Atrocious Crime in Lake Worth

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This is what we've become. We saw it with this commission criminalizing the Homeless. We saw the hatred and the venom last night at a city commission meeting towards elected commissioners and towards the public. This was a homeless man doing yard work trying to make money to afford a place to live. Someone(s) beat him to a pulp.

If anyone knows anything, call Crime Stoppers at 600-458- TIPS (8477)  $1,000 reward

The victim

Lake Worth Sewer Department at Lakeside Point Gardens

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Lake Worth Sewer Department working hard in my community today. There was a blockage caused by some cement...done years ago--"not by these guys," I was told. The sludge/water was dammed up and staff was there bright and early to correct it before we had a problem.

This department is under Brian Shields, the new Water Department Director.

Lake Worth Water Dept - He's Baaack!

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He's Baaack...can't believe it...Brian Shields is working for the City of Lake Worth making $125,000 a year.  He took over Larry Johnson's position as Water Director when Johnson retired. Mr. Shields has been here for about three weeks.  How come we never get any announcements when top positions change out?  Mr. Johnson was the go to guy when Bornstein was out of town. It's hard to keep up with all the changes going on in our city. Top management at our Electric and Water Departments has changed.

About eight years ago, Shields was literally the enemy when he worked as Director of Engineering Palm Beach County Water Utilities. The County's water department wanted to regionalize Lake Worth Water into its system. They had their eye on our water for years. They did not give a hoot that we had already invested $14 million into our RO system and they convinced a previous Commission, that had no clue, to enter into a bad contract that was going to cost us more than we had left in our bond. Lake Worth is famous for getting into bad deals and Jeff Clemens was responsible for that one. Retha Lowe even admitted several years later that we had made a mistake going with the county.

At the time I equated it to the idea of a parent stealing from his own child. Reprehensible. The County and Mr. Shields strong armed the City of Lake Worth, a poor city, for millions and wanted to steal our valuable water wells.

PB County attempted to lock us into a 40 year contract with a built in rate increase, thus forcing us into paying $2.5 million in piping only laid to bring other cities into their regionalization.

The County's settlement agreement was received by the City of Lake Worth on January 20, 2010 with the implication, take it or leave it because "we are confident that we could recover the full amount of our original costs should the matter be adjudicated..." The threat of law suits are always part of the game.

We ended up getting out of this very bad deal thanks to former city manager Susan Stanton who negotiated Shields and the county way down, and we continued on with our own Reverse Osmosis system, the best water around.

I also said at the time that we were well out of the county deal and thank God we wouldn't have to see Brian Shields again.  Spoke too soon. Let's hope that he will be as enthusiastic for Lake Worth as he was for Palm Beach County years ago when he played hardball and cost us a bundle.

No one understands our history.

Marco comes in 3rd in Arizona and he's not even running

In a three man race, Kasich came in fourth behind a man no longer even running for President.

The Lake Worth Leadership

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5. DESIGNATE APPOINTMENTS:

Mayor Pam Triolo explained the dinner meetings behind locked closed doors and out of the Sunshine as not "secret" but just dinners.  She also said that she was interested in having MORE boards--Education, Arts and have community meetings on roads. Frankly, we have too many boards with non-elected people given way too much power.

Last night, Andy Amoroso was the hatchet man and made the following motions other than the Vice Mayor pro Tem and CRA:

A. Vice Mayor-- Scott Maxwell
 Vice Mayor Pro Tem--Motion made by Maxwell to appoint Amoroso
B. Various organizational appointments:
1) Metropolitan Planning Organization liaison--Pam Triolo
2) Palm Beach County League of Cities liaison--Scott Maxwell
3) Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council liaison--Ryan Maier
4) Florida Municipal Power Agency liaison--This was Christopher McVoy's appointment in the past but Amoroso appointed Scott Maxwell.  As all sorts of changes have taken place at our Utility and there is still the thought of selling our electric utility, the change was made.  Also, it was in retaliation to McVoy's letter during the campaign. The message was clear.
5) Downtown Cultural Alliance--Amoroso appointed himself
6) Community Redevelopment Agency liaison--Maxwell appointed Andy Amoroso
7) Lake Worth Sister City Board liaison--Ryan Maier re-appointed even though there are NO meetings and it is virtually sunsetted.
8) Neighborhood Association Presidents' Council liaison--Pam Triolo

So, in essence, the concentration of power stays the same other than Chris McVoy completely kicked out, the only man who is a scientist with a Doctorate and who had the nerve to speak up against them in support of Amoroso's challenger, Frank McAlonan. He gets no job at all.

