Why I want to be a Strong Mayor
Here is what I see for Lake Worth… the potential for greatness and the
reestablishment of its preeminence as the Jewel of the Gold Coast. But what’s
the reality? The reality is… left on its current path; Lake Worth will
never achieve more than it has become …which to most residents is not
acceptable given its potential.
The problem has been the lack of leadership and management to move Lake Worth
anywhere. Commission after commission is elected, reelected, tossed out, turned
over and recycled again. City management has followed the same course but at
a much slower pace. So each election year, hopes are raised, the same slogans
repeated, and each time we end up with “more of the same” government
that increasingly becomes more out of control, less open, less transparent,
more vicious, more wasteful, less responsive, less efficient and completely
without accountability. And this, despite all the good intentions of many candidates.
It makes little difference whether it’s the “progressives”
(whatever that means) or the traditionals that are in power, guided by staff,
they keep raising rates so they can spend more money… squandering the
surplus on foolish and mindless ventures with consultants, contractors and outsiders
who benefit while residents continue to pay the tab in the form of the highest
cost of living anywhere around.
How long can people endure this endless assault on their pocket books and wallets
and still want to live in a city that charges them more for everything and consistently
delivers less?
The one complaint most commonly heard from residents is “where is the
accountability for anything?” Presently, that accountability is shared
among our five member commission that takes years to vote in or out of office.
So grid lock continues as competing factions war for power.
So what’s the solution to all this? Well, how about a return to democratic
government with its separation of powers? Imagine the confusion and political
intrigue if the House and Senate appointed the President of the United States.
So why is it any different for Lake Worth? We elect a legislative body who in
turn appoints a Chief Executive and it quickly evolves into an appointed government
within a government that has no direct accountability to the people. And then
we wonder why we see corruption, waste, grid lock, and political meddling by
the city manager.
So it boils down to the missing checks and balances necessary for good government
and the question is “who is going to be the Chief Executive of the city
corporation?” Is it a non-elected appointed bureaucrat beyond the reach
of the people’s vote, or is it an elected Chief Executive directly accountable
to the people?
Poltical advertisement paid for and approved by William Coakley for Mayor
