A Letter From The First Amendment Foundation To WPB

Are Public Officials Texting City Business During Meetings?

In the City of West Palm Beach’s Nov 1, 2010 CRA Meeting, the moment John Textor and his Digital Domain were given the green light to put the screws to the city, Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell’s cell phone lit up and she began to text as the meeting was still in session. Upon adjournment, all game players congregated on the floor of the chambers and Ms. Mitchell joined the celebration, with her head still down, texting. She more than likely was receiving congratulatory remarks on her success in further sinking the city financially with FSU Digital Domain.

In the city’s April 22, 2013, Commission Meeting, a citizen and former commission candidate, Greg Weiss, expressed concern that while public meetings are going on, commissioners are using text messages and communications are transpiring from outside of the chamber and conversations are being held electronically and he felt It was a violation of our Florida Sunshine Laws. Pat Gleason, Special Counsel For Open Government to Governor Rick Scott said, personal text messages, not related to city business are private however text messages related to city business are public record, even If It’s on a commissioners private cell phone. If one attends a city commission meeting that has an agenda Item which involves developers and Lobbyist, one can clearly see all indication of texting on the dais and even gestures directed at individuals in the audience. These violators are communicating electronically about city business and their communications are off the record and should not be.

When public meetings are in session, all cell phones, especially on the dais should be turned off. Public Officials should not be using cell phones for the duration of the meeting because if city business is being communicated through the device, It’s a violation of the Sunshine Law, as well as unprofessional behavior and a distraction. In the Mayor’s October 8th, Southend Neighborhood Meeting, Commissioner Shanon Materio is using an electronic device, whether cell phone or tablet, throughout most of the meeting and only looks up periodically or when she’s speaking. How much of the meeting is she really absorbing while operating an electronic device? If an elected Official is attending a public meeting, the public is entitled to their full attention. In the very beginning of the Nov 11th CRA Meeting, Commissioner Mitchell is holding her cell phone in hand texting and continues to text as the meeting goes on.

Another huge problem in WPB Public Meetings are inaudible discussions because commissioners fail to turn their microphones on, prior to speaking, resulting in their comments being off the record until the mic is eventually turned on. There is a simple solution to that problem and that is, once meetings are in session, city officials should turn on their mics and leave them on. What is the reason for turning the mic off after speaking? Only one speaker is suppose to be recognized by the mayor to speak at one time and all conversations on the dais should be audible to those in attendance and the viewing audience so there is no need to turn the mics off at all. The context of an individuals statement is lost when one is deprived of part of the communication because of the commissioners constant failure to turn their microphones on, prior to speaking.

Other inaudible communications are private discussions via whispers on the dais and passing notes. In an October commission meeting, Commissioner Materio got up from her seat and walked over to City Administrator, Jeff Green and whispered something in his ear while the public meeting was in session. Mr. Green whispered back and the commissioner walked back to her seat. Chances are, 99.9% that what Commissioner Materio said to Mr. Green was pertaining to city business and they don’t seem to understand, there are no whispers allowed in a public meeting If regarding city business and once the meeting is in session, everything spoken should be regarding city business. Whatever the comment was, to Mr. Green, It should have been over the microphone. Why didn’t  Ms. Materio asked for the floor and directed her comment to Mr. Green over the microphone for the public to hear?

I have watched the different city boards in session, whether the Planning Board, Zoning Board, Downtown Action Committee or Audit Committee Meetings and I have not seen any board members, in any of those meetings, texting or using electronic devices when their meetings were in session. They all appear professional and very engaged in their meetings, from start to finish.

All individuals should have some level of moral compass and especially, elected officials who takes an oath of office, committing to do right by the people they were elected to serve and therefore should refrain from illegal and unprofessional behavior while in their capacity of representing and serving the public.  Please citizens, register to vote If not already, participate in the voting process in all local elections and recruit qualified individuals to run for elected office.

Comm Keith James, City Attorney & Mayor Should Share The Same Hot Seat!

In reference to a PB Post article, “Opponent Files Ethics Complaint Against West Palm Beach’s James” , dated September 17th, written by Pat Beall & Eliot Kleinberg, there needs to be a couple more hot seats added to the complaint. Mr. James oponent is J. Alex Augustin, 2015 candidate for WPB Commission District 4 seat, currently held by Commissioner Keith James. The commissioner is a member of Redemptive Life Fellowship Church and was a registered agent for the church when the city of WPB provided federal money to Redemptive Life Urban Initiative Group, between 2004 and 2006, to build homes in the Coleman Park area.

