Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Government: Where Oversight and Accountability Go to Die… 

Each December, Volusia County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald and County Attorney Mike Dyer receive massive $10K+ annual pay increases – in my view, a lavish reward for keeping “things” just the way they are…     

Like clockwork, at the end of each year our elected dullards on the dais of power begin the annual beatification ceremony – sometimes skimming over a cursory performance evaluation, always lavishing their only direct reports with ebullient praise – before approving the perfunctory salary increase with rubber stamp efficiency.   

No negotiations, performance standards, management audits, or 360-degree evaluation of countywide operations and administration on which to base an objective review. 

Last year, both Recktenwald and Dyer received a 4% pay raise, commensurate with general government employees, and everyone acted like they were doing taxpayers a favor.

That sounds altruistic, until you consider Mr. Recktenwald’s 2025 salary of $337,875 (per GovSalaries data) is 45% above the average County Manager salary in Florida and 558% above the county median wage…

Perhaps “The Wreck’s” astronomical compensation package is why many were stunned to learn last week that an internal audit of Volusia County building inspections found “critical control weaknesses” and other concerns that may have affected public safety and resulted in a loss of critical revenue…

The audit, conducted by Volusia County’s internal auditor Jonathan Edwards, captured a sampling of inspections conducted from October 2024 to September 2025, and included a historical look at previously issued permits.   

According to a shocking report by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the audit found discrepancies and a possible conflict of interest, to include “…since 2008, over 8,000 building permits have expired without a final inspection. That includes 4,600 permits “involving life-safety systems.”

“These permits represent construction work (electrical, mechanical, and structural) that was never verified for code compliance,” according to the report. “Residents who occupy these structures may unknowingly be in buildings that were never confirmed to meet the Florida Building Code.”

“Also, the county has lost money from the issues identified in the audit, according to the report.

The report estimated a loss of more than $400,000 in one year from reinspection fees not being charged properly.”

Read that again.

That’s potentially thousands of our new neighbors living in structures that may not meet state life-safety codes – and $400,000+ in potential revenue that nobody seemed to miss.

Who benefits when construction work is never verified for code compliance? 

Oh, wait…

More disturbing, the audit found evidence of possible “…preferential treatment” involving the former chief building inspector at the time, who applied for a building permit for a 5,000-square-foot storage building. The permit was issued in April 2024.”

The audit suggests the former county employee received a drastically reduced permit fee and waiver when “…someone recorded a siding inspection on the property, which had no siding. That caused the permit expiration date to be extended for several months without a $25 extension fee.”

Although the audit found no direct wrongdoing, the PowerPoint accompanying the auditor’s agenda item explained that “An HR investigation was initiated during the audit.  3 employees separated from County employment prior to its conclusion.”

Disturbing.

That’s one reason I found it odd that the current director of the terribly misnamed Growth and Resource Management department only “partially agreed” with the auditor’s suggestion that inspectors “…review, sign, and date their conflict-of-interest disclosure forms annually” to increase documentation and accountability. 

Inconceivably, Ray Tyner ($181,000 annually) the department’s current director wrote “We disagree with requiring inspectors to review, sign, and date conflict-of-interest disclosure forms annually, licensed staff are required by State law to complete mandatory ethics training biannually as a condition of license renewal.”

So, your department has been found to have serious problems dating back years – including the potential loss of revenue, statutory noncompliance, documentation issues, and questions concerning integrity, oversight, public safety, and quality of work – and you disagree that having public employees sign conflict-of-interest disclosure forms might be beneficial going forward? 

Really?

Typically, that’s where a responsive county manager steps in, restores sanity, and tells the auditor, “We’d be happy to comply with that commonsense step to help ensure the integrity of the process…”

Not here.

According to a follow-up report by Sheldon Gardner writing in the News-Journal, “…county officials could not find a government agency that requires building inspectors to file such a form…”

Why be the first to improve accountability, eh?

Unfortunately, rather than demand substantive change and accountability for what would have been a major embarrassment and breach of the public trust anywhere else, the majority of our elected representatives on the Volusia County Council seem content to let “The Wreck” and the good old boys to do some light housekeeping on their own…

You know, tidy things up in the Growth and Resource Mismanagement Department and keep things in-house.

In my view, this exemplifies the fetid culture of mediocrity and lack of accountability commensurate with responsibility that permeates the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building in DeLand – a place where citizens and members of advisory boards who sound the klaxon on issues are labeled “liars” by their elected representatives – and no one (who should) seems to give a tinker’s damn about serious problems and losses.  

Tragically, it is now apparent nobody – from top to bottom – knows what’s going on in that cloistered bureaucracy that seems totally devoid of basic answerability or fiscal oversight.  

In my view, Volusia County taxpayers compensate County Manager Recktenwald and County Attorney Dyer – the two most monstrously overpaid hacks in all the realm – a combined fortune in salary and benefits now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in pay, benefits, perquisites, and gimmes. 

Senior administrative salaries is the exact spot on the ledger where the Volusia County Council should begin hacking the thick rind of budgetary fat in advance of potentially devastating revenue reductions this fall.

Like those political benefactors in the real estate development industry who buy and sell our elected officials like chattel each election cycle, We, The Little People should demand a better return on our investment… 

Volusia’s “Old Guard”: Maintaining the Status Quo by Any Means Necessary… 

When it comes to politics, I am a true No Party Affiliate – right of center with moderate, even apolitical, views on most national issues – and I rarely involve myself in the terrible divisiveness that results from the countrywide battle for partisan dominance.

In my view, there is a distinct reason 101,766 of my neighbors and I here in Volusia County are now registered NPA.  That’s almost 26% of all active voters on the “Fun Coast,” and just 3,718 shy of the current active Democratic roll. 

In Volusia County, Republicans enjoy a massive margin over Democrats, with 172,055 active voters.

Like my father and grandfather before me, I was a lifelong Republican.  That changed with the rise of fringe politics, the loss of reason and compassion on both sides of the aisle, self-serving party bosses, oligarchal influence, and the resultant irreconcilable differences that have brought our nation to this place of lockstep partisanship.

That’s when I realized that neither the modern Republican party – nor the abject insanity of moon bat democrat/socialists – represent my views as a moderate conservative with a social conscience.  A patriotic American not afraid to question the ‘why’ of things, sick and tired of the political machinations on both sides that are destroying our democratic process and the very fabric of our great nation…

The grim reminders of why I made the choice to go NPA come fast and furious each election season and 2026 is certainly no exception.

For instance, according to a report by Carlos Garin writing in The Florida Pundit earlier this month, “Five people, including two sitting St. Johns County commissioners and a former St. Augustine Beach mayor, face criminal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to distribute unauthorized Republican voter guides during the 2024 primary election.

St. Johns County Commissioners Sarah Arnold and Christian Whitehurst, St. Augustine Beach Commissioner and former Mayor Dylan Rumrell, political consultant Brianna Jordan and Jamie Lynn Johnson were charged after an investigation into campaign mailers allegedly designed to resemble official voter guides from the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee.

Each defendant faces charges of creating an unauthorized voter guide and conspiracy, according to charging documents described in multiple reports.”

Good.  In my view, it’s high time people went to jail over this nefarious horseshit…

Last week, I felt a wave of déjà vu as a similar cheating scandal broke out locally when Republican Executive Committee of Volusia County Chair Maryann Pistilli rightfully excommunicated some twenty members of the group following a dispute involving an unauthorized voter guide that the committee claims was “fraudulent.”

Some of the Republican candidates who were intentionally left off the unsanctioned “Keep Volusia Great” voter guide believe the actions of the now ousted members – who, I am told, included some current elected officials, active candidates, and former members of the RECVC leadership (who are no strangers to intraparty controversy) – constitute election interference and “political corruption.”

Unfortunately, we’ve seen this all before…

As in election years past, this unnecessary drama is nothing new for those ossified members of Volusia’s “Old Guard” who seem to have a pathological compulsion for protecting the stagnant status quo. 

In my experience, petty tyrants and skeevy shysters have always been a problem in local political organizations – typically clubbish cliques that often operate in diametric opposition to the egalitarian principles they claim to represent – but the repetitive nature of these internecine brouhahas is different. 

And telling…

In 2024, the former leadership of Volusia’s Republican Executive Committee conjured some weird parliamentary trickery to intentionally block sitting Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower from the infamous “Official Republican Voter Guide,” even after he carried the primary.

I’ve seen some shit in my day, but the brazenness of that screw-job was unprecedented and proved it wasn’t about getting Republican’s elected in ‘bright red’ Volusia County.  

In my view, the true purpose of suppressing Chairman Brower by intentionally keeping his name off the voter guide was to keep and place malleable marionettes in office who will ensure all the right last names maintain influence and access in county government and beyond.

That ugly debacle left many local Republicans suggesting that Brower’s reelection represented the last time the conniving former RECVC leadership would unfairly manipulate an election.

Guess they were wrong, eh?    

Given the party’s active voter advantage, getting republicans elected in Volusia County isn’t difficult.  So why would certain former members of the Republican Executive Committee see the need to sneak behind party leadership and omit specific republican candidates from a “voter guide”?

Sounds like there are two separate organizations operating under the Republican Executive Committee of Volusia County – one which follows party rules – another which works in the shadows, usurps established guidelines to the advantage of hand-select candidates, and lacks a sense of fair play – using chicanery and misdirection to deceive voters and ensure the “system” remains biased toward those Big Money donors with a chip in the game.

That gives the appearance that, “All Republicans are equal, but some are more equal than others…”

Why is that?

Unfortunately, as a result of this biannual shit show, some good local candidates have been tainted by both their inclusion – or omission – from a bogus “voter guide” cobbled together by an apparent rogue faction of the RECVC. 

A group of repeat shit-stirrers, some with an established pattern of conduct, intent on cheating republican voters and candidates by tainting the legitimacy of this important process.

Chairwoman Pistilli was right to bounce these bums out on their sorry asses.

In my view, discrimination, manipulation, and exclusion of candidates by their own party has the stench of intraparty election tampering.  Perhaps it is time for Volusia County republicans to ask state party officials just how long they intend to tolerate it?

Quote of the Week

“Former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, one of the named plaintiffs, called the ruling a victory for Florida voters.

“Today, the court drew a line. The ballot box is not a place for political advertising,” he said in a text to the Phoenix. “This case was never about whether property taxes should be lower. It was about whether government can market a constitutional amendment instead of honestly explaining it to voters. The court said ‘no.’”

If passed, Amendment 3 would constitute one of the most significant changes to property taxes in the state in more than a generation. Its projected financial impact would reach up to $12 billion annually beginning in 2031. It has drawn widespread opposition from groups that represent firefighters, sheriffs, and police.”

–Reporter Christine Sexton writing in The Florida Phoenix, “Amendment 3 ballot title, summary language, don’t pass muster, judge rules,” Tuesday, August 4, 2026

For the first time since the Florida legislature approved the ill-conceived tax shift known as Amendment 3, common sense (and the law) prevailed this week when a Tallahassee judge ruled the ballot language must be rewritten to avoid “misleading” voters in November.

According to reports, Attorney General James Uthmeier must now redraft Amendment 3’s summary language after Circuit Judge David Frank wrote that the deceptive title – “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes” – is a political slogan, neither fair nor neutral in the context of explanatory ballot language.

Earlier this week, always outspoken Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd joined growing calls to reject the half-baked plan, calling the drastic proposed amendment “…the most ludicrous piece of unresearched stuff I’ve ever seen.”

He’s right.

Referring to the proposed constitutional amendment as a “train wreck,” Sheriff Judd explained, “When the House and Senate passed Amendment 3, they had never seen a financial analysis of that amendment.  They have no idea the devastation of Amendment 3 in its current form will be to cities and counties. When you get to some small counties, it will wipe them out.”

In my view, transferring total control to Tallahassee – now a detached and wholly corrupt oligarchy comprised of bought-and-paid-for shills, errand boys for the development industry – by exsanguinating our accessible local governments and tailored neighborhood services that contribute to our safety and quality of life is asinine.

In his assessment of Amendment 3, Sheriff Judd noted that the proposed constitutional amendment lacks any means of funding those core services we rely on in the absence of Florida’s traditional ad valorem tax system.  It also goes too far in cutting funding for law enforcement, fire, and emergency services.

“Reasonable people understand services cost money.  Not once have I been in an emergency and have someone stand up and complain about the costs. When your life is on the line, the cost doesn’t make a difference.”

In my view, Floridians deserve responsible property tax relief and reasonable spending reforms – this isn’t it.

And Another Thing!

“In May, we told the teachers that we couldn’t possibly give them 1 mill because it wasn’t the right time …,” Brosemer said. “And so we effectively are doing the same thing. We are getting the same money, but we’re keeping it for ourselves, and that makes me very uncomfortable.”

–District 4 Volusia School Board Member Donna Brosemer, as quoted by reporter Mark Harper in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Did ‘politics’ influence Volusia Schools’ budget, tax rate?” Monday, August 3, 2026

Speaking of desperately needed spending reform… 

To answer the News-Journal’s rhetorical question – of course ‘politics’ influenced Volusia County Schools budget. 

It always does… 

We, The Little People expect that those we elect to represent our interests will consider something beyond their reelection prospects when negotiating the district’s massive $1.1 billion annual budget.

Less political grandstanding, more independent stewardship and oversight.  Better governance and representation for their constituents and less tail wagging the dog…  

We also ask that they independently educate themselves on the true needs of the district, rather than relying solely on stilted lectures from the finance director, the canned response of senior administrators, or the toxic optimism of Superintendent Carmen Balgobin, who each year construct a budget in their own image.

Ensuring perquisites and privileges for the Ivory Tower of Power while ignoring the needs of those most important to the success of the mission.  

In my view, that is best evidenced by denying classroom teachers a competitive wage while shifting public funds to the wants of a bloated bureaucracy and its top-heavy administration, all orchestrated by an egotistical superintendent with an Aristotle Complex…

During last week’s budget debate, much was made over Ms. Brosemer’s refusal to appear before district CFO Deidra Whittenberger so she could be fed regurgitated information like a baby bird. That led to incumbent Jamie Haynes indignantly mewling that she would refuse to pass the budget and tax rate until everyone was “prepared,” (i.e. “indoctrinated”).

According to the News-Journal report, Haynes harrumphed “Since we have a board member that has already stated she’s not going to vote for this, I’m going to state I’m not voting for it, either, tonight,” Haynes said, “because until everybody is prepared to understand it, because one of the biggest responsibilities we have as a board member is to approve the budget.”

Of course, the others piled on, using hyper-dramatic theatrics to hypocritically paint Ms. Brosemer – the one member of the board who actually understands the district’s needs, challenges, and her role in the budget process – as a uniformed obstructionist.

In addition, Superintendent Balgobin got her insubordinate licks in on Brosemer:

“What was this all about? Balgobin settled on a single word.

“I’ve been in education for 27 ½ years,” Balgobin said. “Politics has its place. Politics has its place. But when we use politics, like something that I’m seeing right now − I can’t even believe this … − where it will affect our students and our staff members, I am alarmed at this point.”

Bullshit.

Ultimately, the three incumbents currently standing for reelection – Jamie Haynes, Jessie “The Liar” Thompson, and current Board Chair Ruben Colón – did as they were told and voted in favor of the astronomical $1.1 Billion budget and property-tax hike.

Although she supported the tax increase, board member Krista Goodrich joined Ms. Brosemer in voting no on the budget.

The proposed tax rate and budget will return for a final vote on September 8. 

While many counties and municipalities across Florida are actively cutting positions and reducing essential services – holding the line on spending given the potentially disastrous unknowns of Amendment 3 – it appears Superintendent Balgobin is callously taking full advantage of the state’s education carve out for the expenditure of property taxes.   

Perhaps if our elected representatives on the Volusia County School Board took a few minutes out of their busy day attending pep rallies, cutting decorations for the big Sadie Hawkins dance, and being spoon fed spin by Superintendent Balgobin, they could perform the independent oversight, governance, and fiscal stewardship they are statutorily obligated to conduct.

In my view, fabricating cockamamie “school grades,” engaging in pathological self-promotion, and denying salary increases for classroom teachers and support staff while raising taxes in the shadow of Amendment 3 is obscene.

Vote your conscience.  Volusia County students, teachers, parents, and staff deserve better.

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County School’s Ministry of Truth: Silencing Dissent to Perpetuate the Lie

“The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it.”

–George Orwell, 1984

The scourge of censorship is often defined as “the manipulation, suppression, or prohibition of speech or writing that is deemed subversive by those in power.” While censorship is frequently associated with oppressive government officials, private entities can also endanger our First Amendment freedom of expression by proxy, especially when acting on behalf of those in public office by using their position of power and access to suppress criticism through intimidation.

I find the practice of limiting a citizen’s right to dispute a publicly funded entities message with their own truth despicable in all its forms. 

In my view, the true danger to our individual freedoms comes when an orchestrated effort to hide truths, distort perception, and suppress opposition through bullying and marginalization becomes official public policy.  

For instance, last week saw the release of a professionally produced video featuring recognizable community leaders enthusiastically flogging the dubious notion that Volusia County School’s received back-to-back “A” grades. 

I was particularly taken by one presenter who said “We’re 100% proficient, Wow! That’s incredible!” 

It’s also a bald-faced lie.

For the uninitiated, the state’s school grading system was established by the Florida Department of Education and is calculated using twelve components, to include student achievement, learning gains, and graduation rates.

Under this ridiculously skewed grading system, just 64% of available points is considered an “A” grade…   

In my view, that’s not just intentionally misleading – its obscene. 

Especially when you consider that 40% to 50% of Volusia County students cannot read or perform mathematics at grade level – basic skills needed for success in life.  In my view, that represents academic victimization and should be prosecuted as criminal deception…

Most frightening, now it appears the majority of our elected representatives on the Volusia County School Board seem content to allow Superintendent Carmen Balgobin to perpetuate her sick version of the Illusion of Truth Effect, the practice of repeating statements – true or false – until they gain a sense of familiarity, which people begin to interpret as accuracy.

In short, a lie repeated often enough becomes accepted fact – especially when you enlist respected community leaders to parrot the district’s puffery and manipulate public perception in a choreographed video paid for by Volusia County taxpayers.  

Another facet to Balgobin’s propaganda campaign is her pathological focus on awards and accolades as a means of self-promotion – a smokescreen of toxic optimism and perceived success to camouflage the abject dysfunction that seemingly permeates every aspect of district operations and administration.

In an effort to confirm my worst suspicions, I decided to have a closer look…

Last month, I submitted a public records request for information relating to two of the district’s most recent highly publicized awards – one recognizing Superintendent Balgobin by the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education – the other a “Certificate of Excellence” presented to the finance department for completion of the district’s annual comprehensive financial report.

Sadly, I wasn’t surprised to find that in both cases the nominations originated in-house. 

The award applications were completed by senior administrators at Volusia County Schools, highly compensated directors who apparently have little else to do outside of feeding Dr. Balgobin’s incessant self-idolatry.

In the case of the certificate of excellence – amid embarrassing and incredibly expensive problems with the district’s payroll and benefits system that continues to plague employees – Volusia County taxpayers were on the hook for $1,375.00 to pay for the finance department’s award application… 

That’s one way to get recognized, I guess. 

Last year, with much congratulatory fanfare, Superintendent Balgobin widely announced that she had been named the 2025 Superintendent of the Year by something called the National Association of School Superintendents.  Not surprisingly, a check of the NASS website finds that Superintendent Balgobin nominated herself; writing in the third person and using the “A” rating ruse to full effect, she completed the application, signed it on May 31, 2025, and shamelessly submitted it. 

I don’t make this shit up, folks.

Here’s a question for sitting School Board members and those who aspire to be this election season:

What exactly are we paying that senior clique in the Ivory Town of Power to do when they aren’t nominating each other for contrived tributes, protecting Dr. Balgobin’s veneer of competence, and ginning up school grades? 

I thought the role of Balgobin’s “cabinet” was ensuring classroom teachers have the tools and ability to educate students and achieve a level of academic proficiency that will allow them to survive in an increasingly competitive world.

Silly me…

During Tuesday’s Volusia County School Board meeting, with critical elections looming, board member Donna Brosemer threw back the velvet curtain and exposed the dark side of the district’s effort to push the “A” school narrative by suppressing opposing voices who dare speak their truth and champion the plight of students and teachers.

According to Ms. Brosemer, the district has become akin to a mafia “protection racket,” an organized intimidation campaign that uses both district employees and outside influencers to silence dissent.

That should shock the conscience of anyone who cares about basic fairness – and our inalienable right to free speech.

Apparently, certain outspoken critics of the regime have experienced bullying by some local heavy hitters who would prefer the district’s well-crafted façade of success not be revealed for what it is. 

After all, it’s hard to retain bragging rights if your source of pride is unmasked as little more than an educratic lowering of the academic bar… 

As I understand it, the district’s thuggish tactics include contacting employers and threatening the jobs of those who speak out, refusing to allow certain businesses to participate in charitable efforts benefitting area schools, and blacklisting specific companies and services from working with Volusia County schools as a means of punishing them.

In a local economy based upon the same five people passing the same nickel around, that can have profound consequences for those in the private sector who refuse to toe the line…  

It is apparent that Superintendent Balgobin understands that true power lies in controlling the narrative, manipulating information and statistics, suppressing dissent, and fabricating “facts” to shape an alternative reality.

Tragically, it appears this well-crafted cult of personality and forced obedience to the district’s storyline is now being enforced at the point of a spear.  But what about the voices of those students, teachers, staff, and taxpayers who are being silenced to protect the guise?

In his work “1984,” Orwell warned of the trivialization of academic standards:

“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.” 

In my view, impressionable Volusia County students who are repeatedly told by respected authority figures that their district earned an “A” grade – even as they struggle to read, express themselves, develop job skills, communicate effectively, think critically, and perform basic calculations – have a reduced resistance to manipulation. 

