Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Lake and Federal Fatality
READ ABOUT FATALITY IN LAKE WORTH
Tackled by bystanders, driver tried to run from scene that killed other driver. Road tied up for 7 hours.
Say goodbye to Granny
Katie called me this morning, really upset. She and her husband work in the healthcare industry and she talked about President Obama’s new Simulus Plan and how our healthcare system will be nationalized. Apparently, provisions have been included in the Plan and no one knew much about them.Essentially, it says that decisions will no longer be your doctor’s but will now be the Federal Government’s. Not only that, there will be a national database where every American’s health history as well as what prescriptions they are taking, will be tracked.
Doctors will only be allowed to give treatment that the Feds deem appropriate. Once again, the idea is to reduce costs. Instead of doctors using their best judgment for their patients, they would have to refer to non-medical people making that decision. We have already heard all the horror stories of HMO’s denying patients treatment.
Tom Daschle, the guy who was nominated as the new HHS Secretary and then withdrew for not paying his taxes, said that the goal was to slow development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. It seems that he and certain government officials believe people are living just too long. Obama says that healthcare costs are crippling businesses. Healthcare reform is one thing, but this?
You had better say goodbye to Granny now. She may not have that much longer to live under these conditions or if it should go forward.
Outsourcing--is it innovation?
With the current trend towards globalization, more and more jobs are being out-sourced. Are the cheaper goods we are importing worth the job loss to Americans?
I am not sure when this surge of off-shoring really took off but it might have been when Silicon Valley crashed near the end of the 90’s. I use to live out that way when the tech jobs had started to boom and yuppies were making plenty of money, two cars in the driveway and their kids going to private schools. Money was all over the place; American workers were living the good life to the fullest. In 1970, you could live well on $15,000 a year and young engineers just out of college were making twice the national average salary. No one was hurting. You also knew that those material things you desired would come in time through hard work. You did not borrow what you couldn’t afford. You worked and saved for the future. The “me” factor had not taken hold personally or with American companies only interested in the bottom line. Companies were ahead of the curve in innovation and supported its American worker.
FACTS about this decade—1970
Population: 204,879,000
Unemployed in 1970: 4,088,000
National Debt: $382 billion
Average salary: $7,564
Food prices: milk, 33 cents a qt.; bread, 24 cents a loaf; round steak, $1.30 a pound
Life Expectancy: Male, 67.1; Female, 74.8
By the 1990’s the average wage was $13.37 an hour with teacher’s making $39,347 in 1998. Life expectancy had increased with males at 73.1 and females at 79.1. The population was 281,421,906 at the 2000 census.
Lay-offs started around 2000 when the tech market bombed and companies in the Silicon Valley area started to outsource jobs. While paying an average worker $60,000 and up, they could hire someone in India or elsewhere for ten times less. Right now we have an estimated 11.6 million unemployed with the rate at 7.6%. Since 1986, 15 million high paying manufacturing jobs have left this country and jobs continue to disappear to India, Hong Kong, China, you name it.
In a Poll taken in 2004 by Zogby International, over 70% of Americans said that outsourcing jobs was hurting this country and that our government should penalize companies that sent jobs out of the country. A lot of studies have been done that say off shoring jobs has not hurt our economy nor will it hurt innovation.
We outsource here in Lake Worth, saying we can’t afford our own police department. Outsourcing is at every level. The State of Florida did not even hire a Florida marketing firm for “Visit Florida” but a company with a call center out of Kansas City. $35 million of our money went to an out-of-state company last year to promote Florida with the top five executives there making $1.3 million! If you pull up that web site, the only feature for Lake Worth is our beach. Now you can't tell me that the State could not find a Florida company to promote Florida.
Having always hired locally whenever possible, more attention should be paid to hiring/contracting with companies that have their businesses in Lake Worth and this is how you can help support our economy by keeping the dollars here.
