and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2
One of the greatest gifts in my life is the sense of purpose this alternative blog has given me – the opportunity to participate in a larger discussion – all made possible thanks to your readership and support.
Whether or not we agree on the myriad social, civic, and economic issues of the day, I hope we remain friends, grounded in the common purpose of seeking a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren through the vigorous competition of ideas and a universal desire for honorable, accessible, and principled governance.
Here’s a special thanks to the loyal members of the Barker’s View tribe.
Your civic awareness and activism continue to make a difference in our community – and your friendship has enhanced my life in immeasurable ways.
A true blessing.
Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2025!
It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way…
U.S. Representative Cory Mills
This week, we learned that the bipartisan House Ethics Committee will review an apparent complaint involving our own District 7 Congressman Cory Mills.
Although few details were released concerning the accusations against the New Smyrna Beach lawmaker, in a short statement issued by the OEC on Monday, we learned the “…Committee on Ethics has extended the matter regarding Representative Cory Mills, which was transmitted to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Ethics on August 29, 2024.”
Rep. Cory Mills
As you may recall, in the lead-up to the Republican primary in August, a report by Mark Harper in The Daytona Beach News-Journal explained, “Mills, a first-term congressman representing Florida’s 7th District, is facing an Aug. 20 Republican primary challenge from Michael Johnson, a retired Department of Defense employee and Vietnam-era Army veteran from Altamonte Springs.
While campaigning, Johnson is handing voters flyers that ask: “Why does Mills lie about his military service? … He is committing Stolen Valor.”
According to a follow-up article by Harper this week, “…Michael Johnson, told The News-Journal in October – two months after the OCE’s referral to the Ethics Committee – he had mailed a 55-page “criminal complaint” against Mills to the Attorney General and FBI.”
As I understand it, at issue is Rep. Mills’ claim to have been awarded the Bronze Star medal for heroism during combat in Iraq. His detractors believe he may have conflated his military service with time spent as a security contractor in Iraq, which apparently occurred after his discharge from the Army.
Earlier this year, the Army completed a review of Mills’ awards and confirmed he received the Bronze Star and several other service-related medals in a July memorandum.
Then, in August we learned that Mills provided the News-Journal with a Form 638 – the official written recommendation for the Bronze Star – signed by retired Brigadier General Arnold Gordon-Bray, who corroborated to the News-Journal that he signed the recommendation.
“Bray himself told The News-Journal that he did sign a recommendation for Mills, but neither he nor Mills answered the question of when it was signed.”
In the August article, Mills’ detractors pointed out the form was dated 2021 – and Gen. Gordon-Bray retired in 2012…
In his defense, Rep. Mills was quoted in a News-Journal report, “I’m tired of the slander and the defamation,” Mills said. “I ran for office to be able to serve the American people, not to defend something I did 20 years ago over and over and over.”
In addition, Rep. Mills has been credited with rescuing American citizens from Afghanistan in 2021, and in March of this year he escorted thirteen aid workers out of Haiti after criminal gangs took control of the Caribbean nation’s capital.
The Office of Congressional Ethics also explained that Rep. Mills is rightfully considered innocent of the allegations until proven guilty, “…the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred…”
In my view, if Rep. Mills is in fact a combat veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in Iraq – he deserves an immediate apology from anyone who made formal accusations of stolen valor.
However, if the insinuations brought to the OEC are true – then Rep. Mills owes his constituents – and anyone who served honorably in the Global War on Terror – an immediate apology, right before he resigns from the United States House of Representatives…
In my view, it is that serious.
Claiming false service accomplishments and unearned awards for valor dishonors the service of those brave souls who earned the respect they so richly deserve with their blood, sweat, and courage.
Including those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
Having read the timeline and assorted items of “evidence” as posted at www.corymillswatch.com I must admit, some things in Rep. Mills’ official military records (as presented in the article and on the website) didn’t add up to me.
If you live in Florida’s 7th Congressional District – or are simply concerned about good governance, honesty, and personal integrity in public office – I encourage you to follow the OCE’s investigation and determinations.
In my view, if this is a case of mudslinging gone horribly outside the bounds of ethical campaigning (a wide-open space in the scorched earth bloodbath that is modern politics) then it should be Exhibit A in the case to stop the personal destruction by and between candidates for elective office – something that has a chilling effect on good people considering public service.
Determining the truth is important to preserving what remains of the public’s tattered trust in the institutions of government, the steady erosion of which I fear will bring terrible repercussions if we don’t reverse this “anything goes” atmosphere that our apathy has created at all levels.
Sitting representatives like Mr. Mills have a moral and ethical obligation to tell the truth and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects honorably on the House of Representatives, their sworn office, and the district they serve.
That means speaking the unvarnished truth to voters about their background and service.
In my view, these are moral imperatives for holding a position of public trust – and they should not be subject to quibbling, obfuscation, or false witness for cheap political gain on either side of the aisle.
This one bears watching…
Halifax Humane Society
Kudos to Gala Chair Nancy Lohman and all the wonderful sponsors, volunteers, and donors who raised a record setting $537,501 for animal welfare programs during the Halifax Humane Society’s Paws & Pearls Fur Ball held earlier this month at Ocean Center.
According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer this week, “…the black-tie gala, presented by Subaru of Daytona, united over 600 of the region’s most passionate animal advocates and community leaders, a press release stated. Emmy-winning television star Brandon McMillan, of CBS’s Lucky Dog, headlined the event.
“This milestone achievement is a testament to the incredible kindness and commitment of our community,” said Sean Hawkins, CEO of Halifax Humane Society. “Thanks to the unwavering support of Subaru of Daytona, our sponsors, and every single guest, we can continue saving the lives of the 15,000 animals who depend on us every year.”
The Halifax Humane Society has been serving the needs of Halifax area animals since 1937 as a full-service “open-door” animal shelter that helps thousands of animals annually in Volusia County.
During this season of giving, I encourage everyone to make a tax-deductible donation to assist the many wonderful programs and educational initiatives sponsored by the Halifax Humane Society.
If you live in Flagler County and want to support animal services and welfare, I encourage you to donate to the Flagler Humane Society at www.flaglerhumanesociety.org
Volusia Republican Executive Committee
A tip of the cap to all those who worked diligently behind the scenes to orchestrate a smooth (and much needed) change of leadership at the Volusia Republican Executive Committee.
Following a shambolic on-again/off-again meeting, Maryann Pistilli, a longtime Republican operative who chaired President-elect Donald Trump’s Florida campaign, took the reins of the Volusia County Republican Party after defeating John Casaburro and William Sell during an election held Saturday in Daytona Beach.
Prior to the vote, controversial former VREC Chair Paul Deering must have seen the bold handwriting on the wall and decided to sit out the internal election…
According to reports, the VREC retained Cathy DiBernardino as secretary and John Reid as treasurer.
It’s no secret that former Chairman Deering’s contentious manipulation of the “Official Republican Voter Guide” earlier this year brought things to a head for many Volusia Republicans, but an October article by Al Everson writing in the West Volusia Beacon brought something more sinister to light.
According to the Beacon’s disturbing report:
“Rosa C. Campbell, who is herself a member of the local Republican Executive Committee, alleges Deering and others engaged in discrimination “against certain types of Conservative members of VCREC by turning them away from joining [the] committee.”
