Where does it go? 

On the heels of raising daily beach access fees out of the financial reach of many Central Florida families, the Volusia County Council has once again acquiesced to the wants of County Manager Jim Dinneen and his administration by raising fees for a variety of county services.

Perhaps the real question is, “Where does it end?” 

In a recent editorial, the Daytona Beach News-Journal pointed out the painfully obvious by stating that raising rates and fees during a period of transition is in direct opposition to important – and expensive – local efforts to stimulate revitalization of our core tourist areas.

Rather than work cooperatively with tourism officials to attract people to the languishing Boardwalk/Ocean Walk – or encourage attendance at events hosted by the Ocean Center (which has become little more than a venue for various gymnastics competitions) – the County Council opts to double parking fees for Ocean Center events.

What gives?

In addition, our elected officials are set to substantially increase fees on everything from ball field rental, to special events permits and use of park facilities – such as charging residents $50 per hour to use the Gemini Springs Club House in Debary.

(If you have the time, I encourage everyone to take a drive and see for yourself the physical condition of some of these amenities we’re being charged for.  Let’s just say facilities maintenance isn’t our highly-paid County Manager’s strong suit. . .)    

Our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, even wanted to bill us for the simple pleasure of having a bonfire on our beach.

In that weird “dipshit doublespeak” he’s famous for, Old Ed inadvertently revealed that this nonsensical fee proposal is both unwarranted – and unnecessary.

“I’ve had bonfires in Santa Rosa Beach and they charge you $150.” 

“We should leave it at zero or we should make it substantial and I don’t think I can get enough of you (council members) to come along with a $150 fee.”

Say what?  We should leave it at zero or we should make it substantial?

(Sorry.  Sometimes his goofy riddles stump me completely.)

I’ll just bet Little Jimmy wishes Old Ed would shut-up and follow instructions.

Our Chairman’s addle-brained mumbling – his incessant, out-of-touch gabbling – consistently exposes the true loyalties of those we have elected to represent our interests.

First and foremost, the “Machine” must eat, and our grotesquely bloated bureaucracy in DeLand – which already commands one of the highest property tax rates in the state – has developed an insatiable appetite for cash, wringing more-and-more from over-strapped taxpayers.

Then, they giveaway multi-millions of our hard-earned dollars to billionaire corporations and other uber-wealthy leeches who enjoy built-in access to the public trough.

Inexplicably, regardless of how much money our county government demands, there remains no visible improvement to service delivery, infrastructure – or our quality of life.

None.

And, God forbid, our elected officials consider cutting expenditures – or reducing the obscene salary and lavish benefits packages currently bestowed upon those brazen greed-hogs in senior management.

Hell no.

Just more spending, more debt, more over-the-top giveaways and colossally expensive Taj Mahal projects for the convenience of government – not those it exists to serve.

With some 17% of their constituents living in abject poverty – and thousands more eking by paycheck-to-paycheck – these elected and appointed cheapjack fee-grabbers have proven, once again, that they are incapable of shame.

Disgusting.

If anyone votes for these shitheel incumbents – or any candidate subsidized by one of Daytona’s self-serving oligarchs – you deserve what you get.