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               The Irrepressible Big John

It has been over a year now since the passing of Big John, a true icon who served us well as the political conscience of Volusia County.

In his own inimitable way, Big served as the preeminent commentator on regional civic issues.  A man with an incredibly bright mind, irrepressible personality, cantankerous façade, and an encyclopedic knowledge of Volusia County politics and policymaking, who devoted himself to furthering our collective understanding of local government.

In fact, after his impressive career in elective office, Big spent the bulk of his interesting life educating the public on the bureaucratic machinations and legislative legerdemain that affect our lives and livelihoods, always lamenting the fact that when it comes to local government, “Nobody knows nothing.”  

He was right. 

Unfortunately, Big took his leave just when we needed him most.  

Like many of you, I miss his incredible wisdom and friendship terribly… 

This week, we learned that Big’s dedication to bettering our community continues with a recent philanthropic donation of $140,000 that his estate bequeathed to Our Lady of Lourdes Academy to support scholarships and expenses for students in need.

In a release ahead of the check presentation, Big’s longtime friend and attorney Mel Stack said:

“Big John’s heart was as big as his personality.  His dedication to justice and compassion was unwavering. His gift to the academy reflects his belief in the transformative power of education.”

Wow. 

Thank you, Big. 

Your extraordinary legacy of service will live on in the young lives touched by your generous gift of education.   

Angel               Attorney and Animal Advocate Mel Stack

For many years, the venerated elder law attorney Melvin Stack was a trusted contributor to GovStuffLive! with Big John – generously educating the public on the importance of wills, trusts, estate planning, and other legal protections – providing an incredibly beneficial community service.   

However, Mel’s generosity of heart is best exemplified by his three-decades of stewardship with the Halifax Humane Society, which has served the needs of area pets and protected them from cruelty and neglect since 1937, and now serves some 30,000 homeless animals annually. 

Last week, Mel’s outstanding community service was recognized with the 2023 Halifax Humane Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award, presented at the society’s annual Fur Ball held at the Ocean Center.

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer:

“The gala, which brought together over 450 animal welfare enthusiasts, served as a platform to raise funds for Halifax Humane Society as well as an opportunity to “honor those individuals whose unwavering commitment has significantly impacted the welfare of animals in our community,” a press release stated.

“Mel has been a consummate leader for the Halifax Humane Society,” said Nancy Lohman, board member of the Halifax Humane Society. “His calm and professional demeanor, his dedication, and his compassion have provided the steadfast leadership resulting in excellent operational effectiveness and programming that have ultimately saved the lives and provided forever homes for thousands of animals over his 30 year tenure.”

Fortunately, there are those among us who find great purpose and personal fulfillment in supporting causes greater than their own self-interests – giving of their intellect, skills, and influence to better the lives of their less fortunate neighbors, fund humanitarian initiatives, improve our quality of life, seek answers to community problems, and shape a better world.

None more important that providing comfort and shelter to helpless animals.

The Halifax area is blessed to have a few extraordinary souls who see our community’s myriad needs and compassionately contribute their time, talent, and financial resources in a way that reflects their personal and civic values. 

Few more generous or impactful than Melvin Stack.

Angel               Mainland High School and Coach Travis Roland

A hearty congratulations to the Mainland High School Buccaneers and Coach Travis Roland on successfully claiming the FHSAA Class 3S Football State Championship on December 7!    

The Buc’s broke a 20-year streak to claim the title following an impressive 14-1 season with their impressive win over the St. Augustine Yellow Jackets in Tallahassee.  Interestingly, third-year head coach Travis Roland was a student athlete in the Buc’s lineup during the ’03 championship season.   

Since bringing home the trophy last week, the team has received well-deserved accolades across our incredibly proud community – including serving as Grand Marshal’s of last Saturday’s City of Daytona Beach Christmas Parade!

