1st Law in the U.S. requiring gun owners to have Liability insurance

San Jose Votes to Implement First in the Nation Requirement that Gun Owners Purchase Costly Insurance

The city of San Jose in deep Blue California has now officially voted to implement a first in the nation scheme to punish gun owners by forcing them to purchase costly insurance in order to own firearms.

I lived next to San Jose once upon a time. No one back then thought about guns. Life was safe. Now it is totally crazy, especially in parts of California and in most blue cities.

The new measure is likely to be challenged by pro-second amendment groups over the law’s questionable constitutionality.

Read about it...

Mulligans tries to shift responsibility for Grease Trap spill

Page 1 news is now on page 9 of the Palm Beach Post--

Whose responsibility is it to pay for the clean-up?

"Restaurant says it will share costs of grease spill cleanup"

Mulligans says it is partly the city's fault because of the ballroom upstairs. Just one problem--that little kitchen is only a prep facility--they don't fry food. Mulligans says it is the city's responsibility per their lease to maintain the grease traps. Normally I would think there is probably something to that as the city maintains NOTHING. However, under a typical Repair and Maintenance section of our restaurant merchants' leases, it is the tenant's responsibility to maintain and repair grease traps. It would be hard to imagine that Mulligans was given an exception.  City Manager Bornstein says maintaining the grease traps is a condition of their permit.

Negative Outlook for Chicago but everything is rosy in Lake Worth

Read about Chicago's pending Doom all brought on by the unions and unfunded liabilities to the tune of $20 billion as well as general obligation bonds worth $8.3 billion. Moody's has now cut their credit rating to right above Junk.

Yes, Vice Mayor, other cities do issue general obligation bonds for roads and infrastructure. Many cities have unfunded liabilities, as do we, that are astronomical and unsustainable and take huge chunks from operational budgets. In our city, little money is left-over to fix potholes.

And yes, Mayor,  you all need to work hard for sustainable growth. We realize our potential but we also recognize the horrendous debt on the books. You deny we even have debt because it is not in our operational account...but it's there...unfunded liabilities of over $80 million. You have a Revenue bond still outstanding of over $54 million with a Utility upgrade NEVER COMPLETED.

I doubt seriously that even Chicago ever worried about spending millions on unpaved roads. How come you never talk about our unfunded liabilities and massive debt? Instead, it seems that all of you on the dais (Maxwell, Triolo, Amoroso and Szerdi) want to go the same route as 47 other municipalities across the country--bankruptcy. Bankruptcy happens when you spend more than you have or can ever hope to make. Ask a third grader.  You blame every past commission in  Lake Worth for our state of affairs when you have contributed to the problem by approving more affordable housing than any commission in past history.

Good luck in Tallahassee.  Can we get a full-report upon your return  that will coincide with all these "grown-up decisions" like the $63.5 money grab that you're still itching to get a hold of, the possible out-sourcing of our beach park with a company at the Negotiation Meeting on November 4 who admits they have been working on everything for the past six months and wants to build a 20,000 s.f. convention center--or why unpaved roads are such a priority (calling it "criminal") in our city that you even have to include it in the mix.

You are the only ones singing Gypsy Rose Lee's song--Everything's coming up Roses never mentioning that you can't live within the revenues generated by taxpayers who live in a poor city where few roses are seen.

Lake Worth gets an F grade

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Our problem in Lake Worth has been union benefits and retirement costs and contracts that are unsustainable. Because of what we have to pay into these accounts and money we have to pay PBSO for keeping us "safe," leaves Lake Worth in a precarious state.
 
The study printed in today's Palm Beach Post gives Lake Worth an F grade. If you notice in the graph, Lake Worth has gone from C and D grades to F's for Employees and Police since 2010. According to the C.A.F.R. for the year ending September 30, 2013, the following are Lake Worth's unfunded liabilities:

The Employee’s retirement $ 43,463,807
The Police retirement plan $ 22,660,667
The Fire retirement plan $ 23,593,457

Mulligan's and Lake Worth

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On  November 30, 2012,  the lawyers for Mulligan's Beach House restaurant wrote what they describe as "a more formal letter" to The City of Lake Worth regarding safety, liability and security issues:

No lighting
Dangerous and excessive Construction debris
Lack of Security
Dirt roads
No Parking

Originally, the parking lots and the beach redevelopment were to coordinate with the casino timeline. It hasn't and even the Lake Worth City Manager, Michael Bornstein admitted in a public meeting that they are way behind. Mulligan's states that through numerous discussions and correspondence, none of these issues have been resolved and they are afraid of potential liability because of the aforementioned problems and the City's failure to solve and/or install. Therefore, they are asking for one-half rent during this construction period until the property is made safe and functional.

In response, the city in a letter of December 7th said, "Mulligan's entered its Lease and opened its business with full and actual knowledge of the adjacent, on-going construction project."  In so many words the city told them it's their problem. George Hart, the owner, "refuses to believe that the City set him up for failure" and asked for another meeting to resolve the matter.

In the meantime, all of us are wondering when these parking lots will be completed and safe for all of us. Here it is high Season and we are driving through obstacle courses just to get to the beach. Of course a top priority of yesteryear, the Jungle Jim for little Junior, is in place while a senior citizen, looking for the parking meter in the dark, falls through the bushes breaking open her face.