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:

Compounding the Problem – Ethical Questions Expand at Volusia County Schools

“The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that’s also a hypocrite!”

–Tennessee Williams

There is another time-honored proverb that elected and appointed officials who seek to malign others for political or professional gain should remember:

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones…

Last week in this space, I shared my thoughts on Volusia County School Superintendent Carmen Balgobin, and her obsequious toady, Chief Communications Officer Mike Micallef – the very face of the district – using their official Facebook accounts to express approval, support, or appreciation for political advertisements posted on the campaign pages “Ruben Colón for Volusia County School Board, District 5” and “Re-elect Jamie M. Haynes, Volusia County School Board, District 1.”

That’s a problem…

With election day looming, and School Board incumbent Jamie Haynes is in the fight of her political life against newcomer Brenda Beery, many feel Balgobin and Micallef’s use of official resources and communications channels to support incumbent Haynes’ messaging may have violated statutory prohibitions on using a public office to influence another person’s vote.

Why else would they have “liked” a specific candidates’ campaign posts?

Things worsened last week when someone in the Ivory Tower of Power thought it appropriate to simply delete Balgobin and Micallef’s “likes” from the campaign pages.

In my view, that comes dangerously close to violating Florida’s Sunshine law, which states that official social media communications are public records and cannot be deleted unless they meet a specific legal exception.

Guess what? Being called out for ignoring Florida law and ethics rules, then tidying things up, isn’t a legally acceptable exception…

In my view, the real problem here is the utter hypocrisy of Balgobin, Micallef, and their sycophantic co-conspirators on the Volusia County School Board.

After School Board member Donna Brosemer fought for passage of a Bill of Rights for school board members in Tallahassee, brought attention to the scam of assigning the district an “A” grade based on a skewed system where earning just 66% over twelve FDOE categories is considered academic excellence, and calling attention to Balgobin’s unilateral decision to bar citizens from commenting on official social media posts, she became a tag-team target.

The plan to destroy Ms. Brosmer personally and politically began with a still veiled allegation brought by Mouthpiece Micallef claiming a social media post by Ms. Brosemer critical of the decision to stop public comment amounts to an “ethical” violation.

You read that right.

That opened the door for District 2 member Krista Goodrich – a shameless self-promoter with the political ethics of a broke-back snake – to defame Brosemer in an open meeting, claiming she was the subject of an “ethics complaint” (insinuating a public corruption allegation to the Florida Ethics Commission), before attempting to clean herself up by rephrasing the nature of the accusation and announcing she called for a $300 an hour open-ended outside “investigation” by a Tampa law firm.

To investigate what?

That Ms. Brosemer used her personal Facebook account to engage in protected political speech on a public forum?

None of it mattered. Before the board authorized Kangaroo Kourt could be convened to “investigate” Micallef’s hurt feelings, the damage to Brosmer’s political reputation was complete.

In my view, when this tax-funded organization flagrantly flaunts public records law by deleting Balgobin and Micallef’s “likes” on campaign sites, it sends a message that the rules don’t apply in the lofty halls of power. Suggesting a sense of immunity by those in high‑status positions who feel they are above normal rules, ethics, and consequences.

In my view, the Balgobin administrations inability to follow the rules and obey the laws that protect public confidence results in a perception of entitlement.

So, when will the now compromised School Board Chair Ruben Colón and member Jamie Haynes move to censure and remove Superintendent Balgobin and Mouthpiece Micallef from their highly compensated roles for their barefaced political activities?

As our able State Attorney R. J. Larizza has so eloquently said, “Accountability breeds justice.”

Here’s hoping Mr. Larizza holds Superintendent Balgobin, Mike Micallef, and anyone else who directed the removal of official social media posts to account.

Final Thoughts on Amendment 3 – Who’s Funding It and Why?

“Florida Realtors aren’t the only ones funding their “Yes on 3” political committee to help push an increased homestead exemption over the hump next month.

The National Association of Realtors is also ponying up, with a $2,016,500 donation on Oct. 9.

As of that date, the committee recorded $21,516,510, with roughly $7 million left to spend.