Federal monies were misspent due to poor oversight and supervision of the city’s Housing & Community Development Department so the Inspector General for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, has demanded the city repay $3 million dollars, saying the city has not been able to substantiate that Redemptive money was always spent appropriately.  The city has offered to settle by forgoing $1.46 million in HUD money in the next three years and on Sept. 2, the city commission voted that should it pay the $1.45 million, they would find it elsewhere in its coffers rather than cut money to low-income residents. Commissioner James participated in that vote without disclosing his relationship to the Redemptive Life matter. Mr. James told The Palm Beach Post on Sept. 8 that he didn’t disclose his relationship because the vote had nothing to do with Redemptive Life and that he would repay the city the $2,500 if that’s what it takes to remove the perception of a conflict of interest. He has since withdrawn as a registered agent for Redemptive Life as of September 12th.

My question is, what role does city attorney, Kimberly Rothenburg play in this reported violation that took place under her watch? The city attorney was present during this vote and she is a paid legal counsel for the mayor, commissioners and all legal city business.  The city attorney sits on the dais during public meetings and is responsible for advising elected officials, staff and city departments, on legal matters, therefore protecting the city from legal liability so what repercussions are there for her failure to advise in this matter?  Who is really behind this move of filing an ethics charge against Commissioner James? Was It planned to allow Mr. James to fall in that trap?  Being a professional, he should have known to err on the side of caution by disclosing and refraining from voting when a miniscule possibility of fault is present and with the disrespect shown to him on the dais lately, that should have been reason enough for him to be cautious. Regardless of what Commissioner James should have known, legal counsel should have been available to guide and advise him as part of her duties but Ms. Rothenburg failed to interject.  This move, It’s timing and the possible players involved should be a turn off to informed voters and backfire on the schemers. This whole issue is not personal to me, it is about what’s right, regardless of who is the subject of public scrutiny.

The Palm Peach Post interviewed Mr. James on this matter but didn’t report questioning City Attorney Kimberly Rothenburg about her failure to advise the commissioner, when she should have. Ms. Rothenburg attends mayor/commission workshops where agenda items are discussed prior to commission meetings and should have been aware of this agenda item and been ready to advise Mr. James. The mayor is responsible for these top positions and appears to avoid filling administrative positions from outside of city hall or the city, for fear of the city’s disorderly and less than honorable accumulation of past and present city business being revealed to someone not likely to conceal.  Why else would ex City Attorney, Claudia McKenna currently be on contract with the city, at the mayor’s disposal?

In the city’s July 7, 2014 City Commission Meeting, commissioners voted to start talks with Developer, Michael McCloskey, who plans a medical village at West Palm Beach’s long-vacant “tent site.” There were others who were vying for development of that property but commissioners decided against putting the property out for all bidders at the moment and decided to eliminate one of the last two developers and start talks, for 90 days, with the McCloskey Group. Representatives from area hospitals, including St. Mary’s attended the meeting, voicing their concern about possible competition the medical village might bring to their facilities.

Even though the mayor does not have a vote, she made comments on that agenda item, without disclosing her relationship with St. Mary’s Hospital, as a board member and should have. Her position as mayor and speaking from the dais is influential and she should have disclosed her association with St. Mary’s and refrained from joining the discussion.  Unlike Commissioner James, the city attorney might not have been aware of the mayor’s association with St. Mary’s Hospital but most everyone is aware of the Redemptive Life issue and those involved.

I would ask for more comprehensive reporting from all segments of the media and a desire for a greater effort towards unbiased reporting. When Mayor Muoio, who will be the CEO of the city’s proposed charter school, can be interviewed by a PB Post Reporter about children possibly entering the city’s school and refer to struggling children as “dummies” and not be challenged by the reporter or questioned about such a degrading remark about innocent children, that level of  reporting is missing a wheel.

According to the WPB City’s Website, their summary of the duties of their city attorney is as follows and according to numbers 2 & 8 of “Essential Functions”, Commissioner Keith James was not served by City Attorney, Kimberly Rothenburg in the September 2nd Commission Meeting!  So If one is on an honest  mission to shine the light on wrong, the whole of  West Palm Beach’s City Hall should resemble Las Vegas from space.

West Palm Beach Charter On A Foundation Of Sand

As the city moves forward with many plans and spending money in support of the City’s first charter school without a final vote from the commission,  is a clear indication of a done deal and public input through public meetings was and is a farce.