Campbell’s complaint was first filed with the West Volusia Branch of the NAACP, but she has in recent days delivered a refined complaint to the U.S. District Court in Orlando. Contacted by phone, Campbell told The Beacon that she has not yet hired a lawyer to represent her, but she is searching for one. In the filing with the NAACP that accompanies her federal complaint, Campbell writes that Deering, on Feb. 11, 2018, “referred to me as the token Black” in the REC and “made negative comments about Hispanics.
Since that time I tried to get along with Chairman Deering at the General meetings, but he would always ignore me when I raised my hand,” she wrote.
Campbell also wrote that Deering “had me removed from a candidate endorsement meeting on June 25, 2024 because I was taking pictures of candidates speaking, that I would vote on their endorsement by the Republican party and listed in the voter guide.”
Last week, in advance of the VREC election, former Chairman Deering again tried to maneuver around the process by unilaterally cancelling the meeting – a move the Republican Party of Florida put the kibosh on – and the vote proceeded as scheduled on Saturday…
In my view, petty tyrants have always been a problem in local political organizations – typically clubbish cliques that often operate in diametric opposition to the egalitarian principles they claim to represent.
Discrimination and bullying have no place in our democratic system, despite what some high-powered partisan martinets might think, and I commend the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee for refusing to tolerate Deering’s exclusion and manipulation any longer.
Volusia County School Board
“The Volusia County School Board voted to approve Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s four-year contract at its school board meeting Tuesday.
The motion, made by Ruben Colón and seconded by Jamie Haynes carried with a 4-1 vote.
Donna Brosemer was in the minority. She felt the board should table the decision until an upcoming meeting so that newly elected board members, including herself, could have a say in the contract.
“Just allow us a little bit of time to have some input and be able to discuss some of the terms that we might question,” Brosemer said. “We have not been given that opportunity, and when this was negotiated, you knew we were coming, and so, I think it’s fair to us and board members to have a better sense of the overall process.”
“My position is still,” she continued. “… this is not ripe, and we have time to cure it. We have time to discuss it. If it is as solid and logical as you describe, then wonderful. But I don’t think that we have had a full opportunity to find out.”
–Reporter Mary Ellen Ritter, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Volusia County School Board approves Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s four-year contract,” Thursday, December 12, 2024
As the Volusia County School Board stumbles from one weird embarrassment to another, last week – with questions of timing and transparency still unanswered – the majority bowed to external political pressure and voted to approve a bloated contract with Superintendent Carmen Balgobin.
Despite the fiduciarily responsible arguments of newly elected member Donna Brosemer, the others seemed hellbent on approving a new four-year agreement with Balgobin – one that gifts her an 8.7% increase taking her salary from $245,000 to $280,000, with all the perquisites and trimmings, such as health insurance, including vision and dental, an addition medical supplement of $500 per month and life insurance coverage.
By comparison, teachers and other instructional personnel were thrown a 3% bone earlier this year…
In addition to having all school holidays off, Superintendent Balgobin will be gifted twenty calendar days of vacation, accrue one sick day per month, and six days of personal leave per year.
In addition to a county owned vehicle, cellular phone, and computer, the taxpayers of Volusia County will contribute to a slush fund that Balgobin can use – apparently at her sole discretion – to “…participate in civic and community activities as well as activities that promote good relationships with the public and area stakeholders.”
Merry Christmas, indeed…
The new agreement was negotiated in effective darkness – with the full knowledge that two new members would be seated following the November election – then ramrodded through with three months remaining before the board needed to commit to a new contract.
In my view, it became apparent the fix was in after listening to former School Board Chair Jamie Haynes mewl the Poormouth Blues – whining about all the normal expenses of living (things you and I are responsible for everyday) that Balgobin was forced to go in her own incredibly deep pocket for under the old contract (I never feel sorry for someone commanding $245,000 in public funds plus benefits…) – before the board voted 4-1 to put the yoke of Balgobin back on students, teachers, parents, staff, and taxpayers for another four-years.
What about goals, performance metrics, and expectations you ask?
Apparently, they will cobble those afterthoughts together the minute Jamie Haynes learns the difference between a school improvement plan and districtwide strategic goals…
To her credit, the voice of reason was District 4 representative Donna Brosemer, who smartly cast the lone dissenting vote to postpone this half-baked agreement until members could have discussed it at a public meeting.
It is no secret that in Volusia County, malleability, averageness, and mediocrity reign supreme; and once again, the School Board has proven that Superintendent Carmen Balgobin is the perfect fit for those abysmal metrics…
Thanks for participating Volusia County voters: The more things change, the more they stay the same…
Quote of the Week
“(Volusia County) Council members dream of spending millions on a motocross facility but have found to their great surprise that residents object to having one in their backyards. And they have repeatedly tried to open Tiger Bay State Forest to all-terrain vehicles, ATVs, over the objections of forest managers, hikers, birders and environmentalists.
Turning the state forest into an ATV track is an evergreen proposal for the Council. It draws a crowd of objectors when it’s on the agenda, so the Council arranges to vote on the issue without any mention on the agenda. Problem solved!
As the holidays approached in 2023, the Council voted to advocate for ATVs before a nearly empty chamber during closing comments in the last minutes of the last meeting of last year. Smooth move!
And back in 2019, the council also took a surprise vote to support ATV traffic in the protected area. The backlash was swift, and the council reversed itself.
On Dec. 3, the issue came up again. This time, under the agenda heading “2025 Proposed State Legislative Priority List.” Who knew that getting ATVs into a state forest was a state legislative priority for the county? It is now.”
–Editorialist Mark Lane, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “County Council sneaks in an ATV in Tiger Bay vote yet again,” Saturday, December 14, 2024
Once again, the great News-Journal editorialist Mark Lane hits the proverbial nail on the head with his thoughts on the Volusia County Council’s patented use of what I call public policy by ambush – the pernicious practice of voting on off-the-agenda items in the waning moments of public meeting to avoid citizen input or opposition.
Earlier this month, the method was used to worm the perennially failed notion of allowing ATVs in the Tiger Bay State Forest onto Volusia County’s 2025 legislative priority list.
You read that right.
At a time when taxpayers are clamoring for flood mitigation, transportation infrastructure, utilities upgrades, and clean water initiatives, the majority of our representatives on the Volusia County Council see permitting ATVs in a pristine pine forest and wildlife habitat as a public urgency?
In his excellent piece, Mr. Lane shined a bright light on the County Council’s recent 6-1 vote to send yet another letter to “Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson asking the state to allow off-road vehicles to tear up the state forest. Council Chairman Jeff Brower acted in his familiar role as the only dissenting vote.”
In my view, Mr. Lane’s piece illuminated the gaslighting machinations of District 3 Councilman Danny Robins – who, in my view, has made a cottage industry finding timewasting solutions to non-existent problems:
“Getting ATVs in the state forest has long been a priority for District 3 County Councilman Danny Robins. “I hope that we can all sit down at the table and work this out and come to some sort of compromise,” he said piously.
A hilarious statement given that the Council has repeatedly sandbagged environmentalists. You’re welcome to the table … oops! dinner’s already been served and we’ve cleared the dishes.”
Perfect.
Many thanks to the great Mark Lane for so eloquently saying what the rest of us are thinking.
And Another Thing!
Reverberations from the bombshell revelation that Volusia County School Board Chair Jessie Thompson is an admitted liar and meanspirited nutcase continued across the political spectrum this week – leaving many stakeholders baffled – and others downright angry that Ms. Thompson hasn’t shown the basic decency to step aside and avoid further humiliation for district schools.
