WHY BURDEN CITIZENS FOR OTHER FOLKS' ENJOYMENT?

Palm Aire Special Recreation District Ordinance

An Opinion By Jan Bergemann 
President, Cyber Citizens For Justice, Inc. 

Published July 3, 2008

Create another special taxing district; create some more unneeded cost for the citizens. That -- and nothing else -- is what Vice Mayor George Brummer from Pompano Beach is advocating by pushing for the creation of the Palm Aire Special Recreation Tax District.

Communities all over Florida are fighting the fast-increasing cost of maintaining golf courses. Many communities have tried to create "mandatory membership" in order to finance the huge cost, leading to lawsuits and expensive litigation that only helped attorneys. Don't believe it? Please read a whole collection of articles about these issues under the headline "GOLF CURSES."

Developers built too many golf courses, much more than needed for the number of folks who liked to play golf -- and to pay for it! Because this is really the issue: YOU WANT TO PLAY -- YOU HAVE TO PAY! 

Florida's golf courses are haunted by three serious problems:

1. The cost of maintenance of an 18-hole golf course has nearly doubled in the last ten years.

2. Developers, using golf courses as a sales gimmick for their developments, have built too many golf courses, many more than needed.

3. The number of people interested in playing golf is steadily declining, according to the PGA!

The solution is really easy:  Have the people that want to play golf and want to keep these golf courses open pay for them!  Don't ask the neighbors to pay for their entertainment. 

All over Florida citizens are asking our government officials to lower the property tax burden.  But the Pompano Beach City Commissioners don't care. They want to add another taxing district as a financial burden to these folks.

Some folks in the neighborhood already got it right: Our retirees just can't afford more taxes burdening their last savings! Robert Eisengrein, president of the Oasis at Palm Aire Association, asked the commission members to have Oasis' 167 homeowners secede from the project. In his presentation to the commission he made it clear that the owners in his community will not benefit from this "venture" and should not be asked to contribute financially.

Val Lucier, a resident of the 167-member Oasis at Palm Aire Association, collected the signatures of all but one of the 123 owners in town who oppose joining the district and presented the petition to the commissioners -- but to no avail. See article Sun Sentinel: Pompano sets vote on Palm Aire special recreation tax district)

It becomes more and more obvious that many of our elected officials are deaf and blind when it comes to pleas from their constituents to not waste their money on unwanted projects!

In an editorial sent to the Sun Sentinel by Val Lucier the reasons for him and his neighbors to  reject this project are made very clear: 

"This GREEN initiative is not about GRASS it is about $$$$$.”

The only answer for the constituents living in this proposed district:

VOTE NO ON THE ORDINANCE PROPOSAL ON AUGUST 26, 2008!