The Last Hurrah!
March 7, 2015
I attended the last mayoral candidates forum, Friday night at 6pm, at The Bridge Church, located at 515 Palm Street, in the Grandview Park Neighborhood. I wasn’t familiar with the area so I researched It on Google. It is in the vicinity of The Norton Art Museum, a couple blocks west of Dixie Highway. As I drove south on Dixie, past Okeechobee Blvd, Kimberly Mitchell took all of the guess work out of anyone trying to find the place. After passing Woodlawn Cemetery, I saw a barrage of “Kimberly Mitchell” campaign signs, every 2 feet. All along Dixie Hwy before even arriving at Palm St and turning right onto Palm was a sea of roughly 60 signs, leading 2 blocks up to the church. I saw two “Muoio” and two “James” signs.
I arrived early and was able to see the camaraderie. District 2 Candidate, Cory Neering, District 4 Candidate Len Fintzy, Commissioner Keith James and Commissioner Materio were all there. Prior to starting, Mayor Muoio walked the full length of the room, introducing herself and shaking hands and as guest entered, the mayor made It over to them, thanking them for coming and introducing herself. Mitchell had the two front rows of friends and supporters sitting on the left side of the room, directly in front of her seat on stage and that comfort zone of supporters is where Mitchell remained. Her cheerleaders appear to be a fix for Mitchell at every forum as she paces the floor, giving little quick waves and blinks while gazing all over the room.
The moderator explained ground rules for the audience, forbidding remarks and candidates addressing each other. Mayor Muoio was called first and she stood, introduced herself as our mayor, touched on happenings in the city and her vision moving forward. Mitchell started out looking over the audience, calling out friends she see’s in the audience and saying she sees those who like her and she sees some who might not like her and by the time she started her spiel, the time keeper called time! Mitchell stood there stunned as If an opportunity to speak was taken from her. Mic still in her hand, with a stunned look and said something, off record, to the host. That was nothing new because Mitchell has done the same thing at all forums I’ve attended, looking over the audience, calling out names of friends as opposed to introducing herself and her vision. Like at all other forums, Materio’s name takes center stage out of Mitchell’s mouth, which has nothing to do with her record and her vision as mayor. No other candidates call out names in the audience, other than introducing a spouse that was present.
One question was the 83 meetings Mitchell missed and I’m sure the data was checked. Mitchell got up, questioned 83 meetings? and said, “I attend a lot of meetings and some are very important meetings out of state, that is a benefit to the city”. She went on to defend her absence in Agenda Review Meetings saying she protested the meetings because the public is not allowed to speak. She said she feels the public should have input and meetings are only 15 minutes and not televised. She claimed to be sitting right in her office when the meetings are going on. Kimberly Mitchell’s answers were not only dishonest but intoxicating. Not even Smirnoff Gin can deliver a high to compare to those lies. As most of us know, agenda review meetings are very important for our elected officials to attend. The meeting is conducted by the mayor, for officials to go over the agenda items and ask questions of staff, to be prepared for upcoming commission meetings and is open to the public.
Mitchell said she doesn’t know of any public who attends agenda review meetings but how would she know when she doesn’t attend? If she becomes Mayor, will she protest the meetings she’s expected to lead? The fact is, she made up an excuse for not attending agenda review when she should have acknowledged her failure and taken responsibility for It and that is something she hasn’t been willing to do. The few agenda meetings she has attended, was she not in protest at that time? “Here’s the thing” . . as she often says . . . she uses commission meetings as both agenda review and commission, grossly delaying commission meetings as she’s being brought up to speed. An abuse of the mayor, her colleagues and city staff who are subjected to her lashings in commission meetings.
The moderator had flash questions requiring quick answers and the first question was, “look in this room and find someone from “this” neighborhood you recognize and a restaurant you’ve attended in this area” Mitchell was first and out of her mouth came, “Commissioner Materio” and said, Vinnie would be upset If I she didn’t mention Ambrosia. The neighborhood is Grandview Park, which is roughly 5 miles from Commissioner Materio’s home. Mitchell is so fixated on Materio until she didn’t even listen to the question, based on her answer. The mayor picked Greg Weiss who lives in the neighborhood and Table 26 as her choice of restaurant.
Mitchell talked about the condition of Howard Park being unacceptable to her and she want to see upgrades immediately. She mentioned South Olive needing repair on tennis courts and not once did she mention Westward Park where there are real dangers facing elementary school children who have to pass over or around a canal with no railings to get to and from school. “The Real Black Leaders” who Mitchell referred to, in the North End Forum, at Grace Episcopal Church, needs to take a break from promoting Mitchell and challenge the unconcern she has for children in her district and in their neighborhoods. Mitchell said she and Materio voted against The Chapel By The Lake, when both were part of a unanimous commission vote, approving the project In March 3rd Commission Meeting.
In the mayor’s closing remarks, she reiterated current events, her vision moving forward and named most of her endorsements, with one being the Palm Beach Post. Mitchell took the mic and said, “well, The Post got It wrong!” and talked about her $50 million dollar plan for infrastructure and roads, using Clear Lake as a great resource for sail boats, recreation and races and planning for WPB becoming a metropolitan city.
In my humble opinion, Kimberly Mitchell is not fit to be the CEO of anything. She displays an unprofessional demeanor, giddy, habitual tardiness and punctuality is the soul of business, she has a demeaning & bully behavior in public meetings toward colleagues & staff and demeaning subordinates is never ok. Kimberly Mitchell will be bad for the progressive movement and she has been the captain of a few ships and every one of them have hit the rocks because she refuse to listen to the rudder. The city of WPB is a huge ship and we need a captain who can, at least steer a ship. Mayor Muoio have not been everything most of us wanted but by far, she is the better candidate to run this city.