The Lake Worth Cribune makes publishing history—turns accepted economic theory upside down

[Hard to believe but it will be a year ago this Saturday (1/16) since that silly tabloid hit the streets for the first time in Lake Worth. The tabloid didn't last very long; it folded up shop shortly after the elections in March. Quite a few spoofs of the tabloid were posted on this blog and below is one of them. Enjoy reading about the tabloid in Lake Worth that defied economic theory in the business of publishing!]

All eyes in the publishing industry are on the City of Lake Worth as The Lake Worth Cribune continues to defy accepted economic theory:

• The Cribune is FREE
• The Cribune has few advertisers 
• The Cribune has a scattering of classified ads
• The Cribune has a staff, office, and bills to pay

Yet, despite these challenges The Lake Worth Cribune continues to stay in business! The cynic might conclude the Cribune is not a newspaper at all but instead a clever promotional tool pushing an agenda under the guise of a 'newspaper'. That's jumping to conclusions; there's no evidence to suggest that charge. 

This could be an exciting story for a business reporter at The Palm Beach Post.

Next week: Will the paper still be Free? When will final issue be? Is this a new business model for publishing industry? How come no one figured out how to do this? So many questions!

Lake Worth resident discriminates against native trees and supports poisoning small rodents, songbirds, and gopher tortoises

Sounds absurd, doesn't it? Just about as absurd as The Obtuse Blogger's (TOB's) silly nonsense about the Neighborhood Assoc. Presidents Council (NAPC) debate coming up soon. One or more of the challengers seeking a City Commission seat is getting cold feet and they came up with a red herring: The NAPC is doing something wrong.

Here is the Wikipedia definition for the red herring tactic/strategy:

A red herring is something that misleads or distracts from a relevant or important issue. It may be either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or audiences towards a false conclusion.

The NAPC is being completely in The Sunshine and has duly contacted everyone and set the rules for the debate. So what's the problem? Here is what TOB writes:

It should be evident to everyone in this city that power can be a dangerous thing and hearing both sides of a problem or giving possible solutions by all the commission, well forget about that. McVoy and Maier can attend but they cannot comment.

Note that commissioners Maier and McVoy are not up for re-election. But TOB thinks they should be part of the debate? Huh? What kind of silly, ridiculous logic is that? The debates are for what exactly? To hear the elected City leaders and their challengers on the positions they have on issues, of course. Maier and McVoy will get their chance in early 2017. Would they support having elected officials that are not on the ballot be part of the debate? Of course not.

The title of this blog post was meant to be funny and absurd. But is it really? Check back to this blog soon for the minutes of the Lake Worth Tree Board in June of last year. You'll be amazed and surprised about TOB's position on the invasive Australian Pines that dot the landscape all over town.

Now THAT issue, invasive species in Lake Worth and how to deal with them, would be a really good topic for another upcoming NAPC debate!

More Perfomances Scheduled from the St. Andrew's 2016 Concert Series

This information and so much more can be found on the City of Lake Worth's "Special Events" page.

The St. Andrew's Episcopal Church is located at 100 North Palmway in downtown Lake Worth and the phone number is 561-582-6609. If you wish, you can "Follow" St. Andrew's on Twitter for the latest on all their events and news items:

Cellist JY Lee will perform Taizé at 6PM Sat Jan 16 & Holy Eucharist Sun Jan 17 at 10AM. #Episcopal #ArtsAtStAndrews pic.twitter.com/cHBRUVweG9

— St Andrews LakeWorth (@SAEpiscopalLW) January 12, 2016

Pick up this week's issue of The Lake Worth Herald: The Commission Update from Shelly Vana

In this week's issue of The Lake Worth Herald is the Palm Beach County Commission Update from Commissioner Shelly Vana. Here are two excerpts:

     In the next few months I will be writing about Palm Beach County and the issues government leaders and staff work on to provide for the health, safety and general welfare for our constituents. Palm Beach County is a Charter County and because of this the Commission has more freedom to enact ordinances as long as they do not conflict with the Florida Constitution, or the action is not specifically prohibited to do so by statute.
     You may have heard the term ‘Home Rule’ which means that our county can enact specific ordinances without going to the state legislature for a local bill. In reality, the legislature can preempt county governments from enacting ordinances for some issues. For example, the ban on smoking in buildings was an action by the legislature to preempt local control of the issue. This action made the regulation of cigarette smoking uniform throughout the state.
     In the 2016 Legislative Session, the legislature may preempt local government’s ability to regulate vehicle for hire companies such as Uber and Lyft. The Board of County Commission has not taken final action on the issues of ride sharing because it is awaiting the decision of the legislature. Hopefully they will act because it will be much more efficient to have one uniform rule across the state.

