Yes Boynton won't do

Palm Beach Post columnist Joel Engelhardt writes about who shouldn't be chosen to replace disgraced County Commissioner Warren Newell.

Looked at that way, the Heart of Boynton controversy makes Boynton Beach the perfect breeding ground for the successor to Warren Newell, who resigned from the Boynton-area District 3 seat in disgrace over allegations that he voted on deals that would help friends and associates. Consider the stalled Heart of Boynton as a line on the résumés of Mayor Jerry Taylor, a former aide to County Commissioner Mary McCarty, and Vice Mayor Jose Rodriguez.

On July 10, three weeks after disbanding its Community Redevelopment Agency board by a 3-2 vote - with Messrs Taylor and Rodriguez on the prevailing side - the city commission voted to end negotiations with Heart of Boynton developer Intown Partners. Intown failed to show that it had money for the project, commissioners said. Intown principal Samantha Simons argued in vain that without the city's financial commitment, her backer could not commit. When commissioners rejected her pleas, she lashed out.

Ms. Simons said Commissioner Ron Weiland took an unusual interest in her private dealings, asking when she was going to pay a lobbyist, former Boynton Commissioner David Katz. "My response to Commissioner Weiland," she said, "was 'David Katz doesn't work for me. Why should I pay David Katz?' "

The incident occurred in March, she said, but she didn't see fit to share it publicly until July - after the vote to dismiss her company. Sharing it in March would have been political suicide.

Go read Engelhardt's column in its entirety. There is just too many allegations of impropriety at present for Governor Crist to even consider appointing Mayor Taylor to replace Warren Newell. To be blunt, its time to appoint someone without prior political experience, and especially one not annointed by the local party hacks....I mean officials. The Palm Beach Post would probably say the learning curve would be too steep for such a Commissioner, but right now do we have any local politicians who aren't ethically challenged in one way or another? The more I read the news, the more the 'pay to play' culture looks to be the way our all our local officials work.

You can color me cynical if you want to in regards to all local elected officials.

Linked to- Bright & Early, Pirate's Cove, Pursuing Holiness,