Hi, kids!

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

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

Angel               Ormond Beach Police Officer Michael Bakaysa

Since my earliest memories, the brave men and women of law enforcement have been my personal heroes, none finer than Officer Michael Bakaysa, who courageously served the citizens of Ormond Beach for over 27 years.

Officer Bakaysa died December 1 following an on-duty medical emergency.  He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and son, Michael. 

Yesterday, I had the privilege of standing with my former colleagues in law enforcement as we honored Officer Bakaysa’s extraordinary service and sacrifice.  During the procession to his much deserved full-honors funeral, seeing so many lining the route with hands over hearts to pay tribute, and the impressive on-duty officers who stood proud at the position of attention holding a hand salute to their fallen comrade brought tears to my eyes. 

According to a statement posted by the Ormond Beach Police Department:

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of not just a colleague, but a friend, a mentor, and a hero in our community.  Officer Bakaysa’s commitment to serving and protecting the people of Ormond Beach was unwavering, and his absence leaves a void that cannot be filled. We extend our deepest sympathies to Officer Bakaysa’s family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time. Your loss is immeasurable, and we stand with you in grief.”

All thoughts and prayers remain with Officer Bakaysa’s family, friends, and colleagues.   

Donations are being accepted in Officer Bakaysa’s name to the Ormond Beach Police Cadets. If you would like to memorialize Officer Bakaysa’s life and service, please mail a check made out to Ormond Beach Police Cadets to the Ormond Beach Police Department, attention Captain DW Smith, at 170 West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, Florida, 32175.

Asshole           Volusia County Council

“An intentionally blank page or “vacat page” (from Latin: vacare for “being empty”) is a page that has no content and may be unexpected. Such pages may serve purposes ranging from place-holding to space-filling and content separation. Sometimes, these pages carry a notice such as “This page intentionally left blank.” Such notices typically appear in printed works, such as legal documents, manuals, and exam papers, in which the reader might otherwise suspect that the blank pages are due to a printing error and where missing pages might have serious consequences.”

—Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia  

Sometimes a blank page speaks volumes…

For the uninitiated, Barker’s View was born from the simple notion that someone should say what everyone is secretly thinking.

In fact, one of the first screeds I penned in this space grew from my frustration over the Volusia County Council’s lack of an objective performance evaluation for a previous County Manager – a ridiculous annual charade that invariably results in a generous year-end bonus for the manager and County Attorney – a lavish reward for skillfully protecting and preserving the stagnant status quo. 

In my view, this lack of a comprehensive review – or any reasonable cap on the astronomical salaries for the most senior executives in Volusia County government – exemplifies the lack of accountability commensurate with responsibility that has resulted in a fetid culture of mediocrity at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building in DeLand.

What’s changed? 

I mean, other than the fact you and I now compensate County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald and County Attorney Mike Dyer – the two most monstrously overpaid hacks in all the realm – a combined fortune in salary and benefits worth over a half-million-dollars a year… 

In September, Councilman Troy Kent of Ormond Beach took the extraordinary step of calling for structured evaluations of both Recktenwald and Dyer – a positive move that many viewed as a sharp break from the foregone conclusion of councilmember’s genuflecting while gifting this power duo massive pay increases each December.

At the time, Mr. Kent suggested an objective written assessment based upon established metrics such as competency, leadership, problem solving, communications, responsiveness, management style, ethics, interpersonal relationships, planning and organization, fiscal management, and team building skills.

We were told “something” would be cobbled together by “staff” and brought back to the council before December.

Then – Crickets…

Remember?  I do.

Last week, well before Tuesday’s meeting, I perused the published agenda and saw the line item announcing, “County Attorney and County Manager Annual Performance Evaluation.” 

The remainder of the form was ominously blank… 

No attachments, no forms, no established metrics, no written reviews, no performance-based criteria for a fair and impartial assessment of Recktenwald and Dyer’s impact on the mission, culture, and values of county government – and no explanation.    

