HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. --- Hallandale Beach, Fla., vice mayor Bill Julian read tripoli's weekend story, Hallandale Beach, Fla. commishers turn greedy scumbag developers, plan to evict elderly residents, and decided to respond.

In an email to Florida Workforce Housing Network on Sunday, Julian wrote that he plans to oppose the city's effort to evict the 84 residents of Tower Park in Hallandale Beach to expand a recreational park---and dress up the view for the skyboxers at Gulfstream Park, the city-sized race track a block away that wants to be a new Las Vegas.

Julian spoke with us yesterday afternoon in an exclusive interview as he drove through a rainstorm to donate blood for an injured sheriff's deputy. He cursed the traffic, Julian-style, which is something between a sigh and a sighing 'hmmm.'

A lifelong horse trainer, founder of Julian Racing Stables---the oldest in So. Fla.---Julian moved to Hallandale Beach as a youngster in the 1950's. He grew up in a mobile home neighborhood, and lived in one until hurricanes wiped him out four years ago. He now lives in a duplex, where he cares for his aged mother.

"If I could buy a double-wide in the city I'd do it today," Julian said. "I like the lifestyle. And it's the most affordable housing on the market," he said.

Julian said he's not the only member of the city's Affordable Housing Board who's tired of developers who promise affordable housing but never deliver.

"It's just not working," Julian said of local affordable housing efforts. "Their idea of affordable is $230,000. Who can afford that?"

When news about the Tower Park fiasco broke last week, Julian went to visit Tower Park residents.

"They're scared," Julian told us. "What we are doing isn't right. We followed the rules, we're legally correct as near as I can tell, but we're morally wrong here," Julian said.

"Try to imagine how you'd feel if it was you," Julian said. "They are living on fixed incomes, they are living very meager lives, and here comes the city---the same city they have been paying taxes to---proposing to kick them out on the street. That's just wrong."

In addition, Julian said, the city may be steering toward a bad deal. "In the final analysis we're paying about $3 million an acre for an expanded recreational park when the housing market is crumbling and every Florida municipality is looking at less revenues next year. We're making developers happy, but it's not a wise move for the city, it's not a wise use of the people's money," Julian said.

Hallandale Beach city commishers get a second chance to vote on the Tower Park deal on Aug. 14. That's when Julian said he plans to offer a few suggestions.

"If the city is determined to buy Tower Park and demolish the homes that are there now I'd like to see the city develop it as affordable housing," Julian said. "It's time someone did something. If Gulfstream develops its commercial facilities, that will create even greater need for affordable housing for their workers, and we have to take that into account," he said.

"Everyone says modular homes would lower property values, but some modular homes are attractive, sturdy, and very economical to build," Julian said.

"We work for all the people of Hallandale Beach, not just the developers," he said.