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:

Asshole           Volusia County School Board

In the wake of last week’s hyper-dramatic production of the Volusia County School Board, many have reached out with their thoughts on the clueless disconnect of our elected representatives – and the shocking revelation of the school district’s morally repulsive behind-the-scenes machinations to undermine the collective bargaining unit representing teachers and paraprofessionals. 

The common reaction is, “That was crazy!”   

I agree.  Totally nutso…      

The study of Political Psychology is defined as “an interdisciplinary academic field dedicated to understanding politics, politicians, and political behavior from a psychological perspective.”  

In my jaded view, a political headshrinker could have a field day in Volusia County…

My layman psychoanalysis of our current crop of elected and appointed officials on certain commissions, boards, and councils throughout Volusia County finds a contagious psychosis at work – a virulent disorder that ensures lock-step conformity to the status quo and a pathological need to compromise themselves in the pursuit of power.

An infectious disease that renders its victims completely incapable of independent thought or strategic vision.

A weird neuropsychiatric malady I’ve dubbed “Volusia Dysfunction Syndrome.”

Those most vulnerable include small-minded authoritarian personalities with enormous egos, a limited capacity for critical thought, parasitic loyalty to wealthy insiders, a propensity for mutism when questioned by constituents, and a voracious appetite for tax dollars. 

Over time, its feeble victims become catatonic drones who single-mindedly take public funds and transform them into huge salaries for senior bureaucrats and underwrite the for-profit wants and whims of insiders with a chip in the game.

Just my unscientific diagnosis.  But is there another explanation?

For instance, last week, teachers, parents, and taxpayers watched in horror as Volusia County School Board Chair Jamie Haynes fell victim to another common ill spreading like a plague among area politicians – a weird compulsion known as “Coprolalia” (from the Greek kópros, meaning “dung or feces”, and laliā́, meaning “speech”) – in short: “Talking Shit.”

There was no obvious reason for it. 

The item Chairwoman Haynes seemed irresistibly compelled to discuss didn’t appear on the agenda – and it certainly wasn’t a Pandora’s box her perplexed “colleagues” seemed anxious to unpack during a public meeting. 

Yet, Ms. Haynes, apparently overcome by a compulsive need to lash out at those who instruct our children and support their education in the classroom, droned on – denying the School Board’s involvement in a spiteful scheme to decertify Volusia United Educators – the union representing some 3,000 teachers and paraprofessionals in Volusia County District Schools.

In a mewling monotone, Ms. Haynes explained that the five elected members of the board were completely unaware that an outside attorney had been employed by the district to write a letter questioning the number of dues paying members reported by Volusia United Educators to Florida’s Public Employee Relations Committee – a move that could set in motion a process leading to the union’s decertification as a bargaining unit.   

There was simply no stopping Chairwoman Haynes fit of coprolalia – like a victim of selective amnesia – she denied any knowledge of the district’s attempt to torpedo the union and hammered on, personally castigating VUE President Elizabeth Albert by accusing her of spreading “inaccuracies.”

Then, the room was plunged into reality when the district’s General Counsel Kevin Pendley openly contradicted Ms. Haynes’ delusional yarn – explaining that each member of the board personally authorized employing the districts outside labor attorney to send the notice to PERC challenging the union’s membership density.   

The reaction of board member Carl “Namby-Pamby” Persis was even more bizarre as he questioned Mr. Pendley like someone just aroused from a deep coma – stammering, “…like, you told me at a board meeting? Or, you told me on a telephone call? Or in a private setting?, Or…?”

Like reminding a dementia victim what they had for lunch, Mr. Pendley carefully explained to Persis how, at Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s direction, he contacted each board member individually, discussed the ramifications, and all agreed to send the notice to PERC.

That clarification resulted in Mr. Persis suffering a weird form of echolalia – as he seemingly repeated the noises, words, and phrases uttered by Mr. Pendley – rehashing what had just been explained to him as though he was hearing it for the first time. 

Weird.   

I can only imagine that Ms. Albert, being of reasonably sound mind, was doing cartwheels through the chamber doors after watching the Volusia County School Board come unwound in a public meeting – openly exposed by the district’s General Counsel as either naïve lumps or baldfaced liars (or both) – in a dramatic exchange captured for posterity on video… 

Now, the fallout continues…

In my view, it is incumbent on Superintendent Carmen Balgobin to openly explain to teachers, staff, parents, taxpayers, (and confused board members) how this union busting tactic got so far afield.

Then, she should step aside.

Stakeholders (and that includes everyone who pays taxes in Volusia County) deserve to know why the district insinuated itself into VUE’s certification process with the Florida Public Employee Relations Committee, how this could have happened without the direct knowledge and support of the Volusia County School Board, and what steps will the board and district take to improve relations with its employees, and restore the fractured trust of its wary constituents… 

Angel               Thomas Baker, Daytona Beach Shores

When property insurance rates on his Daytona Beach Shores condominium skyrocketed 563% last year, Thomas Baker – a Vietnam Veteran and U.S. Army retiree donned his uniform bearing the insignia of a Ranger qualified Special Forces officer – and literally charged up the hill. 

Recently, Mr. Baker took his gallant fight against what he aptly calls “grand theft” to Tallahassee, along with sound ideas for returning sanity to Florida’s growing insurance crisis – one that has strapped residents suffering astronomical increases in rates with reduced or non-existent coverage. 

According to an excellent exposé this week by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“Baker, a resident of Marbella Condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores, brought with him two messages: He’s angry and he has ideas on how to reduce rates for condo owners across the state.

Marbella, as did much of the state, suffered damage during the hurricane season of 2022. And that was on top of the insurance industry’s disruption with the deadly Champlain Towers South condo collapse in Surfside in 2021.

During Ian and Nicole, the Atlantic Ocean battered Marbella’s seawall, leading to extensive damage to the pool deck. None of that was covered by insurance.

Then, as 2023 started, the homeowners were dealt a second blow: that nearly six-fold increase for casualty coverage, as reported in The News-Journal last November.

That set Baker off.

“We got a bill, but no coverage,” he said.”

Please find Mr. Harper’s report here: http://tinyurl.com/ywm5vcmw

After writing letters to those who should care – state legislators, the Governor, and others – Mr. Baker got little response to his concerns and began discussing the issue with other condominium owners in Daytona Beach Shores.

Ultimately, Mr. Baker produced some commonsense ideas for reducing casualty insurance rates, to include allowing non-standard mortgages for condominiums that wouldn’t require property insurance coverage, having companies write policies for individual units, or eliminating the requirement for property insurance all together. 

Because the state legislature is now in session, ostensibly doing the “people’s business,” most of the lawmakers Mr. Baker contacted didn’t have time and shunted him, and his problem – one facing thousands of Floridians – off on their staff.

According to the report, Baker was able to meet with Sen. Jay Trumbull of Panama City and our own Rep. Tom Leek of Ormond Beach.  “Baker said Leek took notes and said one of his ideas might have some merit and that he’d research it.” 

While reading the News-Journal report, I found it interesting (and infuriating) that an assistant for Sen. “Terrible Tommy” Wright of New Smyrna Beach, arranged a telephone call for Mr. Baker with a representative of the Florida Department of Financial Services – but after the News-Journal called the agency “…seeking comment about Baker’s ideas, Baker said he was told the call was off, as he had been discussing it with the media.” 

In a December 2023 News-Journal article discussing the octogenarian’s fight for condominium insurance reform, Mr. Baker was quoted:

“Baker said he’s most disappointed in Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach, who represents Daytona Beach Shores.

“For one year, I’ve been trying to get an appointment with Sen. Wright,” Baker said. “I even went to his office. He walked right past me. He didn’t extend me the courtesy of shaking my hand.”

Wright did not respond to a request for comment.”

My God…

Interestingly, after Mr. Baker began making waves about his condominium’s “atmospheric” insurance bill in 2023, Citizens Property Insurance offered a reduced rate for the property in 2024 – about 50% less than the previous year. 

I guess that goes to prove the power of civic activism – and the extraordinary difference one man with a righteous mission can make. 

Unfortunately, Floridians continue to suffer the deleterious effects of a greed-crazed insurance industry run amok, as our legislators remain occupied with preempting local governance, incentivizing explosive sprawl, and undermining the rights of citizens to complain about it…   

Kudos, Mr. Baker.  Thank you for so courageously taking the fight forward.

Soldier on, sir.

Asshole           Volusia County Council

Hey, residents of Wild West Volusia! 

Guess what?

This week, a majority of our elected dullards on the Volusia County Council approved a request to put some 100 townhomes near the northwest corner of State Road 44 and Kepler Road – one of the worst intersections in, oh, the known universe (and that’s saying something when it comes to clogged “Fun Coast” intersections). 

Yep. 

Despite the pleas of area residents, one of whom advised her “representatives” that she won’t make a doctor’s appointment before 9:30am in DeLand because she cannot physically access the intersection during the busy morning drivetime – in their infinite wisdom, Councilmembers Danny Robins, Jake Johansson, Matt Reinhart, and David “No Show” Santiago voted to plop one hundred new townhomes, a grocery store, and assorted “shops” – along with the additional “trips” and traffic that come with each new commercial and residential unit – at what has been described as a “well-known trouble spot.” 

Of course, those members of our elected “brain trust” in DeLand approving the project validated their asinine vote by opining that a proposed loop-de-loop at the intersection (which should be built sometime around the return of the Comet Kohoutek) will alleviate the massive traffic tie-ups. 

My ass…

According to an excellent report by Sheldon Gardner writing in the News-Journal:

“The County Council approved a rezoning and a small-scale Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment for the land. Council Chairman Jeff Brower, Vice Chairman Troy Kent and District 1 Councilman Don Dempsey, whose district includes the intersection, voted against the project.

Kent said he gets aggravated by traffic delays at the intersection when he travels to council meetings.

“I’m going to admit to you, these are things I say in my truck when I’m on 44 … ‘What the what?’ ‘Are you kidding me?’ ‘Stop the insanity,’” Kent said.”   

(You are going to want to take a strong antiemetic and read the rest of the article here: http://tinyurl.com/yu8wd4yu )

For the record, both Chairman Brower and Councilman Kent are up for reelection this year. 

In keeping with the Rites and Rituals of Volusia’s “Old Guard,” it was Councilman Santiago’s turn to publicly pillory Chairman Brower after he voiced a concern that the development would add to widespread flooding in the wake (literally) of Volusia’s massive overdevelopment.

“I can’t approve another project that I believe is going to flood out more neighborhoods in DeLand,” Brower said.”

In turn, Santiago – a habitual politician who found his place in and around government and has hung on like a tick – took umbrage with being rightfully named part of the problem, and asked “Growth and Resource Management” Director Clay Ervin (who always looks like one of those bobble-heads when asked a question supporting more, more, more development) if the project would exacerbate flooding?

According to the News-Journal report:

“Well, hold on, the chairman is laughing and it’s on TV,” Santiago said. “I want to make clear. So, I did not know you were a scientist or you were an expert in this area. That’s why I’m asking them. And you made the statement.”

