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!