The buzz words for the incumbents last night were "moving the city forward." Pam Triolo and Andy Amoroso used those words throughout the evening. There was some exaggeration, some deception and some distortions of fact, but that's what elected officials do when their record of success is dismal at best. They wanted to tell you that anyone new running against them just was not experienced or informed when it came to what was going on in the city. The reason they are running is because of what IS and HAS happened in our city.
As there is so much to write about regarding this forum, the distortions and the embellishments from the incumbents as well as the out and out lies, I want to touch on a few that stood out to me as some of the questions were not that important in the scheme of things. We have so many more important issues besides whether you have attended a neighborhood association meeting (that most are political) or elaborating on the neighborhood libraries, as nice as they are.
The mayor must not remember the commission meeting the previous night where everyone was sounding off on the amount of crime as she rattled off statistics saying that Lake Worth is doing much better. Less than four months ago. Cpt. Baer reported to the commission on the chronic crimes saying crime was up 5% for the first six months of 2015 with several main problems: Prostitution--arrests are up 148.1%, Robberies--133 from January through August, Bicycle theft--144 bikes stolen this year. Tuesday night there was a home invasion at the 500 block of 20th Avenue North where they beat someone to a pulp. Crime is out of control.
At one point the candidates were asked to rate the City Manager, the City Attorney and the Internal Auditor. A better trick question to ask would have been, "Does anyone know the name of the Internal Auditor or what he has uncovered?" Rating the Internal auditor is absolutely impossible because he has only given two presentations before the city since he was hired with the first one on the city's code department that caused a big shake-up. His second report was given in June 2014 with an expose on cell phone and vehicle abuse.
And the Code Department was not "gutted" before you were elected, Mr. Amoroso. We have seven code officers today. Back in 2013, your administration revamped it and fired just about everyone in it, even Raquel Dias who was outstanding. You were talking about out-sourcing it.
Another question could have been, how much money have we paid out in legal settlements (they paid $1.6 million to Greater Bay to settle with a non-performer who was going to be a partner with the city on the beach) and how many outside law firms has the city hired because our city attorney's firm does not have the expertise to handle it. The incumbents mentioned that we have saved money by having Torcivia. Well how much money have we saved? We never get any information on lawsuits and in fact it took me about eight months to even get an updated list through public information.
The mayor bragged about all the LED lighting and other things being installed that will save the city money but failed to mention the contract that they signed with Siemens costing us $23 million for 15 years. Before that contract even expires, many of the improvements will no longer have a life. Also, the mayor complained last night that prior to her election, the city did not have any development for over a year. Of course we were still climbing out of a major recession/depression and developers/investors were sitting tight on their money.
One of the flat out lies that incumbents like to tell you as stated last night is that we hadn't had an internal auditor in "ten years" until they were elected. The fact of the matter is that our last internal auditor's contract was not renewed for the 2010 Budget year because of austerity measures. Kenneth Oakes has been here since January 8, 2013. We always have our external auditors every year for the required audit of our financials. No one knows what the internal auditor is working on and not one commissioner speaks to it...they keep it all confidential so as not to scare the hell out of us with all of the problems. They want to keep the public from the truth and in the dark.
Essentially, the incumbents have had four years to turn this city around. I see little change other than more homeless, more crime, more slum and blight, more potholes, dishonoring the people they serve and catering to an investor, and certainly little transparency. Throw in sneaky and secret dealings and that about sums it up.
22 comments:
the 10/10/10 man Andy sure did some bragging. How come our city looks like a piece of dung?
What's dung to you is anything but to many others. Sure, we have our warts but doesn't just about every other blue collar city? People come from far and wide to our funky little piece of paradise. It is only from the extremely hard work of the current majority that we have lost the laughing stock of Palm Beach County we were during the Cara, JoAnn, Suzanne and Susan years. We were left with law suits that needed o be settled, relationships with neighboring communities to be patched and overall hard long look at infrastructure neglect for decades.
This trio has done a good job of addressing the issues and has had to fight each and every battle to keep moving forward. This election will be telling. Keep going forward or return to circus days.
@12:51--Thanks, Mayor. If you're moving forward as you said last night, it is at a snail's pace. Way too many misstatements up there.
I attended the debates last night. My comments:
1. The incumbents spoke repeatedly about what the city was lacking when they took office four years ago. One would think they were running in 2012. They've had four years to correct the numerous problems but the streets still resemble some third world country, panhandlers accost shoppers outside business places on Dixie Highway, drunks have pretty much taken over Bryant Park. Not a good testament to the last four years.
