Happy Fourth of July Everybody!

Dalai Lama

A compassionate attitude opens our inner door, and as a result it is much easier to communicate with others. If there is too much self-centered attitude, then fear, doubt and suspicion come and as a result our inner door closes. Then it is very difficult to communicate with others.

The taxpayers are burning

Click title for link to opinion piece from the PB Post.  Lake Worth is getting a pat on the back for holding firm on the tax rate, even at the expense of public safety.  However, the large female with the horns hasn't sung yet.  The City Commission set the millage rate at the limit of 10 mills, including the MSTU for county fire services - the thinking being, you can always lower it, but you can't raise the rate after the initial one is set.

I have yet to be convinced that the city is in a realistic bargaining position to win over the three unions to cut pension benefits, convince PBSO to accept an amount less than their original 2008 contract - three fiscal years later and/or get concessions from the county fire deal.  And I hope that it is not likely that the city will implement pay parking in the downtown - for reasons already laid out here.  The risk is not worth the reward.  I also don't see this Commission approving red light cameras.  Both measures are the only new revenue generating ideas in this proposed budget.

As soon as someone shows me that these groups agree to reductions, then maintaining the 4.999 millage rate is realistic.  Beyond that, what sort of time frame and money are we talking to mediate the issue with the unions?  No one has talked about that yet.  Until there is something concrete, it is not realistic to think we will not raise the millage.

What this preliminary budget document represents is the beginning of a negotiating position - nothing more.  That is the reason that it is such a bleak assessment - an accurate one - but the first time it is being admitted to by the administration or those on the dais.  This is noteworthy and an opportunity, if someone wants to take it.

This is what I am gathering what happened regarding CRA appointments...

Granted, I am somewhat at a disadvantage since I was not present, or listening and am spending time with my father this summer in southern Indiana.  I have communicated with those that would know and multiple sources, if there is something to know.  And this is what I know at this time, which is not much, which speaks to the sorry state of affairs with our City Commission.

Lisa Wilson, who applied for a position on the CRA and was hunted down relentlessly by phone and other means, to no avail, withdrew her application.  Why she was even considered as a potential applicant is questionable as her organization leases city property and her organization's operations have been the subject of CRA funding requests.  While not necessarily disqualifying her from sitting on the CRA board, the dogged pursuit of her raises questions about the City Commission's direction and intention.

 Apparently, one of the people appointed wasn't even there and wasn't interviewed and - get this - one that was appointed didn't even apply to be on the board.  Now that's a new concept!

The entire process went on for hours and hours, spanning two nights.  Commissioner Maxwell had sense enough to leave the meeting and was not present for the vote.  People who need to know who is on the board - which really is all of us - are not getting answers from the City Manager or City Attorney.

Needless to say, this is the board that is charged with the administration of $23 million of Neighborhood Stabilization Funds issued by the Federal government and with a timeline that those funds need to be spent.

If anyone can add some more detail, feel free to do so under the comment tab below.  In the meantime, join me in song.

Willa Cather

The sun was like a great visiting presence that stimulated and took its due from all animal energy. When it flung wide its cloak and stepped down over the edge of the fields at evening, it left behind it a spent and exhausted world.

For more on Willa Cather, click here.

No, this isn't campaigning, can't be...

FaceBook post and mailer from High Saint and Queasy- Deity District #2 Commissioner Cara Jennings notifying the world that she is hosting a Save Energy and Save $$$$ Workshop" - her and the City of Lake Worth "Conservation Guys"(branding?) - The dates and times are on the reverse.  If you call or e-mail her know too that they are getting your voter ID information for what is surely going to be non-stop marches on the hapless and helpless City of Lake Worth.  This is in the realm of a "best defense is a good offense" strategy and it is laid out by sophisticated people who know what they are doing and are professionals.  

She knows she is weak on the utility rate issue and people are upset, how better to counter the swell of discontent than to shower the people with this announcement in advance of campaign criticism and in advance of filing to be a candidate - without using her campaign war chest and do it under the city's banner. She knew she was weak on neighborhood issues, so we get a fluff piece by the Palm Beach Post talking about her tropical oasis in her neighborhood, ignoring the fact that there is city-owned property less than a block away covered with graffiti and open to the "traveling" public.

