LED Billboard in Orlando - Amendment 4

Comment Up
Talk about a billboard! This one, saying Vote YES on Amendment 4, goes completely across the highway in Orlando. This photo gives the illusion that it goes across the highway as pointed out by my favorite reader, Wes.

For any of you who missed Commissioner Scott Maxwell's Town Meeting on the Utility Department and its benefits, he has another one this morning at 10am at the Iglesia Puerta Del Cielo located at 709 North "F" St. Lake Worth.

As he has been called to the carpet for the one he held on October 23 for electioneering and being political, we hope that he will take the high road and really give a community service. That is probably asking for way too much. This is deju vu all over again with Mr. Maxwell. He did the very same thing when he was Commissioner the first time. The more one analyzes his methods, the more convincing the rumor is that he wants to run for Mayor next year.

Lake Worth Gang members arrested

More gang punks off our city streets

Blockson gets $500 campaign contribution from Congressman accused of accepting bribe

Carla Blockson received another "interesting" campaign contribution. Most of you who have been around for awhile remember Alcee Hastings and his bribery charge involving the Romano brothers. It was a corruption scandal of all time in south Florida.

Read about it here and refresh your memory.

This trial was over 20 years ago but Hastings is still alive and well. While serving as a U.S. federal judge in 1988, he was impeached by the Congress of the United States, and then convicted of perjury and conspiracy to accept a bribe and was removed from office in 1989. He has been re-elected twice since then.

Perhaps when Amendments 5 & 6 pass, it will stop this gerrymandering and Hastings will be history.

Say no to sprawl - Vote YES on Amendment 4

This is what the Vote NO folks want for Florida. We need to give them a resounding NO to sprawl on November 2 by voting YES on Amendment 4. If you don't, this is Florida's destiny.

Don't you deserve a seat at the table? Don't you deserve a vote on how your community should look when politicians continually change the land-uses in our Comprehensive Plans?


Say NO to these government bailed out developers that have ruined Florida. As a reminder how these builders have spent their government bailout (taxpayer money) to defeat Amendment 4--

2010 Contribution --Recent contribution-- 2010 Bailout
Lennar Homes FL-- $367,000-- $251.1 million (the number two offender and the former employer of candidate, Lisa Maxwell)
Meritage Homes-- $ 34,000-- $93 million
M.D.C. Holdings-- $ 39,000 --$142.6 million
Standard Pacific of Tampa-- $132,00--0 $103 million
Pulte Homes-- $567,000-- $800 million
Ryland Homes-- $135,000-- $97.6 million
KB Homes-- $255,000-- $191.7 million
K. Hovnanian Companies-- $ 96,000-- $250 to $275 million
Beazer Homes-- $ 75,000-- $101 million
M/I Homes-- $ 73,000-- $31 million
Toll Brothers-- $ 43,000-- $78.8 million
MDC Holdings-- $ 39,000-- $142.6 million

We need a change for the better

The current system has crashed our economy.

Give the Citizens Control

Commissioner Scott Maxwell's Deception Revealed

Campaign roundup: Lake Worth commish sneaks campaign plug into town hall meeting

LAKE WORTH

— Commissioner Scott Maxwell will not be able to use city staff at town hall meetings he is holding to discuss electric rates because he used a forum Saturday to promote two city commission candidates.

During Saturday's meeting at Calvary United Methodist Church, Maxwell distributed a brochure bearing the city's logo that included this sentence in bold type: "You can exercise your power by helping me gain the two supporting votes from the commission that are necessary to lower the amount of your utility bills!"

The "supporting votes" referred to city commission candidates Carla Blockson and Lisa Maxwell, who is not related to Scott Maxwell.

City Manager Susan Stanton said no staff will attend Maxwell's future community meetings, including two planned before Tuesday's election.

BAC PAC Attack

"It's no wonder qualified people are reluctant to run for office," said District 2 commission candidate Christopher McVoy, an environmental researcher who is the subject of a mailer with macabre lettering that portrays him as a "radical scientist" who will experiment with the city's future. The headline: "Our Lake Worth Community is NOT an Experiment. It's Our Home."

