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Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Oystercatchers in the Lake Worth Lagoon, news from the County's Environmental Resource Management
“This gentrification stuff is happening in very few places, affecting a small number of people.”
The quote in the title is by Beth McConnell, policy director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations.
Below is more information about 'gentrification', a phenomena that is very misunderstood and ergo why it's used to confuse and misinform the public so often, even in cities like Lake Worth. To see how the "wolf at the door" is used as a political tactic look in the right-hand column for 'Gentrification!' & politics of fear or use this link.
Below are three excerpts from this article by Rachel M. Cohen titled, "Poverty, Not Gentrification, Is the Biggest Barrier to Affordable Housing":
When the mainstream media cover housing affordability issues, journalists often hone in on gentrification. Young, mostly white, college educated people are moving into urban cities, they say, followed by yoga studios, coffee shops, and luxury apartments. This influx of affluent individuals allegedly fuels the displacement of the poor.
These narratives may be popular, but research studies have shown that gentrification is rare and, in some cases, beneficial. The biggest housing problems facing America’s low-income residents have little to do with wealthier people moving in and everything to do with low-income residents falling even further behind. [emphasis added] Last month, a new Pew Charitable Trusts report found that just 15 of Philadelphia’s 372 residential census tracts gentrified between 2000 and 2014.
[and. . .]
In the Pew report, Beth McConnell, policy director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations noted, “This gentrification stuff is happening in very few places, affecting a small number of people.” She added, “We have many more poor neighborhoods where there is no change.”
[and. . .]
Nevertheless, housing affordability problems and solutions vary from region to region, and they cannot be properly addressed by blaming poverty on gentrification. . . If we are serious about changing these dynamics, then a more nuanced focus on housing simply has to be on the agenda.
Below is more information about 'gentrification', a phenomena that is very misunderstood and ergo why it's used to confuse and misinform the public so often, even in cities like Lake Worth. To see how the "wolf at the door" is used as a political tactic look in the right-hand column for 'Gentrification!' & politics of fear or use this link.
Below are three excerpts from this article by Rachel M. Cohen titled, "Poverty, Not Gentrification, Is the Biggest Barrier to Affordable Housing":
When the mainstream media cover housing affordability issues, journalists often hone in on gentrification. Young, mostly white, college educated people are moving into urban cities, they say, followed by yoga studios, coffee shops, and luxury apartments. This influx of affluent individuals allegedly fuels the displacement of the poor.
These narratives may be popular, but research studies have shown that gentrification is rare and, in some cases, beneficial. The biggest housing problems facing America’s low-income residents have little to do with wealthier people moving in and everything to do with low-income residents falling even further behind. [emphasis added] Last month, a new Pew Charitable Trusts report found that just 15 of Philadelphia’s 372 residential census tracts gentrified between 2000 and 2014.
[and. . .]
In the Pew report, Beth McConnell, policy director of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations noted, “This gentrification stuff is happening in very few places, affecting a small number of people.” She added, “We have many more poor neighborhoods where there is no change.”
[and. . .]
Nevertheless, housing affordability problems and solutions vary from region to region, and they cannot be properly addressed by blaming poverty on gentrification. . . If we are serious about changing these dynamics, then a more nuanced focus on housing simply has to be on the agenda.
From NBC5/WPTV: The vigil at the Cultural Plaza last night
"Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg and a number of other lawmakers joined residents in Lake Worth Monday night for a prayer vigil to remember the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.
Songs and prayers were shared to try to help comfort the many people reeling from the tragedy.
Many in the local LGBT community were on hand as a show of solidarity for all those whose lives were lost."
Songs and prayers were shared to try to help comfort the many people reeling from the tragedy.
Many in the local LGBT community were on hand as a show of solidarity for all those whose lives were lost."
Monday, June 13, 2016
An invitation to discuss "how to bring out the BEST of Lake Worth"
Please Note: This is a meeting about "ideas". Just the thought of
new ideas can be very frightening for some in this City as most of you
know.
