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Here’s The Scoop…This And That…

April 6, 2009 by Barbara

SO WHERE WERE WE?….ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL?

”The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, which is spending $3.2 billion nationwide, and $168.6 million in Florida.

The money can be used for a variety of purposes, including projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, energy-efficient traffic signals and street lights, financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.

Other cities in Broward that received grant dollars: Coconut Creek, $452,400; Coral Springs, $1.1 million; Davie, $841,200; Deerfield Beach, $715,500 HallandaleBeach, $164,800; Hollywood, $1.3 million, and; Lauderhill, $595,200. Also, Margate, $498,200; North Lauderdale, $161,800; Oakland Park, $180,800; Pembroke Pines, $1.3 million; Plantation, $804,300; Pompano Beach, $1,038,200; Sunrise, $840,700; Tamarac, $544,900, and Weston, $594,600.’

BC-Could have used it to retro-fit the streetlights…

full text link below…

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/fort_lauderdale/sfl-energy-grant-b0331sbmar31,0,3955309.story

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‘Congressional investigators are asking Americans to report waste and fraud associated with the Obama administration’s stimulus law.

The GAO will track stimulus spending in 16 states and issue bimonthly reviews of how the money is used.

To report information call 800-424-5454, fax 202-512-3086 or e-mail [email protected]

full text link below…..

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-gao-stimulus,0,5906883.story

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WE’RE IN THE BALLPARK ….The Sentinel has been publishing the notices for Waste Rates this past week of our neighbors…and with our new Choice Service…we are in the “ballpark” with our neighboring towns…all are around the $17-18 charge per single family home!….

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NO BID….FROM PLUMBERS …..FOR LBTS…..

BC- no plumbing companies bid on the LBTS RFP…the Town Clerk said either the Town will put out another RFP/”piggyback” of another town….

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TREE TRIMMING BIDS OPENED…3/30/09….

1. Grounds Group Landscaping- Davie- Reg hrs. Foreman $48 & Laborer $27.50/After hrs. Foreman $72 & Laborer $41.25/ Palm trees $19.50 per

2. Superior Landscaping- Miami- Reg. hrs Foreman $45 & Laborer $35/ After hrs Foreman $ 80 & Laborer $60/ Palm trees $24.50 per

3. BornamanTree Service- Pomp. Bch- Reg. hrs Foreman $150 & Laborer $ 75/ After hrs Foreman $50 & Laborer $25/ Palm trees $35 per

BC- note the Town Clerk checked the bid 2x to see if the costs were reversed on this 3rd bid…it was written this way…

4. Phil’s Expert Tree Service- Coral Springs- Reg. hrs Foreman $75 & Laborer $55/ After hrs Foreman $85 & Laborer $65/ Palm trees $18 per

5. Lawn Logic LLC- Plantation Reg hrs. Foreman $34.40 & Laborer $24.90/ After hrs. Foreman $39.90 & Laborer $29.90/ Palm trees $20 per

BC- At least the Tree Trimmers like us!…..

Next RFPs…landscape contracting 4/16/09…RFP was in Sentinel 3/28/09…and 4/4/09will post….

BC- Why do we contract out for landscaping?….

more to come

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Here’s The Scoop…Did We Join In?…Or Did We Miss The Bus?…..

April 6, 2009 by Barbara

Bus Shelters…are a go…for stimulus…in Broward County…

One of LBTS capital improvement plans was bus shelters…Alas we heard they were not to be…and after the fact at a Waste Services meeting Assist. Town Manager John Olinzock said he could have gotten them for free but it was turned down due to advertisements being part of the offer…(previous post)…That was a new one to this writer…

Fast forward…with the McIntee P.R. Palm Club sewer fiasco a thing of the past (previous post…Federal government will not provide taxpayer funds for privately owned property…come on we all knew this would happen)…It looks like just maybe those bus shelters could have been addressed…instead

Online at the new stimulus site…under documents…page 5 of the pdf…funding approved local-level recommendations 4/1/09…Broward is to receive the $37 million + for the “flyover” from Dixie to Hillsboro…but also listed for funding Broward County bus shelters…for $3,867,121.00…..Question is …..did LBTS throw this one in with the Palm Club request?…We meet the criteria…we were ready to go….HMMMMM……..

more to come………

http://flarecovery.com/

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Promises of Pensions….

May 22, 2008 by Barbara

www.nytimes.com

Actuaries Scrutinizes on Pensions….Mary William Walsh….

Faithful readers know….

BCbythesea…in previous posts ….is concerned big time….over government pensions…

bigger than Medicare…

bigger than Social Security….

Government Pension Programs rival them both….together….

in this must read article….

All across the country …states and local governments are promising benefits to public workers on the basis of numbers that make little sense….

“Financial burdens have been hidden.”…

Actuaries……. those who have been fired… and those who do whatever  it takes to make phantom numbers work…

never mind the salaries….this coming budget season ….on every level….take a look at the pensions….

more to come….

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Floating Gas Port

May 22, 2008 by Barbara

www.sunsentinel.com

Looks like Fort Lauderdale joined the bandwagon on opposing the floating gas port…

Next Tues. Mayor Minnet…in previous post….will offer a similar Resolution of opposition …to Gov. Crist….

The Florida Democratic Party is opposed….and made a similar opposition known to the Governor…

Strange for the Republican Mayors of both towns to be siding with the Democratic party….must be an election year….

This port has been in the works for quite some time…in fact a public meeting was held in Fort Lauderdale at a hotel…at least 6-8 months ago…and it was published in the newspapers… for all to attend…

again, elections must have played a role…only to the benefit of the project ….at that time …with politicians and their campaigns being preoccupied with other political concerns on the voters minds…

The Coast Guard made it clear in preliminary evaluations …it would not impose a danger to the coast…and representatives from Suez…said we would not see it from our beaches….that it would not harm anything environmentally…

This is not the only pipeline project….

a Google will show recent pipeline projects….going back to 2005… coming to Florida’s southeast coast….

the difference…not in my back yard…..NIMBY….

Another eventuality could be oil rigs….platformed in the ocean off the coast .. in years to come…as will be done off the coast of Cuba who signed contracts with the Chinese …

A solution …after further investigation….and a final report from the Coast Guard and Environmental Protection Agency…is moving the port further towards Port Everglades away from populated towns…. nearer to the state park…

A win-win situation …. for the politicians and the voters…. producing a plethora of “feel good” votes in November… as a result….for both political parties looking like they have saved us all… from this perceived inferno…..

BCbythesea …opinion….it will not be terminated….either it will be moved…or put on hold… until a later date… AFTER….the Presidential elections….

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