When it comes to “selling” the Halifax area to potential visitors, the powers-that-be like to do the same thing over-and-over again, always expecting a different result.

That’s right – it’s the very definition of insanity.

In their most recent variation of the theme, the Halifax Area Advertising Authority – another tax-funded organization which duplicates the job of the Daytona Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority, and the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority, etc., etc. – has hired NASCAR beauty Danica Patrick to star in a series of digital media spots encouraging folks to come visit the Cousin Eddie of Florida vacation destinations.

The marketing theme?

“Forget what you thought you knew about Daytona Beach, because no matter what you’re into, this place is totally your speed.”

 Wait a minute.  Forget what you thought you knew?

You read that right.

From the same bed-tax gobbling half-brights who brought you, “Seize the Daytona” – our new tourism hook is: “Blight?  Homelessness?  Crime?  Exorbitant beach tolls? FUGGITABOUTIT!”

Is this a bad joke?

Things are so bad that seasoned advertising executives – guys that can sell a ketchup Popsicle to a lady in white gloves – have been reduced to begging people to ignore their gut instincts. . .

“Hey, Mr. & Mrs. Middle America – just forget that time the vagrant urinated in front of the kids on the Boardwalk.  Put it out of your mind. I’m just asking here, but do you think you could also overlook the rundown crack houses, the empty storefronts and omnipresent drifters bumming cigarettes and just relax and have a good time for Christ sake?  I mean, they have a new Outlet Mall on the frontage road, what more do you want?”

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that just three years ago the Halifax Area Advertising Authority commissioned a focus group in Columbus, Ohio (our core demographic?) to study what comes to mind when people hear the words, “Daytona Beach.”

(Best Richard Dawson accent) Survey Says! – “Redneck,” “Crowded” and “Starting to fall apart.”

Apparently, our study participants recoiled in horror – like they were being forced to watch the director’s cut of “Deliverance.”

Columbus?  I spent a month there one night.  You talk about people starved for entertainment.

Wow.

Look, Danica Patrick is easy to look at – and she has an exciting day job – but when it comes to selling Daytona Beach to the Midwestern masses, she’ll earn every dime of that $100,000 paycheck.

Over time, our elected and appointed officials have ignored and neglected the goose that laid the golden egg.  It took about three decades of complete inattention, but they finally killed it, and no fancy marketing campaign can revive it.

Apparently, no one on the HAAA’s over $1 million-dollar annual payroll understands that.

In typical fashion, rather than transform and revitalize the internationally attractive assets that once made us the “World’s Most Famous Beach,” we simply throw good money after bad trying in vain to promote the dregs of a once vibrant destination.

Until we have something unique and different to offer – accessible beaches, clean spaces, modern amenities, beachside shopping, restaurants and attractions, an active arts scene and inviting commercial and retail centers – we simply cannot – and should not – compete in the marketplace.

 

The Chinese zodiac calendar tells us 2017 is the year of the Rooster – a period of righteousness, justice and logical efficiency.

Rooster years are dominated by the Fire element, and the presence of a predominant element governing the annual cycle is never seen as the best of omens.

But it marks the year in which I will no longer accept being lied to by those who are elected and appointed to represent my interests.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living outside the circle.  The one who oils the machine of local, state and federal politics with my tax dollars – only to be openly deceived by the “system.”

In 2016, the American people learned that once trusted institutions – such as our national media networks – were openly lying to us when reporting the “news” of the day.

Once venerated outlets, such as the New York Times, have admitted to “false balance” and outright lies in their coverage of this year’s election.

It turns out the elegant Gray Lady is a cheap whore, and last week the publisher promised to “rededicate” the newspaper to honest reporting in the future.  As though we are supposed to forgive and forget the biggest journalistic fraud in the history of the free world.

The sudden realization that organizations and traditions we once accepted as the truth were no more than half-baked façades raised chilling questions.  We soon learned that the political elite on both sides of the spectrum were manufacturing the record, so much so that we needed “Truth o’ Meters” to sort the wheat from the chaff – and even the “fact checkers” were wrong.

Now, we feel like victims of a carnival scam.

