Who ever declared that West Palm (without a beach) is a “world class city”?

Does a city become a ‘world class’ one by painting more and more murals? Or should some of that money, like maybe $5,000, go to organizations like PEACE? Or to the Palm Beach County Tenants Union? And West Palm has declared itself a “welcoming city” as well. Doth that make a city a ‘world class’ one?

Interestingly, earlier this month in The Palm Beach Post were two items about West Palm, one about homelessness and another one about murals.


“We are faced with alleviating the trauma to victims that is caused by deranged transient street people and finding ways to address the economic and financial impacts on our businesses, and our reputation as a world class city.”

—West Palm Commissioner Paula Ryan. Quote from a “Point of View” published January 5th on the editorial page in The Palm Beach Post headlined, “Less talk, more solutions to downtown West Palm Beach homeless problem”.


And then there is this recent information about the homicide rate in West Palm:


West Palm Beach had 26 homicides, the most of any county municipality, and two shy of the city’s total for 2017.


Could there be an answer to these vexing problems? A way to solve homelessness and the homicide rate?

Well, let’s see. Maybe more murals will help.

Here is news also that was published in The Palm Beach Post by reporter Tony Doris on January 5th:


WEST PALM BEACH — A story will unfold on a West Palm Beach water tank in weeks ahead and another on a busy intersection, as the city brings public art to the fore in projects that are literally high-visibility and low-visibility.

The city commission is expected to vote its approval Jan. 14 for the two projects, one by international artist Daas on the water tank at 4400 Parker Ave., and the other by Dreyfoos School of the Arts students on the intersection of Fern Street and Tamarind Avenue.


This could make for an interesting editorial in the Post some day, the editor(s) can ask, “How many murals is enough?”

And if West Palm is a ‘world class city’ are they setting a good example for the rest of Palm Beach County by ignoring vexing problems and just painting more and more murals all over town?