How can anyone be against conservation?  How can anyone be against "saving money?" Everyone likes "free" things and "$3,000 grants."

How are the three dates and corresponding events not campaign events?  Have we no shame?  Staff should be the contact for more information, not one of our elected officials WHOSE DISTRICT JUST HAPPENS TO BE UP FOR ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER!

Paid for by the city, I am sure, through the $.4 million dollar expected Conservation Program line item in this year's city budget, soon to be $1.4 million - a 255% increase coming from your pockets!

We need to understand the sophistication of this prolonged hostile takeover of Lake Worth, it's many tentacles and disciples.

'Pain' predicted as Lake Worth budget proposal calls for 4-day workweek, benefit cuts, plus parking meters and red-light cameras

Click title for link to PB Post article.  I failed to mention the "red light" cameras - that's not going to go over well with a lot of people.  They are finding now that intersections with them are contributing to rear end accidents as people are panic stopping, rather than just proceeding through the intersection.  I have concerns about the extent of cameras and visions of Big Brother, as I am sure others do too.

There was also an article about how Commissioner Jennings was kicked off a County board by the County Commission for not watching an ethics video.  She explained it away in a later edition of the article as a board that she hadn't served on in a year and kept sending the form back to them indicating same.  You can read about it by clicking here.

Parking Meters in Downtown Lake Worth? We'll be singing...

Oops, I forgot about the Noise Ordinance, maybe we won't hear anything.

Can we at least enforce the 4 hour limit that is currently on the books, without milking the public for more revenue and jeopardize the fragile economic climate already in the downtown?

Hands Across the Sand a Success - Our Design for the Beach, Not-so-much

It was great to hear that there was such a fantastic turn out - around 800 people - for the Hands Across the Sands event at the Lake Worth beach yesterday.  The gathering was part of a worldwide protest against offshore drilling for oil - made all the more poignant by the current gushing oil well in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.  While BP and others associated with this particular rig are to blame for the current disaster, what is it that made us dig for oil one mile beneath the ocean in the first place?  The answer: Our insatiable demand for oil and its by-products.

What other risks have we taken that endanger our survival on this planet to satisfy our lust for oil and fossil fuels?  How many times do we have to be reminded of our perilous addiction to this resource?  The Energy Crisis of the 1970s awakened many to the need to diversify our energy resources and many of the renewable sources - such as wind, solar and Geo-thermal - got a big push from that set of circumstances.  But then we got lulled into the comfort of cheap oil during the 80s and the 90s - with a few major hiccups in the form of the Exxon Valdez and other like accidents.  But, for the most part, we kept paving our way to further dependence on oil and gas,  and on the fossil fuel burning single passenger automobile to the detriment of other alternatives.

Notice that I used the term "paving our way."  Cheap land and government/developer money for roads, along with reliable machines in the form of mass produced automobiles, made it practical to live away from city centers.  One could work in a downtown location and go home to a "bedroom" community at night and weekends.   A two career couple, each with their own car, could pick a place in between each other's place of employment and meet in the middle during their non-work hours.  Overtime there were many other alternatives over older, already developed communities that had a newer housing stock, more space between houses, gated communities offering the illusion of more "security."  Suddenly, the Lake Worths of the world were left wanting - for people, for wealth, for investment to support its already in place infrastructure.  Instead of maintaining what was already built, huge subsidies were building new infrastructure easily reachable in a 20 to 30 minute drive to housing, employment and shopping.

Look at Detroit - the automobile, source of its fleeting riches, is what ended up killing the city.

