Rybovich Marina's Affair with Riviera Beach

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Just a very short distance away from the Riviera Beach Marina, Rybovich is a prominent position on the waterfront.

According to its website, "In May of 2007, Rybovich was designated a "Clean Marina" by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Clean Boating Partnership. This is a prestigious honor that has only been bestowed upon 44 marinas state wide and reinforces Rybovich's commitment to protecting our environment."

We also have no doubt that Rybovich is an asset to Palm Beach County and has created jobs.

Senior Huizenga is the founder of AutoNation, Waste Management and Boca Resorts, and he was the initial owner of the Florida Panthers hockey team and an owner of the Miami Dolphins football team, in which he still owns a five percent stake. He is a successful businessman, entrepreneur and part of the American Dream, starting his career with a single garbage truck in 1968.

Now Wayne Junior wants to be a "good neighbor." He dropped his $10 million dollar lawsuit that was initiated when he didn't originally get his way in the November 2, 2010 vote. "No" is a tough word to digest especially to the silver spooned. Instead he now says that he will build on his own property one mile north of the Riviera Beach Marina. We know that he will have "an in" with local, county, state and federal officials to get his permitting and all that this mega operation will entail. The first time it took him three years; this time he says that they know how to do it and it will take one. It pays to have friends in high places and a bunch of bucks.

And now that he will be building on his own property, (why didn't he want to do that to begin with?) we have no problem with Rybovich as long as building into the Intracoastal is permitted by the U.S. Corp of Engineers and the DEP and those pesky permits are obtained.

Who is to say, since the Riviera Beach political climate has changed, what will be next in Riviera Beach.

Photo-Op at Riviera Beach Marina, ooops, Rybovich Marina

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News conference on March 4, 2011 with Wayne Huizenga, Jr.
at the Rybovich Marina in Riviera Beach

Allen West needs to be very careful of the decisions made by his staff
and with whom he is photographed.
Last month it was Mark Foley. Who next Allen?

Marco Rubio might be doing this right--being low key and opting out of events and these types of photo opportunities. Bad decisions can dig your own grave.

Lois Frankel is a Democrat. She endorsed City Commissioner Jeri Muoio for Mayor. More of Lois in West Palm Beach? Muoio got 51.5% of the vote and is the new Mayor.

A City more screwed up than Lake Worth - Riviera Beach

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I just discovered that we have a city that is more fu**ed up than Lake Worth when it comes to politics--RIVIERA BEACH.

If you recall, a political action committee was formed in Riviera Beach, Citizens Task Force, that gathered signatures to get the marina development issue on the November 2, 2010 ballot. They did just that and kept city property under city control and retained the present land-use. They did it inspite of the odds and the $10 million dollar law suit filed against them by Wayne Huizenga, owner of Rybovich Marina who wanted to grab the property.

Well, you don't screw with the people with big bucks. There is something in their DNA that will not take "no" for an answer even if the voters have told them that they wanted to keep the marina in its present land-use and did not want a huge service yard for Rybovich. Pro development forces used every advantage they had (money) for yesterday's election and over-turned the Charter amendment that was passed in November.

The people who were influenced by developers and the pro-development crowd, lost their public marina by 923 votes. What happened Riviera Beach? What happened Emma? What happened Andrew?

Those with money can influence the world. They can get you to do what they want and influence the entire process to their advantage and the average Joe will never know what hit him.

Emma and Andrew are Heroes to Riviera Beach

Emma Bates and Andrew Byrd are heroes.

These two citizens formed a Political Action Committee in order to gather enough signatures to get the question on the ballot--to keep city property under city control and retain the present land-use. They did it inspite of the odds and the $10 million dollar law suit filed against them by Wayne Huizenga, owner of Rybovich Marina who wanted to grab the property.

They did it in spite of a city government that voted against them, only thinking about the dollars, with only one councilman voting with them. Congratulations to Emma and Andrew and all those who voted yes for this Charter Amendment.

Photo of Emma and Andrew by
Libby Volgyes, PB Post

Tell the Fat-Cats NO on November 2 - Vote YES on Amendment 4

This is what's it all about folks--fat cats that do not have enough money--they never have enough. They want to bleed this State dry and pave it all over. And guess who pays for all this nonsense? YOU, in more taxes. One of the biggest fat-cats of all is Wayne Huizenga who is supporting Vote No. I guess he doesn't have enough luxury boats and Lear jets. Who was it that said "only the little guys pay taxes?" Leona Helmsley would fit right in with these folks. She went to prison as I recall.

