PRO-TERM LIMIT PAC FORMED IN WEST PALM BEACH
OK, we're official. We can now raise money and campaign against the charter change to gut West Palm Beach's 8-year term limit. Here's an article on the new group from page 3B in today's Palm Beach Post:
http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2010/07/28/lois-frankel-mayor-for-life/
Please make contributions payable to the "Keep WPB Term Limits Committee," 216 31st Street., WPB, FL 33407. Momey raised will be used for mailings, campaign materials, yard signs, etc.
FRANKEL MISINFORMATION ALERT!
Mayor Frankel is asking the commission to put her anti-term limit amendment on the ballot instead of making her continue to collect signatures to do so. On what basis? Wel, she says she wants to save the city from a possible $100k expense of a special election.
Don't be fooled by this. If the petition campaign collects 5,800 valid signatures by the Aug. 6 deadline, the term limits question will appear on the November ballot. But if they turn them in later, the question would appear on the regular March ballot. No special elections, here, folks -- unless Frankel sues the city to demand one. That is her veiled threat and the citizens should not shrink before it.
NOVEMBER WILL BE LONG, COSTLY BALLOT
At the West Palm Beach Charter Review Board today, City Attorney Claudia McKenna led the board in reviewing three charter amendments that will likely appear on the ballot in November. None directly affected the term limits debate.
However, board member Dean Turney did make a couple of points worth mentioning. Turney recommended that the city commission withhold two of the charter amendments because the ballot in November in expected to be particularly long. Also, he noted (using the Supervisor of Elections office as a source) that the city is charged *more* for placing an item on the ballot in November versus the regularly scheduled mayoral election in March.
Please note that both of these points are additional reasons why the commission should NOT short-circuit the referendum process and place the term limits question on the November ballot. If the requisite number of signatures are collected, so be it. But there is no argument for the commission to place the question without them.
SAVE THE DATE -- AUG. 9!
The mayor's petition drive to ditch WPB's eight-year term limit is failing and so the mayor is now pushing to have the question placed on the ballot by the city commission. It appears the commission is prepared to do this, but there are a coupld of wavering members. Citizens need to attend the Aug. 9 city commission meeting and let the commission know how they feel. If you live or work in West Palm Beach, please attend and bring friends. In the meantime, please clue in your commissioners via phone calls or email. Here's a link to their email addresses and telephone numbers: http://www.wpb.org/commission/maycom.php.
"KEEP OUR 8-YEAR TERM LIMITS" BUMPER STICKERS AVAILABLE
These are high-quality vinyl and easy to remove from your vehicle after the campaign. PLEASE put one on your car and get friends and family to do so. Send a request for stickers to Philip Blumel at pblumel@bellsouth.net. Remember to provide your mailing address.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Please send a letter to the editor of the Palm Beach Post at letters@pbpost.com sharing how you feel about the mayor's attempt to use her power as a strong mayor to game the system and get around her 8-year term limit. For additional background on the issue, see: http://pblumel.blogspot.com/2010/07/west-palm-beach-mayor-clings-to-power.html
Paid pol. adv. paid for by the Keep West Palm Beach Term Limits Committee -- Richard Shepherd