Read the article

Recovery, Water, and Amendment 4: Connecting the Dots

Greg Gimbert, Daytona Beach

When examined up close, Amendment 4 proves to be the only thing on the table that can actually re-fire our economy. Comprehensive Plans are the road map upon which our infrastructure spending is based, our community’s character is built, and our home values rely. These plans have a Land Use component that outlines how much growth can occur and where. Amendment 4’s wording, complete with definitions, shows that we will vote only on changes to that Land Use component – not on other aspects of the overall plan if we pass Amendment 4.

Many of the headline problems of today are directly addressed by Amendment 4. Land Use changes have led to tax increases for unnecessary infrastructure, home values diluted by oversupply, and Florida’s #1 rank, in the nation for political corruption. These are the factors that have led to our economic collapse, and they must be resolved before our economy, our jobs, and our property values can recover.

Amendment 4 is also as much about water as it is about density and height. Once your local usage exceeds the state Aquifer Pumping Limits, the cost to deliver your drinking water will soar. Expect increases of 500% to 900% according to Desalination Plant cost disclosures. My hometown is already using 75% of our supply yet we can still – inexplicably -- build nine times more homes under our existing Comprehensive Plan. My county, Volusia, is using 80% of its water supply, yet it can still build over four times more homes. When you add all of Florida’s plans together, we allow for more than five times more homes, even though many areas are already out of water and buying from neighboring sources. In light of these facts many political watchers think we should have started voting on Land-Use changes a long time ago.

You may hear that Amendment 4 has failed elsewhere.
FACT - It has never really been tried. In St. Pete Beach, well funded speculators skipped the public meetings required by law and purchased their way on the ballot. Next, developer funded St Pete commissioners sat on their hands and watched that train wreck happen. Under Amendment 4 local politicians couldn’t hide in St Pete, and would have to approve change before the public is asked to vote.

Another untruth circulating in Tea Party groups is that 4 infringes on property rights.
FACT - Amendment 4 protects the property rights of current property owners against those who speculatively purchase government influence and then use it to dilute everyone else’s property values.

The biggest whopper is that Amendment 4 will extend the recession.
FACT - Amendment 4 your quality of life and property values, which you and your neighbors will protect at the ballot box. The transparency and security brings may be the only way to lure new retirees into coming to Florida.

Amendment 4 supporters are long term residents who see their quality of life and home value decimated by higher densities, commercial intrusion, political corruption, and soaring taxes. Those fighting Amendment 4 are mega developers flush with federal bailout dollars on a "say anything" tear. In the middle are undecided voters whose neighborhoods have yet to be impacted. How will they decide what’s best for them? With Amendment 4 we can all decide on a case by case basis, at the ballot box. Without 4 we will have no say because we will have no vote.

In an unprecedented time of government-gone-bad, Amendment 4 represents the intent of our Founders and the beauty of our Constitution. It offers us the opportunity and responsibility to protect our collective future against representatives who cease to represent.

Greg Gimbert - Daytona Beach
(386 852-0751 for verification)