The result of all that and its effect on Lake Worth is laid out in plain, hard facts in the proposed 2010-2011 Budget, just released by the City Manager.  I will have more to say about what is laid out in the budget document and, in particular the City Manager's transmittal letter.  In a nutshell, she states in a very matter-of-fact way, that even though we have experienced more than a 40% decline in the value of our property tax base over the past three years, we can maintain our 4.999 millage rate, not lay anyone off and not diminish our level of service.  All we need to do is thus: and this is a great understatement, 1) tell the Sheriff's Department that we are going to pay you less than originally agreed upon in our initial year of your contract to provide police protection to Lake Worth - forget about any increase as agreed upon in the contract, 2) do the same with Palm Beach County fire rescue and 3) break three contracts with the city's unions.

How did we get in this position?  The City Manager says it's because the city has been "submissive" in soliciting development.  I'm not sure where she came up with that term, but Lake Worth has been actively hostile to the prospect of any redevelopment opportunities, save for the efforts of the CRA, but more on that later.  It's like we did everything we could to hasten the fall of the city of Lake Worth - but again, more on that soon.

But getting back to the beach, the ocean and saving our environment, how do those who proclaim Lake Worth as a "progressive, environmentally aware and protective" city explain that our vaunted Micheal Singer beach plan looks like it came out of 1950?

Here is what the beach looks like today, a product of 1950s thinking:

The current plan for the beach as approved by our "progressive" City Commission:

Lots of asphalt there to park 613 fossil fuel burning, environment imperiling cars - including 10 convenient spaces for Casino building tenants' cars.  Really not that much different from the current, basic auto-dominated plan when Lake Worth's Dixie Hwy was lined with mom and pop motels housing tourists from the cold north - who came to Lake Worth on US 1 in their cars.

Meanwhile, one of the new revenue sources identified by the City Manager in the budget is metered parking in the downtown.  Here is where she talks about it in her transmittal letter.

The justification is that more South Florida cities that have "viable downtown areas" are using parking meters there as revenue sources.  I don't know about you, but the number of vacant store fronts that we currently have in the downtown area doesn't scream "viable", let alone thriving.  Aren't we still teetering upon a "possible economic recovery" -  I haven't seen one yet.

The point here is that we could do something visionary that would serve as an example of how an environmentally responsible community reacts to adversity and honors its most important piece of public property - on the ocean.  A place where people gather en masse to protest against drilling for oil in the ocean.  We could concentrate parking in the downtown for the beach, shuttle people to it in alternative renewable fuel vehicles and return them to spend money in our downtown.  We could initiate a parking validation program to encourage people to shop and get their parking paid for in the process.

In the meantime, we wait for a commercially viable alternative to gas fueled vehicles, or bike or walk, which are viable, but not for everyone in every circumstance.  But, no, we will keep electing "leaders" that say that they are visionary, have massive "fluff pieces" in local newspapers showing how they are more environmentally sensitive than any mere mortal, and keep doing the same thing that we have done since 1950.

Dalai Lama

It’s very important not to misunderstand what is meant by the idea of overcoming our self-cherishing attitudes. We are not saying that a spiritual practitioner should completely ignore or abandon the goal of self-fulfilment, rather we are advising him or her to overcome that small-minded selfishness that makes us oblivious to the wellbeing of others and to the impact our actions can have on them.

Perspective and some observations...

I am spending time in a place that is referred to in the local media as "Kentuckiana" - the major media outlets here seem to be based primarily out of Louisville, Kentucky, but my physical location is roughly between there and Cincinnati, Ohio.  It happens to be the "run-up" season to the mayoral election in Louisville.  Last night, I was able to catch the better part of the first debate between the two candidates headed for the general election - one Democrat and one Republican - a partisan race, unlike ours in Lake Worth.  There is also an Independent candidate that was not allowed to participate, but attended as a private citizen.  Apparently, there had been what some refer to as "Mayor for Life" who chose not to run this time who was a Democrat, leaving an open seat.  Most of his voting block was following the party line and behind the Democratic candidate.  You can read the coverage of the debate and some more of the specifics by clicking here.

Don't interpret the above as some sort of endorsement for partisan Commissioner and Mayor races in Lake Worth.  Hardly, Republicans and Democrats both need reliable trash pick-up, friendly customer service and an expectation that things will get better - stability at least.  Party distinctions shouldn't matter at the municipal level.

