Letter: ‘Gang Of Three’ Represents The People

Lately, I’ve noticed on your pages what seems an organized letter-writing campaign to disparage Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis and council members Matt Willhite and John Greene as a “gang of three” running amok, while ennobling council members Anne Gerwig and Howard Coates.

Let’s not forget that when the three were elected in 2012, turnout was 34 percent higher (5,500 votes vs. 4,100) than in the 2014 vote that re-elected Gerwig and Coates. As such, it’s the three who represent a larger slice of our citizenry and, therefore, better represent our community’s view that Wellington should not be “Boca-sized” into just another hodgepodge of strip malls and high-rise hotels, such as the local developer crowd tried to erect, and which Gerwig and Coates were willing to let them do.

The letter writers also make a big deal of the Jacobs family’s campaign contributions. But the Jacobs have long tried to protect our equestrian areas, the green spaces that make Wellington unique, and are in tune with what our town is all about.

The bottom line is that Margolis, Willhite and Greene are the people’s choice and their programs are what the people, and not just the business and developer interests who back Gerwig and Coates, want Wellington to be.

Jay Schleifer, Wellington

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. I don’t understand while all you people hide behind your computer. Tennis Player 2 makes all sorts of terrible comments about the only women member of the council. Undoubtably he has a problem with women. Are we sure Tennis Player 2 isn’t one of the members of the council who used their position to show their disrespect of women. One thing is obvious. The residents of Wellington have to get of their butts and get rid of the three Male Chauvinist Pig councilman.

  2. Dear Mr. Schleifer,

    I am not part of any organized letter writing campaign. I’m non equestrian, non tennis, and a non golf resident of Wellington. I voted for the ‘gang of 3’ and signed the Jacob petition regarding the Equestrian Village; and I’m a senior, to boot!

    It is disturbing and embarrassing to see and read about the immature infighting on the Wellington Council. Let us remember, it was Mayor Robert Margolis who had asked that a consultant come in and try to ‘heal’ the council (Howard Coates’ opponent, Matt Kurit, put out news items saying that it was Mr. Coates who ‘made’ the Village residents fund the costs for this consultant. What deceit!) The thousands and thousands of expense, for this consultant, was funded by Wellington taxpayers.

    The nomination of John Greene for Vice Mayor, initiated by Councilman Matt Willhite, was proof that nothing will relieve the Village of the hostile environment being fomented by these 3 councilMEN. Their group mentality is dragging the Village down.

    Councilwoman Gerwig would have wielded no extra power as Vice Mayor. It is a ceremonial position. And it was a juvenile, childish, spiteful display by an very immature person who started this. And it was endorsed by blinded, hostile men on the council. Stop being so juvenile! Grow up and act like real men!

    It was the absolute childish hate of Councilman Willhite that caused this uproar in our Village. It is the ‘gang of 3’ mentality that is costing taxpayers too much money for wasted ideas from this ‘group counseling’ effort to a more than 9 months exclusive Horse Park contract for KPark (honestly, horses off of US441?!?! Willhite even mentioned having a horse trail from the Equestrian Preserve to the Kpark site. What a joke! That is prime time commercial with heavy traffic.And equestrians on both sides of this issue say that traffic and horses do not mix.)

    Now, the Wellington Senior Committee is lobbying for land on KPark to build 4-6, two to three story buildings for ‘low income’ Section 8 seniors. It is ‘supposed’ to be built by a ‘non profit’ (read that as HUD, the Federal Government).

    Wellington seniors THINK they will be at the top of the list when it comes to getting into this proposed low income Section 8 Housing. Sorry, the Federal Government does not work that way. Low income, Section 8 housing units, will go to ANY senior. Seniors from all over the county and outside the county will be moving into these buildings, not just long time Wellington residents. It’s a lie that Wellington residents will get exclusive entry!

    Let Palm Beach County and the State of Florida and the Federal Government find their own land and build these units. We have enough problems in our mulitfamily areas due to Section 8 Housing. And we have all read about children and other family members, who get to reside with Grandma or Grandpa in their low cost Section 8 senior housing, when their own Mom and Dad are unable to ‘care’ for them.

    Perhaps, more thought should be given to trying to build these units in the many multifamily areas in the Wellington to quiet the crime that has come in due to Section 8 Housing. Just because Tony Franscetta doesn’t like the idea (BTW, is everybody on the Senior Committee afraid of Franschetta? He dominates those meetings) does not mean it is not a good idea. Franschetta is not an elected official in Wellington. He is appointed (hmm, wonder who appointed him?)

    It is time for the residents of Wellington to take back their community from the wealthy meglomaniacs who fund the expensive lawyers, fund candidates who advocate and hate for them, fund the Wellington “Preservation” Group, fund the strip mall offices and send out literature in the mail about how they are trying to protect the environment. (It’s their property they are trying to protect, their lifestyle, not the citizens of Wellington, or the children in our community. It is Mr. Jacobs who does not want to have sidewalks in front of his 200 acre estate on Pierson Road, so that Wellington children and their families can walk or ride their bikes the quickest, safest way to the largest park in Wellington. It is all self serving, be it Jacobs or Bellissimo. Billionaires and millionaires costing Wellington residents plenty of money).

    Beware of Council decisions being pushed by a small minority. If a vote is NOT 4-1 or 5-0; then be assured that the ‘gang of 3’ is intent, is hell bent, to get ‘their’ way. Their hate makes their decisions. There is a paranoia present on the Council. They believe that staff (God Bless these hard working people for what they have to endure from the hostile council members) and ‘others’ are rigging or conspiring to arrange approvals on items in Wellington. Mayor Margolis intimated that idea at a council meeting and told a reporter that he would be glad to talk to her about that. Well, talk to the citizens of Wellington, forget the reporter. Tell the people of Wellington who is conspiring to promote their personal agenda! It gets scary when elected officials espouse such conspiracy and show no proof.

    And beware of a certain Councilman’s aggressive push to ‘review’ (make that ‘REWRITE’) the Village’s Charter. More money coming out of Wellington residents’ wallets. The rich can afford increases, the average Wellingtonian can’t afford increases.

    Start vetting new Wellngton Village Council candidates NOW! And start backing them NOW!
    No more Jacobites on the Council. We need balanced council members, not these extremists.

  3. Both of these comments are laughable and obviously from sore losers from the Jacobs camp.

    First of all 63% of 4100 is 2,600 qualified votes, not 1800.

    John Greene sits up there with a “deer in the headlights” look on his face. When he needs help with a vote he often looks to Neil Hirsch for direction (who attends almost all meetings).

    These losers will lose in 2016. I and many others were fooled in 2012 but we were not this time around and we will not be in 2016.

    Wellington government has become a laughingstock and as stated in a recent Sentinel editorial the “butt of jokes”.

  4. Great observation Mr. Schleifer. Mayor Margolis, Vice Mayor Greene and Councilman Wilhite are doing their best which is good enough for us. They stopped the Destruction of Development that Gerwig voted for 100% of the time. Gerwig voted against our New Tennis Center. Gerwig voted against our Senior Citizen Center. Gerwig does not want affordable housing options for our Seniors. Instead, Gerwig wants to place our Seniors in Section 8 Housing Neighborhoods.
    Gerwig did not win a sweeping mandate from our 38,000 registered voters. She got less than 1,800 qualified votes. Her re-election is a disgrace.

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