The Code Enforcement Process in Lake Worth

Comment Up As our former Director of Community Development, Wayne Bergman, was highly respected by all, I am re-printing his speech to the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association that was held on September 13, 2010. "I was asked to speak tonight about the Code Enforcement Process. I supervise the Code Compliance Division of the Community Development Department and our primary purpose is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents and their property through the administration and enforcement of the City’s zoning and property maintenance codes. Code Compliance inspectors investigate complaints and perform COU inspections, re-inspections and inspections ordered by the City’s Special Magistrate. Inspectors and support staff maintain the record files on each case. The inspectors do their best to establish communication with the offending party prior to issuing a Notice of Violation. Once violations have been corrected and complied, an Affidavit of Compliance is issued. If there is no cooperation, a Notice of Violation/Notice of Hearing is issued. Violations can take several different avenues to achieve final resolution. Some are resolved prior to Special Magistrate hearings and the case is closed by City staff. Violations that are not brought into compliance are presented before the Special Magistrate. Special Magistrate orders are submitted to the County Courthouse for the recording of code enforcement liens. Upon full compliance and payment, a release of fines is prepared. This is all in accordance with FS 162, Municipal Code Enforcement law. Through this process the City has received 767 complaints of violations and 481 violation cases were started during the last fiscal year.Of these, 561 of the cases have been brought into compliance. Over the past year the City has adopted changes to Chapter 2 of the LWCOO which allows the issuance of civil citations as an alternative enforcement method under FS 162. The ordinance changes also simplified the process to board-up and secure unsafe structures and changed the way in which the City releases code liens. Last week the City Commission approved an ordinance that requires the registry of foreclosed buildings, which for the first time will give the City, PBSO and PBC Fire Rescue the lender’s name and contact information and also provide the City and County agencies with the property management company that maintains the property. We are also proposing doing away with the annual COU inspection in favor of an inspection whenever there is a change in occupancy.The annual inspection process was not workable and inspections that take place before tenants or owners occupy a building, or portion thereof, is more meaningful and is a better way to address the deterioration of the City’s building stock. This specific ordinance was approved at first reading and could be adopted later this month. Some of our New Initiatives: The Code Compliance Division will improve its community relations efforts by shifting the division’s focus from an enforcement-based approach to a more customer-focused compliance process. New division policies, training, and an emphasis on providing assistance to tenants and victims affected by absentee landlords is being implemented, and inspectors are now targeting more serious blight and safety conditions. Code Compliance will utilize a progressive hierarchy of code enforcement with property owners, business operators and tenants by making immediate contact with the resident or tenants and giving verbal warnings for the infraction, when appropriate, with progressive follow-up. Some of our current and planned Goals are to: *Provide assistance and alternatives for families displaced by unsafe buildings. *Regularly provide code compliance information to neighborhood associations. *Create and implement a progressive approach to code enforcement. *Continue improvement in the collection and reduction of outstanding code enforcement fines. As we discussed with the City Commission this past April, there was the appearance of about $70 million in uncollected code fines. In truth, most of the fines will never be collected. To demonstrate this, we researched the top 20 largest code fine cases of the then-current 750 open cases and presented our finding to the Commission. SUMMARY: $13,932,275 – Top 20 Code Cases $2,156,050 – Supplemental Cases $6,981 – Administrative Costs $16,095,306 - Subtotal $756,700 – Computer Error $2,611,700 – Remove Improper Fines $12,726,906 – Remaining Fines, most of that wiped out by lender-initiated foreclosure actions. Many of the code cases were simply the result of poor case management by the City in the past and revealed many properties with active, accruing fines, in excess of $1 million, for things such as dead shrubs and tall grass. Today we have processed about 100 of the 750 total cases and the phantom fine amount has been reduced from the $70 million in April down to $49 million, with another 650 cases left to review and adjust downward the fine amount that may be actually due the City. Our Code Compliance staff is comprised of 9 employees and includes an Interim Code Supervisor, 2 secretaries, 5 zone inspectors, and a permit / licensing technician. We are hiring two additional inspectors to be paid by the recently awarded JAG grant. These two new inspectors will assist the PBSO in targeting properties involved in criminal activities. We are currently understaffed in the field, with 1 open Code inspector position and another soon to be open inspector position, although we are actively interviewing applicants. Our Division is open Mon – Fri, 8 am to 4:30 pm, with some inspector time after hours to follow up on complaints.The Code Compliance Division has a proposed FY 2011 budget of $912,000, which includes the 2 new JAG inspectors, board-ups, property cleaning and some limited demolitions of unsafe abandoned buildings. Complaints can be sent to us by phone 586-1652, by email or in written form.You can also provide the Code Compliance division the complaint through the City’s automated on-line complaint system accessible through the website."

May the Truth set you Free

To the Idiot who just tried to post here, read the policy on commenting.

P.S. The Post and The Herald are BOTH rags.

P.P.S. To the Idiot again--Don't pray too much in church--lightening will surely strike anyone who refuses to see the truth.

REMINDER--McVoy & Mulvehill endorsed by the Palm Beach Post

Although the Editor of The Lake Worth Herald attends the same City Commission meetings that I do, we rarely see eye to eye on anything. His constant sarcasm regarding Commissioner Mulvehill is not the least bit funny nor appreciated. To constantly side with the developer crowd, the Realtor crowd, the Chamber crowd and those who have managed to ruin our City for years, is revolting. But the newspaper does survive on advertising from these groups. In fact, from what I have been told, the Editor doesn't even live in this City but loves to knock those who actually have made decisions improving it. He has Loretta Sharpe whispering in his ear all of the time, part of the negative group that wants to stop all progress in Lake Worth. Oh, yes, one of his endorsements just recently advertised in his rag.

