Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Former Mayor and now State Senator Jeff Clemens at Compass' Grand Opening in Lake Worth

You'll find the remarks by then-Lake Worth Mayor Jeff Clemens in 2009 very enlightening. Note when he remarks that no one wanted the building that Compass occupies until Compass expressed an interest in using it: then the community "rallied" to save it from Compass. The building Jeff Clemens said was "a dump". The 'community' didn't rally to save the building from Compass; it was only a handful of malcontents happy to see a city building, one of many, further deteriorate due to neglect.

Jeff Clemens thanks Compass for taking a chance in Lake Worth when so few other organizations would. Compass has never turned their back on Lake Worth although some detractors continue to turn their backs on them; a current detractor of Compass is Ms. Menge. She didn't arrive in Lake Worth until 2011 and knows little or nothing of those events in 2009. She only knows what she's told or what to read. And everyone knows who she listens to. Another detractor of Compass is a newly elected commissioner in the City of Lake Worth. Inexplicably, a gay man himself.

So, without further ado, Jeff Clemens at the Compass Dedication in 2009:

Compass is taking many clever cheap shots of late and true to form they've taken the high road. Compass in the City isn't any one snapshot in time. There is a history, a proud history, of their involvement in the City. Without an understanding of that history the critics of Compass display their ignorance.

This video, yes, is also a snapshot in time. But it's a more accurate snapshot from 2009 than the ignorant beliefs of someone in 2015 who doesn't know that history; and probably doesn't care anyway. I was the one who took the video that day and I'm so happy I did.