“I did. We have flooding. … Am I saying they designed it to flood? No, they did not. But it still floods,” Brower said.

Santiago said, “You’re insinuating that if we approve this —” “I’m not insinuating,” Brower said. “It’s going to flood; you said it,” Santiago said. “You said I’m not going to allow this to happen.

So you put the rest of this council in a perspective if they’re going to vote for this that you’re saying that we’re going to make everything else flood. So your comments have to be clarified by people that are experts that know more about this than any of us.”

“The experts that gave us all the flooding,” Brower said.

“Okay, here we go. That’s what we’re dealing with,” Santiago said.

Hey Councilman Santiago, if the galoshes fit, wear ‘em… 

Of course, Mr. Ervin tap-danced in his patented bureaucratic pule about ‘minimum requirements for stormwater management,’ and the unknown effects of “a 25-year, 24-hour storm event” – all but admitting that both he, and senior state water management officials, continue to plausibly deny the clear implications of paving over the landscape on areawide flooding. 

I know it’s painful to watch but expect the brutal thrashing of Chairman Brower to continue through the election cycle as his “colleagues” repay their debt and shamelessly campaign for his competition from the dais…

Good luck, Delightful DeLand from your friends in this ugly and overcrowded Planned Unit Development east of the Palmetto Curtain. 

You’re next…

Angel               News-Journal Editorialist “Mark Twain” Lane

“Any blogger, keyboard soapboxer, Facebook political commentator, online environmental activist or local gadfly speaking to a group could be shut up by deep-pocket interests under this rewrite of defamation law. Note that the Senate sponsor of this bill, Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Lake Mary, is the same senator who pushed for a state political blogger registry last year.

It goes without saying that the political class has never loved the media in whatever form the press has taken over history. But because of the ways the powerful have weaponized libel law to suppress free speech during the Civil Rights Era and the days of criminal libel laws, courts have rightly evoked the First Amendment to make libel suits hard for public figures to win.

The fact that so many Florida legislators are eager to see their critics hauled into court tells us something, and it’s not about the media.”

–The Great Mark Lane, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Defamation law rewrite threatens free speech,” Sunday, February 18, 2024

The late, great Big John had a nickname for everyone he cared about – and he rightfully dubbed our intrepid News-Journal editorialist “Mark Twain” Lane.

He really is that good, and his Footnote column is the first thing I turn to each Sunday.   

Last week, Mr. Lane cut to the heart of a pernicious bill working its way through the legislature that would permit thin-skinned politicians to continue their skeevy shenanigans in Tallahassee and beyond – only you and I, the citizens of the “Sunshine State,” would be effectively muzzled from complaining about it.

How? 

By weaponizing the law to permit public officials the ability to file crippling lawsuits against anyone who bruises their delicate sensibilities, suppressing the free speech provisions enshrined in the First Amendment – the same inalienable Constitutional right United States fighting men and women have given their lives to protect – eliminating the time-honored journalistic use of anonymous whistleblowers, reducing the burden of proof to “You hurt my feewings,” and allowing lawsuits for something published on the internet to be filed in any county in the state. 

Perhaps most chilling, the provisions of this tyrannical edict would apply equally to conservative talk radio hosts, liberal podcasters, bloggers, editorialists, political pundits, media outlets, soapbox orators, and anyone who vents their political spleen on social media (ever do that?) 

Look, this isn’t about silencing blowhards like me – or punishing professional editorialists like Mr. Lane – in my view, it is about suppressing political dissent by fundamentally attacking the ability of We, The Little People to openly participate in the marketplace of ideas and express our opinions by arming our powerful overseers with the ability to financially crush anyone who calls out their transactional politics for what they are.

So much for Governor Ron DeSantis’ fabled “Free State of Florida,” eh?  A moniker this bill exposes as nothing more than a cheap Iowa stump speech…  

If you have ever taken an oath to “…support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic,” I hope you will use your sacred vote to hold accountable any incumbent state legislator who supports this assault on our most basic freedom. 

I can’t think of anything more un-American – or dangerous to the fabric of our democracy.   

Keep spreading the good word, Mr. Lane.  We need your sharp mind and exceptional voice now, more than ever…

Quote of the Week

“Here in the Sunshine State, our elected leaders have taken to the idea that endless growth and sprawl are the only paths forward. Rich developers and their special interest groups pour millions of dollars into electing the officials who will serve them most eagerly, and from where I’m standing, it looks like most of the politicians in our state are more than happy to bend to the will of their corporate masters.

What is in the public interest doesn’t seem to matter much. In a state once known for its pristine and untamed natural beauty, we have bulldozed most of it to make way for strip malls and tract homes, losing forever the most sacred attributes that make this land special. Surely, many developers and real estate folks have been greatly enriched in the process. But for the rest of us, the price of this so-called “progress” has been steep.

Many people in our community felt welcome vindication this month when hearing of our legal victory against the Florida Department of Transportation and their efforts to bulldoze sixty acres of wetlands in the Spruce Creek watershed to make way for an unneeded $200 million interchange on I-95.

To me, it was bewildering that our state government would even consider doing such a thing – that private citizens would need to battle them and their army of expensive lawyers – just to prevent the government from destroying the sensitive habitat it has often vowed to protect. It seems like hypocrisy, and it is.”

–Conservationist Bryon White, as excerpted from The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Guest Opinion, “Spruce Creek legal victory over proposed interchange was ‘welcome vindication,’” Tuesday, February 20. 2024

Powerful. 

And Another Thing!  

Every four years or so, well-meaning people ask if I would consider running for (insert elective office here) – an apocalyptic sign that we have reached the absolute nadir of political options here on the “Fun Coast.” 

My answer remains the same.

In the words of William Tecumseh Sherman, “If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve…”

For those joining us late, let me explain:

While I sincerely appreciate the confidence of those misguided souls who ask me to throw what’s left of my tattered hat in the ring – with three marriages under my belt, a lifelong career in law enforcement, and a propensity for strong spirits – I have more demons and skeletons in my closet than a haunted house…

Besides, if I was allowed to get snout deep in the public trough you might never get rid of me. 

After all, as my literary hero Dr. Hunter S. Thompson was fond of saying about government, “In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity…”

Selah.

As a perennial naïf, I believe most people who hold themselves out for elected office, at least at the local level, enter politics for all the right reasons – a willingness to serve and be a good steward, born of a heartfelt desire to improve the lives of their neighbors.  I also believe that most first-term elected officials have the best interest of their constituents at heart, especially in matters involving the expenditure of public funds.

However, in the cloistered Halls of Power, it doesn’t take long for the ego-driven transmogrification from public servant to self-important shitheel to begin. 

Inexplicably, our “representatives” mysteriously become morally and mentally superior to the rest of us, then metamorphose into pious ninnies with a God complex – convinced they know what’s best for the rest of us – thus earning their coveted invite into the secluded inner sanctum of the bureaucracy. 

When I see those who ran for office with the best intentions of making their county or municipal government more lean, accessible, and accountable – now rubbing elbows and having their picture taken with C-list phonies and so-called “dignitaries” on social media at (insert the latest oh, so elegant “gala” here) – I know the transformation is complete…

No thanks.

I want no part of that charade.

In my view, Volusia County has become a despicable example of just how pernicious cronyism, through the corruption of the campaign finance system, can be when uber-wealthy individuals and their corporate entities repeatedly secure a political quid pro quo from local office holders.

It’s subtle – but pay attention the next time all the right last names assemble in a council or commission chamber ahead of a vote vital to their self-interests and watch what happens… 

To my jaded mind, it represents a legal return on investment in a system that permits a privileged few to develop financial relationships with potential and current office holders, then obtain direct access to the public purse in the form of preferential tax breaks, infrastructure (even interchanges?), and direct subsidies for private for-profit projects.

For reasons I can’t quite figure out, in this atmosphere even viable candidates for high office – those with the personal wealth and wherewithal to finance their own campaign, demonstrate independence, and change the grim trajectory of Volusia County politics – succumb to the lure of “big money” contributions and the imprimatur of importance that comes with it. 

These chummy associations will become more prominent as what passes for our cut-throat campaign season heats up.    

For instance, I recently shook my head at the utter disconnect between We, The Little People who pay the bills and our exalted “Donor Class” when I saw a very exclusive fundraiser for a perennial politician held at the home of a prominent philanthropist where Volusia’s “who’s who” were shuttled to the soiree via limousine. 

Yeah.  I know…

Earlier this week, Volusia County Councilman Troy Kent held a clubby klatch – with a “Host Committee” comprised of all the right last names – to mark the kickoff of his latest reelection campaign. I must admit, the optics seemed odd to me, considering Mr. Kent is desperately trying to shed his skin and reinvent himself as an “everyman” in the wake of the Belvedere Terminal’s debacle… 

Although those in power are quick to deny it, in exchange for the all-important financial resources and political clout local candidates receive as an anointing from Volusia’s “visionaries” they must feel at least subliminal pressure to perform their role like the bought-and-paid-for chattel they are, especially when an issue directly involving the self-interests and profit motives of their campaign benefactors presents itself before the dais of power.

The result has been a slow erosion of the public’s trust in the legitimacy of their own government – and a recurring Sophie’s Choice in local elections – as wealthy developers get richer…   

I don’t have the answers, folks.

And I certainly don’t want to paint all local elected officials with the same brush – we have some selfless individuals in key positions who demonstrate incredible leadership and serve with humility, vision, and values.

They deserve our respect and support.      

My sincere hope is that those creative change-makers – engaged citizens who have proven they can work collaboratively with others to seek the solutions we desperately need – will find the courage to stand for elective office and end the stagnant status quo.

I think that begins by banding together – developing a formidable coalition of the various groups, factions, and loose knit activists who are working hard, spending their time and talents in the fight to conserve our environment, ensure our children’s safety, and protect our fleeting quality of life – many voices, speaking as one. 

Trust me.  Citizens united in the pursuit of positive change is the last thing compromised politicians and entrenched bureaucrats want…

As for my complete lack of “political ambition,” I may be a low-life sot with no redeeming social graces – more of a “complainer” than a “doer” – but I have what remains of my threadbare dignity, something I am not willing to compromise for a bit part in this privately underwritten Theatre of the Absurd that passes for “governance” here on the “Fun Coast.” 

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 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:

Asshole           Volusia County School Board

The Volusia County School Board had a collective out-of-body experience this week when they were flagrantly exposed as either clueless lumps suffering from selective memory disorder – or baldfaced liars who engaged in a skeevy behind-the-scenes scheme to decertify Volusia United Educators, the union representing some 3,000 of their teachers and paraprofessionals.

Frankly, the horrific sense of vicarious embarrassment I felt for Chairwoman Jamie Haynes and her fellow quisling saboteurs on the dais of power was excruciating – an unexpected emotion that surpassed my overwhelming feeling of schadenfreude watching these rat finks get hoisted on their own petard…    

If I were Superintendent Carmen Balgobin – I would be packing my desk and slinking out the back door of the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand – because the political implications of this week’s ugly exposé will be long remembered by Volusia County voters. 