Mayor Muoio and Commissioner Mitchell continue to profess a plan to help struggling and underachieving children, Ms. Mitchell has often stated. It has been a vision of hers for years but frankly, tax payers can’t afford any more of Mitchell’s visions. If her passions are such a good and sure thing, then private investment is always an option for her as It would be for the general public.

According to a February 25, 2006 Sun Sentinel article, written by Education Writer, Scott Travis, Commissioner Mitchell was touting the idea of opening a charter school somewhere in the city’s downtown, that would serve pre-kindergarten and elementary students and would be open to people who live and work downtown. The article states Commissioner Mitchell’s vision is to create a world class school that would be a selling point for prospective industries which is a far cry from embracing underachieving children.

In a commission meeting, on November 25, 2013, Michael Connelly, CEO of Mosaica Education, made a presentation before the mayor and commissioners in hopes of running the city’s charter school. He was chosen by the city’s selection committee. Towards the end of his presentation, Mr. Connelly made several insensitive remarks when asked about his success with minority children. He talked about grade levels and their progress saying, “the children are too naive to know that they’re stupid” and shortly after says. “they’re too little to know that they’re not very bright”. Mr. Connelly was asked further by a commissioner, about his success with minority students and he mentioned a class that did very well saying, “everyone was surprised because their faces were dark”. Mr. Connelly was not chosen and I’m not sure why but I’m sure It wasn’t because of his demeaning and racist remarks about the very children he was to serve because neither the mayor or any one of the five commissioners outwardly reacted or questioned him about his disturbing comments. A lack of reacting to comments that warrants a response from city leaders who represent the public, means the language is socially acceptable when directed at a certain segment of our citizenry and It’s wrong.

Now It’s easy to understand why the mayor didn’t show outrage over Mr. Connelly’s negative comments about children because she made an equivalent comment herself and showed no second thoughts or concern about what she said on  On August 13, 2014, during the mayor’s weekly media briefing.  A Palm Beach Post reporter asked the mayor about a question that was asked of her at the charter school town hall meeting held at Rybovich Village. A member of the public asked her if the city would consider having all underachieving children in their charter school. The mayor told the reporter it was the worse suggestion she’s heard. She further talked about struggling kids and how heterogeneous children learn better than homogeneous children and “putting all of the dummies in one place is not how kids learn“.

For any adult, especially an educator, to refer to “any” children as “dummies”, because they are struggling and academically challenged, for whatever reason, reflects poorly on that individual. For city commissioners, as representatives of the public, to have no outward reaction when a prospective director of the city’s charter school insults the very children they claim to be targeting to help, is appalling and raises questions about their ability to effectively respond to children and their educational needs. Tax payers should be all too familiar with this road we’ve been forced onto. Our last ride was also centered around an educational vision and also spearheaded by Kimberly Mitchell until we hit a deep pothole. The demise of that dream came quickly but not painless for tax payers. After the clear failure of FSU Digital Domain, costing tax payer’s millions, both Mayor Muoio and Commissioner Mitchell vowed to do It again. It’s not only foolish to publicly state you’d repeat a failure but fiscally irresponsible to utter such arrogance.

The opening date for the city’s charter school has been a moving target since the original opening date of August 2013 was announced. When the city’s school will open is anyone’s guess. The creeping up of “fly by night”  charter schools, siphoning tax money from traditional public schools, is a threat to our Democracy because they will eventually force traditional schools to close and once they are closed, they are not likely to re-open.

Without a doubt, WPB City Leaders have been mediocre Jack’s of all Trades and Masters of very little! The city should further lend a hand to assist our already established public school system and abandon the opening of a city run charter school . Children all over the country are realizing the threat of charter schools to traditional public education and are protesting to save their schools. It is past time for Palm Beach County teachers and students  to flood the public square and city chambers of city hall’s everywhere to stop the country wide heist of traditional public education.

Point Of Order!

An assault on the public in public meetings is getting to be common place and It needs to cease. The responsibility is on Mayor Muoio to run the meetings in an orderly fashion and put an end to this strong arm tactic on members of the public and city staff.  She holds a strong mayor’s position as Mayor and CEO of the city and should be in charge of the meetings and exercise her authority beyond the general public and call for order on commissioners who are taking It upon themselves to beat down public speakers when they disagree with the content of their speech.

