Candidate Debate in Lake Worth on October 22

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The neighborhood President's Council met for 5 hours on Saturday, October 12th, to discuss and toss around the questions they want for the debate that will be held at The Lake Worth Playhouse on the same night as the Presidential final debate at Lynn University, October 22. The NAPC will finalize its questions on Wednesday.
 
The Neighborhood Associations, for the most part, are politically charged with College Park being numero uno on that politically charged list. Last year's debate was a disgrace. The bullies reigned. So much of the debate depends upon the moderator who controls the questions and answer session. That didn't happen last year. It was a slug fest for one political faction and it was allowed to happen.

We essentially know the questions. An incumbent will be blamed for any screw-up even if utterly ridiculous such as rusty door handles at the casino. We will not tolerate the bullet point answers regarding heights such as--because we need a hotel, because there are only 3 parcels where you could even build a 6 story building, because it would be compatible with the other buildings on those blocks that are already 6 stories--you know, all the BS answers to turn around the height referendum and to grow up our city. And the public won't put up with the short phrased answer for height limitations in our downtown, we believe in a low-rise city. There will have to be factual, succinct explanations on this topic.

The challenger will tell everyone what he will bring to the table. No one ever completely believes someone with no political record that can't be held to scrutiny. It's all rhetoric and answers coached by those on the campaign team, some with special interests. In this case, it is  Stafford's campaign manager, Wes Blackman, who has experience with campaigns as he ran himself and lost to Jo-Ann Golden, a loss that he can't grasp to this day. As one lady told me, he rode up on his bike and introduced himself as the chair of the Historical Board and wanted her to vote for Stafford.

Wes Blackman, presently Chair of the Historical Preservation Board, and Jim Stafford go way back together when Stafford was hammering Lake Worth as "lakeworthless" and when he had his LakeWorthTalk blog that cyber attacked everyone. Wes now resorts to uploading photos of me to hold up to anonymous cyber ridicule to get hits on his blog. He takes vicarious pleasure from this and in his mind it confirms he has been right all along--gee Anderson sucks, etc., etc... anonymous posters are confirming it. Nothing has changed other than the degree of personal attacks that has escalated now that his preferred candidate is in the mix even on the PB Post. Coincidence? No one can have a different opinion from this bunch. It always gets back into the slime. It's all politics and you can always count on one faction in this city throwing the muck.

The opponent will probably talk about slum, blight, crime, and try to blame it on the incumbent and then venture onto our electric utility and the pros and cons of selling it. This one should be interesting as Jim Stafford leans toward selling it if rates aren't competitive. Years ago he just wanted to sell it...period. "I know that if we make the right decisions, we can have an electric and water utility that is a public benefit with competitive rates," he says. The thing is, it ALREADY IS a public benefit.

The plan has always been to lower rates and they have been lowered again, and this year the reduction is 6.4%. However, we are still paying about $1.5 million for the conservation fund with that item being paid from the operational budget instead of from the Utilities, a camouflage that tricked the public into believing that they were getting a savings of an additional 1.4% on their utility bill but not telling them that they would be paying for it elsewhere. When you don't tell the public the whole truth, is it a lie?  In 2014 our rates could be 25% lower when we go with our new energy provider.

One thing that won't be brought up are the Unions and their escalating costs--their ridiculous retirement benefits, that have been unsustainable for years not just in Lake Worth but all cities.  They will talk about the Budget in general and why McVoy voted against it. Will they bring up that the present commission's hand was in the cookie jar this year and robbed reserves to meet operations or will that topic be avoided as McVoy voted against using our savings. Did they dip into our savings to pay for the conservation fund?

There has to be mutual courtesy between the candidates as well as the moderator, John Paxman.  Mr. Paxman has proved that he can do this even though his personal support has always been to one side of the politics in this city. If the moderator has given a campaign contribution or has supported a candidate in any way, it should be disclosed. The Dais is now controlled by four votes beginning in November without even considering this election.

John Szerdi will be at the debate to make a statement. It is too bad that he was allowed to float into the District 4 seat without opposition as he was a part of the beach redevelopment. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered there by all those involved in the beach and the extra costs involved as well as the lousy parking design. Part of the original parking lot is being used for new restrooms designed by Szerdi's company instead of using that money for the original restrooms at the pool area. We need to know the truth behind this switcheroo. Szerdi might just have those answers.

I believe we need representatives who will give the other side of the argument and expose all the options and put them out there for the public to see instead of one side blaming every ill in this city on everything and everyone but the facts and being a rubber stamp to the trio. As hearing both sides of the argument IS democracy, we deserve nothing less, McVoy is the only one who will do this and a candidate who does not hide behind anonymous to body slam his opponent.