As a result, they eventually come to rely on the official spin of “authorities,” asinine social trends, and algorithm-driven misinformation to shape their understanding, values, and beliefs. 

That doesn’t produce active, engaged, and productive citizens of a healthy representative democracy.   

In fact, it churns out malleable victims who lack the intellectual autonomy to reject contrived narratives – like those created by self-serving adults with a lucrative chip in the game – who use artificial school “grades” to prop up their for-profit motives while ignoring the fate of those who will suffer most…   

Vote your conscience.  

Quote of the Week

“The Florida State Fraternal Order of Police believes Florida taxpayers deserve meaningful property tax relief,” the organization said in a written statement Friday. “We understand the financial pressures facing homeowners, and we support thoughtful, responsible reforms that provide relief while protecting the essential services our communities depend on.

“However, we oppose the current Amendment 3 because it creates far too much uncertainty about how local governments would continue to fund law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency medical services, and other critical public safety functions. Public safety should never become collateral damage with uncertain fiscal consequences.”

If approved, the proposed amendment would increase homestead exemptions for Floridians who own primary residences by the end of this year to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Further increases would be tied to the Consumer Price Index.  The amendment would cap assessment increases on other property to 5% a year.

Last week, the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association became the first major statewide public safety organization to formally oppose Amendment 3, saying providing tax relief and reliable emergency services “are not mutually exclusive, but both require responsible long-term planning.”

–Mitch Perry, The Florida Phoenix, as excerpted from his report “Fraternal Order of Police latest group to oppose property tax constitutional amendment,” Friday, July 24, 2026

“…responsible long-term planning…”

That’s an interesting concept. 

During my productive life, based upon years of extensive advanced training and practical experience, I earned the Florida Professional Emergency Manager designation from the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association. 

The certification required that I demonstrate diverse skills and expertise in the mitigation, prevention, protection, response, and recovery phases of emergency preparedness and management.  In my experience, in the emergency services – preparedness is the key to success – especially when planning for potentially life-threatening situations.   

As old Ben Franklin was fond of saying, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Through the years, the School of Hard Knocks taught me that hope is not a strategy when lives – or the continuity of essential services – hang in the balance.

That experience is just one reason I am shocked that our state legislative delegation didn’t insist on responsible planning before passing Amendment 3. 

A comprehensive blueprint for how Florida cities and counties can reduce spending, determine what resources will be available from the state, identify alternative revenue sources, and prepare for how essential neighborhood services will be funded when our reasonably equitable ad valorem tax system is extinguished.    

Oh, I forgot. 

Sen. Tom Wright recently explained they were bullied into it by Gov. Ron DeSantis who refused to sign the state budget – holding their paltry local allocations hostage in an election year – so, they said “screw it,” and passed the incredibly risky ballot measure in less than 48-hours while in special session…   

So much for that ‘political courage’ we hear so much about each campaign season, eh?

Perhaps you should ask those local legislators currently seeking reelection at the next haughty ‘hobnob’ why they would foist this half-baked (and incredibly dangerous) tax shift on the very communities who sent them to Tallahassee? 

Ask them how they could be so grossly irresponsible as to approve an ‘all or nothing’ ballot question with no plan for funding emergency services for existing residents, let alone serve the massive future sprawl already approved by those same politicians who preempted local growth management controls to appease their sugar daddies in the development industry.     

Amendment 3 is bad for Florida. 

So are those craven politicians who forced this impossible dilemma on their tax-strapped constituents who now fear for their quality of life…

And Another Thing!

As regular readers may have figured out, I’m something of an eccentric.   

A rube wandering the wilderness, as I like to say; staggering through the darkness like a half-drunk Diogenes, dim lamp raised, always searching for those rare public servants who hold themselves out for high office, then live up to their promises and actually put their long-suffering constituents before their own self-interests, or those of the powerful forces who control them. 

Foolish, I know…    

But my one superpower is a precision-tuned bullshit detector and a keen penchant for pointing out political posturing whenever I see it. 

In my view, grandstanding, symbolic gestures, and taking policy positions without substance on emotional topics merely to gain political support ultimately erode the public trust.  That adds to the disillusionment experienced by voters after an election when they discover it was all a well-choreographed Kabuki…

Last week, the Volusia County Council took up the hot button issue of AI data centers – not because a hyperscale facility is pending (or even planned) here on the “Fun Coast” – but because a couple of incumbents up for reelection want to make themselves appear relevant to the growing national discussion. 

They aren’t.   

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer, Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago, a perennial politician scrambling for reelection in District 5, suggested a pointless “six-month moratorium” on artificial intelligence data centers “…while the County Council studies how the rapidly expanding industry could affect water resources, utility infrastructure and environmentally sensitive areas.”

“I think it’s just getting so much more attention that I wanted to consider the thought process of — and I usually don’t say these words — but a six-month moratorium on data centers in Volusia while we get an understanding of what the trends are and understanding what protocols we can put in place to protect our community,” Santiago said.”

In other words, Santiago hitched his political wagon to a high-profile (if locally nonexistent) issue, associated his name with it, then pretended to take a proactive approach to “protect our community.”

Bullshit.

In turn, Councilman Danny “Gaslight” Robins – who is running for reelection in District 3 – joined the cause, tut-tutting “I don’t think there’s been one proposed in Volusia.  But we do need to look at it and make sure if we do go forward … my biggest concern was in accordance with our charter because there were water resources in our sensitive areas.”

Trust me.  Neither Santiago nor Robins give two-shits about water resources, public infrastructure, or “environmentally sensitive areas.”

To show you how much “No Show” Santiago cares about infrastructure, as a voting member of the Volusia-Flagler Transportation Planning Organization – the body responsible for conducting urban transportation planning across our desperately congested region – Councilman Santiago recorded unexcused absences at every TPO meeting last year.

Inexplicably, he has so far failed to attend any TPO board or executive committee meeting in 2026… 

He just never shows up. Desperately needed transportation improvements be damned.

Don’t take my word for it, find the attendance roll here: https://tinyurl.com/nzuysfxy

Is Mr. Santiago even aware we have a transportation planning organization?  Or that he represents the good people of Volusia’s District 5 as a voting member of the board? 

In 2024, Mr. Santiago – the King of Political Procrastination – led the charge to kick the can on a proposed new construction moratorium in the face of pervasive countywide flooding.  After years of inundation, heartbreak, and recurrent property damage, Santiago had the impudence to tell affected residents, “I don’t have enough information to make a decision.”

In February 2026, “No Show” Santiago marshalled a majority vote that sold the health and safety of your grandchildren and mine on the altar of greed when they crushed the hopes of residents who sought both a county ordinance and a charter amendment prohibiting the disgusting use of “blackwater” (a.k.a. Toilet to Tap) to supplement drinking water in the county’s unincorporated service areas. 

During a lengthy discussion (that had the feel of a scripted production) those compromised shills trotted out every possible argument for denying Volusia County residents the opportunity to vote to ban ‘toilet to tap’ for county utility customers.

The excuses ran the gamut from “This is a solution in search of a problem!” “We have no plans to develop a potable reuse program at this time,” “Let someone else deal with it in the future.”

What they really meant was, “Let’s keep kissing the sizeable asses of our benevolent overseers in the real estate development industry and Tallahassee,” fearful that proactively protecting our drinking water and limiting development to the natural capacity of available resources would provoke the wrath of state legislators – and their own deep-pocketed campaign donors…

Cowards.

Typically, Councilman Santiago engaged in his tiresome bitchery on the dais, claiming Chairman Jeff Brower was guilty of “misstatements,” and labeling the entire effort by the grassroots advocacy Let Volusia Vote a “con game.”

Which is rich, coming from “No Show” Santiago – the original political grifter…

At the time, reporter Jarleene Almenas wrote in the Observer about the “potable reuse” debate:

“Volusia has zero plans to do this,” Councilman Santiago said. “Don’t be fooled by what you’re seeing in social media that that’s what we’re doing. It is a con game as it pertains to Volusia County.”

A toilet to tap ban, Santiago said, is a “county solution looking for a county problem.” Additionally, the county only controls 7% of total utilities in Volusia; municipalities control the majority. A charter amendment that only pertains to 7% of users would be a “disservice” to the county residents, some of whom might believe this would impact their city utilities.

After the obligatory posturing, preening, and spit-pats – Councilmen Jake Johansson, “No Show” Santiago, “Gaslight” Robins, and Matt Reinhart – voted in the majority to remove the citizens right to choose on an issue of collective concern.

Now Santiago wants a six-month halt on nonexistent data centers ahead of an election? 

Again – Bullshit.

If they were serious about the issue, the VCC would immediately move to ban the use of tax incentives, corporate welfare giveaways, and those secretive non-disclosure agreements employed by “economic development” shills when negotiating with data center operators.

Trust me – these bought-and-paid for political hacks could care less about the threat of these facilities on our already threatened environment (and pocketbooks). In my view, long-suffering Volusia County residents will just have to wait and see how data centers ultimately benefit Santiago and Robins – personally or politically… 

For now, this is just another skit in a long line of self-serving charades performed by Councilman Santiago, a professional opportunist who attaches himself to an issue solely for personal aggrandizement, visibility, and political gain, while ignoring genuine public policy priorities like transportation, flooding, and unchecked growth.

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

Perpetuating Petty Mudslinging in Ormond Beach

Regular readers of these screeds know the reverence I have for local journalism.

I support both traditional, citizen, and independent media outlets that push quality news, information, and alternative opinions in an age where reportage seems limited to regurgitating the pap and fluff flowing from government spinmeisters. 

That’s what happens when so few are willing to pay a subscription fee to remain informed amid the partisan polarization and whackadoodle bias of “corporate journalism,” a system that has neutered the Fourth Estate and absorbed/destroyed countless local newspapers.

Fortunately, we are blessed with a few great local news outlets here on Florida’s “Fun Coast.”

For instance, I enjoy the local news coverage from what’s left of The Daytona Beach News-Journal.  The West Volusia Beacon – one of the last remaining community newspapers in existence – periodically runs Barker’s View in their opinion section.  I rarely agree with editor Pierre Tristam’s politics, but his FlaglerLive.com is incredibly informative with frequent deep dives on local issues, and the Ormond Beach/Palm Coast Observer is a great community resource and one of the first things I read each morning.   

Perhaps that’s why I was so disappointed in the Observer’s decision to publish a recent op/ed (if you can call it that) personally attacking Ormond Beach Mayor Jason Leslie.  In my view, the unadulterated hit piece signaled the return of the dirty tricks and politics of personal destruction that invariably taint Ormond Beach elections. 

The attacks are always well-choreographed so the candidate(s) the perpetrators support have plausible deniability of who is behind the distracting practice…

In my view, who you select to represent your family’s interests is a personal decision based upon many factors.  That’s why I don’t tell people who to vote for on this blog site.  

If you are reading Barker’s View, I naturally assume you are an engaged and informed voter, someone who stays abreast of current events, familiar with the diverse opinions and players surrounding the issues of the day.

Sometimes my take on civic happenings can be acerbic, tongue-in-cheek, even over-the-top – just one man’s opinion on the news and newsmakers – neither always right, nor always wrong, and many readers vehemently disagree with my particular take on matters important to them. 

That’s my purpose.  Generating a larger discussion of the issues is BV’s raison d’être.

This is different.  

Last week, the Ormond Beach Observer ran a hit piece launched by a former family member of incumbent Mayor Jason Leslie – apparently an estranged ex-boyfriend of Mr. Leslie’s sister (?) – who asked the question, “Who is Jason Leslie?” before smearing his character in print.

It was an ambush so ad hominem that I almost stopped reading – not because I was offended – but because it wasted my time.

The piece included accusations against Mayor Leslie based upon anecdotal recollections, raised questions about his business history and credentials, and trotted out several previously settled personal and professional lawsuits to add to the embarrassment factor.

The writer even attempted to make a vile connection to the 1700’s slave trade based upon a claim that Capt. James Ormond may have once worked for the company of a long-distant relative of Mayor Leslie – a link so tenuous that everyone who lives in the city that bears Capt. Ormond’s name could be implicated… 

In an apparent stab at fairness, the Observer identified the writer as a family member, allowed Mayor Leslie to respond, and attempted to confirm some of the odd allegations – mostly based on old family yarns – to include, “Jason claims that The Great Gatsby was written about his family. When questioned, it turned into “the idea for the Great Gatsby was inspired by Scott Fitzgerald while he attended one of Jason’s great aunt’s parties.” It seems Mr. Leslie likes to think that anyone with the last name Leslie is related to him.”

Who cares? 

What about the candidate’s position on how we improve transportation and utilities infrastructure with the specter of Avalon Park, Ormond Crossings, Archers Mill, Tomoka Reserve, et alia, on the horizon? 

In rebuttal, Mayor Leslie said, “It is disheartening that what should remain a private family matter has become public,” and dismissed the personal attacks for what they are. 

In my view, it was silly.  A sordid family squabble laid bare to humiliate a public official at election time – something I found well beneath the journalistic standards I’ve come to appreciate from the Ormond Beach Observer.

I have always respected the community newspaper for its balanced and objective coverage, and the pettiness of the Leslie smear bothered me.

Soon after, the ‘rest of the story’ became apparent…

Less than 24-hours after the hit piece appeared in the Ormond Beach Observer, a bright red sign appeared on public right-of-way at the entrance to my neighborhood which read, “LIAR LESLIE” in bold print. 

The sponsorship disclosure read, “Paid for by Ormond Residents Fed Up With Mayor Jason Leslie’s Lies.”  I don’t know if that’s a legitimate political action committee or just another gouge at Mayor Leslie…

The timing appeared choreographed – a ‘one-two’ punch – an orchestrated ambush that reeks of desperation by Mr. Leslie’s competition. 

In fact, I noticed that the Lori Tolland for Mayor sign that sat directly next to Mayor Leslie’s campaign sign had been removed when the disparaging placard was erected.   

The absence of the Tolland connection was noticeable – and it spoke volumes.

I have no idea if Commissioner Tolland’s campaign is involved – or even aware – of the derogatory signage that paints her opponent in a bad light, but cui bono?

Personally, I believe the 2026 mayoral race represents the worst dilemma Ormond Beach voters have ever faced, with a field consisting of Mayor Leslie, Commissioner Tolland, and two also-rans… 

The myriad issues facing this once quaint and truly unique community – now churned into a homogenized “everyplace” by visionless elected officials, mercenary assholes with big promises, and real estate developers trying to cram 3/2 cracker boxes into every nook and cranny – are increasing exponentially. 

Sadly, in the face of these enormous challenges, the Ormond Beach City Commission often appears as a ship of fools in a Three Stooges farce, with no one on the bridge who seems to have a clue how to navigate forward…

My pointed criticism includes Mayor Leslie, who often appears out of his element, and the recipient of frequent attacks by the malleable Commissioner Tolland (of Tomoka Reserve infamy) and their equally clueless “colleagues,” whenever he tries to think beyond the status quo.

In my view, our collective challenges are far too great for cheap distractions, and this petty mudslinging has no place in Ormond Beach politics. 

I hope the Observer realizes its mistake in perpetuating it.

Volusia County Councilman Matt Reinhart Continues to Serve and Protect

Having spent the bulk of my life in law enforcement, some of the worst situations I was called to help with involved the scourge of domestic violence – a criminal act causing physical injury or death between family, intimate partners, or household members. 

It’s more prevalent than you might think.  Volusia County ranks fourth statewide in domestic violence cases…

For many trapped in the pernicious cycle of violence, stalking, and psychological abuse, it can seem inescapable. 

Tragically, for some it is. 

In 2021, 220 individuals died as the result of domestic violence homicide, representing approximately 20% of all homicides in Florida.  Nationally, over 40% of female murder victims are killed by a current or former domestic partner. 

In an effort to save lives and reverse the unacceptable number of DV cases here on the “Fun Coast,” earlier this year, Volusia County Councilman Matt Reinhart – a retired career corrections professional – proposed a searchable domestic violence registry which would consolidate available public information from the Clerk of the Court regarding convicted domestic violence offenders in a web-based database.

According to reports, Reinhart’s resolution is based on Savanna’s Law, a Tennessee registry which went into effect January 1, 2026, named after Savanna Puckett, a 22-year-old deputy sheriff who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2022.  The law created a public registry of “persistent domestic violence offenders,” which includes the photograph, personal identifiers, and conviction history of convicted batterers.

In Volusia County, the centralized registry to hold batterers accountable and protect potential victims as proposed by Councilman Reinhart received resounding support from several area municipalities, to include Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Holly Hill, Edgewater, Ormond Beach, and Ponce Inlet.

On Tuesday, during an emotional hearing before the Volusia County Council, Buck James, CEO of the Domestic Abuse Council of Volusia County, spoke in support of the proposed registry and explained “domestic violence thrives in secrecy.”

To his credit, during the discussion, Councilman Reinhart made a motion in support of his previous stance that the registry should include anyone with a single conviction involving a crime of domestic violence, rather than limit the information to repeat offenders.

During the ensuing discussion, Councilman Don Dempsey couldn’t take off his defense attorney cap long enough to consider the potential lifesaving benefit of sparing families the tragic heartbreak of a loved one’s death to domestic violence, claiming that many innocent people are caught in what he described as “the net.”

To everyone’s astonishment, Dempsey left his seat and thundered away in that demented Atticus Finch routine of his – butchering quotes from Voltaire and Thomas Jefferson along the way – before arguing that the information on domestic violence offenders is already available on the Clerk of the Court’s website, then claiming DV accusations are frequently bogus, used for leverage in domestic disputes, etc.  

Councilman Dempsey – the lone member of the spousal abuse lobby – wailed that the registry would cast a “stigma” on batterers who will now clog the system by demanding a trial to avoid the potential shame…

I guess by Mr. Dempsey’s thinking, victims are forced to carry the physical and mental scars of domestic violence the rest of their lives – but those who are convicted in a court of law of the heinous act that inflicted them shouldn’t suffer undo embarrassment for their crimes?

I assume when it became apparent to Councilman Dempsey that people were staring in perplexed bewilderment over his asinine attempt to keep convicted abusers off a searchable database – he changed tack – attempting to kick the can down the dusty political trail by demanding presentations from the State Attorney, Public Defender, and Clerk of the Court before vote was taken on this important resource.

Why is Mr. Dempsey always vehemently arguing for a solution in search of a problem? 

From a tax funded motocross facility, to eviscerating the perpetuity provisions of Volusia Forever, or protecting potential victims from offenders previously convicted beyond any reasonable doubt of a crime of domestic violence, “Drama Don” Dempsey seems to feed on contrived controversy…

To their credit, the Volusia County Council ultimately voted 6-1 (you guess it, Councilman Dempsey cast the lone “No” vote…) to approve creating the database of convicted domestic violence offenders that will date back a decade – in my view, a valuable means of holding batterers accountable while providing a resource for anyone seeking to make an informed decision. 

It is the first of its kind in Florida.  That’s leadership.

Kudos to Councilman Matt Reinhart for continuing his tradition of serving and protecting the citizens of Volusia County. 

Quote of the Week

“The last thing we need at this point in Palm Coast are more residential homes,” Planning Board Vice Chair James Albano said. “We have a plethora of new construction. We have more used houses days-on-market than in a long time. Yet we have no industrial. So, in my opinion, residential right now is low hanging fruit, and we keep hearing that. Well, we need rooftops in order to get commercial. Well, we don’t need another Home Depot or we don’t need another Lowe’s. We need industrial jobs. We need bigger companies with a lot of employees. I think we’re missing the boat just to try to get more people to live here, which is not going to flip the tax base. We need to flip the tax base.”

–Palm Coast Planning Board Vice Chair James Albano, as quoted by FlaglerLive.com, “Palm Coast Planning Board Unanimously Rejects 22,000-Home Western Expansion Over Unanswered Questions,” Thursday, July 16, 2026

The back-and-forth over the City of Palm Coast’s ill-thought “westward expansion” continued last week when the city’s planning board rejected staff recommendations and voted unanimously against two proposed land use changes that would, as FlaglerLive.com explained, “pave the way” (literally) for 22,000 homes west of U.S. 1.

Why? 

Because everyone agrees the project’s planning is still half-baked – with Palm Coast officials still flying blind – and much more information needed to determine how necessary public infrastructure will be funded.

The development would add 55,000 new residents at buildout in 2056.

According to the report, “The Planning Board said the proposal left too many questions unanswered and too many stakeholders–the School Board, the county, neighboring residents–on the sidelines while giving residential development a priority the city does not need right now, compared to commercial and industrial development. Board members were also concerned about the proposal’s malleability at the hands of future developers, much of it, possibly, out of public view, since it diminishes the regulatory role of the board or the City Council.”

Tragically (typically?), the city’s planning apparatus attempted to convince claustrophobic stakeholders that more residential development will be required before commercial/industrial will come…

According to the report, Palm Coast Planning Manager & Development Shill Phong Nguyen explained to board members (with a straight face), “We have to also have that understanding that even though we would like to have non-residential to come in in order to balance our tax base, but the reality kicks in is that you have to have certain number of residential development first in order to do that.”

Be careful what you wish for Palm Coast – and be wary of who plans your family’s future.   

According to reports, Nguyen also explained that the specifics of roadway improvements, and utilities infrastructure – and who will pay for it all – can be revealed during the next phase of negotiations. 

Bullshit.

Why is it “negotiations” for these massive cities within a city always seem like peeling a rotten onion – with more details only available during the next step in the process – requiring blind approvals in order to learn more about the ultimate community/environmental/infrastructure impacts?  

With the Amendment 3 tax shift looming, how communities pay for the malignant growth that the Florida legislature (and malleable local officials) has foisted on existing residents – and who will pay for the increased demand for essential local services – brings this potential fiscal disaster into crystal clear focus.

Here’s a tip o’ the cap to the Palm Coast Planning Board for having the foresight to postpone the city’s “westward expansion” until the true impacts – and ultimate costs – can be determined.   

