"...some people in this community go out of their way to cause problems...one person who is filing Inspector General reports...paid by Channel 12 to go out and find stories-- and there is no reasoning with people like that."~ City Manager of Lake Worth, Michael Bornstein
Well, sometimes we citizens feel as if it is frowned upon by those at City Hall and our elected officials if we even ask a question or bring something to their attention. You don't get e-mails returned nor do you get returned telephone calls unless you are part of the inner sanctum and spout the company line. This is more than a perception. When we observe the same houses with the same problems for months or years on end, we feel that we are being besieged and getting beat up and beat down as our neighborhoods rapidly decay. We sympathize with the City Manager and his pain because of citizen complaints, "kicked to death by mice," as he said.
Perhaps not for 26 years as Mr. Bornstein claims, but we have seen the neighborhoods decay. Since the economic downturn, more and more slum and blight and crime came to our city. Our property values have not recovered and it is shocking to learn that 87% of our property values are under $37,000 a year.
Last night a citizen was tapped on the shoulder by a sheriff deputy and was asked to leave city hall. According to Mike Hill, he has been making a lot of waves and has been for over a year. The city is tired of his exposes and now it seems that it has infringed on his right of free speech. Someone in the city did not like him talking in the hallway about the problems we have. They wanted to shut him up. He was the subject of the city manager's complaint in the quote above.
City Hall belongs to all of the people, not just a chosen few who spout the company line. Elected officials as well as staff should have big shoulders and deal with it, not infringe on someone's right to speak the truth or speak to their observations whether it is potholes or an alleged murder in Bryant Park. Transparency is the key, not excuses..
13 comments:
It is very sad, today we have a CM who will not respond to citizens, he says he only responds to the commission, very sad, if he keeps up that attitude, the commission will soon need to fire him, any CM must also deal with the residents too, if they treat them poorly, avoid, them or not be responsive to us, this will all catch up to the CM, it is completely unacceptable and unprofessional for a CM to diss citizens. This CM has been notorious for this weak behavior, is this the type of leadership we need for our great city? The CM better wise up and start being kinder, responsive, and listen to citizens if he wants to keep his job. The power must of went to his head, like it does to so many.
Michael Hill at least is trying to get through to a City Manager who is a misogynistic, narcissistic, manipulative bureaucrat. Where is the Economic Development Manager/PIO that makes so much money and only does the newsletter? What has she accomplished in over a year, other than an office next door to the City Manager?
I can tell you that I have been trying to reach the City Manager for the entire year he has been serving. Every month, I email his assistant (and copy him) and I ask for a meeting. Perhaps I am not worthy of a meeting, perhaps he is too busy, perhaps it his policy not to have meetings with residents and tax payors. But, couldn't he or his assistant, at least, at some point respond??
The repeated failure of the CM and his assistant to even acknowledge my request angers me.
I get the same thing at Code as well.
Thanks Lynn for writing this post. I agree with you that it is not perception at all, it is truth. Our current CM is not at all responsive, the citizens are only left to go to the news, because he and most of the comm. will not ever respond to the citizens here. I am glad Chann. 12 News is on top of the city, I hope all TV news channels get on board and make this city leadership responsive and open to communicate and serve their public. I do not know how the mayor and comm. think they all can get re-elected by having such a weak city manager who is not responding to citizens in this city. It will hurt them if they allow Michael B to continue to behave this way.
I guess mice is a better term than rats.
@ 1:53. I'm sure she and the CM are getting "kicked by mice" together in the private hallway behind their offices.
So he considers the members of the community nothing more than annoying rodents? Wow. Well I guess he's safe as long as a majority of the commission considers him to be "sexy" as per his annual evaluation earlier this year.
The city is referring to Mike Hill as a radical. let's discredit all those who speak out.
Mr. Bornstein has only one person to blame for all of this, himself. He has a choice, he can respond to citizens or choose not too, he is deciding not to and this will only hurt him long-term. It is all up to him, but it hurts all of us and our great little city. Time will tell.
Guess he's kicking himself (no pun intended) for doing away with the Asst CM position within his first week on the job. Control freak- yes. Competent - no.
I don't know about a control freak. As far as I see and hear, things are pretty out of control. Employees just do what they want. The city is not being managed at all. But Bornstein sure does have a grand sense of himself. Not sure why. Not sure why he would have been chosen for this job. We deserve better than a City Manager who refuses to return our calls.
Well, Mr. B cannot be successful only on looks and a nice charming personality anymore, he needs to show his is effective and kind to ALL here. Looks won't cut it here anymore for him. So many bosses who want to be the big power without assistants and help all end up in failure. His ego has gone to his head. He forgot he put all the cameras on the Cultural Plaza and they are filming him now taking his dog there to poop in the evening and he is not even picking up his dogs poop, he is above the law, that is why he thinks he doesn't have to answers to us lowly rodents, a lot which actually hang out literally in Bryant Park. Looks and charm do not cut it anymore Mike, take some responsibility for your actions or lack there of and respond to citizens and pick up your dog's poop please!
"anonymous said...
So he considers the members of the community nothing more than annoying rodents? Wow. Well I guess he's safe as long as a majority of the commission considers him to be "sexy" as per his annual evaluation earlier this year."
Did you ever wonder why the Lantana
Mayor would reccomend his CM for the position of CM in LW and say he deserved more money then after LW hired him, the new CM of Lantana received a raise? Wow makes one think they wanted to be rid of him.
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