Keep Americans working. Outsourcing is fine when the playing field is equal. It isn’t and the only innovation happening here is by American companies and even Local and State governments that are out-sourcing valuable jobs and opportunities, looking at the lowest common denominator rather than thinking about Americans or those workers in their own region first. If there is any innovation in this trend, it belongs to corporate America and the greed factor--we all are feeling the pain.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
No more digging holes at our beach
Any building can be restored. To suggest that renovation of the casino at The entire building will be gutted and brought up to present code and restored to its old glory, similar in architecture of 1922. Even those who say a parking garage would be a wonderful idea as it would give us more green-space, don't realize that this would open the can. The garage would have to be put on pilings. It would be new construction. Therefore, the zoning would have to change to commercial. Next, would come the small hotel across from Benny's.
Don't laugh. Anything is possible. Now that builders and construction workers are dying to get their hands on that pile driver and that hammer as they are all getting hungry from being out of work, our beachfront is heavy on their mind. Can you see the drool?
2-22 at 2!
Tell it to the birds
Great EgretWith 2.1 million empty houses in our State, here’s a group that wants to build 23,000 more and this is why we need Florida Hometown Democracy.
A company out of State says it will build in 59,000 acres of swampland but will preserve wildlife habitats. Tell that to the birds.
The Bedroom and the Boardroom
The entrepreneurial “pimp” in the Eliot Spitzer case just got sentenced to 2 ½ years for money laundering and prostitution charges. As he lies in that 6 x 9 cell, no doubt he will be thinking of the bad choices he made in the bedroom and in the boardroom.Whatever happened to Eliot, the invincible? He still says what he did was not that bad and the Europeans think it was no big deal. But Eliot, you live here! Being a dishonest schmuck and committing an illegal action is no big deal.
So, to continue his bottom feeding, it was widely reported last summer that he was starting up a new Vulture Fund. Vulture was a new term to me but essentially it is a company with a lot of wealthy investors that decides to buy up companies that it can manage privately, circumventing the rules and regulations of the SEC (which is worthless anyway) and a Fund that does not have to account to anyone—no shareholders and not under anyone’s scrutiny. Speaking of the SEC, the Enforcement Director since 2005 has finally resigned. What does it take…a major collapse of Wall Street?
So, to get back to Vulture Funds, they buy up debts of entities that are near default or bankrupt. The original investor gets pennies on the dollar for the debt and then they go swiftly and relentlessly after the debtor to collect or to sue. They usually make sure that the debtor has some assets of distinction. If there is still "meat on the bones" of the debtor, the Fund goes after him, swooping in like a vulture, and the Fund can make untold fortunes.
If Eliot started his Fund, and I have not read anything that he has, he is going to get the last thrill after all particularly in this economic market. Will he be asking himself,the bedroom or the boardroom?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Wage freeze for 2009
As the economy still heads south, wages across the country are stagnated unless, of course, you are with a union or work for a city government. These people still don't get it or don't care. We had to trim our budget, lay people off, close our beach for two days, to name a few of the cut-backs. We still managed to raise salaries at 5% and more.
Pay freezes are becoming more and more commonplace as the private sector tries not to lay off employees. Even President Obama froze the salaries of his Aides making $100,000 a year or more.
The recruiting firm that the City of Lake Worth hired to find a new City Manager says this about salaries for 2009--CLICK HERE
Code Enforcement and Tropical Ridge
.jpg)
All of you are aware of the very real problem we have of blight within our City. Some of you may not know that Tropical Ridge has more than its share of it and in the mind of the homeowners who live there and who take care of their property, the problem is growing every day. A lot of this has to do with the vast amount of rental property in Tropical Ridge. Absentee and slum lords abound. The quality of life continues to diminish for those trying to maintain pride in their properties and their homes. Crime is on the upswing and the neighborhood continues to try and make a difference.