Now, let’s wait and see what the Palm Coast City Council does on August 4 when they are faced with the question of supporting the decision of their planning advisors – or pushing forward into Palm Coast’s great abyss…

And Another Thing!

“We returned to Daytona Beach with the expectation that the market could support renewed JetBlue service; however, demand has not developed as anticipated, and the financial performance of the flight has been worsening.  Ending service will allow us to redeploy aircraft into markets with stronger demand.”

–Statement from JetBlue announcing the decision to terminate service at Daytona “International” Airport, Thursday, July 16, 2026

“The notification was unexpected, and our team immediately reached out to JetBlue to explore whether there are ways to preserve some level of service—whether through fewer weekly flights or by maintaining service to New York (JFK). We remain hopeful those conversations will continue.”

“While we understand airlines must make business decisions based on their network needs, this news is especially disappointing because of the incredible support our community showed for JetBlue.  From day one, residents, businesses, and visitors embraced the convenience of nonstop service to Boston and New York, and that support demonstrated the strong demand that exists in our market.”

–Statement from Daytona Beach “International” Airport on JetBlue’s decision to terminate service at DAB, Thursday, July 16, 2026

The grossly contradictory statement issued by senior officials at Daytona “International” Airport makes it clear they know nothing about how air carriers make business decisions – and the conflicting hype and spin (“incredible support” and “strong demand”) – diametrically contradicts JetBlue’s explanation that “…demand has not developed as anticipated, and the financial performance of the flight has been worsening.” 

Yeah.  I know.  It’s a damnable lie presented as fact to lessen the blow – and mitigate repeat mistakes.  

That’s just one reason we no longer believe anything coming out of Volusia County government.

Regardless, this story is getting old… 

In 2018, just three-years after Volusia County’s economic development types ponied up some $2.3 million in “public incentives” to lure JetBlue to Daytona “International” Airport – area residents were left holding an empty bag when the carrier fled DAB for more lucrative markets by announcing JetBlue was “consolidating underperforming routes.”

This time they skedaddled in just seven-months…

Nearly a decade ago, in an effort to attract the airline to Daytona Beach, Volusia County officials went so far as developing a “travel bank” comprised of local companies – to include Brown & Brown, the former Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company, International Speedway Corporation, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – which were required to spend a quarter-million dollars over two-years with JetBlue. 

In exchange, the budget airline agreed to originate one flight per day to New York’s JFK from Daytona Beach.

Add thousands of dollars in marketing support from area advertising authorities, waived fees, and free upgrades to the airline’s gate location at the DAB terminal, and it was a surprisingly good deal. 

For JetBlue, anyway…

Does anyone over at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building ever do that for your small business? 

Just curious…

When the carrier left us rubes in their jetwash, I cynically called it another so-called “investment” of public funds in a private/for-profit enterprise that never panned out, but that doesn’t seem to dissuade Volusia County officials from making the same mistake.

Repeatedly…  

In fact, the history of corporate welfare and government largesse in Volusia County – artificially skewing the playing field for the well-connected in the form of “public/private partnerships” – dates back decades. 

(As you read this, the Volusia County Council is preparing to get taxpayers in the motocross business using the same skeevy sham…)

At DAB, similar incentives have been used to entice low-cost airlines like Silver Airways, Sunwing, Avelo, and Breeze – with some receiving ludicrous “minimum revenue guarantees” to ensure income for the airlines.

To sweeten the pot, in 2025, the Volusia County Council approved a request by airport officials totaling $400,000 in additional public incentives for JetBlue.    

According to a News-Journal report at the time, “The incentives consist of a waiver of all terminal rent fees, landing fees, marketing/advertising support up to $200,000 per market, and inclusion in the annual advertising program ($350,000 approx. value). A transfer of $400,000 from reserves will be executed upon approval of this agenda item to cover the remaining costs of marketing and advertising support.”

What? Volusia County isn’t offering your mom-n-pop a ‘revenue guarantee’ either?

I didn’t think so…

In December 2025, Volusia County celebrated the triumphant return of JetBlue to DAB. 

There were elaborate balloon arches welcoming passengers, a water cannon salute, and hyper-enthusiastic elected and appointed officials who gushed with accolades like “Significant win!” and “Carrying on the momentum!” accompanied by plenty of backslapping and “It takes a village (and a lot of our money) to make this happen!” horseshit… 

It was the perfect example of Volusia County’s penchant for ignoring the lessons of the past – which means history always repeats around these parts – another reckless and irresponsible waste that left many area residents shaking their heads… 

You guessed it.  Last week, JetBlue announced it was (once again) winging its way out of Daytona Beach as the carrier said it is “ending service on several underperforming routes,” to consolidate service at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood.  

Sound familiar?

According to published reports, JetBlue will end service at DAB on September 9.

In the highly volatile world of commercial aviation, carriers analyze demand, study costs, and consider logistics, then identify where they can be competitive, selecting routes based on their profitability in keeping with the carrier’s strategic route expansion/contraction. 

The fact Volusia County held out another lucrative goody bag to “lure” JetBlue back to this Hooterville market simply proves the old idiom, “A fool and our money are soon parted.” 

I often wonder if those economic development shills who gamble fast and loose with publicly funded spiffs would be so quick to shower the same “incentives” if they were playing with their own money? 

You know that old proverb, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.”

Whatever…

Despite what we are told, repeating mistakes with public funds – time after time – isn’t normal, logical, or ethical. 

That’s not “economic development,” it’s the textbook definition of insanity… 

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!  

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Schools: Controlling the Narrative

“Before my comment could be published on the Volusia County Schools forum, I was blocked from the page by the administrator of the page (Km (sic) Short). I believe it’s important for our community to know that respectful voices with differing opinions are not always given the opportunity to be heard. Below was my statement after Kim shared more Negative comments regarding our A rated School District.

Kim Short, I have a genuine question.

Why does this page seem to focus almost exclusively on the current School Board members while rarely discussing the backgrounds, records, or histories of the candidates you support? If the goal is to inform the community, shouldn’t the same level of scrutiny and transparency apply to everyone seeking public office?

I also wonder why conversations continue to revisit issues from years ago instead of focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing our schools today. At some point, our community benefits more from discussing solutions than repeatedly reliving the past.

With respect, you previously ran for School Board and the voters chose Jessie Thompson. Elections are part of our democratic process, and while everyone has the right to remain engaged, continually framing discussions around past grievances can give the impression that the focus is on past elections rather than the future of our schools.

One question I have is this: If you are so passionate about the future of Volusia County Schools and believe your voice is needed, why did you choose not to run for the School Board in this election? Public service is one of the most direct ways to create the change you want to see. I ask that sincerely because your perspective suggests you care deeply about our district.

I also recognize that, as the administrator of this page, you control what is published and when it appears. That is certainly your right. My hope is simply that differing viewpoints are given the same opportunity to be heard respectfully so our community can have open and balanced conversations.

One thing I believe we should all be able to agree on is this: Volusia County Schools is an A-rated school district. That is an objective achievement, and facts don’t lie. This success belongs to our students, teachers, support staff, administrators, families, and the entire community who work every day to make our schools better.”

–Craig Lungren, Community Information Specialist, Volusia County District Schools, as excerpted from his editorial (press release?) on the Facebook page “Craig Lungren,” July 12, 2026. 

I spent the bulk of my adult life in public service – and it was the greatest honor of my life – a rigorous pursuit that came with certain ethical obligations and moral imperatives.  

Perhaps most important was the necessity of keeping my trap shut and personal opinions to myself to ensure clarity (and neutrality) in official communications citizens relied on to stay informed.

When one accepts public funds and holds a position of community trust – like a public information professional – it is important to limit even the possibility that editorializing and speculation could be confused with the official position of the public agency.

In academic terms, that’s Public Communications 101.

This isn’t a teacher or staff member offering a first-person perspective on how their personal finances, taxes, and benefits have been mangled by the district’s shambolic payroll system.  I received it when message appeared on my personal Facebook feed, authored by Craig Lungren, who is listed as a Volusia County District School’s Community Information Specialist…

Apparently, CIS Lungren got his dander up after Kim Short, a resolute civic activist and education advocate who serves on the Education & Workforce Committee of five area Chambers of Commerce (and frequently takes Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and her dutiful minions on the Volusia County School Board behind the woodshed) blocked him from her private Facebook group known as the Volusia County School Forum. 

It seems Lungren worked himself into a pique then vented his spleen over Ms. Short exercising her First Amendment right to speak her truth amid on-going questions of how the district continues to post graduation rates that far exceed demonstrated student competence in key learning and performance areas, then demand everyone dance in circles celebrating “A” grades for area schools.   

For example, according to the Florida Department of Education, an “A” rating is considered just 62% of points or greater based on twelve education “components.” Most recently, across Florida 76% of schools earned an A or B grade… 

Considering CIS Lungren’s aversion to a private citizen controlling access to their personally moderated closed group discussion, I have a question of my own: As a resident and taxpayer, why can’t I express my opinions on VCS public social media page?

Without explanation, you and I were recently blocked by an imperial edict of Superintendent Balgobin which expressly prohibited us from posting to the district’s public site and told that any future communication would be through “official channels” only…

So much for that “differing viewpoints being given the same opportunity to be heard respectfully so our community can have open and balanced conversations,” horseshit, eh?

Unfortunately, CIS Lungren’s screed wasn’t limited to his personal social media page. 

To ensure widest possible dissemination (as Community Information Specialists do), Lungren circulated his impetuous post to “Volusia County,” “Volusia County Schools,” “County of Volusia,” “Volusia County Business,” “Port Orange,” “New Smyrna Beach,” “Deland Florida,” and “Ormond Beach Observer.”  

If he wasn’t acting in his official role, why did he do that?

Who is CIS Lungren speaking for?  Why is he broadcasting his response to Ms. Short’s views to local governments?  Who is he trying to impress with his obsequious diatribe?

In my view, as a recipient of public funds CIS Lungren’s conduct is egregious and should be immediately addressed by Superintendent Balgobin.  That should include emergency policy direction from the Volusia County School Board to ensure this quasi-official bullying never happens again.

Unfortunately, accountability is anathema in the toxic optimism of the Balgobin administration.  

Now that my productive life is over, I exercise my right to free and unfettered expression through this blog site.  A cathartic pursuit that stimulates a larger discussion of the issues and allows me to exorcise my frustrations after more than three-decades of professionally imposed silence. 

I’ve said this before, but something stinks in the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand – and the issues are not limited to calling 64% an “A” while graduating functional illiterates – then crowing about it, ad nauseum, as though it were some sick accomplishment… 

In my view, the real problem is the district’s reactive response to any contrary opinion that threatens the façade of competence. 

That censorship now includes shutting down constituent comments on VCS social media, while a Community Information Specialist openly lectures an engaged resident in that arrogant passive/aggressive tone that pervades the Balgobin administration’s intimidating response to public criticism.

Amendment 3: A Flawed Threat to Our Quality of Life

“Leek said he is conflicted about the property tax amendment. He said there should have been a better product presented to voters. Property taxes have gotten out of control and growth in local government spending has become “insane,” he said. But rather than focusing on an increase in the homestead exemption, the focus should be on spending, Leek said.

“If you address a single revenue source, you’re going to be playing Whack-a-Mole,” Leek said. “We’ve got an entire budget for years built on this revenue source.”

If Amendment 3 passes, there will be spending cuts, Leek said, but not enough to make up the deficit. As a result, he said, there will be a fee shift.

“Will it help folks that you’re trying to help? Absolutely. Will it shift the burden to properties that are higher valued? Absolutely. Will there be new fees, I don’t see how there won’t,” he said.”

–Sen. Tom Leek, (R-Ormond Beach) speaking at the Flagler County 2026 Legislative Update, as quoted by reporter Brent Woronoff writing in the Palm Coast Observer, “Flagler County’s legislators review session, answer hard questions,” Friday, July 10, 2026

As a dilettante editorialist, I don’t construct these critiques to tell readers what they want to hear. I write them to tell my neighbors what I think you need to hear within the context of current events and the bureaucratic spin that seems to permeate everything we hear and read.

That’s why I have taken a side on Florida’s “property tax reform” debate. 

In my view, Amendment 3 is bad public policy. A rushed and ill-thought constitutional amendment that even its creator, Gov. Ron DeSantis, has now distanced himself from.    

The fact is, anyone who tells you they understand the potential civic impacts of Amendment 3 on neighborhood services, public safety, parks, recreation, utilities, and infrastructure is being disingenuous – because no one knows what the ultimate damage will be.  So, they couch it in terms of “nontraditional revenue sources,” new fees,” and “shifting the burden.”  

If you are a Florida taxpayer, that should scare the hell out of you… 

The reason no one knows the full story is because Gov. DeSantis strategically nixed a study that would have identified necessary service cuts and fee hikes.  Then the legislature made a forced decision without the time (or political courage) to tap the brakes and formulate a plan while they were being held captive in Tallahassee.

Don’t take my word for it. 

Last month, during the Volusia Legislative Update, Sen. Tom Wright explained that during the special session, Gov. DeSantis strategically held up the budget, and if they didn’t vote to approve the bill “…we would probably see all of our budget items zeroed out.”

In my view, that’s not good governance – it’s political thuggery.

In addition, Sen. Wright explained, “We’re hoping that the cities and counties are going to get their stories out and let people know — because we made sure that the people get to choose, we didn’t choose for you, the people of Florida get to choose on that bill — that we need the services of our communities and our counties.  “This is not going to be good for anybody if we have to raising all kinds of fees and collecting other taxes that we don’t now collect.”

It is increasingly apparent that those legislators we sent to the state capitol to represent our interests are getting nervous after foisting Frankenstein’s monster on the very communities they were elected to represent.  Even Gov. DeSantis has said he won’t be the face of Amendment 3, claiming “The reason is what the Legislature did wasn’t my proposal.”

It appears everyone associated with the amendment understands it’s bad for Florida taxpayers.

Like any good politician, Sen. Leek tried his best to thread the needle on the controversial topic, using the non-committal adjective “conflicted” to describe his thoughts on the amendment, while admitting the product he and the others voted to place on the ballot is flawed. 

It’s more than that. 

In fact, the lack of a workable blueprint for how counties and municipalities can provide the level of essential services we’ve come to expect in the absence of their traditional revenue source speaks to the legislature’s lack of planning and forethought. 

In my view, approving this potentially destructive fee shift in less than 48-hours during a special legislative session is nothing short of negligent – and dangerous.  Especially when you consider the massive growth our state legislators have (literally) paved the way for by preempting logical local development controls, while seeking to deprive communities of the means they use to pay for increased demand.

Last week, Commissioner Lance Alred of East Flagler Mosquito Control authored a thoughtful essay in the Observer regarding the potential impacts of Amendment 3:

“Here is the connection that concerns me most, and that I don’t hear discussed enough: we are simultaneously forcing local governments to approve more development — faster, with less discretion — while stripping away the revenue those same governments depend on to fund the roads, utilities, and services that new development demands. You cannot build your way into fiscal health if the tax base that development creates is being exempted away at the state level before the ink on the plat is dry!”

It was refreshing to see that Sen. Leek understands the real problem Florida residents face – out-of-control spending by some larger counties and municipalities – to include Volusia County. 

In my view, rather than exsanguinate accessible local governments, the real focus should be on reducing waste, controlling spending (based upon legitimate audits and metrics), and ensuring a greater return from Tallahassee to pay for the malignant growth they facilitated.   

According to the Observer’s report, Sen. Leek has a proposal that “…would limit local spending growth in accordance to a city or county’s population growth, adjusting for inflation, following the Colorado model.”

I’d like to hear it. Any plan is better than wandering aimlessly toward a budgetary disaster…

In my view, painting all local governments with the same broad brush – including small communities that, by necessity, live within their limited means and provide effective and efficient tailored services to residents – is patently wrong. 

So is maximizing growth by kowtowing to deep pocketed development interests and preempting local control, then asking voters to remove a community’s ability to meet the ever-growing demands on essential services and infrastructure…    

Quote of the Week

“In 2019-2020, Volusia County Schools graduated 84.5% of our students. This year, our number was 95.6%. Our average proficiency numbers have consistently hovered in the general range of 50%-60%.

In short, we graduate 40%-50% of students who are not reading and doing math at grade level. The removal of RMA (Richard Milburn Academy) students into their own category is a very effective way to keep our numbers up, and our district grade at “A.”

The State of Florida created a well-intended structure that was meant to incentivize high performance. In some cases, it has instead incentivized ways to game the system so the adults look good. And campaign contributions from RMA interests are a nice touch too.”

–School Board Member Donna Brosemer, as excerpted from her op/ed in the Ormond Beach Observer, “My View: An ‘A’ for Volusia County Schools — Grades are not what they used to be,” Monday, July 13, 2026

According to Ms. Brosemer’s well-thought essay, Volusia County Schools are shunting struggling students into Richard Milburn Academy (RMA), a charter school co-located on the campuses of area high schools, as a means of artificially bolstering graduation rates.   

“Students who are identified as unlikely to pass their final test, and therefore are less likely to graduate, are moved from their assigned school to the RMA program, sometimes with parents’ approval, although not always. That removes them from the number tested at their assigned school, which then helps that school reach its 95% minimum, and it raises the likely test average by removing the lower-scoring students from that calculation.”

A former teacher familiar with the RMA program reported that the ruse works like this:

“Edgenuity is an online platform for coursework. A typical semester takes roughly 25-40 hours to complete. Courses at RMA on Edgenuity are stripped down to merely nothing except for the quiz. How does a student pass a quiz if the instruction video is taken out and not required to watch? This encourages students to guess or Google the answers and move along. They aren’t learning. An average Edgenuity course at RMA takes 5 hours to complete a semester of work.

“When teachers and administrators from traditional schools encourage these students to go to RMA, they are letting students know loud and clear that it doesn’t really matter if you LEARN. It diminishes everything that educators have tried so hard to teach. This message shows these students that it is okay to take the shortcut and the easy way out because the end result will be the same…a high school diploma, even if you didn’t have to do the work to earn it.”

That inside information should shock the conscience of every parent, student/victim, and stakeholder in Volusia County – and it should sicken any school administrator who believes in true academic excellence.

In response to Ms. Brosemer’s exposé, a spokesperson for Volusia County School’s responded in the Observer that the district is only following guidelines set by the state, using the Florida Department of Education’s grading system applicable to all schools across the state. 

You know, “Just following orders.”

In addition, while confessing that students who are “older, credit deficient, and in alternative education programs” are placed in the Richard Milburn Academy program, the spokesperson claims the performance of RMA students is included in the district’s “accountability picture,” (although state guidelines say differently for charter schools) citing that the population of RMA students is statistically too low to skew the districtwide calculation.    

If district administrators know the FDOE’s grading system is skewed – tragically leaving 40% to 50% of graduates unable to read or comprehend mathematics at grade level – then why are they demanding everyone celebrate the fabricated outcome as though it were a real achievement?

In keeping with district communications strategy, the official response ended with an acerbic offer to educate Ms. Brosemer, claiming “Volusia County Schools remains committed to transparency and is prepared to provide Mrs. Brosemer with the applicable state statutes and calculation guides in greater detail.”

In my view, false celebrations touting accomplishments the district knows are fundamentally flawed is morally reprehensible – a perversion of the traditional performance metric drenched in the stench of lies – and a misrepresentation that mocks true academic achievement.

Skewed grades may appease Superintendent Balgobin’s friends in the chamber of commerce set, developers selling homes, and economic development types bringing more scut work to the “Fun Coast,” but it sends the wrong message to impressionable students who will now equate lowering the bar to academic excellence.

And Another Thing!

“(Volusia County Councilman) David Santiago (Down Arrow) Democracy is a lousy place to look for technical knockouts.”

–Florida Politics, Capitol Directions, “Takeaways from Tallahassee — Voices behind the names,” Saturday, July 11, 2026

If you consider yourself an educated voter (or just a masochistic political voyeur, like me) you should be reading Florida Politics. 

The Florida-centric online news site is described as “a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida,” published by longtime reporter and author Peter Schorsch. 

In fact, the “Sunburn” section – a morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics – is how I start my day.

Last week, District 5 Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago was singled out in Capitol Directions – a list of winners and losers in Florida politics – an inside baseball reference to his slimy attempt to have his opponent, J. David Sosa, disqualified and removed from the ballot over a technical error. 

As I understand it, on June 26 – after the qualifying period closed – Councilman Santiago slithered into the Supervisor of Elections office and filed a formal complaint asking that Mr. Sosa be removed from the District 5 ballot.  According to Santiago’s complaint, Mr. Sosa’s qualifying paperwork was “facially defective” because a deputy treasurer was appointed before a primary treasurer – and the “Initial Filing” box was left unchecked.

Fortunately, Santiago’s skeevy challenge failed. 

To her credit, on June 30, Elections Supervisor Lisa Lewis determined that Sosa was properly qualified, and the people of District 5 will not be denied a choice at the ballot box. 

Two other Deltona candidates – Commissioner Stephen Colwell and Mayoral candidate Maritza Avila-Vasquez – faced similar challenges by their opponents.  In those cases, Supervisor Lewis issued a finding that only a judicial determination could keep them off the ballot. 

In a report by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal earlier this week, we learned the City of Deltona is doubling-down on City Clerk Joyce Rafferty’s previous decision to disqualify Commissioners Avila-Vasquez and Colwell:

“The city’s appointed spokeswoman, Catherine Barker, in a prepared statement to The News-Journal, acknowledged the election supervisor’s letter, but reiterated Deltona’s position that Avila-Vasquez and Colwell were not qualified for the election.

That could open the door to their opponents challenging their candidacies in court, although the cost of a court fight and the potential blowback of appearing to win on a technicality might also factor into any litigation calculus.”

In addition to the petty bruhaha over a scrivener’s error, Commissioner Avila-Vasquez found that her campaign website – maritzaformayor.com – has been purchased by a company tied to her opponent, current Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr., which now redirects potential Avila-Vasquez supporters (and donors) to Avila’s campaign website.  

