When this commission was voted in, everyone was told that they were business minded with the Mayor and Commissioner Amoroso actually having a business in our city. The city was ready for a change as sharp politicos promoted the wild idea that anarchists and socialists had taken over city hall and people actually believed it. We needed businesses that brought in tax dollars and jobs they said, not social justice and all that jazz. Now who could say no to that? Instead, we got a commission voting in affordable rentals and voting away our interest in valuable buildings and wanting to spend $50 million on roads and $18 million at the Park of Commerce, a field of dreams.
Now they have just transferred legal rights of our shuffleboard court building to the CRA...a screw job on Seniors, 14% of the voters. How much money did we spend renovating this building with impact glass windows, etc.? This was turned over to the CRA because they APPLIED for a Grant but also they have wanted it from the get-go. This was all planned, behind the scenes, ages ago. They built the affordable artists lofts adjacent to the Shuffleboard Court building. There is no guaranty that they will get any money from the State to renovate. Kick the Seniors out, demolish the courts and get in art classes, they cried. After all, we want this city to become an artists' destination.
Smartly, they let the idea of retaining shuffleboard courts die down (the majority who attended the meetings there wanted to keep the courts or at least half of them) and went ahead and screwed the public, again. The taxpayers will also be paying for the utilities--gas, water, cable, electric, trash and get to maintain the entire premises. That lucky Senior who played shuffleboard or played Bridge, now gets to pay for maintaining the building but not for using it.
The property on the rail road tracks that was a gift to the city will also be transferred to a non-profit. Both these facilities will be used for the Arts. This is a valuable property that could have been marketed for sale that would have created jobs and much needed tax money for the city.
In the past we gave our Senior Center away. We have given so many of our properties to non-profits for $1 a year and we are a BROKE CITY. How much freaking art do we want in this city? Did you get to vote on this? What about businesses that create jobs? Why does the city want to spend money that we don't have to build or renovate buildings just to lease them away for $1 a year? Valuable properties? To the Arts? We are acting like a city that has plenty of "do re me." What ever happened to the 1000 Lake Building that the CRA bought? They can't even afford that.
The commission says it does not want to "kick the can down the road any longer." We are holding on by a thread with a small percentage of people paying for it all and they want to spend, spend, spend, give away, give away and spend some more to become a social services city for artists. In the meantime, we can't afford public safety and our city is inundated with crime, slum and blight.
There is a lot being decided behind the scenes and we are not told until it is way too late.
You said: After all, we want this city to become an artists' destination.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot the word POOR. A POOR artist's destination. That is what they are doing. Bringing more poor to this city. Great idea.
Lynn, I agree with your post for the most part. Except, Cara admitted being an anarchist on several occasions, most notably in depositions. Giving away utilities at Bradleys and the shuffleboard courts is a good argument for not being able to manage a utility. Do you think FPL would allow free electric to be a part of any contract?
ReplyDeleteYes, Cara always said she was an anarchist...certainly a hoot in that anarchists don't believe in government!
ReplyDeleteI think giving away city services to Bradleys or anyone is BAD management and BAD leadership and shows how desperate they are at times. Not sure if we can run a utility but we have had one for nearly 100 years. It takes the right management to get anything done right and efficiently.
Well I suppose we didn't get SUCCESSFUL business people elected as they aren't making smart decisions. They just don't get what it takes to add to city tax base as they continue to make decisions that continue to cost us money. It has to make you wonder who is benefiting. Too many elected officials, govt employees andapointed/volunteers are in it for th $$$$.
ReplyDeleteGood thing a lot of artists ARE senior citizens. They were guaranteed to ability to use the building if they need it. I was there and heard it. The city has needed to improve the area West of Dixie and the tracks. The CRA is doing that by making that area an arts destination. The CRA is only leasing the building for one year. ONE YEAR!! How is that giving it away? They are paying for the place to be air conditioned RIGHT NOW for two or three people.
ReplyDeleteThe programs that will be offered will take advantage of the computers that were being used by the illegal aliens to surf the porn sites and methods to sponge off us.
Seniors, children's after school programs and everything in between will be utilized for this under-utilized city asset.
The CRA will shine like it always does. It will help revitalize our Western community. Isn't that a worthwhile cause?
Just a comment from someone who doesn't get that involved until I vote. Why would we want to attract poor artists to this city? WTF? We have enough, more than enough I might add. I have lived here for nearly 30 years and no one asked me if I wanted to change our city to an artists destination.
ReplyDeleteLynn, @3:10 your remarks do not make sense. Cara was for limited police power. Also during her time on the dais she was involved in anti- government protests locally and statewide.
ReplyDeleteOn one hand ,we hear that the city is broke. Then they turn around and give away public assets. The CRA needs to be OUT of our downtown. What bang for our buck does my Lake Osborne neighborhood west of I-95 get from the city of Lake Worth? There are no parks or playgrounds for our children here. No gyms. We have NO landscaping. City services like garbage and trash pickup are something that we pay for . We also have to pay county taxes. If I only had to pay County taxes, my family and I would get the same things we get now. WITHOUT the bill to the city of Lake Worth! Can everything WEST of I-95 please go BACK to the county? Katie Mcgiveron
ReplyDeleteShe was ONE PERSON anonymous. She is no longer involved. what doesn't make sense to you?
ReplyDelete"Starving Artist" is the word
ReplyDeletemy elderly Palm Beach Art Collector
called it. She smiled and said
if there was an artist worth
something here - they'd move on
to like NYC.
The Mayor said she was going to make a presentation about becoming an
arts destination. I've asked a few times about it (Public Record Requests IGNORED) and I do not think ANYONE was asked! They just do it!
Truth be told - CRA redevelopment is loosing financing and Fed's moving the funding to Economic Development!
All these new ordinances must be in place to even apply. Tick the Box to get the grant money - People's needs, wants and desires be damned!
Until they take care of their the basic boring needs (streets, lights, water, elec & sewer and stop competing w/city businesses; WTP are
screwed and we're not even getting a kiss! Just the tax bill to pay w/devalued dollars!!!
FYI: Besides 32 EXTRA TRAINS A DAY;
All Aboard is not privately financed!
They got a sweetheart gov loan!
Two (2) Trains in the whole world are self supporting; ALL the rest are Tax Burdens!
Bornstein came in and unilaterally decided that LW should be a quirky artist destination. No discussion or input from anyone. His choice alone.
ReplyDeleteI am certain that this was decided before Mr. Bornstein but this commission likes the idea.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of an Artists community, think Key West, is a good one. And, I like a lot of what has been done to encourage the arts in our City, but I agree that we can't afford to subsidize this effort. The cultural council and other orgs, the chamber should band together and develop this plan, it should not be funded with tax dollars. When the city can't fill potholes then we have a problem and that is where we are at.
ReplyDelete