"Want to hear ideas from Jeff Perlman on how to bring out the BEST of Lake Worth? If so, attend the meeting Tuesday (June 14th) at 7:30 at the Lucerne Building (corner of Lucerne Ave and 'L' Street).
Jeff has been intimately involved with the redevelopment and resurgence of Delray Beach at many levels. He is a past Mayor of Delray Beach, author of "Adventures in Local Politics", and served on many boards. To sum it up—he wears many hats! Let's hear some of his ideas from a proven and successful track record.
This is a PUBLIC invite. Seating is limited to approx 40–50 people."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Call 561-602-0193 or use this Facebook link.
"Want to hear ideas from Jeff Perlman on how to bring out the BEST of Lake Worth? If so, attend the meeting Tuesday (June 14th) at 7:30 at the Lucerne Building (corner of Lucerne Ave and 'L' Street).
Jeff has been intimately involved with the redevelopment and resurgence of Delray Beach at many levels. He is a past Mayor of Delray Beach, author of "Adventures in Local Politics", and served on many boards. To sum it up—he wears many hats! Let's hear some of his ideas from a proven and successful track record.
This is a PUBLIC invite. Seating is limited to approx 40–50 people."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Call 561-602-0193 or use this Facebook link.
Tremendous grief. . . A vigil tonight at the Cultural Plaza in downtown Lake Worth
Lake Worth Commissioner Andy Amoroso is organizing a Candlelight Vigil tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the Cultural Plaza, located at the corner of Lake Ave. and Federal Hwy, to keep those lost and injured in Orlando at Pulse nightclub in our thoughts. Please join us to mourn and come together in peace.Gay Men's Chorus sing at the White House for Orlando victims https://t.co/Rqe1wjc3G1https://t.co/lhspCMMnLT— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 13, 2016
Must read article: "The Politics of Mass Murder" and the Liberty Counsel in Orlando is cited
Emma Green at The Atlantic has this article subtitled, "After Sunday’s shooting in an Orlando gay club, some politicians and advocates have emphasized homophobia and gun control, while others have focused on Islamic extremism." Here is an excerpt:
And many American conservatives have widely condemned these murders, but some have also been at the forefront of rhetoric against same-sex marriage and bathroom restrictions. Mara Keisling, the head of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in an interview that this kind of rhetoric creates a culture of fear.
She pointed to a April tweet from Anita Staver, the head of the conservative legal-advocacy organization Liberty Counsel, who said she would bring a “Glock .45 to the ladies room” because of the transgender-bathrooms issue in North Carolina. [emphasis added] “We’re creating a super-heated environment here,” Keisling said. “People are calling us predators. It is not surprising that some unstable people are going to think something of that.”
[Chad] Griffin, the head of the HRC, argued it this way in his statement on Sunday:
And many American conservatives have widely condemned these murders, but some have also been at the forefront of rhetoric against same-sex marriage and bathroom restrictions. Mara Keisling, the head of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in an interview that this kind of rhetoric creates a culture of fear.
She pointed to a April tweet from Anita Staver, the head of the conservative legal-advocacy organization Liberty Counsel, who said she would bring a “Glock .45 to the ladies room” because of the transgender-bathrooms issue in North Carolina. [emphasis added] “We’re creating a super-heated environment here,” Keisling said. “People are calling us predators. It is not surprising that some unstable people are going to think something of that.”
[Chad] Griffin, the head of the HRC, argued it this way in his statement on Sunday:
Let’s get one thing clear. And this is what disgusts me most about this whole tragedy. The maniac who did this was somehow conditioned to believe that LGBT people deserve to be massacred. And he wasn’t just hearing these messages from ISIL. He was hearing it from politicians and radical anti-LGBT extremists here in our own country. Every time we see legislation that puts a target on the back of LGBT people; every time a preacher spews hate from the pulpit; every time a county clerk says that acknowledging our relationships violates her “religious beliefs”—it sends a signal that LGBT people should be treated differently, and worse.“No one is born hating,” he added in an interview. “One is taught to hate.”