In my view, because Mayor Avila accepts campaign donations on that site, it borders on fraudulent misdirection and political brandjacking…

Sadly, it appears neither Councilman David “No Show” Santiago or Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr. are averse to denying their constituents a choice.  Rather than stand on what they consider their merits and civic accomplishments, these hacks muddy the water, create diversions by nitpicking qualifying paperwork, and quibble the rules in a cheap attempt to have their opponents removed from the ballot.       

Because they don’t have a platform of achievement to stand on.

Florida Politics is right, Mr. Santiago: “Democracy is a lousy place to look for technical knockouts.”

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

Dempsey’s Folly: Letting Volusia Taxpayers Know Where We Stand

I have a theory that any initiative developed and pushed by government is rarely in the interest of We, The Little People.  Normally, it is legislative sleight-of-hand – a way to appease a special interest, satisfy a pet project of some self-absorbed elected official, or provide a campaign donor with the requisite return on investment. 

An excellent example of that pernicious political legerdemain is the ongoing fiasco that saw Volusia County purchase land off SR-44 using Volusia Forever and ECHO funds to accommodate Councilman Don Dempsey’s controversial (and increasingly expensive) taxpayer-funded motocross facility. 

You read that right.

With the acquiescence of his “colleagues” on the dais of power, Councilman Dempsey ramrodded a multi-million-dollar publicly funded nice-to-have so he and his friends will have a place to ride competition motocross (you know, a popular passive outdoor pastime everyone can enjoy…) on land designated as part of a wildlife corridor.   

Of the myriad issues facing Volusia County residents – real threats, like recurrent flooding, water quality, malignant growth, inadequate utilities, funding uncertainties, transportation infrastructure, etc. – a motocross facility wasn’t on my bingo card… 

This from the same Volusia County Council that crowed ad nauseum about those bare bones “core government services” we heard so much about last year when the same elected dullards cut grant funding for arts and cultural pursuits countywide.

That shortsighted political gaslighting essentially abandoned art festivals, concerts, museum exhibits, children’s programs, and historic preservation – a true investment in economic and cultural development that returned $2 in tax revenue for every $1 spent.

As if you need another reason to vote out every incumbent on the Volusia County Council up for reelection this year, put “Dempsey’s folly” at the top of the list… 

Earlier this year, DeLand resident Lourdes Gonzalez stood tall and took action on behalf of all Volusia County residents – taxpayers who are sick and tired of being steamrolled (literally) by the wants and whims of those with no qualms looting public funds to further private interests.

Earlier this year, Ms. Gonzalez filed pro se litigation alleging that, as a Volusia County taxpayer, she has been adversely impacted by the proposed motocross track, claiming inconsistencies with Volusia’s Comprehensive Plan, and describing the project as “unlawful in both process and substance.”

Because it is.

According to Ms. Gonzalez’ suit, “The county has committed public funds, selected a site, and advanced procurement without establishing a lawful public purpose, evaluating environmental impacts, or maintaining a consistent administrative record.”

In an article by reporter Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, we learned the unfortunate fate of Ms. Gonzalez’ grassroots effort in the headline, “Lawsuit over Volusia motocross facility tossed. Resident isn’t done.”

A circuit court judge recently determined that Ms. Gonzalez “…lacked standing to bring the lawsuit because she “is not an ‘aggrieved or adversely affected party’ whose interest ‘exceed[s] in degree the general interest in community good shared by all persons.'”

Whatever that means…

I was reminded of the heartbreaking 2016 ruling by the 5th District Court of Appeal in Daytona Beach that affirmed a judge’s finding that the Let Volusia Vote charter amendment, which would have required a referendum for changes to beach access policies, was “facially unconstitutional in its entirety.”

I’m not a lawyer – just another hapless rube, wandering the wilderness – but, at the time, it was an eyeopener watching Volusia County sue its residents with our own money.  Frankly, I still can’t think of anything more constitutional that allowing taxpayers a say in how we access and manage our greatest natural amenity, but what do I know?

So, how did that extensive (and expensive) fight work out for Volusia County beaches?

To her credit, Ms. Gonzalez said she will be retooling her lawsuit and refiling the challenge to Councilman Dempsey’s incredibly expensive boondoggle at a later date.

I admire her grit.   

If Mr. Dempsey – or anyone else – wants to purchase property with private funds and establish a commercial motocross facility consistent with environmental and zoning regulations, I hope they are wildly successful. 

In my view, blatantly pilfering tax dollars set aside for conservation and passive outdoor recreation to finance the personal hobby of a sitting elected official then calling it a “public/private partnership” – using public funds to underwrite a for-profit enterprise – isn’t fair, equitable, or in keeping with what most of us voted for when we overwhelmingly approved Volusia Forever and ECHO.   

Daytona Beach Shores: Protecting the Brand

“Daytona Beach Shores has long been recognized for its high quality of life and strong sense of community. Over the years, the City has received increasing inquiries and comments from residents and local business owners regarding the possibility of renaming the City to better reflect the identity by which it is commonly known — “The Shores.”

–Daytona Beach Shores City Commission Agenda Memorandum, Tuesday, July 7, 2026

According to a recent unscientific survey taken by the City of Daytona Beach Shores, some 65.7% of respondents supported a charter amendment dropping the association with “Daytona Beach” from the beachside municipality’s name and rebranding with the local patois, “The Shores.”

Given the near constant sturm und drang that has befallen their larger neighbor to the north – can’t say I blame them… 

Let’s face it, The Shores is everything Daytona’s faltering beachside isn’t – upscale, affluent, intentional, inclusive, with a bright civic identity planned and built over decades.  A palpable community pride that contrasts with the blight, neglect, and pervasive sense of hopelessness just to the north that has become a cautionary tale for other seaside communities.

Bordering communities that share the same barrier island, but with diametrically opposed trajectories.  In my view, the difference is leadership, stability, and a longstanding focus on identity and placemaking. 

I think they call it sustained civic vision.

The Shores is a small municipality that, by necessity, grew vertically; always careful to avoid the claustrophobic “condo canyon” feel that has befallen some overly aggressive coastal communities in Florida and beyond.

In my jaded view, Daytona Beach has become a poorly planned monstrosity of self-identified cracker box subdivisions, big box stores, and sticks-and-glue apartment complexes – rubber-stamped with a growth at all cost mentality – that continues to languish as a down-at-the-heels former tourist destination with an image problem.

Protecting ‘the brand’ is important.   

How a community is perceived, internally and externally, is worth defending because it is what attracts residents, visitors, and businesses.  A carefully cultivated identity fosters a sense of civic cohesion, shared values, and a feeling of belonging. 

I’m not sure the City of Daytona Beach ever grasped that important concept.   

In my view, our wonderful variety of civic personalities is what makes the mosaic of communities that form the backbone of Volusia County so important to our collective quality of life.  Small and mid-size cities that remain cooperatively interdependent while offering unique amenities, natural places, independent civic focus, and individually tailored essential services.

That hometown feel of where we call home is just one reason the citizens of Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, Holly Hill, The Shores, Ormond Beach, Pierson, DeBary, Orange City, DeLand – established communities that honorably serve, protect, and enhance the quality of life of residents – want to protect and preserve their unique individuality and have steadfastly refused to become consolidated into a faceless, homogenized, and horribly inefficient bureaucracy.

On Tuesday, City commissioners unanimously approved placing the charter amendment on the November 3 ballot on initial reading.  A second reading will be held on July 28.

Here’s wishing residents of The Shores much luck with their new name. Time to let the unique attributes of The Shores shine bright.  

Quote(s) of the Week

“On this extremely crowded July 4 weekend, we tried something new on Volusia County Beaches

In front of several off-beach parking lots, we set up temporary no-parking areas on the beach to give families a little more space, visibility and peace of mind, clear of vehicles pulling in and out.

The hope was that we could prevent another tragedy that costs a child’s life.

It worked: We had zero children hit by vehicles on a packed beach with high tides this July 4 weekend.

Unfortunately our feckless County Chair Jeff Brower immediately got his panties in a twist.

He wasted no time interfering and spreading lies about the professionals at the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Beach Safety.

Lying Jeff Brower and his minions want you to believe that a temporary parking change on one of the busiest beach holidays of the year is part of a secret plan to ban beach driving.

I didn’t see Brower out there this weekend. But I can tell you that every single beachgoer we talked to really appreciated what we did. See it for yourself in this video.

Our plan accomplished the goal: A safer beach on July 4 and a lot of happy families.

Today, the crowds are gone, the temporary no-parking zones will open back up for regular beach parking, and beach driving continues.

Jeff Brower should stick to what he knows, whatever that is, and leave public safety to the professionals.”

–Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Monday, July 6, 2026

“No Sheriff, I didn’t make it to the beach to join my family to celebrate America’s 250th birthday. When we got to 44 the signs were already on: Beach Closed No Access. Open the beach, let the people park and get out of their cars to enjoy the World’s Most Famous Beach! 

Our lifeguards do an outstanding job and I have not criticized them. On the contrary, I personally encourage them. Don’t drag them into your argument. You have a habit of confusing leadership with using the Lord’s name in vain and hurling insults at anybody who doesn’t agree with you. That’s not leadership, it’s being a bully. That doesn’t work with me.”

–Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower, Monday, July 6, 2026

Here we go again…

According to a report by News6 reporter Molly Reed, “The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office quietly launched a pilot program reducing on-beach parking near the county’s busiest beach parks, aiming to cut down on dangerous interactions between vehicles and beachgoers.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood says the decision came after a series of troubling incidents involving children being struck by vehicles on the beach.

“Myself, the deputy county manager, all the beach staff, and my command staff sat down and talked about, ‘Is there something differently we can do to protect children on the beach?’” Chitwood said.”

The enhanced safety measures were in response to the tragic death of a child in New Smyrna Beach who apparently entered a traffic lane during the Memorial Day weekend and an April incident when a three-year-old was struck by a vehicle during Jeep Beach.

Being proactive with beach safety is admirable and expected from public safety professionals.

The problem is – somebody forgot to tell beachgoers ahead of the July 4^th weekend – or their elected officials on the Volusia County Council who debate and establish beach policy… 

In fact, the child safety program’s rollout was so quiet it sparked controversy when the parking closure was announced by The Volusia Waterman’s Association – the union representing beach safety personnel – in a Friday morning Facebook post.

Not Volusia County government.

Further questions arose when confused beachgoers who didn’t see the social media message found their normal parking spaces in front of county owned parks cordoned off with “No Parking” signs.    

Why wouldn’t Volusia County officials formally publicize this important safety program before its implementation?

To his credit, Sheriff Chitwood has built his reputation on a willingness to share information through the media, berating “scumbags,” squaring up with his detractors, and cultivating a hardnosed image.  

Florida’s elected sheriffs are famous for political tough-talk, and few do it better than Mike Chitwood.

But this is different.

While I don’t always agree with Chairman Brower (and frequently take him to task in this space) everyone involved in the decision should have known that a child safety program involving the removal of some 125 parking spaces from the beach during a busy holiday weekend would draw questions. 

Considering that beach driving and access have long been considered the “third-rail” of Volusia County politics – a controversial topic guaranteed to spur passionate debate on both sides of the issue – Deputy County Manager Susanne Konchon should have notified Chairman Jeff Brower and the other members of the Volusia County Council so they could explain the purpose to their constituents. 

Having learned of the parking closure from the Waterman’s Association social media post, Chairman Brower rightfully voiced his opposition to eliminating more on-beach parking.

According to News6, “The solution is to open up more beach. Beach access is beach driving, so we have to open up more beach to where the cars can get there, park and get out of the car and enjoy the beach,” Brower said.”

“Don’t take away more parking. Don’t take away more beach access. That’s what’s happening,” Brower added.”

Unfortunately, it appears that lack of communication – and a difference of opinion – caused the simmering Brower/Chitwood feud to flash on social media… 

In my view, just as Sheriff Chitwood has ultimate responsibility – and political accountability – for protecting the lives of Volusia County beachgoers, Chairman Brower is equally answerable to his constituents.  As such, Brower should have been extended the courtesy of a briefing by County staff prior to implementation of a safety program limiting on-beach parking during busy weekends. 

Learning about important changes to beach access from a social media post (and calls from perplexed citizens faced with “No Parking” signs) is understandably embarrassing for the chair of the Volusia County Council.  Given his role, Chairman Brower had every right to express his concerns without being personally disparaged, labeled a liar, and accused of getting his “panties in a twist.”

Senior elected officials don’t have to agree on everything.  In fact, the competition of ideas coupled with stakeholder input (and public education) results in sound public policy.    

In my experience, effective safety programs require buy-in and should not be kept in the dark – that’s counterproductive.  Now, Volusia County residents deserve answers as to why they weren’t partnered with (or at least notified) in advance of the parking change by Volusia County’s ample communications apparatus.

More important, I believe our leaders have an obligation to remain civil, cooperative, and collaborative in their official dealings and communications. 

They also have a right to be prepared and informed without being bullied by the biggest guy in the sandbox.   

Incendiary personality conflicts, silly turf wars, and abusive name-calling every time a difference of opinion occurs only leads to further conflict in a county government increasingly known for its instability… 

And Another Thing!  

“We don’t have, nor will we have, the water capacity to support 22,000 additional equivalent residential units. Even with the water utility capital bond and the improvements that are coming with that commitment, it’s estimated that those additional 22,000 units will require, at minimum, 5 million more gallons per day. Our consumptive use permit (CUP) allows 11.9 million gallons per day at this time, and we are currently producing around 9.3 million gallons per day on average. Not to mention the remaining units that have already been approved in Palm Coast proper, which was estimated at 19,000 units just a year ago. So, the city of Palm Coast will have to increase its consumptive use permit and water production up to approximately 20 million gallons per day to sustain those housing units.

I have no intent to make current residents pay for more development.

Economy of scale says more users should mean lower prices. That hasn’t been Palm Coast’s reality. Our rates and service fees have increased dramatically to the breaking point we are at now. We, the residents of Palm Coast, have learned the hard lesson that development does not pay for itself.

Palm Coast deserves leaders who fix water lines before building loop roads, not leaders who bow to developers and special interests. The current council inherited this mess. Voters need to know how we got here and how we can stop it from going any further.

Lobby your representatives to “Just say no!” We have every right to refuse approval if a project will put undue financial burden on our community.”

–Mike Norris, mayor of Palm Coast, as excerpted from his essay in the Palm Coast Observer, “MY VIEW: How we got here: the road to westward expansion and 22,000 more houses in Palm Coast,” Friday, July 3, 2026

Please find the full text here: https://tinyurl.com/3aywkwc6

It’s no secret, Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris is rough around the edges – in fact, he can be downright grating.  But he doesn’t kowtow to deep-pocketed developers and isn’t afraid to mix it up with those “growth at all costs” shills he shares the dais with.

That’s a rare character trait in regional politics. I admire that.

As often happens around these parts, for having the audacity to speak out on behalf of his longsuffering constituents, Mayor Norris has been maligned, marginalized, and officially sanctioned by his “colleagues.”  Through it all, Norris never lost sight of the core issues important to those who cast their sacred vote for him.

That’s also a rarity in “Fun Coast” politics, because it takes courage to stand up to influential special interests.

I believe if you care about good governance in your own hometown, you should care about good governance everywhere.  In my view, our region deserves policymakers who prioritize the needs of existing residents over the mercenary wants of voracious speculative developers who continue to sacrifice all we hold dear on the altar of greed.

In sprawling Palm Coast, the stage has been set by previous pro-development councils who rewrote the city’s Comprehensive Plan to benefit developers, to include approvals for massive residential and commercial projects that will have far-reaching regional impacts.

In his essay regarding the city’s “westward expansion,” Mayor Norris explained, “Now Rayonier/Raydient is here, PowerPoint ready, asking “How did we get here?” We got here because the last council changed the rules to benefit developers instead of residents.

Now the push is to approve Rayonier/Raydient’s MPD, and annex what is essentially swamp land before the current council term ends in November. Two appointed officials will have a say in that vote. One took a campaign contribution from a direct representative of the developer. It’s legal by Florida standards, but it ought to be a concern for residents.”

(Find more information on Palm Coast’s “westward expansion” here: https://tinyurl.com/57fr6b78 )

Mayor Norris’s op/ed reminds us of the consequence of not knowing which special interests are funding the campaigns of political candidates.   

That’s important, because it speaks to influence and access, who purchases it, and why.

You don’t need an MBA from Harvard Business School to understand that one does not invest large sums of money without ensuring a return.  After all, the road to the poor house is paved with the bones of those who ignored the simple analytical formula – Net Profit/Benefit v. Cost of Investment.

Based upon previous performance, each election cycle special interests make campaign contributions – both individually and through various entities under their control – with the understanding the leverage they purchase will ensure their corporate and personal interests outweigh those of John and Jane Lunchpail.  Every. Damn. Time.

That’s called return on investment.

I get a chuckle when I listen to some apoplectic elected official – puffed up with all the righteous indignation they can muster – spew and sputter about how no campaign contributor has ever asked them for anything.

They don’t have to – their contribution buys the status quo.   

Once a campaign treasurer cashes those $1,000 checks, it seems the candidate/incumbent never has an original thought again…    

Why is that?

Hell, in Volusia County, I’ve seen the physical temperature in the County Council chambers change when a member of the Donor Class – our High Panjandrums of Political Power – enter the room.  The deep-pocketed Fat Cat’s mere presence is enough to make their hired hands on the dais sit up straight – and it became immediately apparent how the vote on an issue of particular concern would go.   

Given the astronomical pace of development throughout the region – growth that has been facilitated by the allowances, zoning changes, and preemptions that our elected officials at home and in Tallahassee have showered upon this exclusive group in recent years – I would say they’ve done extremely well on the risk/reward scale…

To his credit, Mayor Norris countered the great lie increasingly claustrophobic existing residents have been told: “We, the residents of Palm Coast, have learned the hard lesson that development does not pay for itself.”

Vote like your quality of life depends upon it…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Schools: Rewarding Mediocrity

Official recognition is an important part of our personal and professional development, serving as a powerful tool for validation, motivation, and building self-confidence.  When deserved (and done properly), individual and unit honors can build organizational culture, morale, and esprit de corps.

After all, everyone enjoys having their efforts recognized in a formal way. 

Ensuring awards are earned and equitable is important because watered-down prizes or “participation trophy’s” – awards that are perceived as undeserved, used to celebrate mere involvement rather than successful contributions, or employed as a means of camouflaging serious issues – undermine trust, diminish the impact, and discourage others from striving for excellence.

This week, the Florida Department of Education announced that for the first time in its history Volusia Schools earned back-to-back “A” grades.  According to the FDOE website, the “grades” are calculated using 12 “components” with points for each added together and divided by the total number of available points to determine the percentage of points earned.

An “A” is considered just 62% of points or greater.  That’s interesting math.

Across Florida, 76% of schools earned an A or B grade.

Looks like everyone’s a winner… 

It doesn’t end there. 

Here in Volusia, during a period marked by embarrassingly stupid non-disclosure agreements for public employees, a righteous dressing down by state legislators during passage of Florida’s first School Board Member Bill of Rights to counter the dysfunction in Volusia, lingering questions of how graduation rates are calculated, claims that students who speak out at School Board meetings have been intimidated by administrators, recurrent payroll problems, internal/external communications issues, teacher morale, questionable land sales, etc., etc. – it appears the number and frequency of awards collected by Volusia County School Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and her coterie seems to be growing exponentially… 

For instance, Dr. Balgobin was named the 2025 Superintendent of the Year by the National Association of School Superintendents, and most recently claimed the 2026 Superintendent of the Year from something called the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education.

Earlier this month, Volusia County Schools received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International for its most recent annual comprehensive financial report.

I’m surprised anyone in the finance department had time to accept the impressive accolade, considering that the district’s payroll and benefits program is an evolving shitshow – a shambolic implementation that has resulted in recurrent personal financial issues for staff – resulting in the School Board recently authorizing a $420,000 outside consultant to augment staff “…and examine various processes and create standard operating procedures.”

I thought that’s what we pay the award-winning Dr. Balgobin to do?

According to a recent report in the Ormond Beach Observer, Dr. Matt Kuhn, chief technology officer for the district (and recent winner of the 2026 Tech & Learning Innovative CTO Award), twisted those sour lemons into bureaucratic lemonade, explaining “The last time we implemented, we spent $7.8 million over four years, and were only able to implement half the ERP,” Kuhn said. “This time it’s a million dollars over two years, and still within budget, and still on time.”

I don’t make this shit up, folks… 

To her credit, District 4 School Board Member Donna Brosemer was the lone “No” vote, citing “There isn’t a month that goes by that we don’t hear about payroll problems in particular, and there never seems to be any accountability anywhere,” Brosemer said, adding that she would be voting against the contract as a “protest vote.”

Fortunately, we have Ms. Brosemer to speak on our behalf, because last week the district formally eliminated our ability to express ourselves on its public social media site. 

You read that right.

By apparent monarchical edict of Dr. Balgobin, the Volusia County Schools Facebook page noted that public comments have now been “disabled” and our communications will be limited to “official channels” only:

ACHTUNG!

“To better serve our students, families, and community, comments on the official Volusia County Schools Facebook page are disabled.

Volusia County Schools will continue to provide updates, information, and recognitions through its official communication channels. Only official Volusia County Schools channels represent the district. For questions or assistance, please contact the appropriate department using the information provided so we can respond as accurately and promptly as possible.”

I assume the district’s social media presence will now consist of playing “Everything is beautiful, in its own way,” on an endless audio loop… 

Something stinks in the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand.

In my view, it is time for our elected oversight on the Volusia County School Board to get their heads out of their backsides, stop allowing the tail to wag the dog, demand accountability, and explain to Superintendent Balgobin their sworn obligation to ensure the people’s right to be heard isn’t capriciously blocked by a self-righteous bureaucracy with delusions of grandeur…

In my experience, an intuitive suspicion emerges among those who pay the bills when the disturbing issues we see with our own eyes don’t comport with the pap and fluff that oozes from spinmeisters in public information offices – or the gloating platitudes of senior officials’ intent on creating a flattering picture – regardless of hard evidence to the contrary.