What we all can do to help that neighborhood, as well as our own, is to notify Code Enforcement when you see a problem. Code Compliance is located in the
Let's all help out each other to stop this cancer in our neighborhoods. Download the form and send in on behalf of Tropical Ridge for the following properties:
- 611 N E St
- 610 N E St
- 9th Ave and Train Track
- 1117 N. 7th Ave
- 502 N F St
- 425 N D St
No silver bullet
Congressman Ron Klein says there is no silver bullet to getting our economy back on track. Read about this and more from his 2008 State of the District Address given on February 3, 2009.I would like to see our local representatives learn something from this last election. Communicate more with the public. Keep them informed. Value their opinion. Obama was a whiz at this and raised more money than anyone before him.
On-line surveys are a great tool but just answering e-mails from residents would be a start. I would like to give credit where it’s due by commending Mayor Clemens and Commissioner Mulvehill for being very conscientious regarding the importance of communication, at least as far as I am concerned. Now if we could just change those Comment Cards…
2-22 at 2 --- Circle of Light Event
Our Lake Worth Casino, built in 1922, has been serving the public for 87 years.
Generation after generation has enjoyed the shopping and restaurants along with the ballroom. My grandfather and grandmother went to the
The residents of
Because the circle is a universal symbol of unity and wholeness, we are circling the Casino to show our support for restoration not demolition and to preserve our past.
Come and be a part of preserving our history by joining the circle.
The Circle of Light Event
Sunday, February 22 at
Lake Worth Casino
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Can't cut the mustard!
An excerpt from a post of mine in January--Because a citizen gives money to a particular candidate who he feels best represents his views, does not mean every time that elected official votes on something for which he agrees, it is a pay to play situation. There was no personal monetary gain involved.Another blogger, and one who is a prestigious member of our CRA Board, continues to accuse or suggest that Commissioner Mulvehill has done something egregious. If that were the case, then no one would ever be able to take a political contribution...EVER! And if you feel so strongly in your beliefs, file a complaint and they will laugh you out of town.
The difference is Commissioner Mulvehill taking campaign contributions from beach merchants and in Commissioner Lowe's situation with the Sun Recycling companies-- Commissioner Lowe prepared and filed false reports for the purpose of preventing the public from finding out the actual source of the contributions, not my words but that of the Florida Elections Commission. BIG DIFFERENCE! I am confident that Commissioner Mulvehill will fully disclose any contributions from beach merchants at the time of any vote on the beach.
The argument just can't cut the mustard.
Dale Hedrick
Dale Hedrick, owner of Hedrick Brothers Construction, has been around these parts for a long time. He is well known and has been involved in many projects, one of which was the Eco-Center of John Romano's. Vince Burkhardt of Burkhardt Construction says Dale is committed to quality work. Remember Vince? He's the one that the Mayor invited to our last commission meeting and had him sit through this meeting for 4.5 HOURS until the beach was brought up although not even on the agenda. This was to bolster the Mayor's argument that it was okay to piggy-back a beach project of this magnitude. Our Purchasing agent and the assistant city attorney said "no."
He is a supposed expert in building restoration having restored the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Why then, does he want to build new on our Lake Worth Beach property rather than restore? Is there more money to be made in building new? Or does it all boil down to the plan he originally submitted and one similar to Greater Bay, building across from Benny's on the dune, that he is still pushing behind the scenes. The Mayor says that a building garage WILL be built on our beach. Or is it all simply to ensure that our beachfront is changed to commercial zoning.
The tentacles are far-reaching and the decision in December to go with restoration of our casino has taken new twists and turns.
CLICK HERE
PB Post on Panagioti
CLICK HERE
When I first read this article this morning, I had to chuckle. The compliment of all compliments for any activist, and I think of Panagioti as an activist, (attempting to bring about social or political change) is to put him even in the same breath as Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Cesar Chavez. How far out is that?
A movement has to start somewhere. For Panagioti, it just happens to be Palm Beach County that has, as we know, a myriad of problems and corruption. What better place to start? With Panagioti, there is no doubt that there will be an Act 2.