2. I was impressed by he comments of Frank McAlonan, who seemed to have a firm grasp on the issues faced by Lake Worth. Quality of life, that's the 500 lb. gorilla that the current administration chooses to ignore. (Crime, broken streets, vagrants, prostitutes and drug dealers).
3. I felt the moderator showed unseemly bias. Outbursts of shouting and applause greeted every utterance of the current admin., without challenge. However, when some of the audience applauded Diane Jacques' comments, he asked that such outbursts be kept to a minimum. I personally felt Ms. Jacques (a newcomer to the political arena) spoke convincingly about the issues we as voters care about.
4. There were a lot of figures thrown about (i.e. building an industrial park, bringing in private investors, etc.) the things that I, as a Lake Worth residence, care about are safe streets, not being embarrassed when out-of-town visitors comment on the general decrepitude of some parts of the city.
5. Pam Triola is a very good speaker, but artfully avoided the subjects that I am most concerned about.
The neighborhood assn told us it was on the up and up but in my observation it seems like some of the questions were leaked to the three incumbents because their answers were well scripted.
Until last night, I never realized that the two current commissioners and mayor were running as a single unit. They all have a very high opinion of themselves, but I don't like any of their politics. They don't care what the voters think. Just look at how they voted on Tuesday. Their words last night fly in the face of their actions. They must think the voters are downright stupid. They talked a lot about what a great job they've done, but meanwhile our city's crumbling, and based on their vote on Tuesday, I fully expect the beach will be next. Voting is power. Let's use it on March 15, and take back our city, Lake Worth!
I agree completely. This bothered me. A lot. The incumbents' answers were slick, certainly not spur of the moment. But the challengers all did well. Ms. Jacques has a unique and very impressive background and it showed. She put her finger squarely on the real issues and refused to be sidetracked by veiled comments. She wasn't shaken nor intimidated, she didn't refer to a script. She spoke straight from the shoulder.
Of the three candidates for commissioner, I personally liked Mr. McAlonan. He seemed straightforward.
The three incumbents continually used smoke and mirrors to avoid answering the really important questions.
I think the new people running should have been better coached. Seems they were all quoting perhaps some cliff note version of what their backers views and positions are.
One thing they all did say, it that they've "been reading a lot", that's swell, but shouldn't they have figured out that's if a group hosting a debate is called the NAPC (Neighborhood Association Presidents Council) that there is a very high likelihood that there would be questions about the neighborhoods and what the candidates experience is in the association of neighborhoods?
Or their own neighborhood even more specifically? Heck even this fruit fly figured that out!
John Jordan, well said. I have thought so many times in commission meetings that it was very well rehearsed. They have learned their lines and keep to the script. The CM is the conduit who relays the script, he should be subject to the sunshine law but isn't. They certainly have hung themselves up together as the gang of 3; now lets oust them together and take back control of our city from all their developer buddies.
Lake Worth is the laughing stock of the county something I have noticed for years whenever I ventured out and mentioned where I live.
I appreciate all the candidates, you are in the arena. it is a tough job and I appreciate all who want to do it, even those i disagree with.
to fruit fly: I'm left to think that you somehow wandered into the wrong debate. The four challengers all had very specific views. If some of the issues they raised seemed similar, it's because these are issues that concern all LW residents. Contrary to what you claim, the three incumbents all echoed the same tired refrain. "Back in 2012," etc. Folks, this is 2016. Focus on the here and now.
I'm not a typical LW resident, maybe there isn't one, but I'm a professional, work long hours, probably am in the top 1% of income for residents of LW. I bought in LW back in the mid-1990s because the historic downtown, the historic homes, the funkiness, the fact that it was not overbuilt or over developed. I've lived and been involved in two neighborhood associations, we own investment properties in the City as well. I voted for Andy once before. I genuinely like the mayor. I'm not a fan of Maxwell but I do appreciate his service.
In the 15 years that I have lived in this city, I have never been more fearful to walk our streets, walk downtown, take my child to the playground and I am no shrinking violet. But for me, crime and PBSO's disappearance act (I fully supported their takeover) is the most important issue for me. I really don't care about HH and the Gulfstream, although it would be nice to see it reopened, and I don't care about the beach (I thought that issue was long put to bed), I want my City leaders addressing quality of life, crime most importantly, homelessness issue, blight and code enforcement and then sober homes and the commercial creep into residential areas, then maybe roads.
