County Inspector General chosen

Kalinthia Dillard named next county inspector general

The IG committee unanimously selected Dillard, who will take over in June when Inspector General John Carey retires. Inspector general, Palm Beach County.

Initially, the panel selected four finalists. Matthew Dove, with the U.S. Department of Energy, withdrew, and Anthony Zakel, formerly with the U.S. International Development Finance Corp., was unavailable until April because of a medical issue, Palm Beach County recruitment manager Paul Mattedo said.

Panelists filled out paper ballots and committee member and former Lake Worth Beach Mayor Rodney Romano counted the votes.

“I thought they were both highly, highly qualified,” Romano said after announcing Dillard as the appointee.

Read about it...

Man jumps into Intracoastal Waterway and is rescued

Read about it...

A little bit of trivia--

Tom Ramiccio and Rodney Romano, as former mayors of Lake Worth, did that all of the time--Plunge Against the Grunge. They wanted to bring awareness to the decades of dirty rainwater runoff and sewage piped into the lagoon. It was quite an event every July 4th.

Former Mayor Rodney Romano on Lake Worth Beach

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Rodney Romano - 

It's a public park and should remain public. It isn't supposed to make a profit. Ironically, a better, less expensive, financially stable project financed by a GO bond was killed in favor of what's there now. But what's done is done and we have a beautiful property now, which should be strictly reserved to the public, like Central Park. Perhaps the project should be refinanced by a GO bond. That vote would filter the Big Mouths from those truly committed to preserving the beach.

Editor's note:  Rodney Romano is our former mayor in Lake Worth. We all knew (the city and the residents) that it would take several years for the casino complex and beach project to start paying for itself.  We need to get the upstairs space utilized in order to allow this building to generate more revenue. The present commission has deferred paying principal payments @ $500,000 a year (other than one $250,000 payment) that we borrowed from ourselves.

Blast from the Past - A David and Goliath moment in time

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Election of March 2005
Remember this mayoral election that occurred on 3-22-05? Mr. Romano had raised ten times the amount of his opponent and lost the election:

Romano: $54,555
and newcomer,
Marc Drautz with little money, $5,250.

The moral of the story? Well you get it. It isn't always the amount of money you collect although many believe that it takes three things to win: "The first is money, and the second is money and the third is money," a line from the book the Dark side of Camelot and attributed to Joseph L. Kane, a campaign operative of JFK's. In the case of the City of Lake Worth, it is $50,000 of taxpayer money to be used for campaigning for the general obligation 30 year bond to ensure its passage. The taxpayers' only voice will be at the ballot box, not an even playing field.

It is the amount of public disgust that motivates the voters to change the tide. It is the simple fact that some elected officials (too many) just don't listen to the people they serve and consider anything they might say in opposition as "uninformed," "emotional," or "just plain not in their best interests." In other words, they consider you stupid. They are only there to please their "friends."  They have lost touch with the people and have no clue what the people are thinking because they are surrounded only by their inner sanctum that isolates them and leads them to believe that they are right. They call out the other side and say that they are "disingenuous," a nicer sounding way of saying "you are a liar" and all of the other things mentioned above. Arrogance usually will bring defeat or at least it should.

So, David slayed Goliath in 2005 for whatever reasons. It can be done again on August 26, 2014.

Marc Drautz

55.63%

Rodney Romano

44.37%

Shanon Materio, Fundraiser in Chief

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One of the most important aspects of campaigning is raising funds.  And Shanon Materio had no problem in that area with thousands of dollars coming from her friends (the 'in-crowd') in Lake Worth, not to mention Sun Recycling companies and its executive director giving a total of $1,000.--Sun Recycling, the very company that has involved itself in our city in a negative way. That company can always be counted on by certain people. Perhaps it had a lot to do with her campaign treasurer, activist extraordinaire, Mary Lindsey. However, the person who must do the lion’s share of the fundraising… the fundraiser-in-chief, if you will, is the candidate herself.

One always has to follow the money.

From Lake Worth, there were thousands of dollars in contributions to Ms. Materio. Some of the contributors were the usual suspects and included: Greg Rice giving $500 and his connection with Hulett Environmental that gave a $500 donation, Loretta Sharpe, Phil Spinelli, Brendan Lynch $500, John Deese $500, Laura Starr and her husband, David Brodie, giving a total of $1,000, Mary Lindsey, and Chip Guthrie's wife. Former fire chief, Paul Blockson gave $300.

Some surprises were Morganti the contractor on the beach redevelopment with $500, Deborah Bornstein, wife of Lake Worth's city manager gave $150 (at least Michael Bornstein had the good sense not to give in his name), State Senator Jeff Clemens who is a good friend of Materio's gave $250, and best of all, mayor of Lake Worth Pam Triolo giving $200 under her real name.  One of the people who is still behind the scenes (don't ever kid yourself that he isn't) is former Lake Worth mayor, Rodney Romano. He and his wife gave $1,000. 

On the report ending 3-7-2013, Ms. Materio had raised $71,960.29.

This is no April Fool's joke. Read PBPost article
.

Blast from the Past - Romano blasts Ramiccio - mentions the "C" word

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Even a former mayor, Rodney Romano, called Tom Ramiccio "corrupt."

EX-LAKE WORTH MAYOR PICKED FOR ADVISORY JOB

BYLINE: Scott McCabe, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
April 18, 2001
SECTION: LOCAL, Pg. 4B
DATELINE: LAKE WORTH

This time, former Mayor Tom Ramiccio beat the man that ousted him. Ramiccio, who lost his seat to Mayor Rodney Romano last month, received a bit of vindication Tuesday when the city commission voted 3-2 to appoint him to the planning and zoning board against the adamant urgings of Romano.

