Top 4 choices for new City Manager

Dennis Beach—MS, BS
13.5 years as city manager of Ft. Pierce. Said to be laid-back and does not micro-manage. He is known for the rebirth of the historic downtown district and by so doing, brought the rest of the area together. Electric Utility experience. No Photo available.

Pam Brangaccio—MA, BA

County administrator for Broward County, Fla., from 2006-07. She abruptly resigned after learning she was going to get scathing reviews. Three years as county administrator for Bay County, Fla. She is past president of the Florida City & County Management Association. No Electric Utility experience

Thomas Hoover—MPA, BS

Actively seeking a job in a warmer climate, Mr. Hoover resigned his position on Feb 12, 2009 in Royal Oak, Michigan after 5 years. Hoover, city manager since August 2004, was previously city manager in Worcester, Mass. and Toledo, Ohio. Royal Oak Mayor Jim Ellison said Hoover has done a good job for the city during some difficult times.

Susan Stanton—MBA, BA

Former Largo, Florida, city manager for 16 years fired by a prejudicial commission. No electric utility experience

Complete back-up on the candidates

Walter Baker in today's Post

Read Walter Baker's story in today's Palm Beach Post.

On another note, the cost to buy the Post has gone up from 50 cents to 75 cents plus tax.
Everyone is into the "let's sock it to them" mode.

Jennings speaks Out and now is In--Jail

Click HERE For PB Post article.

Booking Information
Jail Number: 090022578							IDS: 2272448				Loc: WDC
Date Booked: 03/16/2009							Time Booked: 18:37

Case(s) Information
Case Number: M09014990
Charge: RESISTING OFFICER WITHOUT VIOLENCE TO HIS PERSON		Bond: $ 1000**

Where she spent the night

BREAKING NEWS

Just had a call that Commissioner Cara Jennings arrested in Miami...involved in demonstration against teargas throwing.
Now confirmed.

Obama says AIG bonuses are an outrage!

Read about it, HERE

Our small planet

Click HERE to bring up the most fascinating Power Point Presentation.

If you have any doubts or you believe that this is all there is--your one life here on Earth-- look at this!!!!!!!!! It will convince you that anything is possible.

I sent this to a few people the other day. Here are their remarks:

Rich: Wow, what a show......we are all so insignificant....when you look at it that way. That's why I take one day at a time and don't make any long range plans.....(except for Germany in September).

Jeanine: actually proves my point...we are insignificant, our universe is not even the only universe..but we BELIEVE some spook in the sky created everything for us and we go on forever..please.

Larry: I have always thought that religion was very ego centric. Earth is a small planet at the edge of one of the countless galaxies in this Universe. Man has lived for only infinitesimal fraction of the almost 14 billion years this Universe has been in existence. There may be uncountable numbers of other universes we can not know about. It does make you humble. Were we created in God's image or was God created in our image?

Dont' Lose Sleep over It

When I first started this blog on September 28, 2008, I wondered if I would run out of things to write about, to think about and expound upon. Even Bill Coakley with Lake Worth Media gave me advice—post your thought, your article at that moment; don’t save it for a rainy day. And I have taken that to heart.

Within this vast world of ours, there are just too many issues that are significant to allow me to remain silent or simply focus on only causes for which I am involved or find important. Sometimes it is just one word that someone uttered that will turn me on to write. At other times it is a total concept that might inspire action.

Thanks to those who have felt compelled to write to me on various articles. Some people have brought forth good viewpoints, others have tried to re-write my story. I had a good friend critique a story of mine just recently and he gave me a “B” and sent me the article back with his comments in the margin with the word “DUH.” Not everyone views my thoughts and opinions in the same way as I and I don’t expect that, nor am I Ann Coulter who encourages controversy and venom in what she says and writes. I can’t sit down at my keyboard and worry about whom I might offend today. If I did, writer’s block would prevail.

I have discovered one thing in the last 5-1/2 months, however; inspiration comes to me in the early morning and lately an entire story comes to me in the middle of the night awakening me in order to jot down the thought before it disappears.

Inspiration is one thing, but losing sleep over it….?

Discovery

Launched at 7:43 pm. I hope everyone saw this tonight. This is the first time I have ever seen a Shuttle and it was so exciting. I was not prepared and did not have the proper lens on my camera but the light of orange and white from the shuttle was magnificent.

