November 18, 2008 Runoff Election - Lake Worth - Results

Click title for link to Supervisor of Elections website. Results will be posted when tabulated.

A Jolly Commissioner Jennings Waving Signs for her Candidate

Lake Worth: Go Out and Vote for Dave Vespo Today!

Tri-Rail rides high even with drop in gas prices

Suzanne Mulvehill - What is she hiding from?

First we get the news from City Clerk Pam Lopez that she didn't file her run-off election treasurer's report in time therefore denying the public access to information about who funded her immense run-off campaign. Then, I get this text message from Maura Hennesey who attended the Bryant Park Homeowners Association meeting tonight. This is her report:

I'm at the Bryant park neighborhood assoc and dave vespo is here but suzanne mulville is not. She declined minutes before. Dave Vespo did great! Really great!
please vote tommorrow in the run off and tell your neighbors , please it's really really important for our city ! Your friend and neighbor, Maura

This is not what we need from a Commissioner - someone who cancels an engagement at the last minute - perhaps in order to avoid having to address what is actually being said by her legions at our neighbors' doors. Who are these people that have been pounding our doors down anyway?

A grisly story and timely reminder to vote for Dave Vespo from Maura Hennesey

Dear Lake Worth Friends,

I have a little crime story that had a happy ending. I was on my way to the Wellington 10 miler Race last month. As I came out on Dixie I saw a guy chasing another guy with a crowbar and he had the look of murder in his eyes. If you haven’t seen this look, think of Freddie Kruger on a really bad day. It was a miracle I didn’t hit both guys in my sleepy slumber at 5am. I make a quick U turn and called 911.

I couldn’t locate the crowbar attacker or his victim who was begging for his life according to the body language I saw. I drove around for awhile and couldn’t find them, went home and got sick.

Once I was composed, I headed back out again for the race only to find multiple Palm Beach County Sheriff’s and an ambulance. I asked if this was from the call about the crowbar attack and they said yes. I pulled over explained I was the witness and I did a police report. They had already caught the guy!!! They pulled him out of the car for me to identify him and it was crazy eyes. His victim was taken to the hospital with head injuries and his condition was serious but he will be OK.

Crazy eyes was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and possibly a hate crime. The victim was a gay man and the crowbar attacker kept yelling anti gay slurs while he beat him with the crowbar. This happened on Dixie just outside College Park. After doing the Police Report and making my eye witness ID, I was very pumped up. Went out to Wellington and ran like the wind! I did 10 miles in 1 hour 27 minutes. That was one happy ending. I visited the victim Jose in the hospital and he was going to be released and he will be OK, the real happy ending.

The moral of the story other then trying to stop an attack and running like the wind is we have a crime problem that we need serious help.

Dave Vespo brought the PBCSO to Lake Worth. The Lake Worth Police took a pay cut so they could be part of the merger. I have spoken to many police officers and they feel that their lives were at risk every night because of the limited # of police on the street before the merger and our crime problem. We are only 2nd in crime problems to Riviera Beach. After living in Lake Worth during the mid to late 80’s I can tell you, it can get very bad very quickly. The fact that Dave Vespo cared enough to Fight the hard Fight to bring in Palm Beach County Sheriff’s should get him re elected.

Please go out to the polls tomorrow Tuesday November 18^th and vote.

If you wan to go for a run let me know, I’m always up for it, beginners are always welcome and I promise not to go hunting for crowbar attackers to get pumped up for a race.

Your Neighbor and Friend,

Maura Hennessey

Note from Wes: I heard about this story from someone who owns a business on North Dixie Highway. They too commented on the speed and professisonalism in how the entire situation was handled by the PBSCO. Something that Maura didn't mention - Suzanne Mulvehill would have been against the Sheriff department merger, right in line with Cara Jennings and Jo Ann Golden - her biggest supporters. Vote Dave Vespo tomorrow for two more solid years of service!

No Treasurer's Report from Suzanne Mulvehill Campaign for Run-off Election

Per e-mail from City Clerk Pam Lopez at 4:15 p.m. today.

Hmmmmm. I guess the voting public is denied knowing the extent of her special interest contributions and how many beach tenant related contributions she used to fund her sign and mailing blitz.

Special Treat - Connie Talbot singing "Over the Rainbow"

She was runner-up in Britain's Got Talent competition and will have a holiday album out soon.

It's a tie between her and the puppies as to who is cuter!