According to a recent report by Chris Boyle writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Coach Roland reflected on his team’s extraordinary season:

“It’s great to know that you had a piece to do with your city having a super positive vibe,” Roland said. “I think anybody that’s out here that was around us when we were walking can feel the excitement and pride that people have about this program right now. I’ve been hearing people talk about putting (Daytona Beach) back on the map, hearing people say, ‘Great job, we’re so proud of you,’ and seeing people with tears in their eyes.”

Kudos to Coach Roland, his incredibly talented players, and the athletic staff at Mainland High School for an outstanding season! 

Asshole           Florida Rep. Alex Andrade

“No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the Legislature is in session.”

–Gideon J. Tucker

Here we go again…

Ahead of the 2024 state legislative session, Pensacola lawmaker Rep. Alex Andrade announced last week he is preparing to reintroduce a “paired down” version of last year’s anti-American assault on 60-years of Supreme Court protections that allow citizens to speak their mind on the machinations of those elected officials who control our lives and livelihoods here in the “Sunshine State.” 

During the 2023 session, following pushback from First Amendment advocates, journalists, talk radio pundits from both sides of the political spectrum, and freedom loving taxpayers everywhere, Andrade’s bill – which would have made it easier for politicians to sue citizens and media outlets for “defamation,” prevented defendants in these lawsuits from recovering legal fees, and established a legal presumption that “anonymous sources” in media reports are false – died a natural death. 

According to a recent article by Jim Little writing in the Pensacola News-Journal:

“Bobby Block, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, said the bill creates a threat to free speech in Florida and the entire country.

“It’s bad legal precedent, and like the law that was proposed last year, it’s un-American,” Block said.”

He’s right.

If Rep. Andrade’s frightening legislation becomes law – it won’t just apply to the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC. 

Rather, it will have a chilling effect on every reporter, blogger, community group, Facebooker, or citizen who wants their voice heard by subjecting them to the financial and emotional devastation of a vengeful lawsuit brought by some thin-skinned politician with a God complex.

I’ve said this repeatedly – I’m not a “journalist.”  At best, a dilettante “editorialist.”

More accurately – a blowhard with internet access…

Because of the nature of these screeds, I regularly receive requests from loyal members of the Barker’s View tribe asking that I “investigate” some governmental excess or inefficiency – or “look into” an instance of political intrigue, perceived corruption, or right a glaring civic wrong that media outlets have seemingly ignored.   

On occasion, these tips pique my interest and I’ll make a call, do a public records request, or ask around just to satisfy my own curiosity.

Most of the time, those who put their faith in me to ferret out wrongdoing go away pissed because I do not share their moral outrage over an outsized water bill, the fact their trash wasn’t collected on time, or pound-my-fists and demand to know why Volusia County won’t maintain John Q’s private driveway, etc., etc.

However, sometimes a trusted insider with accurate information and no place to turn will provide me with details of internal issues inside local governments – harrowing stories of maladministration, waste, and excess – and I feel obligated to point that person to those professionals who can best shine a journalistic light on the issue. 

Sadly, in nearly every case the reporting party demands anonymity – a request I always honor – because they fear retribution from their own local elected and appointed officials if it were known they were seeking answers (often to relatively benign questions).

Does that sound like “good governance” to you?

Most of the time I refer the concerned reader to their elected representative (a name they rarely know) and a resource that had not crossed their minds, because so many politicians stop acknowledging the concerns of their constituents about 12-minutes after the last balloon drops at their election victory celebration…

Look, having spent the bulk of my adult life in municipal government – I’ve grown some hard bark through the years – and I can give as good as I get.  On occasion, I’ll receive word that someone who stood for election to high office or holds a lucrative senior appointment in the cloistered halls of power, was personally offended by my thoughts on an issue. 

Good. 

That means they still have the human emotion of shame – something that is quickly erased from the psyche of most politicians as hubris, megalomania, and an overwhelming sense of infallibility replace healthy feelings of doubt.    