Last year, Volusia County District Schools activated a labor attorney they keep on retainer to write a letter to the state’s Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) alleging that Volusia United Educators failed to comply with a controversial new law that requires certain public sector unions (namely teachers unions) to report, among other things, dues-paying membership data to the state proving at least 60% participation – or face possible decertification as a bargaining unit. 

According to a January article in Orlando Weekly:

“Elizabeth Albert, president of Volusia United Educators in Daytona Beach, told Orlando Weekly that her union submitted the required information (including membership numbers) to the state in October 2023, using guidance the union had received from PERC, the state agency tasked with implementing last year’s law.

“We stand on telling the truth,” she asserted. The Volusia County school board, however, has cast doubt on the union’s calculation. A private attorney, writing on behalf of the school board, sent a formal notice to PERC on Jan. 18, insinuating that the union had falsified information, specifically to make it appear as though they had surpassed the required 60% membership threshold.

The board did not take a legal position, but merely notified PERC that the union representations did not appear to meet statutory density requirements by the recertification deadline,” a spokesperson for Volusia County Schools told Orlando Weekly in a statement. Albert believes this interference was unnecessary and described the board’s move as “disappointing” and “malicious.”

(Find the Orlando Weekly article here: http://tinyurl.com/2yw2vtmc )

On Tuesday, the truth was revealed in a shocking turn of events…    

At the end of the public meeting, Chairwoman Haynes desperately attempted to separate the school board from the growing public perception that the elected body is engaging in union busting tactics – saying unequivocally to teachers, staff, parents, and taxpayers that board members had no part in the district’s communications with PERC – and never authorized the hiring of an outside attorney. 

With a haughty air of indignance, Chairwoman Haynes puffed, “It has been stated that we – the five of us – have gone after the union,” – then proceeded to assure everyone watching that the board did not authorize the hiring of an outside attorney – and, in fact, no one on the board had any knowledge of the district’s correspondence to PERC. 

In a tense exchange, VUE President Elizabeth Albert countered that all correspondence to PERC was clearly referenced as having come from the school board – explaining that the outside labor attorney clearly stated in documents they were working on behalf of the “Volusia County School Board.”

Chairwoman Haynes emphatically reiterated that she did not authorize the hiring of an outside attorney and openly accused Ms. Albert of making “inaccurate” statements about the board’s involvement. 

Then, in a hyper dramatic moment right out of a bad Perry Mason episode, the district’s attorney Kevin Pendley – his head turning an odd shade of ochre that laid bare a thinly suppressed teeth-gritting rage – dropped a bombshell that literally shook the room…

Speaking pointedly before the board, Mr. Pendley explained that the School Board is represented by Sacha Dyson, the districts outside labor attorney, in the matter before the Public Employees Relations Committee – then openly contradicted Chairwoman Haynes by revealing that the board had in fact authorized the correspondence from Dyson to PERC disputing the union’s membership density. 

Chairwoman Haynes asked, “So, we voted here in the boardroom?” 

To which Mr. Pendley responded, “No.  You told me personally.”  

In turn, Mr. Pendley explained that at Superintendent Balgobin’s direction, he individually communicated with each of the elected board members – and all five agreed to the district sending the notification to PERC. 

Yeah.  I know.  Whoa. 

That direct confirmation from Pendley, the district’s General Counsel, left board member Carl “Namby-Pamby” Persis suffering a fit of embarrassment-induced amnesia – an awkward discomfiture that sucked the energy right out of the batteries in his neon pink sport coat…

(Please don’t take my word for it.  Get yourself a big batch of Jiffy Pop and watch the hijinks for yourself here: http://tinyurl.com/3mvyu5eb (To protect your digestion, tune to the 5:29:00 mark…you’re welcome.) 

Ugly. 

From there, the soothing sounds of board member Ruben Colón’s comforting rendition of Kumbaya wafted over the chamber – a soft drone explaining why the elected board members would insinuate themselves into VUE’s recertification process with a state regulatory agency, etc., etc., etc.

Nobody heard a word of it.   

Everyone was busy picking their jaws up off the floor…

The damage had been done – and the shockwave produced when Mr. Pendley exposed the elected board members as obfuscating liars/disengaged rubes who tried to convince us they were not engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine the representation of its teachers and staff outside the public eye – left everyone reeling.

Kudos to Kevin Pendley for speaking truth to power – and for acting in the finest traditions of his office to correct the public record, expose an attempted smear, and ensure transparency.

That took guts.

In my experience, avoiding even the appearance of impropriety is omnipotent in public office – because any conduct perceived to impair the ability of an elected or appointed official to fulfill their important responsibilities with fairness, impartiality, objectivity, and integrity is detrimental to the public’s trust of the institution.

I’m not sure how Chairwoman Haynes begins the arduous process of rehabilitating her scorched reputation – or if restoring trust is even possible – given the blatant and malicious nature of her conniving attempt to besmirch Elizabeth Albert’s character and sabotage Volusia United Educators. 

In my view, this latest dreadful episode in the sad history of the wholly dysfunctional Volusia County School Board should serve as a cautionary tale to other elected bodies of the corrosive effect of lies and deception on individuals and organizations.

Now, constituents are left with the overpowering fear that these unashamed transgressions by sitting elected officials charged with stewarding our children’s education may conceal even more ominous untruths – duplicity and deceit yet to be revealed…       

Asshole           Volusia County Council

The theme of the glamorous 2024 State of the County address and notorious “free” lunch was “Shaping Volusia’s Future Together.” 

(Urrrp, ahem.  Excuse me.  Sorry.)   

Presenting his fourth State of the County address – this year held at The Center in The Lost City of Deltona – Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower once again called for cooperation and collaboration between his “colleagues” on the dais of power:  

“This is a time in our history in Volusia County where we all have to come together, to work together, with the common goal of improving our coun………”

Yawn…Zzzzzzzz, Zzzzzzz, Zzzzzzz, Zzzzzzz, Zzzzzzz, (snork), Zzzzzzz, Zzzzzzz, (snuffle), Zzzzzzz…

Asshole           Disinterested “Fun Coast” Officials

Just as mismanagement and neglect can result in a series of disastrous events spiraling out of control (see “Volusia County School Board”) a “vicious cycle” of dysfunction – attentive leaders can also create a “virtuous circle” – defined as a chain of events in which one desirable occurrence leads to another resulting in a continuous process of improvement. 

For instance, a constructive circle of civic engagement is one where citizens share input on the issues important to them, elected officials listen and use that feedback to address problems, the government entity shares progress and openly admits challenges, trust in government increases, and the cycle repeats.

Increasingly, many of our elected officials here on Florida’s “Fun Coast” have strayed from the democratic imperative of citizen input – ignoring the voices of their long-suffering constituents – becoming insular, less receptive, more focused on the wants of those with a chip in the game or the self-serving directives of entrenched bureaucrats.

Others simply dissolve into disinterested lumps – empty suits who have mentally checked out – repeatedly proving to colleagues and constituents they would rather be anywhere but on the dais representing those who have put their trust in them.

That usually begins with rumblings about the amount of time set aside for the ceremonial duties inherent to public office – and using restrictive edicts to limit public participation – administrative “efficiencies” that widen the gap between elected officials and those they represent.   

Recently, Flagler County School Board member Sally Hunt exemplified this expanding chasm when she – in her own inimitable way – literally “phoned it in” to a board “retreat” to suggest too much time is spent on proclamations, public participation, and formal recognition of the achievements of students, teachers, and staff.

According to a disturbing piece in FlagerLive!:

“Something that I just would like for my fellow board members to think about just for the sake of our parents and community,” she started, using a preface she’s often used before – “for the sake of our parents and community” – as cover for a concern of hers more than anybody else: “We’ve got some business meetings where our kind of intro is taking up to, like, 45 minutes. So by the time we read proclamations, by the time we maybe have different spotlights like from the [Education] Foundation, we can be at, like, 6:45.”

She seemed to suggest that the proclamations and public comments would take place at 6, but that the board meeting itself, which she was seeing as distinct from the spotlights, would start at 6:30. She referred to the “working mom” waiting to see her kids who rushes over to the Government Services Building by 6 for whatever reason, “and now it’s already 6:45, the meeting is just now really starting, and then several minutes later for public comments.”

According to the report, Ms. Hunt has developed a “distant” relationship with those she serves – refusing to respond to emails, failing to attend graduation ceremonies, district celebrations, or recognition dinners – and recently “…complained that members of the public are not following the “chain of command” when they have a complaint, and are soliciting board members’ help when they should first bother someone else with their concerns, like a teacher or a school principal or administrator.”

Please find the article here: http://tinyurl.com/8z6kpced

In my view, what Ms. Hunt and others like her fail to understand is – as outsiders peering into the inner sanctum of local governments through the opaque aperture that separates us from those who accept public funds to serve in our interest – We, The Little People are forced to use scripted public meetings to catch a glimpse of where our “leadership” stand on the pressing issues of the day.

Adding to the thick rind of insulation is the increased use of paid government mouthpieces, “Community Information Directors” – who sanitize, manage, and condense “the message” into canned press releases while running interference for public officials – leaving those stilted bimonthly theatrical productions by various city and county commissions and the boards of taxing districts as the only knothole we have left.

It has become painfully apparent that most official decisions are a foregone conclusion – hashed out ahead of time in the city or county managers office, based solely on the political insulation of a “staff recommendation” – which, in the minds of disinterested elected officials, all but eliminates the need for public input or strategic thought on the critical issues.

This sense of remoteness between the average citizen and those we elect to serve our interests is becoming institutionalized, an accepted part of what passes for local governance in an environment where public policy is formed in seclusion by politically unaccountable bureaucrats. 

Inconceivably, these detached public officials – their egos massaged by the same insiders – completely ignore that the resultant “trust issue” even exists.

A vicious cycle indeed… 

I’ve said this before – this summer, when incumbent politicians come out of their bunkers in the Ivory Towers of Power across our increasingly claustrophobic region to shake hands, slap backs, and ask for another bite at the apple – please take a minute to ask them when those of us who pay the bills and suffer in silence became an afterthought?

Ask them why they sold their political soul for a walk-on role in an overchoreographed Kabuki that no longer bears any resemblance to a representative democracy – or service in the public interest.

If you pay taxes, you deserve an answer…

Quote of the Week

“The “hearsay” prohibition would include media exposés — the basis for most of the commission’s complaints.

“I’ve never seen a power grab like this,” says Ben Wilcox of the nonprofit watchdog group Integrity Florida. “This legislation will do away with ethics enforcement in Florida.”

“Incredibly destructive and corrosive,” Carolyn Klancke, a past deputy executive director and general counsel for the commission, told the Florida Center for Government Accountability.

Klancke, who now heads the Florida Ethics Institute, said it would prevent the commission from acting even on official audit and inspector general reports, which are not sworn complaints.