In the end, Commissioner Bo Allen, who last week said he wasn't willing to go to the mat against Romano on what he saw as a minor issue, sided with Ramiccio. Allen joined Commissioners Mac McKinnon and Scott Maxwell in support of Ramiccio. Romano and Commissioner Joe Egly voted for Glenn Goldberg.

Also by a 3-2 vote, the commission appointed former Commissioner Retha Lowe to the code enforcement board. McKinnon, Maxwell and Romano voted for Lowe. Egly and Allen voted for Jeff Young.

Ramiccio addressed Romano, the man who once groomed him for the top spot. "I'm pleading for your mercy to stop this hateful rhetoric so that the community can heal and my family can heal." Ramiccio said. "The election is over." Before the vote, Romano tried to sway the commission to vote against Ramiccio, reminding them that an administrative judge found that Ramiccio violated state ethics laws. The judge ordered in August to pay $2,000 for threatening to discontinue the use of a flower shop because the owner displayed his opponent's campaign sign.

Ramiccio is appealing the order. He says the accusation is untrue and purely political, fabricated two weeks before the 1999 mayoral campaign to bolster his opponent's campaign.

Romano Tuesday night continued to use strong language against Ramiccio, calling the judge's order a conviction and saying Ramiccio corruptly used his office. Egly urged him to stop talking and vote. "If there are three people who want their names associated with this," Romano said, "then let's do the deed."

Blast from the Past - Romano says Ramiccio failed to demonstrate any leadership

ROMANO SEEKS OLD LAKE WORTH MAYOR JOB

BYLINE: Scott McCabe, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
May 24, 2000
SECTION: LOCAL, Pg. 1B
DATELINE: LAKE WORTH

In a scathing letter attacking his political protege, former Mayor Rodney Romano announced he'll try to wrest back the office he left for Mayor four years ago.

This weird twist and aggressive tone surprised even longtime city politicos. Romano had taken Ramiccio under his wing, endorsed him as his vice mayor and groomed him as his replacement. Romano Monday took credit for getting Ramiccio elected.

Romano took the mayor to task for a range of issues: Ramiccio hogged headlines, offered no leadership, alienated constituents, and insulted political higher-ups. The mayor, he pointed out, even made a bizarre claim in a local weekly newspaper that Ramiccio was called the "White Negro of Lake Worth" for all he's done for the black community.

Romano announced his candidacy in a letter to The Lake Worth Herald last week, 10 months before the March election. Ramiccio has spent four years resting on my laurels," wrote Romano, a popular mayor from 1993 to 1997. "He has failed to demonstrate any leadership, judgment or decision-making skills necessary to be a good mayor." During an interview Monday, Romano's words rang harsher. Lake Worth's much-publicized progress, he said, "would have happened had a monkey been in office."

Ramiccio was stunned. "That was no announcement," he said. "That was a character assassination." Ramiccio said he would be more than happy to give Romano a tour of the city and introduce him to the people who have worked so hard in his four-year absence.

Romano's comments confused commissioners, who brag of a bustling downtown, a sharp increase in property values, a new downtown park, plans for new ballpark and golf club facility, and citizen-generated plans to improve the 19-acre beach. Commissioner Mac McKinnon called it a "harsh political attack on Ramiccio and an indirect attack on city staff and commissioners, past and present. "It's egotistical to think that nothing's been done since (Romano) left three years ago," McKinnon said.

This is not the first time Romano has publicly criticized Ramiccio. In a November letter to the editor to The Palm Beach Post, Romano wrote that he "was mortified" that Ramiccio raised concerns about county Commissioner Warren Newell's lobbying the city to buy property from Newell's business partner. Romano, who once called Ramiccio, "P.T. Barnum" for his ability to generate publicity, says the mayor is more interested in making headlines than headway.

Ramiccio has caught headlines, but most notably for promoting Romano's cause, "The Plunge in the Grunge," an annual swim across the Intracoastal Waterway to dramatize the need to clean up the lagoon. Ramiccio made national news two years ago when he contracted a mysterious, life-threatening virus that he said doctors attributed to the swim. The two-term mayor drew more exposure when he threatened to swim again, in a plastic bubble.

It's too early to worry about Romano and the election, Ramiccio said. He is worried, though, that a negative campaign will tear the city apart before then. "It's sad," he said. "It was Romano that taught us that nobody benefits in negative politics."

HOW COME YOU NEVER LEARNED THAT MR. RAMICCIO?
chickens, anarchists, Palestine, ghettos, lies

Blast from the Past - Romano and Ramiccio

ROMANO OUSTS PROTEGE RAMICCIO
NEWCOMER ALSO WINS AS VOTERS SEEK CHANGE
March 14, 2001
BYLINE: Scott McCabe, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
SECTION: LOCAL, DATELINE: LAKE WORTH

The master thumped his pupil.
Former mayor Rodney Romano easily bested his protege and former friend Tom Ramiccio in Tuesday's bitter mayoral combat. With every vote counted, Romano earned 60 percent,

The incumbent also lost in the District 1 race, where political newcomer Scott Maxwell knocked off three-term city commissioner Retha Lowe, Lake Worth's first and only black elected official. With every precinct counted, Maxwell had 50.5 percent, Lowe 49.5 percent. About 25.8 percent of the city's 14,572 registered voters participated. The mayor serves two-year terms and is paid $5,200. Commissioners serve two-year terms and are paid $4,200 annually.

The miniscule margin of Lowe's defeat was not miniscule enough to pull her within the one-half of one percent that would would have automatically triggered a recount. Late Tuesday, she was too upset to come to the phone, someone who answered the phone at her home said.

The mayoral race pitted mentor vs. protege, friend vs. friend, church lector vs. church lector. But in the end, Romano, 47, proved his name still carried the clout it had when he was mayor from 1993 to 1997. He convinced voters that he could make things better.

Ramiccio's spotlight-grabbing personality provided Romano fodder. Most damaging, the Florida Commission of Ethics cited Ramiccio for threatening to discontinue city use of a flower shop because the owner displayed his opponent's campaign sign.

