Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the newsmakers of the day – the winners and losers – who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way.

Let’s look at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Asshole           Deltona City Government  

Last week, on the very evening the Deltona City Commission unanimously approved an employment agreement for recently hired City Manager Dale “Doc” Dougherty – who will take the tiller of this foundering ship on June 10 – we witnessed another embarrassing bombshell that could have profound consequences for the beleaguered government and Deltona taxpayers.

According to a disturbing scoop by WESH-2 reporter Gail Paschall-Brown, Vice Mayor JodyLee Storozuk dropped the news and left it in a steaming pile on the dais at the end of the special meeting –  announcing that the City of Deltona is facing an Internal Revenue Service debt totaling nearly $1 million – something he apparently learned from “citizens,” not City Hall – all while the feckless Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. hammered the gavel like a maniacal carpenter, trying desperately to shutdown Storozuk before preemptively adjourning the meeting… 

More disturbing, during a subsequent stand-up with WESH, Storozuk was all but shouted down by the off-camera skreiching of a disembodied commissioner – loudly reminding the Vice Mayor that the IRS issue was under “litigation” – which, in government speak, means “keep your piehole shut, asshole.”  

When City Attorney Marsha Segal-George was interviewed, rather than squaring-up before the camera and representing the municipal government with the professional bearing one expects from a senior city official, Segal-George slowly gathered her copious luggage while mumbling into the microphone that she knows nothing about the IRS crisis…   

Historically, civic issues in the Lost City of Deltona unravel with the histrionics and overacting of a community theater troupe and this weird vignette was no different.  Regardless, last week’s shocking revelation took many residents (and apparently Vice Mayor Storozuk) completely by surprise.

That’s not good… 

According to a report by Al Everson writing in the West Volusia Beacon, Vice Mayor Storozuk confirmed that the Deltona City Commission only learned about the IRS issue during a recent briefing before last week’s special meeting. 

This distressing news was confirmed by WKMG-6, who reported city officials tried to keep this critical issue “…out of the public light.”    

Apparently, the city’s IRS reporting discrepancies date to between 2016 and 2019, which – if my math is correct – puts the origins of this growing debacle squarely during the tumultuous reign of former City Manager Jane Shang – an Époque Terrible that came close to destroying the community from the inside out… 

So, now that this diseased cat is out of the bag, why the secrecy?

In response to a public records request issued by community activist Elbert Bryan seeking information on who authorized the hiring of an outside attorney to address the IRS matter, Deltona City Clerk Joyce Raferty mysteriously dodged the inquiry, claiming the request for who, how, and when tax dollars were allocated outside the public eye is somehow exempt from Florida’s public records law?  

The response was later posted to social media:  

“The City of Deltona is facing a penalty from the IRS due to the transmission of the 1095C forms.  The penalty is not due to any taxes being owed.  In the meantime, the matter is currently in litigation and the City does not comment on pending litigation.  The City of Deltona has hired an outside attorney to handle the below mentioned issue and is in the process of an appeal.  The information requested is exempt from public records law per F.S. 119.071 (1) (d) 1.”

As I understand it (and I’m not sure I do) IRS form 1095-C deals with large employer-provided health insurance coverage that employers are required to provide their employees – and the IRS – annually detailing the minimum required employee healthcare coverage and affordability as mandated by the Affordable Care Act.

I guess you either get it right – or you don’t. 

And as anyone who has ever wrestled with the IRS can attest, the consequences are grim…

In my view, the best summation of Deltona’s illustrious history of scandals and humiliations came when WESH-2 reporter Paschall-Brown interviewed the irrepressible gadfly Richard Bellach:

“I believe it. In this city, I believe if you told me they went into a diner and stole a knife and fork, I believe it. This whole system is crooked…”

Asshole           Volusia County School Board           

“And I would scream, but they have places for people who scream…”

–Charles Bukowski  

Most days I take a strong antiemetic, peruse what passes for the news of the day, and take things in stride – laughing to myself at the abject absurdity of it all – then salve the assault on my sense of right and reason with this weekly punditry… 

Normally, I snicker at politics and those who practice it – picturing them as maladroit magicians, clumsily working the rods and strings of the same elaborate ruse – a contrived illusion created by these egomaniacal figureheads who constantly shimmy and pirouette, trying desperately to reveal only what they want us to see.

But remaining emotionally above the fray can be especially difficult when politics and bureaucratic ineptitude adversely affect the lives of our most vulnerable citizens – those who lack the clout to influence the entrenched power dynamic – as elected and appointed officials use professional ‘spinmeisters’ to craft a manufactured version of events, carefully designed to “cover their ass” and whitewash their own mistakes…      

Sound familiar?  

