Developers still want to screw up our beach and golf course

Developers will take every square inch of undeveloped property if you allow it

"An investment group pitching a massive overhaul of Lake Worth Beach’s oceanfront and public golf course is conducting an outreach campaign this summer to drum up public support for the multimillion-dollar project. Hosting the Horizon presentations is a familiar face: former city lobbyist Richard Pinsky."

Can't help but Remember him...now instead of representing the city and lobbying in Tallahassee for grants, he is representing developers for the almighty buck--much more lucrative than the small retainer he received from the City.

As a reminder, Richard Pinsky, our former lobbyist in Tallahassee, is considered a "super lobbyist" and one of his specialties--development project approvals before local governments. He is also the former husband of Kimberly Mitchell who was a West Palm Beach commissioner for 13 years.

"Pinsky stopped representing the city in May, after more than 10 years, when he quit his job with the Akerman law firm, one of the city’s two lobbying firms. He formed Pinsky and Associates with his wife, Jessica, and accepted an offer to represent the investment group: Copperline Partners, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Hyatt World International, Fortress Investment and Stiles Construction.

Among the highlights of a development plan Copperline said will create a vibrant tourism-based economy for Lake Worth Beach:

• A $105 million, 250-room oceanfront Hyatt at the south end of the beach, just west of the existing traffic circle.

• An attraction (a seaquarium has been mentioned), a 5-acre park and a 900-space parking garage all at the beach.

• A public launch for kayaks and a water taxi on the west side of Ocean Boulevard just south of the Lake Worth Bridge, creating a dedicated water transportation link between the barrier island and the mainland.

• A $95 million, 150-room Hyatt on the south end of a newly designed Jack Nicklaus golf course. (Nicklaus toured the existing city course in November.)

• A new public swimming pool on the mainland, potentially at the city’s Northwest Park. The city’s municipal pool at the beach, shuttered since 2016, would be razed.

• No changes to the existing casino building and the Lake Worth Pier."

Read more of the article

Shanon Materio Exposed

ELECTION 2018: Five Years After WPB Commish Shanon Materio Got City To Buy Land At Inflated Price, The Property Sits Unused, Untouched!

Read Gossip Extra...

And the guy who helped her in this land transaction? Richard Pinsky, the lobbyist that the City of lake Worth hired at compensation not to exceed $25,000 a year.

Don't forget to vote tomorrow!

Lake Worth's Lobbyist, Richard Pinsky

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Richard Pinsky, our lobbyist in Tallahassee, was at the County Commission meeting on Tuesday sitting in the back row. He is considered a "super lobbyist" and one of his specialties--development project approvals before local governments. He is also the former husband of Kimberly Mitchell who was a West Palm Beach commissioner for 13 years.

When I kiddingly asked him if he was lobbying for the Atlanta Braves now, he said "no." I should have asked if he was lobbying for the City of Lake Worth.

He also attended our city commission meeting Tuesday night where resolution No. 18-2016, supporting the Atlanta Braves location in John Prince Park was passed on a 3/1 vote, McVoy dissenting. Commissioner Ryan Maier was out sick.

Mr. Pinsky's contract with the city dated September 24, 2014 had a term ending May 31, 2015 and was extended by City Manager Bornstein on July 6, 2015. The extension letter did not have an ending term. Originally it was a one year contract so I guess we can assume that this has been extended to May 31, 2016? Total compensation is not to exceed $25,000 per year.

Shanon Materio and friends - Caught with a smoking gun?

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It seems as if West Palm Beach Commissioner Shanon Materio was a busy gal.  Now it's the South End Political Action Coalition, a political committee of some type that was formed right before Kimberly Mitchell, her BFF, filed to run for mayor of West Palm Beach in order to replace Jeri Muoio.

The Committee was formed for the benefit of Commissioner Mitchell, Len Fintzy, and Cory Neering in the recent election. The campaign treasurer for Fintzy is no other than Lake Worth's Mary Lindsey, another BFF of Shanon Materio. Lindsey was also the campaign treasurer for Shanon Materio.

Because of a dumb mistake and using the wrong e-mail address, (it should have been Shanon Materio's daughter's e-mail address as Shanon was staying out of the spotlight it seems) the plot was discovered--PAC’s are not legally allowed to coordinate mailings with candidates or candidate staff. The e-mail clearly shows that SEPAC coordinated with Beth Kennedy, campaign manager for Mitchell, Fintzy and Neering, and please notice Richard Pinsky, lobbyist and ex husband of Commissioner Mitchell, was also copied, says West Palm Beach Gov Watch. Richard Pinsky, if you recall, is a paid lobbyist for the City of Lake Worth.