AIG to give bonuses--a dirty joke on the American taxpayer

Edward Liddy, the new CEO of AIG since September 2008, is full of you know what. He just old Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, that because of contract obligations he has to pay some of these bonuses today! Mr. Geithner told Liddy that the bonuses were inappropriate due to the bailout and the economy in general. That certainly is an understatement if I ever heard of one. Does it sound like he is working for the United States taxpayer?

Liddy is quoted as saying that “AIG will have trouble attracting and retaining the best and the brightest…if employees believe that their compensation is subject to continued and arbitrary adjustment by the U.S. Treasury."

Now, Mr. Liddy…AIG posted the highest loss in U.S. history for the 4^th quarter of 2008--$61.7 billion and the taxpayers now own 80% of this corporation, the worst performer of all. The total loss for the year was $99 billion. They got a $150 to $170 billion loan last year and the bailout continues.

Now tell me, Mr. Liddy, why should any employee of AIG get a bonus? You get a bonus for excellent performance over and above the job description and if the company is profitable. Actually, everyone should be fired, starting at the top.

Illegals are winning the war

Behind the old border wall and new fence at Tijuana,
on the Mexican and US Border

E-Verify did not pass this week. It lost by 3 votes, 47 to 50. Instead of the five years extension it will get six months. One of the nays was Bill Nelson. Does Senator Nelson not realize that we have a big problem in Florida? By next year, 12% of our total U.S. population will be illegal aliens with 59% of them living in or near poverty. Who pays for that? Thanks to our government, the illegals are winning.

What is E-Verify? E-Verify is a government program that helps to certify that people hired by companies are legally authorized to work in our country.

This is where I agree with the Republican Party. Every single Republican Senator voted NO to table E-Verify with the exception of one who was out sick. They wanted it extended another 5 years. Senator Mel Martinez did the right thing along with seven Democrats, not enough to keep E-Verify. If we had two more votes, it would have remained. Bill Nelson did not help the State of Florida. Is the Citrus Industry that big? What about Big Sugar? The Florida Chamber of Commerce? The Builder's Associations out there? The list goes on and on.

Illegal immigration is highly profitable, not only for the south of the border countries that encourage their people to come here illegally and the United States shutting its eyes to the problem because of business influence but most of all for U.S. corporations hiring these workers at low wages, taking away from the American worker. Their lobby is too strong as well as their corrupt influence.

Get the stats on Illegal Immigration

It is estimated that more than 20 million illegal aliens live in the United States. The precise data are not available. We have lost control of this serious problem and until our elected representatives do the right thing by returning to the rule of law and secure our borders, the problem will continue to exacerbate. Until E-Verify is re-instated and actually enforced, the tab will be picked up by you and me. Can we afford this crime against the legal citizens of this country?

Our country is being invaded, taken over by people who drain our system and our government is not protecting the American worker and the American taxpayer. Make a difference by sending a free fax to your Senator.

Register at E-Verify and tell your Senator what your think

Read Dan Moffit's article in today's Post

Correction to post below

Harvey Milk lived from May 22, 1930 until November 27, 1978.

MILK

He said that he would not live to the age of 50; he lived to the age of 48 until some nut case shot him to death.

He was an activist for gay rights at a time when the conservative right, religious, political views were a force to be reckoned with throughout the country. He became a cause celebre working endlessly for his mission, unafraid to stand up for civil rights, taking it one step at a time, never giving up. He ran three times for office until he was finally elected as a City Supervisor in San Francisco, the first openly gay man to be elected to a public office.

I saw the movie, Milk, last night. Sean Penn has been my favorite actor for decades. Everyone can remember him in Dead Man Walking where he won the Academy Award. He won the highest award for this film too. It could not have gone to a more deserving actor. This part was made for Sean Penn who gave it the sensitivity and emotion that it deserved. He was Harvey.

Harvey Milk arrived in California at about the same time as I when the political and gay movements were getting vitality and attention across our country. He preached being true to yourself and to stand up for that.

In today’s paper it was reported that the Army fired 11 openly gay soldiers in January and have discharged over 10,000 gays through 1997 and 2007 for violating the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Obama is trying to lift this ban in our military.

Everyone go see Milk. You will come away with feelings you have not before experienced and you will be remembering this movie for years to come. Hollywood has a way of making pedophiles likeable.

Getting a swift kick!

Give him HELL Rep. Manzullo.

The Winning Billboard

I guess if we just have to have a billboard, this one is cool! Look for it soon somewhere in West Palm Beach!

