Guest Blogger:Joe Furner, PhD
a resident of Tropical Ridge Neighborhood with important questions for our elected officials
Dear Mayor Pam and other City Officials:
I am writing to follow up on a meeting I had with Mayor Pam Triolo back over a year ago now when Pam said she would get back to me on
getting us sidewalks on C, D, and E Streets between Lake and Lucerne Ave (each
one block lengths). But to this date she has not gotten back to me. We walked
the area and I showed you Mayor how there are many sections incomplete where we
have to walk in the road, which create safety hazards for drivers and the
pedestrians in this area. Pam, you told me you would get back to me (and that was over
a year ago) about what sidewalks would be fixed and when. You never got
back to me, never sent me the plans. When will these sidewalks be put in?
When will the safety of the citizens in this area be addressed? Can I
expect these sidewalks to be done before election time, as I do vote. It
also does matter to me as a citizen and a resident in this area of the city
where I drive and walk and my safety is at risk. Pam, what do you know at this
point about the status of these sidewalks?
I wanted to write again to mention the concern we
all have about crime. About 10 days ago, a man was attacked and robbed
outside my house at *** North D Street. He was a drunk Guatemalan man and
targeted likely due to his drunkenness, but was attacked and robbed about
midnight on Aug. 27. We are seeing way too much crime again in this area of the
city. What action plans do you all and the city have in place to address
crime? How are you working with the PBSO to deal with so much crime in this
sector where I live-- there is so much prostitution, drug dealing, drunks all
over, and loitering. We have a real problem; what is the city doing to address
this? Can you please let me know? What can I do to help? Tonight we
met with our TRNA group and the police officer assigned to our area. It seems
they feel their hands are tied and they cannot do much. The police officer said
her sector is so large that she can't be everywhere and they
can't do much about the prostitutes. What is anyone (city leaders and
PBSO) doing to make the streets safer? What are you all doing about all the
blight? The abandoned and uncared for properties, like at 204 North E
Streets or 110 North D Streets?
Lastly, can you all please send a street sweeper over in
the area of North D and E Streets and 2nd Ave North, there is so much broken
glass here, partly due to all the drunks breaking beer bottles on the weekend,
but also I think your recycle truck broke a lot of glass on Thursday during their
last pick up. Normally you send a street sweeper each Monday to clean things up
in this area, I didn't see one today. We really need a street sweeper
desperately to clean up the streets please.
Thanks so much for serving us as our elected officials. I hope we can start seeing some results and I do hope to hear
from you about these matters. Please email me back when you read this
email and also let me know how I can help as a citizen to better help all of
you.
I met with a county commissioner, Paulette Burdick, a few
months ago and she said you can contact her (5613552202) as she may have funds
for the sidewalks. Also, I will write to Sheriff Bradshaw to see how he can
better help address crime in this city. The blight and crime is just out of
control lately. I hope you all will also contact him and give him more support
to improve the conditions of these areas of the city, especially a few blocks
west of city hall.
Thanks so much, I look forward to hearing from you once you receive this. I am happy to meet with the city manager as well to discuss this and walk the areas of concern so he can see firsthand what I am talking about. What more can the City Manager of Lake Worth do to improve the conditions over here?
Thanks and God bless.
Thanks so much, I look forward to hearing from you once you receive this. I am happy to meet with the city manager as well to discuss this and walk the areas of concern so he can see firsthand what I am talking about. What more can the City Manager of Lake Worth do to improve the conditions over here?
Thanks and God bless.
Peace,
Joseph Furner
16 comments:
Albert Einstein once said, "Without 'ethical culture' there is no salvation for humanity."
It is sad we are at this point in society where elected officials do not respond to their citizens and constituents this day and age. Is it ethically correct that when you email, call, or write to your elected officials and city leaders that they at least respond by returning your call, letter, or email. This city many elected officials and the CM won't, very very sad.
Why doesn't he contact the commissioner from his district?
Who is the commissioner for Tropical Ridge that obviously hasn't been doing their job?