Let’s face it – we are rubes, screwed by sophisticated grifters who have lost any semblance of integrity and laugh in our face as they line their pockets with our hard-earned tax dollars and shit on everything we hold dear.

For instance, while collectively traumatized by the effects of a Category Three hurricane – our County Manager, Jim Dinneen, tells us that the mountains of debris lining our streets will be cleaned-up in just twenty short days.

Understand, Mr. Dinneen had no basis for his feel-good prognostication.  He just pulled it out of his ass – a quick answer to the media with a fabricated time-frame that got the people off his back for a few more weeks.

Rather than calm our fears, Little Jimmy simply exacerbated our growing frustration as his arbitrary promise came-and-went, leaving many still dealing with the stinking piles of rotting vegetation at the curb.

Last week, some twit who “manages” our county transportation system, Votran – which operates on $18.4 million in annual tax subsidies – would have us believe that it will cost $400,000 to retool a bus line to serve the recently opened Tanger Outlet shopping mall.

In an interesting Sunday op/ed by Daytona Beach News-Journal editor, Pat Rice; he questioned the figure while rightly pointing out that –  with a new apartment community located northeast of Tanger, a proposed 3,400-unit housing development to the northwest, and the 900 new employees and thousands of shoppers traveling to the mall daily – Votran might have considered some advanced planning and route analysis.

Not in Volusia County.

Here, incompetence rises like curdled cream and time-honored organizational management practices like accountability and responsibility are abhorred.

I have decided that I’m not going to take it anymore.

As a taxpayer, I have a right to expect that those who are elected to represent our collective interests will tell the truth on important issues facing our community.  We also have a right to expect that when elected and appointed officials tell us bullshit falsehoods – and use thinly veiled scams to siphon-off our tax dollars to private interests – that they will be held accountable for their actions like the cheap sneak thieves they are.

Is that too much to expect?

Apparently.

In Volusia County, we have come to understand that a few uber-wealthy political insiders control Halifax area commerce and politics through a not so sophisticated system of co-opting our elected officials with enormous campaign contributions – then take massive returns on investment in the form of tax incentives, “economic development” funds and bargain basement prices on the purchase of public lands.

Add to that the dubious “agriculture” and other tax exemptions on the vast landholdings of certain companies and individuals, the arbitrary granting of traffic-free beaches, or the gifting of unrestrained density and height allowances for projects years in advance and you begin to understand the depth of the problem.

While everyone may be equal – in Volusia County, some are more equal than others.

Rather than hold these mega-donors at arm’s length and work in the best interests of their constituents, our elected officials never miss a chance to goo-goo over their masters and prostrate themselves like the caviling sycophants they are.

Don’t take my word for it, just watch re-runs of any county council meeting visited by J. Hyatt Brown.

Recently, the High Potentate of Volusia County, Mr. Mori Hosseini, was recognized with the “2016 Outstanding Philanthropist” award by something called the Volusia/Flagler Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not knocking this special recognition – I’m positive the Hossieni’s personal and corporate giving is infinitely more than my own.

But what about the taxpayers of Volusia County?

Where’s the gratitude and fancy luncheons?

Where’s the cooing and over-the-top fussing whenever we walk into the council chambers?

I guarantee no single group of people contribute more in corporate welfare and outright cash giveaways than the long-suffering citizens of Volusia County.

Under the current “economic development” scheme, We, the People, have financed – or at least mitigated the financial risk – on every project from Ocean Walk to One Daytona and Tanger Outlets, etc., etc.

We recently handed an untested social service agency over $5-million in taxpayer dollars and transferred public property – no questions asked – for a homeless service facility in the heart of the challenged Derbyshire neighborhood.

In September, you and I became honored members of the Jack R. Hunt Society at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University through our generous $1.5 million cash infusion – not to mention the county council’s sale of public property to ERAU – a private entity – for half the parcel’s appraised valued.

Half.

I hope you’ll join me in rejecting the dishonesty of those who accept public funds to perform a service in the public interest in the new year.

We deserve better.

 

 

 

Wow.  What a difference a day makes.