School Board Chair Jessie Thompson
That’s what happens when self-righteous politicians lose the human emotion of shame.
As a result, on January 14, the Volusia County School Board will begin 2025 with yet another hyper-dramatic shitshow – a political Kabuki played out in three acts – a livestreamed stage production where Ms. Thompson’s fellow members will consider whether to rightfully remove her as board chair after she lost the moral authority to lead when she disparaged students and openly bragged about providing false information to colleagues during meetings – including the apparent manipulation of an active district contract for reasons yet to be explained…
When confronted at the end of a tense meeting earlier this month, Ms. Thompson proffered a lukewarm apology, claiming she “chose those words poorly.”
Bullshit.
The fact is, Ms. Thompson didn’t misspeak. She knew exactly what she was trying to accomplish, and in doing so brought shame on herself, the Volusia County School Board, and the Moms for Liberty organization.
In my view, Volusia County taxpayers have the right to expect a degree of integrity, emotional stability, and truthfulness from those who make decisions that affect the lives of thousands of students, teachers, and staff, including the administration of an annual budget now north of $1.2 billion.
Conducting public affairs with honor is Chairwoman Thompson’s sacred obligation to her constituents and stakeholders – and she has failed to uphold the moral and ethical standards her elected position demands. As a result, many believe it is now imperative that she step down and allow voters to elect someone who better represents their interests.
Earlier this week, something called Citizens for Truth and Justice in Education of Volusia County, took exception to Thompson’s practice of placing a bible on the dais during public meetings in a “My View” column published in the Ormond Beach Observer.
I have no problem with Chairwoman Thompson placing the Good Book in front of her – I just wish she would open it and turn to the part that says, “Ye shall not deal falsely, neither lie one to another…”
Although Ms. Thompson bills herself as a comedienne, I’ll be damned if I find anything funny about attacking the ethnicity of a fellow elected official, belittling children she brands intellectually inferior, besmirching the character and motivations of other board members, or spewing lies as a means of ramrodding public policy or approving district contracts – especially a paid agreement with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
Those aren’t “values” – they are the earmarks of someone out of their depth – a cheap role-player who uses props and costumes to sell an act, when, in reality, they lack the smarts, political acumen, and interpersonal skills to negotiate items in a forthright and collegial way, and those who pay the bills, or rely on Volusia County District Schools for their education or livelihood, should not be forced to accept this phony in a leadership role.
Unfortunately, that is the recurring fate We, The Little People suffer here on the “Fun Coast” – a place where party bosses and influential insiders cast D-list posers to play a stereotypical role – then, once elected, they transmogrify into something that bears no resemblance to the candidate we voted for.
Bait and switch. Smoke and mirrors. Gaslighting and subversion.
In my view, the best Christmas present Chairwoman Thompson could gift her constituents and colleagues is to tender her immediate resignation from the Volusia County School Board as fitting recompense for her admitted sabotage of the legislative process, and the public trust.
That’s all for me. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all!
________________________________
Dear Members of the Loyal Barker’s View Tribe:
I’ll be taking a few days off next week to spend time with family and friends celebrating this joyous season!
May peace be with you and those you hold dear.
From the Barker family to yours, Merry Christmas, and all best wishes for a happy, healthy, and most prosperous 2025!
It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way…
Volusia School Board Chair Jessie “Whackadoodle” Thompson
During my productive life in law enforcement, I found myself in some scary spots. Chaotic, confusing, and frighteningly dark places that left me with more questions than answers.
That said, I can honestly report that I have never been anywhere more terrifying than our recent collective stroll through the haunted and horribly disturbed mind of Volusia County School Board Chair Jessie Thompson.
Chairwoman Jessie Thompson
Whoa. I’ve seen some shit in my time, folks – but this takes the cake. Hell, it takes the whole damn bakery…
According to a disturbing report by Mary Ellen Ritter writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week, during the Moms for Liberty 2024 Joyful Warriors Summit in Washington D.C. this summer, our recently named Volusia County School Board chair Jessie Thompson apparently had something of a psychotic purge during a breakout session entitled “How to Work With Your School Board.”
While pontificating on behalf of something called the Florida Conservative Coalition of School Board Members – a klatch Ms. Thompson runs out of her home (?) – our new School Board chair “…made a disparaging remark about Deltona High School students, admitted to feeding false data to the board to get agenda items passed, and spoke at length about her poor relationships with fellow board members.”
Unfortunately, the weirdness didn’t end there…
In a video posted to social media by an outraged Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila Jr., Chairwoman Thompson is heard casting suspicion on Deltona High School graduation rates – while taking a cheap swipe at students she paints as intellectually inferior to fit her narrative:
“We have one high school, and I don’t mean to take anything away from students or parents, and it is a Title One school, so high-five for doing this, they had a 100% graduation rate last year — 100%. Now, I’ve walked that school multiple times. I’ve met some bright students, and I’ve met some students that I wouldn’t trust filling up my tank of gas, so I find it really hard to believe that they graduate, and graduation is now turned into basically just handing out participation ribbons.”
Then, Ms. Thompson showed her true colors…
According to the article, Mayor Avila claims Ms. Thompson referred to District 5 School Board member Ruben Colón “…as a “tan gentleman” when discussing how he and other “super liberal school board members” respond to public comments from “liberal wackadoodles.”
“We have a tan gentleman who just, like, gets all puffy,” Thompson said. “He gets filled with pride because he is supported, and then that encourages him to do some more crazy nonsense. “Avila also requested Deltona residents to contact Thompson directly and ask for a public apology.”
For the record, while Mr. Colón and I rarely agree on the issues and politics of the day, in my experience, he remains one of the most friendly, accessible, and responsive members of the board – never afraid to explain district issues or defend his position – always open to constructive criticism.
In perhaps the most bizarre (and disturbing) revelation from Ms. Thompson’s diatribe, she openly admitted to intentionally providing her fellow members with false information in order to pass certain items coming before the board – including a damning disclosure that she “…worked with our sheriff’s department to get something put into that contract, and then they voted to pass it without reading it through.”
Wow.
To her credit, Moms for Liberty-Volusia Chair Jenifer Kelly stated in the News-Journal she was “astonished” by the shocking revelations – creating distance from Thompson’s cringeworthy invective – explaining that her organization does not “support or agree” with Thompson’s comments as “Most of it is false.”
“Moms for Liberty-Volusia is absolutely disgusted and disturbed by her inappropriate comments about students and other board members,” Kelly said on social media. “We disavow any affiliation with school board member Jessie Thompson.” Additionally, Kelly noted that the organizer of the national conference did not consult her prior to scheduling Thompson and also that the local organization did not endorse Thompson as a candidate.”
After publicly describing her relationship with her elected colleagues as “I’m hated by the rest of my board, and I can deal with that emotionally. They’re not nice people,” Ms. Thompson took a moment to irretrievably sever any collegial relationship she may have developed with newly elected board members Donna Brosemer and Krista Goodrich, both of whom were candidates during Thompson’s odd breakdown in Washington:
“One’s running literally because she wants to do other offices, so … this is like a building block kind of thing, and she’s on vacation in Europe a lot, and so … I’m gonna reach out to her. I’ve started to feed her some of the things that are important to me, like teaching kids how to read … (and) send that olive branch out to her,” Thompson said. “And then the other one — I like the word ‘wackadoodle’ — She’s a little bit of a wackadoodle, not politically speaking, just like her own personal things. And she’s a, she’s a very power hungry young lady, but she’s not that young. But anyway, so I’m reaching out to her, too.”