[and. . .]

     Palm Beach County is a good place to live and do business. In the coming weeks I will demystify the workings of what some may say is a huge bureaucracy, but in reality it is a huge family that is working to make sure that you have a great environment in which to live, work and play. 
Respectfully, Commissioner Shelley Vana

PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw wins a huge legal victory

PBSO Sheriff Bradshaw won a huge legal victory and you can read all about that in The Palm Beach Post. This news also appears in the printed edition of today's paper (1/14) on the front page, below the fold. The irony is that the nearly year-long campaign by the Post coincided with one of the highest murder rates in many years in West Palm Beach, where the paper's main office is located. Over 20% of all the homicides in Palm Beach County occurred in West Palm Beach, within minutes from the paper's front door.

Here is a short excerpt from the article by Jane Musgrave:

     “From our point of view, the court has dismissed the most significant claims against the Sheriff’s Office,” said attorney Richard Giuffreda, who represents the agency.
      The rulings are nearly identical to ones that have been made in other recent excessive force cases against the Sheriff’s Office, including one that will go to trial this month. In each case, the court paved the way for the families or, in some cases, the survivors to pursue individual deputies for multi-million-dollar judgments, Giuffreda said. But the judges have protected the Sheriff’s Office, and ultimately taxpayers, from what could have been budget-shattering verdicts, he said.

From the News Service of Florida: The "agriculture-backed water bill" passes unanimously

Here are two short excerpts from the article by Jim Turner at the News Service of Florida:

     The Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed a massive bill intended to protect and restore Florida’s springs, waterways and groundwater, despite objections from environmentalists who say the bill was weakened by the influence of industry and agriculture interests.

[and. . .]

     Despite their concerns, critics said they still considered the bill a good first step for protecting Florida’s waterways and the northern Everglades.
     “You could be waiting a very long time for a bill that does everything you want it to do,” said Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth. [emphasis added]

So there you go. It goes back to the question I've posed many times over: What do you want—

progress or perfection? You'll hear and see a lot of hand-wringing and a general state of bottomless despair from some of the environmentalists who wanted a different result. Undoubtedly, a letter from Drew Martin is already in the queue for publication at the Post.

However, for the little City of Lake Worth to get a piece of the pie from the Republican-controlled state legislature our elected representatives have to give and take. Remember, if the Liberal Democrat Progressives in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties had done what they said they were going to do. . .

The Lake Worth Herald editorial: About that Anarchist running against Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell

[To the top of the blog (originally posted 12/26), per popular request. And, as always, Thank You for visiting my blog, Wes.]

Apparently, to make himself more palatable to voters, the Anarchist candidate will donate his City paycheck to charity (likely one he works for) and will refuse any expense accounts like travel and any allowances from the public trough. Anarchists are anti-government, you see. But those standards are flexible: for example, the Anarchist candidate used a public defender at his recent trial:

Note that the Anarchist looks much different now (see below): he cut his hair, shaved, showered, and has Hipster new clothes and sports a wide beaming smile.

Here is the cleaned up Anarchist who will smile at you on the campaign trail. 

Here are two excerpts from the Lake Worth Herald editorial dated 12/24:

     Only months ago, this candidate stood before the City Commission stating that he knows he has an odor, one from not showering regularly, doesn’t shave or cut his hair, wears dirty clothes.
     Why he was there was to complain to the commission about a water fountain that had been removed from Bryant Park and he was there fighting for the homeless. He said he regularly feeds homeless in Bryant Park and he was going to push back against the City’s war on homeless.
     At the next meeting, he appeared. Also appearing at the meeting was an ACLU lawyer. The future candidate told the commission that this was the beginning of the push-back.
     This same individual parked a van at a construction entrance in an effort to stop development in another city. To disable the van and save the trees, he took the battery out of the van and placed it in the lake. Save the trees but pollute the water? Just a reason to protest.
     Now as a candidate he has cut his hair and shaved his beard in an effort to be more attractive to voters. This tactic worked for a young lady a few years ago, and if voters in Lake Worth don’t pay attention to the campaign rhetoric and confirm what they hear, Lake Worth will have another commissioner who is wearing a mask.
     Dear voter, if you vote for a nice smile, keep a smile on your face as your city deteriorates beyond repair. Lake Worth is still trying to find a way to make major repairs that would not have been necessary if previous commissions would have paid attention to infrastructure instead of shiny objects.