Read about it... Did an "innocent" e-mail auto-fill error expose campaign tampering by all of those in bed together?

The Gang of Five and Sunshine Law

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Have you ever heard of a "gang bang?"  Perhaps a kinder term would be "strength in numbers." But these commissioners are trying to get grant money to fix our roads and are doing everything within their power to do just that.

Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell was asked this question by one of his constituents...why were these commission meetings cancelled right before the March election?  His method of operation is to forward the e-mail inquiry on to someone else to answer.  In that way, nothing he says is in writing and he can't be held accountable for the explanation and he can't be challenged. The burden has been transferred.

From: Pamela Lopez
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2015 10:53 AM
To: Scott Maxwell

Subject: RE: Commission meetings March 3 meeting was cancelled due to 4 elected officials plus the City Manager being in Tallahassee during PBC Day to solicit for grant funding.

March 10 work session was cancelled due to the Municipal General Election and the Clerk and Records & Information Manager are required to be present to accept ballots at City Hall after the polls close and I’ll deliver them along with a PBSO escort to the SOE’s Riviera Beach center.

The above poses the question, how many lawyers does it take to screw in a light bulb? Originally it was four commissioners along with the city manager driving in the same car to Tallahassee. And we're to assume that they won't be talking about city business during that long drive in some rented van?  Last night it was stated that Christopher McVoy will fly to Tallahassee and Mayor Triolo will be taking her own car. And what happened to Richard Pinsky, our Tallahassee lobbyist?

Registration to attend the event, where you might possibly rub shoulders with your state legislator with a remote chance of getting a grant (as these guys will be talking to hundreds of people), ends today, February 18. The fee is $125 per person with a minimum hotel stay of two nights at $179 a night at The Aloft or $204 a night at the DoubleTree. Palm Beach County Day in Tallahassee begins with registration late in the day on March 3 or from 7:30 to 10:00am on March 4.

Proposed Schedule
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.... Registration at Aloft hotel
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m..Hospitality Suite in W XYZ Lounge at Aloft
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m..Registration at Aloft hotel
7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.... Breakfast in W XYZ Lounge at Aloft
8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.... Exhibits in the Capitol Rotunda
Noon - 1:30 p.m........... PBC Day Luncheon on 22nd Floor of Capitol
8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m..Hospitality Suite in W XYZ Lounge at Aloft

This is a seven hour car ride. The devotion displayed by our commissioners to drive for all that time is to be commended.  City Attorney, Glen Torcivia, said it was not a Sunshine law violation just as long as they did not discuss any city business.  Of course, they are going up there in order to DISCUSS CITY BUSINESS.

Can you even imagine that they won't be talking about city business?  Perception IS reality.

Garbage is Juicy - Connect the Dots - Follow the Money

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Grassy Waters

When I say "juicy," I mean the characters involved in Tuesday's decision by Palm Beach County (Dissenters: Valeche who was really for it and Burdick) that will give Sun Recycling a five year contract to truck in 78,000 tons of waste a year from Broward to the new Palm Beach County incinerator.

You have to ask the question--why?  "All of this will only reap $3 a year in alleged savings"' said one resident who spoke.  There is no advantage to allow Sun Recycling to dump waste in Palm Beach County or one that is readily available or could be implemented without tremendous cost. Well, the answer is obvious to me--

Some of the players:

Sun Recycling-- a company that has been around for some time and one that dumped 6,000 truckloads of questionable RSM waste of approximately 105,000 cubic yards all day and night with some of it 3.6 to 3.8 feet thick after it was crushed and mashed on our landfill and that never restored our property per the lease agreement. Back then, Christy Goddeau of the Glen J. Torcivia law firm, had recommended against Lake Worth filing suit because of the cost which also would have included attorney fees that she said we would never recover.

A company that gave and continues to give large campaign contributions to any candidate for whom they feel will serve their interests.  They gave plenty to Lake Worth candidates and even to sitting commissioners one of whom is John Szerdi.

Burt Aaronson, now a lobbyist for Sun Recycling and the former boss of Mary Lou Berger who replaced him on the county commission after he was term limited. 

Another lobbyist was there for Sun Recycling who is the co-chair for the second annual mayor's ball for Shelley Vana, Neil Schiller.

Drew Martin was there representing the Sierra Club and told them that dioxins in small percentages can cause cancer. The smoke stack will be over the water supply at Grassy Waters.  Hal Valeche was furious and dumped on Drew for that remark telling him that they were highly regulated. According to Drew Martin, the County had to rewrite the ordinance to allow it and they went to the DEP to get an increase in allowable air pollution.