Look, no one has been more critical of the Volusia County School Board and Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s administration than I have. In my view, the slow disintegration of stakeholder confidence in the board, the ham-handed maladministration, and the resultant exodus of students, teachers, and staff, is a disaster of epic proportion.
This is different. And it has nothing to do with liberal/conservative values or democrat/republican rancor.
If true, Ms. Thompson’s falsehoods and defamations are the antithesis of ‘how to collaborate with your school board’ and have weakened public trust in Volusia County Schools.
During Tuesday evenings School Board meeting, Thompson’s target, District 5 representative Ruben Colón, showed grace and restraint in expressing his disappointment – and received a mewling apology from Thompson (who’s not nearly as brash outside an echo chamber).
In turn, Mr. Colón was unanimously supported when he moved to revisit Thompson’s appointment as School Board Chair at the January 14 meeting.
Look, I dismiss Ms. Thompson’s half-assed mea culpa as a self-serving ploy to save face on the hot seat.
Before the meeting, Ms. Thompson doubled-down on her offensive comments during her 15-minutes of infamy in an emailed response to WESH-2 claiming “Some are offended because I’ve pointed out that a tan guy is tan. And that some of our graduates aren’t up to an acceptable standard of intelligence. Yet they’re not offended that year after year kids are struggling to learn to read. And they’re not offended that prisons base the number of beds they need on 3rd grade reading scores.”
Bullshit.
In my view, it is time for this meanspirited half-bright to take her leave from the Volusia County School Board.
With an annual budget now north of $1.5 billion, taxpayers, students, teachers, and staff deserve strong, ethical leadership chairing the Volusia County School Board – a true servant/leader we can trust to make complex decisions without fear of subterfuge, a personal agenda, or worse…
I nominate newly elected District 4 representative Donna Brosemer.
Now that Chairwoman Thompson has been exposed as a habitual liar, someone who has admittedly used deception to subvert the contracting and budget allocation process – a dimwit in pancake makeup who lacks the political, interpersonal, or negotiation skills to effectively legislate public education policies without creating a false narrative – it is time that those law enforcement agencies charged with defending the public trust (and public funds) open an investigation to determine the extent to which Ms. Thompson’s machinations and artifice have corrupted the system.
Daytona Beach Sports Complex?
Last week, Halifax area residents learned more about a nascent plan to construct a $185 million sports complex on city owned land west of I-95 off International Speedway Boulevard.
Yeah. That city owned land…
Some Daytona Beach taxpayers I spoke with – who are already heavily invested in commercial real estate, the restaurant business, dirt mining, apartment complexes, aircraft manufacturing, logistics and warehousing, etc. – remain cautiously optimistic that an entity who is actually in the sports entertainment business might assume the risk on this one…
According to a report by Eileen Zaffiro-Keen writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the facility would include a 10,000-seat stadium, multi-use fields, courts, baseball diamonds, a swimming pool, ice rink, concessions, and associated amenities.
“If the facility does come to be, the hope is Daytona Beach would become home to more than 100 sports tournaments each year – everything from basketball to gymnastics to baseball. Concerts could even be held on the property.”
Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry thinks “It’s a beautiful idea,” but one that will require “a multitude of investors.”
“It’s a great idea to expand the local brand.”
(What “brand”? Did I miss something?)
I found Mayor Henry’s quote about “investors” interesting, because an article by Andreas Butler in the Daytona Times published earlier this year dropped an interesting tidbit, “The city could impose a sales tax to help pay for the project…”
Really?
Is that even possible?
I’m asking, because anyone paying attention knows that we need every available tax dollar to begin sorting out the terrible infrastructure issues brought by malignant overdevelopment in Daytona Beach and beyond…
In a follow up by Zaffiro-Keen this week, Daytona Beach City Manager Deric Feacher listed several other possibilities:
“When asked Friday how the project could be funded, City Manager Deric Feacher listed several possibilities. He said tourism tax dollars could be tapped, and both local colleges and Volusia County’s K-12 schools could be partners.
The county government could also become a partner, and the city of Daytona Beach could take out a loan, Feacher said.
The city could also look into selling the Municipal Stadium property on LPGA Boulevard to a developer who might want to build houses there since the land is near residential neighborhoods, he said.
Professional athletes could also become investors, he said.
Feacher noted there could be a 10-20 year buildout, so the money could be put together over time.”
In addition, the Clearwater-based company that was paid $172,000 to plan the complex has suggested a “professional operator” run the facility, not the City of Daytona Beach.
According to reports, Daytona Beach Economic and Strategic Opportunities Director Jeffrey Brown said last week, “…the city would work to get the revenue from the tournaments they would host to pay for the cost of operating the facilities.
(Wait? Is Mr. Brown suggesting that the facility will pay for itself? Crazy talk…)
“We’re going to get as much funding from outside the city as we can to try to make this a smaller burden on the taxpayers,” and the next step in the process is for “city staff” to meet with “potential investors” to gauge interest in funding the facility…
Wait. The same senior “staff” that negotiated the purchase of that asbestos-laden house of horrors on Beach Street?
What could possibly go wrong?
At this early stage, the concept appears to be just another pie-in-the-sky “public/private” partnership in waiting (you know, where public funds augment the profit motives of private interests), but the possibility gives us something to think about while we’re stuck in four cycles of a traffic signal on Boomtown Boulevard…
Food for thought like, “When are Daytona Beach and Volusia County taxpayers ever going to be off the hook for funding the for-profit schemes of private sector interests?” Or “When will our elected and appointed officials learn that there are ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves’?”
Time will tell…
Quote of the Week
At the shelter board’s regular meeting Monday evening, Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg said First Step still has about $120,000 coming in each month.
The financial uncertainty comes in the wake of a whistleblower complaint against First Step Shelter brought by three former employees about six months ago.
One of the employees quit shortly after the complaint was filed, and the other two were fired. The two fired employees have retained an attorney and are contemplating filing a lawsuit against the shelter.
The shelter board hired a local attorney to look into the whistleblower complaints. The attorney finished his probe months ago and filed a report, but the shelter board has not released the report.
Daytona Beach resident Anne Ruby told shelter board members at their meeting Monday evening that she has spoken to several County Council members, and they want to see the investigator’s report.
Ruby said she doesn’t feel the whistleblower investigation was thorough enough, and that it’s left “a big cloud over the shelter.”
–Civic Activist Anne Ruby, speaking truth to the First Step Shelter Board, as quoted by reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Keen in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “First Step Shelter is 3 months deep into its fiscal year and uncertain on $400K in funding,” Tuesday, December 10, 2024
While I can be hypercritical of the errors and omissions of the Volusia County Council, in my view, one thing they ‘got right’ this year was withholding the $400,000 annual stipend taxpayers pony up to keep the enigmatic First Step Shelter program alive.
In my view, their hesitance in throwing good money after bad showed a level of fiscal responsibility that bunch isn’t normally known for…
Most agree that the needs across our region are simply too great to devote a combined $4 million in scarce public resources to a single entity every five-years, while a very visible segment of the homeless population who are ineligible or incapable of transitioning to permanent housing remain without services and outreach.
