The “Omari Effect” and. . . Can you believe there’s no news in the Post about the debate tonight? But “Artsy Fartsy” IS big news?

Remember. The Playhouse Debate starts at 6:00 tonight; doors open at 5:45. . . 

But the big story by Post beat reporter Kevin Thompson “IN FOCUS: LAKE WORTH” this week is all about “Artsy Fartsy”?

Learn more about the “Omari Effect” below, but first: Can you believe there was no mention of the debate tonight at the Playhouse by Post beat reporter Kevin Thompson?*

But the headline story this week is about another art gallery, “Artsy Fartsy Decor & More”? Don’t believe it? It’s true.

However, the upside (pardon the pun) is the Post relying more and more on the City’s communications specialist, Ben Kerr, for accurate and timely information. For more on that scroll down for the blog post titled, “City of Lake Worth press releases by Ben Kerr: The Post then reworks this information and reports it as news 2–5 days later.”

Ahead of tonight’s debate. . .

Please Remember: Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, and commissioners Andy Amoroso and Ryan Maier ARE NOT ON THE BALLOT on March 14th. The only elected official up for re-election is Commissioner Chris McVoy. Please remember that.

Now to the “Omari Effect”: For the most part, the last City Commission meeting on January 24th went very smoothly and amicably, without the tactics we’ve been so accustomed to in the past from the only City commissioner up for election on March 14th, just 43 days away, Comm. McVoy.

Most of you are familiar by now with his bag of tricks, for example, timeless tactics to create “General Interference” like those developed by the CIA to disrupt the Soviet Bloc after WWII:

There were no lectures “at great length” by McVoy at the last City Commission meeting and very few “irrelevant issues”. And don’t forget the most-used tactic to distract or derail a City meeting: “raise the question”.

How can you explain McVoy’s change in behavior? It’s simple. Call it the “Omari Effect”:

At the Bryant Park candidate forum on January 23rd candidate Omari Hardy certainly got the attention of McVoy (seated, blue tie). Thanks to the Omari Effect you can now expect a more robust and focused debate on the real issues we face, and not “wedge issues”, tactics used to divide us.

*For news about the debate tonight, if you don’t already follow Lake Worth’s Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents Council (NAPC), then you should start today. Use this link for their Facebook page and for the NAPC website use this link.