Hi, kids!

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:

Weaponizing Justice in the Lost City of Deltona

The term “lawfare” is defined as a legal action taken as a hostile campaign against an individual or group.  More accurately, the word describes “An attempt to damage or delegitimize an opponent, or to deter an individual’s usage of their legal rights.”

In addition, the legal term SLAPP – strategic lawsuits against public participation – describes legal actions taken with the intention of censoring, intimidating, and silencing vocal critics by burdening them with the cost of a protracted legal defense. 

It appears both of these malicious weapons are now part of the Lost City of Deltona’s growing arsenal of ways to silence dissent, chill public participation, skew the political playing field, and obscure the facts on issues important to longsuffering residents.

In my view, that continuing three-ring clown show presided over by the hapless Mayor Santiago Avila Jr is an abomination. A repugnant affront to the concept of good governance with symptoms indicative of deep-seated dysfunction and a cautionary tale to other municipalities of the fate that awaits apathetic voters who are willing to accept petty corruption and civic mediocrity as business as usual.

As things currently stand, what passes for public participation during regularly scheduled City Commission meetings have been relegated to a television blackout period before the “meeting” is convened.  The input of citizens is omitted from the Deltona TV broadcast, and absent the recordings posted to social media by conscientious residents, participation is now an exercise in futility for those wishing to voice their concerns.

Granted, those Deltona residents who make frequent appearances can be a raucous bunch – engaged citizens not afraid to speak their mind on the issues of the day – or take their elected representatives to the woodshed in a manner that reflects their growing frustration and sense of alienation.

It’s not always pretty. 

The most recent turmoil in a city consumed by it occurred when a group of citizens righteously threatened a lawsuit for alleged sunshine violations after a botched attempt to continue a meeting that was previously cancelled.  According to reports, a large group of citizens planned to speak on an affordable housing project and were under the impression the meeting had been cancelled due to the fact a majority of the elected officials couldn’t (or wouldn’t) attend.

Apparently, at the direction of City Manager Doc Dougherty, the previously cancelled meeting was later called to order (?) with just two commissioners present, ostensibly a ham-handed attempt to continue the discussion of the housing project to a later date without the required notice.

Concerned residents now want the city to readvertise the item with a proper 30-day notice.

Then, earlier this month, Deltona City Attorney Gemma Torcivia requested guidance from the City Commission on whether to commence legal proceedings against Jason Voelz, a somewhat scattered and undecided political candidate who appears to be running for everything from the Florida Senate District 8 seat, to Deltona Mayor, and/or the District 5 Volusia County Council race.

The commission voted 5-1 authorizing Torcivia to prepare a resolution for potential litigation against Mr. Voelz.

His crime?  Speaking his mind on a matter of widespread civic concern…

As I understand it, (and I’m not sure I do) at issue is Mr. Voelz’ vocal concerns about the safety and quality of Deltona’s water utility – which has been a common refrain among residents for years – along with unanswered questions regarding the city’s current permit allowing treated surface and reclaimed water to be injected into the aquifer.

According to Ms. Torcivia, last month Voelz sparked a “panic” for his outspoken allegations regarding the safety of Deltona’s potable water supply.

Apparently, on the evening of January 23, after receiving phone calls from numerous “panicked” residents (really?), the City Attorney took it upon herself to pen a late night “Pre-Suit Notice and Demand for Retraction” – now described as a ‘cease and desist order’ – demanding that Mr. Voelz retract his “false, unprivileged, and defamatory” statements which Torcivia contends resulted in “reputational harm” to the City of Deltona. 

Say what?

Best I can tell, last month, Mr. Voelz appears to have posted information on social media regarding PFAS and PFOS levels – often referred to as “forever chemicals” linked to numerous health and environmental concerns – pollutants that have been identified in Deltona’s drinking water. 

Sounds like a legitimate concern to me.

The Facebook post was under the headline “Bad Water” – accented with a photograph of a tainted glass of brown tap water – and concluded with a request to support the Let Volusia Vote movement to ban potable reuse (‘toilet to tap’) in Volusia County.

It appears Mr. Voelz’ comments didn’t sit well with those pro-development shills in Deltona government who would prefer the deleterious effects of overdevelopment on our collective water supply be kept out of sight and out of mind.

In my view, it is what it is. 

At best, a bald-faced attempt to silence a vocal critic of Deltona’s water supply – at worst, the weaponized use of city resources to besmirch and destroy a citizen and potential political candidate for exercising his First Amendment right to speak his mind on a matter of critical civic concern.

As I interpreted Torcivia’s odd explanation, Mr. Voelz’ comments on Deltona’s water quality were tantamount to screaming “Fire!” in a crowded theater – words intentionally designed to create widespread panic – which would take his post outside the bounds of constitutionally protected speech. 

Bullshit.

In addition, Torcivia opined that since Voelz is a declared candidate for public office, his civic involvement somehow diminishes his right to free and unfettered speech in voicing facts and opinions that may differ with Deltona’s official narrative.

In my view, using the full force and treasure of the Lost City of Deltona to silence a citizen for speaking his truth from the everyman’s soapbox of social media – especially in an age and place where public participation in government is actively being suppressed and hidden from public view – is patently designed to have a chilling effect on anyone else who may dare raise their head (or run for office) against the current clown troupe in charge of that farcical theater of the absurd.

Something tells me Deltona is about to receive an expensive education in the narrow exceptions to the First Amendment and the value our courts have historically placed on the sanctity of free speech.   

Open up your wallets, Deltonians.  Here it comes again… 

Politicians are fond of saying “words have weight” when pushing back on citizen input. That’s true. 

But in a power dynamic where the words of those in power and their obsequious senior staff seem to be the only thoughts that matter, speaking out on matters of collective concern becomes the duty of every citizen.

Regardless, given the shambolic nature of Deltona’s governance over the past, oh, decade, it could be argued that one would have to go a long, long way to cause reputational harm to what is, by any metric, a shit show staged in the bottom of a flaming dumpster… 

Unity in An Age of Division: The Future of Volusia County Hangs in the Balance

I like pithy quotes. 

For instance, the timeless wisdom of Winston Churchill who said, ‘It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations,’ hits close to home. 

Sage advice for an unschooled rube like me. 

I gain knowledge from the words and insight of others. That whole experiential learning thing that says those who refuse to learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them (George Santayana).   

Having graduated Summa Cum Laude from the School of Hard Knocks I can report it’s the most expensive education you can receive…   

Our often imprecise history records that Benjamin Franklin said at the signing of the Declaration of Independence “We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately,” emphasizing the importance of unity, solidarity, collaboration, and cooperation among the American colonies at a time when the Crown was intent on sending our rebellious forefathers to the gallows…    

More likely than not, Ben never said anything of the sort, but what was later found to be an old Flemish proverb is one of those “Franklin-isms” that stuck.  An inspirational line often used during times of conflict, suggesting that discord and divergence from a common goal can have disastrous consequences for the individuals and factions involved.

It’s true.  In matters of politics and governance, there is strength in numbers, especially at the ballot box.

I was reminded of that truism this week watching online spats ignite between dedicated civic activists and grassroots environmentalists who are fighting everything from dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ in our water, widespread flooding, degradation of wetlands, the destruction of sensitive rivers and springs, and the insidious impacts of unchecked growth on our health and quality of life.   

Each with noble and symbiotic goals who now find themselves at odds over how best to address the universal issue of maintaining a clean water supply in a time of disastrous overdevelopment.  

A critical civic issue of concern to all Floridians at a point in our history when greed conquers all and malignant sprawl is destroying our natural resources with the full support of many of those state and local officials that we elected to represent our interests.

Earlier this week, I was disheartened to learn of accusations that Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower – arguably the only friend of the environment on the dais – may have violated Florida’s open records law by blocking critics of his support for “toilet to tap” prohibitions on his social media page.

If so, that’s wrong.  Censorship stifles free expression, and Mr. Brower (of all people) should know that.