Those powerful policymakers who “get it” understand the importance of using criticism to their advantage – accepting the slings-and-arrows of their constituents as a barometer of community sentiment – while remaining open to crucial public input, discourse, and dissent.

Unfortunately, rather than open lines of communication and improve transparency – some hypersensitive Florida legislators continue to propose asinine laws weakening our right to free expression by prohibiting citizens from ‘Speaking ill of the King’ – suppressing public dialog and encouraging petty politicians to silence critics and activists by suing them whenever someone calls out their autocratic assholery for what it is.

How patently un-American.

How terribly frightening… 

Asshole           Volusia County School Board

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”

–Benjamin Franklin

The safety and security of students, teachers, and staff in a modern learning environment is paramount. 

Given the grim lessons of Columbine, Robb Elementary, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, and Sandy Hook, the need for physical security professionals on school campuses is omnipotent. 

Common sense and best practices demand that highly equipped and tactically proficient men and women who can respond instantly and neutralize a threat should be standard and accepted staffing in every public and private school in the nation.   

With violent crime on the rise in many Volusia County schools, most astute administrators would include on-campus law enforcement resources into a comprehensive strategic plan as part of the annual budget process. 

That’s just one reason Volusia County taxpayers were taken aback in October when Superintendent Carmen Balgobin sent her redundant deputy and an Interim Chief Operating Officer (with just five-days on the job) to lobby the Volusia County Council for $342,905.11 to help fund school resource deputies at Creekside Middle School, Deltona Middle School, Galaxy Middle School, Heritage Middle School, Holly Hill School, Silver Sands Middle School, and Southwestern Middle School.

The request – which came after the 2023-24 budgets for both bureaucracies had been settled – was couched as part of the district’s ongoing agreement with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office which requires that the district shoulder 55% of the total costs for school resource deputies with the Sheriff’s Office responsible for the remaining 45%.

Unfortunately, the Superintendent’s horribly ill-prepared emissaries showed up in council chambers with a half-assed slideshow and a weird form of dissociative amnesia that precluded them from presenting even a basic statement of need, supporting statistical data, or an explanation for why seven Volusia County Middle Schools have been operating without a sworn law enforcement officer on campus?

To their credit, the Volusia County Council stood on principle and refused the odd request citing the district’s ample reserves which should be used to fund any exigencies outside the normal budget process. 

Frankly, many believed Superintendent Balgobin and her irritable Chief Financial Officer Todd Seis, should have done the honorable thing and resigned when their horrible lack of forecasting became evident…   

This week, taxpayers were yet again surprised by an agenda item for the Volusia County School Board seeking an amendment to the district’s agreement with VCSO which would have Volusia County Schools paying one hundred percent of the cost of services for seven School Resource Deputies totaling $507,136.00.

In turn, Sheriff Mike Chitwood agreed to provide a Sergeant to supervise the resource deputies for the remainder of the current school year.

The measure was approved on a vote of 4-1 with School Board member Ruben Colón casting the dissenting vote.

Many onlookers both inside and outside Volusia County District Schools were left shaking their heads – considering that in September, the district declared impasse with Volusia United Educators over a relatively paltry $332,000 to support paraprofessionals and office specialists – at a time when administrators find it necessary to import foreign teachers to make up for the mass exodus which has resulted in a critical staffing shortage. 

More recently, parents began raising concerns over announced plans to move students to other schools around Volusia County in the face of rapid population growth due to unchecked overdevelopment and a critical lack of planning by our seemingly clueless ‘powers that be’…   

(Anyone remember in October when parents, teachers, and staff learned of a weird proposal to shutter Read-Patillo Elementary in New Smyrna when what Superintendent Balgobin described as a “sad mishap” occurred ahead of a School Board meeting when a staffer “mistakenly” uploaded a PowerPoint slide announcing, “Closure of Read-Pattillo Elementary”?  Me neither…)

Perhaps most disturbing is what passes for the district’s time-wasting – and wholly ineffective – “strategic planning” process which was rolled out in draft form on Tuesday.

