Top Lake Worth "Razzies" for 2013

Comment Up

Following are my top favorites on decisions by the Lake Worth Commission--some driven by lofty political goals or simply believing that development is the answer to all our ills--perhaps just a desire to go down in the history book as the "visionary" commission that finally "fixed" Lake Worth--

The Lake Worth Razzie Awards for 2013--

Heights Amendment
The developer backed commission fought the Heights Referendum and directed the city attorney to find a way  to overturn the March 2013 vote that was won by the people to keep our downtown a low-rise city of no more than 4 story buildings east of Dixie and 3 stories west of Dixie. They pulled every trick in the book to defeat the Referendum with their final bogus ploy saying is was all about a hotel. Whether what they did will legally stand will be decided by the Court.

Electric Utility
Voted in a 5 year plan on an Ordinance weaning us off the city's dependency on the Electric Utility. They want to lower electric rates and feel that our high rates have deterred business. This is funding we need to stay afloat and to operate our city (anywhere from $6 million to $9 million a year). They made it a super-majority vote from the dais in order for any future commission to over-turn it. Selling the Utility is still on their minds. According to the city and the mayor, we are the poorest city next to BelleGlade and they voted to reduce our operating budget by millions. Our Uncontrollable costs are $20,769,790 or 69.49% of our budget.  Controllable costs are $8,863,638 or 29.66% of budget...do the math...there will be few funds left to operate the city if their vision is fully implemented, unless, of course, property values sky-rocket.

Greater Bay
Bad and inferior advice from their outside attorney who "played" them for years racking up legal fees, coupled with their fear of losing (a seed planted by our legal eagles), they settled with the flim-flam man for $1.6 MILLION dollars...blaming their decision on everyone but themselves and Greater Bay. Scott Maxwell and Pam Triolo wanted to get "to the bottom of the Greater Bay lawsuit" and what got us to this $1.6 million settlement to get them off our beach for non-performance.  Maxwell was outraged and went political" and even called for a public workshop. Good thing for them that idea died.

Road Infrastructure and Give-Aways of public buildings
Wanting to repair or repave 50% of the roads in Lake Worth and wanting the taxpayers to pay for it all plus the infrastructure at the Park of Commerce to attract development, the commission has talked about a General Obligation bond to finance this vision.  Millions has been discussed on the renovation of city buildings. The Palm Beach Post reported it could be a 100 million dollar dream. There has been little talk about this lately and it will probably wait until after this March election.  They have to raise capital because with their reduction in electric revenue, it will leave us millions short to operate. Raising taxes, especially an amount this large and for a long term, is not a good idea for any politician. The city can't account for all of the last Bond money and where and how it was spent. We still owe $56.8 million that was refinanced in 2013. They have decided that Lake Worth will be an artists destination, attracting more starving artists competing against each other for that precious dollar. And they are giving away city buildings for that end.

Code Enforcement
With everyone screaming about slum, blight and crime, the commission listened to its new internal auditor and his report on our code department-- heads rolled. After just passing 20 or so ordinances that finally gave the department some clout to do their jobs, they decided to outsource it. Then all of a sudden, they changed their minds.  It will be in-house after all. As it turns out, they don't have enough staff to enforce the laws. One of the areas they are supposed to enforce involves Illegal flags, banners, streamers and signs. We know how that one went during the March height election. Look for illegal banners on the Gulfstream or other places to happen again, when convenient, by the development at any cost crowd.

Top Lake Worth Stories for 2011 and the Razzie Award

Comment Up
Top Lake Worth Stories 2011
The political firing of Susan Stanton after her 32 months on the job
The November election changed the dais because of a mysterious "vision" as well as vicious politics.
Fire Assessment (grabbing the cash) controversy...still un-resolved.
The Casino construction begins
The Shuffleboard court building returns to the City of Lake Worth and Mentoring Center kicked out
The CRA begins spending the NSP2 grant money of $23 million that it got in 2010.
Publix opens new store--A grand affair--the City had to make a big deal out of this in order to justify the 1/2 million dollars the CRA gave to Publix.