Ramiccio was stunned at how soundly he was beaten."I guess negative campaigning works," Ramiccio, 39, said." (Romano) was able to distort my positive attributes." Romano couldn't be reached late Tuesday, his wife Lynnette said. The new mayor was on his way to give his condolences to Ramiccio.

Romano, an attorney, once worked with Ramiccio to turn the struggling city around. Ramiccio, owner of Dixie Carpet & Vinyl, joined the council in 1995 and took Romano's baton two years later. Together they were formidable. Romano was the forceful leader, Ramiccio, the energetic cheerleader. But the two had a falling out when Romano announced his plan to retake the mayor's job. He blasted Ramiccio for "resting on my laurels" and said Lake Worth's resurgence "would have happened had a monkey been in office."

Lake Worth's Candidate Forum

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Infamous Political Person

Other than the questions being way too long, it was an interesting "debate." I would still like to know who actually decided on what questions to ask. Some were inappropriate and seemed to be slanted in a negative way towards Waterman, the one candidate some want so desperately to beat. As the President's Council is political, I am not sure that any of this was explained other than neighborhood associations submitted questions to them. None of mine were chosen.

Endorsing one of its own, the PBCHRC members and aficionados were at the Playhouse last night in support of their candidate, Lisa Maxwell. They must have filled half the Playhouse. It was all about supporting one of their own in solidarity. Politics over Principle.

This is the candidate who continues to say politically correct statements such as she "wants to bring this city together"--"it is too divisive" and not one single person believes her, not even her greatest supporters, the Gay, Lesbian community. This election is all about grabbing back the power for some and the others just want someone gay no matter who. You sound correct, we will love ya because we know that you will beat up on all those other commissioners who we have been told are "ruining our city with immigrants" and who have "caused all the blight"...you know, all those shhh "anarchists."

Maxwell again brought up the Utility. I guess she doesn't read my blog. We do have generation, Lisa. She doesn't know anything about FMPA. She also brought up contracts. She doesn't think that we should ever break one even when it is bad or would cost the city millions like the water contract with the County this Commission ended and saved the City $3.5 million. But she reminded us that she has lots of budget experience. Jumping on the high utility rate bandwagon, she said that we should not be using money from the Utility to operate our city. In an ideal world that might be true, but we have to pay for all these Union retirement funds that have collapsed Lake Worth. I don't want someone as Mayor who has tunnel vision and someone who would easily cost us money that we don't have. Fiscal responsibility is the key but even more than that, knowing the facts of the matters at hand is essential. Lisa does not.

I was interested in seeing Waterman on her feet and was she ever. She did an excellent job--was quick, spontaneous, on point and knew her stuff. When Ramiccio attacked her for glancing at notes, she said, "Don't hate me for being prepared." You just know that she won't put up with any screwing around on the Dais. She mentioned her 20 years of experience in urban redevelopment and major infrastructure projects that brought new investment to Palm Beach County. She can do the same for Lake Worth. When Maxwell mentioned we needed a Grant Writer, she told the crowd that she was one. She has so many degrees that it isn't funny. Smart people who work hard are qualities that have to impress. It did me.

Tom Ramiccio was fun to listen to--a real showman. He sort of reminded folks of Rodney Romano's antics. Romano did beat him in his last campaign. He was rude to Waterman when he suggested she was an "anarchist." What a silly and stupid thing to say. Unfortunately, Ramiccio stands for everything I do not. He wants to outsource the entire City of Lake Worth. It doesn't matter whether or not it is feasible or something that would costs us millions, he just wants to do it. Get rid of our Utility he says and sell it to FPL. He stated, after being challenged by Waterman, "It's not shortsighted to consider selling this outdated piece of equipment." Tom, don't you know that we have been upgrading our Utility and our new RO will be open next month. We have a $66 million Bond on our Utility for this. And Tom just wants to p**s it away by selling it probably getting pennies on the dollar, if we could sell it at all.

Ramiccio has collected a lot of money from Wayne Akers folks and has a few more fund raisers to go. And to Wayne Akers Ford, it's not going to help you. Your favorable rate that saves you approximately $10,000 a month is under scrutiny right now and the commission is looking to adjust it fairly. Other rate customers have been subsidizing Wayne Akers Ford and this will stop. Campaign money helps when you are trying to get elected.

Javier DelSol was never better as he was last night and made some excellent points. He has some supporters out there who believe along with him that "whitey" is a racist.

Lisa Maxwell and Lake Worth Utilities

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Lake Worth Utilities
One of our most valuable assets

Lisa Maxwell has a campaign video out on Lake Worth Utilities. It is convincing for those unfamiliar with the facts. All that we as consumers understand is that electric is expensive and something must be done about it. Lisa's solution is to get rid of the Utility. Just sell the darn thing...out of sight, out of mind, let someone else deal with it.

That's the trouble with most politicians--they say what they think you want to hear without telling you everything or they are not up to snuff on the facts. Jeff Clemens as Mayor was a master of that. His solution to everything was to sell it or lease it to a developer or give it away to the County. He never considered good management and informed decisions were the keys to our success. Lisa seems to want to emulate him.

A few bring up selling our Utility every decade or so. This is one of our most valuable assets. Several years back it was called "Lakeworthless Utilities" because the power went out at the drop of a hat. No more. Right now, we are paying for an electrical utility upgrade as well as our Reverse Osmosis plant, both included in a $66 million bond. Infrastructure always has to be upgraded and maintained, something that the City has neglected in the past. While this is being done, we have to pay for it. We are of a dozen or so cities that has its own generation in Florida.
___________
Lisa Maxwell says, "A lot of people believe that we produce our own electricity and that's not the case. We have a distribution network and that's about it."
___________

But, she is WRONG.