The rapid erosion of public confidence in Volusia County public schools continued this week with a disturbing report by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, a story which exposed the district’s ham-handed embroidery of the “facts” surrounding the displacement of hundreds of teachers and the elimination of electives and educational opportunities coming out of Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand…

In my view, News-Journal reporter Mary Ellen Ritter did a masterful job of highlighting the wide divide between known fact and contrived fiction… 

With the reassignment of teachers ongoing, and important enrichment programs being eliminated in the fallout of a disastrous plan by district administrators to use one-time federal pandemic relief funds for reoccurring operating expenses – including permanent personnel costs – Volusia County schools remain in a state of flux as senior officials scramble to resolve an astronomical $45.7 million deficit. 

Now, Danielle Johnson, the district’s Director of Community Misinformation, has cranked up the spin cycle, trying desperately to paint the maladministration leading to this predictable predicament in a favorable light – in my view, knowingly providing a slanted version of the Balgobin administration’s clumsy slash-and-burn response – one that continues to disrupt the lives of teachers, students, parents, and staff as the school year comes to an end.

This week, Ms. Johnson pushed a cart full of horseshit into public view, pointed at it, and attempted to convince stunned stakeholders that certain popular electives – including a college preparatory program – are being eliminated due to a “lack of student interest.”  In other words, claiming district administrators are doing teachers and students a favor by cutting the dead wood while judiciously utilizing “…available resources to support student success.”

According to the News-Journal’s report, “Every year, adjustments to school budgets and programs are made with student interest in mind and careful consideration of the impact on student learning,” according to an email from Johnson and the website. “All schools and student communities are different, so while programs may have shifted and changed throughout the district, schools have ensured they are tailored to their students’ wants and needs.”

Bullshit.

In my view, painting this fiscal disaster and its destabilizing aftermath as business as usual is a slap in the face to every student, teacher, and staff member who have had their lives, careers, and education disrupted. 

During recent meetings of the Volusia County School Board, parents and students have made impassioned pleas to deaf ears – tearfully explaining the painful results of “shifting and changing” popular programs.    

Among the most vocal has been Alison Root, the parent of a Deltona High School student who participated in the school choir:

“I hope you understand that what your, you and your lack of planning, has taken from my son his senior year and what it’s taken from me as a parent. You have stolen his lasts,” she said at the April 9 board meeting.

Two weeks later, she asked board members when adjustments would be made at the district level.

According to the district’s website, there will be “realignments and readjustments” at the district level, but those decisions will not be made until “closer to the end of the school year” “due to employee contract timelines, as well as employee departures and retirements.”

“There’s just over a month left in the school year,” Root told the board at its April 23 meeting. “How much closer do you need to be? The students and teachers should be the last to suffer mishandling of budget items. Lead by example and start with your district.  Do better.”

In my view, Ms. Root posits a valid question – when will cuts be made to Superintendent Balgobin’s well compensated senior coterie?  Those members of the district’s “six-figure club” ensconced in the inner sanctum in DeLand who so artfully dodge responsibility – then paint a rosy picture to sidestep accountability? 

How about those political appointees – self-serving gladhanders whose sole function seems to be having their picture taken with D-list politicians and posting them to social media?

Could those “positions” be eliminated in favor of preserving educational opportunities for students? 

And when will the Volusia County School Board hold Superintendent Balgobin responsible for this continuing catastrophe? 

I’m asking.  Because when incoherent executive decision-making has a detrimental impact on a school district’s core service delivery – the chop should start at the top.  Even in this foul era when paring the thick rind of fat off the bureaucracy is the last of all practical options during a budgetary crisis… 

In my view, creating the “illusion of truth” is still a lie – and it is now glaringly apparent that those we have elected to represent our interests on the Volusia County School Board have been caught in another whopper. 

Do better…

Angel               Daytona Dog Beach, Inc. and Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent

Just six-months into an 18-month pilot to test establishing a dog-friendly section of beach in Ormond Beach, part-time resident and former Ormond Beach City Commissioner David Shecter has created a typical “Fun Coast” tempest in a teapot with his all-out effort to eliminate the popular amenity, labeling it a “hazard-zone” for beach goers in a recent Change.org petition.  