Thank you Commissioner Cara Jennings for appearing at the Amendment 2 protest

This is her speech that took place about midway through the gathering. I do sincerely thank her for appearing before the group and representing the City of Lake Worth and the City Commission. The crowd and the organizers were clear that the City of Lake Worth was not the problem - especially as it relates to passage of Amendment 2. Many there commented that it would be great if all of Florida and the nation were more like Lake Worth in recognizing all sorts of human adult relationships and not discriminating between one form or another.

But, I do want to point a few things out regarding the content of Commissioner Jennings' comments, her record on GLBT issues and her quick shirt change prior to speaking.

She correctly points out that the City Commission passed a resolution opposing passage of Amendment 2. However, she didn't say they did that unanimously - which they did. This nuance left people to question if there was someone who did not vote for the resolution. It would have been magnanimous of Cara to mention the unanimous vote, especially since she was wearing the t-shirt of an opponent of a current City Commissioner who also voted in support of the resolution.

And, Commissioner Dave Vespo is endorsed by the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council and neither Commissioner Cara Jennings or Suzanne Mulvehill were endorsed by them. This is a guess, but most likely the lack of endorsement on Commissoner Jennings' part was due to her "no" vote on the Compass lease and her disingenuous negotiations related to the lease. As for Suzanne Mulvehill, I think it's due to her being an unknown quantity and lack of a track record. It is also due to Commissioner Dave Vespo's strong pro-GLBT voting record.

The other odd thing that Commissioner Jennings said in her remarks had to do with a concept that the majority shouldn't be making rules for the minority. Let's hope she remembers this if the candidate she is backing happens to win the run-off election tomorrow.

Let's also hope that in her second term she is able to put more action behind her words in support of the GLBT community.

Slideshow from Saturday's Amendment 2 Protest

Lake Worth voters back at polls Tuesday

PB Post article from today - click for link. I wish they wouldn't use the word "restore" when they talk about about the casino building and returning it to the 1920s design. It is actually a reconstruction - you can't restore something that is not there to begin with. Again, a picture of the original design after hurricanes of the late 1940s.
But this group has never been known for letting facts get in the way of their message. I guess that's what you get for the money.

Special Truth Matters Show Today at 7 p.m.

Click title for link. Jim Stafford and I will be getting together for a show this evening. I will post the re-run when the show is uploaded. You can imagine the topics as we head towards the run-off election on Tuesday.

Seen inside John G's...

Estimated Taxpayer Subsidy for One Beach Tenant with 2,500 square feet over 35 years:

This is part of an e-mail message I put together after the 11/10 City Commission meeting:

Last night as I was leaving after the casino building discussion, Suzanne Mulvehill grabbed me and introduced me to Wendy Yarborough - an owner of John Gs. Suzanne asked excitedly, "So what do you think about this?" (meaning the Commission allowing "Straticon" to go forward, explore the building's structure and come up with a price for "free") - I told her that it wasn't going to be an objective evaluation on whether the building could be saved or not because this company wants the business. I also told them that no one is asking if the building we would end up with would actually meet our needs and who is going to pay for it.

Then asked Wendy if she knew what retail/restaurant oceanfront space was going for. She said she did. (I am guessing at least $50 a square foot at a minimum) I told her the difference between that and what they have been paying (lets say $18?) amounts to a subsidy from the citizen's of Lake Worth. Suzanne then said that made it sound like the tenant's fault. I said that ultimately it is the city's fault but that over the years John Gs has influenced the political process around here to make sure that situation stayed the same - so one hand washes the other. Then I looked at Suzanne and said this is your special interest you're representing. She then said that at least they have good french toast.

So I did a quick and dirty analysis. Assuming that the annual lease rate for the casino building space is $18 per square foot and that the "market" rate is $50 per square foot for oceanfront retail/restaurant space, what does that subsidy amount to over a span of 35 years? That is the length of time that John Gs has been a tenant there. See below:

Without figuring in inflation but reducing the cumulative subsidy by 70% to compensate for that results in an approximate subsidy by the tax paying residents of the City of Lake Worth of around $2,000,000. This represents just one tenant that has 2,500 square feet of space. What if that money had been available to maintain the building the way it should be maintained?

That's pretty expensive french toast Suzanne, regardless of how you slice it.

As if there was any doubt...

From the rally yesterday in front of City Hall. Proof that a vote for Suzanne Mulvehill is a vote for another Cara Jennings on the Commission. Use your vote wisely. Commissioner Jennings said that the majority should not impose their rules on the minority. Isn't that what she will be doing if Suzanne wins in the run-off?

Who is Suzanne anyway?