It dissolved into name-calling, allegations, and invective on all sides – egged on by those giddy pro-growth shills who have sold their political souls to the development industry – and take immense joy in seeing a diverse coalition of environmental advocacies fall apart. 

“Never interfere with an enemy while he’s in the process of destroying himself.”

–Napoleon Bonaparte

Unfortunately, it appears the wheel came off the slow-the-growth and environmental protection cart just as we enter what will be a heated and hard-fought election season…

Perhaps the infighting was choreographed, or maybe it is merely a sign of the times.  An age when the fabric of our society continues to fray and everyone is polarized by myriad social issues, political ideologies, and lopsided public policy that favors those who can pay-to-play over the needs of many.

All while the bulldozers continue to roar and the smoke from what used to be old-growth hardwood forests now ground into splinters wafts on a foul breeze… 

In my experience, passionate people often disagree due to their unshakable commitment to a cause greater than their own self-interests, the desire to defend their unique solutions to intractable problems and effectively lobby for their cause. In many cases, those healthy debates and the honest competition of ideas lead to positive outcomes through informed public policy.

Unfortunately, that rarely happens here on Florida’s “Fun Coast.”  

One thing I hope we can all agree on: Volusia County has long suffered from a dearth of leadership.

Now, our quality of life – and that of our children and grandchildren – is threatened by abject incompetence, bureaucratic procrastination, and an institutional dedication to the stagnant status quo.

For years, we have put our faith in jackleg perennial politicians – self-absorbed dullards with oversized egos and undersized intellect – who easily succumb to the myth of infallibility that comes from listening exclusively to those pseudo-experts who claw their way to middle management in county government then help control the narrative.    

For what it’s worth, I ask those civic activists and dedicated environmental advocates who have fought so hard for positive change to find common ground.  In my experience, backbiting wastes precious time and energy, undermines the morale of supporters, diverts attention, and ultimately destroys the effectiveness and momentum of a righteous movement to protect our finite natural resources.

Find that common ground.

Stay the course. 

We need your collective energy and activism now, more than ever.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

–Margaret Mead

Quote of the Week

“Deltona is a city with enormous potential. As the largest municipality in Volusia County, it is home to people who work hard, raise families, and want a city government that delivers. Lately, however, too much of our civic life has been consumed by controversy rather than capacity, and that is not sustainable.

Over the past year, the Deltona City Commission and the mayor have been mired in disputes over official travel, winter ball fundraising, and questions of transparency and adherence to policy. A proposed vote of no confidence following a trip to Washington, D.C. became a public spectacle, and recent scrutiny surrounding events associated with city leadership has raised questions about clarity and purpose. At the same time, the city is preparing for difficult but necessary fiscal decisions, including hearings on utility rates that will affect households across Deltona.

This is about governance capacity and professionalism, meaning the ability of institutions to operate consistently, follow clear rules, and maintain public trust.

When disputes over procedure or messaging dominate headlines, they distract from the work that improves daily life. That work includes managing utilities fairly, planning responsibly for growth, and maintaining roads and parks.

Deltona deserves leadership that treats public office as stewardship, not spectacle. That requires investing in institutional stability, strengthening policy frameworks, and communicating clearly with residents about why decisions are made and how they serve the common good.

If Deltona is to reach its potential, its future must be defined by steady competence rather than recurring controversy.”

–Christopher Bellingham, Deltona, Hometown News Volusia, “Deltona needs focused, steady leadership,” Thursday, January 29, 2026

Better watch yourself, fella… 

Voicing an opinion on the Lost City of Deltona is how you get crossways with the ruling junta, which now results in a forcible demand from City Attorney Gemma Torcivia. 

By unilateral edict of the city’s Legal Department, you are now subject to a “cease and desist” gag order and extorted apology – which will no doubt include Torcivia’s draconian interpretation of the limits on your First Amendment right to free and unfettered speech – the expression of civic grievances, and your ability to advocate on issues of widespread concern without fear of retaliation. 

Since we’re on the topic of inspirational quotes, here’s another favorite of mine:

“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.”

— President Harry S. Truman

And Another Thing!

When I was a little kid, whenever my grandparents would drive down from Tennessee for a visit, they would take my sister and I to Daytona’s famous Boardwalk for rounds of Goofy Golf, Ski Ball, and a lovely day at the beach. 

It was a time when you could conveniently drive and park on the beach, long before ugly poison poles and sign pollution blocked access to the strand, and the enticing sights and smells were ocean air, cotton candy, footlong corndogs, and saltwater taffy.   

In those days, a common sight in Boardwalk arcades was the “Dancing Chicken,” a coin operated amusement consisting of a brightly painted box containing a live chicken.  For a dime, the box would light up and the chicken would emerge, scratching around a small dancefloor, “dancing,” for the customer’s entertainment.

Following the performance, the chicken would pull a small ring with their beak and be rewarded with feed pellets.  When the reedy song stopped, the lights went out, and the star of the show sauntered back to its coop, waiting patiently for the next sucker to approach with a shiny dime.     

It was always less spectacular than you thought it was going to be.  You were out a dime, and the only ones getting fat were the chicken and the unseen carnival huckster who owned it. 

I was reminded of the give-and-take of that old sideshow amusement this week. 

Last week in this space, I vented my spleen on the Volusia County Council of Cowards’ suspicious refusal to allow Volusia County residents the opportunity to vote for a charter amendment on the issue of potable reuse.

The disgusting practice of “supplementing” our drinking water with treated sewage by pushing it directly to the tap or injecting it into our underground source water.

The idea of prohibiting the practice before it comes to Volusia County has been the focus of civic activist Greg Gimbert and his clean water advocacy Let Volusia Vote for years.  In the lead up to the county vote, Mr. Gimbert made a whirlwind tour of Volusia County asking for the support of municipalities (who control the majority of regional water utilities) for similar potable reuse prohibitions.

Earlier this month, by a 4-3 majority vote of Councilmen “No Show” Santiago, Danny “Gaslight” Robins, Jake Johansson, and Matt Reinhart, the Volusia County Council shot down the charter amendment and a proposed county ordinance that would have proactively prevented the use of treated effluent as an alternative water source in Volusia County’s unincorporated service area.

In my view, it wasn’t a panacea to all the threats facing our water supply, but it seemed like a good start to allow residents to vote on a matter of civic concern.

My pointed views on the abject cowardice of our county representatives clearly struck a nerve with Councilman David “No Show” Santiago – a techy perennial politician – who casually labels anyone who disagrees with him a “liar” with an ulterior motive.

Last week, he balled up his little fists, stomped his tiny feet, and threw one of his patented gaslighting tantrums on social media; screaming counteraccusations, personally denigrating Gimbert and his Let Volusia Vote, while demanding “proof” that Volusia County has immediate plans to use potable reuse. 

Everyone is aware that the county’s water utility has no current plans to implement potable reuse or aquifer storage of reclaimed water. The push by Mr. Gimbert and Let Volusia Vote was for a preemptive ban on the practice.    

Regardless, Santiago is a master of the insidious manipulation of “facts” that has become popular with certain members of the Volusia County Council – such as demanding someone prove something that everyone knows does not yet exist.  

In his cheap ploy to (once again) paint civic activists as liars and frauds, Santiago intentionally ignored the fact that potable reuse is currently being touted by state environmental authorities as a means of accommodating more growth by exceeding the finite limits of our natural resources with “alternative water sources” to meet the greed-crazed needs of the development industry.

The Florida Potable Reuse Committee (that’s a thing) has called recycled water the “future of Florida,” and the Florida Department of Environmental Destruction has made it clear that potable reuse – recycled treated sewage – will be an alternative drinking water source for public utilities across the state.

At present, potable reuse is being tried on an experimental basis by the City of Altamonte Springs through their pureALTA project, the City of Daytona Beach previously evaluated the concept, and the City of Deltona holds a permit allowing surface and reclaimed water to be injected into the aquifer.