“Wrongdoing by public officials rarely takes place at times and in places accessible to the general public,” wrote Bonnie Williams, a former executive director of the commission, in an email to the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board. “Rather, it occurs in the rarefied air of political culture or within the confines of officials’ private lives. Of necessity, citizens rely on documents and reports, investigative journalism, information from persons close to the potential violation or violator, or other indirect means.

“Restricting filers of complaints to those with direct knowledge restricts citizens’ participation, will significantly restrict the number of complaints filed, and will abridge public faith in enforcement of the ethics laws,” Williams said.

It could extinguish what remains of public faith in the Legislature.”

–Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, “A sneak attack on state ethics laws shatters trust in 11 words,” Friday, February 9, 2024

The evisceration of longstanding protections that help Floridians ferret out unethical conduct by those they elect to positions of trust continues.

As the current legislative session slogs on, lawmakers are quietly working to move bills in the house and senate that would block citizens from filing valid allegations of official misconduct with the Commission on Ethics by “requiring complaints to be based on personal knowledge or information other than hearsay.”

As former director Williams said, rarely do public officials engage in wrongdoing at times and places accessible to the public – or law enforcement.  Which means watchdogs must rely on public records, outside research, anecdotal information, credible informants, and the findings of investigative journalists to develop reasonable suspicion.     

In my view, this isn’t legislation in the public interest – it’s an intentional weakening of ethical safeguards – a legal roadblock designed to protect the weakest links here in the biggest whorehouse in the world…

Restricting complaints exclusively to those with first-person direct knowledge of ethical misconduct closes the door on citizen access to the Commission on Ethics – an autonomous authority who should rightfully be the unbiased arbiter of an allegation’s legal sufficiency based upon an independent investigation.   

For instance, earlier this week, the Orlando Sentinel broke the shocking story of how Democratic State Senator Linda Stewart, a former Orange County commissioner, secretly schemed with a lobbyist from the mega-firm GrayRobinson to craft legislation that would have severely limited the authority of the Orange County Commission to reduce or eliminate tourist-tax funding for Visit Orlando.

This sordid plot was exposed when the Orlando Sentinel requested and reviewed text messages between Stewart and Carmody. 

According to the report, GrayRobinson lobbyist Chris Carmody, represented both Orange County and the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association – something that should sound familiar to area residents opposed to the bulk fuel terminal planned for Ormond Beach – as GrayRobinson represents Belvedere Terminals in their lawsuit against Volusia County, while simultaneously representing the Volusia Growth Management Commission… 

According to an excellent commentary by the Orlando Sentinel’s intrepid Scott Maxwell:

“There’s one more text you should know about. Three days after Stewart filed the legislation drafted by a GrayRobinson lobbyist, another GrayRobinson lobbyist let Stewart know he had some money for her PAC. “I’ve got a check for you,” GrayRobinson lawyer and lobbyist Robert Stuart Jr. texted Stewart on Jan. 8. “Are you around for a quick handoff?”

Could this stuff sound any more mafioso? I mean, why are lobbyists hand-delivering checks unless it’s to also deliver a message? Remember who took care of you.

Stewart and Carmody say everything they did was on the up and up — which suggests they may be directionally challenged.

Stewart has long preached the value of local control. Yet she says she filed this bill meant to override local control — and require a super-majority vote by county commissioners to trim Visit Orlando’s $100 million-a-year budget — because she genuinely believes Visit Orlando provides a valuable service to the community and economy.”

While both Stewart and Carmody deny any wrongdoing (Carmody claims he wasn’t working in his capacity as a lobbyist – just helping a “longtime friend”) the implications resulted in Orange County Mayor Jerry Demmings abruptly terminating the county’s relationship with GrayRobinson. 

In an article by Stephen Hudak that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday:

“Clearly, Mr. Carmody created a conflict of interest when he advised a State Senator about a matter contrary to the best interest of Orange County Government,” Demings said in a letter Thursday to Dean Cannon, CEO and president of GrayRobinson. “As a result, the County has lost confidence in his ability to objectively represent the County.”

Good on Mayor Demmings.

In my view, this represents one more gut punch for longsuffering citizens who are slowly becoming acclimatized to a dark and cloistered campaign finance environment where “quid pro quo” should be inscribed on the Great Seal of the State of Florida…    

Imagine a Florida where concerned citizens, whistleblowers, and others with circumstantial evidence of official misconduct are prohibited by law from referring a good faith complaint to the Commission on Ethics for review? 

Consider the ramifications of a “Sunshine State” where sitting elected despots crush free expression and legitimate criticism, use legislation to limit a journalist’s use of anonymous sources, and weaponize the courts to allow elected officials to file crippling lawsuits against reporters, editorialists, and the average citizen who complains on social media, further eroding First Amendment protections?

Pay attention, folks.   

That grim reality is closer than you might think this legislative session…

And Another Thing!

As the dust settles from the Volusia County Council’s recent vote to deny a short moratorium that would have allowed time to reassess the I-2 heavy industrial zoning classification – a move that paved the way for Belvedere Terminals to move forward with plans for a controversial 13-million-gallon bulk fuel terminal on Hull Road in Ormond Beach – weary residents are left with the queasy feeling their elected “representatives” took the path of least resistance – and sold them out in the process.

The vast majority of those I speak with remain in shock, shaking their heads in utter frustration that their fervent pleas were ignored by haughty elected and appointed public officials they had every right to assume had their best interests at heart. 

In the aftermath of any hard-fought civic loss – from environmental protections to beach driving and access – times when spirited grassroots activists put their busy lives on hold and fight threats to their safety, livelihoods, and quality of life – there is a period of confusion and self-reflection that leads to questions like, “How could anyone in a politically accountable position of power refuse to protect their constituents from a clear and present danger?”

“Why is it so difficult for sitting officials to listen to the concerns of those who pay the bills?” 

“What could we have done differently to change the outcome?”  

Ultimately, the question becomes, “How can we ensure this never happens again?”

As disappointment turns to anger, those who feel they have been ignored begin studying the mechanics of changing our leadership – hoping that by replacing the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker on the dais of power, We, The Little People will finally have a voice at the table, never realizing that – like an iceberg – the problems run fathoms deeper that those wooden figureheads at the surface who play their carefully choreographed roles twice a month, acting out scenes directed by “staff,” and condescendingly staring down at their ‘subjects’ like monarchical gargoyles…    

In my experience, most public policy comes about despite our elected officials on the Volusia County Council – not because of them. 

Real power moves in the increasingly cloistered Halls of Power at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building among senior staff – incredibly well compensated pencil pushers who oversee essential services, establish the agenda, and control the narrative with little external oversight and virtually no accountability. 

When you add to that the “subliminal” influence exerted by those extremely wealthy insiders who purchase a very lucrative chip in the game with massive campaign contributions each election cycle – money that pays for scripted television advertisements and thousands of those “glossy mailers” for hand-select candidates – efforts strategically choreographed by partisan powerbrokers who play on the apathy of disengaged voters, you begin to see how Volusia’s entrenched political system works, and how very little control average citizens have on those policies and decisions that control our lives and livelihoods.   

In my view, there is something else at play that I think We, The Little People tend to overlook. 

I’ve come to the uncomfortable conclusion that a key factor we fail to consider is the effect of old-fashioned stupidity on some who hold high office.  

Institutionalized dumbness fed by egotism and a false sense of infallibility.   

In his seminal work, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer espoused a theory that stupidity is more dangerous than evil, or as one sage philosopher explained it, “More harm is done by one powerful idiot than a gang of Machiavellian schemers,” and, more ominously:

“Against stupidity we are defenseless.”   

From personal observation, I have long agreed with Bonhoeffer’s theory that many who ascend to powerful positions are quickly taken into “the system” – made to feel part of the established power structure (although they aren’t) – and even critical thinkers who once railed against the inefficiencies and madness of the bureaucracy succumb to the fawning of sycophantic appointed administrators, enamored by the trappings of office, rubbing shoulders with the “rich and powerful,” consumed by the perception of perfection that comes with power, and ultimately “deprived of their inner-independence.”  

That dynamic allows our elected officials to become easily influenced and controlled by senior staff – who are wholly dependent on the proliferation of the bureaucracy – and protect their positions by controlling the flow of information in the insular halls of power.   

They alone become the recognized “experts” on any matter of public concern – while citizen activists are marginalized as a vocal annoyance.      

In time, those we elect to high office become everything they hated when they entered politics – and the bureaucratic machine hums along, greased by an endless supply of our tax dollars…  

Sound familiar? 

Pastor Bonhoeffer’s story does not have a happy conclusion.  

Tyranny never does.

As a staunch anti-Nazi, well-known for his active resistance against Hitler’s dictatorial persecution, Bonhoeffer was officially forbidden to speak, print, or publish his thoughts, and required to report his activities to officious martinets before ultimately being imprisoned in January 1943. 

Three months later, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by hanging at Flossenbürg concentration camp…   

Although we may be defenseless against the pernicious influence of stupidity – I believe an informed and engaged electorate remains our best hope of bringing true servant-leaders to high office – rather than those who succumb to the false sense of aloof superiority that results in this disconnect that allows entrenched problems, suspicions, and speculation to fester.  

Look, I no longer “endorse” candidates in this space.  Who am I to tell you for whom to cast your sacred vote?    

I merely ask that citizens identify candidates who support the issues important to them – then vote their conscience. 

It’s important. 

I hope that those who feel ostracized and ignored by our ‘powers that be’ will consider a run for public office – never forgetting how this disappointment felt – or the importance of a receptive government of the people, by the people and for the people.   

That’s all for me.  Have a great Daytona 500 weekend, y’all!

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:

Asshole           Volusia County Council

This week, Volusia County residents concerned about the perilous consequences of a proposed bulk fuel farm in Ormond Beach learned a disturbing truth about how things work in the cloistered Halls of Power in DeLand – and saw their cherished belief that government works in the public interest shattered in a shocking moment of clarity. 

On Tuesday, in a 5-2 vote, the Volusia County Council did the unthinkable in rejecting a nine-month moratorium on heavy industrial development that would have allowed time for a review of the I-2 zoning classification – a move that now paves the way for Belvedere Terminals to move forward with permitting to construct a 13-million-gallon bulk fuel storage facility in the most inappropriate location on the Eastern Seaboard. 

To their immense credit, Chairman Jeff Brower and District 4 Councilman Troy Kent stood firm and voted to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for Ormond Beach residents. 

In the view of many, this abject act of cowardice by senior administrators and elected officials is the culmination of a shambolic and ham-handed county response to this clear and present threat to public safety – one that has galvanized a frightened community – and exposed the depths of confusion, obfuscation, and dysfunction in County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald’s administration. 

During the hearing, nearly forty residents approached the dais, the majority imploring our elected dullards to pass the moratorium – a move that would have continued a temporary hold on Belvedere’s development application – while heavy industrial zoning is modernized in the face of explosive development countywide that will invariably result in more inappropriate (and dangerous) interfaces between conflicting classifications. 

In my view, that’s just one of the many problems inherent to Volusia County’s greed-crazed “growth mismanagement” strategy of shoving ten-pounds of shit in a five-pound bag…

One speaker tried to paint the proposed fuel terminal as a NIMBY issue.  It isn’t.