My Cup of Tea

• Marco Rubio, (Rep) US Senate

• Allen West, (Rep) US Congress District 22

• Michael E. Arth, (NPA) Governor (The only stand-up guy running for Governor on the issues especially Amendment 4)

• Jim Lewis (NPA) Attorney General

• Chief Financial Officer - no endorsement

• Thad Hamilton (NPA) FL Commissioner of Agriculture (Retired Lt. Col. US Army--he has integrity)(Both the Dem and Rep candidates support illegal alien farm labor and have other negatives)

• Steven Rosenblum, (Rep) FL House District 89 (Clemens is not a choice)

• Bill Graham, PB Cnty School Board District 3 (I approve of his stand on merit raises)

• Ann Kanjian, PB Cnty School Board District 4

• Christopher McVoy, Lake Worth Commissioner District 2

• Suzanne Mulvehill, Lake Worth Commissioner District 4

AMENDMENTS
Amendment 1: No
Amendment 2: No (This is a warm and fuzzy amendment that we can not afford)
Amendment 4: Yes (to help end corrupt politics and give the people a voice on growth)
Amendment 5: Yes
Amendment 6: Yes (Instead of voters choosing legislators, we have legislators choosing voters! Amendments 5 & 6 will stop that because they create rules against drawing districts to favor incumbents of political parties)
Amendment 8: Yes (According to reports, from 2003 till early 2010, the state has spent approximately $15.8 billion in order to help reduce class sizes through out the state. The Florida Department of Education reports that an additional $350 million is needed to meet class-size caps - including more classroom space and teachers. This cost takes into account cuts to health, education and other state programs in order to eliminate a looming $3.2 billion state budget shortfall. According to reports, if the proposed amendment is approved, no costs would be incurred)
Federal Balanced Budget: Yes

Lake Worth City Logo

Comment Up
As it came up last night that our City Logo is not trademarked nor is it copyrighted, I plan on using it on my web site until such time that our City Attorney knows the law.

As Commissioner Scott Maxwell used the City logo on a recent flier that was distributed to the residents who attended his "Town Meeting," without the City's permission for a function that was clearly for electioneering purposes, perhaps we all should just whore our City Logo and use it for whatever purpose we deem important.

By using the city logo, it gave the impression that 1) his meeting was sanctioned by the City and 2) anything he said was in agreement with the City and the City Commission. Sleazy politicians have pulled this one before and Maxwell's use of a city logo is not the first in American politics. It is unethical, and every election, we have to endure a political group that pushes the envelope.

A motion was made to have our city attorney research policy on using the city logo as she had no idea. So, city attorney, get back to me. Get back to Commissioner Maxwell. Anything goes in Lake Worth--ANYTHING --and no one ever seems to have an answer.

Mayor Varela was true to form and voted against the Motion in what was an apparent act to please his political base. The vote was 3/2, one of the rare votes that Blockson says predominates the dais.

Commissioner Suzanne Mulvehill - Nothing but GOOD NEWS

Comment Up

Commissioner Mulvehill says, "I have worked hard to move forward on our beach & casino renovation and I want to see this project through. Help me win another term to serve Lake Worth."

In answer to the BAC PAC attack flier which is FALSE--

1. Mulvehill voted for a Budget that was reduced by $5 million and supported amending the Union Pension Retirement Plans thus saving us millions more. It was Scott Maxwell's uninformed decision in 2002 voting to go with FMPA that caused our high utility rates. It was Mulvehill who voted to get out of FMPA. As there is a 5 year exit clause, we will be stuck in this Scott Maxwell approved Contract for 3 more years. To pay for our reverse Osmosis Plant or if we had gone to PB County for water, we would have had to pay for it. This is a short term increase to support our infrastructure and to have the best water and to be a supplier, not a buyer. This decision by Mulvehill will be proven to be the best decision for the health and wealth of our City besides the Casino.

2. There is no longer wasteful spending at City Hall. That was all addressed in the tremendous budget cuts across the board for every department. Unfortunately, due to Union Retirement Plans and Union salaries, we have had to use revenue from our Utility to operate the City. Suzanne's opponent is supported by the Unions. Her opponent is concerned about the Budget but with Mulvehill's vote to amend the Pension contracts, her concerns should be erased.