What must be understood is, the public approaches the podium, when invited to do so by the mayor, to express their feelings, not yours commissioners! Apparently public sector jobs are not very clear to some commissioners and who they actually work for. In the city’s June 9th CRA Public Meeting, Commissioner Materio called out a private citizen who had just finished his public comment, because she disagreed with his expression. She called the speaker to attention and asked the mayor If she could respond, in the middle of the public comment period. The answer, from the mayor, should have been “no” and for her to wait until the public speakers are finished. Of course, that didn’t happen.

The speaker returned to the podium and Commissioner Materio proceeded to tell the speaker how his comments were wrong and how she does not appreciate him placing blame on the commission. Her colleague, Commissioner Mitchell verbally agreed with her and called the same speaker out by name, reminding him of his criticism of the commission. The speaker tried to defend his comments but was stopped by the mayor, telling him he can’t respond. If the speaker can’t respond, why is It necessary to call them back?  Mayor Muoio sat there and allowed that bully tactic to take place and she is just as wrong for not controlling the meeting, as the two commissioners who were out of line. In Monday’s, June 30th Charter School discussion, Commissioner Mitchell called out a private citizens name, who was sitting in the audience, asking him, did she hear him say something that wasn’t pleasing to her. Completely inappropriate even according to the city’s own problematic  civility and decorum code.

Commissioner Mitchell’s actions were wrong and instead of her apologizing to the mayor for the outburst, she should have apologized to the individual she abused.  The mayor needs to exercise full control over the meetings and impose order on everyone! The mayor and Commissioners have ample time to talk as much as they want and should never, ever interfere with a public speaker, just because they disagree with something said.  They say they don’t comment during public comment but they do, when they hear something they don’ like. Neither the mayor or commissioners have any business responding to a public speakers comment unless It’s on their own time and not the public’s time.

Speakers who are speaking for three minutes under general public comment are interrupted and chastised, based on the content of their speech. Private citizens who are sitting in the audience are also called out and challenged by these elected officials, right from the dais and the mayor is quick to stop the victim from responding to this uninvited and embarrassing hostility. This type of unethical behavior is, not only unbecoming of public officials but has the potential to discourage the general public from participating in their public meetings, for fear of public reprisal.

Public officials should expect ridicule because scrutiny comes with the territory of public office, just as many benefits comes with public office, compliments of the public. Even though there are only two commissioners who have made a habit of  beating down the public and staff that they disagree with, the responsibility falls on the entire dais to speak out against abusive behavior, regardless of who It is.   Point Of Order!

Plagued With Lawsuits, Why Was WPB City Attorney Really Retained After Retirement?

One has to wonder why the City of  West Palm Beach suffer with so many lawsuits, in spite of having a top heavy law department, lead by City Attorney Claudia McKenna, prior to her retiring in mid April 2014? A city attorney’s main duties are to be the chief legal adviser of, and attorney for the City and all Departments and offices thereof in matters relating to their official powers and duties. The city attorney is suppose to give legal advice to minimize exposing the city to liability.

In a February 2012 workshop, Ms. McKenna disingenuously discussed ways to legally spend tax payers money, to finance personal opposition to the extension of State Road 7. Regardless of schemes, there was no legal way to spend tax payers money without taking the request to the commission for approval and budget the expenditure. Why didn’t she do her duty and advise the proper way to access the funding and spending of public money? The expenditure of public money for T-Shirts, Stickers and Charter Buses to transport pre-selected residents to an FDOT Public Hearing in March 2012 and only those residents with an opinion against the project, was illegal spending of tax payers money, biased and wrong.

Did Ms. McKenna not know the expenditure of municipal funds may be used only for a municipal purpose and only when properly budgeted? Or did she know the law and looked for ways to circumvent It?  Does Ms. McKenna know that her own current contract, as a personal consultant to Mayor Muoio for $4,800 monthly, for 32 hours per month has to be budgeted? Retaining Ms. McKenna is of  no benefit to the general public and should be a personal expense of the mayor. Ms. McKenna often sat in her legal position, on the dais, as public speakers rights were violated simply for referring to elected officials by name and she said absolutely nothing to address the violation for the purpose of protecting the city from liability and doing the right thing.  Surely a city attorney should know basic constitutional law and so should city commissioners but they are defiant of  applicable laws and reject oversight .

Another one of Ms. Mckennas Greatest Hits was when she offered the “Public Purpose” Florida Statue to justify a reimbursement of $7,325 to Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell to remedy a personal matter that clearly didn’t apply. Freshman Governmental law students from Northwood University or any other University would easily know that the commissioners personal problem with her home Comcast Cable had absolutely nothing to do with a public good or public purpose and Ms. McKenna had no justification to even suggest that Florida Statue. Her purpose was to make It fit regardless.