Even closer to home, Mr. Santiago strategically failed to mention that Volusia County’s own Comprehensive Plan (7.1.8.8) specifically states in its Potable Water Element:

“Volusia County, in partnership with SJRWMD (St Johns River Water Management District) and other utility service providers, shall pursue development of an alternative water supply source or sources to meet the projected demand of the Central Springs/East Central Florida Regional Water Supply Plan.”

A quick review of the Central Springs/East Central Florida Regional Water Supply Plan (2020-2040) finds:

“Although direct potable reuse (DPR) is not currently providing potable supply in SJRWMD, DPR methods have been tested and found to be successful in Florida. Once statewide DPR guidelines are developed, several utilities are expected to move forward with implementation of DPR to meet a portion of their water demand.”

The ordinance and charter amendment pushed by Let Volusia Vote were preventative – the exercise of caution and foresight to protect current and future generations from the unknown effects of drinking recycled treated sewage merely to accommodate the profit motives of insatiable developers – and putting trust in the voters of Volusia County.  

Unfortunately, potable reuse is just one of the myriad hazards to the quality and quantity of our water supply, environment, and quality of life.

Yet bought-and-paid-for politicians at all levels of government continue to facilitate slash-and-burn land clearing to allow more, more, more density and sprawl, which makes it clear to most that direct potable reuse is coming to a tap near you… 

In the meantime, like that Dancing Chicken of yore, Santiago will continue to squawk, peacock, and preen when protecting the mercenary interests of those uber-wealthy developers who drop a dime in his campaign account, feed his political ambitions, then watch him perform on demand. 

That’s all for me.  Have a great 85^th Annual Daytona Beach Bike Week, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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:

Daytona Beach: Mayor Derrick Henry is a Disgrace…

The axiom “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” is often used to exemplify the no-win paradox faced by law enforcement officers.  Human beings providing a vitally important service where all possible actions will conceivably result in a negative outcome, criticism, or blame.

That’s especially true in an age where police officers have become punching bags (literally and figuratively), dehumanized forms in uniform who are expected to absorb the verbal and physical blows of an increasingly uncivil society.

I was reminded of that unfortunate reality last week when Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry – a perennial politician with a victim mentality and chip on his shoulder – used a traffic stop involving his wife as a flashpoint to take the stage, stoke discord, and denigrate the men and women of his city’s police department.

In an arrogant post-midnight rant, Mayor Henry suggested that the benign stop and impairment check was somehow indicative of systemic racism – insinuating the two-officer unit that conducted the stop, and a sheriff’s deputy who stopped to assist, is somehow evidence of “over-policing in Black and Brown communities.”

Bullshit.

Although Mayor Henry wasn’t there (he was on the phone with his wife during the encounter) he was somehow able to determine the stop was “unnecessary,” “questionable,” “frivolous,” and did not warrant a “sobriety test.”

After his wife received a verbal warning for an improper turn and went on her way, Mayor Henry took to social media to (per usual) paint himself as the victim in one of his egotistical passive-aggressive screeds.  Instead, in a pique of arrogance, the mayor exposed just how little he knows (or cares) about the very real threats faced by law enforcement officers today:

“Two police units and one sheriff responded. Three officers for this type of stop is absurd. Having flashlights pointed into your car, as if they were searching for drugs, does not lend itself to a friendly or routine encounter. It felt excessive and intimidating.

I am truly thankful for the professional tone the officers maintained, and I am appreciative of the onlookers who stood nearby and monitored the incident.

But what troubles me most is that for many in that neighborhood, this is routine.

That is the larger issue. Over policing in Black and Brown communities is real. When multiple units respond to minor or questionable stops, it creates unnecessary tension and increases the risk of escalation.”

Turning a minor traffic stop into an overblown indictment of policing in diverse communities, Mayor Henry thundered on, besmirching the good name and solid reputation of the Daytona Beach Police Department for having the temerity to stop his wife.  

“I was not happy hearing my wife go through this, but I was even more concerned about how many others experience this regularly. I stand with those who live with this every day, and I call for an end to over policing in Daytona Beach and beyond.

Our community deserves safety without intimidation.”

Using exaggerated accusations and power plays to an end is nothing new for Mayor Henry – or his wife – and this is not the first time I have expressed my thoughts on the arrogance of power and the suggestion of political privilege by those with elected honorifics. 

One of the trappings of high office is that those who hold them naturally expect to be treated differently that Joe and Jane Lunchpail (read: the rest of us…).

Those of us who live in the real-world understand that when we commit a traffic infraction in the presence of a law enforcement officer we may be stopped, issued a citation or warning, and hopefully use the experience to correct our driving habits.

That’s called enforcement and accountability in deterring unsafe driving behaviors and enhancing public safety in the community.  

The concept applies to everybody. 

In my view, the mayor publicly disparaged the Daytona Beach Police Department as a coercive and intimidating message to any officer who may have the misfortune to encounter another member of the Henry family in the line of duty.  

Disgraceful…

On Wednesday evening, apparently realizing the controversy his callous rant ignited in the community, Mayor Henry concluded the City Commission meeting with a longwinded campaign speech – still forgiving his comments as those of a husband rather than mayor (?) – and, in my view, did nothing to unite residents affected by his divisive comments, reassure members of law enforcement, or accept responsibility for his insinuations.

It was exactly the type of face-saving blather and fluff Mayor Henry’s constituents have come to expect through innumerable previous bruhahas and blunders…

Kudos to Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young for his courage and transparency in addressing Mayor Henry’s baseless accusations, standing firm for his officers and staff, and reassuring the citizens he serves that his department’s enforcement efforts are never race-based and always predicated by individual behavior and the law.

Perhaps Mayor Henry should put the same effort and passion into solving the myriad issues facing his city’s shambolic administration – to include ongoing allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse that have resulted in widespread embarrassment, citizen speculation, and a pending state audit of city finances.

Better yet, Mayor Henry’s latest midnight meltdown should be the catalyst for a unifying change of elected leadership in this challenged community.  

Perhaps now is the time for Mayor Henry to end his fourteen-year reign of mediocrity, step aside, and allow the longsuffering citizens and business owners of Daytona Beach the strong civic vision, unifying leadership, and responsible stewardship they expect and deserve.

Volusia County Council of Cowards: Refusal to Address ‘Toilet to Tap’ is a Slap in the Face

I’m just another dull-witted rube making my way in a world gone crazy. 

Trying desperately to make sense of the absurd and holding tight to a few remaining core beliefs, grasping desperately for stability amidst the chaos.  With my hopes for our future dwindling, I don’t expect much from those institutions we once put our faith in at a time when it seems the dominant theme in our civic lives is overwhelming mistrust and widespread disillusionment.  

But I still believe that the foundational principle of a functioning democracy is the ability of We, The Little People to vote our conscience on issues of mutual concern and change our elected representation when they put the wants of a few over the needs of many.    

Sound familiar?

On Tuesday evening I dejectedly watched another example of politicians putting the greed-crazed wants of those they are politically beholden to over the very real concerns of their claustrophobic constituents on an issue that should have been an easy call – a universal no-brainer – in giving anxious residents a say in protecting their drinking water.

Call me crazy, but I don’t want my grandchildren forced to drink their own recycled sewage to facilitate the profit motives of some speculative developer intent on paving over every square inch of Florida for more zero-lot-line wood frame cracker boxes “starting in the $300’s.”  

The disgusting idea of ‘toilet to tap,’ or its more palatable moniker “potable reuse,” as the Florida Department of Environmental Destruction pronounces it, refers to the process of augmenting our drinking water with treated wastewater or directly injecting it into the aquifer. 

According to the state’s pseudo-environmentalists, it’s all about accommodating more, more, more demand as the bulldozers continue to roar:

“There is a growing demand for water supply in Florida. As our population continues to increase, so will the demand for clean, potable water, and to meet those demands, we will need find and develop additional sources of water (Florida DEP). 

Rather than respect natural limiters to growth, bureaucrats in Tallahassee and beyond have been given marching orders to experiment with ways to fool Mother Nature – engineering “scientific processes” they hope will allow developers to exceed our finite resources by recycling human waste.  