[and. . .]

     Look through each and every candidate, they all have their campaign rhetoric. Check what they tell you. If you can’t corroborate what they say, it probably isn’t true.
     Talk with your neighbors, get other opinions and vote wisely.

Remember when the City of Lake Worth had one lawsuit after another threatening to bankrupt the City? This Anarchist candidate is threatening the City with another one:

The City of Lake Worth is doing everything it can to help the homeless and we all know full well the budgetary constraints the City has to deal with. Knowing that, is this the type of person you want making decisions for you from the dais on the City Commission?

Since there is already an "uncomfortable" discussion about race scheduled let's add another item to the agenda

Lake Worth's beat reporter from The Palm Beach Post, Kevin Thompson, has this item which is curiously only a few days prior to the City's Martin Luther King March. In case you didn't know, the MLK march in Lake Worth last year was the largest in the history of the event. Here is an excerpt from the article in the Post:

      On Jan. 29, First Congregational United Church of Christ is hosting what it’s billing as a “Lake Worth Talk” on black activism.
      The keynote speaker is Mark Solomon, Professor Emeritus of History at Simmons College. Solomon is an associate at the W.E.B Dubois Institute of African and African American Research at Harvard University.

You can learn more about Professor Mark Solomon here. I have a suggestion: Since there is already a discussion scheduled why not talk about those few White people who have been disrespecting and disparaging Black people right here in Lake Worth? The images below are from a hateful blogger in Lake Worth. So should this topic be added to the agenda on January 29th: "Why are people trying so hard to divide our City?"

This was posted on a Lake Worth blog the week prior to Lake Worth's Martin Luther King, Jr. in March of 2015.

"You could be the next target."? If this isn't disturbing enough try this one.

That silly crew of lemmings who don't like the NAPC continue marching on to that special place called "Stupid"

The Neighborhood Assoc. President's Council (NAPC), if you listen to the malcontents, are hell-bent on world domination. The truth is they're a whole bunch of really good people who are working very hard to improve each of their respective neighborhoods here in the little City of Lake Worth. The critics of the NAPC try constantly to drive a wedge between the public and the NAPC and really any excuse or tactic is part of the arsenal no matter how petty or inconsequential.

For example, the Bryant Park neighborhood is hosting a debate and they did everything right. Everyone was noticed and it is well-publicized and even commissioners not up for re-election were publicly invited. But the critics are still not happy.

Someone might get the idea that the challengers trying to be elected to the City Commission (the Anarchist Ryan Hartman, Diane Jacques, Gary Antieau, and Frank McAlonan) are getting skittish about attending debates.

The NAPC really should be honored. The near-constant snipes and grumbling from a small group of malcontents really demonstrates how effective they've become at making so many of our neighborhoods a better place to live. Carry On! Check back tomorrow for more on this and other stupidity that always precedes elections here in the City.

Frank McAlonan: the District 3 candidate challenging Lake Worth Commissioner Andy Amoroso

There's not a whole lot to say except the impression many people got was Frank McAlonan wasn't very comfortable with the positions he took on many issues. Put another way, he looked like he was coached at the first debate and he'll have another chance coming up soon at the next debate.

If you attended the last debate or have been paying attention you've heard the term, "critical thinking". This is the latest meme being used that doesn't mean anything. However, when you call yourself a 'critical thinker' you imply the person opposite you on a topic isn't a 'critical thinker', or if you prefer, a stupid person. Anyone who knows or has listened to Commissioner Amoroso knows how smart he is and hopefully Mr. McAlonan isn't trying to imply that Amoroso's intellect is impaired in any way. Maybe McAlonan will clear that up at the next debate.