"Lake Worth Has Big Problem With No Easy Answers"*
Below are excerpts from a hard-hitting editorial about 'sober homes' in the recent edition of The Lake Worth Herald. This is a problem that adversely affects the City and every single person and business here. Below are excerpts from the editorial:
It seems the term “Sober Homes” is offensive. During the June 7 Lake Worth City Commission meeting, Commissioner Scott Maxwell said it was no longer acceptable to use the term “Sober Home” when describing “Halfway Houses” or “Rehabilitation Facilities.” It seems there has been a lawsuit filed somewhere.
Many of the facilities, which have popped up everywhere, Lake Worth, Delray, Lantana, Greenacres and the list goes on and on, have created uncomfortable living conditions for residents in these neighborhoods.
Heroin overdoses have become a plague in Lake Worth [emphasis added], and with them, the problems that go along with addiction have multiplied in the city. Drug dealing, burglaries, home invasions, car jackings, murders and other crimes are on a rise and can be directly related to heroin addiction.
These problems are not unique to Lake Worth but it seems Lake Worth has become “Ground Zero” for heroin. This social problem is not just a problem for law enforcement, it is a problem for all residents of the city and until a solution is found, it will only deteriorate.
Politicians and residents who bury their head in the sand are only contributing to the problem. There is no solution to the problem that will happen overnight.
Addiction is a disease and it seems the accepted practice of insurance companies to feed the “facilities” only adds to the problem. Federal regulations prohibit discrimination and this has become the stumbling block to regulation of these facilities.
[and. . .]
Lake Worth will soon have wireless cameras and “shot spotters” to help law enforcement battle the crime that accompanies the heroin trade. Rivera Beach and Belle Glade have the cameras and shot spotters and they are very effective. What has Lake Worth become.
[and. . .]
The greed of many of the sober home operators is presenting unparalleled problems for the commission and residents of this great city. Lake Worth needs economic development programs aimed at improving the conditions in the city and it needs them now. It needs jobs and it needs them now. Most of all, it needs to find a way to deal with the scourge of facilities that are bringing more trouble than they are worth.
*To subscribe to the Herald use this link or pick up the print edition at the City's newsstand at 600 Lake Ave., downtown, across the street from the Cultural Council.
It seems the term “Sober Homes” is offensive. During the June 7 Lake Worth City Commission meeting, Commissioner Scott Maxwell said it was no longer acceptable to use the term “Sober Home” when describing “Halfway Houses” or “Rehabilitation Facilities.” It seems there has been a lawsuit filed somewhere.
Many of the facilities, which have popped up everywhere, Lake Worth, Delray, Lantana, Greenacres and the list goes on and on, have created uncomfortable living conditions for residents in these neighborhoods.
Heroin overdoses have become a plague in Lake Worth [emphasis added], and with them, the problems that go along with addiction have multiplied in the city. Drug dealing, burglaries, home invasions, car jackings, murders and other crimes are on a rise and can be directly related to heroin addiction.
These problems are not unique to Lake Worth but it seems Lake Worth has become “Ground Zero” for heroin. This social problem is not just a problem for law enforcement, it is a problem for all residents of the city and until a solution is found, it will only deteriorate.
Politicians and residents who bury their head in the sand are only contributing to the problem. There is no solution to the problem that will happen overnight.
Addiction is a disease and it seems the accepted practice of insurance companies to feed the “facilities” only adds to the problem. Federal regulations prohibit discrimination and this has become the stumbling block to regulation of these facilities.
[and. . .]
Lake Worth will soon have wireless cameras and “shot spotters” to help law enforcement battle the crime that accompanies the heroin trade. Rivera Beach and Belle Glade have the cameras and shot spotters and they are very effective. What has Lake Worth become.
[and. . .]