McCarty replacement announced

Steve Abrams

In spite of all the lobbying from known political figures to ex-wives, Governor Crist chose Attorney and former Councilman and Mayor of Boca as Mary McCarty's replacement.

Abrams says that he will run for this seat in 2010.

Letter from CRA Director to CRA

From: Joan Oliva

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2009 8:59:43 AM
Subject: City/ County Fire Rescue and MSTU


CRA Board Members,

The City Commission held a special meeting last night to discuss the possible merger between the City and County Fire Rescue. The vote last night, 5-0, was in favor of exempting the PB Fire Rescue MSTU from payment of TIF funds to the CRA. This was the first step in working towards an agreement which should be hammered out by Tuesday when the Commission will learn about some additional concessions that are promised from the union. These concessions could potentially decrease the significant impact on the CRA.

Once an agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is released, I will send it to you. I urge you all to attend, as any agreement will have a significant impact on the CRA and our ability to attract investment, provide for programs, continue capital improvements and be successful in our efforts to revitalize the western neighborhoods.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Joan


Joan C. Oliva
Executive Director
Lake Worth CRA
Phone: 561-493-2550
Fax: 561-493-2549
E-mail: joliva@lakeworth.org
Web: http://www.lakeworthcra.org

Lake Worth Utilities and Charlie

Charlie Cons will be eighty-eight years old on May 1. If there is anything wrong with Charlie it is age related but his mind is clear as a bell. He can’t hear and most of the time he refuses to use hearing aids. I offered to go with him to Lake Worth Utilities as he went down there last month to see about a big electric bill and the same thing happened this month. He got no satisfaction.

You see, Charlie owns his apartment and has since 1992. He married Irma several years ago who owns her unit out here so consequently he does not stay in his own unit anymore other than to visit to clean it and keep it up. He wants to keep it. It is part of him with his own things. He runs his thermostat at 78, and the a/c unit is only one year old . He keeps his hot water heater and refrigerator on. These are the only electrical appliances on all the time.

I run the exact same appliances and my bill is less than half what his has been over the last two months ($63 versus $137). We own the exact same number of square feet. The difference is that he is on the first floor and I am on the second floor and I keep my thermostat at 75^. It is much more costly to a/c a top floor unit. Charlie went into LW Utilities last month and they took his complaint and sent out a meter reader on February 20. The report came back that the meter was okay.

Today I accompanied him to Lake Worth Utilities and we got to speak to Suzie. She would not give us her last name although I asked for it twice. She told me that was all I needed to know. She proceeded to talk to Charlie like he was an imbecile telling him to raise his thermostat up and to turn off his hot water heater while not in use. I asked her not to talk down to him and then the sparks flew. She told me that she was a “professional.” I explained to her that I was there to assist him as he could not hear. She told me that he could hear very well. She told Charlie that someone would, once again, be out to check out his meter.

At the side of her desk is a flier for all to see that reads: This is God. I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help. So have a nice day.

On the way out we ran into our meter reader and I explained his problem. She told us that reading the meter again is not going to solve it. She said, “Let me handle this,” and got a supervisor, Tiffany. Now, instead of someone reading the meter again, they will replace that meter and inspect the one that might very well be faulty.

Suzie failed to take a Senior Citizen seriously. She did not like my being there to assist him. Without intervention, Charlie would continue to have high electric bills. Suzie will still be sitting there believing that her advice is Godlike.

The Government is committing a crime against its citizens

“Our President has told us that it will take a bold, unprecedented approach and requires all of us to turn the economy around. This is our audacious plan! We are appealing to the good people of Palm Beach County to create a temporary job, fill it with a LWRC jobseeker and provide short-term relief to struggling friends and neighbors” said Lisa Wilson.

I know. You have heard this all before and you are probably saying, “Not again.” However, as we all know, the Illegal Hiring Hall was opened at our Shuffleboard Court, displacing the senior citizens there. It is costing the legal residents of this city for the upkeep of the building and illegal immigration is costing society, as a whole, billions of dollars a year. The city recently authorized improvements to the building which included a new roof and new driveway that have now been completed as well as insurance, general maintenance, and the like. In other words, we pay for it all. The Mentoring Center gets our building for $1.00 a year. I just can’t emphasize this enough.