In my mind, it exemplified how the bureaucracy works to protect itself from external threats.

Admittedly, I’m an incorrigible cynic, but staring at that blank page was the moment I knew the wagons had been circled in the inner sanctum…  

Look, I could run a laundry list of Recktenwald and Dyer’s fumbles, bumbles, mistakes, mismanagement, and good old-fashioned maladministration – from the abomination at Volusia County Jail facilities and the administrations continuing refusal to address the dangers facing our corrections staff, to the lack of a comprehensive beach management strategy, the Belvedere Terminals debacle, emergency medical services, personnel issues in the Planning and Zoning Department, embarrassing oversights and omissions, an expanding budget and bureaucracy, inadequate transportation infrastructure, lack of substantive communication, a failure to address countywide flooding, growing environmental and water quality concerns, etc., etc., etc.

But if you pay taxes here on the “Fun Coast” – or are considered asset limited/income constrained (and who isn’t these days?) – I suspect you get the picture…   

On Tuesday, despite the fervent calls from a growing number of residents to terminate the County Manager on a vote of no confidence, the annual Lovefest continued, with saccharine accolades leading to an obscene 5% pay increase for both Dyer and Recktenwald – retroactive to September 30, of course…   

Hey, I’m sure our elected representatives gave the council’s only two direct reports their what fors “behind closed doors,” right? 

Right…

For the record, Recktenwald’s salary is about $259,041 and Dyer’s salary is about $242,138 – not including their lucrative benefits package – and, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Tuesday’s bump equates to a collective $24,000 increase…  

You read that right.

During the meeting, it was insinuated that our horribly neutered Chairman Jeff Brower, along with freshman Councilman Troy Kent (and perhaps others), provided written evaluations that would be publicly available for review. 

So, where the hell are they?

The agenda item remains blank, a sterile reminder of how elected officials become enamored with the trappings of office, allowing themselves to be taken “into the system” – made to feel “important,” a part of the “inner-circle” – a highly effective strategy for controlling vainglorious politicians and perpetuating the bureaucracy.

Invariably, this overwhelming desire to stroke their massive egos with the perquisites and prizes of their high office results in the indulgence of lying to themselves – denial, minimalization, and projection – which results in alienating those they are sworn to serve by allowing their grandiose delusions to outweigh the truth.  

In my view, most nauseating was the rambling self-justification employed by our clearly compromised elected representatives – a subliminal need to suppress the dissonance and hypocrisy they feel – an all-encompassing desire to defend the indefensible while protecting the carefully crafted façade.

This need for external rationalization was most evident when, near the end of the meeting, they trotted out a highly paid senior administrator who explained to us rubes how gifting a quarter-million-dollars to Avelo – a failing start-up airline currently having a very expensive cup of coffee at Daytona “International” Airport on the promise of $1 million in public props and subsidies – is somehow a good thing…    

Aw, what the hell.  Tis’ the Season of Giving, right?   

With thousands of Volusia County families struggling to feed themselves, find affordable housing, and make ends meet this Holiday Season – like always – at the end of the day our elected officials ensured that Messrs. Recktenwald and Dyer will have a very Merry Christmas indeed.    

And the sanctified status quo stumbles onward…

Asshole           Deltona City Commission  

I couldn’t let 2023 end without shining a light on the abject dysfunction that is the Deltona City Commission – an abomination in local governance – that continues to lower the bar and baffle concerned residents and incredulous onlookers.

Last Monday, during the annual selection of the city’s Vice-Mayor – a position with the same duties as any other commissioner, except the designee serves in an “Acting” status during the absence or disability of the mayor – the appointment went to Commissioner “JodyLee” (a pseudonym for District 6 Commissioner Jody Lee Storozuk).

Initially, then Vice Mayor Anita Bradford nominated Commissioner Dana McCool – a senior elected official and political firebrand – someone who fights tooth-and-nail for that which she believes is right for the long-suffering citizens of Deltona as she enters her last year in office before standing for reelection. 

That measure died for lack of a second…

The silence was deafening. 