Like always, the district cobbled together some esoteric “goals” such as “Ensure ALL students are provided a high-quality learning experience through differentiated instruction every day, in all content areas,” (as opposed to what?), “Ensure students’ learning outcomes are achieved through consistent, ongoing progress monitoring in all content areas,” (like an objective grading system?), or “Volusia County Schools’ leadership development programs will produce instructional leaders who are prepared to implement the district’s vision and will support development of a strong talent pipeline for future generations of leaders,” (what “vision”?)  

Folks, I hate to break the news, but – as recent events have proven – that’s not “planning.”

And it damn sure isn’t progress…

Just another steaming crock o’ shit that accomplishes nothing of substance – and more disturbing – lacks objective performance metrics so no one (who should) can ever be held accountable… 

Another hodge-podge of innocuous pap and fluff – a ridiculous and incredibly expensive “make-work” exercise to justify the top-heavy bureaucracy in the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand – and a terrible disservice to students, teachers, and staff who are increasingly victimized by the gross ineptitude of Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and her bumbling staff.

This dreadful incompetence should not be countenanced by those we have elected to represent our interests – politically accountable elected officials who should see this continuing pattern for what it is.    

I hope you will remember that fact at the ballot box next year. 

Quote of the Week

“There are all sorts of reasons many of Palm Coast’s front and back yards are flooding the more new homes go up, up and up. But builders and new construction are not the reason. That’s the first conclusion from an analysis presented to the Palm Coast City Council this morning.

The second is that the city is on it: staffers are working with the more than 80 property owners who have lodged complaints to date–not as fast as the city wishes it could, with just a quarter of those complaints answered so far, but steadily, and intently. The third is that the city is rewriting its technical building manual directly to address new-home elevations and drainage issues in hopes of blunting further problems of the sort, or at least diminishing them.

Less clear is how the city intends to help residents already affected by yard flooding beyond providing them with survey analyses and engineering suggestions. In other words, while the city is prepared to rewrite its building rules and explain to residents why their front or back yards are flooding, and what they could do about it, the city is not ready to go beyond that–and it’s not clear whether it should, or legally can–though at least one council member wants to head that way.”

—FlaglerLive!, “All Those Yards Flooding from New Construction? Blame ITT, Nature or Changing Codes, Not Builders, City Finds,” Tuesday, December 12, 2023

When Victor Frankenstein creates his monster, he immediately recognizes the consequences of hubris and blind ambition.  In turn, the creature comes to hate its creator for abandoning and neglecting him – and you know how that little ditty ends… 

I’m certainly not the most intelligent person you know, but even a simp like me can see the direct correlation between the greed-crazed pursuit of unchecked sprawl – cramming more, more, more into increasingly limited space – exceeding the carrying capacity of the land and spoiling the natural processes and resources we rely on for our very existence, even as the monster begins destroying the quality of life of everyone around it.

All while rich little men revel in their creation – and resultant wealth – secretly knowing the adverse impacts more development (even those “infill” projects patronizing politicians now point to as examples of “smart growth”) will have on existing residents…

According to the extremely informative report in FlaglerLive!, we learned that the City of Palm Coast is content to quibble where the blame truly lies – suggesting that some of the flooding issues being experienced are the result of existing homesite retaining their own stormwater:

“ITT had decided to have very flat lots, with typically an inch and a quarter drop from one side of the lot to the other, on an 80-foot lot. It was intentional, to allow for a very slow percolation into the ground to recharge the aquifer. ITT also designed a lot of built-up lots to drain onto vacant lots. That, too, was either by design or by gravity. “A lot of natural ground compaction has occurred over time, you figure some of these houses are 20-30 years old,” Stevens (deputy director of stormwater and engineering) said. By compaction, she means that houses have settled, or sunk in. And like Palm Coast’s own subduction zones, older houses have gone down, newer houses, and newer regulations, have gone up. “There’s been a lot of changes in the residence elevations as well from what was originally built.”

