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Thursday, June 9, 2011

Is My Perspective on Deerfield Beach Negative or a Reflection on Reality

Someone, whose opinion I have always valued.  Told me today that I am to negative and that I should just work on getting the information out to the people. 


So, I thought about this, contemplated and prayed on the situation.  And I realized that I am not being negative it is just that the situation itself is negative.  How do I put a positive spin on the situation that is going on here in Deerfield.


If I lived in a different district and did not know the struggles that the people in District 2 live through day after day, then I could possibly put a positive spin on these events.  It would probably sound something like this.


Deerfield Beach is voting on a utility tax that will provide great amenities and places for my kids to play.  These new additions will draw young families to our city which help diversify and strengthen our economic structure and tax base.  This will lead to betteinfrastructure and lower taxes for all eventually.


That sounds great doesn't it.  Many would say that is exactly what the Commissioners have in mind.  However, let me tell the truth of the matter.


Deerfield Beach is voting on a utility tax, while over 8,000 of it's residents are not represented on the City Commission.  District 2, a minority community with many low-income and fixed income individuals, received about 5% or less of the last budget for Parks and the City still has not provided the amenities in District 2 that they promised back in 1993, but the City is moving forward with taxing all of its residents anyway so they can implement capital projects that will make improvements on the existing parks and create new ones.  The residents of District 2 are expected to help foot the bill for the improvement of the sections of the City from a vote and while decisions were made on where the funds would be spent while they weren't represented. This is great for the economy though because theisacrifice will lead to a better infrastructure and stronger tax base because young families will move into the City. 


Is that positive enough for you?  


Again, I will reiterate that this situation is bad and its obvious that everyone knows it and that is why the newspapers have refused to print about it.  They are uncomfortable with the model that is being presented.  Well that model is oureality and my writing only reflects my frustration with this City and the process that we have accepted.  


If you think my writing is negative then try and live one year in our community under the conditions we live in and then write about your experience.  I would bet you that even Mary Poppins would begin to sound just like I do.  


Some of you are saying why is it that not all of our community is speaking out.  Well, the answer to that is simple and if you take the time to ask one of them they will tell you.  They feel that "dem crackers gon do what they wanna do anyway" (please note this is an expression and not necessarily representative of thsi blog).  Now, this is destructive two-fold because this mentality prevents people from even trying to make a change because they feel like they would be wasting their time and it makes us look like an apathetic and lazy community. Which is unfortunate.  The his District 2 may not realize that when we stick together we get a lot accomplished as during the Civil rights movement and the initial Mango Festival.  The funny thing many of the people that hold that mentality grew up during those eras and I believe that because Deerfield really did not go through a real movement and the residents really did not have to be active we just rode on the backs of what Martin and others did in towns like Selma and Montgomery.  So, we have no real reference of succeeding against the establishment except from made for TV movies.  


The reality is all of the residents in District 2 and Deerfield Beach pay their fair share.  Even the renters!  Unless you can show me any property owner who does not factor in the property tax payable on the rental property in the cost of the rent, then you can say the renter does not pay their fair share.  Even once the property tax goes down does the property owner lower the rent, proportionately.  I think not!  So, your contention that anyone in this City does not pay their fair share is destructive, wrong, and down right deplorable.


Let`s look at what Ganz said on the DIAS on June 7, 2011 District 1 pays about $8 million toward the AV tax.  Question is does that figure include  businesses and residence especially since all of Deerfield Beach`s major businesses are in District 1, then District 4 pays $6 million again they have major businesses.  I will leave it at that.  Can I see the numbers excluding the businesses...lets look at the residents share...and then lets see which Districts are paying what, once the business portion of the AV tax is separated and  calculated.


Then talk to us about who's not paying what. 


If me pointing out the truth of the circumstance, situation, and life in Deerfield Beach is to negative for you, then you can take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland. And, I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. 


I think Ganz, Noland, and Popelsky have had a few to many of those blue pills. 




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