Then Deltona’s Good ol’ Boy cronyism raised its ugly head when Commissioner Stephen Colwell – an apparent surdomute who normally sits like a benign lump on the dais, someone Storozuk recently described as his “best friend and we go on vacations together” – moved to anoint his buddy “JodyLee.” 

The appointment passed on a 6-1 vote.

Commissioner McCool excused herself from the rest of the meeting after not feeling well. 

I’ll bet.  I didn’t feel so hot either…

Look, I don’t care who the Deltona City Commission selects as its vice-mayor – like many, I’ve become numb to the time-wasting chicanery that defines the open malfeasance in Volusia County’s largest community by population – however, late last month, now Vice-Mayor Storozuk’s ominous influence in a code enforcement hearing was too much to ignore. 

It is common knowledge that Commissioner Storozuk has interest in a bar on Howland Avenue in Deltona – a business located in the larger Save-a-Lot Plaza – a strip center which also houses several other small businesses. 

Since May, Deltona’s Code Compliance Division has been working to address serious violations at a former nail salon in the plaza, including unpermitted walls, plumbing, and ventilation.  The enforcement action resulted in accruing fines. 

During a November 29 hearing before Deltona’s Special Magistrate, Danny Ron, the city’s code compliance manager, gave testimony regarding the status of the case. 

Then, “JodyLee” approached the podium – claiming the role of “on-site property manager” for the plaza – before promptly identifying himself to the presiding official as a Deltona Commissioner – establishing the power dynamic from the beginning…

In turn, Commissioner Storozuk cut into Mr. Ron – openly accusing him of “dishonesty” and deception during the code enforcement process – indignantly pouring over the officer’s case file, blaming the violations on “misunderstandings,” claiming “misrepresentations” by code officials, and smugly maintaining that he had been assured by Mr. Ron that no fees or fines would be assessed, later describing the officer as “less than transparent and honest.”  

Commissioner Storozuk then threateningly announced that he was sure those matters with Mr. Ron would be “taken up at another time…”

Yeah.  I know.

Oddly, in her final directive, the Special Magistrate agreed to suspend the substantial fines and fees that have accumulated on the promise “JodyLee” agrees to have the compliance issues resolved no later than December 13 at 4:00pm… 

Disturbing. 

Surly the Save-a-Lot corporation must have a bevy of attorneys on staff to handle code compliance issues on its properties – so why is Commissioner Storozuk insinuating himself into a quasi-judicial process literally to his professional benefit (and that of whomever employs him as “property manager”) – flexing his legislative muscles with not-so-veiled threats against city officials and openly besmirching the character and reputation of Code Compliance Manager Danny Ron?  

In my view (and that of many Deltona residents) by his direct involvement in an active code enforcement issue – making serious accusations as an identified elected official to influence the outcome of an official proceeding – Commissioner Storozuk has crossed a very bright ethical line. 

By City Charter, elected officials are “…expressly prohibited from interfering with the performance of the duties of any City employee who is under the direct or indirect supervision of the City Manager,” and any violation of that provision is considered “malfeasance within the meaning of Florida Statutes.”

With a history of crude behavior and threatening rhetoric (such as an infamous November 2021 social media post wherein “JodyLee” brags about knocking a tooth from the mouth of an unruly bar patron, sending the person to the hospital by ambulance for “flipping his lip”) with a “tough guy” reputation for playing fast and loose with the rules – it appears Commissioner Storozuk has established himself as an influential force to be reckoned with in the Lost City of Deltona – and it is also apparent that the city’s Code Compliance Division (and Special Magistrate) are now well aware of their place.

Let’s hope Commissioner “JodyLee” recuses himself during the next vote to vacate code enforcement fines for hapless Deltona residents who don’t pack the same clout and influence over the process as Mr. Storozuk…

Good luck with your new Vice-Mayor, Deltona. 

You’re going to need it…  

Quote of the Week

“If the City Commission said 272 homes on the former Tomoka Oaks golf course were too many, why is the developer now asserting a right to build 317 homes?