When I first read this article this morning, I had to chuckle. The compliment of all compliments for any activist, and I think of Panagioti as an activist, (attempting to bring about social or political change) is to put him even in the same breath as Martin Luther King, Ghandi and Cesar Chavez. How far out is that?
A movement has to start somewhere. For Panagioti, it just happens to be Palm Beach County that has, as we know, a myriad of problems and corruption. What better place to start? With Panagioti, there is no doubt that there will be an Act 2.
It’s only been 19 days but…
As the vast majority was in euphoria the day Barack Obama took the oath, the Stock Market went down. Wouldn’t you think that having a new President would have driven up the confidence level in the American people? After all, we trounced the Party that got us into so much trouble; there had just been two huge bailouts, one of which was to our financial institutions.Now we are finding out that the US Treasury spent $254 billion out of the $700 billion to purchase assets with a true value of only $176 billion. The government is scratching its head and it doesn’t know what to think about it all. Just ask for the money back. What about that?
We need to support business and banks that operate well with sound decisions; support success, not failure. Politicians and banks are robbing us blind. We all have been receiving notices from our banks and credit card companies about raising interest rates to unbelievable high amounts as banks lower interest rates on our deposits. Because of their horrendous mistakes and corruption, Joe Taxpayer is paying literally through the nose.
Obama is looking now to pass his Stimulus package. Nancy Pelosi recently said, “Change has to happen in terms of what is done — what the transparency of it is, what the accountability of it is,” she said. “Only then would we be able to pass any additional funding.”
We are in a global war and we can not afford to waste one more American dollar on any business that can’t compete. No more bailouts for losers. No more bailouts for anyone who bought a house that they knew they could not afford. Let’s go back to the basics and award those who manage well, business and consumer alike. Award achievement, not for screwing up…award that business that is operating honestly…do not give 10% raises for doing what you’re paid to do anyway…no awards for bungling the job. This is how it used to be in this country. We are falling more and more into this “entitlement” socialistic mentality here and this has bred corruption to the point of me, along with others, wondering whether we will recover.
19 days is not a lot of time to change things but I can’t see anything different in the direction we are taking. The Stock Market rises on confidence…when businesses are doing well, people invest in them. Right now there is a significant segment of American business depending on bailout money with a government willing to dole out billions with no guarantees that these companies will do any better than they have in the past.
Obama told us it would get worse before it got better, the typical disclaimer. Is the situation just too complex for anyone to solve? Are we grasping at straws? It’s enough to make a grown person cry.
Obama told us it would get worse before it got better, the typical disclaimer. Is the situation just too complex for anyone to solve? Are we grasping at straws? It’s enough to make a grown person cry.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
President addresses recovery
The Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are lobbying the Senate to ensure that businesses can use Stimulus money to hire illegal aliens. This stimulus money is paid for by you, the very same guy who just lost his job and who has been paying taxes.
200,000 faxes were sent to Senators this week but it wasn't enough. There are still loop holes in this Bill and 1.5 million more illegal workers are scheduled to be brought into our country this year.
It's up to you, as your elected officials are looking the other way, as Americans can't find jobs. Do you think this is a crisis? If so, go to www.numbersusa.com and send a free fax telling our Senators what you think.
Zoning and Land Uses
Once you change zoning on a parcel of land, you have opened up that parcel to all sorts of development possibilities that fit the legal land use.Every single applicant to the P&Z the other night, when asked, said that the height and density of a building should correspond to the surrounding buildings and the neighborhood in general. Even Phil Spinelli’s son, an applicant for P&Z, said he was surprised when he came back from school one year and saw The Lucerne building on Lake and Lucerne. It just does not fit in our downtown and the politicians at that time allowed it to happen in spite of outcries and eventually a lawsuit from residents.