Here is someone's views on McAlonan's performance at the last debate from The Obtuse Blogger's (TOB's) unhinged blog:

Anyhow, Lake Worth's local beat reporter for The Palm Beach Post has yet to report anything about the first debate and maybe he'll report on the second debate. Or he can just watch my videos on YouTube. At some point he's going to have to mention that an Anarchist is challenging Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell. Or maybe that pertinent fact will never be reported like then-candidate Ryan Maier's claim he was a member of a board in the City?

Ryan Hartman looks very different now. He's become a Hipster!

Why doesn't Palm Beach County have a "VISIT FLORIDA Certified Travel Information Center"?

Somebody needs to get to work in Palm Beach County. Found this tourism information from Sunshine Matters and here is an excerpt:

The Official Florida Transportation Map, produced in conjunction with the Florida Department of Transportation, is the No. 1 requested publication in our Welcome Centers. An addition to the Florida Map this year is a listing of our new VISIT FLORIDA Certified Travel Information Centers. The Certified Travel Information Centers received both an information icon at their location, as well as a legend on the map providing contact information. CTIC certification brings VISIT FLORIDA recognition to Visitor Services facilities around the state, providing these facilities and their staff with benefits that enable successful promotion of travel to and throughout Florida. [emphasis added]

I hear there's room available at the Lake Worth Welcome Center and they're having a celebration this Friday!

My thoughts on our Florida governor and please understand Governor Scott: The "Raging Grannies" don't speak for me

On second thought, I'll continue to bite my tongue about the governor. And it's pretty damn sore 'bout now. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't want to start off the day with a rant against the governor. But I don't because of two simple facts in Lake Worth: We need Gov. Scott more than he needs us and Scott has nothing to fear from Liberal Progressive Democrats like me.

That's right. I am and have always been a Progressive Liberal Democrat (PLD) with a capital "D". I was one of those people who was bewildered when groups like the 'Raging Grannies' abandoned Nan Rich in her campaign against Crist. I campaigned for Nan Rich and her Lake Worth headquarters was my living room. I believed then and still believe Nan Rich could have defeated Crist but watched as Progressive after Progressive abandon any principle and go for the "guy that could win". Nan Rich could have defeated Scott but she never got the limelight thanks to press who rallied around the "guy that could win".

Governor Scott is the governor of Florida because the PLD's in Palm Beach County, Miami-Dade County, and Broward County dropped the ball. Every progressive in the state of Florida needs to get mad about that. Not at Gov. Scott but at people like the 'Raging Grannies'. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. And that's why Scott is the governor of Florida.

Now I'm in the position of keeping quiet about what happens in Tallahassee because people like Jeff Clemens have to eat crow, be nice, and play nice to get the help Lake Worth needs. Clemens made the PLD's real happy once when he made fun of Gov. Scott on the national stage and he got a lot of press out of it. Then the governor got his revenge and Lake Worth lost the money it needed for a major infrastructure project. So there 'Raging Grannies'. See how it works now?

The 'Raging Grannies' were in Lake Worth yesterday. They made a lot of noise but not one word made any difference for a neighborhood that needs a fire hydrant or a family that's stuck inside their home all night because of no street lighting. Gov. Scott and the Republicans in Tallahassee couldn't give a rat's ass what the 'Raging Grannies' think and that situation isn't going to change any time soon. Making noise and getting the attention of George Bennett is all for show. After the show was over none or our City's infrastructure was improved and if the show gets the attention of the wrong people the prospects of anything getting done can diminish in a flash.

In conclusion, a message to our governor and the Republicans in Tallahassee from a Progressive Liberal Democrat in the little City of Lake Worth: The 'Raging Grannies' don't speak for me. Lake Worth has a lot of problems to address and curing the ills of the state and nation are way beyond our capabilities. I'm a 'raging' PLD that's still upset over the funding request that the governor vetoed last year. If the 'Raging Grannies' become your 'voice' in Lake Worth you can bet Lake Worth will never get another dime from the state if they can avoid it.

That's why I continue to bite my tongue.