Among the reasons cited in Mr. Shecter’s demand that Ormond Beach and Volusia County officials immediately terminate the dog beach program read, in part:

“The pilot program permitting dogs on sections of Ormond Beach, Volusia County, is proving to be problematic. Many dog owners are not adhering to the rules of keeping their pets leashed and cleaning up after them.  This is both in the dog ‘zone’ and when they and their dogs frequently leave the zone and are in front of hotels, condos, and single family homes adjacent to it.  They are disregarding signs and rules and the County is unwilling or unable to enforce the pilot zone rules.  This lack of responsibility has turned our beautiful beach into a hazard zone for other beach-goers, children, and families alike. Let’s not wait until a dog hurts a child or other innocent beach visitor.  The disregard for regulations is not only affecting the cleanliness and safety of our beaches but also disrupting the peaceful environment that our community cherishes.”

(Find Mr. Schecter’s petition here: https://tinyurl.com/xny26xr3 )

Others in the community see it differently… 

To his credit, the designated area where pet owners can enjoy time at the beach with their licensed, leashed, and vaccinated furry friends was championed by Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent of Ormond Beach, who has supported the trial from its inception.

In my view, Mr. Kent’s efforts to bring something fun and inclusive to Volusia County beaches represents a welcome break from the stagnant status quo – a small area that allows all taxpayers the opportunity to enjoy our most popular natural amenity.

The initiative was just part of Councilman Kent’s push to make our beach more attractive, inviting, and accessible for residents and visitors – something sorely needed in a place where beach management is clearly not Volusia County government’s strong suit…  

In July 2023, the project was approved on a 6-1 vote of the Volusia County Council (with Councilman Don Dempsey casting the lone “Nay” – I assume because he abhors everything east of the Palmetto Curtain – including residents of Port Orange – who are about be subjected to the constant roar of Mr. Dempsey’s $10 million publicly funded motocross track…)

In addition, the initiative was supported by a generous $100,000 donation from local philanthropists and animal lovers Nancy and Lowell Lohman. 

Following the vote, Mr. Kent said, “This is a win for all of Volusia County residents.  We are talking about one percent of our beach becoming dog friendly legally.”

At the time, it was understood at least part of the Lohman donation would be used to assist Volusia County with animal control operations – and Mr. Kent acknowledged that Sheriff Mike Chitwood assured his beach deputies would help with enforcement of the established rules. 

According to the informative report by Sheldon Gardner in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“County officials have acknowledged some violations but said the program is going well overall.

“It has been wildly successful,” said Troy Kent, the Volusia County councilman who led the charge to open a section of the beach to dogs.”

Earlier this month, Daytona Dog Beach, Inc. rightfully placed a counter-petition on Change.org touting the benefits of the pilot:  

“We, the enthusiastic signatories, both residents and visitors of Volusia County, wholeheartedly advocate for the continuation and enthusiastic support of the dog beach pilot program in Ormond Beach. This pioneering initiative, which graciously welcomes dogs to certain sections of the beach, has been a beacon of positivity. We firmly believe that sustaining this program is not only essential for responsible dog owners but also crucial for enhancing our community’s recreational landscape.

The challenges associated with the pilot program have been minimal. Like any pilot program, education and communication is key, adjustments made based on data collected. All that is occurring.   Authorities like Beach Safety, Volusia County Animal Control, and Volusia County Sheriffs, have not encountered widespread issues.  The Daytona Dog Beach, Inc. volunteer team, Paw Ambassadors, is not witnessing widespread issues.  In actuality, the overwhelming majority of dog owners have admirably adhered to the guidelines, ensuring their furry companions are leashed and cleaning up after them.”

(Find the Daytona Dog Beach petition here: https://tinyurl.com/4aczzmj7 )

At last check, the Daytona Bog Beach petition was doing far better than Mr. Schecter’s… 

Although supporters concede that some visitors to the dog-friendly beach have acted irresponsibly, they describe the incidents as “negligible,” and they are adamantly advocating for the continuation of the pilot, citing the myriad benefits to the community.

I agree. 

Here’s hoping Volusia County officials will permit the program to continue with an increased emphasis on visitor education and the enforcement of existing rules to encourage compliance – without the need for more godawful signage, poles, traffic cones, and other nuisance measures that seem to be the only arrows in Volusia County Beach Mismanagement’s quiver… 

Quote of the Week

“About 300 affordable housing units will be breaking ground over the next year in Volusia County thanks in part to over $7.8 million in federal and state funding allocated by the County Council on Tuesday.

“Thirty-five thousand of our residents are spending more than 30 percent of their income (on housing). Half of that, over 50 percent,” Brad Burbaugh, Volusia County’s director of Community Services told the Council. “They’re one catastrophic illness … one layoff away from becoming homeless.”