Take the Sunset property as an example—the P&Z recommended that it be annexed into the City with zoning at MF-20, which means, 20 units to an acre. It had been zoned agriculture in the County. This was the deal cut with the owner allowing him to make as much money as possible and for the City to get the maximum potential of tax. Also, the owner, Ray Smith, was a former employee of the City of Lake Worth with many ties to the City. The Commission agreed to up-zoning in spite of the neighborhood objections.
It was annexed in with the stipulation that the developer only could build 10 units per acre or 40 units there. Nadine Burns cleverly came up with that “deal” at the last minute during a heated meeting at City Hall. So, if you take an arbitrary figure of each unit paying $2,000 a year in over all ad valorem taxes, or $80,000, Lake Worth would expect to receive the millage rate of 8.3030. So, we are talking about destroying and changing an entire neighborhood to receive a small amount of money each year, not to mention the infrastructure involved to build the project.
Although an agreement was met with the owner of the Sunset property only to build 10 units per acre, if the property is flipped, and there is every possibility that it will, the next owner will lobby to build what is allowed under that zoning. The agreement in place can be changed. The Deed restriction is not cut in stone. With residential units, that would mean 20 units per acre in a residential neighborhood that is only 7 units per acre. The owner/developer will cry foul, that he can’t make a profit and must build per zoning. There is only one thing that the Commission can do in this case, let him build whatever, per Code, and to the max. The “best” of intentions can go array but what is legally allowed, stands. Nadine knew this too. The only one conned in this entire process was the church minister at Sunset, still believing in the good intentions of people, I suppose.
Our beachfront would be subject to the same thing once zoning is changed to BAC, a commercial zoning. You can bet your booty that a developer will want to build to the max allowed under that zoning and where he wants. Because the present Commission is very conscious of developers taking hold of our beach and not wanting that to occur, does not mean that future commissions as well as Planning and Zoning Boards, backed by development interests, will not allow further commercialization of our beach. What is or is not allowed to be built there per the code is not clear and is actually at the will of the P&Z and the Commission as long as it gets State of Florida approval. Developers concentrate on USE (what is allowed per Code) and will pursue that to their legal ability to build what they want within the setback and other requirements of that zoning. And why not? We must protect our beachfront from the very real possibility of corruption involving elected officials, Staff, Planning & Zoning Boards and greedy developers. This means retaining the present zoning of PROS at our beach.
So, the only way to protect land use changes to our Comprehensive Plan is to vote in Florida Hometown Democracy in 2010. In this way, the residents will vote on any changes to Comp Plans that affect their city and not leave it up to planning and zoning boards influenced by development at any cost and local politicians influenced by the “promise” and possibility of added tax dollars at the price of ruining neighborhoods.
What we can do right now is to reverse the bad decision on Sunset and on our beachfront, which to me could be considered as Contract zoning for a developer at the time, Greater Bay and clearly illegal, and retaining the zoning that is in place at both areas. The City is giving a song and dance as to why we must have it commercially zoned anyway with them saying the stores should not be there in PROS zoning. This is bogus and they are allowed there, grandfathered in per PROS zoning, if we refurbish/restore what we have in the same footprint.
Comprehensive Plan changes are political. And when we have elected officials who are honest and looking out for the best interests of all of us who live here, we don't have to worry. But we need to protect the residents from changes to our Plan for development, for development’s sake, and from future commissions.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Geoffrey Pugh
Geoffrey Pugh IS running for re-election. Remember him? He is the one who owns the controversial piece of property on 6th Avenue South and received a lot of money from the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency for an option on his property. Plus, he was hired by Greater Bay to refurbish our pool that never was completed. Peter Willard blamed Pugh for this at a city commission meeting.
He wants to build a water plant in Ocean Ridge. And our Mayor voted to spend $21 million to go with the County and give up our Water Plant. Maybe we can sell him some used parts or something.
CLICK HERE FOR STORY.
He wants to build a water plant in Ocean Ridge. And our Mayor voted to spend $21 million to go with the County and give up our Water Plant. Maybe we can sell him some used parts or something.
CLICK HERE FOR STORY.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)