Mad-scientist mailer, red X's mark the spot in nasty Lake Worth campaign ads

Lake Worth commish sneaks campaign plug into town hall meeting

Click title for link to latest propaganda from the Palm Beach Post regarding politics in Lake Worth.  The link above is another in the series from the same organization - can be considered in the same vein.  I will refrain from further comment about these instances until later - like after next Tuesday.

I would like to talk about the use of the city seal now, however.

Much was made, as indicated in the article, about the use of the city seal in the materials promoting and available at the Town Hall meeting put on last Saturday regarding the utilities.  To listen to the public comment from the Commission meeting on Wednesday night, you would think that its image generates a certain patriotic fervor when people see it, wear it and use it on printed material.  The Commissioner that seemed to have the most problem with its use was none other than Commissioner Jennings who is known for not saying the pledge of allegiance to our country's flag at the beginning of Commission meetings.  So it strikes me as peculiar that she would be so protective of the city's symbol when the flag of the United States, whose Constitution she is sworn to defend, doesn't rate as high on her list of important symbols deserving respect.  I guess we can chalk this up to just another one of the many hypocrisies we witness here in our city.

In my first campaign, I remember people having an "issue" regarding the use of the city seal on my handbill - the one that I would hang on doors and distribute to people during candidate forums, meet and greets and the like.  So, after a letter from the City Clerk indicating that campaign literature cannot use the city seal, we all took the time to put  round white stickers over the image so as not to waste the 1,000 piece batch of material.  On another mailer, I posed in front of city hall and received another letter that I couldn't stand in front of or have a picture of a city building on campaign material - and there was a small image of the city seal above the electronic sign in front of city hall.  I asked if the city seal was trademarked - I was told no.  I asked if there was ever an official policy on the use of the city seal and I was told no.  It just wasn't done.  Another successful Mayoral candidate years before had stood in front a city limit sign with the seal and got the same "push back."  Regarding standing in front of city buildings in a picture, I can't imagine anything that belongs to the public more than that.  Again, no official policy could be cited.  I note that both McVoy and Golden used images of city hall in both their campaign materials. The only thread that I could get is that somehow the use of the seal gave the image that the city was endorsing this candidate or the other - which would never be done anyway and I think the public is smart enough to realize that. That is why the city attorney had such a hard time coming up with anything definitive that prevented or restricted the use of the city seal.

And you have to ask yourself why a certain group clings to symbols like this, with some notable exceptions, in the first place.  It is an attempt to transfer legitimacy of the city on to themselves as elected representatives - one of the powers of incumbency.  This group is also using whatever legitimacy left by the Palm Beach Post endorsement as a free pass to justify their continuing dismantling of the city.  They wouldn't have much legitimacy otherwise, that is why they have such a cozy and cherished relationship with the Palm Beach Post.  What was the largest banner (about 6 x 10 feet in size) outside the Playhouse last Wednesday?  One that proclaimed the Palm Beach Post endorsed Mulvehill and McVoy.  Unfortunately, it is a formula that has a track record of success - to the detriment of our city's future.

If we are going to "hold the city seal so dear," then could we create a workable policy on its use?

I also found it ironic that the home page of the city's website doesn't have an image of the seal on it.

In fact, it took a little while for me to find a color image that I could snag for use in this post.  The one I used happens to be from a city employment application.  So much for the city's use of its most revered symbol.