Let’s face it, self-congratulatory accolades are meaningless; little more than a dull tool for professional climbers with an inflated opinion of themselves.  Especially when used to put critics in their place and marginalizing those meddlers who ask too many questions about the who, what, when, where, and why of things.    

The problem comes when senior administrators begin believing their own hype…

Perhaps we could all feel better about Dr. Balgobin’s groaning trophy case if we could get solid answers to how these supernaturally improved school grades and graduation rates were facilitated – and what an “A district” actually means in a time when mediocrity and dysfunction are so handsomely rewarded… 

Questions of “Election Tampering” in the Lost City of Deltona

Those of us who make a hobby watching what passes for politics and governance here on Florida’s “Fun Coast” understand the weird dynamics at play during an election season.  We live in a place where things are bizarre on a good day – but our ‘powers that be’ get downright slaphappy when the retention of power is at play.

Across social media, seasonal “influencers” are climbing out of hibernation, reanimating themselves for another shit-slinging brawl – playing their orchestrated role of tossing barbs and casting doubt – while the traditional “sign wars” heat up across the region. 

Can the dreaded ‘glossy mailers’ be far behind?

The Volusia County Council At-Large race recently took a telling turn when political newcomer Mike Poniatowski placed his campaign signs on a supporter’s lawn in Daytona Beach Shores. 

As it happens, Mr. Poniatowski’s opponent is Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller, who apparently took exception to the fact any DBS resident could possibly support anyone other than her, and promptly called the offending constituent – identifying herself as mayor – and explained that Poniatowski failed to obtain a city permit to place signs in the community.

Then Mayor Miller got to her ominous point…  

In a voicemail printed in the Ormond Beach Observer earlier this month, Miller is quoted:

“I’m the current mayor of Daytona Beach Shores… I see you have a Mike Poniatowski sign in your yard that’s running, actually as my opponent. In Daytona Beach Shores you need to get a permit as well as pay a fee, and he did not, so he’s going to be taking down the signs.

Miller goes on to say that she understands if the homeowner is supporting Poniatowski, but asks that “after all the work that we did together after the hurricanes … (I) hope you will support me.”

So, what happens if they don’t?

According to the report, Mr. Poniatowski believes Mayor Miller abused the power of her office for political gain (because she did), claiming “If she is willing to abuse the power of her current office to suppress a yard sign, voters deserve to ask: what will she do with more power?”

For her part, Miller believes Poniatowski’s indignation is overblown, but admits “In retrospect,” she said, “I probably should not have made that call.”

I agree…

We’ve come to expect outrageous tit-for-tat retaliatory melodrama – that’s part of the fun (for a masochist like me, anyway).  A delicate balancing act where both the allegation and response are carefully calculated to illicit the desired response.  That feint and parry is a big part of the back-alley tactics that pass for campaign strategy here on the “Fun Coast.”

However, the disturbing allegations of possible election tampering coming out of the Lost City of Deltona this week left many concerned about the integrity of the city’s internal qualification process… 

Trust me.  This isn’t ‘petty politics’ as usual. 

According to a troubling report by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:  

“Mayoral candidate Maritza Avila-Vasquez, a city commissioner since 2018, and incumbent Commissioner Stephen Colwell, who is seeking reelection after serving since 2022, shared with The News-Journal copies of letters each received, dated June 25, and headed “NOTICE OF NON-QUALIFICATION.”

“Because the required qualifying papers were incomplete at the close of qualifying, you did not satisfy the qualifying requirements for candidacy for mayor for the Deltona City Commission,” the letter to Avila-Vasquez states. “Accordingly, the City Clerk’s Office will not certify you as a qualified candidate for mayor, and you will not be recognized as a qualified candidate for that office for the applicable election.”

I’m sorry – I want to make it clear – this is occurring in the City of Deltona, Florida, not Port-au-Prince… 

Apparently, Commissioners Avila-Vasquez and Colwell were asked to complete various iterations of qualifying paperwork after being told their original forms were “outdated.”

Then Avila-Vasquez was told she failed to “write the word VOLUSIA on a line requesting the name of her county,” while Colwell inadvertently checked the wrong box on a form after being called back for revisions three times.

Another mayoral candidate, Jason Volez, reported to the News-Journal that “…he has received a notice that his treasurer’s report is being grieved, although he has not received word that he has been disqualified.”

It appears everyone is out of step except incumbent Mayor Santiago Avila, Jr…

Adding to the politically orchestrated confusion, the News-Journal reports that Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis “…learned of Avila-Vasquez’s disqualification too late for her name to be kept off vote-by-mail ballots. So when voters get their ballots for the Aug. 18 primary, they will get a notice that she is not qualified.”

However, on Monday, Supervisor Lewis issued a press release which said, in part, that she does “not have the independent authority to unilaterally remove a candidate from the ballot based solely on the City Clerk’s announcement of “non-qualification” after the qualifying period has ended and the candidate’s name is on the ballot.”

As such, “Candidates Vazquez and Colwell will therefore appear on the ballot unless a court order directs otherwise.”

In my view, that evenhandedness and commitment to fair play is what makes Supervisor Lisa Lewis the best in that often-controversial profession.  We’re fortunate to have her at the helm of Volusia County elections.

In my experience, the City Clerks I had the pleasure of working with during my career in municipal service always remained apolitical, as their role required, avoiding even the appearance of favoritism.   

They helped municipal candidates understand the rules, made sure qualification forms were properly complete before the qualification period ended, and assisted the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker navigate what can be a confusing process for neophyte politicians.

That would explain why Ms. Lewis hasn’t seen a city clerk remove a name from a ballot after qualifying in her decade of experience in Volusia County…

Outside of Deltona’s municipal elections, earlier this week I learned that District 5 Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago tried to pull something similar when he attempted to have his opponent, David Sosa, similarly disqualified.  Apparently, Councilman Santiago claimed Mr. Sosa had procedural issues with a campaign treasurer and failed to check a box on a form.

To her credit, Supervisor Lewis denied Councilman Santiago’s brazen attempt to deny District 5 voters a choice and found that Mr. Sosa is duly qualified to stand for election.  

Now, longsuffering Deltona residents are left (once again) with more questions than answers.

Unfortunately, the qualification bruhaha wasn’t the only electoral shenanigans reported in Deltona this week. Other campaign mischief includes someone purchasing the domain “maritzaformayor.com,” which immediately redirects to Mayor Avila’s campaign website… 

Yeah.  I know.

In my view, taking an opponent’s means of promoting themselves out-of-play is typical campaign strategy – skeevy as hell – but in-bounds.  However, I’m not sure using it to deceive potential donors/supporters by redirecting them to Mayor Santiago’s campaign page is ethical, moral, or permitted by election law.

But, in my view, the tactic damn sure speaks to Mayor Avila’s character…    

That said, the arbitrary disqualification of otherwise qualified candidates by Deltona’s filing official due to a simple scrivener’s error is the textbook definition of pettiness (and election interference) – again, designed to deny the voters of Deltona a choice.

That undermines the public’s trust in the process.

It also calls into question what factions inside/outside City Hall forced the issue with longtime Deltona City Clerk Joyce Rafferty? 

There you have it. 

Another nonsensical Deltona debacle that has residents questioning whether Ms. Rafferty is being influenced, grossly incompetent, or a possible accomplice to election tampering? 

Stay tuned, folks. 

Depending on which puppeteer is found to be pulling the strings – and the radius of the inevitable voter fallout – this one could get interesting… 

Quote of the Week

“Looking back to the history of the struggle, it is truly astounding that the fledgling country became an independent nation and went on to become the freest, richest, most powerful country in the annals of the world. For America to prevail against its mother country was a shock to many on both sides of the war. For the United States to rise so high, so quickly on the world scene was no accident or fluke of fate, according to leaders of that time. Rather, Divine Providence, the acts of God in the affairs of men, favored the new nation. The patriot signers of the Declaration, had, after all expressed “a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence,” and they were “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World” for his aid in their cause.

Not least, the Declaration of Independence affirms the concept of human rights, special privileges that we have and enjoy, thanks to our Creator. We were born with these rights — life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — because we the people are a special creation. We as a nation have the moral high ground to promote human rights in totalitarian countries and where the free will of people made in God’s image is under threat of being lost or taken away. That is one of our nation’s greatest gifts to the world. Pro Gloria Dei.”

–Reporter Al Everson, as excerpted from his essay in the West Volusia Beacon, “Between the lines: July 4 — a time to celebrate and thank God,” Tuesday, June 30, 2026

As we celebrate our great nation’s 250^th birthday, I hope you will take a minute to consider those freedoms we enjoy – and too often take for granted. Like the importance of staying informed on the issues of the day through free and independent local journalism.    

I hope you will take a minute to contribute to the West Volusia Beacon’s annual fundraising drive. 

Here’s more information on how you can help: https://tinyurl.com/5n85jae9

And Another Thing! 

Speaking of the importance of independent journalism, one of the most cogent thoughts on the twists and turns of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposed tax shift was penned this week by the great editorialist Peter Schorsch in Florida Politics, “DeSantis held the Legislature hostage for Amendment 3, then walked away from his own win.”

It increasingly appears that Amendment 3 is an orphan with both those kowtowed legislators who passed the ballot initiative, and now its father, Gov. Ron DeSantis, distancing themselves from this damaging threat to Home Rule through the consolidation of power camouflaged as “property tax reform.”

In his excellent essay, Mr. Schorsch explained:

“In the Gospel, Peter swears he will never abandon Jesus — and before the night is out, he denies knowing him three times. Then the rooster crows, and Peter weeps, because he finally understands what he is.

I can’t remember seeing Ron DeSantis weep. But this week, the cock crowed for him just the same.

For more than a year, DeSantis held Florida’s entire legislative process hostage to property taxes. He called lawmakers back to Tallahassee for a Special Legislative Session. He insisted, demanded really, that the Legislature put relief on the ballot. They did. And on Monday, the Governor announced he won’t lift a finger to pass it.”

Find the rest of Mr. Schorsch’s column here: https://tinyurl.com/bdf6nac2

According to reports, Gov. DeSantis now says he’ll vote for it, but won’t go out of his way to support the amendment because isn’t as far reaching as the language he initially proposed…

Good.  It’s bad public policy – and everyone associated with it knows it.  

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the pernicious powerplay pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as “reforming property taxes” effectively exsanguinates the responsive, efficient, and accessible essential services we enjoy in our hometowns.

In his excellent piece, Mr. Schorsch points out how – after strongarming the legislature into passing his initiative – lawmakers got a strong dose of the disloyalty that has made Gov. DeSantis the darling of the mega-donor class and widely distrusted by members of his own party.

In Tallahassee and beyond…

“Strip away the policy and you find the man, and the man has a pattern.

Ask Paul Renner, the House Speaker who branded Florida the “Free State” at DeSantis’ side, only to later get knifed by DeSantis, who described him as ill-advised the day Renner filed for Governor.

Ask Jay Collins, the Lieutenant Governor DeSantis handpicked, paraded, and then refused to endorse in Collins’ own hometown.

Ask Donald Trump, who saved DeSantis’ 2018 campaign and got repaid with a Primary so bitter that Trump’s own voters now call DeSantis a traitor. Ask the staffers who needed cupcakes to lure him to meetings, one of whom told reporters, “loyalty and trust, that is not a currency he deals in.”

Some on the MAGA right diagnosed it years ago, in a statement titled, simply, “A Lesson for DeSantis: Loyalty Counts.”

DeSantis keeps proving his critics right. Trump made him. Renner served him. Collins idolized him. The homeowners believed him. Each one, the moment they stopped being useful, became disposable.”

Last month, Gov. DeSantis essentially held legislator’s hostage by refusing to sign the state budget.  That resulted in the ballot initiative being passed in less than 48-hours without the first study, legitimate audit, external input, or even a basic understanding of the long-term ramifications of their actions on the communities that sent them to Tallahassee.

According to a comment by Sen. Tom Wright last month, “He has not yet signed off on the budget. So in my belief, because I’ve seen it happen many times already, if we didn’t vote yes on that bill, we would probably see all of our budget items zeroed out, and I’m under the belief that that bill was going to pass one way or another.”

In my view, coercion and political duress is no way to ramrod public policy that would fundamentally change the way we fund essential local services. 

Do Florida residents need tax relief?  Absolutely. 

More to the point, they deserve spending reform by state and local governments – a concerted effort to change the manner and means by which our tax dollars are spent – with prescribed limitations on exorbitant salaries, benefits, and allowances for senior administrators, Taj Mahal local government facilities, corporate giveaways, expensive political stunts, and the clockwork millage increases that seem de rigueur in certain cities and counties.

What we don’t need is responsive, efficient, and effective local governments painted with the same brush as bloated bureaucracies who exist to serve themselves.

My hope is that Florida homeowners will see through this orchestrated façade that was championed – now effectively abandoned – by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and support accessible local government and the tailored essential services we’ve come to appreciate.   

Floridians should no longer be forced to tolerate dangerous public policy ramrodded by thuggery, disloyalty, and mistrust.

That’s all for me. 

Here’s wishing the United States of America – the Greatest Nation in the history of the World – a Happy Birthday as we join together to celebrate 250-years of Freedom! 

Happy Independence Day, y’all!  

Hi, kids!

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

The Debacle at Daytona: Riding the Wave of Confusion

“Henry referred to the “Hungarian trip” and other things reported in the press as “just mythical untruths,” but did not describe what was untrue about the reports or provide more information about the charge.

“I’ve personally tried to not to address much of that because I don’t think that it’s healthy. Let’s just try to ride the wave and get to the end,” Henry said.

Henry has not responded to multiple calls and texts from The Daytona Beach News-Journal for recent stories.”

–Reporter Sheldon Gardner, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Daytona Beach mayor claims news reports are false, but won’t say why,” Monday, June 22, 2026

Despite my better judgement, last week I poured a strong fortifier and tuned into the regular meeting of the Daytona Beach City Commission, a serialized tragicomedy that always challenges the limits of human reason (and the ability of my pyloric sphincter to hold down bile…)

It can be tough to watch… 

Per usual, confusion reigned when – during the same meeting, the City Commission unanimously voted to approve modifications to historic tree preservation and mitigation requirements – they also voted to approve the destruction of twelve specimen trees to accommodate an affordable housing project at the southwest corner of 9th Street and Vine Street.

Adding to the absurdity, when the agenda item was called, the motion to approve the proposed resolution effectively died for lack of a second, a parliamentary procedure that typically signals to the chair (Mayor Henry) that only one member wants to proceed with the issue.

“I’m going to have to break my vow, and I’m going to have to support this. I have vowed to try not to do this, but our need is great, our need is great, so that’s where I stand,” Mayor Henry explained.

Rather than call the motion lost for lack of a second and move the meeting along, Mayor Henry inexplicably stepped down and seconded the motion before calling the developer’s land use attorney to approach the podium and give one hell of a sales pitch for removing twelve healthy live oaks ranging from three to four feet in diameter. 

The presentation was accompanied by the usual elaborate architectural renderings of the 80-unit complex – with the enticement of subsidized rental rates around $200+ a month (along with numerous incentives for the developer) – and a promise that this “unicorn” project is worth the sacrifice of old growth hardwoods that benefit our environment in innumerable ways because, ‘people over plants,’ right? 

You remember “plants?

Those green things that used to help control flooding until they were sacrificed on the altar of greed for the latest/greatest residential development?

It was clear that Mayor Henry was immensely proud of his parliamentary sleight-of-hand when the resolution later received the unanimous approval of the City Commission, effectively clearing the way for the project to proceed.   

Screw it.  What else where they going to do, say No?

Here in Florida, real estate developers own the political soul of our state legislature, shameless shills who are bought and paid for, traded like chattel, and used like dull implements to produce a very profitable result. Damn the consequences for existing residents…

During the same meeting, city officials approved changes to the land development code allowing “administrative approval” of affordable housing development applications as mandated by state law. As a result, in this compromised legislative climate, most substantive local growth management regulations have been preempted to the state, and the term “affordable housing” has become a magical incantation. 

When the spell is chanted with the right intonation by a savvy land use attorney, the resulting witchery immediately supersedes any and all commonsense development regulations, density considerations, infrastructure limitations, specimen tree mitigation, planning review, landscape requirement, or the preservation of a community’s historic identity, allowing any project bearing the ‘affordable’ moniker to proceed, come what may.

In addition, last week we learned that a report by Daytona’s Internal Auditor Abinet Belachew found no serious issues with purchasing card use and policies in the City Attorney’s Office. 

According to an exclusive report by Sheldon Gardner in the News-Journal, Belachew “…told commissioners June 17 that since he started digging into spending in September, he has not found any conclusive evidence of fraud in the city,” and described city officials as “cooperative” during his inquiry. 

That’s great news. 

While Mr. Belachew continues to look at the city’s financial practices and internal controls, state auditors are examining spending, and the Office of Statewide Prosecutor continues what has all the appearances of a concurrent criminal investigation…

For the sake of anxious Daytona Beach residents, dedicated city staff, and the stability of the community, let’s hope these important probes come to a conclusion soon.

Last Friday, the turmoil claimed its latest scalp when embattled Daytona Beach Deputy City Manager/Fire Chief Dru Driscoll threw in the towel and announced he will be retiring next month following a 27-year career. 

Perhaps he was tired of riding Mayor Henry’s wave of secrecy?   

It is incredibly sad when a longtime public servant like Chief Driscoll leaves under a cloud, especially with so many unanswered questions remaining. 

More so when the individual misplaces their anger on those they once served.    

Unfortunately, rather than depart with his head high, Driscoll took a swipe at concerned residents who have taken to social media to vent their concerns amid the information vacuum that is Daytona Beach City Hall.  Mounting questions that began last year when WFTV-9 investigative reporter Demi Johnson broke details of what would become the “P” card scandal.

Questions of excessive spending, overtime, and the termination of an identified whistleblower later expanded to the Fire Department…

Those concerns were compounded by several damning internal audit reports of possible misspending and policy failures – along with a scathing rebuke by the state’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.  The lack of answers resulted in the state’s ongoing review of city spending practices and the expenditure of permitting funds.

According to a recent News-Journal report, “His letter doesn’t state a reason for his (Driscoll’s) retirement, but it does criticize “default pessimism in today’s social-media driven culture.”

“Public discourse has frequently devolved into uninformed digital shouting and fact-less emotional commentary from individuals unwilling to educate themselves or roll up their sleeves to improve our community,” he stated. “Despite this shift in modern culture, I remain hopeful that an optimistic few will continue to carry that torch for a greater tomorrow.”

That’s too bad.

In time, I hope Chief Driscoll realizes that this predicament isn’t the result of “uniformed digital shouting.”   

In my view, this is a natural response to the city’s bureaucratic instinct to circle the wagons – what appears to those looking in as a continuing course of conduct by senior elected and appointed officials at City Hall involving suspicious practices, expenditures, and insinuations – suspicions that have resulted in an active investigation by the Florida Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit…

My hope is that Chief Driscoll – now free of the yoke of bureaucratic conformity – will use the insight gained from his unique vantagepoint to provide substantial assistance to state investigators.

In my view, despite Mayor Henry’s vow of silence as he tries to “ride things to the end,” it is time to clear the shroud of suspicion that has enveloped City Hall and return the public’s trust in their municipal government.

Volusia Legislative Delegation: Redefining the “Mealy-Mouthed” Politician

As a cheap seat chirper and unabashed critic of self-serving politicians everywhere, I have a million-and-one colorful adjectives in my quiver.  In fact, on occasion Barker’s View readers will send me “just the right word” to add to my growing lexicon of smartass quips and descriptors.   

One of my favorites is the ancient term “mealy-mouthed,” defined as “…avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising.”

Yeah.  That’s a good one…

I was reminded of that apt definition when members of Volusia’s legislative delegation skirted the most significant civic issue of our time as they mewled and puled at a breakfast hosted by the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber of Commerce last week.  

With no studies, legitimate audits, substantive external input, or basic understanding of the long-term ramifications of their actions, earlier this month, legislators took less than 48-hours to approve a consequential ballot question which essentially asks Florida voters if they like ice cream – without telling them the confection was made from horseshit – or how much it will eventually cost them.

The pernicious powerplay pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as “reforming property taxes” in actuality seeks to shift the tax burden, destroys Home Rule, consolidates power in Tallahassee, and effectively exsanguinates the responsive, efficient, and accessible local essential services we enjoy.

Exchanging them for large, consolidated, and unwieldy public entities that will ruin the character and identity of our hometowns forever.

Now, those shameless shills that comprise our local legislative delegation have the unmitigated gall to insult our collective intelligence and essentially tell us, “Well, I hate the idea personally – it’s dangerous as hell and terrible for Florida. I just voted for it to avoid the wrath of Gov. DeSantis – oh, and I wanted to give you, the little people, an opportunity to vote on it.  I’m generous that way…”

Bullshit.

According to a report by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer:

“Up until about five weeks ago, legislators didn’t know what Gov. Ron DeSantis had planned for his property tax reform proposal.

And what he discussed at an event in Brevard County at that time is different than what ended up before the Florida House and Senate, said Sen. Tom Wright during a legislative breakfast hosted by the Port Orange South Daytona Chamber of Commerce on Friday, June 19.

Is the governor’s proposal viable? The feelings expressed by the Volusia legislators at the breakfast — Wright, and Representatives Webster Barnaby, Bill Partington and Chase Tramont — ranged from neutral to dubious, though they all voted to place it on the ballot for voters.

“He has not yet signed off on the budget,” Wright said. “So in my belief, because I’ve seen it happen many times already, if we didn’t vote yes on that bill, we would probably see all of our budget items zeroed out, and I’m under the belief that that bill was going to pass one way or another.”