With the pending expansion of the massive Ormond Crossings development – and the proposed facility’s proximity to established neighborhoods, the city’s sports complex, and a busy municipal airport – many believe it represents a grave public safety hazard – and a 24/7 nuisance as both rail and heavy truck traffic adversely impact area residents.

As their constituents demanded action, our gutless wonders on the dais of power in DeLand continued to press for the City of Ormond Beach to annex the property, even stooping to blaming citizen activists for using “tactics” that “poisoned” the effort (?) – another desperate attempt to pass the buck and abdicate their jurisdictional responsibility for this debacle – ignoring the pleas of city officials, environmentalists, business owners, the 600 members of the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, and scores of residents until the bitter end.   

Prior to the vote, Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington called the moratorium of “profound importance for the future wellbeing of Ormond Beach and its residents.”

“The push for a moratorium is not about halting one project, but about taking a necessary pause to reassess and modernize the zoning of development plans.  This reevaluation is crucial to ensure that our growth aligns with the current and future needs of the county and Ormond Beach,” he said. 

Mr. Partington’s pleas, like those of his crestfallen constituents, were ignored… 

Instead, in a move clearly choreographed out of the public eye, the majority of the Volusia County Council took the path of least resistance – kowtowing to Belvedere Terminals/Grupo Mexico and retreating to the safety of the status quo – now requiring that county “planning” officials process the development application – a mere bureaucratic formality that everyone knows is skewed toward advancing development. 

Don’t take my word for it – wait till in rains and look around – then form your own opinion on the validity of Volusia County’s development review protocols…

At the end of the day, the vote to remove any impediment to the fuel farm beyond a typical “shoot-it-through-the-grease” site plan review was viewed as a “sucker punch” by disheartened residents – many of whom took to social media to express their disbelief at being sold out by those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest. 

Look, I understand that queasy feeling of betrayal that comes when the veil of ignorance is lifted and the true face of Volusia County’s self-serving bureaucracy is revealed.  It’s one of the reasons I vent my jaundiced spleen in this space each week… 

In an article by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, several grassroots activists concerned about the future of their community (and their children’s safety) put words to that profound sense of disloyalty and disappointment:

“Ormond Beach resident Robin Magleora was in tears after the council voted the moratorium down.

“We’ve been battling this for six months and we’ve had loud voices,” she said. “… Today, our elected officials, the people that we elected into office to protect us, to do what’s right by the citizens of Volusia County, they didn’t do that. Instead, they chose the side of a company.”

Ormond Beach resident Fran Canfield, president of the Bear Creek homeowner’s association, said the council’s vote was a “sucker punch.”

“We didn’t expect this,” Canfield said. “We expected our elected officials to stand by us and their mission statement to the constituents of Volusia County to protect our health and our safety and our lifestyle.”

Unfortunately, from the moment resident’s saw the stunning revelation in The Daytona Beach News-Journal that Belvedere Terminals was planning to put millions-of-gallons of hazardous fuels on Hull Road – Volusia County immediately circled the wagons, questioned the motivations of citizen activists, couched it as a “property rights” issue (Belvedere’s rights, not yours), shifting blame to ensure that the ineptitude and inattention of senior administrators would never become the focus.

And it never hurts for Volusia’s “Old Guard” to publicly hand Chairman Brower a high-profile and painful loss to teach him a lesson on the consequences of independent thought – or daring to depart from the script carefully crafted by senior staff – especially during an election year… 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, folks – but it really is that petty and vindictive.  

If there is a positive outcome, it is that Volusia County residents are slowly awakening to the fact that corporate interests will always prevail over the safety, security, and quality of life of residents in this era of Cover Your Ass politics, where any irresponsible decision, malfeasance, or error in judgement in the Halls of Power can be cleaned, polished, and molded into something different. 

There are a lot of things wrong with Volusia County government, but our ability to conduct free, fair, and trustworthy elections isn’t one of them.

The essential right of free citizens is the ability to change our leadership, make choices on public policies that effect our lives, defend against limitations on our God-given rights, and express our collective will from the sovereignty of the ballot box.

My hope is that this travesty and others will be remembered – and serve as the catalyst for concerned residents to develop and support quality candidates for elective office in city, county, and state elections – true servant/leaders that will demand accountability from entrenched bureaucrats more concerned about consolidating power and acquiescing to the wants and whims of special interests than protecting our dwindling quality of life. 

Angel               Derek LaMontagne, Bryon White, Sweetwater Coalition of Volusia County, and Bear Warriors United Inc.

In October 2023, a small group of intrepid environmentalists and concerned residents – armed with the facts – successfully defended the sensitive Spruce Creek watershed from the threat of a proposed interchange at I-95 and Pioneer Trail by challenging a controversial stormwater permit issued by the oxymoronic St. Johns River Water Management District. 

To say it was a ‘David & Goliath’ tale is an understatement… 

According to an outstanding exposé by reporter Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“Port Orange environmentalist Derek LaMontagne is a scientist, not a lawyer.

But for five days last October, he was forced to play one before a judge in a Tallahassee hearing room, where he argued a state agency should not have granted a stormwater permit for a controversial Interstate 95 interchange because it would damage an already impaired Spruce Creek.

And the table across from him was crowded with eight attorneys − eight − representing the Florida Department of Transportation and St. Johns River Water Management District, which oversees environmental permitting from northeast Florida down the Atlantic coast to Indian River County.

LaMontagne found himself in this predicament after the law firm he and his coalition hired, Guilday Law, P.A., resigned from the case citing “fundamental disagreements” with its clients just a few weeks before the hearing was originally scheduled in late August.”

Despite all odds, LaMontagne and his witnesses – which included biologist and Stetson University Professor Wendy Anderson, Professor Hyun Jung Cho of Bethune-Cookman University, and Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower – presented a commonsense argument challenging the public benefit of the stormwater permit. 

During the hearing LaMontagne and his witnesses exposed the SJRWMD engineers who made the ridiculous claim that the project would “…reduce phosphorus, nitrogen and other harmful elements being diverted to Spruce Creek” – an environmentally sensitive ecosystem which has been designated an Outstanding Florida Water – a waterway which requires special protections because of its exceptional natural attributes.

According to the report, Professor Anderson said, “Intuitively, you’re like, ‘How could this be possible?’ and of course, it’s not,” Anderson said. “I went back and found their worksheets … checked their math … they’ve made some wild assumptions here about how they’re setting the parameters of this model and maybe there’s some standard in how they’re choosing that, but it wasn’t based in science. It was based on wishful thinking.”

My God.

Last month Administrative Law Judge E. Gary Early rightfully ruled that the SJRWMD’s stormwater permit should be revoked after determining its issuance was “not in the public interest.”  According to the report, the SJRWMD has until next week to revoke the permit, file an exception, or lodge a written objection. 

What do you think the SJRWMD will do? 

In my view, based on Dr. Anderson’s expert testimony, the Florida Inspector General and Department of Environmental Protection should undertake an immediate criminal investigation into the manner and means by which FDOT “engineers” sidestep scientific determinations, play fast and loose with the facts, and apparently pencil whip environmental studies to show that directing stormwater from a massive interchange built directly over a sensitive waterway would somehow reduce pollutants flowing into the ecosystem…   

As expected, these stark revelations and Judge Early’s decision did not sit well with some enormously powerful insiders – to include our High Panjandrum of Political Power Mori Hosseini, owner of ICI Homes and developer of the massive Woodhaven project, which would be served by the Pioneer Trail interchange – who many speculate influenced Gov. Ron DeSantis to earmark some $92 million in Covid-era American Rescue Plan funds for the project.

This week, Boss Hosseini bristled at the very notion of undue influence in the News-Journal:

“If they think we have so much influence, why has it taken 20 to 30 years for this interchange to be built? That’s lousy influence if it takes that long,” he said.

Hosseini insisted the interchange won’t make any difference to the success of Woodhaven. 

Then, Mr. Hosseini followed with an ominous warning – one that should serve as a grim epitaph for what remains of Florida’s natural places:

“No one can stop it. It’s on its way. We are building homes. People are moving in. Kids are playing outside,” he said.”

Wow.

Fortunately, like the Belvedere Terminals debacle has proven, it appears the increasingly angry silent majority is becoming aware of the erosion of our democratic system of governance by the pernicious influence of special interests and its catastrophic impact on Florida’s sensitive environment. 

Last week in a Letter to the Editor of The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Flagler Beach resident Brynn Newton wrote:

“It was heartening news to read that a judge has recognized that the proponents of a new I-95 interchange at Pioneer Trail have not shown that it is “in the public interest” to endanger the Outstanding Florida Waters of Spruce Creek for the paving project’s sake. 

The News-Journal’s report also noted that “The state appeared to be fast-tracking the project by funding it with $92 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds last year.” 

Unfortunately, it seems there is no forum where the public can receive a hearing on whether it is “in the public interest” to take money that was allocated for the purpose of relieving communities from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic – and re-appropriate it to subsidize yet more development in Florida’s sensitive environment.”   

Well said.

It’s true – most believe government should work in the interests of those who struggle under the yoke of excessive taxes and fees, participate in what remains of our democratic processes, and elect representatives who promise that a modicum of our tax dollars will return to the community, assure that essential services will be provided efficiently, declare that our environment will be protected, and pledge that the administration will be accessible and responsive to our needs.

In my view, it is time we held those who violate that trust politically accountable for forgetting who they serve.      

Asshole           Palm Coast Mayor/Realtor David Alfin  

As massive sprawl blankets the region, one of the hardest lessons existing residents of Volusia and Flagler County are learning is that growth doesn’t pay for itself. 

In fact, experts are warning that many transportation and utilities projects remain unfunded and years away as the bulldozers continue to roar on new development – and it is increasingly evident that, while transportation-oriented political insulation committees nervously shuffle their feet – our ‘powers that be’ do not have a comprehensive infrastructure plan, money to pay for it, or a clue where to start…

Guess what that means?

Citing distrust in local government – fueled by the revelation that a publicly funded impact fee study was intentionally kept from public view – in 2019, Volusia County voters roundly rejected a half-cent sales tax money grab that we were told would allow the same dullards who got us into this mess millions of dollars more to somehow get us out of the very quagmire they helped create.

There was a well-choreographed sales pitch supported by all the right last names, a cockamamie special referendum, and a full-court-press by Volusia County’s “Rich & Powerful” to separate already strapped residents from more of their hard-earned money, even as we watched astronomical pay raises heaped on senior bureaucrats, preventive maintenance withheld from public assets in a “rot and replace” strategy, and an unwillingness to put reasonable restraints on malignant sprawl.   

Now, it looks like the City of Palm Coast is taking a novel approach to the problem of getting others to underwrite the impact of new development… 

Recently, Palm Coast Mayor/Realtor David Alfin, with the assistance of City Manager Denise Bevan and Chief of Staff (whatever that is) Jason DeLorenzo travelled to Tallahassee to grub money directly from state coffers to fund “infrastructure projects “above and beyond” what the city could afford to do on its own.”