Very nice of you to post this e-mail to Mayor Triolo. Sounds similar to what we hear all the time and what we have heard over the past twenty or more years.
The fact remains that this commission won't tell Mr. Furner to get used to living in a ghetto.
They are looking at fixing problems that have been neglected for the last 30 years. Many will remember that approximately 10 years ago, all the "micro surfacing" of our deteriorating streets to make them last another 7 years. Well guess what? It's past that time frame and now something has to be done.
Since Mr. Furner is a voter, let's hope he supports the plan that is going to address the streets and sidewalks in a comprehensive manner.
Joe, what is the taxable value of your home? What is the taxable value of the other homes on D St and surrounding streets. If you don't know you may be surprised to find out that most contribute almost nothing in taxes to the city. With so few properties paying a fair share of the taxes needed to provide basic city services there is no money to put in those sidewalks, clean your street or do much else. Thank God we have PBSO but we can barely afford them. Until we figure out a way to increase our tax base your screwed. As former Commissioner Golden once said to a resident at a commission meeting: you better get use to living in the ghetto.
If city commissions and administrations were doing their job, perhaps Dr. Furner's property value would not have tanked. But the values tanked all over the country, did they not? Now, whose fault is that? Furners? It was crappy code enforcement. It was federal laws that could not and would not be enforced. It was ignoring the 20 people to a room. It is the constant ignoring of the crime, the slum and the blight in this city and all the false promises. Do you really believe because values have dropped and people pay little or no taxes that they deserve to live in the ghetto? Is that what you think? Get rid of the obvious problems and you will see property values rise. Get rid of the foreclosures and the reverse mortgages that are nothing but a scam. The Jo-Ann Golden remark is not quite accurate and you took it out of context.
Joe is not just whining, he is trying to do something about the problem by bringing the problems to our elected officials. Is this the CRA district? If not, it should be. Get the CRA out of our down town and into areas of blight.
Broken glass and drunks are problems that we can solve. These people still need a safe area to live in, no matter what their tax base is.
The millions spent on 6th and 10th avenues would have gone a long way in these neighborhoods.
Why isn't Lake Worth bugging the state and federal government for grant money? Instead of trying to get marijuana legalized, Jeff Clemens and our other area elected officials should be securing sidewalks for our neighborhoods.
It also comes back to code and policing of the area. The PBSO is doing a piss poor job in Lake Worth. If it bleeds it leads- how about some sign holding out in front of city hall to embarrass Bradshaw and our state reps?Nobody likes bad ,in your face press.
We didn't get this way overnight. It took years to happen. The millions spent to fight Greater Bay, do a master plan, provide a day labor center, hire incompetent people, fight each other over every issue have taken their toll. Yes values have fallen all over the county but ours are not coming back like everyone else. Business is not coming to our city and Dixie Highway looks like crap. This did not happen because of Pam or Andy or any of the new commissioners. You can't make the changes you suggest Lynn without money. Problem is we are broke and no one wants to accept that fact. We are surviving on our utility income which in turn is destroying our property values. I don't have the answers but it makes no sense blaming anyone. We need ideas on how to get out of this mess.
Bottom line, the city leaders and elected officials know what the problems are and when citizens come to them, they just completely ignore you and absolutely do nothing about all this crime, blight, and the deplorable conditions. A big problem here is, city leaders do not listen or care, it is evident when they cannot even show proper respect for the citizens by responding to citizen concerns when they call, write, or email. They can put all the new roads and sidewalks and infrastructure in that they want to, but if they are not going to then take care of it or have codes to keep all properties up to snuff, or clean streets, we will see little improvements overall with crime, blight, prostitutes, and drug dealers. The mayor, comm., and CM are not responsive, that is the bigger problem here too, let's not forget that.
This problem is all over the city, not just in District 1. I noticed you got your crack in, anony at 10:18. This is the entire commission's fault and not answering a citizens cry for help is pretty disgusting and rude.
To the anonymous poster who just tried to post here at 4:34. You got into your typical name calling. Thus your post was deleted.