“Some of the existing homes are now retaining their own stormwater that used to run off to the vacant lots,” Stevens said, repeating a contention city staffers have made a few times over the past few weeks: the water pooling in existing lots may not be coming from adjacent, newer, higher construction. The removal of trees and roots, it causes the ground to compact, and settle more. Conversely, as trees grow, their roots grow, their surroundings lift. Re-sodding can change the elevation. Road elevations can change from one block to another: one road could be a foot higher than another, parallel road, which changes the house elevation at one end as opposed to a house at the other end. In some places, the water table can be just a few inches below the surface, which dictates how water flows and how quickly it moves away from homes.” 

Find the rest of this important report here: http://tinyurl.com/2p8ya939

I wonder what the ramifications would be if it were ever scientifically proven by responsible government officials that builders and developers either knew, or should have known, that intentionally raising the elevation of a building lot would result in flooding damage to adjacent existing homes and commercial properties – yet did it anyway? 

Something tells me we will never know the answer to that question… 

To quote Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, “With how many things are we on the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries.”

Cowardice and carelessness, indeed… 

In my view, the flooding problems being experienced in Palm Coast are no different from the massive inundation seen across the region during even moderate rain events – the clear result of changes in topography and the resultant gravitational flow of water from high ground to lower areas in the absence of adequate stormwater retention and permeable surfaces. 

Trust me.  No one who created this monster gives two-shits about the recurrent damage and destruction on your property or mine – as the bulldozers continue to roar…

Vote like your quality of life depends upon it.

And Another Thing!

On Thursday, The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s ace investigative reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean broke the shocking story of a proposed $37 to $75 million administrative complex to replace Daytona Beach City Hall at a location to be determined, a plan apparently dreamed up by a mysterious group of senior bureaucrats known internally as the New City Hall Project Group.

What?  You hadn’t heard about extensive plans to fund, purchase property, and build a new municipal administrative complex? 

Don’t feel bad – neither had the elected officials… 

Yeah.  I know.

According to the informative report:

“It’s an idea City Manager Deric Feacher and his top city staff have been exploring, a venture that could ring up a $37 million bill just for construction of a new City Hall building.

Once other costs such as land acquisition, a new parking garage, streetscape improvements, utility upgrades, building design and permitting are added in, the total bill could climb as high as $65 million to $75 million, city records indicate.

One new City Hall proposal discussed among city staff members recently focused on acquiring property along Ridgewood Avenue north of International Speedway Boulevard. But multiple properties are being considered, Feacher told city commissioners in an email he sent them Wednesday afternoon.”

Unfortunately, the City Manager’s thin explanation to his bosses came after members of the City Commission first heard about it from the News-Journal.    

As you can imagine, considering the City Commission had not publicly directed Mr. Feacher or his staff to consider options for a new City Hall, the news didn’t sit well with those elected officials who were caught flatfooted…

“Why do we want to do this?” asked City Commissioner Ken Strickland, who stressed that he wasn’t happy to hear about it for the first time from a reporter and not city staff or Feacher. “It really creates some trust issues with the city manager. A lot of stuff goes on where only certain people learn about something, and I’m not good with that.”

To add insult, Mr. Feacher declined to comment for the News-Journal’s report… 

Humm, sounds eerily like someone else I used to know, eh? 

More disturbing, the report noted that Deputy City Manager Dru Driscoll (who is no stranger to controversy), suggested in an October email to Mr. Feacher “…putting a referendum on the November 2024 ballot asking voters to approve the multimillion-dollar construction cost. Driscoll’s email appears to be suggesting a temporary increase in property tax assessments to raise money for the building.”

Whoa. 

For the record, neither Mr. Driscoll – nor Mr. Feacher – are politically accountable to the citizens of Daytona Beach – and the mere suggestion of a property tax increase to fund a Taj Mahal project without the prior knowledge and approval of those who are is a disservice to elected representatives who must stand before the taxpayers and explain themselves every four-years. 