This was the first contribution that did not come from the Florida Realtors, and it comes amid questions about the viability of the property tax question.

Polling released this week by South Florida-based consulting firms EDGE Communications and MDW Communications, as well as McLaughlin & Associates, shows the amendment at 50% and 53%, respectively, short of the 60% threshold for passage.

Opposition comes from many sources, including historically conservative ones such as Florida TaxWatch, local Chambers of Commerce, the Florida Professional Firefighters, the Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, and the Florida Sheriffs Association, which has launched ads claiming the property tax proposal “rips out Florida’s biggest source of public safety funding with no plan to replace it.”

–A. G. Gancarski, writing in Florida Politics, “National Association of Realtors helps push pro-Amendment 3 committee over $21M raised,” Saturday, October 17, 2026

I am vehemently opposed to Amendment 3 – the half-baked tax shift and Tallahassee power-grab disguised as an increase in the homestead exemption.

In the lead up to election day, I have had thoughtful discussions with friends, neighbors, business owners, homeowners, and elected officials, all of whom understand the need for meaningful tax and spending reforms.

Most of those I have spoken to explained that after much consideration and analysis, they still harbored concerns about the consequences (both intended and unintended) to their hometown services, and the reasons special interests are funding the push for Amendment 3…

I’ve also been talked over by hyper-excitable zealots – those self-styled “political experts,” dim-witted know-it-alls who “win” by talking louder than you – small-minded extremists who cannot think for themselves, so they regurgitate canned bullshit at top volume.

Fringe players who refuse to consider the wider ramifications of immediately reducing revenue to local governments during a period of extraordinary growth using a constitutional amendment or are pathologically incapable of looking beyond their own self-interests.

As Aldous Huxley said, “A fanatic is a man who consciously overcompensates a secret doubt…”

Frankly, few things in what passes for Florida politics and governance has frightened (or angered) me more than the manner and means by which this abominable dilemma was foisted on the electorate.

The fact is, I oppose additional intrusion on my quality of life to accommodate the voracious appetites of Florida’s influential real estate and development industry, special interests who are pouring millions of dollars into efforts to pass the ballot measure. Compromised greed-hogs who are intent on paving over every square inch of the Sunshine State to shoehorn more, more, more 3/2 zero lot line cracker boxes.

Amendment 3 was flawed from its rushed inception.

Now, independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer advocates like Florida TaxWatch and the Florida Policy Institute say it is bad for Florida, with the potential to gut local essential services and posing an existential threat to small local governments who actually live within their means.

As a result, Amendment 3 is now the abandoned bastard child of state lawmakers who are increasingly distancing themselves from its disastrous impacts, claiming they were strongarmed into passing the ballot initiative when Gov. Ron DeSantis held up the state budget, and warning the proposal would seriously impact those communities least able to absorb it.

Earlier this week, republican Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, who once congratulated his chamber for placing Amendment 3 on the ballot, now says he opposes the ill-considered measure, a bill that was passed in just 36-hours during a special session without any budget analysis or direction to those communities who will be most affected.

“As a native of Florida’s heartland, our rural communities are near and dear to my heart. It’s who I am. Amendment 3 would eliminate up to 30% of resources for Florida’s rural counties, gutting essential services for law enforcement, emergency response services, and critical infrastructure,” he said.

In addition, former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo announced earlier this month that she is also voting against Amendment 3, saying “I think it is a well-intentioned bill, but you know, the road to hell is paved with them.”

In my view, Florida’s real estate and development industry has a mercenary interest in seeing the amendment pass. Recently, industry economists estimated it would immediately increase home prices 7% to 9%, with first-time buyers taking the hit.

Guess who benefits from more real estate transactions at higher prices?

Having witnessed the effects of unchecked greed across the width and breadth of our state, now is not the time to allow those with a profit motive to further undermine our quality of life by exsanguinating local emergency services, utilities infrastructure, libraries, youth and senior programs, parks, conservation efforts, and other essential civic amenities as demand increases exponentially.

Floridians deserve responsible tax and spending reform, this isn’t it.

