From the City Manager's Letter re Budget - Just how bad things are in graphic terms RE-POST

WHY AREN'T THE CANDIDATES TALKING ABOUT THESE FACTS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY?!

The above is very telling about the impact of poverty on the City of Lake Worth.  Notice that of all the zip codes in Palm Beach County 33460 has the highest number of poverty indicators of ANY.  These figures were prepared by the Children Services Council as risk factors.  Here we are talking about the very future of human beings in society.  To this day, from my time on the CRA, I hear Annabeth Karson's voice ringing in my ears how the "people" want to attract the very low and low income groups to the city.  Well, Ms. Karson, here is the result of what happens when you have that sort of concentration of poverty in one city - are you happy now?

The above I will supplement with data from previous years.  I think it is interesting to note that history, as shown in the graph, begins with 2007, which is convenient for a number of reasons.  Note too that this graph just indicates the total number, not the total dollar value represented by the permits themselves.

The above graph is what results when you multiply the city's plunging assessed property value by its millage rate.  I have prepared a spreadsheet that starts in 1997 and goes through the fiscal year ending in 2011 - the budget that is in front of the Commission now.

The above shows where Lake Worth stands with all other utilities in the state as it pertains to commercial users of power.  If you have to ask, we are the red line at the far right hand side of the graph - the highest in all of the state of Florida.  Do you think any commercial enterprise, of any size, would seriously consider locating in Lake Worth over other locations based on this criterion alone?  I frankly do not.

This graph is how the city of Lake Worth stacks up with other municipalities in terms of cost for high-end users of residential power.  It is any wonder we have close to a revolution when some people are getting $1,500 and $2,000 a month utility bills?  To be fair, low users of electrical power end up paying about the same as they would with FPL, but this is usually used as window dressing for political campaigns.

When you have high utility rates to begin with, you add the impact of the economic downturn (putting it mildly) and a significant population of people that use Lake Worth as Palm Beach County's housing of last resort, you are going to have a larger group of people late on their utility bills.  I don't know of anyone, by the way, that has managed to keep their power and water when they are 90 past due on a balance with our utility department.

The graph above shows the number of times the Piggy Bank has been robbed to balance the budget or to come up with money for some unexpected or "favored" items by the City Commission.  Aren't they predicting a busy hurricane season this year?

As foreclosures increase and residential property owners find it difficult to sell due to declining property values, the only alternative left to rent out your house and minimize your loses.  An already out-of-balance statistic in Lake Worth will become even more out of balance - a disproportionate number of renters as compared to owners in the city.  This is no longer limited to certain geographic areas of the city - it is everywhere!

So why the sudden "doom and gloom" from the City Manager that is the darling of Commissioners Jennings, Golden and Mulvehill?  Either she has truly "seen the light" and is sharing her version of reality as she learns what the real Lake Worth is all about after getting her feet wet here or it is something else.  I will be exploring that further.

In the meantime, enjoy what is left of the Lake Worth we know and love, because there isn't much left.

Cheers!