Say what? 

According to an article in FlaglerLive!, Mayor/Realtor Alfin is seeking “somewhere in the neighborhood of a third of a billion dollars” in state funds to facilitate even more growth, despite calls for caution from worried residents (who Alfin calls the “loudmouth minority”) already feeling the squeeze – and the flooding…   

During his “State of the City” address last week (which just happened to coincide with his reelection announcement) Mayor/Realtor Alfin touched on the “unpleasantness” existing residents can expect as the City of Palm Coast plays catchup:

“We (why do politicians always preface bad news with “we” and progress with “I”?) understand that hearing about possible increases in utility rates can be unpleasant. But please know that these decisions are not made randomly.  They’re part of a plan to ensure our utility services remain exceptional both now and in the future.  When we think of critical services, we know that Palm Coast truly needs clean, safe water. We care about your opinions and appreciate your collaboration as we work to map out a resilient future for Palm Coast.”

(Translation: “Bend over Palm Coast taxpayers – here it comes again…”)  

Apparently, Alfin’s “Plan” is to put the arm on Florida residents for the astronomical cost of improving Palm Coast’s woefully inadequate infrastructure before already overburdened villagers descend on City Hall with pitchforks…

I wonder how residents in other areas of the Sunshine State experiencing explosive growth during this orgy of greed feel about their state tax dollars going to fund municipal infrastructure projects in rapidly expanding Palm Coast?  

As Speaker of the House Paul Renner of Palm Coast begins his final year at the helm, I suppose it’s only natural for Mayor/Realtor Alfin and company to loot as many state resources as possible, eh? 

Afterall, that is the nature of Florida politics.

On Monday, (while you were at work) the City of Palm Coast held “…an orientation session focused on the strategic action planning process,” facilitated by one of those “have briefcase, will travel” experts with a PhD and a nice shoeshine, to help elected and appointed officials develop a “blueprint for progress.”   

Although the meeting was open to the public, I found it interesting that there was no time on the agenda for public input on this important process…   

Oh, well. 

So much for all that, “We care about your opinions and appreciate your collaboration” horseshit…   

Perhaps it is time residents of Palm Coast (and elsewhere on the “Fun Coast”) demand that those they elect open their eyes to the fact there are natural limiters to growth – and one is a community’s ability to fund necessary infrastructure upgrades and provide schools, hospitals, public safety, water, and other essential services required to support additional development before it occurs.    

Angel               Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young

I believe there truly are angels among us – those intrepid souls who answer a call to serve and dedicate themselves to protecting and enhancing the lives of others.   

In my view, no one better personifies that dedication and professionalism than Daytona Beach Chief of Police Jakari Young. 

Last week, the Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce honored Chief Young with the J. Hyatt Brown Enterprise Award at their annual banquet in recognition of his outstanding community service and contributions to the law enforcement profession. 

Well done!

To their credit, the Chamber recognized that there are few positions more important to the day-to-day life of a community.  The police officers under Chief Young’s mentorship hold the dual role of law enforcement and public service – protecting, serving, and safeguarding while bringing those responsible for victimizing others to justice. 

As the most visible arm of local government, how a city’s police department is perceived by those it serves is important to civic harmony and economic progress.

In my view, during his tenure, Chief Young has met unfathomable challenges with great poise, grace, and professionalism – serving as a beacon of strength for his department and community during some tough times – and his forward-thinking strategies are paying dividends for Daytona Beach residents and businesses, as the character and reputation of the Halifax area is positively impacted by his efforts.

From my vantagepoint, Chief Young possesses a strategic mind and sharp intellect, with skills honed by a wealth of practical leadership experience, and he embodies the strength of character and quiet professionalism that instills confidence in those around him. 

In fact, I can think of no one more deserving of this important recognition. 

Congratulations to my friend and former colleague Chief Jakari Young and the outstanding men and women of the Daytona Beach Police Department! 

Thank you, Chief.  You make us proud!

Quote of the Week

“Volusia County residents and stakeholders are invited to join area elected officials and other dignitaries on Valentine’s Day for an update on the progress made in 2023 and a glimpse of what’s on the horizon in 2024 at the annual State of the County Luncheon.

The event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at The Center at Deltona, 1640 Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., Deltona. Graciously supported by community sponsors, the yearly luncheon offers attendees an opportunity to celebrate the substantial achievements that significantly enhanced the quality of life in our community and learn about upcoming initiatives in Volusia County.

The address will include an annual report by Volusia County Council Chairman Jeff Brower detailing the County’s activities, goals, and future initiatives, musical accompaniment by the Navy Band, and a Valentine’s Day lunch provided by Deltona’s own Cocky Rooster Café.”

–Volusia County, “Shaping Volusia’s Future Together,” State of the County 2024

How Swellegant!

Next Wednesday, as Volusia County families go about their busy day – raising children, going off to school, hustling to earn a dollar, running errands amidst the hustle-and-bustle-and-gridlock of our increasingly crowded daily life (in a place where some 42% of those households will struggle to meet basic living expenses – while others will fight hunger and homelessness, living at or below the federal poverty level) our haughty ‘powers that be’ will gather in their finery to pat themselves on the back for all they did with our money last year…    

Yep.  While you rubes are toiling away, eking out your $15 an hour at (insert the latest industrial warehouse/logistics center you and I gifted “government incentives” to attract), our “movers & shakers” – what passes for “dignitaries,” elected officials, entrenched bureaucrats, and those High Panjandrums whose money greases the grimy wheels of Volusia County’s political machine – will nosh on a “free” catered lunch in Wild West Volusia at The Center at Deltona for the State of the County 2024.

Don’t worry, the whole overchoreographed shebang is “donated” by government contractors trying desperately to keep their lucrative spot in the suckling order at the public teat… 

Whatever.

Oh, never mind me.    

It’s the height of the “Gala Season” here on the “Fun Coast” – a time when those entities who rely on public funds for their very existence waste donor money throwing extravagant soirees in a contradictory ploy to attract donations (?) – and nobody needs Barker the Bitcher casting a pall on the elegant festivities.

Especially during an election year.

Screw it.

Let them eat cake…   

And Another Thing!

Each election season I become surlier, more sullen (I know) – rolling my battered psyche into an armored ball like some primitive woodlouse, instinctively hardening my soul against the bone crushing disappointment I know is coming – an instinctive response to the fact that, when it comes to the fetid swamp of Volusia County politics, some things never change…    

Year after year, like some clueless yokel stumbling wide-eyed down a carnival midway, each election cycle I get my hopes up despite the inevitable letdown I know is coming.  

Look, I smugly consider myself an “informed voter.”

I listen attentively to the political theories of smart friends, the informed whispers of insiders, and study the disinterested shrugs of the guy on the barstool next to me – contemplating the various thoughts and opinions of my neighbors – winnowing the wheat from the chaff and clutter of the early campaign season. 

It’s important to me. 

Not because I’m a morbidly addicted political junkie (although I am) – or some pretentious asshole who thinks he has all the answers (I’m that too) – but because the difference between winning and losing is four more years of the same.

By all accounts, “Car Guy” Randy Dye – the well-respected owner of Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and Maserati Alfa Romeo of Daytona – is an incredibly successful businessman with the world by the ass and an admirable history of philanthropy and volunteer service on various civic boards (including his association with that mysterious camera stellata over at the CEO Business Alliance, but I’m not holding that against him…)

In my jaded view, he’s the last guy one would expect to get involved in the no-holds-barred shitshow of Volusia County politics. 

I suppose that’s why his interest in holding himself out for the mudslinging and character butchery that passes for a modern political campaign intrigued me; and when I first heard Mr. Dye was considering a run for Volusia County Council Chair, I promised to keep an open mind.

It is apparent that those who work the rods and strings of Volusia County politics – our stodgy “Old Guard” – see value in Mr. Dye as an answer the ongoing “impediment” of having six round pegs sitting neatly in the round holes of conformity – guarding the ramparts of the status quo – while working around that one recalcitrant square peg, Chair Jeff Brower, who refuses to be beaten into submission.    

I find Chairman Brower’s resistance to the age-old practice of “getting along and going along” admirable. 

Although I must admit, Brower’s brutalization at the hands of his “colleagues” is painful to watch… 

As a result, and for reasons not entirely his fault, Brower’s term has been depressingly ineffectual – and, as this week’s moratorium vote proved, his presence is a mere inconvenience for those who pay to play and expect a return on their investment from the bought-and-paid for chattel who form the current majority on the dais of power.

That’s infernally frustrating to many Volusia County residents. 

And it should be. 

Look, I like Chairman Brower, he’s a nice guy.  I believe that – despite the mistakes and political missteps – he means well – but even his staunchest supporters admit things haven’t looked promising for him in early wagering…

So, playing devil’s advocate, I asked myself if Mr. Dye – a smart guy with the personal wherewithal to remain independent of “The Machine” – could serve an independent voice for all citizens of Volusia County?

You know, someone willing to give back to those who have given him so much – a “statesman” with the charisma, interpersonal skills, and political influence to think for himself and remain above the fray – to recognize the outsized influence of Volusia’s exalted “King Makers” and self-serving senior administrators for what it is – find middle-of-the-road consensus, unite the various camps, and bring a sense of collegiality and commonsense to the dais of power in DeLand?   

Then I opened The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week and got whacked across the eyes with what I knew in the pit of my queasy gut was coming all along:

“Randy Dye raises $235K in county chair race; Hosseinis and their firms among top donors.”

Damn…

In an excerpt from the informative article by reporter Sheldon Gardner, my naïve question was grimly answered:

“Some of the top contributors to Dye’s campaign include Mori Hosseini’s associated businesses, family members and a trust. Those contributions total at least $20,000.

Hyatt and Cici Brown, Brown & Brown of Florida and other businesses associated with the Browns donated at least $8,000. J. Hyatt Brown is the chairman of Brown & Brown Insurance. Some leaders of Brown and Brown Insurance also donated to Dye’s campaign.

Tim Phillips, president and CEO of P&S Paving in Daytona Beach, a family member and associated businesses donated at least $5,500.

At least $5,000 came from Blue Ox Enterprises in Sanford and associated businesses or businesses associated with leaders of the firm. Blue Ox Enterprises is involved in residential and commercial site development.”

By contrast, as of last month, Chairman Brower had raised an insignificant $14,560, with his closest challenger, Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, reporting a paltry $21,412. 

Yeah.  I know…

As a reminder to my fellow disheartened rubes who feel duped – those Volusia County residents who are losing hope of ever changing the dismal tide of money and the outsized influence on public policy it purchases – it is not unheard of for We, The Little People to collectively rise and tell those uber-wealthy insiders that there is some shit we won’t eat.

It’s happened before.    

For instance, when Mr. Brower rode a wave of grassroots support to victory in 2020, he had amassed less than half of former Councilwoman Deb Denys’ then unheard of $244,641 war chest. 

With Randy Dye now firmly entrenched as the new “Darling of the Donor Class,” it looks like that dubious record is about to fall… 

Welp.  There you have it, folks. 