A report published in 2020 by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that “median rent increases of $100 a month were associated with a 9% increase in homelessness” in places the report focused on.

“That tells you that people are just living on the edge, and that’s what’s happening,” Burbaugh said.

Local rent prices have gone up 35% since 2021, and 34,146 renter households are considered burdened by housing costs, according to data provided by the county.”

–Volusia Director of Community Services Brad Burbaugh, as quoted by reporter Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Council approves $7.8 million for about 300 affordable housing units in 5-2 vote,” Wednesday, May 8, 2024

That’s a sad commentary on the financial health of large swath of Volusia County’s workforce.   

The response by some Volusia County Council members was worse…

“Despite the need, the measure got some pushback.

“We’ve got to let the free market dictate pricing,” said District 1 Councilman Don Dempsey, who has been outspoken about his opposition to affordable housing incentives.”

According to the News-Journal report, “The funding will require a zero-interest mortgage, and all units will be for households that make “at or below 80% of the area median income.” The units will have to stay affordable for at least 50 years.”

Ultimately, the affordable housing proposals for four vetted projects – which will bring a combined total of 302 much-needed residential units to Volusia County – were approved on a 5-2 vote.

Dempsey and Councilman Danny Robins callously voted to – I dunno – send the Affordable Housing Development Gap funding back to Tallahassee and Washington? 

My God.

On behalf of over 35-thousand of my neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet in this artificial economy – and with all due respect – “Up Yours, Don Dempsey…”

In my view, Dempsey’s argument to let income constrained residents – who form the backbone of our service and hospitality industries – flail and claw to feed and house themselves in a market where single-family homes now command a median sale price of $356,500 is both out-of-touch with reality – and patently cruel.   

Afterall, it’s difficult to pull oneself up by your bootstraps when you’ve been forced to boil and eat them… 

I have always been amazed by the lycanthropic transformation of some detached politicians who lobby for publicly funded nice-to-haves and skew the playing field with corporate welfare schemes, infrastructure, and tax incentives for their political benefactors – then claim to be champions of the free-market when it comes to the real needs of a sizeable percentage of their constituency who are one bad day away from hunger and homelessness.

In other “news,” on Tuesday, those dullards on the dais approved a foolish plan that will put 121-homes and some 36,000 square feet of commercial space along West New York Avenue (SR-44) near the busy intersection of Grand Avenue near DeLand. 

According to a News-Journal report, this time Councilman Dempsey “…said there have been many wrecks in the area, including fatal crashes such as an incident he was connected to as an attorney.

“It’s dangerous there, guys,” Dempsey said.

District 4 Commissioner and Vice Chair Troy Kent said he wanted to see fewer homes. “It’s like house on top of house,” Kent said.

Chairman Jeff Brower voted against both the rezoning and Comprehensive Plan change. Kent voted for the Comprehensive Plan change, which the council voted on first, and then voted against the rezoning. He said he wanted a fountain on the site.

Dempsey voted against the Comprehensive Plan change but voted for the rezoning because the council added a stipulation to address his concerns about how traffic would enter and leave the site along S.R. 44.”

Blah, blah, blah… 

Among the more asinine suggestions is that the development will be within a one mile “walking distance” from the DeLand SunRail station, which is set to open on Old New York Avenue sometime this summer. 

As though anyone in their right mind would dare to walk on any street or roadway in Volusia County – hyper-congested deathtraps that were recently listed as the most dangerous in the nation for pedestrian deaths.

Buckle-up (literally) Wild West Volusia – as your neighbors to the east can attest, the idiotic cart-before-the-horse development strategy that permits widespread sprawl without adequate supporting infrastructure is officially coming home to roost…    

And Another Thing!

The unmistakable signs of Spring are all around. 

The Magnolias are in bloom, my seasonal allergies are raging, and political signs are beginning to sprout like pesky weeds – an ominous warning of things to come…

I live in the Northbrook area of Ormond Beach, a few blocks (and a million miles) from the social, civic, and geopolitical demarcation that is North Beach Street – an asphalt delineation between those who reside in stately riverfront mansions to the east of the picturesque two-lane drive – and the rest of us – the working class and fixed income retirees who inhabit those 3/2 cracker boxes that begin just across the street from the opulent manicured estates. 

Like most places in Volusia County, Ormond Beach traditionally leans conservative – with registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats – and disenfranchised No Party Affiliates (like me) quickly gaining ground (and influence).   

