[REPOST BY REQUEST] The latest from the "Keep Lake Worth Beach Public" Facebook page

Below is the new City of Lake Worth logo that is being used on social media, for example, on their soon-to-be-rolled-out Twitter feed:

From the City's website: "Lake Worth is a dynamic, multi-cultural city with an individualistic style. People are drawn to the city by its acceptance of different cultures and lifestyles, historic districts, hip downtown and colorful arts district." 

Below is a photo-shopped image being distributed by a few malcontents in the City. The hysteria continues about THE BEACH!:

This "symbol" is confusing. The use of the city's logo, erasing the words "City of Lake Worth, Florida" and replacing them with "Private Property - Keep Out", and then using the international "no" symbol over top of it creates a confusing double negative. 

Don't be wrong, most everyone gets its intent. We can see this attitude manifested in many ways throughout the City's recent history. Remember the eight years it took to develop workable land development regulations? During that time there was no commercial development in the city. There was a "de facto" moratorium on development and private investment that continues to some extent in the present. 

It reflects a xenophobic mentality held by some in this city. It's a message from the "red sign" people that says if you aren't from here, we don't want you. It confuses the notion of "private" and "public." Like it or not, our beach is a regional attraction. Many more people go to and use the beach than only Lake Worth residents. At a recent City Commission meeting Commissioner Maier floated the notion if anything in Lake Worth was actually a regional attraction at all. He called for more facilities to be only open to Lake Worth residents.

This attitude is not far away from the "moat mentality" by some in Lake Worth that somehow our municipality of 36,000 people is not part of the over 5 million person metropolitan area that is south Florida. We, in some people's minds, can exist autonomously within our borders with our own electric and water company, we can get by with blight and vacant properties because that is part of what makes up our idea of what Lake Worth is; and it is so very charming after all. 

If someone even suggests we do something different or entertain the notion of investment in the city in the form of a new building or infrastructure, the people of the "red sign" brigade will come along with a wheelbarrow of lies, knocking on doors, trying to make certain that Lake Worth is kept poor—more in common with communities in the Glades than other eastern Palm Beach County communities. Then a frenzy erupts based upon untruths and rumors, leaving the people that are attempting to improve conditions here with the task of proving what they are not doing, not actually focusing on what they could be doing.

It's the same sort of sentiment that goes into another creation that sends this message. Have you seen t-shirts that say "L-Dub - For Locals Only" in local stores? Not the most welcoming message to people who are looking to buy a house, rent space, buy property or work here. This way of thinking is prevalent enough and it always seems to raise its head around our election cycles. Now it appears these malcontents are attempting to maintain this frenzied paranoia 365/24/7. 

Can we get back to looking at the same facts, not fiction, and reacting to those facts rather than the emotions which are based on half-truths or outright lies? It won't happen if the malcontents are driving the agenda.