"Rapacious Developers"

First of all, let me say that I was very surprised to find out this week that the New Times (Broward/Palm Beach) named this blog as the Best of 2009. If you haven't read what they wrote, there's a link in the upper right hand corner, just below the banner, that will take you there. Thanks to all the people who offered their congratulations and encouragement to keep doing what I am doing.

The person that did the write-up obviously had spent some time here on the blog, knew my bio information and had read some of my Commission meeting previews. But, somehow the writer linked my calling out of Commissioners Jennings and Mulvehill to their ties to "rapacious developers." This, of course, caused more than a giggle since I am the one that is usually, erroneously, tied to "rapacious developers." They may be tied to hypocrisy and multiple special interests, but not to "rapacious developers." At least I don't think so. Note to all who read this: There are no developers in Lake Worth due to the lack of certainty in the political and regulatory environment - period. Something that I have said is a means to their end.

This got me thinking about truth and the power of the written and spoken word. Just this morning, I heard a piece about how journalists in Myanmar are routinely arrested for reporting what is going on in that country. At a minimum, their equipment, tapes, recording equipment are confiscated. Most of the time they are arrested and kept for long periods of time. We have witnessed the same sort of action recently perpetrated by North Korea...and the list goes on from the more subtle forms of censorship to the more extreme examples.

People are willing to risk their lives and livelihoods for the purpose of getting out the truth. Presentation of facts to an audience is really a sacred trust. Many times in Lake Worth, I am amazed by how many people treat the truth or facts so cavalierly and dismiss reality entirely if it doesn't fit with their "great work program" or their quest for power and control. So, that being said, please call me out when you think I am not honoring the facts in the way they should be honored. If we all were more ginger in the way we handle the facts - what is true - we would at least be focused on the same set of circumstances with a chance to work together to make conditions better - not just arguing about what the conditions are.

Thanks for visiting. Remember, the search engine in the upper left hand corner of the blog is your friend! There is TONS of material on here and that's the best way to navigate around if you are looking for something in particular.

Let's attempt to keep each other honest.