On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council of Cowards sold the potential health and safety of your grandchildren and mine on the altar of greed – crushing the fervent hopes of residents who sought both a county ordinance and ballot language for a charter amendment to forever prohibit the use of “blackwater” to supplement drinking water in the county’s unincorporated service areas.  

During a lengthy discussion (that had the feel of a scripted and well-choreographed arthouse production) those compromised shills on the dais trotted out every possible argument for denying Volusia County residents the opportunity to vote for a charter amendment banning ‘toilet to tap.’

The excuses ran the gamut from “This is a solution in search of a problem!,” “We have no plans to develop a potable reuse program at this time,” “let someone else deal with it in the future,” to “Let’s keep kissing the sizeable asses of our benevolent overseers in Tallahassee, don’t make waves, and go along and get along,” fearful that proactively protecting our drinking water would provoke the wrath of state legislators and regulatory agencies…

Of course, Councilman David “No Show” Santiago engaged in his tiresome histrionics, claiming Chairman Brower was guilty of “misstatements,” and labeling the entire effort by the grassroots advocacy Let Volusia Vote a “con game.”

Which is rich, coming from the original political grifter…

According to an article by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer this week:

“Volusia has zero plans to do this,” Councilman David Santiago said. “Don’t be fooled by what you’re seeing in social media that that’s what we’re doing. It is a con game as it pertains to Volusia County.”

A toilet to tap ban, Santiago said, is a “county solution looking for a county problem.” Additionally, the county only controls 7% of total utilities in Volusia; municipalities control the majority. A charter amendment that only pertains to 7% of users would be a “disservice” to the county residents, some of whom might believe this would impact their city utilities.

“You walk up to the average Joe and you say, ‘Do you want to drink poopy water?’ Of course, they’re going to tell you, no,” Councilman David Santiago said. “That’s a pretty easy statement to come up here to the dais and say, ‘People don’t like this.'”

From one ‘average Joe’ to another, that’s Santiago’s arrogant way of saying Volusia County voters are too stupid to even be given the opportunity to vote… 

At the end of the day, what passed for a public hearing was a typical exercise in bought-and-paid-for hacks running interference for their campaign sugar daddies in the development industry – asking prearranged questions with a stern face – then letting those highly paid marionettes and fixers they call “experts” in the senior executive ranks tell them exactly what they wanted to hear.

After the obligatory posturing, preening, spit-pats, and tut-tutting – Councilmen Jake Johansson, David “No Show” Santiago, Danny “Gaslight” Robins, and Matt Reinhart – voted against our right to vote on an issue of collective concern. In folding like cheap lawn chairs, the majority refused to send a strong message to the cities and state or proactively address ‘toilet to tap’ as an anticipatory means of protecting the health and safety of Volusia County consumers.

Damnable cowards…

Once again, Volusia’s Old Guard successfully defended the status quo, crushing our ability to have a substantive say on a critical issue when they believe the personal/profit motives of their political donors are threatened by the demands of their long-suffering constituents.  

In my view, the motives and collusion of the majority of the Volusia County Council and the mercenary special interests who underwrite their political ambitions are now impossible to ignore.   

With Tuesday’s vote to suppress the citizens right to vote on another issue of collective concern (remember the beach driving fight when Volusia County sued us with our own money?), the Volusia County Council has lost its legitimacy as a governing body as these sullied sellouts expose themselves as the dull tools they are.

I cannot guarantee that things will change if we elect the current slate of grassroot candidates who have pledged to support initiatives that slow out-of-control growth, set commonsense environmental regulations, and protect those conservation areas we were once assured would be kept safe from development in perpetuity.

But I can assure you nothing will change if we don’t.

As Thomas Jefferson said, “The government we elect is the government we deserve,” and Volusia County residents deserve better…

Quote of the Week

“Within months of Gov. Ron DeSantis handpicking him as Florida’s new attorney general last winter, James Uthmeier landed a lucrative side gig: a $100,000-a-year teaching assignment at University of Florida’s law school for just two hours of instruction per week.

The former DeSantis aide’s paycheck makes him the highest-paid adjunct professor at UF’s Levin College of Law in at least a quarter century, according to compensation records dating back to 1997. His salary is eight times higher than what the median law school adjunct earns, and comes as the DeSantis administration leans on Florida’s 40 public universities and colleges to justify their spending practices.

Since August, Uthmeier has been moonlighting in the classroom on Monday evenings. The attorney general — a political lightning rod with relatively few academic credentials — lectured 27 law students last fall in an upper-level course examining, among other things, “the implications of executive overreach,” according to syllabi. This spring, he’s leading a 15-student seminar on constitutional law.

The seminar syllabus touts his credentials as Florida’s top legal official, promising students that “Professor Uthmeier will highlight real-life examples of separation of powers and federalism at work.”

Uthmeier’s adjunct job isn’t unusual; attorneys general around the country have taken on part-time instructional roles at state universities. But the pay — for a job that typically pays a few thousand dollars per course — is raising eyebrows in the legal community.

“Somebody needs to justify the Florida attorney general getting $100,000 a year to teach,” said Joseph DeMaria, a Miami attorney and longtime adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law. “It’s a hell of an eye opener.”

Combined with his attorney general paycheck, Uthmeier’s teaching stipend pushes his total state-funded salary to $240,000 — nearly $100,000 more than the governor’s annual pay.”

–Reporter Garrett Shanley, writing in the Miami Herald, “‘Professor Uthmeier’: Inside Florida attorney general’s $100K teaching job at UF,” Wednesday, January 18, 2026

(Find the rest of the article here: https://tinyurl.com/tjjvhydb )

In all honesty, I don’t give a damn about your party or your politics. 

I couldn’t care less if you are “Red or Blue,” “liberal” or “conservative,” or a member of any of the other constantly warring factions that keep the hoi polloi divided, preoccupied, and distracted while those who control the narrative continue to enrich themselves at our expense.

This latest revelation of a senior state official making bank for a no-show gig doesn’t smell right.

According to the report, “When informed of Uthmeier’s $100,000 adjunct salary, state Rep. Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican who encouraged prosecutors in Leon County to pursue their Hope Florida case, responded with a 10-second laugh.

Andrade, who once taught as an adjunct law instructor for about $2,500 per course at the University of West Florida, noted that UF is effectively paying Uthmeier about $50,000 per class. An alumnus of UF’s law school, Andrade also bristled at the notion of Uthmeier lecturing students about executive overreach.

“He’s an expert in executive overreach,” Andrade quipped.”

In my view, considering the ongoing revelations of massive overspending on various fronts, no-bid contracts to campaign contributors, fraudulent practices in the Florida State Guard that have cost millions in public funds, and other suspicious routing of funds by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration – this backhanded payoff by the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees – under the command of our own High Panjandrum of Political Power and DeSantis mega-donor Mori Hosseini – has a whiff of the shit about it.

One hell of an ‘eye opener,’ indeed.

Whatever.  I’m sure it’s just another “nothingburger” as Mr. Uthmeir likes to say…

Perhaps Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia and his Department of Government Efficiency can explain this latest revelation to his increasingly chary constituents as he tours the state publicly garroting counties and municipalities for so-called “waste, fraud, and abuse,” all while touting how state government sets the Gold Standard for financial accountability? 

And Another Thing!

“There was money to be made giving all these people what they thought they wanted…”

–Economist George A. Akerlof

Last week I penned my jumbled thoughts on the state’s push to eliminate your hometown and mine as they promote the shortsighted idea that bigger is always better and consolidating established communities with already bloated neighboring bureaucracies is the most fiscally efficient path forward.

It set a lot of people to thinking about why they live where they do, their quality of life, the essential services they receive from their local government, and why those who provide those services are so important to their community.

After considering my views, an incredibly smart friend of mine reminded me of the “economies of scale” argument that essentially says when small cities merge with larger governments or amalgamate similar functions, services can be provided with greater cost savings. 