Mayor of West Palm beach, Jeri Muoio spoke out against it.  She is being challenged for mayor by Kimberly Mitchell, good friend of Shanon Materio whose campaign adviser was Richard Pinsky considered a political genius and ex-husband of Mitchell. Materio has a relationship with Sun Recycling and even accepted money for her BacPAC. Pinsky was hired by the present Lake Worth City Commission as a lobbyist for them in Tallahassee at $2,000 a month.  We haven't heard a thing how that's working out.

Well, do I have to spell it out?  Palm Beach County still has big questionable issues. And it is still known as corruption county of the country.

Lake Worth hires Lobbyist

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I was wondering why Richard Pinsky was at our last city commission meeting but as I had to leave after one hour to attend another meeting, I did not learn the reason until lately. Lake Worth just hired lobbyist, Richard Pinsky to represent them in Tallahassee. The contract pays him $2,000 a month from October 1 until May 31, 2015 and dated September 24, 2014, not to exceed $25,000.

Back in October 2010, I wrote about Richard Pinsky and his involvement in Shanon  Materio's BACPAC. He gave $1,000 to Businesses Aligned For Change Political Action Committee which was founded by Shanon Materio, co-owner of McMow Art Glass on North Dixie Highway in order to support "business friendly" candidates or those they felt were on their side of issues. You always need to follow the money. Pinsky is the former husband of West Palm Beach City Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, a good friend of Shanon Materio who is a good friend of the Lake Worth commission.

Read about Richard Pinsky... who pushed a land buy in West Palm Beach. And you have to wonder where lake Worth is getting all the money to do the following when they essentially told us during the general obligation bond potential money grab that they had NO money.

So now we have Tallahassee lobbyist, Richard Pinsky and a Washington D.C. lobbyist, Alcalde and Fay out of Alexandria, Virginia who we hired in April for $5,000 a month plus expenses. 

Also,
The Palm Beach Post reported that Lake Worth will be spending the following:

• $6 million to upgrade Boutwell Road in the 313-acre Park of Commerce. (Where's that $$ coming from?)
• $4.8 million to improve Lake and Lucerne avenues to meet the Americans With Disabilities Act.
• $3.7 million to upgrade sidewalks, roads and water utility equipment near Barton and North Grade Elementary schools.
• $700,000 to help city code officers demolish or board abandoned buildings.
• Regulation of sober homes.

Shanon Materio back in the News

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Back in October 2010, I wrote about Richard Pinsky and his involvement in Materio's BACPAC. He gave $1,000 to Businesses Aligned For Change Political Action Committee which was founded by Shanon Materio, co-owner of McMow Art Glass on North Dixie Highway in order to support "business friendly" candidates or those they felt were on their side of issues. You always need to follow the money.

In many ways, it was the same old players back then that we are dealing with now on the heights issue. Greg Rice was the Secretary of the BACPAC and he is the treasurer of The friends of the Gufstream. The only interests they all had then was putting business first. This concept was indeed "special" and still true today.

Now Mrs. Materio is back in the news today, along with her campaign adviser and political lobbyist friend, Richard Pinsky. Read more...

BAC PAC takes contributions from Toilet Company and Friends

Comment Up The BAC PAC has raised funds in support of Carla Blockson and Lisa Maxwell. Some of the money is from Sun Recycling Systems to the tune of $1,400 from 4 separate companies: Sun Recycling LLC, Southern Waste Systems, LLC, and Southern Aviation, LLC and the All Star Toilet Co all located at the main headquarters on Hillbrath Drive in Lantana. Maybe there's more, who knows.

Follow the money to understand the corruption in this City. Follow the money to understand the sleaze. Is Carla Blockson really Retha Lowe Junior? Retha Lowe is supporting Ms. Blockson. What has this PAC promised Sun for their campaign contributions? Rumor has it they have promised them entry back into our city. We finally booted them out of town by having an HONEST Commission in office and now this PAC wants them back? It can't be any more evil than this.

The next interesting thing on the BAC PAC's T-Report, not forgetting the importance of the Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce's contribution of $200, is an expense from a Richard Pinsky for $1,000. He is well known in the industry as a heavy hitting, in your face shhhhh, lobbyist and former husband of West Palm Beach City Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell, a good friend of Shanon Materio. His job must be to solicit funds for this political action committee that is hell bent on destroying everything positive that has occurred in our City. Can you even imagine Sun Recycling back in our City?

Oh, and they got the billboard sign at the Cultural Plaza covered on their report. Glad they all covered their azz on that one.

In two weeks we can tell them NO WAY to toilet politics.