We have three generators that produce power 10% of the time. We supply our base load from Stanton (Orlando Coal units) and St. Lucie (nuclear). We do produce electricity but our native or base load comes from outside sources which is perfectly normal for any municipality with electric generation assets. WE CAN'T generate more electricity because of the contract with FMPA. They alone can dispatch our generation.

We voted to get out of this contract because our electric rates are so high, and we will be contracting with new sources for an additional 10 – 20 megawatts to meet base load requirements. Our last day with FMPA will be around December 31, 2013 and all our new power contracts will be in effect by then. Also, the present commission just voted to reduce our rates as it has been listening to resident concerns. The Utility contracted with a professional who in turn conducted a Study that determined where we could reduce and lower rates in this upcoming budget cycle. Professionally conducted studies are something else this candidate has criticized. In the past, the city has gotten into very bad deals and contracts by NOT conducting studies thus making bad decisions that have produced disastrous results.

Lisa Maxwell's friend, Commissioner Scott Maxwell, was the one who made the motion to adopt the resolution to approve of the contract with FMPA on June 18, 2002. The mindset then was to have someone else take care of it, the easy way out. As it turned out, it became expensive. This was under the Rodney Romano regime, the start of many bad decisions for Lake Worth. The Contract was signed by Romano, Bo Allen, Mac McKinnon, Joe Egly and Maxwell. For $10 dollars, we assigned over all of our exclusive rights on our property through the term of the lease with FMPA.

As the former Electric Utility Task Force Chair said, “The new generation deal proposed by FMPA that was to be executed in 2010, was recommended by the city manager Paul Boyer, previous utility directors, previous engineering service manager, plant manager, bond counsel mayor, commissioner Vespo and other; was a rotten deal that would have put the city into an extended hardship under the burden of very high utility rates and no hope of relief for a half century." He further stated, that the city was "grossly misinformed about FMPA and our electric utility by the previous utility directors, previous engineering services manager, bond counsel, plant manager and others." Our 2010 commission voted not to renew with FMPA All Requirements. They were looking out for you.

Candidate for Mayor, Lisa Maxwell, wants to consider selling our Utility, the asset that has been keeping this city afloat-- one of the advantages of having our own utility. Without it, we might have had to file bankruptcy years ago. Once we get out of FMPA, we will have more control and flexibility over rates and we will be able to generate some of our own electricity and have our own system just the way we want with solar and other green alternatives. Commissioner Jo-Ann Golden was a leader in this decision. Lisa needs to understand that 1) we do not have a buyer for our Utility and perhaps no one would want to buy it 2) not everyone in the City wants to sell it or give away any of our assets and 3) it needs a vote of the people.

Lisa Maxwell, wants to consider selling our Utility, our multi-million dollar asset and an asset through good management, will be even more of a unique benefit to all of the residents of Lake Worth and its customers once we exit FMPA.

Ramiccio - Just like a bad penny?

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Only ten years has passed since Tom Ramiccio was Lake Worth's mayor. Ramiccio and Romano were like watching a ping pong game. They both liked the Plunge for the Grunge, literally.

Tom Ramiccio has had his feelers out for sometime about running for Lake Worth Mayor, again. Now the PB Post confirms this rumor. Just like a bad penny, he won't go away.

Tom won his election as Lake Worth mayor in 1997. In 1999 he was re-elected. During his second term as mayor, he violated Section 112.313(6), Florida Statutes; whereas the State imposed a civil penalty of $2,000; and issued a public censure and reprimand for his strong-arm tactics against the owner of one of our downtown shops. He did not like her putting a campaign sign in her window of the opponent. His witnesses were: Bjon Javid, Barbara Massey, Wendy Newmeyer, H. Patrick Parrish of the Lake Worth Herald, and Marianne Webber.

Funny stuff as we see campaign signs in the window of one of his "witnesses" every election cycle and of course the Lake Worth Herald is always playing politics.

On March 13, 2001, Tom Ramiccio lost his reelection to Rodney Romano, 2216 to 1499 votes. He was president of the local Chamber of Commerce and ended up losing that job too. Rumor has it that he reverted to his strong-arming that got him in difficulties. He sued the Chamber and Commissioner Mulvehill. The Chamber settled with him for an unknown amount.

Power Grab in Lake Worth Continues and the Public can't Speak

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Years ago under Mayor Rodney Romano, holes were jackhammered in the Lake Worth Casino building. Word had it that the government was trying to justify why the building should be demolished. Sweet deals for friends.

Now in yesterday's news, the City is removing the shuffleboard courts. We have had courts for 80 years. It doesn't matter--treat the seniors like crap. The City has been doing that all along to 14% of its population. The voting block of Seniors who are retired, with most of them with resources, is significant--they always vote. They don't cost the city nor do they destroy property; they just don't have the fight in them to put up with politics and bad decisions. They expect we "younger" folks to pursue what's right.

The City eliminated their transportation with the trolley that was costing the City around $165,000 a year--big deal. There are some who say, "Well, let them walk." That's the argument for eliminating 160 upper level parking spaces at the beach. Next it was the Senior Center where they came to play bridge, read, buy lunch, have some camaraderie. They kicked the Seniors out and gave the building to Compass, another voting block of similar proportions but these people are younger and they still know how to fight for rights and for what they want.

Mayor Varela, speaking about the Shuffleboard Court Building is quoted as saying: "Our new recreation facility will serve as green space and activity space for residents (this includes illegals, the very same people who destroyed it) from kindergarten to the elderly." Trust me, Mayor, it will NOT be the elderly driving or walking there to sit on "green." Is this one of the promises to "force change" before you leave town? He did promise to leave certain residents out in the cold when he first took office--a promise now fulfilled.

Joe Kroll, Public Works Director, said that "use of the shuffleboard courts had dwindled," thus justifying this action. Use has dwindled because of the deplorable conditions of the courts. Public Works NEVER took care of this asset. The Mentoring Center never took care of our property. Now the City, once again, would rather just get rid of it. In the mind of Staff, it is the expedient and most cost effective thing to do.