That is the sterile rationalization we’re about to be force-fed ahead of the state’s “efficiency” push, a veiled power play to put a stranglehold on municipal governments, consolidate power, eliminate local environmental regulations, planning, and permitting in one fell swoop.

The benefit of size may look good at the end of a mathematical formulation – and sound even better when rolling off the forked tongue of a compromised politician with marching orders to trade our quality of life for a real estate developers profit motive.

I believe the intrinsic value of civic identity, pride in place, personalized services, and self-determination are worth far more to most Floridians.  

In my experience, as the bureaucracy develops a thick rind of fat (which is the nature of large lethargic bureaucracies), the inherent inefficiencies, organizational rigidity, red tape, regulations, internal/external communication breakdowns, insular decision-making, abuse, waste, and the need for more complex (read: expensive) facilities, consultants, and management structures quickly erase any economic benefit as the demand for services/oversight increases.  

In the end, displaced citizens are left with a bloated and unresponsive behemoth that bears little resemblance to their once responsive small to mid-size government with the flexibility to tailor essential services to community needs and preferences.

By necessity, most small communities live within their means, practice preventive maintenance to ensure serviceable facilities, piggyback expenses, recycle materials, wear a variety of hats, focus on customer service, develop business-friendly practices, and protect the natural amenities that make their city a place where people want to live and locate their business.  

As the state’s push for their skewed notion of “government efficiency” evolves, We, The Little People are reminded of the Florida legislature’s unfunded mandates and aggressive preemptions of local authority – even in the face of massive flooding – in their clear effort to eliminate any regulatory impediment to the malignant growth that is destroying all we hold dear and ensure carte blanche access for those campaign donors who own their political souls.

The fact is, we live in a weird age where Volusia County voters find it necessary to fight for prohibitions on the disgusting practice of drinking our own recycled sewage as a means of facilitating more density and sprawl. 

That said, do you think our malleable ‘powers that be’ in Tallahassee give two-shits about the economics of providing essential services in local government?  

Whenever I sit on a barstool and talk to my neighbors about the issues of the day, invariably the topic is not property taxes – but increasing congestion, sprawl, and the waste, fraud, abuse, and pet projects they perceive in county and state government – along with increasing concerns over widespread development-induced flooding that regularly threatens their homes.  

Many are also confused by the monarchical edicts and local preemptions emanating from Tallahassee, foisted on us with little more than a stilted “legislative delegation meeting” and little (if any) input from residents and small-business owners.

Most agree that a more balanced approach to curtailing local government spending, establishing boundaries to salaries and benefits, stopping the construction of Taj Mahal public facilities, demanding better transparency in budgeting and appropriations, getting public funds out of the private sector, and “rightsizing” government, while protecting the unique identities and attributes of those special communities we chose to call home, is a better alternative than the idea bigger is always better.

Here’s an economic formulation for you: Multiply arrogance and inaccessibility to the nth degree, divide it by the increasing returns to special interests who have turned our state capitol into a Joe Louis Puppet Theater, and add astronomical utility and infrastructure costs.

Then subtract our diminishing quality of life, overcrowding, traffic congestion, diminishing water quality and quantity, dwindling greenspace, wildlife habitat, and encroachment on rural areas.

The tragic answer is diminished service delivery, increased administrative costs, excessive alternative taxing, fees, and revenue sources, along with clockwork pay and benefit increases for malleable senior public executives who do as they’re told.

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

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the 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:

This week, Barker’s View is focused on a single issue that I believe threatens to impact every resident of Florida: The half-baked idea of eliminating or drastically reducing property taxes to exsanguinate small cities and counties, then forcing everyone into the massive bureaucracies that will take their place.

Ineffective and unapproachable centralized governments that concentrate power and are more easily controlled by special interests than a mosaic of unique communities each practicing self-governance under home rule authority.  

Last month, the Florida DOGE Report recommended reducing “wasteful and excessive spending” by the dissolution or consolidation of municipalities – small communities that have historically lived within their means and become comfortable hometowns for families seeking to escape urban sprawl, crime, density, noise, and big city traffic and living expenses.    

Now, Floridian’s face the very real possibility that small and mid-sized communities who attempt to protect their character with strategic planning and growth management regulations – or those who rebel against intrusive carte blanche overdevelopment – will be sacrificed on the altar of greed.  

The term “small” remains subjective and undefined, so just assume your city is in the state’s crosshairs…

Why is our demonstrably compromised state government pushing to eliminate your hometown and mine?

“Do as I Say, Not as I do”: Is the State of Florida is Coming for Your Hometown?

“Florida should review the 411 municipalities for potential opportunities to provide local government services more efficiently through abolition or consolidation, with particular attention paid to small municipalities and highly urbanized counties.

Consideration should be given to creating incentives to encourage the simplification of local government through the consolidation of municipalities.”

–Florida DOGE Report on Local Government Spending, Page 99, “Recommendations for Improved Governance, Fiscal Responsibility, and Streamlined Government Services,” January 2026

For the bulk of my adult life, I was a staunch Republican.   

Like my father and grandfather before me, I was drawn to the tenets of a party that (I thought) stressed the values of fiscal conservatism, reasonable taxation to fund efficient essential services, free market capitalism, a strong national defense, and holding sacrosanct the concept of law and order balanced with the personal freedoms and inalienable rights enshrined in the United States Constitution for all Americans.

A party that once embraced a concept President Ronald Reagan described as a ‘social safety net’ for those who, through no fault of their own, are truly unable to care for themselves.

I was particularly fond of the GOP’s concept of small, responsive, and accessible government, legislating local regulations with the input of those affected, and protecting the unique character of communities through the concept of self-government.

Over a decade ago, I sent a letter to the Republican Party of Florida voicing a concern on the direction of the party.  I assume that when a staffer in Tallahassee opened the envelope and a check didn’t fall out my note was expeditiously sent to the round file… 

Regardless, I never received a response. 

But they did…

The next day, I went to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections and changed my registration to No Party Affiliation. 

I’ve never looked back.

Apparently, I am not alone in my distain for the two major political parties, factions that seem intent on dividing us along every social and civic fault line while tearing our nation apart from the inside out, as some 102,000 (26%) Volusia County registered voters now list themselves as No Party Affiliate…

Now, I have the ability to analyze the issues we collectively face from a vantage point uncluttered by the incendiary chaff spewed from both sides of the aisle.  The partisan rhetoric, political arm-twisting, and demands for lockstep loyalty to the decisions of party insiders on both sides who hand select malleable candidates and do the bidding of mysterious behind-the-scenes financial backers with a profit motive. 

Trust me, when you take the partisan blinders off, the clarity can be shocking…

I recently had the opportunity to review the much anticipated “Report on Local Government Spending” – a/k/a “The Florida DOGE Report” – the results of oddly conducted “audits” of some local governments around the state and billed as an effort to root out “egregious” waste, fraud, and abuse that has reportedly befallen Florida cities and counties.   

(Read it for yourself here: https://tinyurl.com/6rxupvm7 )

Except the state’s investigation didn’t find any fraud.

Instead, the report accused thirteen of the state’s largest local governments of squandering taxpayer dollars on various things like subsidies for public radio stations, “Barely used bicycle lanes,” “costly-to-operate and low-ridership transit systems,” spending on “the homeless,” pay increases for executives and staff, new office acquisition, and anything remotely associated with “Art,” etc.– essentially any local spending those political spinmeisters in the CFO’s office in Tallahassee could paint as “wasteful.”

Unfortunately, the report lost me after the executive summary, which laughably held out the State of Florida as the perfect example of fiscal stewardship and accountability: “The example of the State illustrates that this level of fiscal responsibility is attainable.”

Later in the report, the Orwellian denialism got so deep I needed stilts to stay above it:

“State government has shown that disciplined budgeting, transparency, and good faith reviews can be done without weakening public safety or core services. If the state can operate under these standards, there is no credible reason local governments cannot.”

Does anything about that statement ring true?