The greed of many of the sober home operators is presenting unparalleled problems for the commission and residents of this great city. Lake Worth needs economic development programs aimed at improving the conditions in the city and it needs them now. It needs jobs and it needs them now. Most of all, it needs to find a way to deal with the scourge of facilities that are bringing more trouble than they are worth.
*To subscribe to the Herald use this link or pick up the print edition at the City's newsstand at 600 Lake Ave., downtown, across the street from the Cultural Council.
For all those City residents clamoring for more street lighting in their neighborhoods with too much crime. . .
“The lights go out sideways,” McVoy said. “You don’t want that intruding into your property.”
—Quote by Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD, in The Palm Beach Post.
When you're done shaking your head. . . Where does McVoy think the criminals lurk? On the sidewalks and streets where everyone can see them? Of course not. They go behind people's houses and troll the alleyways where there's not enough lighting, right? About now, thanks to the City, there are a lot of people very happy there's more light "intruding" into their property.
Here is another excerpt from the Post article by beat reporter Kevin Thompson:
"As part of an ambitious $23 million project to brighten the city’s skies, Lake Worth is replacing all old city street lights — more than 4,100 — with LED bulbs officials say will save the city $250,000 annually in energy costs.
The city is also switching out 950 lights on Federal Department of Transportation-controlled roads — Lake Avenue, Dixie Highway, Federal Highway and Lucerne Avenue.
'Brighter lights, safer streets,' City Commissioner Andy Amoroso said."
Hopefully McVoy will spare us all the embarrassment and jokes by announcing he's not seeking re-election. But then again, if he's really this disconnected from the public mood he might think he actually has a chance.
—Quote by Commissioner Chris McVoy, PhD, in The Palm Beach Post.
When you're done shaking your head. . . Where does McVoy think the criminals lurk? On the sidewalks and streets where everyone can see them? Of course not. They go behind people's houses and troll the alleyways where there's not enough lighting, right? About now, thanks to the City, there are a lot of people very happy there's more light "intruding" into their property.
Here is another excerpt from the Post article by beat reporter Kevin Thompson:
"As part of an ambitious $23 million project to brighten the city’s skies, Lake Worth is replacing all old city street lights — more than 4,100 — with LED bulbs officials say will save the city $250,000 annually in energy costs.
The city is also switching out 950 lights on Federal Department of Transportation-controlled roads — Lake Avenue, Dixie Highway, Federal Highway and Lucerne Avenue.
'Brighter lights, safer streets,' City Commissioner Andy Amoroso said."
Hopefully McVoy will spare us all the embarrassment and jokes by announcing he's not seeking re-election. But then again, if he's really this disconnected from the public mood he might think he actually has a chance.
Compass responds to massacre in Orlando
This article in The Palm Beach Post by Alexandra Seltzer didn't make the print edition today (Monday, 6/13) but Kevin Thompson's vapid 'news' about the City's new street lighting did. If you would like to contact Compass and show them support call 561-533-9699, send an email to compass@compassglcc.com and for their website use this link. An excerpt from the article:
“In response to this horrible tragedy we want people to feel safe and still come together,” said Julie Seaver, Compass’ chief financial officer.
Sunday’s event [at the Mad Hatter] was previously planned as a luau, and Seaver thought about canceling after she heard about the killings. But community members said they wanted to be together, she said.
“The community, the LGBT community around the nation is strong and rallying together in support for Orlando,” Seaver said. “We don’t know why this tragedy happened if it was specifically a hate crime and obviously it’s an ongoing investigation but the community wants to be together and we’re all just glued to the news. It’s just horrible. I honestly have never seen anything like this in my lifetime.”
June is LGBTQ Pride Month. Seaver said some of the community members were in Orlando this past week celebrating the Gay Days festival.
“In response to this horrible tragedy we want people to feel safe and still come together,” said Julie Seaver, Compass’ chief financial officer.