In September 2007, Ms Mitchell herself opposed tax payers paying Ms. Frankel’s attorney fees for her personal fight to withhold part of a Grand Jury Report from the public, saying, “My initial feeling is that is something that Mayor Frankel is financially responsible for,” so why wouldn’t her same reasoning apply to her?  When the city has square holes and need to accommodate round pegs,  making It fit was what was expected of Ms. McKenna and that is precisely what she did as oppose to stating the laws and ordinances, forcing the city to comply and avoid liability.

The city Commission was not even satisfied with just Ms. McKennas advice and entered into the expense of their own, hiring an on call attorney for second opinions so what would be the rational reason for retaining Ms. McKenna as a consultant to the mayor, after her retirement?

Is It because she is the one who drove the square pegs into the round holes on the Inspector General Lawsuit and the State Road 7 issue and she’s the only one who can further chisel the city’s way to victory on those matters?  What outside attorney could come in and maneuver through the maze of patchwork left by Ms. McKenna? Is there too much in the legal department to expose an outside attorney to and that’s why Ms. Rothenberg had to step up to the plate? With a top heavy administration, legal department, Internal Audit Department and Department heads, why does the city need so many consultants and study’s?

How many times have the current city attorney had to call Ms. McKenna regarding the piles under the rug? Jeff Green was an excellent Finance Director but when Ed Mitchell took to the sky in his golden parachute, Mayor Muoio did not scout for an outside administrator to come in to possibly look through files and under the rugs so Mr. Green was given Ed’s hat and no one knows how many times he might have been hung out to dry behind closed doors, by the mayor.  Tax payers should be outraged at this display of malfeasance and misfeasance by our city leaders because It is costly and If the public does not promptly snap out of the apathy mode, Gold will be cheaper than our city water and service fees to cover bad debt!

WPB City Leaders Chooses A New Police Chief

Interim Police Chief, Bryan Kummerlen, was officially voted in as the new chief of police after a unanimous vote by the West Palm Beach, City Commission on May 27th.  Chief Kummerlen will more than likely continue to do a good job, leading the police department as he have with Assistant Chief Mary Olsen.

Chief Kummerlen’s  plans to retire in August of 2017  should have been known by both mayor and commissioners and therefore fully aware that the chief’s commitment would be short term. Rather than choose a candidate who has plans to retire in three years, a smarter move would have been for the mayor to just keep both Kummerlen and Mary Olsen as interim chiefs and recruit from inside or nation wide for a permanent chief.

It is costly and not very smart to keep repeating the same process when you’re aware of limitations. If a better move didn’t register with the mayor, I would think, one of five commissioners would have realized the impending doom in 2017 to start the process of searching all over again.

Reflecting back when Lois Frankel lost her crown as mayor of WPB, then District 4 Commissioner, Jeri Muoio was not even seeking the office of mayor. Frankel entrusted Ms. Muoio to complete the downtown projects that she couldn’t complete, along with huge efforts to help her get elected by way of the western corridor. That victory was Mayor Frankel’s second term in office as West Palm Beach Mayor.

It is time for Mayor Frankel to relinquish her crown in next March’s election and butt out of West Palm Beach’s politics!  The only way to reduce Ms. Frankel’s influence in West Palm Beach is for someone to challenge Mayor Muoio and win in March 2015 local elections. 

West Palm Beach Charter School Mystery Location

The City of West Palm Beach is once again stepping into unfamiliar territory by moving forward with the first city charter school, led again by Commissioner Kimberly Mitchell. In the very near future, the city will be upgrading and beautifying LA Kirksey Street, also known as 15th Street, from Australian Avenue east to Tamarind Avenue. The Roosevelt Full Service Center, which use to be the old Roosevelt High School,  is located on that corner.  It is a street and an area of the city that city officials care absolutely nothing about so my suspicions are raised. The entire surrounding areas needs to be re-developed so It seems odd that city officials would pick one strip of roadway, about a quarter of a mile long to make over. I’m wondering if that is going to be the location of the new charter school?One has to wonder because city officials won’t reveal their chosen location, not even to the school board. City officials have had two possible locations prior to applying to the school district for clearance. The school district’s application did have a question about location of the school. The city attorney advised not to give the location and to just say we haven’t a location.