Last evening, the Deltona City Commission held a workshop to discuss the merits of an orphan “civility ordinance,” ostensibly designed to put the reins on spirited debate and shield senior officials from the embarrassment of open criticism from the dais during public meetings.

This shortsighted legislation, thinly veiled as an “anti-bullying” measure, drew fire from freedom loving Deltonians and those who support good government all over Central Florida.

I learned over a long career in municipal government that your constituents will accept a lot of baseless regulation, fee increases and tax hikes – they’ll even put up with aggressive code enforcement – for a while anyway.

What they will not tolerate is having their Constitutional rights to free speech and self-expression trampled for the convenience of the government.

A good example is legislation prohibiting display of the American flag, patriotic banners and military colors.  If you happen to be an elected or appointed public official and want some excitement in your life – propose a flag ordinance.

Unfortunately, this legislation had a more personal undertone.

In an astute observation, Commissioner Brian Soukup – whose frequent hubbubs with top officials was the obvious genesis of the proposed rule – told the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “They might as well call it the Soukup ordinance.”

Love him or hate him, Commissioner Soukup is an intuitive guy.

At the end of the evening, we needed a paternity test to determine just who brought this ill-fated measure forward.

During the meeting, City Attorney Becky Vose finked on Commissioner Heidi Herzberg, claiming that she requested the ordinance – something Ms. Herzberg speed-walked away from.

According to Herzberg, she only suggested a “policy” addressing bullying.

In addition, Commissioner Mitch Honaker – who may or may not have requested a similar policy – disavowed any knowledge of the civility law.

“I am livid,” Honaker said.  “Throw that ordinance away.”

Indeed.

We also learned that the city attorney routinely constructs ordinances at the autonomous request of individual commissioners – a practice that drew the ire of newly elected Commissioner Christopher Alcantara.

“Personally, I think that it’s better if we as a group decided what is it that we want as far as ordinances to give you direction.”

 Smart guy.

Is it possible that Mr. Alcantara is the only one in Deltona City Hall who understands how the council/manager form of government works?

Despite the obvious, Vose continued to champion her work, arguing that she could, “very easily defend it in court.”  Now, I don’t know how long Ms. Vose has served in municipal government, but when your boat is sinking, I’ve found it’s best not to keep drilling holes in the hull to let the water out.

That’s how people get fired.

The city attorney’s unofficial role is to serve as the “fixer,” to accept responsibility, protect commissioners from their own idiotic treachery, and move things off the front page of the newspaper as quickly as possible.

Don’t take my word for it – Ms. Vose should ask her colleague, Kurt Ardaman, over in DeBary – he’s a past-master at justifying the asinine moves of elected officials while simultaneously feathering his own nest.

Ms. Vose could learn something from him – and get rich in the process.

Regardless, this was an extremely weird issue that has left many smart people shaking their heads.

Now, I’m just spit-balling here, but is it possible that something else is at work behind the scenes in Deltona politics?

Following yesterday’s blog, I received a social media post from a member of the Deltona Fire Fighter’s Union, who took exception with the $93,000.00 I quoted for the unusual mid-service buyout received by a recently promoted deputy fire chief.

According to the union representative – the actual amount was more like $40,000.00. . .

I stand corrected.  And now, so do you.

Look, I understand the symbiotic relationship between public employee unions and certain elected representatives – it’s both a blessing and a curse, depending upon which side of the cash flow you’re on.

Trust me – I’ve benefited from this age-old sleight-of-hand myself.

I also know the issues that will inevitably arise when an outside entity – be it a powerful union, or a manipulative political insider – has an outsized influence on the democratic process.

Is it possible that the Deltona fire union quietly pushed provisions of this “civility” ordinance as a means of providing additional protections for their leadership and employees?

Is it possible union leadership wanted to establish a binding bureaucratic process which would have required an internal “paper trail” that could be exploited and challenged at each step?

I don’t know, but time will tell if this is an underlying issue for the citizens of Deltona.

So, what have we learned from the mess?

In my view, this debacle best demonstrates that well-meaning people who propose legislation that suppress our rights to free speech, and the ability to petition our government for redress of grievances, often forget that these laws can be turned around and used as offensive weapons in the future.