For instance, while reviewing the “government efficiency” report, I found no mention of the “Hope Florida” scandal – frightening allegations of money laundering and wire fraud that reached the highest levels of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration. 

The debacle centered on questions surrounding $10 million reportedly diverted from a state Medicaid settlement to the Hope Florida Foundation, an organization associated with First Lady Casey DeSantis and ultimately funneled through a labyrinth of political committees to Gov. DeSantis’ campaign to stop a recreational marijuana referendum.  

Last week, Florida news outlets reported that the United States Department of Justice reviewed the matter and found “…no predicate to open up an intake on this, and no further action is anticipated.”

I know this comes as a shocker, but scuttlebutt around Tallahassee says no state criminal charges will be forthcoming either…

Now, Gov. DeSantis claims the entire bruhaha was a “hoax” and a “witch hunt,” with Attorney General James Uthmeier – now our state’s chief law enforcement officer – using Florida legalese to describe the whole thing a “nothingburger.”

Glad we got we got to the bottom of that ugly mess…

In another example of the state’s idea of “financial stewardship,” does anyone remember when the DeSantis administration used a sentence (authored by a lobbyist working on behalf of a developer) that was wedged into last year’s state budget appropriating $83.3 million in public funds to purchase a sliver of land in Destin (ostensibly for “conservation”) that was majority owned by a real-estate developer and prolific political donor doing business in Florida and Louisiana?

According to reports, the landowner donated some $250,000 to Gov. DeSantis during his first campaign for Florida governor…

In turn, Florida residents paid some $20 million an acre – more than 10 times what the developer and his partners paid for the land less than ten-years ago – a deal that conservationists have branded a “sham” against the citizens of Florida.

In my view, that’s not a bad ROI, eh?

Don’t get me started on the legendary use of “emergency powers” to gift millions in “no-bid” contracts to political donors that many believe reek of quid pro quo corruption.

Here’s a few more examples of our state government’s idea of “disciplined budgeting,” “transparency,” and “fiscal responsibility.” 

Last week, news broke of a growing scandal involving the upper echelons of Gov. DeSantis’ “Florida Guard” – a military force separate from the Florida National Guard with an annual budget in excess of $35 million – that ostensibly stands ready to assist in the event of an emergency.

According to reports, senior members of the Florida Guard – comprised of former military officers to include members of U.S. special operations forces – lived up to their oath and attempted to report the gross waste, fraud, and abuse of public funds and assets by the Guard’s command to the DeSantis administration.   

Internal whistleblowers reported that Florida Guard Director Mark Thieme misused the organization’s aircraft and instructor pilots – apparently racking up $100,000 in flight time and related costs by misusing state resources to train for his private pilot certificate.

In addition, last year, James Ethridge, a retired United States Navy Commander and experienced aviator was hired to “analyze and fix safety issues with the guard’s Aviation Response Squadron.” 

The Ethridge audit uncovered “severe” safety, administrative, compliance, and procedural violations in the Guard’s aviation function, to include mismanagement that saw “millions of dollars wasted.”

For his efforts to keep guard member’s safe and protect our tax dollars, Ethridge was summarily drummed out of the Guard by the DeSantis administration… 

According to a scathing report by Jeffrey Schweers writing in the Orlando Sentinel:

“Three weeks after he was hired and days after sharing his concerns with the guard’s executive director Mark Thieme and then-chief of staff Jay Arnold, Ethridge was fired. Arnold told him by phone that “it just wasn’t working out,” but in his official letter of termination said the cause was “a result of your failure to follow directives, and conduct unbecoming a public employee,” Ethridge said.

The DeSantis administration managed to keep Ethridge’s concerns, and those of other guard employees, under wraps until last week, when the Sentinel broke the news that senior officers, pilots and soldiers were leaving the agency after alleging misuse of taxpayer dollars, unreported sexual harassment claims and poor planning and budgeting by the agency’s top executives.”

On January 14, Command Sergeant Major Michael Pintacura, a U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who helped oversee the Guard’s Special Missions Unit, submitted his resignation citing his “loss of confidence” in Director Thieme’s ability to “exercise sound, informed and accountable judgment.”

According to an earlier report in the Sentinel, “Pintacura said he was most concerned about a “sustained pattern of compromised integrity, lack of accountability in maintaining budget controls and equipment tracking,” retaliating against perceived criticism and detrimental decision-making regarding mission authorization and the use of guard resources.

Pintacura’s resignation comes on the heels of the forced ouster of Lt. Col. Jordan Bowen for refusing to give what he thought was an unlawful command to another guard member, and the resignation of a half-dozen other officers and guard members over disagreements with Thieme and the alleged misspending of state resources.”

As I understand it, when current and former Guard members brought their concerns to Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins and DeSantis Chief of Staff Jason Weida – nothing was done to alleviate the reported waste, fraud, and dysfunction. 

Yeah.  I know…who audits the auditors?

I was reminded of these and other alarming examples of using public funds to facilitate Florida’s infamous pay-to-play system of governance when I came to the end of the Florida DODGE report and the true purpose of this well-choreographed exercise became frighteningly clear. 

In my view, compromised state officials want to dissolve small and mid-size communities – strangulating municipal and county governments by cutting off the supply of tax dollars that fund our local essential services – forcing their absorption by larger neighboring governments (the same ones the state accused of wasteful and excessive spending) as a mean of removing any further local regulatory hurdles to more, more, more malignant development across the state.  

This has nothing to do with government efficiency and everything to do with a major donor’s bottom line…

What? 

Your family likes its small-town way of life? 

One with accessible elected officials and tailored essential services, like police, fire, EMS, city utilities, emergency management, planning, and recreation – overseen by a responsive locally elected body comprised of your neighbors who listen to your concerns, value input in community decisions, and provide an excellent quality of life in a place with a unique civic and historical identity? 

You don’t want to become just another neglected appendage of an irresponsible, inaccessible, and unaccountable massive bureaucracy with a history of overspending, waste and abuse? 

Tough shit, rube… 

The state wants Florida’s municipalities eating out of their hands like baby birds – beholden to Tallahassee for their survival – not likely to make waves for influential political donors with a chip in the game who are tired of navigating local growth management regulations.  

I realize it’s hard to feel sorry for those cities and counties who continue to live beyond their means, using clockwork tax increases to fund massive salary and benefit increases for already overpaid senior executives, construct Taj Mahal facilities, and build bloated bureaucracies in place of manageable, efficient, and effective public services. 

For years I have screamed to anyone who would listen about the importance of maintaining stable, effective, and efficient local governance.

This is different. 

In fact, it threatens everything Floridian’s hold dear. 

Now it is clear why the DeSantis administration is pushing to eliminate property taxes without any viable option – the life blood of Florida counties and municipalities – coupled with a sustained effort by the Florida legislature to strip Home Rule protections and preempt local decision-making to the state.

It has nothing to do with saving us money.  I assure you, the state is going to wring it out of us one way or another…

In my view, this is a well-orchestrated effort to destroy municipalities, eviscerate responsive local services, and remove any further local impediments to the mercenary wants of those special interests who own the soul of the State of Florida. 

Let’s protect our beautiful mosaic of communities that form the backbone of Volusia County and beyond from this pernicious push to destroy our way of life while the state continues to normalize pay-to-play politics.

Florida voters are responsible for the leaders we have chosen. We have the power and responsibility to future generations to elect state legislators who respect the character and independence of our hometowns and the quaint communities our forefathers built, over the mercenary wants of those special interests who own the paper on their political souls.

Elections have consequences.  Real change begins at the ballot box.  

It is time to let those who view Tallahassee as their personal candy store know there is some shit We, The Little People won’t eat…

Hi, kids!

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:

‘Toilet to Tap’ Prohibitions Advance in Volusia County and Daytona Beach

It’s no secret. 

We live in an age where Florida legislators now pass laws written by and for lobbyists representing some of the nation’s largest residential developers – state statutes that invariably pave the way for more, more, more malignant sprawl – to include expedited building permits, preemption of local growth management regulations, or reasonable protections for wetlands and environmentally sensitive areas, even some of the very budget language used to further enrich uber-wealthy landowners/campaign contributors originates from outside the Capitol.  

