Anti-'Pay-to-play' law proposed for Lake Worth....

In what can only be described as a brilliant political maneuver, Commissioner Cara Jennings, places a poorly planned "Pay to Play" ordinance on tonight's agenda. Jennings who seems to think very little of the competition in her own race is trying to help her hand picked candidate, Suzanne Mulvehill, attack from the dais. Jennings is also in desperate need of a win. Much of her time on the commission has been spent helping non-voters all over the world, criticizing police from the U.S. Board Patrol to PBSO, and supporting the give away of public space to illegal aliens.

We believe that campaign reform is a priority for the city of Lake Worth but disagree with Cara using the idea as a political weapon.

Any real reform can only come from a panel of residents committed to reforming government and not from a commissioner who is up for re-election this November. Lake Worth needs to establish a panel that would make compressive changes to the election process and not a plan that favors extremist, who rely on man power and not money.

Her plan would also increase the power of PACs (Political Action Committees) within the city. Now that business would be afraid to support candidates directly they will simply give money to political groups that support their positions or candidates. This would make it far harder to track contributions to candidates. This does not solve the problem at all. It would actually make the situation worse.

We ask the other commissioners to call for a citizen task force to review the election progress and deliver its findings by March and, with luck, the city could implement them in time for the 2009 election cycle.

Read (one sided) Palm Beach Post Article: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/09/15/0915paytoplay.html