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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

June 3 2020 – Ian MacDougall

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  Wildflower Park 

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING ANY ROAD WILL TAKE YOU THERE: 

You cannot expect a superior outcome from an inferior process. I attended one meeting where EDSA made a presentation to the City Council and at best I would describe the decision making process as ‘the art of muddling through’ It was impossible to differentiate between a ‘decision’ versus a ‘suggestion’ versus a ‘random comment’. It only took about 15 minutes for me to want to tear my hair out. At the outset the city should have given EDSA two things – a set of criteria (deterministic versus constraint) and a budget. From that point there could only be three possible outcomes: 

1. A design that meets the criteria and the budget 

2.A design that meets the budget but not the criteria 

3. A design that meets the criteria but not the budget 

Given these three scenarios – I have no idea where we are. 

I also have some concerns around how EDSA is being compensated for their work. It they’re on a fixed price contract then they are fools and if they’re on a monthly retainer then we are fools. 

Ian MacDougall
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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

June 3 2020 – Dee Petinakis

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  Wildflower Park 

It is a disgrace that our City Council cannot move forward on this project. And even more of a disgrace is that the “projected costs” are absolutely ridiculous. If this project had been given to a private entity it would have been done. Does the City Council even know what the annual maintenance costs will be after completion? Why is the City even getting involved? Do we really NEED another multi-million park? The property should be sold or leased to private enterprises who will pay for and maintain all the improvements. And the City will be collecting property taxes forever! 

Dee Petinakis
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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

May 19 2020 – Ian MacDougall

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  Are we in this together? 

Should your data come with an asterisk given that Rebekah Jones, the architect of Florida’s COVID-19 dashboard claims that was removed from her position because she was ordered to censor some data, but refused to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.” 

Ian MacDougall
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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

May 19 2020 – John Gore

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  Are we in this together? 

Excellent to read professionally-tabulated statistics without an agenda or bias attached. Too often, articles on this emotionally-charged subject are written from the point of view of “Here’s the conclusion, get me some “facts” and “experts” to back it up. We are also confronted daily with false dilemmas, such as “do you want to open the economy or save lives?” As a long-time political observer, sadly I have to say that we are not all in this together. We should be. I believe there will be numbers in November that support my thesis.

JOHN GORE
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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

April 7 2020 – Catherine Wallace

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  The Sweet Sound of Silence 

I’ve been reading about some area neighborhoods painting rocks and putting positive messages on them and leaving them around so people will smile and realize they are not alone. I’ve been a morning walker for a long time and go the same route. East on Palmetto, south on A1A and west on Camino Real. On my walk this morning I saw 3 painted rocks and it really did make me smile. Thank you to the person who did this. I think I will paint a few rocks and put them out as well. 

Catherine Wallace
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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

April 7 2020 – Ian MacDougall

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  The Sweet Sound of Silence 

In times of uncertainty and misinformation we should remember that anecdotes are not data. Good data is carefully measured and collected information based on a range of subject-dependent factors including, among others, controlled variables, meta-analysis and randomization. 

Ian MacDougall
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Letters From BocaFirst Readers

March 31 2020 – Arne Rossel

by BocaFirst Reader
written by BocaFirst Reader

Subject:  The Sweet Sound of Silence 

Take care you don’t shoot yourselves in the foot with this bright idea. This gentry loves its creature comforts. Moreover, the downtown attracts patrons from the 4 points of the compass and at hours which extend well into the late evening. It’s not like the city sports a high end mass transportation system or an equally fine Uber livery behind the three-pointed star. In Manhattan, there’s a segment of ‘fine diners’ who never see the inside of the subway. It’s not their gig. Much like L.A., this region was built on an infrastructure of roads and private vehicles. You can turn your roadways into walkways, but the public will still need to drive to them, and store their vehicle somewhere. There’s an open parking field in Mizner on which a six story garage might stand. Give that a thought.

Arne Rossel
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