For his part, Rep. Chase Tramont, a former Port Orange City Councilman (which means he knows the ramifications) and is currently standing for reelection, said he “wasn’t a big fan of the bill.”

According to the Observer, Tramont explained “When my vote took place a few weeks ago in the special session, it was not for the policy itself,” he said. “If it had gone through the legislative process as a legislative bill to be implemented right away, it wouldn’t have passed the House — I doubt it would have passed the Senate. The vote was to allow you to decide for it.”

Whether or not the amendment passes will come down to “massive education efforts,” Tramont said. People need to know what services will have to be cut, or, how funds will be replaced to keep them.

“So, is it really a tax relief?” Tramont said. “My fear is that it can hurt the lower-income people, because you get a lot of low-income homes and trailer parks that don’t pay any property taxes. Now all of a sudden they’re not exempt from getting an assessment to that property. Now, you’re going to get people on fixed incomes. It could be a bad situation.”

In keeping with the theme, former mayor of Ormond Beach Rep. Bill Partington, displayed elements of the clueless stooge character he plays in Tallahassee when he said, “There’s nothing in the bill that prevents governments from backfilling lost revenue, either with fees or special assessments, or whatever they call it,” he said. “I think cities are looking at that anyway, and it’ll end up being, instead of a tax relief, it’ll be a tax shift — it’ll just be a tax by a different name.”

“Or whatever they call it”? 

Really?

As Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright admitted, what drove our cowardly political climbers to hastily approve a disastrous ballot measure that could destroy our hometowns was Gov. DeSantis’ extortionate veto pen. 

An internecine quid pro quo tactic that threatened what The Daytona Beach News-Journal recently described as the paltry “sprinkle projects” earmarked for Volusia/Flagler in the 2026 state budget.   

It appears our legislative delegation is getting a taste of their own medicine as Gov. DeSantis held them over a barrel during the special session.  Now the foundational idea of managing local resources to efficiently meet the collective needs of residents who equitably pay for tailored services hangs in the balance.

Last year, when some municipalities were debating how best to respond to the gross overreach of SB 180 – the law that stripped local control of growth management regulations and preempted development decisions to the state – some area elected officials openly warned that opposing the state’s brazen attack on Home Rule and self-determination could have grave consequences.

At the time, New Smyrna Beach Mayor Fred Cleveland shuddered, “I don’t want us to be on the blacklist of those that get punished, one way or another, under the radar.  A majority of our county commissioners have said to me we will get punished (if the city joined the lawsuit against SB 180). And it’s not right, I don’t like it, but it’s human nature…”

That’s not good governance – or “human nature” – it’s base thuggery.

Unfortunately, it appears the only ones exempt from the state’s bullying and intimidation are those special interests with the wherewithal to pay-to-play.

Wait until transactional politics – a system where “mega-donors” receive more of our hard-earned tax dollars than the “sprinkles” coming back to Volusia and Flagler – becomes the pecking order that determines which communities are gifted lifeblood from Tallahassee and which are allowed to wither and die.

In my view, our mealy-mouthed legislative delegation should be ashamed of their abject cowardice – and their acquiescence to Gov. DeSantis’ cheap powerplay.  

They knew or should have known that this attack on Home Rule – a consolidation of power and money – will ultimately result in the demise of our mosaic of unique communities that sent them to Tallahassee. 

And they did it anyway.  Now claiming they were under duress.   

Floridian’s deserve true tax (read: spending) reform at all levels of government.  This isn’t it. 

I hope you will consider the source of this initiative – and who stands to benefit the most.  Learn all you can about this flagrant shim-sham and vote like your quality of life depends on it.

Quote of the Week

“West Volusia and the surrounding area are facing a question that communities across Florida are wrestling with: Who should pay for growth?

Too often, local governments approve new development while expecting existing residents to absorb the costs. Roads become more congested, infrastructure requires expansion, public services face additional demand, and taxpayers are ultimately presented with the bill. The result is a transfer of costs from those who profit from growth to those who simply happen to live here. That is neither fair nor sustainable.

Growth itself is not the problem. New residents, businesses and investment can strengthen a community. The problem arises when the government subsidizes growth by socializing its costs.

If a development creates the need for new infrastructure, utility capacity, road improvements or other public expenditures, those costs should be borne by the development and the people who benefit from it, not by existing homeowners through higher taxes or hidden subsidies.

The principle is simple: Growth should pay for itself. This is not anti-development. In fact, it creates better development. When builders, investors and local officials are required to account for the true costs of growth, projects are more likely to be economically sound and less likely to become long-term liabilities for taxpayers.

Local government should act as a neutral steward of public resources, not as a partner in shifting private costs onto the public. Residents should not be forced to subsidize projects they neither requested nor directly benefit from.

As our region continues to grow, we should insist on a straightforward standard: If a project cannot stand on its own without placing additional burdens on existing taxpayers, it may not be as beneficial as its proponents claim. Growth can be a good thing. But growth that depends on taxpayer subsidies is simply another form of corporate welfare.”

–Matt Johnson, Lake Helen, Letter to the Editor, West Volusia Beacon, “Growth must pay for itself,” Tuesday, June 16, 2026

What he said…

And Another Thing!

“Long as I remember the rain been comin’ down

Clouds of mystery pourin’ confusion on the ground

Good men through the ages tryin’ to find the sun.

And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain?”

–John Fogerty  

Fourteen years ago this week, I read an article by Alan Farago, the current conservation chair of Friends of the Everglades, entitled “How the growth machine ate Florida.”

The piece gave a disturbing look at the erosion of growth management regulations in Florida, which have now been almost exclusively preempted to the state, by those craven political prostitutes in Tallahassee who do what they are told by those special interests who own their self-serving souls…

“Florida is an enduring fascination. It is politically influential and culturally backward. It is a great backdrop for television for which no one can remember the plot. Florida exalts development and possesses unique natural resources. Its chief attractions that drove development in the 1950’s are in states of decay, aquifers, springs, estuaries, rivers, bays and the Everglades alternately treasured and spurned, vaunted and trashed, lit by God’s towering thunderheads and buried in a God forsaken culture of strip malls and anonymous platted subdivisions far from places of work.”

 Sound familiar?

I was reminded of Mr. Farago’s prophetic essay this week as I drove along Williamson Boulevard, traveling south between West Granada in Ormond Beach and ‘Boomtown Boulevard’ in Daytona Beach. 

To the west, just south of Advent’s Memorial Hospital complex, I came upon another ubiquitous stretch of denuded land – a massive dusty moonscape now scraped clean – backed by a towering pile of fill, no doubt waiting on another gargantuan (insert sticks-and-glue cookie cutter development here).  

Across Williamson Boulevard I also noticed one of the last remaining patches of greenspace in the area.

Undeveloped acreage marked by several bored rent-a-cows playing their role as theatrical props that ensure the property’s absurd agricultural exemption in the middle of this malignant suburban sprawl.

The undisturbed land with its cud-chewing cattle was holding standing water from recent afternoon thunderstorms, ponding in a large swath along the western edge of the property… 

Where else is it going to go?

Rainwater.  The great equalizer in the continuing “growth at all costs/people are moving here and we’re obligated to accommodate them” argument.  The one natural resource developers, and those compromised shills they employ in local and state government, will never find a way to hide.

As the bulldozers continue to roar, the future of flood-control here on Florida’s “Fun Coast” looks grim… 

Last week in an excellent report by News6’s Molly Reed, we learned:

“Volusia County is on track to run out of money for stormwater projects by 2030.

County staff flagged the funding shortfall this week, warning that stormwater utility fees won’t generate enough revenue to cover planned drainage and flood-control projects. Routine maintenance could also take a hit. Officials say they want to get ahead of the problem now, before it grows worse.

Several large, multi-year projects are moving from the planning phase into construction, meaning the county will need sustained funding over the next several years — on top of any new problems that could emerge from future storms. One option on the table: raising stormwater impact fees.

That potential fee hike is a tough pill to swallow for residents who say they’ve watched flooding get worse for years.”

After spending time and money “studying” the myriad problems contributing to areawide flooding, when it comes time to implementing desperately needed stormwater mitigation projects, we’re told Volusia County is just four short years from running out of money to fund solutions.

Apparently, those who contributed to the problem by rubber stamping development don’t have a clue how to fix the problem…

Last month, Daytona Beach officials received a harsh dose of reality when the best and brightest the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has to offer shrugged their shoulders and said, “Nuttin’ we can do, y’all,” to control historic repeat flooding in the city’s desperately challenged Midtown neighborhood.   

In fact, the experts concluded that given the area’s bowl-shaped topography – and the city’s wholly inadequate system of antiquated drainage canals – normal flood-control solutions could not be “economically justified,” claiming that for every dollar of benefit the city would need to spend $10.  

Tragically, those victims who have been repeatedly inundated are now being told saving their family homes is impossibly unsustainable.

But what about those across the width and breadth of Volusia County whose properties can be saved from the threat of repeat flooding using common sense low-impact development practices, comprehensive drainage strategies, stormwater mitigation projects, and restricting impermeable growth until adequate infrastructure is in place to absorb the impacts?   

What will our powers that be tell them four-years from now?

If you think anyone in Florida’s “growth machine” – to include those marionettes who run interference for it in the state legislature – give two-shits about the plight of increasingly waterlogged existing residents, think again.

I say again – vote like your quality of life depends upon it…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

  Elections 2026: Let the Games Begin…

“It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.”

–H. L. Mencken

Let’s face it, denizens of Florida’s “Fun Coast” can be a cynical bunch.  

Especially at election time…   

We come by it honestly, our callouses hard-earned.  Shaped by the actions of mealy-mouthed elected officials who told us one thing during their campaign – then proved to be little more than a cheap shill for those special interests who own the paper on their political soul.

Sound familiar?

Last Friday the “qualification period” for the primaries and general election came to a close.  Unopposed candidates were automatically elevated to their respective post, while others will now enter the Octagon – that bloody knife fight that passes for political contests around these parts.

There’s a lot at stake.  That’s why hundreds-of-thousands of dollars are being poured into County Council contests and municipal seats throughout Volusia County.

Some of those races are going to be ugly.  They always are…

For instance, we live in a weird time when lies and innuendo printed on a “glossy mailer” carry more weight than the abysmal voting record of compromised incumbents who spent the last two to four years screwing us blue.

Now, for a precious few months, those same barefaced liars – local incumbents who have literally ignored our needs while promoting the for-profit wants on their political benefactors and state legislators who have preempted local control of growth management and set the stage to consolidate power in Tallahassee – now magically transform into our best friends and neighbors, shamelessly groveling for another bite at the rotten apple.

Bizarre. 

That’s one reason many voters have become apathetic, refusing to participate in what they see as a pernicious process that often boils down to an impossible decision between equally detestable options, an ugly dilemma that requires a moral compromise they’re not willing to make. 

That should sound familiar, too…    

In my view, our local microcosm is the best and worst of a representative democracy. On the surface an egalitarian system where most everyone is welcome to try and one needn’t possess any specific skills, credentials, education, or training to qualify.  Unfortunately, the only prerequisites in modern politics are the ability to parrot the party line (even in so-called “non-partisan” races), embrace moral and ethical hypocrisy, and maintain lockstep adherence to the self-serving edicts of their uber-wealthy political benefactors.

In my jaded view, our collective electoral ennui comes from being repeatedly marginalized; our needs routinely ignored by those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest, and a sense that the deck has been stacked against us. 

Because it has.  

It shouldn’t be that way.  

Here are some considerations for those newly qualified candidates – and those of us who will cast our sacred vote for them – from a longtime political voyeur who has seen the best (and the worst) of “Fun Coast” politics.

For those who have chosen to enter the fray and have declared their candidacy for high office, if you take the time, you’ll find that Article II, Section 8, of the Florida Constitution reminds us, “A public office is a public trust.” 

I think it’s important for newcomers to understand what longtime incumbents seem to have forgotten.

For many, public service is a calling – that “fire in the belly” – a passion to serve others at great personal sacrifice.  A chance to work hard in a cause greater than one’s self-interests, the opportunity to help make your community, state, or nation a better place for those you are sworn to serve.

Unfortunately, for many who enter politics, it has become a means to an end…

A seat at the table of power where they make the rules and pave the way for those mercenary special interests who brought them to the dance.  Access to other people’s money with little oversight (or accountability), and statutorily defined ethics rules and removal procedures that are so deliberately onerous that once in office it is almost impossible to recall the scoundrels.

For most, it is a function of adapting to a scheme they neither understand nor have the strength of character to resist. As a result, I find that many elected officials eventually become everything they hated when first entering politics.

I call it being taken into the system.

I’ve said this before, but if I were to purchase one gift for first term politicians preparing to take their seat on the dais of power, it would be a hand mirror.

When the time comes – and it will – when the crown lays heavy and the feeling of infallibility overcomes the newly elected officials willingness to listen, when their constituents are screaming and critics like me are bitching, when compromising their ethics would be the easiest course, or those times when special interests are lobbying for a controversial project, policy, or perquisite – they could take a hard look in that mirror and remember why they sought and fought to serve in the first place. 

The process of being “indoctrinated” begins shortly after their victory party when everyone laughs at their jokes, wealthy people who wouldn’t spit on them before the election suddenly know their name, career bureaucrats fawn over them, well-connected people gossip with them at soirées, and appointed public executives seem to agree with them on decisions large and small. 

Heady stuff for the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker…

That’s when our once idealistic “leaders” lose touch with reality and begin to consider themselves infallible. 

Senior “staff” become the only experts on (enter civic issue here) and our elected dilettantes quickly become blinded by that hubristic feeling of pompous omnipotence.  That overweening sense of self-righteous invincibility that allows them to sit on the dais like stone gargoyles, staring blankly at the hoi polloi who dare to disagree with them.

After all, the “system” has already removed much of the heavy lifting for them. 

Public policy decisions are typically hammered out behind closed doors, away from the prying eyes and input of those whose lives and livelihoods will be directly affected.  Only then do the elected officials play their role as a reliable rubber-stamp – or risk being ostracized, marginalized, and expelled from a very exclusive club.  

Don’t take my word for it, ask Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower how things work…

But clawing one’s way to the seat of power is not for the squeamish – and it’s going to be a long, hot summer for candidates across the region.    

Let the games begin, y’all.

Now that qualifying is complete and the field is set ahead of the August primaries, there is time to do your homework, familiarize yourself with the issues, speak to the candidates, research their policy positions, check the voting records of incumbents, and review campaign finance reports (Find them here: https://tinyurl.com/3dbnd7hw ).

For the system to work properly, it needs informed voters who approach the ballot box with a working understanding of the issues facing our region and the ability to decern the truth from campaign hype and horseshit.

Whether we agree or disagree on the issues, I hope you will stick with Barker’s View during the brutal months ahead as we navigate the “silly season” of political yard signs, debates, hob-nobs, “grip-n-gins,” knocks at the front door from sweaty candidates, and the smiling visage of politicians plastered on billboards, social media, and advertisements of every stripe.

As a faultfinding carper who points out where those actually in the arena stumbled, a cranky fusspot who takes perverse pleasure in poking fun at those haughty egomaniacs holding high office, I egotistically consider this alternative opinion blog important to maintaining balance and accountability in a process that has neither.

It’s not fact-based journalism – just one man’s jaded opinion on the news and newsmakers of the day.

But I hope these screeds on the issues we collectively face give you something to think about and provoke a larger discussion in the community.  A view diametrically different from the pap and fluff of government spinmeisters or carefully orchestrated political messaging.

Here’s a special thanks to everyone who took a big leap of faith and threw their hat in the ring this year. 

It’s a big decision – putting your family through the meatgrinder of modern politics – and a total mind-and-body pursuit not entered into lightly.   

My hat’s off to those courageous souls who hold themselves out, candidates who live up to their promise to improve our lives and livelihoods, consider our fragile environment, slow the malignant sprawl (and maniacal greed) that is rapidly destroying our beautiful state, and protect the health, safety, and welfare of our children and grandchildren.

I can’t think of anything more important.   

Quote of the Week

“We often get reminded that the people voted,” County Council member David Santiago said. “The people spoke on other items that have been before us —that we should listen to them, because the people have spoken, right? We hear that all the time. Well, guess what? The people will speak on this too, and we’ll know very loud and clear whether 60% or more, or less, want what is being argued for or against, so the debate really needs to happen amongst your neighbors.”

–Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago, speaking during a public hearing on proposed charter amendments, as quoted by the Ormond Beach Observer, “Five Volusia charter amendments, including a register of conservation lands, to be placed on November ballot,” Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago’s gaslighting lectures from the dais never cease to amaze me… 

He has the meanspirited ability to shamelessly contort the needs, wants, and concerns of his longsuffering constituents, then serve it back to them. Cold.

This week we learned that Volusia County residents are (once again) the victims of the old “bait-and-switch” – a classic political con frequently used by conniving politicians to warp the will of the people into something unrecognizable from its original form.    

In this case, voters overwhelmingly approved the venerated conservation program Volusia Forever under the guise of protecting endangered lands in perpetuity, i.e., “forever.”

Now, a charter amendment has been proposed that would nullify the permanency provisions of Volusia Forever by allowing a majority plus-one vote of the County Council to remove the same land you and I previously paid to protect from a “registry” of “protected conservation lands” for sale or transfer.  The amendment would also make exceptions for “takings by entities with authority of eminent domain” and allow conservation properties to be used for “public purposes.”

Whatever that means…

If the charter amendment is approved by a majority of Volusia County voters, environmentally sensitive lands we were led to believe would be protected from greed-crazed exploitation for all time would be subject to the whims of a supermajority of bought-and-paid-for shills on the Volusia County Council.

Does that sound like what you voted for? 

Another charter amendment proposed by Chairman Jeff Brower that would have required a unanimous vote of the council to sell or transfer Volusia Forever lands was tabled on a 4-2 vote with Brower and Councilman Troy Kent on the losing end.

According to the Observer’s report, “This was a result of arguments made by some environmentalists who felt that the fifth charter amendment involving conservation lands takes away protections because it will allow council to sell these lands or use them for a “public purpose.”

Whenever our elected officials start couching things with subjective terms like “public purpose,” I get nervous…

You should too.

“Dream Green Volusia founder Suzanne Scheiber, a member of the Charter Review Committee, stated on her organization’s Facebook page that public purpose is “defined by case law and can be a wastewater treatment plant, a fire station, a road, a water treatment plant, a park, etc.”

She advocated for the county to emulate Alachua County, where lands placed on a conservation registry can only be sold via a voter referendum. As county legal opinions say this wouldn’t hold up in courts, Scheiber asked the council to pass an ordinance requiring a unanimous vote to sell or transfer conservation lands, and put the sixth charter amendment on the ballot for voters to decide.

“It strengthens the initial voter referendum and does not affect Volusia Forever’s original intent,” Scheiber said. “Show us that you have no plans to sell our Volusia Forever conservation lands, and that words spoken in support of the program meant something.”

So much for listening to the “will of the voters,” eh?

In my view, now is the time for Volusia County voters to decide just how fast we can launch the likes of “No Show” Santiago and those other shameless shills who are up for reelection – empty suits who constantly remind us they are tired of listening to the needs of their long-suffering constituents – and replace them with responsive, accessible, and transparent elected officials who (we hope) will stand by their campaign promises, not backroom machinations and bureaucratically created loopholes.

This election season let’s reiterate our commitment to Volusia Forever (and good governance) by voting a resounding “NO!” on these charter amendments that do absolutely nothing to improve our environment, water quality, quality of life, or our children’s future.

And Another Thing!

I wondered how long it would take… 

This week, disgraced former Flagler County Sheriff James Manfre uttered the “C word” and gave us all a glimpse at the real reason Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature are pushing to shift the tax burden in Florida: Consolidation of services – and power…   

Writing in the Palm Coast Observer this week, Manfre took several swipes at current Sheriff Rick Staly’s spending before suggesting the consolidation of “…all municipal law enforcement, fire and rescue and emergency management under the Sheriffs Office. With the 150% increase over 10 years in the sheriff’s budget, Rick Staly should have the administrative resources to oversee and integrate those operations into one comprehensive unit.”

I found it odd that Manfre bolstered his argument for an enormous, cumbersome, and horribly expensive law enforcement/fire/EMS/emergency management/etc. conglomerate by pointing to the controversial practices of Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony.

According to Manfre, “In Broward County, the Sheriff’s Office oversees law enforcement for the county and 14 separate municipalities, fire and rescue and emergency management. The administration expenses savings has been dramatic.”

Bullshit.

Last week, Sheriff Tony became the subject of a state DOGE audit after asking Broward County government for a $103 million increase in the agency’s annual budget.  Area elected officials have long been left in the dark when it comes to Sheriff Tony’s spending practices due to his notorious lack of fiscal transparency.   

According to a report by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, municipal officials throughout Broward County welcome the state’s request for financial information from BSO:

“It’s the kind of information public officials have repeatedly said they would want to see as they decide whether to accept Tony’s growing funding requests. Last year he asked the county for a 9% funding increase and received a 3% bump to $833 million. This year, he all but renewed last year’s rejected request and built on it, submitting a 2027 budget request that is 12.4% higher than the adopted budget for 2026.

Deerfield Beach decided to restart its own police and fire-rescue service in 2027 rather than meet Tony’s funding requests.”

Look, I realize state auditors picking over the spending of local governments while ignoring their own rampant waste, fraud, and abuse is the height of kleptocratic hypocrisy, but that’s where we find ourselves here in the Sunshine State… 

Former Sheriff Manfre is a lawyer (with a “concentration on development and land use issues”) – not a cop. 

During Manfre’s reign in Flagler County, he was the subject of sustained ethics complaints dating to 2013 for improper use of the agency credit card and failure to report a gift — a stay at an out-of-state resort cabin belonging to then-undersheriff Rick Staly.

The administrative law judge failed to uphold an additional charge against Manfre for misusing a county-owned vehicle for personal trips outside Florida.