My hope is that once Florida voters show Tallahassee we won’t sacrifice more of what makes Florida special to satiate the greed of a few, you will join me on the frontlines as we demand those jacklegs that comprise our legislative delegation fight for responsible, measured, and economically sound solutions to Florida’s spending and affordability issues.

That should include equitable improvements in how state and local governments are funded, changes that will increase affordability while ensuring vital services are protected for all Floridians during this period of explosive exploitation.

As you head to the voting booth, please ask yourself, when did those bought-and-paid-for political whores in Tallahassee – or their puppeteers in the real estate/development industry – have your family’s best interests at heart?

Please support your hometown heroes by voting “No” on Amendment 3.

Quote of the Week

“The deadline has come and gone, but the state audit has yet to arrive, leaving Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick L. Henry looking for answers.

At the Oct. 7 City Commission meeting, Henry proposed sending letters requesting an update on the audit, which commissioners had been told to expect by late August or early September.

“We’re not combative or trying to fight with (the state auditor); we want some information so that we’re not in the dark,” Henry said.

Commissioners Quanita May, Monica Paris and Stacy Cantu questioned whether the proposed letter accurately reflected the views of the entire commission, with concerns that it primarily represented Henry’s position.”

–Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, as quoted by correspondent Jacqueline Lee, writing in Hometown News Volusia, “Daytona Beach Commission presses for delayed audit, mayor addresses threats,” Monday, October 19, 2026

I have a bad feeling about this.

In my view, when you are about to be devoured by a bear, I’m not sure urging him to ‘get on with it’ is the most prudent course of action – but Mayor Derrick Henry makes a point…

Last month, I opined about the danger of the rampant rumor and speculation being fueled by a protracted criminal investigation by the Statewide Prosecutors Office and a concurrent external audit of the City of Daytona Beach finances by the Florida Auditor General.

I worried that unchecked gossip would sweep the community if these important inquiries were allowed to drag on – leaving residents (voters) to speculate on what’s true, and what’s not – something that could result in irreparable damage to the public trust and the personal reputations of those elected and appointed officials who may have done nothing wrong.

Recently, that conjecture spilled onto social media when unconfirmed reports claimed state Sen. Tom Wright – whose inquiry into city spending was the impetus for the state’s intervention – reportedly spoke of pending arrests at City Hall during a recent town hall meeting with Daytona Beach residents.

I have no idea if Sen. Wright made that statement or not – I wasn’t there.

But the anecdote was enough to cause a stir among residents who have waited months for a resolution to questions of misspending and the maladministration of permitting funds.

In his letter on behalf of the City of Daytona Beach to the Auditor General of the State of Florida, Mayor Derrick Henry wrote:

“Having relied on the timeline your office provided to City staff, we shared that expectation with our residents, who have been waiting for these results. As that date has come and gone, we are hearing growing frustration from the community, along with a loss of confidence in the process.”

In my view, Mayor Henry is right about one thing – the taxpayers of Daytona Beach have the right to timely answers to the serious questions posed by the state investigations – information that will allow citizens to hold government officials politically accountable for their fiscal stewardship and ethical conduct.

I understand the time involved in conducting in-depth investigations – especially complex cases involving questions of public integrity and possible financial crimes.  Unfortunately, protracted examinations can make the process seem like it is dragging on indefinitely, which can lead to claims the system is being abused for political purposes – especially when one group of politicians investigates another.

In my view, it is time for the state of Florida to show its cards.

And Another Thing!

“I understand that people want something different, and there’s a desire to want to assure them that you’re taking steps to show them that you’re taking this matter seriously, as it should be,” Hayes said. “I think again, the planning director has done a really good job of coming up with some solutions for you. It doesn’t really matter what you put in your policy. If somebody wants to challenge it, they’re going to find a way to challenge it.”

–Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Hayes, as quoted by reporter Jarleene Almenas, writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “Ormond Beach codifies data center ban,” Wednesday, October 21, 2026

One of the few positive aspects of an election year is that, for a brief moment, our typically aloof elected dullards on the dais of power feign interest in issues that We, The Little People actually care about.