Bidness’ as usual here on the “Fun Coast.” 

Stay tuned – and keep the faith.  This one’s going to get interesting…

That’s all for me.  Have a great weekend, and Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!

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               God’s Faithful Servant Donnie Brock

This week my friend and legendary former law enforcement colleague, the great Donnie Brock, was promoted to glory following a lifetime of service to others. 

The consummate public servant – Donnie was one of the finest law enforcement officers I have ever known, with an incredible depth of skill and experience that ranged from serving as the youngest Chief of Police in the United States to his outstanding post-retirement return to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

In 1974, at the age of 19, Donnie was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Bunnell and formally recognized as the “Youngest Police Chief in America.” 

Before his retirement in 2018, Donnie served honorably with the Bunnell Police Department, Flagler Beach Police Department, and Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.  But it was his 26-years of remarkable service with the Ormond Beach Police Department that cemented his legacy – a talented professional who dedicated his life in service to others and a true gentleman whose good-nature and inherent kindness endeared Donnie to everyone he met.

Anyone who had the honor of serving with Donnie will agree, few law enforcement officers have so purely embodied the best virtues of our beloved profession.    

Earlier this month, Donnie recounted his extraordinary 45-year career in a magazine article with Police1. 

Please find it here: http://tinyurl.com/3rnyfhw4

What I admired most was Donnie’s great faith in God and deep devotion to his family and wife Melissa – who stood firmly at his side, lovingly supporting and encouraging him throughout the family’s courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.  

As he was called to do at an early age, Donnie’s extraordinary life of service exemplified dedication to a cause greater than one’s self-interests, commitment to the finest traditions of the police service, bravery in the face of danger and mortality, and, ultimately, the promise of resurrection to life everlasting for one of God’s most devoted servants.      

Calling hours will be this evening at the First Baptist Church of Bunnell, 2301 Commerce Parkway, from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. 

Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 3, at the First Baptist Church of Bunnell beginning at 11:00am, with interment to follow at Espanola Cemetery.

Godspeed, my friend…  Well done. 

Asshole           Volusia County Attorney Michael “Rip Van Winkle” Dyer

This week saw a pair of minor victories on both sides of the fight in the battle between Belvedere Terminals and Volusia County, when Circuit Judge Dennis Craig refused to force Volusia County to process a site plan application for Belvedere’s proposed bulk fuel distribution facility near Ormond Beach.

Belvedere Terminals filed the request ahead of next week’s vote by the Volusia County Council for a moratorium on heavy industrial development.   

In turn, Judge Craig also denied Volusia County’s motion to disqualify the mega-firm GrayRobinson from representing Belvedere in their ongoing lawsuit against Volusia County.  The county attorney’s office had claimed a possible conflict of interest as the firm also represents the Volusia County Growth Management Commission…

Of course, County Attorney Mike Dyer was beating his chest in the News-Journal the next day in an article by Sheldon Gardner:

“We believe the county’s position was vindicated,” said County Attorney Michael Dyer outside of the courtroom following the ruling. “Essentially what Belvedere was asking for was for us to process the site plan, which is the very thing they sued us for. And we believe we should have the opportunity to have a trial on that issue.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Dyer knows better than most this was merely an early salvo in a what will be a long (and expensive) legal battle… 

In my view, the true heroes were the throngs of concerned citizens who packed the courtroom, a crowd that required overflow seating – along with those intrepid environmentalists and civic activists who took the fight to Tallahassee this week.     

It’s how we arrived at Tuesday’s hearing that concerns me. 

In my view, if the on-going saga that is the Belvedere debacle has done anything, it has exposed the abject ignorance of senior Volusia County officials who, once again, were caught asleep at the switch. 

In August 2023, residents were shocked to learn of the plan to place a bulk fuel terminal as part of a hub-and-spur distribution network that will see dangerous petroleum products delivered by rail, stored in massive above ground tanks, and distributed by a steady 24/7 stream of tanker trucks on two-lane Hull Road near the city’s airport, a children’s dance studio, and a sports complex.

Except, they didn’t hear about it from their elected representatives.  They read about it in a bombshell report by The Daytona Beach News-Journal (which is where many of our elected officials claim to have first heard about the plan as well…). 

Then, disbelief turned to seething anger when frightened citizens learned that county officials were unable to appeal a Florida Department of Environmental Protection air construction permit issued to Belvedere Terminals because the county lacked legal standing.

It seems Volusia County’s highly compensated legal and planning apparatus failed to notice the required “Public Notice of Intent to Issue Air Permit” as published in the Hometown News.  In fact, an Assistant County Attorney sheepishly confessed the oversight during a public meeting, admitting that “Volusia County does not monitor the notices of other government agencies…”

Say what?

During subsequent public comment, a parade of angry residents approached their elected “representatives” to let them know:

“As leaders, you should know what’s happening, when it’s happening!”

“We’re sick of excuses!  You need to listen to your constituents!”

“Shame on you for not doing your job!”

Anyone paying attention knows how this horrific situation has crumbled from there…

That’s why my phone lit up like a Christmas tree last week when sharp civic activists learned that Belvedere Terminals is represented by the mega-firm GrayRobinson in their pending lawsuit against Volusia County.  The firm, who bill themselves as “Attorneys. Advisors. Consultants.” – with offices and various divisions throughout Florida (and a lobbying arm in Washington D.C.) – deftly straddles both the public and private sectors.

The rub came when alert citizens discovered that, for decades, GrayRobinson has also represented the oxymoronic Volusia Growth Management Commission – a group required by County Charter whose purpose is to “…provide an effective means for coordinating the (comprehensive) plans of municipalities and the county, in order to provide a forum for the several local governments in the county to cooperate with each other in coordinating the provision of public services to and improvements for the citizens of the county…” 

(Sorry.  As a claustrophobic Halifax area resident, I just upchucked in my mouth a little.)

Look, I’m certainly not a lawyer – but suing the same government that funds an entity you receive legal fees from seems like a textbook example of a conflict of interest. 

Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower thought so too…

In turn, Chairman Brower demanded an explanation from County Attorney Mike “Rip Van Winkle” Dyer – asking if the Growth Management Commission’s relationship with GrayRobinson constitutes a conflict considering the firm’s simultaneous representation of Belvedere Terminals?  

According to an informative piece in the News-Journal by reporter Sheldon Gardner, we learned:

“The Florida Bar allows a lawyer to represent opposing clients if the lawyer believes that he or she will “provide competent and diligent representation,” and that the issue won’t limit service to either client. The attorney also needs to let both parties know and get consent.

GrayRobinson attorney Heather Ramos, who represents the Growth Management Commission, said recently that it is a separate legal entity and there is no conflict of interest.

The commission “has a board of representatives appointed by each municipality in the county, and other representatives appointed by the county,” she said via email. “It reviews and certifies comprehensive plan amendments.”

So, late last week, our lethargic county attorney filed a motion to “disqualify GrayRobinson from representing Belvedere Terminals in a dispute over a proposed fuel distribution facility, alleging a possible conflict of interest.”

According to the report, although Volusia County is not represented by GrayRobinson – should the county submit Comprehensive Plan changes to the VCGMC during its review of the heavy industrial zoning classification – a conflict could occur. 

“The County is entitled to unbiased consideration of its submissions to the VGMC. But GrayRobinson now represents a private client ― Belvedere ― that seeks to aggressively undermine the county’s authority to review and amend its land development regulations, thereby preventing the very changes the county may seek,” according to the motion.”

Unfortunately, that motion didn’t hold much sway with Judge Craig earlier this week – but that’s not the point: 

How is it possible Mr. Dyer and County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald – the two most monstrously overpaid hacks in all the realm, who command a combined fortune in salary and benefits worth over a half-million-dollars a year – did not know that GrayRobinson represents the Volusia County Growth Management Commission? 

Why did it take concerned citizens to ferret out the common link between Belvedere Terminals and the VCGMC?

And what would have happened to Volusia County’s interest in preventing the terminal had residents not brought the matter to the attention of Chairman Brower? 

Per usual, there are more questions than answers when one ventures down the dark rabbit warren that is Volusia County’s cloistered and shadowy Halls of Power, where the operative ethic is to keep our sluggardly elected officials in effective darkness and ensure that the right hand never knows what the left hand is doing – or why…    

Socrates was right.  “The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance.”

Now, it is incumbent for all Volusia County residents to remain vigilant – to ask questions, research the issues, sound the klaxon on matters of civic concern, and become your own advocate in the absence of effective leadership and representation.

Unfortunately, this culture of mediocrity and lockstep conformity to the status quo will continue as long as the voters of Volusia County permit it. 

Vote your conscience. 

Angel               Citizens of Holly Hill, Florida  

It seems 2024 has started with a pox on the Old Barker Place. 

After spending December battling a run-of-the-mill pulmonary infection, this month began with Patti and I fighting a nasty bout of pneumonia.  It ended this week with an unwelcome visit from Covid – rounding out the “Tripledemic Trifecta” – an acute respiratory grand slam!

Yay, us…

Out of sheer boredom, I read this week in some obscure medical journal that the culprit is likely the JN-1 subvariant – a lineage of the Omicron type – described as a highly mutated form of coronavirus that can more easily evade immunity and results in mild to moderate sore throat, nasal congestion, cough, fever, chills, and an odd “brain fog” that has left me more addlepated than normal…          

Fortunately, Patti and I are both on the mend and feeling much better now. 

Even in the depths of my upper-respiratory misery last week, one bright spot emerged during a cordial exchange I had with a Barker’s View reader and Holly Hill resident – a civically active citizen who clearly cares about her community and regularly takes me to task for going easy on the City of Holly Hill for one perceived transgression or another. 

Made me smile. 

As most of you know, I spent the best years of my life serving the wonderful citizens of The City with a Heart. 

That beautiful community on the banks of the Halifax took a chance on me when I was a wet behind the ears kid, gifting me the opportunity to do work worth doing in service to an eclectic – often eccentric – group of residents who were sincerely appreciative of the effort, overlooked my myriad faults, and allowed me a career I could have never dreamed possible. 

I’ve often described the three-plus decades I spent in Holly Hill as an extended Northern Exposure episode – a tightknit community where the endearingly cantankerous “Movers & Shakers” had names like Crazy Eddie, Snake, Yogi, and Big John. 

I loved them all like family – and received the same unconditional acceptance and friendship in return.

So, yeah.  I’m horribly biased.  Guilty as charged…

Last week the community became embroiled in a Tempest in a Teapot when Pictona at Holly Hill – the incredibly successful internationally acclaimed pickleball and wellness complex – asked city officials to reconsider allowing the Holly Hill Historic Preservation Society – a very active group dedicated to the study and conservation of the areas rich history – to take over the former Holly Hill Chamber of Commerce space near the Historic Society’s wonderful museum just across Ridgewood Avenue from City Hall. 

It seems Pictona wants to use the offices as a “welcome center” – a place to help “brand” the city as a “pickleball paradise.”  That idea didn’t sit well with those who believe the Historical Society already serves as a wonderful ambassador for the City of Holly Hill and deserve to stretch out in their current space. 