Sunday’s event [at the Mad Hatter] was previously planned as a luau, and Seaver thought about canceling after she heard about the killings. But community members said they wanted to be together, she said.
“The community, the LGBT community around the nation is strong and rallying together in support for Orlando,” Seaver said. “We don’t know why this tragedy happened if it was specifically a hate crime and obviously it’s an ongoing investigation but the community wants to be together and we’re all just glued to the news. It’s just horrible. I honestly have never seen anything like this in my lifetime.”
June is LGBTQ Pride Month. Seaver said some of the community members were in Orlando this past week celebrating the Gay Days festival.
"You attack one of us, you attack us all"
Sarah Burris at RawStory has this article titled, "LGBT, NAACP and immigration activists powerful statement: You attack one of us, you attack us all"; an excerpt:
“While the crime has not yet been labeled a hate crime, more than 20 percent of hate crimes reported nationally in 2014 targeted people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the most recent FBI statistics available,” The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said in a statement.
“Hate crimes based on sexual orientation currently account for 22 percent of all hate crimes in Florida, according to a report by Equality Florida, trailing only race as the most common motivation. As a percentage of the state population, LGBTQ Floridians are at the highest risk of being targeted with a hate crime. Florida law provides increased penalties for hate crimes based on sexual orientation.”
Chad Griffin, president of the HRC, appeared along with Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality, Janet Murguía, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Cornell Brooks, President, NAACP and Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition to denounce the violence and demand the incident be labeled as a hate crime.
“While the crime has not yet been labeled a hate crime, more than 20 percent of hate crimes reported nationally in 2014 targeted people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the most recent FBI statistics available,” The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said in a statement.
“Hate crimes based on sexual orientation currently account for 22 percent of all hate crimes in Florida, according to a report by Equality Florida, trailing only race as the most common motivation. As a percentage of the state population, LGBTQ Floridians are at the highest risk of being targeted with a hate crime. Florida law provides increased penalties for hate crimes based on sexual orientation.”
Chad Griffin, president of the HRC, appeared along with Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality, Janet Murguía, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Cornell Brooks, President, NAACP and Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition to denounce the violence and demand the incident be labeled as a hate crime.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Patrick Rutter, new Executive Director of Planning, Zoning, and Building in Palm Beach County
The video below is from the seminar, "2016 Planning Challenges: The Dynamics of Density in the New Millennium" on June 7th at the City of West Palm Beach's Commission Chambers. As you'll hear in the video this is a new position for Mr. Rutter as Kim DeLaney from the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, the moderator, starts off with Rutter's experience in south Florida which is extensive.
This was part of a broader panel discussion. I've been pulling out certain speakers to highlight such as Rick Greene (Development Dir. for West Palm Beach), Raphael Clemente (Exec. Dir. for West Palm Beach's DDA), and others you can watch on my YouTube channel. This video is 12:40 minutes:
This presentation was part of a seminar put on by the Palm Beach County Planning Congress. The event was also sponsored by the City of West Palm Beach, the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.
This was part of a broader panel discussion. I've been pulling out certain speakers to highlight such as Rick Greene (Development Dir. for West Palm Beach), Raphael Clemente (Exec. Dir. for West Palm Beach's DDA), and others you can watch on my YouTube channel. This video is 12:40 minutes:
This presentation was part of a seminar put on by the Palm Beach County Planning Congress. The event was also sponsored by the City of West Palm Beach, the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council.
"A place for the hungry and the neighborhood dealing with it: the dilemma of Trinity Cafe"
Below is from a well-written, balanced column about a tough issue by Sue Carlton at the Tampa Bay Times. If you're a newsie and enjoy news and commentary then you should add the TBT to your favorites list; use this link. Here is an excerpt:
Trinity Cafe faces hardscrabble Nebraska Avenue. Behind it is a neighborhood called V.M. Ybor, just north of the Ybor most people know. It's a scrappy community of historic bungalows now burglar-barred, with others restored to glory, an old city neighborhood with good bones. This is not high-end South Tampa, to be sure, or even the nearby Heights neighborhoods flourishing lately, but a place with promise.