3. Mulvehill voted to spend money on the Shuffleboard Court Building because Staff said that it needed a new roof, new ADA compliant bathrooms and the parking lot was pitted and needed to be re-done. Although The Mentoring Center was to lease the building, they will be out the first of the year (Mulvehill voted on this) and these repairs were necessary to maintain our asset under any conditions no matter who occupied the premises. It will soon be occupied by the city Recreational Department.

4. Mulvehill, along with the entire Commission, voted to re-organize the Code Department. We now have, according to Wayne Bergman at a TRNA meeting, 6 code enforcement officers and will have one more in this new budget cycle--one less than we had originally. The Code department has been streamlined to be more efficient. Seven budgeted code officers have been confirmed by the City Manager.

5. Mulvehill did not vote to stop the restoration of the Gulfstream Hotel. Schlesinger, the owner, kept coming before the Planning & Zoning Board (Her opponent was a member of this Board and wanted to give the owner his variances even though they were against our Ordinances and City Charter) constantly asking for variance after variance to build on the west side. His first scheme was wanting to erect a 100 foot building in violation of our City Charter. This building would have loomed down on the rest of the neighborhood. He wanted to take over all the off-street parking and have a Valet service to utilize all city parking on city streets in that area. None of the residents around that surrounding area would have been able to park. Mayor Varela's mother lives across the street from the vacant land at the Gulfstream that the owner wanted to develop. Perhaps we should ask her what she feels about the matter and why her son is supporting Mulvehill's opponent, the very one who wanted the owner to get everything he asked which was not in the best interests of the citizens. It is Schlesinger, the owner of the Gulfstream, who stopped the restoration of this hotel which is now in bankruptcy. He could have restored this hotel when he bought it but he delayed over and over again. The owner owes everyone money.

COMMISSIONER SUZANNE MULVEHILL
ENDORSEMENTS:

The Palm Beach Post

The National Organization for Women

Sierra Club

Palm Beach Treasure Coast AFL-CIO

The Palm Beach Human Rights Council

Allen West: The American Spirit

Growth Lobbyists have stuck their middle finger in the eye of the voters

Wonks Are Just Shocked That Anyone Supports Amendment 4.

The “Hometown Democracy” amendment is a terrible idea, and I’m voting for it .State and local governments have made an absolute mess of growth management.

This “management” consists mainly of a war of attrition between a developer and the nearby neighborhoods, and inevitably the developers, with their full-time professionals and pockets of capital, outlast the amateur citizens who have to dig into their own pockets to defend their interests.

The Chamber of Commerce and the real estate industry are running expensive PR campaigns to persuade people the economy will collapse if Amendment 4, “Hometown Democracy,” passes. Hey, guess what?

The economy collapsed BEFORE this thing passed — thanks to growth run amok.

The goal of the amendment is not to have people vote on all the changes to plans. The goal is to force governments to create good plans and stick to them. The Chamber says there are 10,000 changes to land-use plans every year, and they’d all need to be voted on. 10,000! That’s not a plan. That’s a developer playground.

That’s a reason to support Amendment 4, notoppose it.

Call me irresponsible. I expect the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Realtors and St. Joe and lots of others will. Under their Orwellian name of “Floridians for Smarter Growth,” they are just shocked, shocked that anyone can support this initiative.

All the wonky “policy” people I know are horrified that growth management may be taken away from, well, the wonky people who have been screwing it all up.

The environmental group 1000 Friends of Florida, which had opposed Hometown Democracy for a long time, has changed its mind. The polls say it’s close, but the business crowd has done its work and scared a lot of peopleaway. Every vote will matter.

Clear-cutting trees, backed-up intersections, flyovers, the ridiculous traffic patterns around our interstates, crowded classrooms, growing costs of keeping up with infrastructure — all have roots in bad growth management.

Slow down development, and our communities will be more livable and our property values will recover faster.

In Tallahassee, some one said we already have more public hearings than the law requires.

Repeated public hearings are stupid. It’s just another way to wear down citizens, who shout and scream and maybe get a “compromise” that the developers expected in the first place, while elected officials take a walk and avoid responsibility.