Unfortunately, it appears the Daytona Beach municipal government has begun using the pernicious practice of surreptitiously cloaking public projects in a blanket of secrecy – much like those in the private sector who come with mysterious projects hidden behind code names, then ask elected officials to approve massive corporate welfare spiffs by voting in the blind… 

This isn’t the first time the Daytona Beach City Commission has been strategically kept in the dark. 

Does anyone remember back in October 2020 when then City Manager Jim “The Chisler” Chisholm and his “senior staff” developed a secret plan to facilitate millions of dollars in public incentives for a Tampa-based developer seeking to build an apartment complex and parking garage on the site of the former Daytona Beach First Baptist Church?

I do.

At that time, commissioners were asked to act on a plan that would see the developer receive a $10.5 million tax break in exchange for a few public parking spaces and the potential of moving people into downtrodden downtown.

Interestingly, senior staff – to include Dru Driskoll – provided the elected officials with support materials just six-hours before the meeting…

Early on, that mishmash of dubious development plans – which Chisholm called “Daytona Emerging” – included an $18 to $24 million City Hall complex.

Not surprisingly, it appears the covert New City Hall Project Group has been in communications with senior staff at Volusia County – with Mr. Feacher admitting that “…there have been numerous discussions with the county administration, chief justice of the courts and potential governmental partners about consolidating and centralizing operations.”

(Ah, guess that’s another demerit for County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald when the subject of his “communication with council and constituents” comes up for review next December…)

The News-Journal led Tuesday’s print edition with an in-depth frontpage look at Mr. Feacher’s lucrative salary, now reported at $285,681 annually – which exceeds even that of Prince George Recktenwald and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer – which makes him among the highest paid city managers in the state. 

Oh, and he’s set to receive another raise in April, which will catapult Feacher’s salary to $291,395.

Trust me.  If I were in Mr. Feacher’s position – with a handsome benefits package that includes paid health insurance, a city-supplied vehicle, and $65,680 in pay raises since starting with the City of Daytona Beach in 2021 – my bosses on the City Commission would receive a personal call announcing every time I went to the latrine – to include a written summary of every aspect of the operation when I finished…

Look, I think Mr. Feacher is doing an excellent job.  He has the ability to think strategically – and that’s a rare commodity in a business where the stagnant status quo reigns supreme.   

Obviously, the majority of the Daytona Beach City Commission feel the same way. 

But keeping secrets from decision-makers does not engender trust.   

A senior executive of Mr. Feacher’s caliber and experience should understand the very real pitfalls of keeping the details of major projects and expenditures from those elected officials who will be expected to cast their vote to approve the appropriation of public funds – or place an additional tax burden on their already strapped constituents.   

In my view, Daytona Beach faces serious challenges that will require massive civic investment – especially in the face of unchecked sprawl. 

In the view of many, an extravagant $75 million governmental complex isn’t one of them…

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

________________________

Barker’s View will take a break next week as we celebrate Christmas with family and friends. 

As this alternative opinion site enters its eighth year, I want to thank all my loyal readers for your continued engagement and friendship. 

Thanks to the many concerned citizens and informed voters who access this site each month literally from around the globe, this blogsite continues to open doors, shine a bright light into the cloistered halls of power, influence public opinion, and stimulate discussion of the issues.    

As a result, I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people – including a few of our “Movers & Shakers” – some of whom still have the humility and sense of humor to laugh at themselves and the absurdity of our collective situation.

Invariably, whenever I meet Barker’s View readers, including those in powerful elected and appointed public positions – you are incredibly kind to me – always taking a moment to offer your own unique opinions on the issues, point out where we differ and agree, share constructive criticism, or just buy me beer… 

I sincerely appreciate that. 

May the joy of this Glorious Season fill your heart – and may God continue to bless this beautiful place we call home. 

From the Old Barker place to yours, here’s wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year! 

MDB