Letters to the EditorPalm Beach Post
September 4, 2014
Bond issue’s scope was just too broad
I want to contest Tuesday’s editorial that assumes those who voted against the Lake Worth municipal bond referendum in last week’s primary elections are somehow “endorsing” or protecting “the status quo.” It remains to be seen whether city of Lake Worth leadership will endorse the status quo going forward by not offering up an alternative solution to the city’s dire need to address the crumbling infrastructure.
While I cannot speak comprehensively for the slim majority that voted against the bond issue, I can say that most everyone agrees that the status quo is not an option. We simply voted against this plan. Most of us were uncomfortable with the broad scope of the general obligation bond as proposed. Obviously, $63.5 million is a lot of money, especially for a small municipality with a spotty record of financial management (that is not an insinuation that the current leadership is not a responsible and honest group of people).
A much more reasonable approach myself and other voters like me would like to see considered is a plan to issue separate, smaller bonds, with specific infrastructure uses for each, over say, 10 or 15 years.
That’s a plan I’ll vote for, and likely, more than 51 percent of city taxpayers will, too.
TOM COPELAND, LAKE WORTH
4 comments:
I would imagine that the Editorial Board consisting of three individuals, one of whom lives in Lake Worth, were told by the city that there is a group against everything. I was even told that on election day by the chair of the YES PAC. When you promote the lie and promote the myth in order to get your way and say it often enough, there is always a certain percentage of people who believe it. Not only was CAUT trying to get the truth to the voters but they were fighting impossible odds promulgated by the city, the city commission and their friends who have been brainwashed to believe the big lie and anyone who believed differently were obstructionists or worse.
The NAPC did the citizens of Lake Worth a disservice when they refused to sponsor a debate on this issue, like they have done with important issues in the past.
This Commission held our road repairs hostage unless we bought the Park of Commerce for them. Oh,and gave each district Commissioner 800,000 dollars to use at their discretion for "infrastructure". The NAPC's were to "help " in the spreading around of the 800,000 in taxpayer money.
Who in the heck are Commissioners and NAPC members to say where things like speed bumps and streetlights should go ? This whole thing left a very bad taste in people's mouths.
This Commission has had the nerve to cancel meetings left and right,to act wounded when their is no wound.
Does anyone out their think that the Commissioners and Mayor are not advocating for this ?
The city had 63 million reasons not to give taxpayers in Lake Worth the facts. What was the Palm Beach Post's excuse?
I absolutely believe that the $50,000 spent by the City was for advocacy and not education. The information presented was way too Polly-Anna and one sided to be "education."
Now the City is wasting money and resources holding meetings about the election. The City has no standing to get involved in the outcome of the election and its a further example of the City advocating for one side, which is illegal. I'd report them for an ethical breach, but that simply will cost us all more money.
I think that we all can agree (both sides of this political coin) to what you stated on advocacy, anonymous at 8:50.
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