The real reason for jackhammering and taking out the courts is that the illegal population who utilized our building when The Mentoring Center had the Lease attracted those who destroyed our property and The Mentoring Center is responsible for its condition. The City, for some odd reason, is reluctant to go after them for these repairs. To rebuild all those courts would cost the City money that they do not wish to spend. What cost did Joe Kroll give to the city manager for shuffleboard courts? Remember the roof? That cost estimate was totally out of whack.

At our condominium community, we have had tournaments with those who participated at the Shuffleboard courts. We have 6 courts here and we maintain them. If we didn't, we would have people screaming bloody murder and those in charge would be accused of nonfeasance and booted.

It is a sad day for Lake Worth when the City can decide, on its own, to eradicate its history-- from the Commission agreeing to closing the Museum and to other decisions out of the Sunshine like shutting down the Annex? and now jackhammering our shuffleboard courts.

Commissioner Scott Maxwell is correct when he says, the Commission should debate the issue. In fact, the public should have a right to speak on it too. This sounds just like another Bryant Park fiasco.

Will the Commission continue to allow its power to be transferred to Staff?

Pay to Play and Politics as Usual

As we have been going round and round about implementing a Pay to Play Ordinance (Ethics Ordinance) for the past two years, last night Palm Beach County Commissioner Executive Director Alan Johnson spoke to the Commission and the public on Ethics. He reminded us that we are known as the Corruption County of the Country.

Prohibited conduct:
1-misuse of office – financial gain,
2-voting conflicts,
3-prohibited contractual relationships,
4-accepting travel expenses from vendors,
5-contingency fees

Cara Jennings brought up the new PAC, Businesses Aligned for Change that met on the steps of City Hall yesterday in support of candidates, Carla Blockson and Lisa Maxwell. Some in this group filed an ethics complaint against Cara Jennings that was dissed by the Florida Ethics Committee. This PAC was formed to support these candidates, circumventing our campaign contribution requirements. She also stated that we want our Pay to Play Ordinance to be even more strict than the County's as it pertains to vendors doing business with the City. Mr. Johnson said that is legal and within our rights.

We even had Mayor Varela participating in this PAC's political agenda by standing with them on the steps of City Hall. Varela's action has been highly criticized by many as inappropriate to his position as the figurehead/leader of Lake Worth. He was elected to represent the total communities’ interests, not just the supposed business community that this PAC says it represents. He definitely was not elected to represent special interests. Some residents have even stated that his behavior is unethical.

If these two candidates, Blockson and Lisa Maxwell, should win in November, every vote made by the Mayor that happens to be in agreement with them could be suspect or even considered biased. He is not looking out for all the citizens as displayed yesterday at the steps of City Hall. His actions are the reality here--politics as usual.

Rene Varela lost his first time around for Commissioner District 4 to Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill who he endorsed in her run-off with David Vespo stating that she was the "best choice." Now he has flip-flopped, something that a lot of politicians do, aligning themselves with special interests and where the money is and where they can be politically supported down the road. Once a politician, always a politician. Read Mayor Varela's letter regarding ethics to the Lake Worth Commission HERE .

The only reason that this particular political action committee was formed is to circumvent the $500 rule on local campaign contributions which is its right under Free Speech. Outraged over height limits in Lake Worth, this small vocal and well heeled group got motivated. It blames all the financial ills of the City on two sitting commissioners rather than the real reason, not indigenous to Lake Worth, but one existing all over the country, the economy in general. They have started their negative campaign by saying that only their favored candidates are pro-business and that they are the only ones who can turn around our city and its financial health. Mayor Varela wants pay-stations in downtown Lake Worth which is certainly not business friendly. The PAC offers no proof of its allegation that those they are opposing are anti-business. Any political committee or candidate can say anything it wants. It is all bull.

Be reminded that it was their supported candidates of the past (Rodney Romano, Jeff Clemens, David Vespo, Retha Lowe, McKinnon, etc.) that got us to where we are today--millions in waste, approving bad contracts, Union and otherwise, that they did not understand or ever read resulting in law-suits up the wazoo. Romano started a PAC years back in order to promote his personal agenda for our beach where he wanted to build a small hotel. It failed...he got defeated. This PAC is going around the spirit of campaign contribution law and we hope that the citizens of Lake Worth will respond accordingly on November 2.

The Executive Committee for this PAC is as follows:

John Deese
Estella Hartner
Greg Rice
Karri Casper
John Rinaldi

Others spotted in the crowd, besides the Mayor, were Mary Lindsey, Financial Advisory Board member John Pickett, Jim and Joanne Kelly. Follow the money. Their first Treasury Report is due in September.

One of the few happy campers at yesterday's "demonstration"

Our Casino / Beach Re-Development and Lake Worth Politics

Silly green building--similar to what is proposed

As the Finance Advisory Board discussed the financing for the Casino project last night, I got to thinking about the entire project. The question that keeps coming to mind is, how did Living Designs Group, a company from New Mexico with a local office in Lake Worth, get into the mix? Not only are they involved in the building of our Lake Worth Casino but they have become involved in the entire beach re-development project.

Rumor has it that they were never paid for the design and architectural plans for The Eco Centre, the first green building in Lake Worth and a building that was recently sold at foreclosure. Also it has been said that they whined and had lobbied Staff to become part of the beach re-development to help make up for the huge loss they incurred at the Romano building that was owned by John Romano, brother to former mayor Rodney Romano. Why does that become the City’s responsibility and they are allowed to jump into bed with Kimley-Horn, the engineering firm hired by Staff for our beach redevelopment? It is sickening that our beach is all entrenched in politics with elected officials and Staff rewarding friends. Even the City had its own wish list--to buy the Eco-Centre and move City Hall operations there.