We did find out that not all of the commissioners knew about Maxwell and Bornstein's meeting with the chairman of the Braves about John Prince Park as a national league stadium.  Chris McVoy had to read about it in the Palm Beach Post.  Kevin D. has more influence and importance than does an elected commissioner. So, in spite of the mayor denying "secret" meetings, they are still taking place.

It's going to be a long year.

Also, a few members of the public spoke last night, one a president of a neighborhood association in Ryan Maier's district. She chastised him again for not appearing at her NA meetings or returning an e-mail. Where in the world does it say that a commissioner MUST show up at a neighborhood association meeting?  My district commissioner, Scott Maxwell, has NEVER shown up at a ROLO meeting other than one time when he brought his baseball bat.

Also, one over zealous and disagreeable resident shot Jo-Ann Golden and myself the finger as he walked by. He had just finished berating Ryan Maier at the lectern...something to do with his new convertible that he drove in the Gay Pride Parade. I have no idea what that was all about but obviously in his mind it was important to be belligerent. He was extremely proud that he got to drive the mayor in the Parade.

Will there ever be decorum and normalcy in the city chamber? 

Is anyone serious about Illegal Immigration?

What passed and what failed

These bills FAILED:

SANCTUARY CITIES (FAILED): Bans "sanctuary" policies which police use to release some undocumented migrants who aren't likely to be picked up by federal immigration officials. (HB 675/SB 872)
CS/CS/HB 675: Federal Immigration Enforcement--The bill

GENERAL BILL by Judiciary Committee ; Civil Justice Subcommittee ; Metz ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Baxley ; Broxson ; Combee ; Costello ; Drake ; Eagle ; Fitzenhagen ; Gaetz ; Gonzalez ; Mayfield ; McBurney ; Passidomo ; Pigman ; Pilon ; Renner ; Rodrigues, R. ; Santiago ; Stevenson ; Stone ; Tobia

Federal Immigration Enforcement; Designates act "Rule of Law Adherence Act"; requiring state entities, local governmental entities, and law enforcement agencies to comply with and support the enforcement of federal immigration law; prohibiting restrictions by such entities and agencies on taking certain actions with respect to information regarding a person's immigration status; authorizing a law enforcement agency to transport an unauthorized alien under certain circumstances; requiring recordkeeping relating to crime victim and witness cooperation in certain investigations; authorizing local governmental entities and law enforcement agencies to petition the Federal Government for reimbursement of certain costs; requiring the Attorney General to prescribe the format for submitting complaints, etc.
Effective Date: 7/1/2016
Last Action: 3/11/2016 Senate - Died in Judiciary
Location: In committee/council (JU)


ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION (FAILED):
Makes it a felony to re-enter Florida after being deported by immigration officials. (HB 9/SB 118)
CS/HB 9: Reentry into State by Certain Persons-- The bill

GENERAL BILL by Civil Justice Subcommittee ; Trujillo ; (CO-INTRODUCERS) Metz ; Santiago

Reentry into State by Certain Persons; Prohibits entry to, or presence within, the state of persons denied admission, excluded, deported, or removed unless U.S. Attorney General consents to admission or federal law does not require advance consent. Effective Date: 10/1/2016
Last Action: 3/11/2016 House - Died in Judiciary Committee
Location: In committee/council (JDC)

Tonight's Sky 3-22-16

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The after effects of tonight's sunset--

Honoring Victims in Belgium

Presidential Proclamation -- Honoring the Victims of the Attack in Brussels, Belgium
- - - - - -

The American people stand with the people of Brussels.  We will do whatever it takes, working with nations and peoples around the world, to bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice, and to go after terrorists who threaten our people.