That said, it should come as no surprise that state lawmakers – working in concert with their dull tools in places like the Florida Department of Environmental Destruction and “water management” cronies around the state – will go to any length necessary to circumvent any impediment to more growth.

Regardless of how nonsensical new development may seem to claustrophobic Florida families.  

As crazy as this may seem, the State of Florida has been actively pursuing the implementation of potable reuse – using treated sewage to augment our dwindling drinking water supply in the face of massive overdevelopment – a process colloquially known as “toilet to tap” or “flush to faucet.”

Disgusted yet?  Me too. Even more so when you consider the process is being pushed on unsuspecting consumers for the sole purpose of circumventing natural limiters to facilitate the mercenary wants of real estate developers… 

When water quality activists and environmentalists sound the alarm, some compromised politicians claim that the process is akin to Dick Tracy’s two-way wrist communicator – technology years in the future and far from practical implementation – tut-tutting that thinking ahead or taking “proactive” measures is a timewasting exercise in protecting their anxious constituents from a nonexistent threat.  

Bullshit. 

Reuse testing has already been permitted all around us.    

In recent years, experimental reuse programs have been permitted in the City of Daytona Beach (thankfully, the process was never foisted on unsuspecting consumers) and test wells have been allowed by state regulators in Deltona that would permit water from Lake Monroe and reclaimed water to be injected and stored underground (read: in our source aquifer…)

After years of political procrastination, on Tuesday, the Volusia County Council took action to develop both a county ordinance and ballot language for a 2026 charter amendment prohibiting the practice of using treated “blackwater” – defined as sewage from toilets, urinals, kitchen drains, and showers – to augment drinking water or being injected into the aquifer. 

The prohibitions would only apply to Volusia County, and municipal or private utility service providers will need to take individual action to prohibit the practice elsewhere.

Discussion of the Toilet to Tap initiative – pushed to fruition by civic activist Greg Gimbert and his clean water advocacy Let Volusia Vote – prompted a presentation by Dream Green Volusia Founder and environmentalist Suzanne Scheiber regarding the bigger picture of demand reduction strategies and a holistic crisis plan for land/water conservation. 

Per usual, things got heated when Councilman Jake Johansson – a current candidate for Florida State Senate District 8 – attempted to paint the prohibitions as a solution in search of a problem, and Chairman Jeff Brower set him straight.

In an accurate transcript of the Johansson/Brower tête à tête as reported by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“It is here. It’s being done right now. There’s a proposal in Deltona to do it,” he said.

“To do what, sir,” Johansson interjected.

Brower replied, shouting, “To inject treated–“

“Lower,” Johansson urged.

“No, I’m not going to lower my voice,” Brower said. “To inject treated sewage water into our aquifer, which is more harmful.”

Following the discussion, Volusia County Attorney Mike Dyer – never seen as a ball-of-fire when it comes to expediting protections for residents – explained he was otherwise occupied and wouldn’t be able to get ‘around tuit’ until next month.  No doubt hoping the legislature will preempt local water reuse regulations to the state making the entire process moot…   

Time will tell.

Last night, the Daytona Beach City Commission voted 7 to 0 to direct the city attorney to prepare Charter amendment language for this year’s ballot banning toilet to tap for both recharge and direct to consumer applications.

In my view, that’s good news for Daytona Beach residents.

Here’s hoping every municipality in Volusia County will follow the leadership of Volusia County and Daytona Beach, agree to live within the carrying capacity of the land, control growth to preserve our finite resources, and prohibit the disgusting process of toilet to tap across our region.  

For now, I encourage everyone in Volusia County to sign the Let Volusia Vote petition and reinforce our collective opposition to drinking our own reclaimed sewage to extend the limits of our natural water supplies. 

Please find the petition and further instructions here:  https://tinyurl.com/3b2f8cej

A Call for Accountability: The Heat is On in the City of Daytona Beach  

From brief past experience, I can report that serving as a City Manager is a hard dollar. 

On a good day…

Serving the myriad whims, wants, and personal agendas of five to seven highly opinionated elected officials, the demands of angry constituents, keeping bureaucrats focused on established goals, and managing public employees – while remaining vigilant to the thousands of moving parts that make up a functioning municipality – requires the patience of Job, the situational awareness of a plate spinner, and a thick pair of asbestos underwear…   

At best, city management is itinerant labor.  An inherently unstable position, always vulnerable to the kneejerk impulses and self-protective slings-and-arrows of politicians and citizen factions looking for a scapegoat. Because of that political volatility, senior-level public executives are often incredibly well compensated and protected with lucrative “golden parachutes” that cushion their inevitable fall.    

When communities endure the always arduous search for a chief executive, selecting the “right fit” is important. 

What worked for one locality may not work elsewhere.  

As the battered citizens of Deltona can attest, when an unsuspecting community hires an incompetent, malevolent, or ineffectual chief executive – one who systematically destroys citizen confidence and employee morale – it can take years, tears, and millions-of-dollars to recover from the devastating effects.

In my view, Daytona Beach City Manager Derek Feacher is an incredibly nice person who possesses the education, experience, character, and diplomacy required of the role. 

Since coming aboard in 2021, Mr. Feacher has deftly navigated a period of unprecedented growth, while successfully keeping some intractable issues and eyesores that have plagued this slightly down-at-the-heels beachside community for decades at an inconspicuous simmer.  

Eventually, every community will weather their time in the barrel of public scrutiny – those inevitable periods under the microscope when salacious scandals and embarrassing errors that administrators would prefer to remain hidden are suddenly revealed.

I’ve been there, done that, still have what’s left of the t-shirt…  

When investigative journalists or state regulators start poking around, entrenched bureaucrats instinctively circle the wagons and elected officials get nervous.  You can bet it won’t be long until pitchfork wielding villagers start demanding hard answers – and calling for accountability…

In the wake of highly publicized controversies surrounding the city’s oversight of purchasing cards, antiquated travel policies, employees of the city-owned golf course pocketing instructional fees and gifting discounts, allegations of a supervisor/subordinate tryst that may have involved the misuse of public funds, and sidewalks that turned into a slip-n-slide in the Mosaic community, citizens are beginning to point fingers…

Adding to the intense pressure, the City of Daytona Beach is now being used as an example by the Florida legislature after the city banked millions in excess permit fees, then produced a cockamamie list of ways to spend the money, none of which made sense to taxpayers or state representatives.

According to a report by Sierra Williams writing in the Ormond Observer:

“…local state representatives Sen. Tom Leek and Rep. Chase Tramont have both filed legislation that would prohibit local governments from requesting funding from the state until excess building code funds have been spent. The bills would also prevent a local government from receiving state funds for while it is the subject of a legislative committee audit.

Daytona Beach would be subject to both criteria.”  

This shouldn’t come as a surprise. 

Last year, a city delegation – which included Mayor Derrick Henry – was summoned to Tallahassee where they were publicly gibbetted during an awkward appearance before the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.

That tetchy back-and-forth resulted in the city being subjected to a state sponsored proctological exam for the ages in the form of an external audit…

In a bold response, Daytona Beach City Commissioner Ken Strickland lashed back, accusing the state of meddling in city affairs, taunting “Tallahassee needs to mind their own business.  And I know they’re not. They should be representing us, not trying to ridicule us, make us look bad, make accusations they have no proof of.  And I am just absolutely disgusted with our representation up there.”

That jab didn’t sit well with Senator Leek…

According to the Observer’s report, Sen. Leek recently dropped an administrative MOAB on the City of Daytona Beach – and any other recalcitrant municipality who refuses to toe the line – “Leek said cities are “creatures of the legislature. They’re enacted by the legislature, and every year we dissolve cities.”

“I’m not threatening them with that. I want to be clear,” he said. “But the legislature has the ability to dissolve the city, so the idea that the city gets to do whatever it wants is false.”