Trust me, their attentiveness is short-lived – and once election day has come and gone – surviving incumbents will quickly return to serving the moneygrubbing interests of their political benefactors.

But for a few fleeting moments, this weird pay-to-play oligarchy takes on the appearance of a responsive representative democracy…

On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council voted to enact a ban on “large-scale” data centers in unincorporated areas, defined as “…a single location, with a data center on site, that has an anticipated monthly peak load of 50 megawatts or more, calculated as the highest average load over a 15-minute interval.”

According to the Observer’s report, on Tuesday, the Ormond Beach City Commission also voted to unanimously to approve land use amendments confirming “…that data centers are not allowed under the city’s current Land Development Code and comprehensive plan, defined and allowed on-premise server rooms as an accessory use to a business, and established policies to prohibit development that creates “extraordinary demands” on city utility infrastructure systems.”

During the discussion, the intrepid environmental activist Suzanne Scheiber of Dream Green Volusia, offered suggestions for strengthening protections:

“While the county ban by ordinance addresses over 50 megawatts to date, there’s no specific policy in the comprehensive plan or land development code amendments in unincorporated Volusia,” she said. “The city of Ormond Beach has a responsibility to its residents to protect our water bodies and our way of life. The ordinances are clear within the city of Ormond. However, outside of the municipality, extraordinary is not defined by any measure for size, electrical usage, water usage, or wastewater usage in the ordinance before you tonight. Extraordinary is subjective.”

That’s when Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Haynes dropped the proverbial turd in the celebratory punchbowl when he was quick to point out that while the City Commission has control of potential annexations, they cannot impose regulations on land outside the city boundaries.

In my view, these bans, moratoriums, and feel-good land use changes are a meaningless gesture, orchestrated during an election season, as several incumbents are rightfully struggling for their political lives.

That’s why our elected officials are taking a victory lap and patting themselves on the back for doing “something” to address citizen concerns.

It’s also why I hate to be the bearer of unwelcome news.

Just days before the Volusia County Council voted to ban large-scale data centers, their own Planning and Land Development Regulation Committee recommended continuing the discussion…

“Let’s sit back. Take a pause for 12 months.  We need to give it a little more light, not just take the witch and burn her at the stake because we don’t like the way it’s going,” Planning Commissioner Frank Costa said.

Hummmm…

I guess not everyone in Volusia County government is ready to kill a goose – filthy as that bird may be – that will eventually lay golden eggs?

I hate to say it, but data centers will eventually find their way to the “Fun Coast” – and while the state currently allows counties and municipalities to regulate the facilities – once the money starts to flow into Tallahassee coffers, that rare nod to home rule autonomy will quickly change…

Here in the “Biggest Whorehouse in the World,” money talks and our quality of life (and sensitive environment) be damned.

The handwriting is on the wall…

I recently spoke with a friend from Northern Virginia involved in the development of data centers across the nation.  It is an increasingly necessary multi-billion-dollar industry, and the income being generated for trade workers, designers, support staff, and technical experts who are working to incorporate closed-circuit cooling systems, on-site power generation, quiet technology, and other environmental safeguards is astronomical.

According to reports, there are currently 847 active projects, to include “hyperscale” sites, across the nation each utilizing 800–1,400 electricians simultaneously. In high demand areas, journeymen electricians are earning $200k+ annually.

When you factor in the potential taxes, fees, fines, and other state/local revenues generated by data centers it won’t be long until Florida legislators determine on which side their bread is buttered…

Let’s hope I’m wrong. About a lot of things.

That’s all for me. Please take advantage of early voting, and have a great weekend, y’all!

Note to the Barker’s View Tribe:

Barker’s View will be on hiatus for a couple of weeks.

During the break, please feel free to enjoy some past screeds from the copious BV achieves at the bottom of this page. It’s fun to take a look in the rearview mirror with the clarity of hindsight, and see what has changed, and what’s remains the same, here on Florida’s “Fun Coast.”

All the Best & Happy Halloween!

MDB