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<div>If you saw the letter to the Editor in the Observer this week. Bett has correctly responded to Mayor Robb's statements this is intended as an FYI for our residents</div>
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Sent from my iPhone</div>
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<div><b>From:</b> Bett Willett <<a href="mailto:bettwillett@gmail.com">bettwillett@gmail.com</a>><br>
<b>Date:</b> April 18, 2014 at 8:29:23 PM EDT<br>
<b>To:</b> Undisclosed Recipients <<a href="mailto:bettwillett@gmail.com">bettwillett@gmail.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> <b>Deerfield Beach Politics</b><br>
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<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="MARGIN: 0px" itemprop="name"><a style="href: "http://blogbybett.blogspot.com/2014/04/deerfield-beach-politics.html""><font color="#114499"><font style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Deerfield
Beach Politics</font></font></font></font></a><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><font style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">It is easy to deny something, but facts wil</font></span><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">l win out.<span style="COLOR: "> In Mayor Robb’s latest bluster to the
Observer Newspaper</span><span style="COLOR: "><font color="#1f497d">,</font></span><span style="COLOR: "> she puts an interesting spin on some events. Here is the reality:</span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Joe Miller described Jean Robb’s phone call to him, he said she screamed at him in a loud, caustic voice, questioning his vote and voicing harsh criticism of his decision. I have been on the receiving end of Jean’s displeasure
and her default setting is loud and condescending. </span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Why would she call any commissioner to voice her displeasure with an appointment AFTER the vote was already taken. There was no upside to that phone call, just an opportunity to vent her displeasure and be nasty.
</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">As the matter will most probably be taken up by the commission, again and commissioners may not discuss matters that might come before them, she was skirting on the edge of violating the Sunshine Law.</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">She was upset because Chaz Stevens’ father was the appointee, a man who from his resume was quite qualified but his crime, being related to Chaz the blogger who has written about Jean in unflattering terms, made him, by
association, a pariah to Jean. </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
<br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Ben Preston, our Commissioner in District 2, which is heavily African American has never to my memory, or anyone else’s that I have checked with, said anything about her husband Dr. Robb, being racist. To accuse Commissioner
Preston of this is outrageous, and seems to be a political move. The mayor does not want Ben to be re-elected and she has made sure that everybody knows this.</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
<br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Commissioner Richard Rosenzweig, of District 3 repeated what he heard about why Keven Klopp quit, and Jean does not deny that she wanted Klopp gone. I didn’t hear the Commissioner say anything about Jerry Ferguson, Planning
Director retiring because of Jean’s actions. To accuse him of saying this is again revisionist history; Jean blaming the wrong person. I have been told Jerry fast forwarded his retirement because of Jean, but I did not hear it from Ferguson or Commissioner
Rosenzweig. </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
<br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">After this same April 1<sup>st</sup>. commission meeting I saw Mayor Robb rush up to Commissioner Rosenzweig’s wife, shake her finger at her and viciously tell her that Jean did not like what her husband said. Jean screeched
that Richard’s words hurt her more than any of the other commissioners. She loved Richard, but did not love him any longer.
</span><br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">I hope at a future meeting Commissioner Rosenzweig puts her in her place for daring to approach his wife in such a manner. That was offensive and wrong on many levels. It is unbelievable that an innocent person was confronted
in such an unprofessional manner. </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">The CRA has done wonders for our Cove and beach area. The pier restaurant and decks are delightful, and the pier was in desperate need of restoration after years of erosion and Hurricane Wilma. To say, as Jean does, that
it was a waste of money is ridiculous. </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">The mayor has been told over and over that the motels on the entry to the beach could be bought as the CRA funds are available for them. In fact they are in the original CRA plan which she also should know. Any time the
owners and the city can come to an agreement, they could be bought. The buying of the hotels was NEVER put on the back burner because of Sullivan Park. Again Jean is dishing out false information.
</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Whether the city should take tax paying properties off the rolls and add maintenance of a little park to our expenses is a discussion for another article.</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Jean’s vendetta against Commissioner Ganz stems from his doing his homework and trying to keep the city from making some bad mistakes. For example he questioned her wanting to jump the gun and award contracts without going
to bid. </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">She wanted to give away city property to Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the needy, and in fact had gone ahead and contacted them on her own. Both Bill Ganz and Keven Klopp spoke for going to bid on such a large
project and making sure the city got the best deal. In return for saving her from a costly mistake, Ganz was on the receiving end of her vocal displeasure.
</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Jean is whining that she can’t get her way, if she had good ideas, she could get the votes. However, what she is asking for is bad for the city. If not, she could convince the other commissioners to vote her way, and she
would not have a chamber full of residents speaking against her proposals. </span>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
<br>
</font><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Jean continues her quest to rescind the referendum, which placed protection of the beach in the charter. In spite of all 4 other commissioners and uncounted residents objecting, she
continues. This vendetta smacks of her favoring certain property owners on the beach who want massive development on an undersized lo</font></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ">t.
</span><br>
<br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Why would a mayor Listen to a developer regarding beach codes instead of listening to the 75 percent of the citizens of Deerfield Beach who are her constituents and who voted in favor of protecting our
beach from congestion and traffic?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span><br>
<br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Anyone who thinks the public has changed on this issue should gather petitions and prove to the commission that they can get enough signatures to get it on the ballot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span></span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: "></span><br>
<br>
<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">The sober house problem is not unique to Deerfield Beach, Delray, Boynton and other cities are in the same fix, it is not the codes that are to blame.
</font></span><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Moving the election to November is something some cities have done and most have not. It puts the local issues way at the bottom of an overlong ballot and forces the commissioners to run at the same time that dozens of
other seats are vying for the voters’ attention. The local issues are important and should not take a back seat in a general vote.</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Jean says that the sale of the Hillsboro and Federal fire station is going nowhere, that is incorrect as usual, and jumping the gun again. There is a study in the works by the City Manager who is looking at the cost of
moving the station versus the cost of the many repairs and upgrades are needed. No decision has been made, but it is being looked at.
</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
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<span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: ">Going out to bid on contracts is seen as unnecessary by Jean. Even if the city is not
<u>required</u> to go to bid for a project, why would a fiscally careful commission not want the best offer? Requirement or not, it is the only way to make sure that politics are left out of the process and fiscal responsibility is paramount.</span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span><br>
<br>
</font><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "><font style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt">Jean is fond of saying the mayoral candidate supported by people, like me who stand up at commission meetings, lost the election. Not true. I had no “candidate” as I often said that
that election was for the lesser of 2 bad choices. </font></span><strike><span style="FONT-FAMILY: ; COLOR: "></span></strike><br>
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