As we all know, three commissioners, Maxwell, Mayor Varela and Golden voted Living Designs as their top choice for a modern look of our Lake Worth Casino, so, therefore, these commissioners are in sink with Staff bringing Living Designs into the fold. It wasn't just the modern look that turned these politicians on. It was politics.

I have never seen any commission so obsessed with “green” to the point of being absolutely stupid. Green has been a standard in building construction for quite some time but they keep on talking about it ad nausum. Even the Florida Legislature has recognized the need to build sustainable buildings moving into the future and to that end have enacted legislation. You have to consider all the politics behind the scenes. And this is the power of politics that started with the hiring of (no bid) Singer--Jennings and Varela. Then Living Designs, the 2nd choice in the ranking process, came into the mix to be a big party to the beach redevelopment--Maxwell, Varela and Golden.

Living Designs has designed a bathroom facility for the southend of our beach with an unattractive design or perhaps better stated, a design more in tune to the conceptual drawing in their presentation for the Casino. (More than likely Commissioner Golden will approve of this because she even wanted the word "Mediterranean" taken out of the RFQ by REG Architects, an Hispanic minority Architectural firm from West Palm Beach that IS the architect on the Casino). REG incorporates green features into his buildings. It was said that people can also sit around this bathroom structure in shade and look at the ocean. Who in the HECK wants to sit around a building designed as a toilet facility? Also, the trellises they have designed will give no shade or protection from the rain to the people on the north end of our beach.

When it came time to discuss the REG survey weeks ago on the Casino, Mayor Varela, in a voice that meant business, told REG Architects to be "consistent" when it came to their survey and their proposal. REG, experts in historical building restorations, is being overly generous on the survey questions. The problem is, REG was being fed directions from Staff and REG is doing its best to work with the City. It is individual commissioners who are the obstacle at our beach. They are the ones who are not being consistent as REG won as the top architect choice, not Living Designs. What does Staff and the commission do? Bring in Living Designs anyway, a firm with a total arbitrary and opposite architectural design to REG's. Not any consistency in that.

You have two architects working on the beach with two different design perspectives (Mediterranean and Modern) and one artist, Michael Singer, who is left of green and who is definitely ultra- modern. And he's still hanging around. Commissioner Golden felt sort of sorry for him for not making more money. Of course he will be making more money on this deal. Do you rally think he is hanging around for his health??

Commissioner Maxwell was right when he stated that it was a "flawed process" referring to the survey...mentioning the possibility of "stuffing the ballot boxes." However, instead of more charettes, I think that we have had ten years of time talking about the Casino and we are sick and tired of the stall. The City now will have endless charettes that will allow the public to screw it all up even further, packed with all those who have to have cisterns, solar panels, wind mills, etc. rather than just building a Casino that will attract international tourism...something spectacular, not a Picasso. One city-wide charette is enough if properly noticed. If people don't show up, so be it.

The survey is now closed and I would bet money that it was packed with survey takers who are friends of the "green" people, i.e, Commissioner Jennings. We will get a modern looking building at our beach when it is all over and done. Tourists travel all over the world to see historical buildings, not art-deco. Lake Worth gets in its own way.

In a nutshell- this is what your Commission as well as Lake Worth Staff did-- first by bringing in Michael Singer, an artist, and next allowing Living Design Group to become a party to the deal and to design our 19 acres, outhouses and all. This was not open, transparent nor was it a democratic process, Commissioners.

We have $4.5 million left on our beach redevelopment, a development that does not set well with many residents, and now this group wants to put in monolithic slabs instead of pavers and some modern looking outhouse. Can we at least get very tall trees and not those puny ones the city put in on 6th Avenue South? And don't dare screw up the Casino.

"The current plan for the beach is the first in two decades that reflects what the public wants at Lake Worth Beach - increased open space, improved park areas, 100 percent public access, shade and a surfer viewing area," Commissioner Cara Jennings said. I don't remember voting on this, Commissioner. A statement such as this is why I do NOT like politicians.

Last night Staff presented an idea to the FAB to eliminate decal parking.The next idea was to relegate decal permit holders to Old Bridge. We are the guys who pay the tab for the beach and now they want us to pay like any outsider. We have been paying on the Bond for years in our ad valorem and we pay the yearly maintenance, lifeguards, you name it--not those people who live out of the city of Lake Worth. And why is the beach fund now under $1 million? Where did the money go?

Beach Site Plan

Even though Mayor Rene Varela was responsible for Michael Singer, he and Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill recognize the importance of our beach redevelopment project including the Casino rehab to help turn around our City for its economic recovery.

Negative campaigning, dirty tricks and playing Gotcha

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It's that time of year--get ready!

Every election cycle we have some residents who go over Treasury Reports with a fine toothed comb, looking for anything that might be a red-flag regarding improper or incomplete reporting. They play the vigorous game of “gotcha.” If they can’t find anything there, they look for ethics violations. They are determined to find something in order to bring the opposition down in order to prove dishonesty, lack of ethics, lack of integrity, that they are liars or worse, or just to play the sleazy game. They want to plant that seed of doubt in the minds of the voters. Sometimes these complaints are over stupid, petty things and sometimes the negative seed grows.

We even have the legitimate news media doing the same thing when it comes to reporting facts or their shallow endorsements, i.e., the Palm Beach Post. Afterall, it depends upon advertising dollars and they will do what's necessary to knock out a leading candidate they do not like. The free press is corrupt surviving in a corrupt system.

We had three residents (Lindsey, Pickett and Lynch) who filed an ethics complaint against Cara Jennings that went nowhere for using her power to intimidate a local downtown business from having the Maxwell Campaign hold a fund raiser because she charged that he was "racist." There are some who still believe that Scott is racist because of this. He isn't.