Ultimately, Manfre was sanctioned on an 8-0 vote of the Florida Ethics Commission and received a $6,200 fine, public censure, and a reprimand from then Governor Rick Scott.  For his part, Manfre blamed then Undersheriff Staly, and his Finance Director, for failing in their duty to advise and inform him of his obligations… 

According to a 2016 report in FlaglerLive.com, “Manfre himself zigzagged between accepting and challenging various judgments until he decided in late May to accept the final judgment.”

Whatever.

In my view, given his tarnished history while in public office, former Sheriff Manfre is the last person we should be taking advice from. Especially when it involves the dissolution of our efficient, effective, and essential hometown services in favor of another bloated and inaccessible bureaucracy.

Conversely, Flagler Sheriff Rick Staly spoke against the property tax shift this week during a budget presentation before the Palm Coast City Council. 

According to a report in FlaglerLive.com this week, “In a long statement as surprising for its bluntness as for its prescription and prediction–he is not at all sure that the amendment will pass–Staly said all that state lawmakers did when they approved the proposal was “screw around with the cities and the county.”

He called it “politics.” He called it thoughtless and lacking proper definitions. He all but called lawmakers hypocrites. And he said he’d never seen a proposal of such reach pass the legislature in a mere three-day special session.

“I’m going to try my best to bite my tongue on my opinion on what occurred in Tallahassee,” Staly said. “I’ll probably have more to say about that later. But let’s remember that the voters haven’t spoken yet.” The sheriff was addressing the Palm Coast City Council this morning as part of his annual budget presentation and request–a request that included the addition of nine sheriff’s deputies and a budget increase of $2 million, to $13.5 million.”

Sheriff Rick Staly is a veteran lawman who has the best interests of Flagler County and beyond in his heart.

If you value the unique amenities and personality of the community you call home, one with tailored and efficient essential services, like police, fire, EMS, city utilities, emergency management, planning, and recreation – overseen by a locally elected body comprised of your neighbors who listen to your concerns, value input in community decisions, and provide an excellent quality of life in a place with a unique civic and historical identity – then this one bears watching.

It appears those who stand to benefit from the state’s property tax shim-sham are already building their fiefdoms and divvying up the spoils. The vote isn’t until November… 

What?

You don’t want to become just another neglected appendage of an inaccessible and wholly unaccountable state bureaucracy with a history of waste and siphoning public funds to political donors?

You don’t want your hometown to be priced out of the market and ultimately absorbed due to usurious annual fee increases and exorbitant assessments to pay for consolidated services you no longer have control over?

Tough shit, rube…

The state wants Florida’s municipalities eating out of their hands like baby birds – beholden to Tallahassee for their survival – not likely to make waves for influential political donors with a chip in the game who desperately want to consolidate power where it can be manipulated to their advantage.

In order to accomplish that, they plan to dismantle our venerated system of local governance – and they want to use us to do the dirty work for them by voting for an ill-conceived power grab dressed up as a half-baked property tax break.

In my view, this is a well-orchestrated effort to destroy Florida municipalities, eviscerate responsive local services, and remove any further local impediments to the mercenary wants of those special interests and private profiteers who own the soul of the State of Florida.

Let’s protect our beautiful mosaic of communities that form the backbone of Volusia County and beyond from this pernicious push to destroy our way of life and tell the state legislature We, The Little People refuse to normalize pay-to-play politics.

In my jaded view, when Florida’s compromised legislature – or the Biggest Whorehouse in the World, as I call it – goaded by an anxious lame-duck governor with grand political ambitions, hastily approves and promotes a constitutional ballot initiative (in less than 48-hours with no comprehensive studies of how the proposal will impact our responsive, effective, and fiscally efficient local essential services) on a promise they’re doing us a favor:

Don’t believe them…  

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

City of Daytona Beach: Perception Becomes a Destabilizing Reality

The idiom “Every man is his own worst enemy” suggests that a person’s greatest obstacles often come from within themselves rather than external factors.  An internal conflict that sometimes undermines our own success through self-destructive behaviors and errant choices. 

Trust me.  I can relate…  

Fortunately, most of us have been gifted the neurological wiring to instinctively protect ourselves – the somatic reflex that occurs without conscious thought – allowing our body to rapidly react to harmful stimuli, such as pulling your hand away from a hot stove. 

But what do we call those who ignore the obvious? 

Ostensibly smart people and organizations who know better, yet repeatedly disregard all best evidence, advice, and previous injury, then proceed to do things they know will have adverse consequences, aggravate an already dire situation, or add to the appearance of impropriety. 

At best, that’s called reckless and impulsive – the result of a “desensitization” to circumstances and admonitions that those of us who have been burned before use as a forewarning – scars that form a reliable predictor of the adverse outcomes that result from repeat harmful behavior. 

At worst, it is something far more sinister… 

By any metric, the City of Daytona Beach is in serious peril.  More so than most of its elected officials fully realize (or seem to care). 

Yet, they push forward, seemingly incapable of changing tack even in the midst of a raging tempest, pathologically committed to the same wildly careless fiscal, financial, and operational policies (and personnel) that have brought intense scrutiny to City Hall in the form of an active criminal investigation by the Public Integrity Unit of the Statewide Prosecutor’s Office.

Read that again…

For instance, knowing the devastating effects of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ latest political stunt that would shift fiscal responsibility for local essential services in Florida, city leaders moved forward with a $27 million Taj Mahal fire station (that replaced the Daytona Beach Fire Department’s historic Station No. 1 to make way for who knows what?)

During an elaborate ribbon-cutting ceremony last week – rather than have a subdued dedication amid the city’s current realities and questionable spending in the fire department – Daytona Beach taxpayers winced as an ostentatious “pyrotechnic” display heralded the opening of what the News-Journal described as the “palatial” new public facility located in the struggling business corridor of South Ridgewood Avenue.  

In my view, the extravagant building and equally grandiose celebration was a subliminal middle-finger in the face of state investigators, auditors, and those concerned citizens who questioned if this is the time to take on millions in additional debt.

In an excellent article by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, we learned:

“When asked about whether he was concerned about the optics of spending that much on a fire station, during a time of intense scrutiny over finances, City Manager Deric Feacher said Daytona Beach residents “want a quality fire department.”

“They want men and women who are going to serve this community, so I don’t see any issues or concerns about what we’ve done for the residents of Daytona Beach and for our visitors,” he said.

The News-Journal reached out to the city about the cost of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. That information wasn’t immediately available on June 2.”

In my experience, with the right leadership, a “quality fire department” can be operated out of a well-maintained tin can.  Exceptional public services don’t require the trimmings of a flashy facility to serve residents with professionalism, fiscal efficiency, and esprit de corps.

I’ve seen it done. 

To add injury, last week, the Daytona Beach City Commission debated the ethics of public contributions made to groups which include individual commissioners as members.

During the meeting, the city’s dutiful watchdog Commissioner Stacey Cantu proposed an ordinance prohibiting gifts to organizations with connections to sitting officials, rightfully citing potential conflicts of interest. 

The questionable practice was publicly aired and ended in a 3-3 split vote, with the usual cast of characters – Commissioners Paula Reed, Ken Strickland, and Vice Mayor Dannette Henry (Mayor Derrick Henry was absent) – arguing that the unusual practice does not pose an ethical conflict.

Bullshit.

In my view, the entire concept of the city’s asinine “Mayoral/Zone Support Fund” – a discretionary slush fund that allows elected officials to curry favor with voters by gifting public funds to area events and organizations supposedly for the benefit of Daytona Beach and its residents – is wrong on its face.

Rather than use a competitive grant process, assessment of city needs, or independent external nominations, the scheme allows individual commissioners to request an expenditure from the city’s general fund which is then rubber stamped by resolution.  In my view, the practice of allowing elected officials access to public funds so they can politically promote themselves by offering a cumshaw to their supporters in area civic and service organizations, is ripe for abuse.

This week, another layer of this odorous onion was peeled when the Florida Attorney General’s Office issued a subpoena for “All changes made to Henry’s biography page, the dates of the changes and the identity of the person or persons who made the changes.”

In April, WFTV-9 reporter Demi Johnson reported that investigators had subpoenaed information related to:

“Bills, receipts, invoices and email transactions related to Step-by-Step Expressions inc. or themathparty.com, have also been requested. The mayor is listed as the Executive Director of Step-By-Step Expressions inc. on his bio on the city’s website. Sunbiz.com lists his wife as the CEO.

According to themathparty.com, the mayor’s wife founded that organization as well.

To be clear, just because city officials are listed in these subpoenas, does not mean they are guilty or accused of a crime.”

As of this week, it appears any mention of Mayor Henry having served as Executive Director of Step-by-Step Expressions, Inc. has been removed from the city’s website… 

Why?

Here’s hoping Daytona Beach officials will finally awake to the fact that extravagant indulgences – and the easily avoidable perception of impropriety and conflict of interest – are destabilizing, and a direct affront to the public trust, especially during this sensitive and confusing time in the city’s history.

Flagler County: BOCC Proves “FAFO” Works Both Ways…

“I believe that we need to get more information out,” said Commissioner Kim Carney, who brought up the matter during the board’s June 1 meeting, calling Ingoglia’s analysis a “campaign crutch.”

“And I don’t like it,” Carney said. “It’s not going to go away before the election. He is going to pound on this, and try to get credit on this, up through the election.”

What do Flagler commissioners want clarified about budget overspending allegations?

Commissioner Andy Dance supported the idea for the webpage and encouraged the board to be specific in what it should say.

“I think the major accusations, from the original (March 2026) press release, should be addressed,” Dance said referring to the claims in Ingoglia’s report about the addition of “80 full-time administrative employees to accommodate a 32,564 increase in population growth” over the past six years.

“Because the rest of it is just vague … it’s just generalizations,” he added.”

–Flagler Board of County Commissioners Kim Carney and Andy Dance, as quoted by reporter Brenno Carillo, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Still no audit from Ingoglia; Carney calls stunt ‘campaign crutch,’” Friday, June 5, 2026

Rather than wait for more embellished misinformation from Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, the Flagler Board of County Commissioners are finally standing up for themselves and calling bullshit on the CFO’s nonexistent “audit” by providing their confused constituents with facts, figures, and explanations.

What took them so long?

For the uninitiated, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer (and current candidate to retain the role) Blaise Ingoglia has made a cottage industry over the past year travelling around the state (on a publicly funded campaign tour?) making sweeping allegations of what he calls “excessive” and “wasteful” overspending by cities and counties. 

Not surprisingly, Ingoglia’s statewide dog-and-pony-show came ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push to transfer, consolidate, and centralize power from local governments to Tallahassee by changing how we pay for essential local services.   

Last week, the Florida legislature – with few specifics and no financial analysis – thought it prudent to completely upend our system of governance by asking Florida voters to transition from the reasonably equitable ad valorem system to God knows what…

Nearly two-weeks later our legislators still can’t explain it to us – because they don’t understand it either…  

When CFO Ingoglia blew into Flagler County earlier this year, he stood behind a podium emblazoned “FAFO Audit” and mercilessly eviscerated elected officials and senior government administrators.

At the time, FlaglerLive.com described the disturbing scene:

“Blaise Ingoglia, Florida’s chief financial officer, excoriated a room full of Flagler County government officials this afternoon at the Club at Hammock Beach, saying “government is spending too much, government is taxing too much,” and singling out Flagler County government for being proportionately the biggest wasteful spender in the state, according to an oversimplified methodology his office is applying to local government budgets.

Flagler’s officials didn’t say a word, took it, and applauded. The performance lasted 32 minutes. The officials seemed ready for a performance twice as long.  None had known what government–county or municipal–Ingoglia would attack.”

The problem is/was – CFO Ingoglia has failed to produce a legitimate budget analysis or audit report to prove his claims of widespread waste and abuse in Flagler County – or anywhere else –and he continues to ignore mounting public record requests from media outlets that he produce the documents, you know, as Florida law demands. 

Florida’s Chief Financial Officer should know that…

In a follow-up report to the CFO’s Flagler County bloodletting, the News-Journal explained, “Ingoglia said at the time that he reached that number from a basic calculation: He compared how much the county spent in 2019 compared to what it spent in 2025-26, factoring in population growth and inflation. He didn’t mention the inflation rate.”

That’s not a financial “audit” – it’s a wild-assed guess… 

In response, it appears Flagler County officials are preparing to explain to Candidate Ingoglia that “FAFO” works both ways:

According to a report in the News-Journal this week, “County staff is working on a webpage detailing the county’s spending and most significant financial movements over the last six years — the period in which Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia said its budget was nearly $60 million in excess.”

Good.  Nothing dispels the stench of politically motivated lies like the disinfecting light of truth.  

In my view, the only positive to emerge from Mr. Ingoglia’s attempt to fabricate a tax revolt from whole cloth – using fictional “audits,” and sensationalized terms like “FAFO” to sow widespread confusion – is the increase in fiscal transparency as humiliated local officials throw open the books and finally defend themselves from the state’s abject thuggery.  

Obviously, there is excessive spending, fraud, waste, and abuse in some monstrously bloated bureaucracies across Florida – starting with that transactional whorehouse that is the Florida State Capitol. 

But it is increasingly clear that CFO Blaise Ingoglia and his “do as I say, not as I do” strategy has ruined his personal, professional, and political credibility with inflammatory hype and horseshit that seems to paint every local government with the same brush.   

In my view, if Mr. Ingoglia has intentionally embellished spending for a political end, he has done a terrible disservice to the citizens of Flagler County, and the state of Florida.

Quote of the Week

“Everyone is talking about property taxes. Almost nobody is talking about power.

That’s strange because power, not taxes, is what this debate is really about. The sales pitch is simple: property taxes are unpopular, homeowners are angry, government has grown, and cutting tax bills will provide relief. Who doesn’t like that? But there is a difference between cutting taxes and changing who controls government. Florida is not debating a tax cut. Florida is debating a fundamental redesign of how local government is financed.

For more than half a century, Florida has embraced home rule. The idea was simple: Local communities should make local decisions. If a city council spends too much, voters can replace it. If a county commission raises taxes, voters can replace it. The people making spending decisions are accountable to the people paying the bills. That system is imperfect, but it is transparent. If your local government fails, you know exactly where to direct your frustration and exactly who to vote against.

Now imagine a different system. Imagine counties and cities that can no longer fund themselves. Imagine local officials traveling to Tallahassee not to seek a grant for a new project, but to keep deputies on patrol, firefighters in stations, and ambulances on the road. At that point, who is really running local government? The answer is not the county commission. The answer is not the city council.

The answer is whoever controls the money.”

–Former Florida Sen. Jeff Brandes, President of the Florida Policy Project, a nonpartisan public policy research organization focused on Florida’s biggest challenges. As a republican politician, he served for 12 years in the Florida Legislature, including service in both the Florida House and Senate.  This excerpt is from his commentary in the Florida Trident, “The property tax blast radius nobody is talking about,” Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Please find the rest of Mr. Brandes’ informative piece here: https://tinyurl.com/bmjwarfp

Former Sen. Jeff Brandes just said the quiet part out loud…

In recent days, I have considered opinions on both sides of the recently approved ballot initiative to “eliminate” (read: shift) property taxes (because opinions and supposition are all we have). Few of those viewpoints were more cogent that Mr. Brandes’ insider peek behind the velvet curtain revealing the true motivations of those who control the rods and strings of our state government.

Look, no one complains more about government spending, waste, and abuse than I do. 

In fact, it’s kind of “my thing.” 

A perverse pastime cogitating on the issues of the day, then taking those who accept public funds to serve the interests of their political benefactors to the proverbial woodshed.  It fits my curmudgeonly persona and gives me that sense of purpose in retirement. 

Most important, it comports well with my other hobby: Day drinking… 

That said, I’ve had a tough time wrapping my head around the property tax ballot initiative because it flies in the face of those values I hold dear – namely small, limited, and accountable government comprised of, by, and for the people it serves.

In my view, former senator Brandes brings Tallahassee’s true motivations into perspective:

“There is an irony here that should give conservatives pause. A proposal intended to shrink government could ultimately centralize it. When counties and cities become financially dependent on Tallahassee, the governor effectively becomes the mayor of communities he was never elected to run. Imagine a future governor deciding which counties receive funding for deputies, which cities receive support for fire services, and which communities must wait. Local government becomes less local. Home rule becomes a slogan instead of a governing principle.”

Forcing cities and counties under the bootheel of state government by making them wholly dependent on Tallahassee bureaucrats for their lifeblood quickly changes the power dynamic. 

Rather than continue to chip away at home rule with mandates and preemptions, it appears that on his way out the door, Gov. DeSantis wants to topple our entire system of governance through, as Mr. Brandes so aptly put it, “…one of the largest transfers of financial responsibility in modern Florida history.”

Cui bono? Certainly not Florida residents.

Be careful what you wish for – especially when an extreme “solution” is proposed by a term limited politician with higher ambitions…

As former Sen. Brandes warns, “Supporters frame this debate as a battle between taxpayers and government. That is the wrong framework. The real question is whether Florida wants independent local governments or dependent local governments. Because independent local government means paying your own bills.”

And Another Thing!

“At last Monday’s County Commission meeting the county administration threw more cold water on the proposed development of 22,000 homes on 22,000 acres west of U.S. 1 commonly known as the “western expansion.” The proposal has weathered a few public cold showers from a Palm Coast City Council member and the mayor.

“The agreement will leave in place the potential future possibility of injecting wastewater into the aquifer,” Deputy County Attorney Sean Moylan told the county commissioners Monday. “If it were approved today as written, it would not allow for that to happen immediately. There would have to be a separate approval later. But it at least opens the door for the subject, and it’s something that’s never happened in our county before. The aquifer doesn’t just follow jurisdictional lines, it really belongs to all of us.”

Moylan was referring to a particular segment of the 128-page development order, known as a master planned development agreement, or MPD, that opened the way for incinerator plants, hog and poultry farms and “deep well injection of waste products,” among other uses. None of those uses would be permitted without an amendment to the MPD and an affirmative vote by the regulatory boards. But the list had been added there in the third version of the MPD, in essence opening that door Moylan was referring to.”

–As excerpted from FlaglerLive.com, “As County Throws More Cold Water on 22,000-Home ‘Western Expansion,’ Developer Defends Retreat from Previous Commitments,” Friday, June 5, 2026

(Please find the rest of the article here: https://tinyurl.com/d3cmu5jn )

As the wrangling between the voices of reason on the Palm Coast City Council – namely Mayor Mike Norris and Councilwoman Theresa Pontieri – and developers of Flagler’s massive “western expansion” continues, another iteration of the Master Planned Development agreement is being considered. 

Let’s just say a lot of controversial issues remain to be negotiated…

In fact, Ms. Pontieri has called the most recent version, “garbage.”

As I understand it, the development agreement includes regionally impactful considerations, such as the fate of Flagler’s historic Old Brick Road, the use of public funds for construction of the “Loop Road” connector, and the extent to which the developer will assume responsibility for certain infrastructure, a “sports amenity,” and other issues posing profound consequences for existing residents.

Last week, a representative for Raydient, the development subsidiary of landowner Rayonier, told Palm Coast residents the intrusive industrial uses that would have been allowed by amendment – what Raydient called “the list of horribles” – have been deleted from the agreement. 

That said, the mere presence of these impactful industrial uses should be a wakeup call to everyone in the region.  In my view, it demonstrates how our water quality and quantity could be adversely affected by affirmative vote of compromised regulatory boards that would allow “deep well injection of waste products” into our source aquifer.  

For instance, last week Jerry Valcik, an Ormond Beach resident who describes himself as a public health/environmental engineer with expertise in safe drinking water, wrote an editorial published in the Ormond Beach Observer entitled “’Toilet-to-tap’ is not a credible issue in Ormond Beach.”   

The piece touted “…the beneficial reuse of nonpotable wastewaters…” 

According to Mr. Valcik, “First, there are approximately 300 septic tanks in Ormond and another 4,000 in Ormond-by-the-Sea, parts of which we supply with drinking water. After natural soil filtration, some resulting leachate from these tanks percolates into our aquifer where extensive dilution occurs.

Second, there are 4-5 million gallons of highly treated wastewater applied daily to irrigate and enhance lawns and landscapes throughout our city. This reclaimed water is used by 4,500+ residents (about 10% of our population), commercial businesses and in public areas. Eventually, residual leachate from treated wastewater irrigating lawns also finds its way into our aquifer where tremendous dilution occurs.

If a public referendum is authorized and all toilet-to-tap (recycling of nonpotable wastewaters) is banned, then would septic tanks be outlawed? Must lawn and landscape irrigation cease to the detriment of our paradise? How would the city replace these critical services? How quickly? At what cost? How would these major projects be funded? These critical questions must be addressed.”

Also, why is this being raised now? No direct toilet-to-tap plans have been announced by our city or county.”

(Please find the rest of Mr. Valcik’s opinion here: https://tinyurl.com/yaxw5t5d )

As is common with “wastewater experts,” (most of whom will admit they don’t have a clue about the long-term impacts of chemicals used to treat wastewater on the sensitive geology of our aquifer) Mr. Valcik went on to remind we finicky fusspots with an aversion to drinking our own waste that “direct toilet-to-tap reuse occurs on the space station.”

Whatever.   

To my knowledge, no one has asked for a charter amendment banning septic tanks in Ormond Beach or prohibiting the use of treated sewage for irrigation. 

That’s a cheap scare tactic.    

What has been proposed is a referendum asking residents to decide the question of “potable reuse,” sending treated wastewater to our taps, and the direct injection of wastewater into our source aquifer. 

In my view, it is a common-sense preemptive means of protecting public health, preserving water quality and quantity, and ensuring that development and density does not exceed the natural capacity of our finite resources by prohibiting artificial augmentation.

As the latest iteration of the MPD for Flagler’s “westward expansion” proves, despite what mealy-mouth politicians beholden to their puppet masters in the development industry will tell you, “deep well injection of waste products” is only one approved “agreement” away – and the concept of “potable reuse” is becoming a very real possibility in rapidly growing communities across the state. 