One of the major issues of the recent past was the merger of city and county governments and the kinks are obviously still being worked on with that arrangement.  Besides that issue, all that was talked about was the need to create jobs, be competitive in the "new" economy, how Louisville stacks up between its competition - seen as Indianapolis and Nashville.  There was wide agreement that Louisville was losing that race and much of the blame could be laid at the cumbersome planning and zoning process, a "we know it all: attitude" in city government and an absence of customer awareness in the delivery of city services.  Sound familiar?

This debate was in front of an audience that contained many Chamber of Commerce types and home builders, so it was a "go-go" pro growth attitude.  But at times, I felt like I had landed on an alien planet as there was no apology for that point-of-view.  They identified the need to work together as a region, which is especially important now that they have more of a metro form of government.

Some other things stood out in both their responses to the debate questions.  One was the universal recognition of the role of the Mayor's office in setting the tone and using the "bully pulpit" to promote the city.  Again, this was a strong mayor form of government as opposed to Lake Worth's, but regardless, I still believe that role should lay squarely with the Mayor - even in our current system.  The other universal recognition was that the Mayor's role was one that "inspires faith and confidence" in the city.  I immediately thought of the recent meeting where our mayor vacated his chair during an important discussion, only to return for the vote.  Then I thought about our last two or three Mayors and how they excelled, at times, running meetings, but at little else.  Why dirty their fingers with Lake Worth stuff if they didn't have to especially if they have their eyes on a higher office?  Just coast through, go through the motions and come out whole at the other end of the tunnel.

Is this leadership?

Today, I received an e-mail from a campaign of a previous Mayor, soliciting funds for his run for a higher office which said "Hey, kid, gimme your lunch money?"  My right hand to God!  Nice way to represent yourself and the city that spawned you.  I'll be voting for someone with a more respectful fundraising appeal, thank you very much.

We need stronger leadership in Lake Worth.  Whether it comes through in a stronger personality and the present form of government, or whether it comes through an overhaul of the overall structure of government.  Something I think we need to think about is seven (7) elected positions, three "at large", including the Mayor and then four (4) positions that are elected from the districts where they live and represent.  I think the time has come for this discussion.  Whether we consider a strong Mayor or someone who just runs the meeting should be part of it too.

United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the full text of which appears below. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories." 

 Eleanor Roosevelt played a major role in creating this declaration as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and was the first chairperson of the UN Human Rights Commission.

PREAMBLE

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law, Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.

Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.

Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution. (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others. (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.

Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection. (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

An artifact that you might find interesting...

I am spending some time with my father this summer.  He has a lot of "stuff" - some important, some not - that's part of the reason for my being here.  So, amongst everything else, there is this framed letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to my grandmother, written in December of 1939.

Apparently typed and written by Mrs. Roosevelt herself.  My grandmother was an activist all of her life and always an advocate for peace.  I am sure she was concerned about the ominous signs leading to WWII, penning a letter to the White House about her concern.  The letter is in an archival quality frame, behind UV protected glass.

Hands Across the Sand this Saturday!

Tens of thousands of people who support clean energy and oppose haphazard offshore drilling are expected to participate in more than 600 Hands Across the Sand events across the country and around the world on Saturday, June 26. 

Participants will join hands to form symbolic barriers against spilling oil at events taking place on beaches, near waterways, and in land-locked towns. The events will represent the largest-yet outpouring of grassroots activism in response to the disastrous April 20 explosion on the Gulf Horizon rig and the subsequent, devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Hands Across the Sand events will begin at 11 a.m. local time, with participants joining hands at noon. Locations of and contact information for organizers of all 600+ events can be found via the Hands website at http://www.handsacrossthesand.org. 

The photo above was taken at the first "Hands" event, on one of the coldest days of the year.  That was before the BP rig blew up.  

Wear black if you can, but it is not necessary, especially in this heat.

For The Ocean,

Tom Warnke, Palm Beach County Surfrider Foundation