We can’t afford a trolley so that our seniors can get to the grocery store but we can afford a labor center to help illegals find jobs and play on computers. Because of budget problems, we stop the concerts in our Bryant Park that were always attended by Seniors and families but we encourage illegals to come to our city, which, as everyone alive knows, costs the legal residents plenty. We allow kids to tear up our Bryant Park playing soccer and not worry about a $50,000 price tag to replace the grass. We don’t worry about our Park being trampled but we are willing to spend tax dollars on an illegal act.

The Mentoring Center is a “do-gooder” organization funded by tax dollars wherever it can find the money. If there is Federal, State or local funding, these groups pop up. Here in Lake Worth there was a need to drive the illegals off the streets and educate them on our culture. While 53.8% of the mentoring centers were scaling back because of lack of funding, the Stimulus Plan came along…just up their alley. The government, because the situation was allowed to get out of control, is not immune to aiding illegals. Businesses are perpetuating this crime and exploiting the illegal worker and our government is spending and estimated $11 to $22 billion a year on welfare to illegals.

Now the Director at The Mentoring Center had the audacity to quote Barack Obama who said during the campaign that we needed a major immigration policy overhaul. He called the current immigration system “dysfunctional.” He said that our borders should be more secure and the government should get tough with employers who hire the illegals. He called for a system that requires illegals that are in good standing, to pay a fine, learn our language and go to the end of the line to become a citizen here. That to me is more than fair. But no, these illegals scream bloody murder that they have rights, the same as legal citizens of the Untied States. The Open Border people right here in our own city agree. How can a criminal have rights?

Lisa Wilson encourages illegal behavior and without our city management allowing her to do so, the Mentoring Center for illegals would cease to exist here. "It's going to help the community, help the recently arrived refugees and immigrants integrate into the community,” said Lisa Wilson, who runs the center’s mentoring program, “We're going to provide services that will help them become more economically self-sufficient."

What about giving them some instructions on how to come here legally, instructions on ceasing to defecate on our property in and around the Shuffleboard Court. That would be a great help. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of non-illegal aliens. We spend a whopping $338.3 billion a year on illegal immigration across our country. And we think Bernie is bad! Bottom line--The government is committing a crime against the citizens of this country.

I wasn’t even going to write this because it is at the point where we all have just given up and resigned ourselves to the fact that this is the way it will be whether we agree or not. We are so used to seeing them loitering on Lake and Lucerne that we throw our hands up in despair. We continue to deal with them on our streets and some situations are out of hand. Some neighborhoods are totally fed up and have been consumed by illegals and witness crimes daily. However, I wrote on this again because I believe strongly in legal immigration and the proper way to enter our county and assimilate, becoming a productive legal resident and eventual citizen.

A crime is a crime no matter who is committing it. And that goes for The City of Lake Worth.

City Commisison Workshop

"I can't hear"

The Audio worked for a minute---then total silence.

This is so frustrating. It is really hard to get just one night at home.

It finally came on and I got to hear the special meeting between various interruptions. Heard Ed Grimm of the CRA speak saying that he was a life long supporter of Unions...for unions...for our fire rescue going to the County...reconsider the CRA exemption. One of the main reasons we are in so much trouble is that we can no longer afford the union pensions and benefits.

If I heard correctly, Jo-Ann Golden said something to the effect that people in the Osborne Community should pay the same as someone in College Park. Gee, just when I was thinking she was a Socialist. I am not a believer that the poor should pay the same fee as a wealthy individual but pay per your financial ability.

Right now Fire Rescue costs us $8.3 mil. If we go to the County, it will cost us $5.7 million, a difference of $2.6 million. Out of that $2.6 million, we will allocate $1 mil per year for the Pension Fund, $1.1 million in supplement payments to the County for the first 2 years and then it will be $1.3 million, $300,000 will come from the CRA over the next 10 years. I believe this is what was said.

The Commission did not like taking money away from the CRA. Just think, they might not be able to give away air conditioning units and sprinkler systems anymore to anyone who asks. That would not upset me.

Ethics in Palm Beach

The Town of Palm Beach is newsworthy lately. They have always been in a world of their own. They want to continue to allow professionals who sit on their Boards (such as attorneys, architects, etc) to be able to have their clients come before them for project reviews, etc. without recusing themselves.

The State of Florida Ethics Law does not allow this "conflict" but Palm Beach always had an exemption. Larry Karns has said that State Law preempts local law.

Mayor McDonald who is a real estate lawyer in Palm Beach is opposed to any change in this very possible, if not probable, ethical question.