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on March 22, 2016, in Brussels,Belgium, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, March 26, 2016.  I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand sixteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.
 
BARACK OBAMA

Obama proudly standing in front of image of Ruthless Mass Murderer

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Following the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara performed a number of key roles in the new government. These included reviewing the appeals and firing squads for those convicted as war criminals during the revolutionary tribunals. Wikipedia

Michael Dotten said, "A million and a half fled to the United States to escape the instruments of Che Guevara’s repression, many across the Florida Straits where the odds of survival are no better than two out of three. Others resisted at home, especially during the 1960s, the decade of global rebellion." My extended family escaped from Cuba as did many Cubans.

Now we have a new generation of Cuban Americans who have forgotten. Marco Rubio is right about Cuba. Obama is flat wrong and has let our country down, our principles down and has no concept of right and wrong, evil or good.

Obama is at a baseball game in Communist Havana, Cuba while Belgium was attacked by ISIS with eleven Americans severely injured. 

This should go down as the Photo of the Year.

Where do we go from here? Post Election

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We have a deception epidemic going on, not only nationally with politicians but right here in our own small city.  And I use the word "deception" as a mild example of what's going on--it is really lying through your teeth and getting away with it.

It used to be a great city where everyone knew everyone on a first name basis.  No one bothered with your property and you could sleep at night with your doors unlocked.  People told the truth. What has changed it?  The only conclusion that I have is density...more people, more crime, more deceit, more lies. Developers want control and politicians are being compromised for the love of money. It's all about greed and power.

In this past election we had two of the three campaign evils--Money and Lies.  The only thing missing was Sex and that was probably there somewhere. We just live in changed times now.  There is so much at stake in elections where deceit has become the norm and lies are tolerated. People know that politicians are telling lying whoppers but they don't care--it's about winning.  It's about what the best thing is for "me." And these people take no prisoners. It's perfectly alright to "bring down the other guy" because all is fair in love and war. And big money only gets involved if there is a reason.

Unfortunately, we still have a side in this city that has never succumbed to that love and war theory. They turn the other cheek but seethe in silence. They still want to be the good guys.  Send out nice little mailers...warm and fuzzy stuff that tell the truth. But good guys are no longer winning the game. Our city was up for grabs and there was a lot at stake. The developer side won. The Liars won.

Those who got annihilated and crushed like bugs are now asking, where do we go from here?

Tooting our own horn again in Lake Worth

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So what else is new?  It's amazing how the City comes up with the money when they want to and make a photo op out of it to boot. This was already decided before the Lake Worth 2020 money grab that failed at the polls.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR RELEASE UPON RECEIPT
CITY OF LAKE WORTH
7 NORTH DIXIE HIGHWAY
LAKE WORTH, FL 33460
LAKEWORTH.ORG

March 22, 2016

Contact:           Brian Shields, P.E.
Phone:             561.586.1675
Email:              bshields@lakeworth.org   

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Water Infrastructure Improvements

The City of Lake Worth will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for a project that will improve the water infrastructure in Lake Worth.  The project will replace the old 2 inch watermain with a new 4 inch watermain.  The watermain project – North N Street - will be replaced by City staff and include the area between 13th Avenue North to 15th Avenue North.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony | Water Infrastructure Improvement
Tuesday, April 5 | 3:00pm
1332 North N Street

Please join the City in celebrating this new project as we continue to improve Lake Worth’s infrastructure.   

Bat Chit Crazy

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Read about it...

The power and the greed just never ends--

His Mandate

The Mandate King, is still pushing John Prince Park as a national league stadium. [Shelley] "Vana said she and several city leaders, including Lake Worth City Commissioner Scott Maxwell and City Manager Mike Bornstein, will meet with McGuirk Tuesday night.