I've been repeatedly disappointed that the commission in general, but mostly the majority block since they have the power seems to simply ignore the increasing crime issues we have in this city. We cannot attract new residents, tourists, investors when we have a homeless camp in the middle of our downtown.
To: Live by the sword; die by the sword:
I am not posting that comment. It is filled with wrong information. Opinion is one thing but completely ERRONEOUS info is another. I don't know how you people believe this stuff. You really need to do some research and stop repeating the same old lines.
Hi Sam Smith, where you been? Houses are selling like crazy around here and the people who buy them are new residents. Bums in parks is nothing new.
Houses selling like crazy...Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....
Try talking to a REALTOR!!
...Mine told me lots of listings but NOTHING IS SELLING!
For sale signs all over my neighborhood. People tryin to get outtta here.. too much crime - blight - bad schools and bad local politics!! Thanks GUYS. Thanks for ignoring all of Lake Worth's REAL problems and doing everything you can to give away and bulldoze everything that makes Lake Worth great!!
What has been given away? What has been bulldozed? What a bunch of misinformed dolts.
Nothing has been given away, it's not allowed in the Charter.
There's no condos going to be built on the golf course ' because they can't by deed restrictions from the previous (and generous) owner who donated the land.
And there's no high rises going up on the waterfront. All figments of twisted, obstructionist minds
And posting those red signs in yards when it's a fact that no one can give away the beach, again the Charter does not allow it.
But we do have to find a way to pay for it, all of it. The beach, the pool, the streets, the lights, the golf course, the parks, the infrastructure, all of it. We have to measure our appetite for services with our appetite for paying for it. At the end of the day, we have to pay the piper. Growing the tax base, filling the empty storefronts with new businesses, adding new jobs, tackling the druggie vagrant problem, drawing more tourist here to spend their dollars and hopefully stay overnight, do these things and we can get there. It is within reach, if we all could just understand that there is synergy by working together and not always as adversaries.
If you believe all he rumors and don't seek the facts then you are prone to be in the lot of the folks who wear tin foil hats so the government can't steal their thoughts.
And if you think that blight and abandoned homes are going to fixed up by the tooth fairy with pixie dust and a magic wand instead of a bulldozer and new consyruction then you're just plain old naïve and ignorant. It's call progress when decayed and dilapidated structures are razed so new life can revilize the neighnorhood. What so wrong with progress? It's called development. And it sure beats being mired in quicksand, doing nothing, and bitching all along the way 'cause you can't see the forest for the tree in front of your face. That gets so old and is a colossal waste of time.
There are those who are only happy when they are bitching about everything that is happening of might happen if it means masking Lake Worth less affordable for all the Ryan Hartmans of the world. If you tear down old dilapidated roach traps and put up new construction 3 bedroom, two bath homes with owners actually living in them, they complain that they are considered "affordable".
If you allow a structure housing a hotel to be built at a lower altitude than surrounding buildings, you call the shorter structure a "high rise". Then you place it "on the water".
The blight and slum that is so often talked about is on private property and can only be dealt with by engaging the owner. A process that is governed by State Law. It takes time, even with the new ordinances meant to deal with these violators in a more efficient manner.
We voted down a bond that would have already seen construction of our neglected roads, sidewalks and underground infrastructure so the pot holes grow and still we complain about them. No one offered a solution at the forum, but at least the incumbents knew what was being done and where the money to get it done was coming from. Yes, at a snail's pace. The challengers didn't have a clue. Especially Jaques.
Same o,same o.
This really does get old.
You can fool some of the people some of the time...
Just to clarify re: "And posting those red signs in yards when it's a fact that no one can give away the beach, again the Charter does not allow it." Yes, Scott, we all know we would still "own" the grains of sand. We simply would have no access if HH had been granted permission to put up it's private beach club renting the land for 20 years minus one day with the stated right to renew times 5. Technically, Lake Worth still owns the land COVERED OVER WITH HUDSONTOWN AT THE BEACH. Yea, you're right: if I were a sand flea I could still go there. The red signs are very important in this election. They remind us who the gang of 3 represent. And it's not beach goers.
Let's be honest 7:57am. What these incumbents want is gentrification and overdevelopment. Ignoring the citizens. And it's high time then to complain. We are not against everything by a long shot. I for one am vehemently opposed to nonrepresentative government and land deals and corruption behind the scenes. And that is my right as a voter. In development dynasties I guess I'm just another unwelcome intruder and out of order if I displease the almighty developer. Their money is more important than my vote.
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