Anyone else catch this today?

TURNING VOLUSIA COUNTY RED

I was amused by the Volusia Democratic Party’s whining in the Feb. 29 story by Mark Harper, “House, Senate seats open; where are the Democrats?” Of course, an article describing the positive story of how the Volusia Republican Party has emerged would be more appreciated by me. I helped make that happen. No whining, just hard work.

The whining is just pitiful. When the Democrats were winning nearly every Volusia election for over 40 years, there was no whining. They were in control, and taxing and spending without constraint was praised. There was Democratic Party exuberance.

Well, about 10 years ago, the Volusia Republicans began educating voters about our second-highest tax rate. Voters already recognized Volusia’s lousy economic growth and jobs. When it was presented that this was brought to them by 40 years of Democrat control, voters responded. Hundreds of volunteers worked to get voter guides identifying Republican candidates on Volusia ballots into voter hands. Campaigning to return to fiscal responsibility, economic growth and educational excellence sold the change.

So, here we are. Volusia County elected offices, after 40 years of Democrat control, are now heavily staffed and elected by Republicans. The reversal of our tax rate after 40 years of abuse may take some time, but it is underway. Our School Board is doing a superb job, regardless of the union pressure and rhetoric to return their “valued” Democratic leaders. Fiscal responsibility is not ignored in favor of “absolutely gotta have it” spending.

Now that they don’t control Volusia County, Democrats whine that campaign money, travel miles, pay and time investment just overwhelm their candidates. I think what overwhelms their candidates is losing.

And for good measure, they know Republicans are still working hard to keep Volusia County red. Now, that story would make for an interesting article.

Nancy Coriale

Daytona Beach Shores

As a Gentleman of Leisure of almost two years now my days have inexplicably taken on a very uniformed appearance, in many ways more regimented than during my working life.  My division of time and focus is all that’s really changed.

Unlike before, when time constraints and the unwritten gag order of a public position limited self-expression, I now have the opportunity to read the news of the day with a more critical eye; to weigh the thoughts and opinions of others in our community against my own jaundiced view of life and the political condition on the “Fun Coast.”

Now that I have the time, when I see something that piques my interest, or borders on the absurd, I feel compelled to respond – not because my view is any more or less valid – but because, well, I can.

This morning I read with interest the above Letter to the Editor in the Daytona Beach News-Journal penned by Nancy Coriale, a long-time political commentator and former member of the Republican Executive Committee of Volusia County.

In 2013, after many years as a loyal Republican, I changed my registration to No Party Affiliation – not so much out of a knee-jerk reaction to current events as a personal statement regarding the GOP’s adoption of the all or nothing mindset embodied by “tea party conservatives” at the national, state and local level.

For example, you might remember RECVC “Chairman for Life” Tony Ledbetter striking his best Captain Beatty pose on Fox News – smugly wagging his finger in the face of a taqiyah clad Muslim attorney as the pair squared off in the tempest in a teapot that was the “Great Volusia County Book Burning of 2013”.

It was an epic battle folks – fought almost single-handedly by Tony and his fellow “Patriots” on the Republican Executive Committee – in a valiant effort to protect All American Volusia County 10^th graders from socio-political indoctrination by radical Islamic rhetoric masquerading as a Prentice Hall world history textbook.  That is until the School Board came to their senses and agreed to keep the textbook in rotation, and the media packed-up its cameras and left everyone standing in the residual mess as they rumbled after the more sensational stories of the day.

I thought Tony and the Executive Committee went back to compiling his Index Librorum Prohibitorum, exposing Commie sympathizers, and lobbying to criminalize rock-n-roll. . .

But I digress. . .

In this morning’s letter, Ms. Coriale is amused by the Democratic Party’s “whining” in a recent piece by the News-Journal’s Mark Harper regarding the problem of finding qualified – read “quality” – Democratic candidates for office.  I didn’t notice the level of “whining” that Nancy got a case of the chuckles over, but then again, I’m not that perceptive.

What I did notice was Ms. Coriale’s rewrite of recent history as she describes all the great things Republican politicians have brought to Volusia County government since breaking “40 years” of Democratic dominance – and I can’t help but ask: Nancy, are you serious?

Let’s take these one at a time:

“The whining is just pitiful. When the Democrats were winning nearly every Volusia election for over 40 years, there was no whining. They were in control, and taxing and spending without constraint was praised. There was Democratic Party exuberance.”

You expect me – or anyone else not in a catatonic stupor – to believe that the current Volusia County Council have reigned in taxes and cut spending?  Have you lost touch with your faculties, Nancy?  This Council spews tax dollars like a dyspeptic dog to their uber-wealthy handlers, and splays themselves to any property developer willing to throw an American Express Black down for appi-teasers at Chili’s.

“So, here we are. Volusia County elected offices, after 40 years of Democrat control, are now heavily staffed and elected by Republicans. The reversal of our tax rate after 40 years of abuse may take some time, but it is underway. Our School Board is doing a superb job, regardless of the union pressure and rhetoric to return their “valued” Democratic leaders. Fiscal responsibility is not ignored in favor of “absolutely gotta have it” spending.”

Nancy – where exactly is the evidence to suggest that a reversal of our tax rate is “underway”?  Where is the first shred of proof in support of your assertion that our School Board is anything but a monument to mismanagement?  Perhaps we can use their negotiations with the Teacher’s Union?  Or maybe the uniform debacle?  How about the continuing gut-punch that has been the privatization of janitorial services?

Pick one.

And don’t get me started on “fiscal responsibility” vs. “absolutely gotta have it” spending.  Please, dear, this County Council’s spending habits border on the pathological.

Get a grip, Nancy.