According to the News-Journal, “Now shelter funding is slated to be on the Council’s Jan. 21 agenda, forcing First Step Shelter to push through the Christmas and New Year’s holidays not knowing if the organization’s roughly $1.5 million budget has permanently lost nearly one-third of its funding.
The Daytona Beach City Commission also still needs to vote on whether to continue its $400,000 annual grant for the shelter, and the First Step Shelter Board has still not ratified its lease agreement to continue using the city-owned shelter building off of U.S. Highway 92 five miles west of Interstate 95. Both of those matters, however, appear to be headed for approval.”
Civic activist Anne Ruby is right – rocked by a still unaddressed scandal, the threat of possible whistleblower lawsuits, transparency issues, questions of financial irregularities, and maladministration – a very dark cloud hangs heavy over the First Step Shelter and its governing board.
Only the disinfecting light of day can change that.
Sadly, it has become painfully obvious to anyone watching that this perplexing program will never stand on its own two feet, and our elected officials now have a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers that demands a change in leadership at First Step before one more public dollar is allocated.
And Another Thing!
On December 29, Volusia County will celebrate our 170th anniversary.
One would think after that many years, we would have matured into a place where good governance holds more weight than the profit motives of speculative developers with a chip in the game?
I was contemplating our collective civic fate recently and was reminded of that famous scene from the Broadway play Billy Rose’s Jumbo, when Jimmy Durante – leading a live elephant – is stopped by a police officer who asks, “What are you doing with that elephant?”
Durante reply’s – “What elephant?”
That comedic exchange reminded me of the Volusia County Council’s reaction as flood victims continue to show up, en masse, and demand action from those they elected to represent their interests.
Let’s face it, with Volusia now ranked as the most flood prone county in the State of Florida (seventh in the nation) the problem is getting harder to ignore. But that hasn’t stopped our elected dullards in the Ivory Tower of Power at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building in DeLand from continuing to ignore the obvious and kick the can down the trail with frightening regularity.
But I’m more than happy to keep pointing it out from my perch up here in the cheap seats…
Look, like Roosevelt said, no one likes to hear where the strongman stumbled, or how the doer of deeds could have done them better; however, in my view, external criticism is important to moderating an impassive, self-serving, and unresponsive bureaucracy.
At best, I am a dilettante editorialist, at worst a blowhard with internet access – always musing on the motivations of those perennial politicians, influential insiders, and mediocre do-nothings that, in my view, are actively destroying our quality of life – clumsily plowing forward without a comprehensive vision for our future beyond the mercenary self-interests of their political benefactors.
Over time, those figureheads on the dais of power have been conditioned to simply do as they are told, convinced that their senior staff are all-knowing soothsayers – “the truth, the light, and the way” – and any external input or criticism is never to be believed (unless, of course, they are paying a high-priced consultant to tell them what they want/need to hear…)
I take no pleasure in being the proverbial turd in the civic punchbowl. Barker the Bitcher – the crusty curmudgeon with a jaded view, the pissed-off pessimist – always disapproving and disgruntled, tilting at windmills and challenging the perceived status quo.
(That’s not true. I relish the role…)
Last week, after I took the Volusia County Council to task for their praxis of “public policy by ambush” – the art of deftly passing controversial off-the-agenda items with little, if any, public notice or input – (most recently limiting the public business meeting to just six-hours) I received a terse note from a powerful sitting politician taking me to the woodshed.
My high-powered critic accused me of ignoring the “truth and facts.” Charging that I am engaging in “character assassination” and being a “flat out bully.”
That’s rich…
This from a ranking member of that savage tribe who has routinely engaged in the worst form of political oppression, marginalization, and calumniation in suppressing Chairman Jeff Brower’s dogged efforts to urge definitive action on the most galvanizing issue of our time…
Despite the heartburn this blogsite continues to evoke in our thin-skinned ‘powers that be’ – I plan to keep up this Quixotic pursuit of spouting one man’s jaded opinion on the issues of the day – neither always right nor always wrong.
In my view, when it comes to the intrigues of “Fun Coast” politics and government, we desperately need an alternative opinion, a challenge to the sedating drone of a canned “media release” produced by some “public information” mouthpiece paid handsomely to spin the facts and construct a skewed narrative.
Especially now that our neutered watchdog of a local newspaper continues its transformation into a poor man’s Zagat’s guide…
While limiting public meetings to six-hours may reduce the Volusia County Council’s time on the hotseat – frustrated residents dealing with the personal and financial devastation of development-induced flooding are not going to stop demanding answers – nor should they.
And it is increasingly clear they are not going to accept the old “bureaucratic two-step” much longer.
For instance, last Thursday, Councilman Don Dempsey hosted a “town hall” in DeLand where outraged flood victims let anyone who would listen know they’re mad as hell, and they aren’t going to take it anymore.
According to an excellent report by WESH-2’s Gail Paschall-Brown:
“Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower was passionate as he spoke to residents who packed this town hall meeting Thursday night in Deland.
But he was preaching to a choir of folks who are sick and tired of being forced out of their homes or losing their livelihood due to floodwaters caused by recent hurricanes, relentless rains and development.
“There’s plenty of flooding, and with the development they’re trying to approve now going in, it’s only going to get monumentally worse,” Volusia County resident Mitch Adams said.
“We can’t continue to make those decisions and call it progress. We have to stop doing the things we know that are causing the problems,” Brower said.
The audience applauded.”
Most telling, according to the report, Volusia County’s Public Works Director Ben Bartlett fell back on Volusia County’s tired modus operandi of procrastination and bureaucratic foot-dragging – putting time and distance between the heat of the moment and what comes next.
“What are some typical solutions you might see to come out of these studies? The first one is a traditional stormwater system, stormwater ponds to store the water during the event, gravity conveyance system to bring the water to the pond, and then some sort of gravity system with a positive outfall to take the water away,” Benjamin Bartlett said.
In my view, at the dawn of 2025, if Volusia County’s highly compensated Public Works Director, Growth and Resource Mismanagement Director, or any of County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald’s senior coterie of incompetents still need more timewasting studies and analysis to address rampant flooding across the width and breadth of our region – we truly are in trouble…
I’ve said this ad nauseum, but rather than confront the elephant in the room, our elected dullards stumble about in some stupor of conceit – unable to comprehend that We, The Little People are smart enough to understand that giving those inept senior officials who got us into this damnable infrastructure and flooding quagmire more time and money to figure a “solution” is the very definition of civic insanity.
That’s the uncomfortable truth no one in a position of power wants to address.
“What elephant?” indeed…
No elected official who genuinely cares about the real needs of their long-suffering constituents should expect us to forgive, forget, and hand over more of our hard-earned money to those who have proven unworthy of our sacred trust.
In my view, it’s time we began that difficult discussion.
Volusia County. Lowering the bar since 1854…
That’s all for me. Have a great weekend, y’all!
Dear Barker’s View Readers:
Earlier this week my family suffered the tragic loss of a sweet and caring young man, taken from those who loved him far too soon. I want to extend my deep appreciation for everyone who has kept my family in your thoughts.
But I am not seeking your sympathy. I want your help in preventing this far too frequent tragedy.
Year after year, the “Fun Coast” marks one of the highest suicide rates in the state. Last year, a shocking 119 people took their lives here in Volusia County – a grim statistic that equates to immeasurable loss for so many left behind.
This Holiday Season if you are experiencing depression, mental health issues, substance abuse, feelings of hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, or know someone who is suffering, please reach out for help.