Then there was Lisa Maxwell, candidate in District 4 who is presently running against Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill. She is a former long-time, shhhhhhh "lobbyist" for the building industry who filed her own complaint against Jennings regarding non-disclosure of a mortgage.

Several years back, there were four gals with a big vendetta. As I recall, they were Arevalo, Weber, Allen and Wright who got all over Marc Drautz for not having a disclaimer at the footer of a letter he mailed out. They were still fuming that 1) he beat out Rodney Romano 2) he supported the SuperMajority and 3) he really cared about the people. They filed individual complaints, virtually at the same time, with Tallahassee. This was considered a Minor Violation by the Elections Commission. Drautz ended up paying a $500 fine months after he had been defeated by Clemens. $500 was not minor to him.

Mary Brandenburg who is term-limited this year and presently our House Rep District 89 and campaign treasurer for her husband Pete, just filed a complaint against Jeff Clemens saying he under-reported the value of two fund-raising events. Tactically this was a very stupid move on Mary’s part. I would have thought that she would have been more politically astute. You could spout the Clemens record, deplorable enough, without filing a campaign violation. We could have forgiven you for "running" your husband. This "gotcha" might very well backfire on Brandenburg.

Just last year we all had to endure the sleazy tactics and lies with a campaign flier put out by the Dirty Dozen as well as robo calls made from the Lake Worth Fire Department phone line against candidate Laurence McNamara who was running against our now Mayor, Rene Varela. Last night I met Sid Dinerstein, head of the Republican Party here in Palm Beach County, who did a robo call on the behalf of Democrat Varela. Unorthodox to say the least. We are rather sure where this all originated. Of course, Varela denied knowledge of the incidents and the person behind the Dinerstein call will never admit to it.

We are all sick of negative campaigning, nit-picking and dirty tricks but secretly we love to see what's next. Who is going to body slam whom. This year we have seen more of it than any other in recent memory from candidates with unlimited personal funds. People are also disgusted with the "gotchas." Now we have Democrats running as Tea Party candidates in order to split the vote.

We have Jeff Greene, some sort of billionaire and buying his way into office, calling Kendrick Meek “corrupt” and saying there should be a criminal investigation. Kendrick Meek, Congressman now running for the U.S. Senate, is the son of the great Carrie Meek who was the granddaughter of slaves and also was our Congresswoman from Florida. Greene also said that Meek sold out the Seniors.

Then there is Dan Gelber running against Dave Aronberg who is a Harvard graduate in Government, accusing him of voting with those "dreaded" Republicans and calling him anti-consumer.

We have all witnessed the vilification of Col. Allen West by the Democrats and the left-winged media. Last night he showed us two Klein fliers that were mailed to his house full of lies.

As the negative ads appear on TV, we say, "oh no, not him again," or we hunt for the remote to mute or click them off just like the voters will do this November. We soon will see anti-Amendment 4 ads. Click them off too. These people behind the lies have more money than sense coming from special interests groups that are only interested in their self-enrichment.

Adlai Stevenson said, "Those who corrupt the public mind are just as evil as those who steal from the public purse."

City Commission Meeting

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This was another City Commission from hell. Most of the back-up was missing. Whoever thinks it is perfectly A-OK to put six presentations on the Agenda is out of their tree. Although each presentation is supposed to be 10 minutes, they undoubtedly last much longer particularly when you have a city commission that asks question after question..."gee, I love to talk." We all in the public had to sit through these for one and one-half hours of complete boredom.

We have Mock Roos sitting there for 1.5 hours before he got to speak on two contracts being awarded to him, one in the amount of $51,800 for design and inspection services to the 2nd Avenue North water quality baffle box installation. Does anyone know what a baffle box is? And the other in the amount of $$35,800 for a site investigation and the impact of Sun Recycling’s dumping of RSM on our landfill. I have no idea what he makes per hour but it is ridiculous if we are paying Biggs to sit there while we discuss Haiti Relief efforts or listening to Mary Brandenburg for one half hour.

The Commission had an opportunity to bring back the Down To Earth vote for reconsideration. They didn't. The Mayor said that well, West Palm Beach thought they did the right thing or some sort of words of wisdom to that affect. Gosh. A couple of the principals did some bad deeds one even going to prison. Why would we want to get in bed with any shady people? It's that smell of money and the smell of "green" that really drives some of this Commission and it stinks.

Back in 2004, the City Commission headed by then Mayor Rodney Romano and commissioners, Burns, McKinnon, Lowe and Egly, passed an Ordinance 02-2004 on a 5/0 vote that said that current immigration laws, policies and enforcement do not appear to be meeting the security or economic needs of the American people. It said that it was an unfair tax burden on citizens and businesses and mentioning over-crowding, costs to the public, exploitation and that we needed to “fix the current immigration mess.” It went on to say that “farm owners and other stakeholders should receive some sort of immunity from prosecution as an incentive to come to the table and work on realistic solutions.”

They gave amnesty to those employers who were hiring illegal aliens. This was and still is against U.S. Law. I said it last night and I firmly believe that this was the start of what has now lead up to Lake Worth becoming a “sanctuary city” and being lenient on United States immigration laws. This is why we have possibly one-half of our city now occupied by illegal aliens...slum, blight, crime, gangs, you name it.

The 2004 Commission went round and round about the word “illegal” and with the word “alien.” Commissioner Nadine Burns asked that “undocumented aliens” be changed to “undocumented workers.” Romano wanted it changed to “undocumented residents.” They were all trying to be politically correct instead of calling a spade a spade. And this is why every time I use the word illegal alien, Commissioner Golden corrects me because of this Resolution.

Javier DelSol was still, in 2004, talking about erasing all borders. Other citizens talked about massacres forcing out the Guatemalans from their country with another open border advocate saying that we should make undocumented residents feel welcome. Loretta Sharpe asked for a clarification of “farmholders and stakeholders.” She supported the resolution and asked the City to request that the County provide decent housing. She asked the City to provide soccer fields and pave unimproved alleys to provide basketball courts. Are you surprised?