Why are they calling any significant reduction of homes “an exercise in futility”? Was it a futile exercise when hundreds of residents turned out in historic numbers at five public hearings to oppose the overdevelopment plan?

Does Florida’s newly enacted Community Planning Act preempt local government power to approve or reject development applications? Will this eliminate public hearings?

While the new statute is designed to protect development property rights, does it equally protect adjacent property rights?

Can Ormond Beach land use codes and policies still protect the neighborhood character, safe traffic flow, and the inherent property rights of 550 homeowners in Tomoka Oaks, 990 homeowners in The Trails, and all the homeowners in neighboring Talaquah, Escondido Condos, and Tomoka Oakwood North Condos?

After less than three years of ownership, do corporate property rights take legal precedence over the rights of adjacent homeowners who have owned their properties for more than 60 years?

Would Tomoka Reserve developer property rights be satisfied if the city allowed, as it did in 2006, a 122-unit townhouse development in the center of the golf course property, with the surrounding golf course footprint preserved in perpetuity?

Did a 75-day study by the Planning Board and a 42-day review by the City Commission deny the Tomoka Reserve golf course developers, as they claim, opportunity for “meaningful” negotiations?

If the Tomoka Reserve golf course redevelopment plan legally meets all Ormond Beach standards, why did the applicants find it necessary to recently hire a Ponte Vedra attorney to claim the city’s land use decisions violate Florida property rights statutes?

Has this attorney considered case law precedent, established in the 2014 Heatherwood Holdings case by the U.S. 11th Judicial Court of Appeals, protecting communities from golf course conversions to residential housing even after the golf course has closed?”

–Civic Activist Jeff Boyle, Ormond Beach, Letters to the Editor, “More Tomoka Oaks Questions,” Ormond Beach Observer, Monday, December 4, 2023

And Another Thing!

When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried agree on something (anything) – it’s serious – especially during the preening and posturing ahead of an election year.   

Last week, we learned that Republican Party of Florida Chair Christian Ziegler is now the subject of an active criminal investigation into an alleged sexual battery earlier this year.

According to reports, the October 2023 incident was reported to the Sarasota Police Department who last week confirmed their investigation to various media outlets. 

For the record, no charges have been filed in the case and Ziegler’s attorney believes he will be exonerated. 

Last Friday, the salacious details of an apparent ménage à trois between Christian Ziegler, his wife – Sarasota County School Board Member, gubernatorial appointee to the Disney oversight board, and co-founder of Mom’s for Liberty Bridget Ziegler – and the alleged rape victim (something that supposedly occurred more than a year before the October incident) were released pursuant to media inquiries. 

Look, I could give two-shits about the consensual (if not horribly hypocritical) bedroom hijinks of Christian and Bridget Ziegler. In my view, what happens behind closed doors is no one’s business but the 6 to 8 consenting adults involved and no one else…

But this revelation should prove awkward for a “power couple” known for their staunch advocacy of “traditional family values” (which, in the waning days of this foul year 2023, may well include randy group-romps by middle-aged politicos, I don’t know).

However, I draw the line when the public’s trust in our democratic institutions is threatened…

In an explosive on-going exposé by the Florida Center for Government Accountability’s news outlet, “Florida Trident,” we learned:

“The alleged perpetrator is Ziegler, who has yet to publicly comment on the investigation first reported by the Trident on Thursday morning. His attorney, Derek Byrd, said in a written statement Ziegler would be fully exonerated in the investigation.

Sources close to the investigation told the Trident that Ziegler and his wife, Sarasota County School Board Member Bridget Ziegler, who is also an appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis and cofounder of the right-wing group Moms For Liberty, had a three-way sexual relationship with the woman prior to the alleged October 2 sexual assault.

A copy of the search warrant involved in the case was released late Friday that substantiated much of the Trident’s earlier reporting and added a wealth of new information.   