Confidential assistance is available by calling or texting the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 – or at www.988lifeline.org – veterans can call 988 and press 1.
“It isn’t weak to ask for help. It’s like using a flashlight when you’re lost in the dark.”
It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life or detracted from it in some significant way…
Volusia County Council: Public Policy by Ambush. Again.
In my jaded view, the arrogance of ignorance that permeates the Volusia County Council is rooted in the fact our elected officials refuse to listen to the concerns of anyone other than those entrenched pseudo “experts” on the senior staff – and their uber-wealthy political benefactors – even as our community begs to be heard on the myriad issues facing the “Fun Coast.”
Look, we all understand that when we enter the halls of power at that Citadel of Self-importance that is the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building, the rules-are-the-rules, and they are inviolate.
For We, The Little People, anyway…
Rather than demonstrate a modicum of respect for the opinions and suggestions of taxpayers who come to DeLand and provide substantive input – our elected dullards openly ignore them – sitting in stone-faced silence atop the dais of power – subliminally communicating they could give two-shits about our concerns – refusing to offer answers, engage, or even acknowledge their constituents’ physical presence in the chamber.
Them’s the rules, folks…
Of course, the rules change whenever our wholly compromised elected officials want to indulge the frequent ploy of “Public Policy by Ambush” – voting on critical issues and changing established protocols that directly affect our lives and livelihoods on the fly – usually at the end of a meeting when most have left the chamber or video feed, strategically leaving the details off the printed agenda to prevent even the possibility of contention or public input.
As always, these subjective “rules” are different depending upon which side of the dais you’re sitting on – and that breeds frustration, animosity, and anger – perpetuating the persistent “trust issue” that continues to hamstring civic and economic progress in Volusia County.
Last month, we witnessed another contentious meeting with nearly three-hours of emotional testimony from flood victims who gathered in the chamber and an overcapacity holding room to participate in the scheduled discussion of a temporary moratorium on future development until low impact development rules can be set.
In keeping with the script, Councilman David “No Show” Santiago pulled one of his patented parliamentary mini-moves and acted to postpone a discussion of countywide flooding – the most serious threat to the public’s health and safety in our time – giving his handlers in the real estate development industry sixty more days to ramrod fill-and-build development…
That didn’t sit well with soggy flood victims fed up with the bureaucratic runaround.
So, just after midnight on November 20, District 3 Councilman Danny “Gaslight” Robins decided his fellow council members were exhausted after nine-hours of ignoring citizens and rubber stamping a choreographed agenda, and suggested they vote to limit public meetings to just six-hours…
Councilman Danny Robins
Do you think his “suggestion” was decided upon in advance – or did Mr. Robins’ just pull that bright idea out of his ass?
Doing his best hipster impression, Councilman Robins said, “I’m down with nighttime meetings, but sometimes nothing good comes after certain times, like 10,11.”
Although he readily accepts $49,000 of our tax dollars annually, apparently, Mr. Robins isn’t “down” with devoting himself to the people’s business if it takes more than 12-hours a month…
Bullshit.
According to a recent article in the Ormond Beach Observer announcing the change, Councilman Robins “…added that the council often has to make decisions on agenda items that cost the county millions of dollars, and often times, council members have been up as early as 4 in the morning. Robins also mentioned staff members and the public who have to stay up late with them and go to work early the next morning.”
Awww, poor widdle things…
For the record, there are law enforcement officers, first responders, and others providing essential services throughout Volusia County who routinely work 12-hour shifts – everyday – physical, dangerous, and mentally taxing work – never once complaining that they are required to get up early or go to bed late in service to their community.
This legislative shim-sham has nothing to do with “Gaslight” Robins’ bedtime…
It’s just another tactic the stagnant “Old Guard” can use to further drag their well-worn heels in a paralytic ploy to keep kicking the hard issues down the dusty trail – and prevent Chaiman Brower from bringing laborious problems like, oh, massive development-induced flooding to the agenda.
No time for that now.
But it wasn’t all about silencing Mr. Brower – “No Show” Santiago targeted those of us pay the bills as well.
According to the Observer, “County Councilman David Santiago suggested also reducing the time for the public to speak from the customary three minutes for efficiency purposes when the council is discussing topics that bring a lot of public participation.
“I don’t think we should stop anybody from talking, but considering limiting that time a little bit more for efficiency purposes,” Santiago said. “… We do it in the Legislature all the time.”
Guess what, Mr. Santiago? You’re not in Tallahassee anymore (unless you’re still shilling for the insurance industry?) We, The Little People of Volusia County are demanding you stop the strategic procrastination, roll-up your sleeves, and find answers to the disastrous effects of the malignant overdevelopment you continue to lobby for behind the scenes.
There you have it.
Per usual, limiting meetings to six-hours without thinking the issue through resulted in another shambolic meeting on Tuesday as votes were taken to extend the meeting – it was silly and disorganized (just as Danny Robins planned) – and resulted in another opportunity for Councilman Jake Johansson to take a swipe at Chairman Brower, admonishing his failure to “…manage our own frigging meeting.”
Of course, at the end of the day, Johansson got to stage one of his petty melodramas, while important items like the County Manager and County Attorney’s annual performance evaluations were pushed to a date uncertain due to the new time limitation that has now resulted in a backlog of important action items right out of the starting gate.
On Wednesday we learned that “Jake the Snake” wants to bring his marionette show to the Florida Senate in 2026, announcing his intention to run against former state Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff when the reprehensible state Sen. “Terrible” Tommy Wright’s two-term run comes to a long-awaited end…
How could Jake possibly endure those long and strenuous Senate sessions?
Whatever.
The fact is this Council’s clockwatching mediocrity, persistent lack of definitive solutions, and near-constant reluctance to do anything of substance is becoming a huge concern to weary taxpayers – and with flooding now becoming too widespread to ignore – the pleas of waterlogged victims are quickly becoming a political liability.
So, they try and limit their exposure with an arbitrary stopwatch…
In my view, what is being perpetrated from the dais of power in DeLand is nothing short of official malfeasance and gross neglect of duty – and limiting meeting times while allowing County Manager Recktenwald and his inept senior coterie to openly bullshit and coddle anxious residents about all the things they are doing to mitigate flooding in the face of massive citizen pushback is Exhibit A.
Do you think that gross deception will be reflected in Mr. Recktenwald’s evaluation?
Trust me. History will not be kind to these compromised shysters. Nor should it.
Volusia County School Board
In September, following a tumultuous period for Volusia County Schools, the former iteration of the School Board left a parting insult to students, teachers, and staff by gifting Superintendent Carmen Balgobin a glowing performance evaluation.
That set the stage for ‘what comes next.’
Superintendent Balgobin
Although this information was only recently made available on the School Board’s upcoming agenda, I have it on good authority that in the leadup to the November election, lame duck Board President Jamie Haynes surreptitiously negotiated a new four-year contract with Superintendent Balgobin in preparation for the expiration of her current agreement next summer.
You read that right.
As I understand it, Balgobin’s new contract will include goodies like a $25,000 increase in her already obscene salary (about the median income of 20% of Volusia County’s strapped population) bringing the Superintendent’s annual haul to $280,000; a $500 monthly medical stipend, unlimited use of her car at our expense, a 20-week severance, etc., etc., etc.