It would be pretentious to call our community “upscale” – although the late, great Big John facetiously referred to us as “Ormaaahnd – The Fingerbowl District” – but our slice of heaven has many wonderful amenities, cultural, and recreational opportunities, with some of the best beaches on the eastern seaboard.

Unfortunately, we also suffer the collective civic and environmental insult of unchecked internal/external sprawl – the voracious clear-cutting of our rapidly diminishing greenspace – and most recently, the asinine threat of a dangerous bulk fuel terminal along the FEC railroad at Hull Road.

Look, I’m not a political scientist – just another confused rube, nipping on a whiskey flask up here in the cheap seats – and this is certainly not some “clash of the classes” horseshit.  

Merely one man’s observations of a visible political divide.    

During non-partisan local contests, I’ve noticed a stark contrast between those candidates whose campaign signs appear on the east side of North Beach and those whose supporters live across the street. 

I find that difference compelling.

This week, I saw an early sign for “Car Guy” Randy Dye – a candidate for Volusia County Chair, who’s campaign coffers are groaning with massive contributions from Volusia’s influential insiders – “all the right last names” who control everything but the ebb and flow of the Atlantic tide around these parts – prominently placed in front of an elegant riverfront home. 

A few blocks north is a fresh “Re-elect Jeff Brower for County Chair” sign in the patchy yard of a much more common “middle-class” abode on the west side of the street. 

Trust me.  These two propagating placards are a sure sign of many more to come…

I first observed this phenomenon several years ago – the disparate messages on either side of North Beach Street – something I interpret as a clear divide between the status quo (which has been very lucrative for many of Volusia’s uber-wealthy Old Guard) and the fervent hopes of the great unwashed – those without a lot of money, power, or social status – who are feeling the pincher effect of the lack of workforce housing and those elusive “high paying jobs” on those eking out a living in this artificial economy…

The uncomfortable reality is, here on the “Fun Coast,” those we elect to make policy decisions tend to equate “civic vision” with the size of one’s bank account – listening intently to those with the wherewithal to bankroll their political campaigns – while openly resenting the three-minutes they feign listening to the piddly-ass problems of us peons from their lofty perch of the dais of power… 

Don’t take my word for it. 

During Tuesday’s Volusia County Council meeting, a resident of Port Orange attempted to speak her mind on the noise and flooding that many feel will accompany Councilman Don Dempsey’s proposed motocross track, when Council members Danny Robins and Jake Johansson struck up a private conversation in the middle of her speech.

To her credit, the concerned resident paused and politely asked if she were interrupting before continuing with her well-prepared presentation. 

A powerful, embarrassing, and telling moment…  

(Did my beat-up old heart good.) 

In the depths of my political paranoia, I often ponder if there is an exclusive society here on the Fun Coast – let’s call it the Halifax Hellfire Club – a camera stellata that we’re not privy to – comprised of what The Daytona Beach News-Journal once described as our “Rich & Powerful” – the tycoons, moguls, and magnates who know things that I don’t (like long division and how to balance a checkbook…) – an elite group of politically connected aristocrats who hold secret conclaves to divvy up the spoils and decide what our lives and livelihoods will look like when the “Grand Plan” is finally revealed.

Probably not.  Just a figment of my Mittyesque imagination…    

In truth, I can’t see any group of civic-minded people who value their personal and professional reputations taking credit for much of what has happened here on this salty piece of land we call home, can you?  

The constant refrain of local politicians is “a rising tide lifts all boats” – and I realize those affluent professionals who inhabit the waterfront McMansions on North Beach Street contribute significantly more to our economy and tax base than I do – at a time when monetary success, the accumulation of “things,” stored in the biggest house on the biggest hill in town, is what passes for the “American Dream.” 

But what about those forgotten families in Volusia County who are barely treading water?

The increasing number of residents considered asset limited/income constrained – trying desperately to keep a roof over their heads on $15 an hour scut work at (enter the latest industrial warehouse that passes for “economic development” here) – in an environment where four bags of groceries will set you back $250 a week…  

I’m not sure what role (if any) that growing socioeconomic disparity plays in local political contests (again, beyond the massive influx of dollars into the political campaigns of hand-select candidates from wealthy insiders with a chip in the game) – and Ormond Beach is certainly not the land of the haves and have nots (not yet anyway).

But the stark differences in political opinions on non-partisan races displayed along this unique stretch of roadway is hard to ignore.

I’d like to know your thoughts.   

That’s all for me.  Welcome to Rockville, y’all!