What is wrong with the Democrats on the Plantation City Council? In June, REDBROWARD exposed inappropriate sexual and racial remarks made by Councilman Nick Sortal to a city employee. Sortal expressed satisfaction that “Plantation will never have a black mayor.”

Yesterday, Councilwoman Denise Horland, a key Sortal ally, sat down for an interview with the Sun-Sentinel. Since Plantation is seventy-years old, Horland told editor Steve Bousquet that some infrastructure needed work. Later in the interview, Bousquet asked Horland to identify “deteriorating” and degraded parts of Plantation.

Denise Horland stated “certain streets…along eastern Broward Boulevard” and the eastern part of the city.

Two neighborhoods run along side “eastern Broward Boulevard” between State Road 7 and the Florida Turnpike: Country Club Estates and Plantation Park East.

Located to the south of Broward Boulevard, Country Club Estates contains a large community of homes situated on the Fort Lauderdale Country Club and golf course. The neighborhood is a mix of large estates and smaller homes. While it is one of Plantation’s oldest neighborhoods, it is not “deteriorating.”

Bordering the northside of Broward Boulevard lies Plantation Park East. This older neighborhood is home to a vast majority of Plantation’s African -American homeowners. Several churches are located in this neighborhood as well as the Jim Ward Community Center. While the homes are not a large as the ones in Country Club Estates, Plantation Park East homes are identical to others in Plantation.

So why did Denise Horland single out this neighborhood as “deteriorating?”

Horland said “we need to make sure they’re maintaining their value in their homes.”

What does that even mean? Are Plantation Park East residents unaware their homes are valued north of $500K?

Does she think Plantation Park East residents are unaware of how to maintain their homes?

Lots of neighborhoods in all cities have a few homes that could use some code enforcement. There are lots of programs to aid seniors with home repair issues.

But why did Denise Horland single out this neighborhood and insult its residents?