Although our city is in dire need of street repairs and perhaps even sidewalk repairs, to vote on a 5/0 to spend $1,045,782.50 (I just love that 50 cents) with the vast amount being spent on Auburn and Harvard Drives in College Park is irresponsible when you consider that it has been announced that we have a $2.7 million budget deficit and that our property receipts will be down over $1.2 million for this year. This vote was about politics, not principles.

When people suggest to me that we should be de-annexed back to Palm Beach County, I can’t help but believe that they might have something there.

Anthony Pugliese

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Remember Anthony Pugliese III? As it turns out, not only is he a builder but a collector of Pop Culture.

This is the guy who wanted to build a hotel on our beach. This all happened during the Rodney Romano regime not that many years ago. As the Greater Bay contract was made to flip, who is to say that he is still not lurking around town? He has given campaign contributions to "friends" running here in Lake Worth.

He didn't get hold of our Lake Worth Beach but he did get hold of 41,300 acres or 64 square miles in Osceola County for his planned community, Destiny.

Perhaps he needs money as I read some time back that he was suing his former partner, Fred DeLuca, co-founder of Subway Restaurants for $5 billion.

PR for the Pugliese Collection:

"The Pugliese Pop Culture Collection may well be the finest collection focusing on 20th Century pop culture ever privately assembled. Approximately eight hundred and fifty of the most extraordinary objects imaginable from the worlds of motion pictures, popular music, magic, television and politics were gathered over several decades by Anthony Pugliese, a man who might well be described as a true visionary.

A small sampling of the Collection's treasures include Houdini's straightjacket, the Maltese Falcon statuette, Christopher Reeves' Superman suit, John Lennon's Abbey Road suit, Elvis Presley's personal rifle collection and the gun that Jack Ruby used to kill Lee Harvey Oswald. Indeed, Mr. Pugliese is sharing his wonderful Collection with the rest of the world as he shifts his interests towards the creation of Destiny, the nation's largest eco-sustainable community currently being sensitively created in central Florida.

His collection will be auctioned off on May 15 at 2:00 PM ET at Guernsey's in New York City. A portion of the proceeds from this remarkable event are earmarked for the Audubon Society, long known for its important environmental work."

The Cost of the First Step

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The cost of running for local office has hit an all new high. With the exception of Rodney Romano raising more money, Rene Varela raised $40,860. But wait…$23,770.86 of that was for a professional political consulting firm, SMDG.

This appears to be the same political consulting company that worked on Lois Frankel's and Sharon Bock's campaign. But wait...it also worked on President Obama’s campaign! The President of the United States for crying out loud. Rene didn’t want all of us to know that so it was slipped in on his final T-Report.

Between deceptive fliers, deceptive robo calls, the head of the Republican Party PB Cnty doing a campaign call, total character assassination of the opponent and his wife by ugly supporters, owing your soul to the Unions and now a professional consultant, I don’t see how FDR could have won this election. Rene was serious when he told us to elect career politicians into office. This is his first step.

Our Lake Worth Casino Restoration - Part 1

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The design bids are now in. During this month, the applicants will be narrowed down to three by the Casino Committee consisting of the Commission and two citizens. One suggested for this Committee by Cara Jennings is John Paxman, Chair of our P&Z Board. This is an interesting choice as public commentary bears witness that his heart is not into restoration of the present building. John was also behind the political move that tried to alter our Comp Plan to put in higher density on the 4.02 parcel at Sunset, going against an entire neighborhood of 450 dwellings for two "friends."

In spite of all the politics, we are proceeding in the complete make-over of our building, a building that was certified in August 2009 as structurally sound. Bill Coakley and others had been reporting on this for years but those involved in development and politics wanted everyone to believe differently. In fact, and more specifically, Wes Blackman former Chair of the Planning and Zoning Board and former Mayor Jeff Clemens went so far as to suggest that the building should be demolished because of spalling that could/would fall and injure someone. NOT SO.

Taurinski Engineers said the following:

1. Casino building made of reinforced steel and concrete.
2. Areas that were jack-hammered when Rodney Romano and Jeff Clemens were in office and never repaired, must be cut out, cleaned of all corrosion, coated with an anti-corrosive agent and patched with a high-strength cementitious material.
3. Only minor concrete repairs are required.
4. No signs of structural collapse
5. It is safe to occupy
   

By “restoring” the building and leaving it in its original spot that has been there since 1921, allows the City to proceed without going through a lot of government red-tape. We will not have to worry about the coastal construction line. It was built where it is for a reason and has withstood all hurricanes. Because the Gulfstream is closer to our shore than anywhere in Florida, the probability of getting a category 5 hurricane (probably the only thing that would do major damage to that building) is slim to non-existent as the hurricane will not have any time to build up intensity.

Category Five Hurricane:

Sustained winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Catastrophic damage is expected. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings will occur. Some complete building failures with small buildings blown over or away are likely. All signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes (built in any year). Severe and extensive window and door damage will occur. Nearly all windows in high rise buildings will be dislodged and become airborne. Severe injury or death is likely for persons struck by wind-blown debris. Nearly all trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Hurricane Camille (pdf) (1969, 190 mph at landfall in Mississippi) and Hurricane Andrew (1992, 165 mph at landfall in Southeast Florida) are examples of Category Five hurricanes at landfall.

Coming up later, Part II.

Blast from the Past

PBPost, February 1, 2005

Just read the article to see that it is the same people trying to "take back our city" in this election from those who are looking after it for all the citizens of Lake Worth. These are the same people who are only interested in their friends or special interests. Some people are absolutely convinced that former mayor Rodney Romano is still behind the scenes.

Laurence McNamara initiated the referendum that saved all parks, downtown and waterfront property from being sold without a vote of the people.