I called out the "saber rattlers" and they've gone completely silent

On January 9th I penned this post in response to The Obtuse Bloggers (TOB's) threat to tie up Lake Worth in lawsuits once again. Here is an excerpt:

     They are willing to risk the continued deterioration of the Gulf Stream hotel, place our local economy in a continued handicapped state due to the lack of appropriate lodging for guests, to preserve the principles of 'democracy'. They are willing to use the resources of a Golden goose and others to monkeywrench the City's future. To tie this issue up in the courts and waste our tax dollars to defend it is a foolish and cowardly act.
     We need a first class hotel in Lake Worth. The Gulf Stream hotel sits shuttered for ten or more years on our most prominent property in the City, on our waterfront, our main street and at the foot of one of the City's finest parks and its golf course. There are tall buildings all around this area of the City and a building of similar height would be in harmony with the surrounding built environment.
     That means nothing to the people who would file a lawsuit to halt progress on saving our National Register historic hotel and having a decent place to house visiting family, friends and tourists. They would rather bleed the City's legal defense fund for the sake of their own vanity and chutzpah in preventing progress. They will also delight in making this a divisive election issue.

This would be a good question at the next candidate forum, wouldn't it?

No comments? Why not? Maybe a long hard look at the odds got you thinking twice?

The little City of Lake Worth is not alone dealing with false news reports in Palm Beach County

Loxahatchee Groves is a town in Florida of approximately 12 square miles. The good folks at Palms West Press have also taken on the lazy media for their inaccurate reporting:

#CBS12 The name of the town is Loxahatchee Groves. "Loxahatchee" is a zip code for Loxahatchee Groves and much larger Acreage, not a place.

— PalmsWestPress (@PalmsWestPress) January 2, 2016

This is very heartening to see and more people need to get involved. The City of Lake Worth has been treated terribly, especially by the TV news, when it comes to municipal borders. If you didn't know "Lake Worth" has 9 Zip Codes but only two are the City of Lake Worth: 33460 and a part of 33461.

By far, ABC25/WPBF is the worst offender when it comes reporting actual locations in their news reports followed closely behind by CBS12/WPEC. The news station NBC5/WPTV has made great strides taking the time and effort to get it right; also, in many instances they've corrected their news reports when they were given the correct information.

If more people get involved this can be fixed and the reporters/assignment editors will learn to do their jobs. Or, as has been suggested, all the major news outlets will join together and create an ombudsman to police themselves—or. . .the county will step in and do that work for them.

Wonkblog explains: "Why taxi drivers are suddenly getting nicer"

Personally, I wouldn't know if taxi drivers are getting nicer or not. These days whenever I need a rideshare I call Uber and so should you. Emily Badger at Wonkblog has this very interesting take on why "taxi drivers are suddenly getting nicer" and here is an excerpt:

     Taxi drivers are hamstrung in their ability to compete with Uber. They don't control the major lever of competition, the ability to lower their fares. They aren't allowed to surge price either, which can boost the supply of cars when and where passengers need them. In many markets, they can't let riders pay by smartphone or order a car that way.
     But taxi drivers do control many aspects of the quality of a ride. And in one fascinating consequence of the rise of Uber, it looks — in passenger complaint data — as if taxi drivers under new competition may be trying harder to give you a pleasant ride.

What happened in Palm Beach County last year vis-à-vis Uber vs. the taxi companies can generally be summed up this way: the public went into revolt. The public got fed up with the terrible service and demanded change and they got it. Now Uber is here to stay and the county is a better place for it. Undoubtedly, the taxi companies tried cleaning up their act when Uber gained a foothold here but by then it was too late—they didn't understand or care there was a shift in public opinion.

The tipping point may have been when a well-known West Palm Beach resident (I won't give his name but some of you will know who I am talking about) went ballistic one day after another terrible cab ride and he let everyone know about it. He'd had enough. It seemed after that the flood gates opened and there was no going back. Plus a large number of prominent Millennials started chiming in fed up with the status quo.

Two other things: With all the money and work organizations like Discover the Palm Beaches do to attract tourists is one of the first things a tourist sees on arrival at the airport a dirty taxi good for tourism? Of course not. And lastly, I hear it's still difficult to order an Uber ride from Palm Beach County's airport but some have found a clever way around that. What they do is take a short cab ride from the airport to a location nearby and then order an Uber ride from there to their final destination.

For people who live out in Wellington, for instance, that can be a significant amount of money.