Neighbors say the cafe's clientele can mean washing urine off your porch and sometimes discovering trash and worse in your yard. It can mean people hanging out and drinking on your streets. Maybe you could argue this was already an urban core neighborhood before Trinity moved in, but seriously, would you want this in your back yard?
And so the dilemma: a place doing nothing but good, and some neighbors suffering for it.
The problem is what happens on surrounding streets after Trinity closes up shop and some of its patrons wander, says Tampa City Council member Frank Reddick, whose V.M. Ybor constituents regularly send him photo evidence of garbage and even feces. "Trinity has done just about anything they can do to clean up the place," he says. "But it's difficult once they stop feeding people.
If you like, you can also follow TBT on Twitter using @TB_Times:
Trinity Cafe faces hardscrabble Nebraska Avenue. Behind it is a neighborhood called V.M. Ybor, just north of the Ybor most people know. It's a scrappy community of historic bungalows now burglar-barred, with others restored to glory, an old city neighborhood with good bones. This is not high-end South Tampa, to be sure, or even the nearby Heights neighborhoods flourishing lately, but a place with promise.
Neighbors say the cafe's clientele can mean washing urine off your porch and sometimes discovering trash and worse in your yard. It can mean people hanging out and drinking on your streets. Maybe you could argue this was already an urban core neighborhood before Trinity moved in, but seriously, would you want this in your back yard?
And so the dilemma: a place doing nothing but good, and some neighbors suffering for it.
The problem is what happens on surrounding streets after Trinity closes up shop and some of its patrons wander, says Tampa City Council member Frank Reddick, whose V.M. Ybor constituents regularly send him photo evidence of garbage and even feces. "Trinity has done just about anything they can do to clean up the place," he says. "But it's difficult once they stop feeding people.
If you like, you can also follow TBT on Twitter using @TB_Times:
Tampa Bay Times wins Pulitzer Prizes in local and investigative reporting https://t.co/MpGZej97tb via @TB_Times— John Schlander (@john_schlander) April 18, 2016
Editorial: "State legislators should help keep Netflix’s ‘Bloodline’ in the Florida Keys"
For all the fans of the drama Bloodline this second season may be the last one. Below is an excerpt from this editorial in the Miami Herald:
Netflix’s acclaimed dark family drama Bloodline, which is filmed in the Florida Keys, just premiered its second season. While this is the beginning of a new season, it may mark the end of any appreciable future film-making in the Keys and the infusion of dollars that follows.
Despite the tremendous success of Season 1, it’s a distinct possibility the series will conclude with Season 2 because the state of Florida discontinued its film production tax-credit plan earlier this year.
Our conservative Florida Legislature considered the credits Hollywood handouts. We disagree.
Here’s how things have changed. In 2006, Florida ranked as the third-largest film-making state in the United States, behind California and New York. [emphasis added]
Now, it’s unlikely Florida would even be in the Top 10 since production spending has plummeted from $366 million in 2011 to $175 million in 2015. And that’s in Miami-Dade alone.
Netflix’s acclaimed dark family drama Bloodline, which is filmed in the Florida Keys, just premiered its second season. While this is the beginning of a new season, it may mark the end of any appreciable future film-making in the Keys and the infusion of dollars that follows.
Despite the tremendous success of Season 1, it’s a distinct possibility the series will conclude with Season 2 because the state of Florida discontinued its film production tax-credit plan earlier this year.
Our conservative Florida Legislature considered the credits Hollywood handouts. We disagree.
Here’s how things have changed. In 2006, Florida ranked as the third-largest film-making state in the United States, behind California and New York. [emphasis added]
Now, it’s unlikely Florida would even be in the Top 10 since production spending has plummeted from $366 million in 2011 to $175 million in 2015. And that’s in Miami-Dade alone.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard train—Jacksonville, Florida (1944 or 1945)
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