We have a few here locally against Amendment 4 (Realtors, developers) and one group is this BAC PAC that has an interest in tearing up our City and soliciting contributions from anyone, no matter how questionable. They want to build high. They want to stop the Casino. They support the flim-flam man over public control of our beach. They support Lisa Maxwell with a very questionable record with heavy ties to developers who voted for The Lucerne and against an entire single family neighborhood. And they support Carla Blockson who has come out publicly for Greater Bay, a company that NEVER performed. Can you imagine anyone still wanting to give control of our most valuable asset, our beachfront, to a flipper with 9 pages of judgments?

Is this who you want to lead our City? Mayor?

Demonstration in Ft. Lauderdale for Florida Hometown Democracy

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From senior citizens, a city commissioner, a candidate running against Ron Klein for Congress, to college students, there were about 40 people who demonstrated in front of the YOLO Restaurant last evening with our hand-made Vote YES signs while we watched Mercedes after Mercedes pull up to drop off those who are considered by some to be the crème de la crème-- influential with tons of money and everything to lose--they got the best parking spots.

From a car that was owned by Scott Rothstein who just got sentenced to 50 years in prison to Wayne Huizenga, and people adorned with Rolexes dressed as if they stepped out of Vogue with pockets full of cash, all came to give a lot of money to defeat Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment 4.

As they are caught up in the rapture of lies and influence, I couldn’t help but think that some people really have no clear understanding of this Amendment. They were there to rub shoulders with the rich, famous and infamous no matter what. They have been told over and over again by the Chamber of Commerce that this will be bad for business and they have gone along with the sham.

On the other side of the fence we were all dressed for the occasion and all with a common message: "Our communities, homes and taxes are far too important to leave to politicians and lobbyists," said Bett Willett, a Deerfield Beach community activist and local Amendment 4 leader. "We deserve a seat at the table and a vote."

Read about it in the Sun Sentinel

"Mismanaged growth destroys communities," said group president Blackner. Amendment 4 will simply add "another layer of protection against unwanted developments."



Rising taxes, falling home values, gridlocked roads, dwindling water supplies and Florida’s disappearing beauty are just some of the devastating consequences of Florida politicians’ habit of rubber stamping speculative plan changes. Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment 4 changes all that by giving voters veto power over these changes to your community’s master plan for growth.

Vote YES on 4 this November 2.

Rally against Florida Hometown Democracy and grassroots initiative

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Broward Workshop has organized a huge rally against Florida Hometown Democracy. They will be demonstrating and having a fundraiser this Wednesday, June 9, in front of the Yolo Restaurant and O Lounge, one of their sponsors.

These are the people who are mainly responsible for our development problems in Florida. These are the people with more money than God: Wayne Huizenga, former majority owner of the Miami Dolphins, will be there as well as many lawyers, banks, developers, politicians and businesses that derive their money from development at any cost to our State.

The fundraiser is attempting to raise $100,000 with a $250 minimum donation for their cause to defeat the grassroots of FHD who are behind responsible growth. The first $100,000 raised will be matched by this Group. The Host Chair is Mayor Frank Ortis of Pembroke Pines, a director of Floridians For Smarter Growth, the anti-Florida Hometown Democracy PAC, the PAC that failed to get on the ballot.

The future projections For Broward County, already with a population of 1,623,018 people with 95% of them living in municipalities, will have a growth of 2.5 million by 2030. Western Broward will continue to grow as undeveloped land is absorbed.

The Palm Beach Post was right when it said back on March 10, 2009, "Even with the Growth Management Act, Florida's population grew from nearly 11 million to almost 20 million. The state's economy is in trouble from overbuilding, not underbuilding. Opponents of growth management, though, are using hard times as the latest reason to undermine state oversight of development and leave it to local officials."

Local officials have been the problem. You have to ask yourself, why are all these same types against Florida Hometown Democracy, a group whose only interest is to protect our State? Could the common thread be “greed?” With certain cities, they want the tax base no matter the cost.

Vote YES on Amendment 4 this November 2.