In my view, with teacher pay increases stagnant at 2-3%, most of the district staff on one-year contracts, the hemorrhage of qualified personnel continuing, teachers displaced, electives cancelled, enrichment programs cut, lack of transparency, not-so-veiled nepotism, the Osceola Elementary debacle that still stings with Ormond Beach officials and residents, the Balgobin administration’s ham-handed failure to plan for the end of Covid relief funds, draconian diktats, etc. – in my view, the board’s grossly padded evaluation (“Proficient”?) and outrageous proposed pay increase represents a swift kick in the teeth to stakeholders and Volusia County taxpayers.
It’s no secret that under Balgobin’s unique brand of “leadership,” the prior School Board lost all credibility with those it exists to serve – just one reason newly elected members Donna Brosemer and Krista Goodrich were tapped by voters to cut the dead wood and affect positive change.
Unfortunately, until our newly elected members can get up to speed, the bloated Balgobin administration will remain a rudderless ship of fools – cluelessly blundering from one high-profile gaffe to another – the tail constantly wagging the dog.
In my view, now is the time for our reconstituted School Board to give Superintendent Balgobin proper notice that her contract is in jeopardy – as required by the terms of her current agreement – set reasonable performance metrics and tie any increase in her salary and benefits to those received by rank-and-file instructional personnel.
In my view, that is fair, equitable, and grossly generous given the circumstances teachers, students, and staff continue to endure.
The Volusia County School Board will hold a Workshop/Work Session on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 12:30 p.m., followed by a regular School Board meeting beginning at 4:30 p.m.
This one should be interesting…
Port Orange Councilman Lance Green
Call me callous, but I never feel sorry for powerful elected officials who get themselves in a trick bag due to their own stupid mistakes and proclivities.
In times past, the antidote for self-inflicted personal and political humiliation was to quietly apologize then step aside. Because admitting a mistake, having the moral courage to accept responsibility, and do what is necessary to preserve the dignity of the office is important to restoring the public’s trust in our system of governance.
Not anymore.
On Tuesday evening, Port Orange residents looked on as Mayor Scott Stiltner, Councilman Shawn Goepfert, and Councilman Lance Green, took the solemn Oath of Office to assume their vital role as keepers of the public trust – the normal transition of power following a municipal election.
Councilman Lance Green
What made the evening devastatingly abnormal was that Councilman Lance Green is currently under a foul cloud – facing criminal prosecution for driving under the influence, DUI with property damage, and obstructing an officer without violence – following a September traffic crash at Williamson Boulevard and Taylor Road.
According to a report by Frank Fernandez writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal following then Councilman-elect Green’s arrest, we learned:
“A traffic camera video released after his arrest for DUI appears to show newly elected Port Orange Councilman Lance Green getting out of the driver’s seat of his pickup after it rear-ended another pickup, then walking around and getting in the passenger seat.
Green, who was with his wife, then claimed to police that she was driving.
The crash led to Green’s arrest 10 days after he won a seat on the Port Orange City Council, on which he would begin serving in December.”
Then, things went from bad to embarrassingly worse…
According to reports, while being questioned at the scene, Mrs. Green was captured on an officer’s body worn camera uttering the six words guaranteed to expose any self-important politician/spouse as the egomaniacal heels they are:
“Do you know who we are?”
Yeah. I know…
During Tuesday’s meeting, former Port Orange Fire Chief Ken Fustin – a personal hero of mine after he was publicly sacrificed on the altar of political expediency for courageously opposing the bullying and arrogance of Volusia County’s senior Public Protection staff – spoke in support of Councilman Green.
According to a News-Journal report this week, Fustin said, “Lance and his wife, Susie, made an unfortunate mistake that affected their reputation in this community,” Fustin said. “I can honestly and sincerely relate to the humiliation and criticizing they have publicly endured since that episode.”
Fustin pointed to the state statute that allows for a recall vote after 25% of an elected official’s term has expired.
“Personally, I think it will be yesterday’s news one year from now, and the citizens will hopefully be grateful for what Lance brings to the table,” Fustin added.
I disagree with Chief Fustin.
In my view, the good citizens of Port Orange should not have to hold their nose for a year (or more) as newly minted Councilman Green’s criminal charges wind their way through the judicial system – waiting for the other shoe to drop, hoping time and distance dilute the gravity and civic discomfiture of his behavior – while his constituents continue to question the character, veracity, and stability of their newly elected representative now perched on the dais of power.
The result is a tragic loss of institutional trust – something we are beginning to see reflected everywhere – a time when we naturally expect that our politicians are compromised scoundrels, liars, cheats, or worse – and no personal, professional, or political conduct seems out of bounds.
In retirement, I relish my role as an inveterate drunk and inappropriate asshole – something I consider just deserts after a lifetime in municipal government service – where I tried hard every day to uphold the moral obligation of keeping one’s public and private life unsullied and avoiding even the appearance of impropriety.
As Chief Fustin knows that is something easier said than done – but the personal responsibility of those who hold positions of trust.
Not anymore. Apparently, now anything goes…
I fear that falling expectations and the resultant loss of trust will have irreparable impacts on our system of governance.
Hell, it already has.
By accepting the sacred oath while under criminal prosecution for personal misconduct, I believe Councilman Green perpetuated that grim downward spiral.
While I appreciate Chief Fustin’s instinct to stand for a friend, in my view, it is important that we fight hard to ensure Councilman Green’s unfortunate situation remains the exception – not the accepted norm.
Quote of the Week
“On the county’s east side, Halifax Urban Ministries normally coordinates with churches to get people out of the cold for a few nights. But the churches that normally step up and offer that help were not able to offer space on short notice, Halifax Urban Ministries Executive Director Buck James said Monday.
Providing overnight shelter requires finding volunteers, getting food, and offering blankets and other bedding if possible.
Daytona Beach’s First Step Shelter will move people staying in its outdoor safe zone into the First Step building, but will not be able to accommodate others seeking a warm place for the night.
“We are always a cold weather shelter, but we are limited in what we can do,” said First Step Shelter Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg. “Because we only have one person who will be here overnight, we’ll be limited to having the people in the safe zone inside.”
–Journalist Eileen Zaffiro-Keen, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “It’s going to be chilly, but shelter for those without places to stay is available,” Monday, December 2, 2024
It’s hard to believe that almost ten-years have passed since a ragtag horde of homeless people moved from the shadows of society and prominently encamped at a former county administration building on Beach Street after the City of Daytona Beach closed restroom facilities and removed benches from Manatee Island Park.
The city’s action was nothing new; however, the well organized and unanticipated response was eye-opening – and has had a lasting impact on the way we view homelessness.
The park closing was just business as usual – the furtherance of a long-term misguided strategy of doing the same thing over-and-over again while expecting different results.
I know all too well.
During my productive life I dealt with the mercurial homeless “problem” for years in much the same way. One mistake compounding another…
The equal and opposite reaction to law enforcement’s decades-long policy of institutional humiliation as a means of “controlling” the homeless population put the issue front-and-center that cold December of 2015, when ambulatory drunks, psychotic vagrants, the sick, lame, and crazy – unfortunate souls who long-ago fell through the gaping voids in our limited civic and social services – crawled out of the relative obscurity of the palmetto scrub and into the public eye.
That very visible demonstration proved that there is nothing like 80 or 90 homeless people bedding down and relieving themselves on the sidewalk in front of a public building to bring attention to the countless issues that contribute to homelessness – and government’s historic unwillingness to address it…
In the decade since we came face-to-face with the “problem,” you and I still encounter the homeless across the width and breadth of Volusia County daily – all while various programs continue to complete for scarce funding.