An army of well-paid professionals represents developers for as long as it takes to get the project through, while neighbors have to dig into savings and take time off from work or family to mount an opposition.

It’s not a fair system. It just isn’t.

The past four years, with Hometown Democracy chugging toward the ballot, gave those “Smarter Growth” developers plenty of time to produce a credible alternative. Tom Pelham, the head of the state’s growth-planning agency who knows what a mess we have, proposed one. But the Legislature, two-thirds Republican and enriched by campaign contributions from the real-estate industry, neutered what was left of state growth-man­agement after Gov. Jeb Bush and even refused to extend the life of Pelham’s agency.

The growth lobbyists don’t want “smarter growth.” They want growth, period. Instead of looking for “smarter management” of growth, they just stuck their middle finger in the eye of the voters.

So there’s only one last chance to bring them to heel: Amendment 4.

Yes, referendums on growth plans are a terrible idea. It’s not the way we should govern ourselves. But what else can you do?

Worry not: The system eventually will find a way to survive with Hometown Democracy. Nothing has ever thwarted the development industry in Florida, and this won’t either. Vote for Amendment 4?

Call me irresponsible.

I call it irresistible.

Neil Skene

Klein continues to Smear Col. Allen West

As Allen West's Chief of Staff said to me, while the Democrats are protesting in front of our headquarters, we will be out campaigning to win District 22.

This video just shows how low the West opponents will go. "The same guilt-by-association game could also be played against Congressman Ron Klein, who has received campaign contributions from Marc Bell, the CEO of Penthouse Magazine- a highly provocative magazine that has been accused over the years of also denigrating women." Source: The Shark Tank

The Buck stops with Sink

I watched the CNN debate the other night with Alex Sink and Rick Scott. After the hour, I concluded that I didn't like either one of them.

For Sink to fire a member of her Staff was over-reacting to a mistake that was totally hers; she is the one who read the message. All of her Staff should have been informed of the rules of the debate...even her make-up artist. It was the make-up artist that brought the digital message on a SmartPhone to Sink. Now who would have thought that a make-up artist would be involved in subterfuge? It was sneaky. Scott was just on his toes at that particular minute to notice it. The make-up artist wasn't fired, only the guy who sent it. Sink knew better than to even look at the message. If she didn't, then she is not on top of even the little things, the ethical things, knowing the difference in right and wrong and proper protocol.

The buck stops with Sink.

President of 1000 Friends of Florida speaks to Florida's Woes

Letters to the Editor for Monday, Oct. 25
The Palm Beach Post

According to news reports, Rick Scott would support eliminating the state's land planning agency, the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA). He claims, "It's really impacted people that want to build things; it's really killing jobs." House Speaker-designate Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, concurs, noting that DCA's functions could be distributed to other agencies.

Everyone should be sensitive to the need to create and maintain jobs. But blaming DCA for this state's economic woes is tragically misguided.

Since January 2007, DCA has approved comprehensive plan amendments that allow for 558,400 additional residential units and 1.43 billion square feet of nonresidential space, all of which remains unbuilt. On top of this, Florida is among the top three states in number of foreclosures, and has an existing vacant housing inventory of between 300,000 and 400,000 units.

What is really killing jobs in Florida is the fact that with so many vacant dwellings on the market, lenders are understandably unwilling to finance new construction. Once the economy rebounds and the inventory of overbuilt housing is sold, then there is plenty of opportunity for builders to construct the dwelling units and offices already approved by local governments and DCA.

While some candidates are channeling the rage felt by builders and developers, they fail to recognize the level of anger of average citizens who are fed up with the overcrowded roads and schools, sprawling development and degraded natural areas. Widespread public support for Amendment 4, which would require voter approval of each local comprehensive plan amendment, is but one manifestation.

Florida's growth-management laws help to protect sensitive natural areas from inappropriate development and rural areas from sprawling over-development, provide for greater coordination between local governments, balance local issues with state legislative priorities, require that infrastructure be in place to support new development and require citizen participation in the development review process. If Florida loses DCA or key portions of its growth-management laws, all of this could be in jeopardy.

CHARLES PATTISON

Tallahassee

Editor's note: Charles Pattison is president of 1000 Friends of Florida, which advocates for growth management.