on the project would have a good time to hear your ideas.
Are there specific items like parks (we did that) Alley ways? (we did that too) Or is the money just to be doled out because one feels a family needs help? And hey, I am all for that in principal (utopia and all that stuff) but in reality giving public money to just s few families can cause problems with the ones not receiving the money. And does someone like yourself become the one who should decide on a case by case basis who is worthy? That might be good for you to play that role. You see its easy for an anonymous poster to ask such questions and not have solutions.
By the way I have 28 years of experience in negotiating contracts of all kinds. But what are your comparisons that would reveal the work that was done was being overcharged by the contractor? And could you let us know what in general you think the scope of work that was actually done on the projects besides just saying it was wasted on pretty trees benches and some stupid road work? Because there are some expensive items that someone cruising down the road just won't see. But you have to know right? I mean you are accusing so you must have some facts. Right?
Ok that's all for now. I'll be waiting for you. See isn't this civil, except for that idiot remark which always strikes me as freaking hilarious when coming from an anonymous poster... Ouch that hurt. :)
Chris
Fleming-QUIT DODGING THE QUESTIONS! STOP with your who was the commissin at the time smoke and mirrors bullshit.All you can say is "UH,UH,what would YOU have done?Huh ,huh"! Who CARES what I would have done. I WASNT ON THE CRA ! YOU WERE! YOU,FLEMING and the rest of your board are responsible for this deathtrap and bankrupting the CRA!WHAT friggin parks and alleyway in that neighborhood?!Everything looks like crap. AND AGAIN!!! YOU,ass wipe,had 15 MILLION DOLLARS of my tax dollars to play with. You have the nerve to say only a couple of families could have been helped?WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE OVER A COUNTY ROAD INSTEAD OF IMPROVING THAT BLIGHTED NEIBORHOOD? You pissed away MILLIONS with no oversite. Fleming,how many FIRMS DID YOU INTERVIEW? You pissed away MILLIONS of our tax dollars to create a death trap and you still have an arrogant kiss my ass attitude?I wish the FBI would investigate the construction firm and every member of the CRA that put together this diiaster.SAD.
Ahh Anonymous the name calling is very telling of the person you are. I will answer one more even though you refused to answer any. I believe there were 6 design/build teams that responded to the RFQ.
Instead of lame threats Anon, please, I beg you as your civic duty pick up the phone and call the FBI. Wishing is for fairy tales. Relieve this horrible burden and exercise your rights!
Sorry thought I signed my name, above is from Chris
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