Elections have consequences. 

Development decisions made today have the potential to adversely affect the safety of our children and grandchildren; future generations who will be forced to live with the fact their health and quality of life was sacrificed on the altar of greed… 

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

State of Florida: Half-Baked Property Tax Shift Heads to Florida Voters

One year ago, lame duck Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a $1 million study to examine the wide-ranging effects of “eliminating” the property tax in Florida.  As a rule, before developing public policy government analyzes everything, ad nauseum – sending proposed legislation through countless committee hearings, budget studies, and legal reviews.

So why not get a comprehensive understanding of the fiscal impacts of upending Florida’s 150-year-old reasonably equitable system of funding essential local services?

Good question. 

Especially in light of the fact neither Gov. DeSantis, nor our local legislative delegation, have explained how our essential services will continue without adequate funding.  That’s because they don’t understand it either. 

If approved by 60% of Florida voters in November, the tax shift (not elimination) would fundamentally change governance in the state – transferring all power to Tallahassee – and have a detrimental impact on the responsive city and county services that protect your neighborhood and mine.

I became suspicious of Gov. DeSantis ambiguous “plan” last year when Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia busied himself traveling around the state (on our dime) promoting his bogus “audits” of some local governments – a complete shim-sham conjured out of whole cloth – a baldfaced lie that laid the groundwork for Gov. DeSantis’ half-baked call to “eliminate” most property taxes.

Damn the consequences.  Just vote to wipe away everyone’s tax burden – we’ll sell more homes to people moving here from out-of-state to ride the “Free Stuff!” gravy train.  We can sort the deleterious effects on public safety and our quality of life later…

According to a report by the Orlando Sentinel last week, CFO Ingoglia has yet to respond to serious questions regarding how much his “FAFO” dog-and-pony show has cost Florida taxpayers, why he pushed special legislation benefiting Disney while holding stock in the company (?), or “…who ordered armed officers to visit the home of a man who sent Ingoglia a postcard that said: “You lack values.”

Again, all good questions for Florida’s senior fiscal watchdog whose ethos seems to be “Do as I say, not as I do…”  

Earlier this week, while meeting in special session, the Florida legislature ignored the pleas of soon to be defunded first responders, law enforcement, and emergency medical personnel – essential services traditionally paid for with our ad valorem taxes. 

Instead, state officials pushed a modified plan that will amend the state constitution to raise Florida’s $50,000 homestead exemption to $150,000 on January 1, 2027, then $250,000 by January 1, 2028, effectively slashing revenues for local governments. 

Regardless of whether you favor the tax shift or disagree with the free ride for some while shifting the burden to others strategy, if approved, the measure will forever change the level of essential service delivery your family and mine currently enjoy.

According to reports, the legislature added protections for funding school districts and county constitutional officers, which include supervisors of elections, sheriff’s offices, and clerks of court.

In an article by Christine Sexton and Jay Waagmeester writing in the Florida Phoenix this week: 

“Despite the changes, though, the plan continues to face opposition from a disparate cohort of interest groups ranging from the Florida Association of Counties to the Florida Policy Institute.

The counties sent an email to association members following the vote, highlighting the changes made and noting that Tuesday’s vote was “not the end of the conversation, but the beginning of a new one.”

“County leaders should begin talking publicly about what local property taxes fund in their communities and what is at stake if those dollars go away,” the email reads.

“Floridians benefit from the services property taxes fund, and they deserve a clear-eyed accounting of what this proposal does and does not do, from the people who deliver those services every day.”

The nonpartisan, not-for-profit Florida Policy Institute dedicates itself to “advancing policies and budgets that improve the economic mobility and quality of life for all Floridians,” according to its website. Following the vote, the association put out a statement saying the proposal doesn’t represent a tax reduction but a tax shift.

“One that will force local lawmakers to cut local services that families rely upon or increase other taxes and fees to make up for the missing revenue,” Institute CEO Sadaf Knight said in a prepared statement. “In either case, everyday Floridians ultimately pay the price for the massive loss in property tax revenue.”

In the aftermath of the vote, similar cautions have been expressed by the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and even Florida TaxWatch – who said reductions in tax revenue, “…will simply be passed on to non-homestead property owners or replaced with other taxes, fees and assessments,” resulting in further inequity. 

According to the Florida Association of Counties deputy director of public policy Jeff Scala, “We know this is a tax shift. They’re framing it as a tax cut, but our small businesses, all businesses, they’re going to feel the pain. Renters, they’re not going to get an exemption.”

In effect, the foolish measure approved for the ballot by the legislature seeks to eviscerate the responsive, tailored, and accessible local services we have come to rely on while preempting ultimate power to Tallahassee. 

In my view, by any metric, Florida has become an open kleptocracy – an administration that pissed away hundreds-of-millions in public funds to DeSantis donors, on political posturing, and pet projects for all the right last names, all facilitated by state legislators now wholly compromised by insatiable real estate developers.

Almost immediately after the vote, the gaslighting from our elected officials in Tallahassee began – and anyone paying attention knows this has nothing to do with ‘letting the people vote’ on a reasonable tax relief package – as they would have us believe…   

Now, those “republicans in name only” who drape themselves in the term for political advantage are effectively defunding law enforcement and first responders – disregarding the party’s once venerated commitment to limited, efficient, and accessible government – under the guise of a radical tax shift. 

Exchanging responsive small government for a system of large, consolidated, and underfunded bureaucracies who will increase fees, sales taxes, assessments on commercial and rental properties, and finding other intrusive sources of revenue to fill the very deep void is not a Republican value…

In my view, some local governments have no one to blame but themselves for this existential crisis.

Many large and cumbersome bureaucracies have raised taxes, grown the size of government, continue to build Taj Mahal facilities, provide massive pay and benefit increases to senior administrators, while inflating their actual needs year-after-year.

But what about those small, nimble, and fiscally responsible counties and municipalities that provide fiscally effective and efficient services to their appreciative constituents who are being destroyed for the sins of others? 

This isn’t meaningful tax reform – it’s a shameless power grab.

Like development decisions, reducing government spending and demanding accountability should be a local responsibility, not a dictatorial state edict handed down from on high.  A choice We, The Little People should make at the ballot box every two to four years when we elect our neighbors to represent our interests on city and county councils and commissions. 

Let’s keep it that way.   

City of Daytona Beach: Another Tale of Two Cities…   

“Rand said the city should revisit its long-term vision plan and develop a clear 20-year roadmap with measurable benchmarks to help guide future growth.

“The board recognizes the existence of a vision plan that the city has,” Rand said. “We recommend that the city be more of a collaborative process for updating and refreshing the Daytona Beach plan. Clearly articulate a 20-year vision of Daytona Beach and establish measurable benchmarks and implementation goals.”

The board also emphasized that Daytona Beach’s beachside and mainland areas function as “two really separate economic machines” and require tailored strategies while still working together to achieve broader city goals.

“The beachside and the mainland, they’re very separate. However, they need to work together to accomplish the goals of the city,” Rand said.”

— Daytona Beach Economic Development Advisory Board Chairman Bob Rand, as quoted by reporter Rich Carroll in the Ormond Beach Observer, “Daytona Beach looks to sharpen economic development strategy with updated vision, targeted growth plans,” Friday, May 29, 2026

Which “long-term vision plan” is Mr. Rand talking about?

Is it the “shove ten-pounds of shit into a five-pound bag, growth at all costs” strategy?  Or the “let the beachside rot into obscurity until it becomes the cheapest real estate on the Eastern Seaboard” plan?   

Regardless, mission accomplished on both fronts… 

In May 2017, I published a piece in this space called “A Tale of Two Cities,” my jaundiced take on the dichotomy between Daytona’s downtrodden beachside and (at the time) the unbridled excitement surrounding the then yet-to-be constructed Latitude Margaritaville in what is increasingly described by realtors as “West Daytona.”

At the time, I opined on an article by The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s business editor Clayton Park:

“According to Minto’s overexcited Senior Vice President Bill Bullock, “How could you not be ecstatic?  On both the east and west of the interstate you’ve got incredible things happening – and they’re all complementary uses – it’s putting Daytona back on the map!”

Hell, yeah.  Ecstatic.

Then, I turned the page.

It was like listening to “Happy Days Are Here Again!” dissolve into that old Depression-era dirge, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

In the Editorial section was an enlightening piece entitled, “End the Eyesore on the Boardwalk…”

Now, nearly a decade on, it appears the Halifax area’s “economic development” types are still trying to figure out exactly what to do with the festering carcass of our crumbling beachside.

An old, ugly, and intractable problem – an embarrassing shrine to human greed and government ineptitude – a turnip squeezed dry.  A grotesque thing many turned their back on in favor of the prosperity represented by the city’s rapidly growing western expanse of big box stores and 3/2 zero-lot-line cracker boxes “starting in the mid-$300’s.”

West Daytona represents Progress. Opportunity. Money. 

The other side of that same tarnished coin – our beachside – signifies blight, failure to thrive, economic challenge, bureaucratic roadblocks, and the resultant entrepreneurial frustration.   

The baggage of the past vs. the potential of future progress.

Sadly, it appears the Daytona Beach Economic Development Advisory Board suffers from a selective memory disorder – an inability to recall the myriad recommendations of independent studies that stretch back decades. 

Instead, it appears our stagnant economic apparatus wants to immortalize that sense of separation – preserving the stark division between two parts of a whole – a bicephalous monster, one representing prosperity, the other an economic boat anchor…

“The board also emphasized that Daytona Beach’s beachside and mainland areas function as “two really separate economic machines” and require tailored strategies while still working together to achieve broader city goals.”

In my view, that assessment perpetuates a decades-long failed strategy that culminated in the seminal study of the Halifax area’s predicament by the News-Journal’s investigative journalist Eileen Zaffiro-Kean in her excellent 2017 series “Tarnished Jewel: Daytona’s Troubled Beachside.”

That in-depth exposé laid bare the plight of the beachside, ultimately leading embarrassed civic leaders to form the “blue-ribbon” Beachside Redevelopment Committee. 

In 2018, the committee, comprised of the Halifax area’s best and brightest minds, presented its bureaucratically neutered findings to the Volusia County Council on its study of the historical challenges facing tourism, revitalization, and economic redevelopment from Ormond Beach to Daytona Beach Shores.

Following the presentation, then Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler told committee members:

“I am fighting with you on this,” Wheeler said. “This is my district, and we do have a plan of action, but I want to make sure it is not one of those plans of actions that goes on the shelf, and I can tell you I am 100% committed to doing whatever I need to do in collaborating with this group on getting things moving.”

So, what happened to the plan? 

Just as former Councilwoman Wheeler feared, it appears the study ended up on a groaning shelf in a dusty corner of a dead records morgue in DeLand – out of sight and out of mind – after serving its purpose of allowing our elected dullards to say, “See, we’re on top of the problem, folks!  Go back to sleep…”

I assume the now-forgotten Beachside Redevelopment Plan is bookended by the 2013 report by Strategic Advisory Group, an outside expert who conducted a painstaking analysis of tourism marketing and its importance to the economic viability of our beachside – next to the most recent analysis of the “Economic Value of Beaches in Volusia County” completed (and ignored) in October 2025 – along with Team Volusia’s “2030 Strategic Plan,” which still refuses to acknowledge Tourism/Hospitality among its “key target business sectors…” 

Whatever.

Why are our “economic development” types looking to “revisit” a “20-year vision for Daytona Beach” – consisting of typical governmental pap that does nothing but ensure absolutely no one can be held accountable for failing to meet nonexistent “benchmarks and implementation goals”?

In my view, rather than look at the area’s health and economic welfare holistically – incorporating the best attributes of both “Old” and “New” in a symbiotic strategy – focusing on the importance of our greatest natural amenity to revive our core tourist area – is the key to improving the health and success of the region.

So, why do our economic development gurus continue to perpetuate a divide? 

Had anyone bothered to mine the treasure-trove of historical data and empirical evidence now rotting in yellowed binders holding studies past, they would have come upon this timeless gem from the 2013 SAG report, which concluded:

“Without resources – leadership and economic – the overall tourism experience in Volusia County will decline.  An overall collaborative strategy is needed.”   

What’s changed?

According to the Observer’s report, “Rand said the board’s recommendations are ultimately aimed at creating a stronger and more resilient Daytona Beach through collaboration between city leaders, staff, and stakeholders.

“The board believes that the recommendations will contribute to a stronger and more resilient Daytona Beach,” Rand said. “Promote sustainable economic growth and long-term tax base expansion.”

What does that gross generalization mean for entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking an actionable strategy?

In my view, these dog-tired exercises only serve to give certain people titles – and ‘big shot’ board appointments to pad their personal marketing strategy.  In turn, they give us more platitudes – reconstituted crap and bureaucratese – that ignore the hard-earned lessons of the past.   

Good luck struggling Main Street merchants and longsuffering Beachside entrepreneurs. 

You’re gonna need it…   

Quote of the Week

“The Palm Coast Planning Board has approved adding commercial space to a part of the Lakeview Estates development, while denying a development amendment that would have removed green space from its other areas.

Lakeview Estates, located north of Matanzas Woods Parkway along Highway U.S. 1, is the development under construction on what was once the Matanzas Woods Golf Course, which permanently closed in 2007. Since then, Matanzas GC Palm Coast, LLC has purchased the property and been approved to develop a maximum of 272 residential units across the 280 acres.

Multiple residents surrounding the Lakeview Estates development showed up to protest the proposed changes, specifically those that would remove green space buffer.

“You would not want this in your backyard. We bought our house with a premise — and we were told — that it was green space. You could not build on it,” London Drive resident Anne Doherty said. “And now that’s being taken away.”

–Reporter Sierra Williams, writing in the Palm Coast Observer, “Palm Coast’s Lakeview Estates development OK’d for new commercial uses, but not removing green space,” Tuesday, May 26, 2026

In a dramatic scene routinely played out before councils, commissions, and planning boards across the “fun Coast,” claustrophobic residents stand before their neighbors on the dais and make impassioned pleas. 

Reminding the ‘powers that be’ of promises made when they bought their little slice of the pie – and how those assurances are being destroyed by buffer zone reductions, privacy concerns, toxic contamination inherent to building on former golf courses, transportation and utilities infrastructure, density, flooding, water quality, etc.

Last week, that sad vignette was staged in front of a packed hearing room as the Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Board considered land use changes proposed for the 280-acre site that was once the Grand Club Matanzas Golf Course which permanently closed in 2007.

According to reports, in 2021, the Palm Coast City Council approved a master planned development for the site allowing 272 “dwelling units” amid existing homes on several “tracts” around the meandering site, each with different designated uses.   

According to reports, the developer is seeking to amend the agreement and change a section of land along US-1 from “greenbelt” to “mixed use,” allowing for commercial development, which would require reducing a “view protection zone” from 150 feet to 100 feet.  That left some residents concerned their view will now consist of commercial buildings – not greenspace. 

The Carrot?  To sweeten the deal, the developer offered to donate Track 8 – an 11.2-acre parcel currently zoned for up to 51 townhouses with an estimated value of $1.5 million – to the City of Palm Coast for a community park.

The Hammer? “The applicant noted that if the amendment is denied, the developer retains the right to build 51 townhouses on Track 8, and the existing track limits remain unchanged.”

According to a report in the Flagler Bee, “The meeting, which ran nearly three and a half hours, ended with the board recommending approval of a land use change for one portion of the property while recommending denial of the accompanying zoning amendment, sending a mixed signal to the City Council, which will make the final decision.”

In my view, thanks to the state’s legislative intrusion into local planning and land use decisions – literally preempting choices that affect your neighborhood and mine to Tallahassee – local advisory boards comprised of citizens trying to help preserve the character of their community are caught between a frustrating rock and a hard place, their vital role now little more than a fading formality, another box to be checked… 

During the meeting, PLDB Vice Chair James Albano explained to his concerned neighbors: “We are volunteers. We are citizens in this community. We have faced some of the same issues that you face with developments going up in our backyards… We’re not here to represent the city. We’re here to look at things as a quasi-judicial board and vote based on facts, not heartstrings.”

But wouldn’t it be nice (just once) if the needs of existing residents who purchased homes – then had the rug pulled out from under them to facilitate more, more, more development – were considered before the next developer issues a “you do this, or I’ll do that, then you’ll really be screwed” ultimatum? 

Perhaps that’s something we should address with members of our state legislative delegation at the ballot box… 

And Another Thing!

I’ve mentioned this before, but I rarely write about the Lost City of Deltona in this space anymore. 

Whenever I do, I get a queasy feeling – like I’m pointing out something you don’t want to step in – a miasma of dysfunction and abject incompetence that continues to make the largest city in Volusia County by population the laughingstock of our metropolitan statistical area…

To be honest, I simply don’t have the countenance to kick a crippled community in the throes of a civic meltdown.  That’s not sporting – and it does nothing to help.  

In fact, it’s counterproductive and hardly fair to residents of what has become little more than a Banana Republic – run by elected officials in name only that take pride in lowering the bar – a place inhabited by repeat victims who long ago lost any influence over what happens to them.

The truth is that I have no more perception or awareness of most civic issues in Deltona (or anywhere else) than you do.  No preternatural prescience like a Cassadaga soothsayer – or a fortuneteller who gazes into a crystal ball and foretells the future.  

I simply have a different perspective on the issues. 

A view based on thirty-years in municipal government, seen through the prism of what I read, hear, or discern from those on the inside.  Insights gained from the rumors and conjecture of my fellow rubes who stand outside the closed portcullis and peer through the greasy pane of a cloistered City Hall hoping for a glimpse of the truth. 

That said, I saw the fate of Deltona City Commissioner Dori Howington, writ large, the moment she stood up to fight the forces of greed, pushing for a temporary building moratorium last year, then boldly walking point in the futile battle against SB 180, the state’s legislative preemption that virtually neutered local land use protections in Florida.

Other area elected officials openly warned their “colleagues” that opposing the state’s action could have grave consequences. 

Apparently, they were right…   

For instance, last September, a visibly frightened New Smyrna Beach City Commission voted 3-2 to opt out of a statewide lawsuit attempting to repeal Senate Bill 180 and preserve municipal growth management regulations and home rule authority for local governments.

The vote was based, in part, on New Smyrna Mayor Fred Cleveland’s public handwringing regarding serious repercussions from those very legislators we sent to represent our interests in Tallahassee…

At the time, Mayor Cleveland explained, “I don’t want us to be on the blacklist of those that get punished, one way or another, under the radar.  A majority of our county commissioners have said to me we will get punished (if the city joined the lawsuit). And it’s not right, I don’t like it, but it’s human nature … I’m concerned about a suit being our first best step.”

In my view, that’s that not good governance and collegiality – it’s base thuggery…

Now, it appears Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago and his wife, Deltona City Commissioner Emma Santiago, have successfully delivered the personal, professional, and political coup de grâce to Commissioner Howington for her unwillingness to get along and go along with the whims of the ruling junta in the Lost City of Deltona… 

It was anything but graceful.  

According to an article by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week:

“During a Deltona Commission meeting on May 4, Commissioner Emma Santiago, wife of County Councilman David Santiago, raised concerns about Howington’s role with the clerk’s office and supported getting an outside opinion about a possible conflict of interest.

The office has some involvement with the city’s finances, including withholding child support payments from employees’ checks.

Santiago told a deputy that the day after the meeting, Howington patted her on the shoulder and said “I know where you live” during a confrontation at City Hall. She also told a deputy that Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. heard Howington mutter a threat at the May 4 meeting after the commission voted to get an opinion on a potential conflict of interest.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office forwarded charges to the State Attorney’s Office for review. The charges were simple battery and threatening an elected official or their family. As of May 29, the State Attorney’s Office had not made a decision on whether to move forward with the case.”

Rather than obtain an opinion from Florida’s Attorney General on the conflict-of-interest question, last week, Ms. Howington was summarily fired from her job as Chief Financial Officer with the Volusia County Clerk of the Court.

Not for job-related performance issues – Volusia County Clerk Laura Roth praised Howington’s contributions – but because of the petty allegations brought by the bumptious duo of Councilman and Commissioner Santiago… 

As a result, engaged citizens and activists from across Volusia County are now rightfully concerned about the danger to their personal and professional reputations should they be targeted by politically powerful forces for speaking out, seeking a place at the table, and having the courage to speak their truth to power. 

Hell, I’ve been the target of Councilman Santiago’s distortions and spooky ridicule myself. 

In fact, as a sitting elected official with more on his plate than perhaps he realizes (or cares), in March, Santiago took time to post the most cringeworthy diatribe I have ever received (and I’ve gotten a few). 

In a bizarre rant, the creepy Councilman Santiago explained he did “…some research and asked AI to suggest what you may look like during your “Blog Fiction Articles” writing time…”   

Flippin’ weird, y’all. 

At least I’m in good company. 

When local citizen and clean water advocate Greg Gimbert of Let Volusia Vote asked the Volusia County Council for a charter amendment to ensure treated sewage is never used to augment our aquifer – or sent directly to consumers (‘toilet to tap’) in Volusia County’s service area – Councilman Santiago (who is no stranger to defamation allegations) branded him a racist (for speaking Spanish to Deltona residents?) and a “con artist.”

Similarly, when engaged resident Doug Petit, a volunteer member of Volusia’s ECHO advisory board, questioned the process for developing the programs 2040 strategic plan, Councilman Santiago besmirched Mr. Petit’s good name by labeling him a “liar” from the dais.   

Add Dori Howington’s scalp to the extensive list of those who dared disagree with Councilman Santiago… 

Look, I’m not sure what the Santiagos’ do for a living (outside of dragging on the public teat) but they certainly seem to have a lot of time on their hands for political intrigue, getting in dustups with constituents, manipulating Deltona politics, and destroying the reputations of anyone who crosses them. 

I hope the longsuffering residents of the Lost City of Deltona, and Volusia County’s District 5, remember that come election time… 

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, y’all!