Bornstein said he will push John Prince Park, a county park just west of Lake Worth. In 2015, the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros rejected John Prince Park because it was too small. Bornstein said it would be perfect for one team."

Lake Worth Casino Building Deficiences on track for correction

Tonight under Unfinished Business:  Extension of the Tolling Agreement with REG and the Morganti Group

At the March 2 meeting, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell was heavy handed towards the architect and contractor and did not want any concessions given to REG and Morganti. Glen Torcivia, city attorney for Lake Worth, calmed him down and said that there has been a lot of progress over the last few weeks regarding a solution of the design and construction issues at our Lake Worth Casino.  The city was just about to declare a Declaration of Default but it was decided by the entire commission to bring it back on March 22. They all took the city attorney's advice and voted to extend the Tolling Agreement.

REG and Morganti have come up with a solution to resolve the drainage issue. It's amazing, after three years of trying to resolve this issue, it took the threat of declaring the architect, contractor and insurance company in default. The city believes that REG's suggestion may be key to resolving other issues at the Casino Building.

The back-up says, after reviewing the proposed solution and discussing the same with REG, the City’s retained expert agrees that the proposed solution appears viable and the best course of action is to install the proposed solution at the northeast corner of the deck as a mockup. The parties can then test the proposed solution for viability prior to proceeding further with the proposed solution. It is anticipated that the installation of the mockup and actual testing will take approximately 6-8 weeks.

After this is voted and approved tonight, it will come back to the commission on June 7 where staff will give a report.

Morning Sky

Sunset 3-21-16

Stop the Tax Hike

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Stop the Tax Hike is making a public plea--Make your voice heard! Tell the Board of County Commissioners to VOTE NO on the Sales Tax Hike.

WHEN:
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Meeting starts at 9:30 am. The Sales Tax Hike discussion is the second item on the regular agenda. It should be up for discussion around 10 am.

WHERE:
Board of County Commissioners Meeting
Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chamber
301 N. Olive Ave, 6th Floor
West Palm Beach, Florida

This is our chance to Stop the Tax Hike.

Tomorrow, the Palm Beach County Commission is considering a major sales tax increase. It’s being pushed by lobbyists and insiders poised to make a fortune off of this bad idea. Their plan would hike the sales tax by a full penny, a 17% increase, to fund a host of unneeded projects that some local officials have called unnecessary.

Be there tomorrow to make your voice heard about this sales tax hike.

There were only three people running in our recent Lake Worth election who wanted this tax hike--Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso.

Quote of the Day - Donald Trump

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"I will be the most presidential president this country has ever had, except for Honest Abe Lincoln.”

~ Donald J. Trump

The $64,000 dollar Question -

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The City of Lake Worth does NOT have to hire a PR firm--they have the Palm Beach Post.

Read the latest....

Kevin Thompson has written this article before and he continues to ask the same question regarding our casino:

"The $64,000 question is this — what should Lake Worth do with its prized beachfront property? The city is basically back to square one with the casino after city commissioners in October rejected Hudson Holdings’ plan to develop the property. The casino reopened in 2013 after a three-year renovation project, but it leaks. When it’s fixed, the city can move forward in finding a tenant to lease the upstairs space, a move that could attract more people."

The Mandate

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Victorious they were.  A mandate is the authority to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a candidate or party that is victorious in an election.

Now that Scott Maxwell has a "mandate," following are his promises to you, the people he serves:

1.  Continue to ignore thousands of voters
2.  Give Hudson Holdings another shot at managing our Casino?
3.  Tax you by bringing back a General Obligation bond to fix the infrastructure? What about a national league ball field at JPP?
4.  Keep pouring millions of dollars ($15 million to be exact) into the Park of Commerce--we need job creation. I learned that from the mayor and Republicans.
5.  Give Hudson Holdings and Steve Michael, owners of the Gulfstream property, anything they want.  After all, they contributed heavily to my re-election. Again, we need job creation...waiters at $7 an hour and busboys, etc. We sure in hell won't get the taxes, so why shouldn't a developer make some bucks and ruin a residential neighborhood not to mention the Charter Amendment.
6.  I will keep telling and yelling at you that crime is down until you believe it. Gosh, you fell for everything else in this past election. Sheep.
7.  Continue to bully everyone who disagrees with me.  No one is immune from me calling you a "racist" or "liar." Besides, if I don't do it, my supporter in the back row won't shut up about it.
8.  Make future decisions to guarantee the failure of our beach fund and continue to twist the narrative...telling everyone that NO one is out to sell the beach. 99 year renewal leases we won't mention.
9.  Lower electric rates so much that eventually ALL our reserves are gone to cover the deficit.
10. Manage to get us into many more lawsuits.
11.  I will always make sure that commission meetings are short (got to hurry down to Dave's) and that the city business is decided anywhere but before the city commission...maybe issues are decided during long trips to the Grand Ol Opry.
12.  Try to sell the Utility or screw it up in some way. 26.4kv anyone?
13.  But whatever we do over the next two years you can bet your bottom dollar (it might be your last) that developers will get rich, you will be taxed more and I will be working on the next campaign to beat you to a pulp.

Feel free to add your own to this list. 

Union workers hold their ground with Lake Worth city staff

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The meeting was to start at 1pm.  The clock kept ticking. The city is "always late" I was told.

I attended the Union and the City of Lake Worth discussion on the PMSA and PEU union contracts on Friday, March 18th.  I only stayed for one hour as the writing on the wall for me was that the city was not about to give an inch and the union members were just as steadfast. There were several breaks for caucusing while I was there. Nothing changed but the union members stood their ground, were very respectful and matter of fact and at least they did not talk down to city staff.

In the minds of the union members, the city is asking them to give up too much and are not living up to their original agreement with them.  They are offended by the city's "take it or leave it" approach.

Peter 2nd from right
He was amazing as were they all

The carrot is the 4% raise being held in front of them that they have yet to receive unless, of course, they buckle down and accept the city's terms. Once a contract is agreed, I have been told that the raise is not retroactive even though it has been budgeted and the money is there. Peter said that the Union was educating its members and the city attorney said "no," it was just the opposite--accusing them of advocating. But isn't it the Union's job to suggest what they feel is the best way forward to its members? Isn't that why union members pay dues?

Sam Neimeiser, 2nd from left
"To ask people to sign away their 1st Amendment rights--
that is unconscionable ."

Sam Neimeiser, union organizer, a young guy with Master's Degree in Applied American Politics from Florida State University, was down from Tallahassee. He is from a long family line of union members and activists. He makes a middle class worker's salary, so he can relate. He is standing up for what he believes--the city union workers in their dispute with the city and getting the benefits that they were promised. Sam told Glen Torcivia, city attorney, that there are possible legal problems for breaking promises made by the city to the employees who  never had a say. 

Glen Torcivia asked them if it was something the city could afford?  Sam mentioned the city putting $15 million into a park and told Torcivia that the city threw them under the bus with their statements in the Palm Beach Post.  "Absolutely," said the city attorney.

Left to right: Glen Torcivia who gets a 3% raise every year, Germaine English, Human Resource Director who just got a big raise last year to $90,000 and Maire Elianor, new Finance Director at $130,000 a year sitting there listening to workers making $13.85 plus an hour who haven't had a raise in eight years and their union contract is an on-going stall.

I have not been told if they came to any agreement but if not, it could go to Binding Arbitration, Mediation or Impasse. Although I did not witness any negotiation while I was there, I would think that both sides would want to continue along those lines, if possible. It may not be.

Impasse:

• An impasse is determined when the employer and union reach a point during negotiations when both parties are reasonable in assuming that further bargaining is futile.
• Once the employer reaches an impasse, an employer is permitted to implement changes to the terms and conditions of employment that are consistent with the previous proposals to the unions. However, employers cannot offer greater benefits or ones that differ than those presented during negotiations.
• An employer can institute a lockout at this time in order to place economic pressure upon the union. However, employers should beware that unions may also call a strike at this point as well. 

Unsure if this description applies to municipalities.