In 2017, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry sold Volusia County taxpayers on what was then described as a 24-hour 7-day a week come-as-you-are “low barrier” shelter. That became something of a bait-and-switch letdown as what we were promised transitioned into the enigmatic (and incredibly expensive) program called First Step Shelter – something of a publicly funded invitation only “transitional homeless shelter” constructed on city owned land off International Speedway Boulevard.
If you ask the First Step’s misguided Board of Directors, they will readily look you in the eye and gush about what a rousing success the program has been – despite the heartbreaking scenes we see outside our windshield – or the swept under the rug ugliness and internal dysfunction we all read about in the funny papers…
Frankly, with temperatures dipping into the upper 30’s this week, I’m tired of arguing about it.
While I continue to bitch and moan over whatever First Step Shelter is or isn’t, the day-to-day needs of those who remain unsheltered and on the streets are quietly being met by programs such as Halifax Urban Ministries, The Bridge in DeLand, the Jewish Federation’s Jerry Doliner Food Bank, and other faith based nonprofit organizations dedicated to addressing the urgent necessities of those less fortunate while seeking grassroot solutions to the growing problem of homelessness and food insecurity in Volusia County.
As some of the coldest weather of the season descended this week, it became clear that the need for warming areas and overnight shelters far outweighed current resources as many social service providers were caught without adequate staff, space, food, or bedding to provide for those exposed to the elements.
During this season of giving, I hope you will consider one of the many impactful programs working hard to provide for those less fortunate in Volusia County.
“Sweaty America-Last RINO Randy Fine is a borderline criminal, who has ethics charges currently pending against him, was recently sentenced to “anger management classes” by a respected Florida judge, and is one of the most corrupt and despicable people to ever hold an office in Florida. He also called Governor DeSantis an “anti-Semite.”
His voting record is worse: RINO Randy Fine voted for the biggest tax increase in Florida history, the largest gun-control bill in Florida history, filed bills to create more woke “Hate Speech” laws, endorsed AGAINST Trump before flip-flopping, & dozens of other very bad bills. (He also used to privately trash Donald Trump to me and many others while we were supporting Trump in the Florida Legislature.)
He is sociopath with no integrity—which is why the Florida Commission on Ethics has already found probable cause for current the charges against him.
I’ve heard several names of VERY solid people who are considering getting in the race who I will be happy to help to the utmost of my ability as the Chairman of the Lake County Republican Party, as I know our party will endorse against Fine (he is despised here). We don’t need more RINOs in Congress.”
–Lake County Commissioner and former Florida Representative Anthony Sabatini (R) writing on X to announce he will not be running to replace Michael Waltz in the April 1 Congressional District 6 special election, Tuesday, November 26, 2024
As someone who spent the bulk of my adult life as a registered Republican, I understand the savagery of partisan politics and the obligatory public disembowelment of one’s opponent – especially those from the opposing party.
Just one reason I am now a confirmed No Party Affiliate.
But the above description of Florida Senator-elect Randy Fine came from Anthony Sabatini – a veteran politician, staunch conservative, and Chair of the Lake County Republican Party…
I suspect President-elect Donald Trump knows Randy Fine about as well as he knows me.
Because if he did, I can’t believe President Trump would endorse this bombastic buffoon to represent us here in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. In my view, after following Fine’s tumultuous political career, the only explanation appears to be that party operatives are playing a high-stake chess game in the weeks before Inauguration Day, and Fine’s well played role as a sycophantic opportunist finally paid off…
Like many in Central Florida, I agree with Mr. Sabatini.
In my view, Rep. Fine possesses the political instincts of a broke back snake – and the likeability of a flesh-eating bacterium.
I typically steer clear of national politics in this space, but two years ago, a despicable story oozed out of Brevard County that reminded me of all the reasons I write this blog – the cathartic nature of venting my pickled spleen by pointing a jaundiced finger at ‘The Shit’ – comforted by the faint hope that my neighbors still believe some behavior should be universally reviled, even in the no-holds-barred slit-trench of modern politics.
Simply put, citizens who see the importance of preserving the public’s trust in government should not abide bullying or abuse of position by those we elect to serve our interests – mighty politicians who use their vast power and position to intimidate and punish the defenseless – and don’t give two-shits about the collateral damage.
Unfortunately, Mr. Fine wears those foul traits like a badge of honor.
In 2022, Central Floridians got a disturbing glimpse of his political flexing when the influential Rep. Fine was caught victimizing a Brevard County community after he felt snubbed by, of all things, his failure to receive an engraved invitation to a local fundraiser supporting Special Olympics in West Melbourne.
According to media reports, Rep. Fine got bent out of shape after the West Melbourne Police Department sent a blanket invitation to community leaders – including the Brevard County School Board – seeking participation in a “jail and bail” style fundraiser at an area fast-food restaurant – apparently neglecting to prostrate themselves and humbly beseech Mr. Fine to grace the event with his rotund presence.
What raised Rep. Fine’s wrath was that his long-time political nemesis, former Democratic Brevard School Board member Jennifer Jenkins, had agreed to participate…
Unforgiveable, right?
In a series of texts between Fine and his obsequious toady, West Melbourne City Commissioner John Dittmore – messages later published by media outlets – Rep. Fine threatened to withhold funding for Special Olympics (read that again) and a flood-mitigation project for citizens of West Melbourne…
Over a perceived snub?
In April 2023, Florida’s neutered ethics apparatus found probable cause that Mr. Fine violated state ethics rules when he clearly appeared to threaten funding to the city of West Melbourne.
According to a report by Florida Today, “Fine called the nonpartisan commission a “kangaroo court” and claimed its findings were politically motivated because the decision went against the recommendations of its investigator, whose staff recommended no probable cause.”
Most recently, earlier this year, a Brevard County judge held Fine in contempt of court after he was observed making obscene gestures, mouthing curse words, and wearing a campaign T-shirt during a video court hearing last summer.
Rep. Randy Fine (Florida Today)
According to an October 2024 report by Spectrum News 13:
“Screen shots of the hearing — which stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Robert Burns challenging Fine’s inclusion in the race for the Brevard Republican Executive Committee — were included in an order compelling the state representative to explain his actions in court. In the images, Fine can be clearly seen wearing a campaign T-shirt, and multiple screen shots showed him holding up his middle finger in different positions and making an “L” with his fingers on at least three occasions.”
Ultimately, the Judge ordered Fine to complete an eight-hour anger management course.
Of course, this rather benign accountability for his abhorrent behavior during a judicial proceeding sparked the legendary Wrath of Fine – who went on to attack witnesses, made threats to file a complaint with the Florida Bar against the prosecuting attorney, and hurled accusations that the judge engaged in misconduct…
You know, the New Sacred Ethos of the modern politician: Admit nothing. Deny everything. Make counteraccusations…
In my view, none of us are without warts – and the partisan fish camps that hand-select malleable candidates and political meatgrinder that awaits potential servant/leaders is why so few otherwise qualified citizens seek elective service – which increasingly leaves us with the Gumby-like dregs who have lost the human capacity for shame…
Perhaps President-elect Trump’s transition team should revisit the Fine endorsement, vet a capable and competent resident Republican of District 6, and give us long-suffering “Fun Coast” residents something other than another disparaging dilemma at the ballot box as we elect a replacement for the highly respected Mike Waltz in Congress.
Barker's View 