"fight each other over every issue have taken their toll."
You bet your ASS I'm going to fight when horrible things are pushed for my city!
When Retha and the gang try to give our public beach away to a private developer-you bet your ASS I'm going to fight!
When Commissioners think it's O.K. to ignore an election and the will of the people-hell yes ,I'm going to fight!
When the vacation rental people want to come into my city and break our laws, then hell yes I'm going to fight!
Tell your friends to go screw another city other than Lake Worth and maybe you'll have a better day.
As for Pam Triolo-give me a for-farts -sake break!!! We are SICK TO DEATH of politicians that talk out of both sides of their mouth! Pam and her mighty gavel has no trouble being a Be-otch on the dais, so I think if she gave a rats ass, she could tell a citizen the truth.
Lake Worth city government does not listen to or respond well to the citizens. What is the excuse of the CM who makes $135K? How does he sleep at night knowing he disses so many of the residents who pay his salary? Not good. What does he do? Why are we not seeing any improvements in the hood with his administration? Lynn you just reported on one of the new channels showing two other residents in the south who say the city is not addressing the blight, crime, and code enforcement. What is going on in this city. Who is taking some responsibility? Maybe they need to fir this CM if he cannot do it and respond to the people he works for.
To the Mayor and the Commissioners: If you're not returning your constituents calls and-or getting back to them when you've said you would, you're Not doing your job! Forget about your little developer friends who want to make the big bucks by building up our downtown and start cleaning up this city!
Good letter, can be applied to any past or present commission. I just have to ask, you would anyone purchase property to live in on any street east of Dixie these days, or in the last 15?
I think maybe Pam and the CM have insecurity issues or low self esteem and that is why they treat Dr. McVoy and Dr. Furner so poorly. Pam is so mean and nasty to Dr. Christopher McVoy during commission meetings, all the public have seen that when attending any meeting. I guess that is why she feels she can just ignore Dr. Furner too and not get back to him about his concerns. Pam and the others have no respect for anyone else, they could give a crap if others have Ph.D.'s or have some educated opinion or concern for the city too or where they live. Pam has a bad attitude and just doesn't care. Mike B the CM has followed suit, he just kisses up to Pam to keep his job.
Today I sent this letter to the City Manager a week after I sent the original, since as of this date, now one from the city has ever responded to my letter or concerns. I will now see if the City Manager will since he works full time for the city. Thanks Lynn for sharing.
"Dear City Manager Bornstein:
I am resending this letter I sent a week ago, Sept. 10th, 2013, to you as I never received a response from you or any of the elected officials in the City of Lake Worth. Maybe you are away or busy? Anyway, I know the mayor and comm.(elected officials all have full time jobs too like me and are busy so maybe you can respond and help here) are paid little and maybe do not want to respond or can't. Since you are in charge of the city I will direct my letter and questions to you for a response. Please see the letter below as well. I would really like to have a response to the issues I write to you about, (1). the sidewalk plans and when we can expect sidewalks on C, D and E Streets between Lake and Lucerne Ave, (2). the crime problems in our area and your action plan, (3). the broken glass and lack of street sweeper, (4). code issues like properties like 204 N E St and 1320 Lucerne Ave., and 110 North D St.
I am really concerned about these issues and would like to hear from you as the city head as to what is going on here and when we can see some improvements and issues like these addressed? Any ideas? I live at 202 North D Street, I live, work, and pay taxes here and vote in the city. I care and I am concerned about these issues and want these safety issues addressed. I would really appreciate a response from you as the City Manager. I am happy to and available to meet with you and would be happy to come in and make an appointment to meet as well or meet you out here in the field so you can see firsthand my concerns. I look forward to hearing from you. This is now my second attempt at sending this letter and writing to you all, hope to hear from you soon. I would also like to hear from my mayor, commissioner, and all the elected officials as well when they have time. Thanks so much.
Peace,
Joseph M. Furner, Ph.D.
202 North D Street
Tel. 5614605911"
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