Whoa…

It sounds like Sen. Leek is suggesting that legislatively “dissolving” the “World’s Most Famous Beach” is a real possibility if city leaders fail to come to heel?   

At least one concerned Daytona Beach resident isn’t waiting around and find out… 

Last week, beachside resident Rich Yost started a petition on Change.org asking the Daytona Beach City Commission to reject Mr. Feacher’s contract when it comes up for renewal in May and “…initiate a transparent, nationwide search for new executive leadership.”

According to an article by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, “The petition page summary goes on to say that “recent events demonstrate repeated failures of oversight, control and administrative discipline at the highest level of city government. These are not isolated incidents – they reflect a persistent pattern of nonfeasance, misfeasance, and malfeasance.”

It appears the clock is ticking for City Manager Feacher. 

In my view, his fate will be determined by how adroitly he can lead the City of Daytona Beach out of this multifront quagmire.  Equally important will be whatever support he can muster from the elected officials, who will soon be considering their own political liability as external pressure continues to mount. 

Quote of the Week

“Citing a report in the online publication The Floridian, (Gov.) DeSantis and a spokesperson for (Attorney General) Uthmeier asserted that the probe into whether the governor’s administration illegally diverted millions of taxpayer dollars to a political campaign in 2024 was a “hoax.”

No federal investigation into the money has ever been confirmed. A separate state grand jury probe in Tallahassee has yet to announce any findings.

“Another hoax bites the dust,” DeSantis wrote on X. “The only difference is this one was manufactured by FL RiNOs working in conjunction with the leftist media.” (RINO is an acronym that stands for “Republican in name only.”)

The Floridian cited an unnamed U.S. Department of Justice official who said federal charges wouldn’t be brought. Spokespeople for the department did not respond to requests for comment to the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday.

Rumors have circulated in Tallahassee all week that charges would not be brought against DeSantis administration officials and allies over the diversion of $10 million from a Medicaid settlement.

In October, the state attorney’s office in Leon County convened a criminal grand jury to look into allegations related to the money that moved through the Hope Florida Foundation, a state-created charity championed by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis.”

–Tallahassee Bureau Reporter Alexandra Glorioso, writing in the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times, “DeSantis, citing report with anonymous source, declares victory in Hope Florida scandal,” Wednesday, February 4, 2026

It was all a “Hoax,” folks…

The great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson summed up my feelings on the Hope Florida debacle and the continuing corruption in plain sight in Tallahassee, where the wheels are greased with greenbacks, lawmakers see the legislative process as a pay-to-play bazaar, and criminal statutes are routinely ignored, little more than a tool to control We, The Little People:

“In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity…”

Yeah, Doc.  You right…

Nothing to see here, folks…..just another hoax. Keep moving.  Move along, now…

And Another Thing!

“When Volusia County School Board member Donna Brosemer asked for school records, she was hit by a bill from the very District she oversees. Other times, she was ignored completely and left empty-handed, she said.

Meanwhile, some Volusia County Schools employees were required to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) about school business, leading to challenges.

All of those issues sparked new legislation moving through the House Education Administration Subcommittee (HB 1073). The bill would establish a School Board member’s bill of rights, making it clear that School Board members must get records timely and for free. It would also ban requiring school employees to sign NDAs.

The bill led to a spirited debate, with the subcommittee passing the measure with a 15-3 vote.

“For those of you who know me, this is my sixth Session,” said Rep. Traci Koster, a Tampa Republican sponsoring the bill. “I don’t file bills unless I perceive a real, true problem.”

–Reporter Gabrielle Russon writing in Florida Politics, “House subcommittee OKs bill sparked by Volusia County Schools drama,” Thursday, January 29, 2026

Last month, Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago – a professional snake oil salesman whose legislative forte is serving the whims of special interests while kicking issues of critical concern down the dusty political trail – took me to task on social media in a pique after I called out his brutal bullying of a citizen advisory board member who pointed out perceived issues with the Volusia ECHO strategic plan.

“I’d suggest paying close attention to who Mr. Barker writes positively about and who he consistently attacks. The pattern speaks volumes about his motivations. When you notice the same names always getting favorable treatment while others are relentlessly criticized regardless of the facts that should make you pause and do your own research.”

Considering the source, I’ll wear the criticism of this walking Napoleonic complex as a badge of honor…

As informed readers of Barker’s View have come to understand, the basic tenet of this alternative opinion blog is that I tout the good work and accomplishments of those elected and appointed officials who, in my view, consistently demonstrate their personal commitment to honorable, innovative, and inclusive governance in the best interests of their constituents. 

Conversely, these logorrheic screeds serve to purge my jaundiced craw on our well-established ‘pay-to-play’ system, and the machinations of those craven cowards with an elected honorific who unfailingly serve the mercenary wants of those campaign donors who own the paper on their political souls…  

For instance, one honorable servant/leader I have come to admire is Volusia County School Board member Donna Brosemer. A legitimate conservative with an independent voice and sharp mind who has courageously taken on an entrenched bureaucracy and earned a few political scars in the process.

To her credit, Ms. Brosemer continues to fight like a rabid badger for her constituents – often with one hand bureaucratically tied behind her back – as her “colleagues” (acting in concert with district insiders) marginalize her concerns, block her diligent search for information, and paint her as a contentious loose cannon.

I know a few spineless politicians around these parts who could learn something from Donna Brosemer’s independence, intestinal fortitude, intellect, and willingness to serve the needs of her constituents over her own self-interests. 

Last week, residents and district stakeholders who have supported Ms. Brosemer’s efforts to expose administrative incompetence and fiscal mismanagement at Volusia County Schools were heartened to learn that a proposed bill to grant expanded access and oversight for school board members through a “bill of rights” has passed an important hurdle in Tallahassee.

Recently, Ormond Beach’s Sen. Tom Leek filed a similar bill (SB 1620) which will be winding its way through the legislative labyrinth as the session progresses.

According to Florida Politics, “HB 1073 would codify that local School Board members have the right to freely access records that may be off limits to the public. The bill said those documents could be internal legal opinions, correspondence, memoranda or invoices. Florida also has a broad public records law that also allows journalists and the public to get many school documents if they don’t pertain to private student information.

The bill adds that School Board members have the right to consult the District’s Chief Financial Officer on the budget and spending matters. They “have access, upon request, to any detail or line item in any proposed or approved budget or in any financial transaction by the school district,” the bill says.”

In a shocking revelation of just how guarded things have gotten in that cloistered “Ivory Tower of Power” at Volusia County Schools, Ms. Brosemer said, “Because of this bill, the District’s line-item budget will be made available to us. It is currently not,” Brosemer said, adding that she can’t even find out how much money the District spent on legal fees.”

Read that again: The Volusia County School Board was not provided access to the line-item budget they are required to vote on…

On Tuesday, Sen. Leeks bill was heard by the Senate Committee on Education PreK-12 in Tallahassee. 

During the hearing, the remainder of the Volusia County School Board suddenly appeared en masse – complete with the board attorney and Superintendent Balgobin – to speak in opposition to provisions of a School Board Member Bill of Rights that would level the balance of power between elected oversight and district administration throughout the state.

In my view, the confederated board members attempted to paint Ms. Brosemer as working to undermine the Monarchical rule of Superintendent Balgobin, fueling “personal conflict,” and somehow overstepping her role.  

It was what it was: The cheap personal ambush of a fellow elected official fighting for transparency, accountability, and oversight by the compromised members of a school board more committed to protecting the stagnant status quo than ensuring informed public policy and sound fiscal stewardship.  

The bill passed the education committee 6-0 and now moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Thanks to Ms. Brosemer’s diligent efforts – and the hard work of Rep. Traci Koster, Sen. Tom Leek, and others – Florida school board members may finally have the tools and information necessary to provide answers (and accountability) for concerned taxpayers, students, teachers, and staff who have been left in the dark for far too long.

That’s all for me.  Enjoy the 12th annual Granada Grand Festival of the Arts in Ormond Beach this Saturday, y’all!