Ziegler, according to the affidavit, had known the woman for 20 years and they had agreed to a tryst at the woman’s home on October 2 with Ziegler’s wife.  When Bridget Ziegler wasn’t able to make it, the woman canceled via text to Christian Ziegler, writing that she had been “more in for her,” meaning Bridget. She told police that Christian Ziegler came to her home anyway and entered uninvited as she opened the door to walk her dog. Inside, she said he raped her.”

According to the report, Ziegler claims the sexual encounter was consensual – and that he videotaped the incident “…which he said he initially deleted, but later uploaded to a Google Drive.”

Jesus.

Last week, Gov. DeSantis told reporters, “I don’t see how he can continue with that investigation ongoing, given the gravity of those situations.  And so, I think he should step aside. I think he should tend to that. He’s innocent until proven guilty, but we just can’t have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny. And so, I hope that — I hope the charges aren’t true. I’ve known him, I’ve known Bridget; they’ve been friends. But the mission is more important.”

In addition, Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo told reporters she believes Christian Ziegler must resign.  “The Governor is the leader of our Party,” Passidomo said. “I agree with his position. The allegations are serious.”

Apparently, the Republican Party of Florida is seating a tribunal to oust Ziegler under the terms of party by-laws. 

I agree with Gov. DeSantis, President Passidomo, and Chairwoman Fried – credible allegations of criminal conduct should preclude Mr. Ziegler from holding a position of power and influence while he is the subject of an active investigation.

Here’s why:

Neither Republicans nor Democrats hold the high ground when it comes to abhorrent personal behavior and gross misconduct while “serving” in high office – and I believe in the basic concept of accountability for those who hold positions of power over others.

Make no mistake, this isn’t a partisan issue – another “red v. blue” skirmish.  Rather, it speaks to the corrosive effects of hubris, hypocrisy, and personal irresponsibility on our system of governance.

I certainly don’t want to paint all politicians with the same brush, but the historic institutional failure to censure and hold bad actors to account is corrosive to the very foundation of our democracy. 

Look, I’m no choirboy – more a cynical rogue than a priggish moralist – but I understand the fundamental concepts of right and wrong and the importance of honor and integrity to preserving the public trust in our most cherished civic principles.

The brutal lessons of history tell us that the decline of the Roman Empire began when the “rich and powerful” bought votes and ensured favors for their friends. Ultimately, corruption and debauchery ran rampant and led to the “commoners” distrusting the Senate.

Sound familiar?  

It should.

Here at home, earlier this year, Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright, in my view, a bullying narcissistic creep – a lecherous scumbag with a pathological inability to control his temper or base impulses – a licentious powermonger given to the open abuse of females and lewd come-ons to vulnerable domestic violence victims – was rightfully exposed following the release of a shocking video showing Sen. Wright’s belligerence toward a courageous employee of The Beacon Center.

In subsequent reports by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, his constituents where shocked by the creepy account of a then 20-year-old domestic violence survivor who described how Wright once crudely chatted her up about Cuban prostitutes and topless women in the presence of her baby while at the shelter – before offering to fly her to Las Vegas…

My God.

So, what do you think happened after Wright was caught on video violating the rules, honor, and integrity of the Florida Senate? 

Not a damned thing…

Inconceivably, Wright is still ensconced on the dais of power – wearing the costume of a state senator – haughtily accepting undeserved accolades while playing the only role that salves his enormous ego and “look at me” megalomania.

In my view, Sen. Tom Wright – and others who shit on their responsibility to the lofty position of trust they hold – represents all that is wrong with modern governance, a dark trench where powerful figures are elevated to a gilded pedestal – then, due to skewed partisan loyalties and a pervasive fear of political retaliation – violate the public trust without consequence.  

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but when I read accounts of powerful scumbags sitting on their lofty thrones on both sides of the aisle, smugly lording over our lives and livelihoods, it reminds me we live in a place where money, political power, and influence are now omnipotent – and the needs of We, The Little People be damned… 

What legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren?

Alexander Hamilton was right: “People get the government they deserve.”

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