A Westside Renaissance in Deerfield Beach District 2, Challenge Accepted!

Mr. Sayles, I just read your article at http://www.deerfieldbeachusa.com/  entitled "A Westside Renaissance and I do believe you have some valid points.  However, since I am a member of CAT, why would you not contact me and find out for yourself what we are about.  I have not seen you at any of our meetings (of which we have had one and Poitier was not even a subject), so how could you make a judgment like that.  

Al Capellini, four-time Deerfield Beach Mayor, elected by an at-large vote. Steve Gonot 8-year Commissioner District 4. I guess all of Deerfield Beach is the same.  It's just that some should really know better and others just didn't give a hoot."  Let's not be hypocritical!

On this blog I make judgements on things I have read about, not just conjecture.  I, a thirty-one year old black male from the Westside District 2, have just recently gotten involved in this whole political game.  I do, however, thank you for writing this article because what better way to get people motivated than to piss them off.  Thanks to the lay-offs, Chaz Stevens' incessant heckling, union negotiations, talks of more lay-offs and privatizing, and now your article, I think that that renaissance you were talking about just got more fuel added to the fire.

You asked where CAT was during the last election.  Well, we were here as individuals and many were and are Poitier supporters and when people such as Ben Preston, Gloria Battle, Annette Scott-Woods were advocating "CHANGE" we were asking them "What Change Are YOU Talking About?".  (Ask fellow blogger, Wayne Adams, what I kept asking him when he himself was advocating change)  An answer to which none of them could provide or expound upon, least of all the Ben Preston people. We all know that "CHANGE" for CHANGE sake is not good.  I believe there is an old saying that sticks out in my mind right now "The grass is not always greener on the other side". 

I personally asked each candidate what type of "Change" they were proposing and I did not get a response worth mentioning   and that is not say that is just wasn't what I wanted to hear, it was basically just air!  Go back and look at some of their campaign literature, nothing, more than resumes.  No solutions, no strategies, no answers.  So I stuck with Poitier and she may not be perfect, but at least I knew when it boiled down to it she had District 2's best interest at heart.  These newcomers have to prove their worth to us.  None of them, not even my cousin Gloria Battle, did a good job of proving herself and expounding on the idea of change that they sought...other than that of a new commissioner.


Check out the below links you'll see where my head was at during said election.  I was asking the pertinent questions that people like you didn't want us to have the answer to.  You thought you could just speak negatively about a candidate and that would be enough to turn us away from that person, when what you should have been doing is reporting the facts about each candidate so we could make an informed decision.  Now, you are calling for a fresh face, maybe we not only need a fresh face in our government, but our media as well.


http://myperspectiveis.blogspot.com/2011/03/gloves-off-speak-and-ye-shall-be-heard.html 


http://myperspectiveis.blogspot.com/2011/03/congratulations-sylvia-poitier.html

People inside and outside of District 2 say we are apathetic, we don't vote and we keep following the same institutions.  All of this maybe true, but if you want us to change we want to know how you plan on doing it.  I invite you, Mr. Sayles and anyone who shares your opinion, to one of our Community Meetings, (The last one, Bett Willett and others from outside of District 2 attended, as it was open to everyone) so you can see for yourself what we are all about.  The next one is May 2, 2011 at 7pm at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church.   Attend and then make up your own mind.  Like I say to all my naysayers, this is not about Poitier, this is not about me, it's not about you, it's about "US".  

I actually find it funny that you wrote this piece, especially after all of the information that I have sent you to expound upon.  You say that you are so much better than those of us who would call out another blogger and the information they post publicly, but are you really.  You take this high moral stance and then denigrate those of us who would see change and give possible solutions on how to go about doing it.   FUNNY!!!

Do you read my blog at all?  Yes, I may have criticized Chaz and Wayne and yes I called out Klopp/Hanson and Peggy Noland, but what I do is give people the links to the same information I have access to for them to make up their own minds.  You write about us like we are the enemy to the other districts of Deerfield and as if we are ignorant and our duly elected leaders do less for us than a horse could.  How should we take that?  I for one will not take that sitting down. 

Many of our residents do not have college educations, do not have high school diplomas, but they have common sense and the ability to learn and be and do better.  How many times in the past has anyone from the City or even within the community itself, honestly (I say honestly because I know the effort has been made, but many gave up at the first sign of resistance) attempted to educate our residents on civic duties and actually get them involved.  Do you place blame solely on the Commissioner of that district?  Do you blame the ill-informed residents?  Or do you get off your butt and step from behind the laptop keyboard and get out there and work for the change that you want. 

Yes, their are obstacles, but if your true purpose is to educate and elevate, then you do what is necessary.  If I am wrong for thinking that then, please feel free to correct me and point me in the right direction.

The young people in this community (not just District 2, I might add) are plagued by many disadvantages& obstacles that cause them to distrust the government and therefore do not have an eagerness to get involved.  CAT is trying to help with that and I am trying to get my classmates and fellow young residents involved so that we don't continue in that "oldway" that has seen us to this point.  

I was one of those young people and like I said at the my first commission meeting, if it wasn't for Ms. Poitier I would have never been interested in politics and the municipal government.  I would have continued about my life voting in elections and then taking a hands off approach and never giving a second thought to making sure my elected officials were doing what they needed to do for me.  Now, I have taken an interest and am fully engaged, aware, and ready to change this community and I believe I even asked for your help once.  This is what I get! 

Thankfully, I am stubborn and hearing the word no only drives me harder to prove people like you wrong.  So again I thank you!  I wonder who in your opinion (even though it really doesn't matter because you don't get a vote in our district) we should consider as "a new face who is not part of the old order" to start the as you say "new era--a Westside Renaissance."


I do look forward to watching you eat every word you wrote in this article and reading about it when I do prove you wrong, it may not be this afternoon and it may not be this year, but mark my words it will be in this generation. 

So challenge accepted!

David Cody

Blogger/CAT Team Captain

www.myperspectiveis.blogspot.com 

PS.

I will actually like to take this time and thank, Ms. Finnegan of Deerfield Beach High School American Gov't and Civics Honors 97/98, she knows what she did for me and I never said thank you!  

So to Ms. Finnegan, THANK YOU!