In November 2013, the mayor and commissioners interviewed Mr. Conley, a possible candidate to run the city’s first charter school and they seemed to be pleased with him and all of his proclaimed successes in many different locations throughout the United States. When this man was asked about successes with minority children, he boasted about how the test scores were so high until you would have thought it was a suburban school and everyone was surprised because their faces were dark!  When questioned further about third graders, Mr. Conley replied,  “the children are too naive to know that they’re stupid and too little to know that they’re not very bright”  There wasn’t one outcry from any elected officials or anyone else on the dais about the disparaging remarks made about the very children they care so much about and who this man might be overseeing. There were two African American Commissioners who were present during this presentation and they, as well as others, said nothing about the thoughtless comment and did not publicly question the insensitive remarks in defense of children.

There is a good chance Mr. Conley will be hired to run the charter school for the city because our West Palm Beach leaders have a history of gravitating towards bad choices and failure. Many charter schools, under the guise of caring about children, are depleting resources from already struggling traditional public schools and are too often an investors dream of making money, at the expense of children, teachers and tax payers. If the city is not beautifying the small section of LA Kirksey because the city’s charter school will be housed at the Roosevelt Center then the up grading project is probably intended to benefit the Related/Rybovich Project down the road, tying the downtown, north to 44th and Flagler.

There should never be secret back room dealings, using tax payers money. Tax payers should be allowed to give input on every aspect of this and other inept ventures of irresponsible leaders, leading the city into fields the city has no expertise in and no business in. The public has no desires to just pay bills but want a say in how our money is spent otherwise, let the policy makers pay for their own passions and failures.

Who Left The Gate Open?

For the West Palm Beach City Commission race, the qualifying period came and left on January 14th, 2014 at noon with no one qualifying to challenge incumbent Commissioners, Kimberly Mitchell, Shanon Materio and Sylvia Moffett for the Districts 3, 5 & 1 seats. Not only locally but all over the country, incumbents, for any number of elected positions, are facing no opposition and largely because of voter apathy, due to the corrupt climate and ill will that is common place in political arenas everywhere.

The disappointment  in elected officials and distrust of them by hard working  tax payers tends to beat down the public into a submission of apathy and eventually a total disengagement from voting or even showing an interest in a government that is theirs. Oppression that cannot be overcome, does not give rise to revolt but to submission and that is the sad and current state of the mindset of the masses when It comes to politics.

By voting we hope to, at least, communicate some of our preferences for government policy through our selection of leaders. Elections are suppose to be a contest among a number of individuals and groups to shape government policy. How well elections work as instruments of democracy and whether the public benefits from the contest, depends on election rules and who participates. Qualification requirements may be a hindrance to prospective candidates and deceitful coercion in many ways by career politicians can also discourage decent and well intended individuals from entering the too often, underhanded political arena.

When there is no opposition and an incumbent slides back into office, did they really win an election?  When only 5,000 registered voters, out of tens of thousands vote, and the winner received 59% of the votes which equates to 2,950 votes, is that really a landslide over two other candidates who only got 20% but only 5,000 citizens voted?  Is It morally sound to think one is entitled to a victory dance when only a miniscule percentage of the public even bothers to  cast a ballot?  Sure we have declared winners but are they really the choice of the masses? Through education, there can be a substantial reduction in voter apathy which will bring more participation into the voting process and will subsequently depict a more accurate reflection of the public’s choice as oppose to candidates only winning by default.

PBC GOP Votes to Condemn Common Core, Overriding New Chair’s Call For Delay

New chairwoman, Anita Mitchell’s concerns about spooking donors were disregarded by members of the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee.  The vote was Wednesday, December 11th, for a resolution opposing the Common Core education standards, initiated by former Republican Governor, Jeb Bush.  Ms. Mitchell won the special election, becoming chair of Palm Beach County GOP, in November when another candidate dropped out of the race.

In her first challenge as party leader, Mitchell told the Republican Executive Committee, she wanted to delay the anti Common Core resolution, to get a better understanding of It. She also expressed concerns of some contributors not wanting the local party to take positions on heated political issues.  Mitchell also expressed her responsibility of  making sure voices are heard and fair as well as building financial health by keeping controversy distant from cash donors. Party activist were not impressed with that argument, pointing out Mitchell’s focus on money when their interest is in the future of the country.

Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee Members filled the commission chambers, holding up green cards to vote against delaying consideration of a resolution opposing Common Core.

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