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City Staff, City Planning and Zoning boards and political neighborhood associations are doing everything they possibly can do to "educate" the citizens to their way of thinking--higher buildings in our downtown. It is all over a hotel. They say that no developer will build a hotel unless they can build high. We say, "Popycock" and we know otherwise.
On Wednesday, there is a joint meeting of the P&Z and the Historical Resource Preservation Board whose majority of members have publicly advocated for growing our buildings taller in our downtown. A couple of them, Loretta Sharpe and Greg Rice, even formed a PAC to oppose the citizens referendum. Is this an ethics violation? Some believe so and some believe that they should immediately step down from their board advisory roles. Afterall, they are supposed to look out for the public welfare in an unbiased way. Others believe that what they are doing is just another form of public corruption.
As this ballot initiative was a citizens iniatiative, city boards as well as staff must proceed cautiously in what they do and what they say. As cityethics.org says, Public corruption is pervasive at all levels of government in
Florida. This is according to a December 2010 report, "A Study of
Public Corruption in Florida" by the 19th Statewide Grand Jury.
According to the grand jury report, between 2000 and 2010 a total
of 8,241 arrest charges were made and there were 1,126 convictions
for public corruption. Florida led all states in public corruption
convictions. Cadets at West Point and other military academies
swear an oath not to lie, cheat or steal or tolerate others that
do. Public officials should be held to this same standard. Our
democracy cannot function properly unless there is public trust in
elected officials.
Thomas Jefferson said that: "When a man assumes a public
trust, he should consider himself a public property.
Meeting Date: Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Meeting Time: 6:00PM
Meeting Location:Lake Worth City Hall Conference Room
"If, from the more wretched parts of the old world, we look at those which are in an advanced stage of improvement, we still find the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry, and grasping the spoil of the multitude. Invention is continually exercised, to furnish new pretenses for revenue and taxation. It watches prosperity as its prey and permits none to escape without tribute."
ReplyDelete--Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791