Top comments in 2011
"Look, Live and Learn." Commissioner McVoy
"I am disappointed Commissioner Maxwell. This is personal." Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill in talking to Maxwell about his motion to fire the city manager.
"The fire assessment is fair but I will be voting against it." Mayor Waterman
" The 15 individuals who live on the blogs are going to complain. I'm not responsive to the 15 individuals who complain on the blogs everyday. There are 34,865 other people out there." Mayor Rachel Waterman

Comments I liked in 2011
"If we spend money on something does it have value? Look for the value." Commissioner McVoy
"I feel unappreciated right now." Mr. Banting of Anderson & Carr on not finding tenants for our casino
"I had to clean another toilet today." Susan Stanton


The Razzie Award goes to Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell hands down.

No one else came close to him in attitude, demeanor and for his overall bullying of the city manager and undermining her at every opportunity. It was like one sick game played in real time twice a month. As the City moved forward in its policy direction, Maxwell fought the city manager at every turn. He chose his battles and voted with the old commission over 95% of the time. Even though he loved the "free lunch," he only voted "no" on the Budget as well as on financial issues involving the Casino. He constantly complained about not getting the back-up to the Agenda in a timely fashion and mentioned his displeasure in anyone putting something on the agenda at the last minute. He changed his top priority from code enforcement and eliminating slum and blight to the Park of Commerce development and for the approval of a plan to spend $11.05 million dollars over 15 years at today's value. He changed our beach from a beach/park destination to a bar focus caring only about the price per s.f. He wanted open and transparent government. As the City was finally working its way step by step out of the black hole, Maxwell pulled away the ladder and fired the city manager by putting the matter on the agenda at the last minute, never giving one reason for the manager's termination. Even though he was holding the majority vote, he was unsure of his ability to lead the city manager. He even attempted to stifle public commentary on the issue. Many of his "speeches" were right out of the Republican Play Book.

Top hypocritical political comments in 2011
"We need thoughtful and measured leadership." Scott Maxwell
"My heart is heavy...I had my own vision...but also the hopes and dreams of the people who joined me..just ask my husband...over this weekend...I value everyone's opinion but as my husband will tell you I was saddened over this weekend...there is still so much distrust and anger...I'm not so sure that the vision is the vision of the people." Mayor Pam Triolo as she votes to fire the city manager.
"Second." Commissioner Andy Amoroso

Top "Academy Award" Comment in 2011
"I only entered the race because Waterman did not have an opponent." Dustin Zacks

Top Political Mistake in 2011
Rachel Waterman's duck and run, refusing to attend anymore candidate forums because of the personal Zack attacks at the TRNA forum.

Top Political Stick it in your Face tactic in 2011
Rene Varela's resignation and price for democracy cost the city over $50,000


List your favorites.

Coming Soon...

2011 Razzie Award Coming Up

And the Razzie Award Goes To...

The most "invented" Story of the Post-Election and about the worst in sensationalism--

The Palm Beach Post making mountains...telling everyone that the box of 500 absentee ballots "could" affect the Lake Worth election...implying, "watch out McVoy and Mulvehill, your tenure might be short lived...giving Susan Bucher the raspberry like it was all her fault and for giving even the slightest bit of attention to Mark Foley.

Once the suggestion was out there, all media joined in for the sensational ride. A defamed congressman joined in giving his two cents. We had to read about it for days and listen to it constantly on local television channels.

The next Award goes to The Lake Worth Herald for even printing Paul Blockson's disgraceful letter to Carla (it didn't even say "Dear Carla") that blamed the voters in Lake Worth for not electing his wife.

Blockson called the voters short-sighted, mis-directed, wallowing in their own self-made misery, implying his wife was the salvation of this city, and equating all those who did not support her to drug addicts or worse.

To print this ridiculous and defamatory letter made the Herald worthy of this Award. In fact, I think it should get two Raspberries to make up for the last election with the Que story.

And last, but not least The Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce and its Director, Beth Johnston gets a Raspberry for its most recent politics, its Directorships, for generally just being two faced and for electing the head honcho of the vicious BAC PAC as a Director. We will, however, be very interested to see how this new Director will improve business in our downtown. As she said businesses needed change, we will follow her hands-on approach as a Chamber Director to bring businesses to Lake Worth.

The Chamber represents businesses but forgets the citizen, the resident and all those who disagree with their political agenda-- the very people who support those businesses by shopping, dining and spending their money.

For a non-profit organization that has entrenched itself into Lake Worth politics by backing candidates and issues and agreeing to install a political ad on a billboard sign at the Cultural Plaza, and an entity that installs political messages at the front of its building on Lake Avenue, the Chamber deserves this fine distinction.