There was something of a dustup on social media – the elected officials were taken to task – and I became peripherally involved when my regular critic reached out with a demand that I “stand up for the residents” in this fuss and feathers contretemps. 

At the end of the day, I disappointed my reader by refusing to upbraid city officials in this space last week. 

You see, I can’t think of anything more wonderfully “Holly Hill” than this feisty brouhaha between two factions – each passionate about the future of the community they love – and I find it incredibly refreshing to see that level of grassroots civic pride in action. 

I suspect when both sides come to the realization that they each want the chance to present the community they love to visitors and potential entrepreneurs – one from the perspective of its wonderful history and heritage, the other by highlighting its current amenities and future potential – they will find a way to work collegially in everyone’s best interests.  

In my view, that’s a good problem to have. 

At the end of the day, I thought Holly Hill Mayor Chris Via showed leadership when he assured anxious residents on both sides of the issue that the city would work to find common ground – and promised to consider everyone’s input – as the city works to identify the best use for the public space. 

The matter will be brought before the Holly Hill City Commission for discussion in the future. 

While many communities are working (and spending) to create a unique sense of place, it is a positive sign when Holly Hill residents and businesses are committed to ensuring a bright future by putting the city’s best attributes – past and present – front and center as a shining example of the immense pride that sets this unique small town apart. 

In my view, the City of Holly Hill exemplifies what Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Michael Musmanno once said about that all-important civic spirit:

“A city must have a municipal spirit beyond its physical properties, it must be alive with an esprit de corps, its personality must be such that visitors—both business and tourist—are attracted to the city, pleased by it and wish to return to it. That personality must be one to which the population contributes by mass participation in activities identified with that city.” 

Like any established municipality, Holly Hill faces challenges. I’m not blind to that. 

But as this wonderful community approaches its 123rd birthday this year – let’s not forget that my beloved old gal gets a lot right as well.  

Angel               Deltona City Commission

You read that right.

In an extraordinary turn of events, this week saw both the appointment of Troy Shimkus, a proven civic asset and dedicated servant of Deltona, to fill the vacant District 2 commission seat – and the abrupt departure of District 1 Commissioner Tom Burbank – in my view, an unhinged lout who has tried his level best, both on and off the dais, to destroy what remains of the Lost City of Deltona.    

Trust me.  That puts Mr. Burbank on a long and illustrious list of troublemakers and political shit-slingers who have successfully brought this horribly challenged community to its knees…

On Tuesday, in a remarkable (and apparently unchoreographed) 5-1 vote the Deltona City Commission appointed Mr. Shimkus – a 2018 mayoral candidate described as an analytical, fact-based problem solver – to the post vacated by former Commissioner Anita Bradford who resigned earlier this month citing health issues. 

The appointment of Mr. Shimkus was widely hailed by residents as a much-needed departure from the lunacy and dysfunction that has long plagued the largest community by population in Volusia County. 

Of course, Shimkus wasn’t the first choice of Commissioner Burbank – who spent his final frantic days in office firing off weird missives on city letterhead, challenging the limits of Florida’s public records law by telegraphing how he intended to vote on an issue in an internal email to his fellow commissioners, and further undermining the public’s trust in their government.

Why?  Your guess is as good as mine – but scenes from The Caine Mutiny keep coming to mind…

When reporter Mark Harper of The Daytona Beach News-Journal contacted Burbank this week, “He responded to a text message seeking comment with a single line: “The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.”

See what I mean?

The good news is that long-suffering Deltona residents now have the opportunity for true stability – a clear path forward – as sitting commissioners have until March 1 to select Burbank’s replacement. 

In a social media post earlier this week, dedicated civic activist Brandy Lee White was among the first to put her name up for consideration. 

Qualified residents of District 1 who are interested in serving are being asked to forward “a resume or letter of interest” to the City Clerk’s Office, 2345 Providence Boulevard, 2nd Floor, Deltona, Florida 32725, or via email to jraftery@deltonafl.gov no later than 12:00pm, Monday, February 19. 

My sincere hope is that the usual “behind the scenes” meddlers and power-players with a chip in the game will sit this one out and allow things to develop in an open and transparent way why they still have the last shreds of a viable municipal government to worry about.

Good luck, Deltona.  Here’s to brighter days ahead!   

Quote of the Week

“The Florida Department of Transportation last year unveiled plans to replace the 30-year-old I-95/LPGA Boulevard interchange with a new one that would include widening the Tomoka River Bridge and the rest of LPGA Boulevard from two to four lanes. However, funding to construct the half-billion-dollar project has yet to be secured.

When that might occur is anybody’s guess, said local transportation planning consultant Maryam Ghyabi on Thursday.

“It might not happen until the 2030s or maybe later,” said Ghyabi who chairs the LPGA Coalition seeking improvements to the traffic corridor. “The leadership at the state and local levels needs to make LPGA a priority. FDOT has done its job. They allocated $11 million to make it shovel-ready. TPO (Transportation Planning Organization) has also done its job to prioritize the project, but when it will actually get built? I have no idea.”

–LPGA Coalition Chair Maryam Ghyabi, as quoted by business editor Clayton Park, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Iconic new restaurants to open across from Daytona’s Margaritaville. Here’s what’s coming,” Monday, January 29, 2024

Read it and weep my fellow rubes…  

For years, Ms. Ghyabi has been imploring our state and local elected officials to give precedence to the LPGA Boulevard traffic corridor – to include the now inadequate I-95 interchange – and that two-lane pinch point at the Tomoka River bridge that I call the “Monument to Mediocrity” (because that’s what it is). 

Now we learn that after our ‘powers that be’ have allowed massive development along Boomtown Boulevard both east and west of I-95, a solution to the growing traffic safety concerns may be a decade off.

Or more…

What’s the consolation prize for us weary existing residents? 

Oh, we get another Starbucks, McDonalds, a glorified strip center, and the umpteenth sticks-and-glue “luxury” apartment complex adding to the congestion and gridlock on Boomtown Boulevard…   

As expected, Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower seized the opportunity to preach to the choir:

“People complain about the traffic, but they keep moving in,” said Brower. “The good news is that the TPO has moved the LPGA project up in priority. But it still takes time to secure funding. A solution could still be years off in the future.

“I think we need to pause the massive development going on all over the county until we have infrastructure in place for the increased traffic and need for greater storm water management as well as to alleviate flooding.” he said. “Otherwise, we’re just making a bad problem worse.”

Look, there are a lot of issues Chairman Brower and I agree on – but complaining about our gross lack of transportation infrastructure is my job… 

Mr. Brower’s responsibility – and that of his can-kicking “colleagues” – is to get off their sizeable backsides and do something about it.  Dammit.

In my view, an influx is to be expected when local governments rubber stamp untold thousands of new home sites in a cart-before-the-horse strategy with no planning or oversight to ensure adequate public infrastructure, utilities, and essential services are in place. 

This debacle is not the fault of new residents moving here – and it isn’t a problem that can be foisted on someone else – another passing quandary that will solve itself with the right application of procrastination and political finger pointing.  

It will require leadership and an astronomical amount of money – paid by us, and future generations – long after greedy developers have hauled untold profits out of the former pine scrub in dump trucks… 

My sincere hope is that when the cries of suffocating voters become loud enough to cause political discomfort, our elected officials in DeLand and elsewhere will come to the realization that what passes for “Growth and resource management” and “intergovernmental coordination” (especially between the City of Daytona Beach and its claustrophobic neighbors) in Volusia County has been an abject failure and a criminal waste of public funds.

Perhaps then someone who accepts public funds to serve in the public interest will finally be held to account? 

Residents concerned about unchecked growth and our threatened environment felt a sense of vindication this week when an administrative law judge ruled that the St. Johns River Water Management District should not have issued the Florida Department of Transportation a permit to drain stormwater from a proposed interchange at I-95 and Pioneer Trail into Spruce Creek.

According to a report in the News-Journal:

“The state appeared to be fast-tracking the project by funding it with $92 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds last year. The project is projected to cost $120 million overall.

The design phase was scheduled to begin with the granting of a contract estimated at $5.7 million on March 27.

FDOT has previously made the case that the interchange is needed to “support the economic viability and job creation associated with planned and approved future development in the vicinity of the study area, to reduce congestion at the adjacent I-95 interchanges, and to better serve regional trips originating in and destined to the study area.”

Bullshit. 

In my view, it is time for state and federal environmental regulators to tell our High Panjandrum of Political Power and ICI Homes/Woodhaven developer Mori Hosseini that Spruce Creek is not a stormwater slit-trench – a foul dumping ground to facilitate more, more, more development.

Then, after a commonsense triage of local transportation needs, those funds should rightfully be reallocated to addressing the ongoing public insult at LPGA Boulevard and beyond.

(Don’t hold your breath…) 

And Another Thing!

One of my favorite quotes is by anthropologist Margaret Mead who said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

The fight against Belvedere Terminals’ plan to bring a bulk fuel terminal to Ormond Beach has exposed some universal truths – good and bad. 

Perhaps most important of these is that We, The Little People will put our political and philosophic differences aside and rise up as one whenever our common interests are in peril – such as the safety of our children, our homes, and our quality of life – a concept best exemplified by the many concerned residents who continue to show up (and speak out) in opposition to a 13-million-gallon bulk fuel facility planned for their backyards (and mine).    

It has also shined a very bright light on the ineptitude of Volusia County’s lethargic bureaucracy – a group of non-elected, incredibly powerful officials, so-called “professionals” who were caught off-guard by one of the most imposing threats of our time – who continue to clumsily scramble and claw at great public expense to recover from this incomprehensible lack of situational awareness at the highest levels of county government.   

Now, that inattention to detail is posing a very expensive proposition for Ormond Beach taxpayers…

Earlier this week, we learned that the City of Ormond Beach has strategically partnered with the venerated beverage distributor S. R. Perrott to share legal costs in the company’s ongoing challenge to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s air emissions permit allowing Belvedere to build the fuel storage facility on Hull Road.    

Under the agreement, Ormond Beach will use public funds from its risk management and insurance mitigation fund to share costs for “legal services related to the FDEP air quality permit and any land use proceedings before Volusia County regarding the proposed fuel farm project.”

According to reports, Ormond Beach and S. R. Perrott will equally share the costs of litigation up to $100,000 – with the city responsible for anything over that amount…

Yeah.  I know.

While I agree with City Attorney Randy Hayes’ decision, in my view, given the gravity of the potential outcome – and the open-ended nature of the agreement – the Ormond Beach City Commission should have had the courage to take the matter up during an open public meeting, allowing input from taxpayers who will ultimately be responsible for paying the bill(s) associated with this monumental fight. 

In my view, that level of transparency would help to allay fears – and rally residents of Ormond Beach and beyond against this common threat – allowing us to feel like an important part of the battle – as though our significant contribution to protecting our quality of life is more than a blank check to a law firm – instead of being treated as an afterthought in what some see as yet another example of political cowardice during an election year. 

Keep the faith, folks.  This one’s worth fighting for.

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