We also learned that the City of Deltona has serious leadership issues that no “civility” ordinance can repair.

I am happy to report that Deltona has a core group of very bright and inquisitive citizens who are actively monitoring and analyzing the moves and machinations of their elected and appointed officials.

That’s important – and my hat is off to them for putting the brakes on this misguided legislation.

 

 

George Orwell’s dystopian novel, 1984, is set in the superstate of Oceania – where under the control of the privileged elite – individualism, political dissent and alternative opinions are considered “thought crimes.”

In the novel, the ruling class use omnipresent surveillance and other malevolent means of controlling the speech, actions and even thoughts of its servile subjects.

Chief among these tactics is the Thought Police, who ensure that no one violates or challenges the government’s definition of “ideological correctness.”

In the 21^st Century, this idea has taken the form of what we know as ‘political correctness’ – where words or speech are labeled as inappropriate, and subject the individual uttering them to branding, denouncement and personal ruin.

One can rightly argue that modern America is rapidly mirroring the Orwellian concepts of Big Brother, thought control, and ideological conformity.

You don’t have to look far to find evidence of it.

In recent months, the City of Deltona has challenged DeBary for the title of most dysfunctional municipality in Volusia County – which, as “The Stranger” said – put’s them high in the running for the most dysfunctional government anywhere.

Back in September, Deltona City Commissioner Brain Soukup had the temerity to question City Manager Jane Shang’s integrity following the promotion of a firefighter.  As part of that personnel action, the firefighter received an extremely unusual “one time” payout of $93,000.00 in unused leave.

Commissioner Soukup took issue with the questionable expenditure (I never saw one like it for an internal promotion in over 30-years of government service) and he believed Shang lied to him “by omission” during his inquiry into the matter.

For his trouble, Soukup’s remarks were met with sharp rebukes from Mayor John Masiarczyk and Vice Mayor Chris Nabicht – both of whom thought Soukup’s comments somehow bruised the delicate sensibilities of the Deltona fire union.

Hummmmm?

During the tempest in a teapot, Nabicht – a retired Deltona deputy fire chief – barked, “You’re out of line, Soukup.”

Out of line?  Interesting.

In most municipalities, these dust-ups are just that – they clear the air, vent frustrations, and let everyone involved know where the other stands on issues important to them.

Can this be uncomfortable for staff?  You bet it can.

Is the process important to the overall health of the organization?  You bet it is.

Now, in perhaps the most chilling move I’ve ever witnessed from a municipal government – the City of Deltona has proposed –  and constructed – something called a “Civility Ordinance.”

A law designed to control the manner and means by which the people’s elected representatives can point out the errors and omissions of senior executives, voice critical opinions on staff performance or address constituent complaints.

You read that right.  A municipal ordinance governing “civility.”

As I understand it, the idea was hatched by City Attorney Becky Vose, who drafted an ordinance addressing “workplace bullying” within the city.  During a discussion with Commissioner Heidi Herzberg, Vose apparently advised that the bullying law would also apply to the speech and conduct of elected officials acting in their official capacity.

Apparently, the dubious proposal was championed by the Mayor and Vice Mayor who hurried the draft ordinance onto a workshop agenda.

The discussion will take place this evening at Deltona City Hall.

The problem is – this isn’t an anti-bullying measure at all.

It is a direct attack on the rights and responsibilities of Deltona’s elected officials – and a roadmap for ignoring the sacred vote of residents to effectively get rid of “offending” commissioners by collusion of the majority.

Sound familiar, DeBary?  It damn well should.

The proposed law specifically prohibits:

1. The use of disrespectful and/or devaluing language;

2. Persistent or extended criticism in front of other persons (including coworkers, vendors, contractors or members of the public); or

3. Behaviors, actions, conduct or language with the intent to frighten, humiliate, belittle or degrade, including criticism delivered with a raised voice, yelling and/or screaming.

The law goes on to spell out a convoluted process by which the people’s elected representatives may file written complaints “comporting with due process and free speech rights” (?) prior to addressing wrongdoing by a charter officer or city employee “in a public meeting.”

What happens should a hapless city commissioner violate the “Civility” law?

Achtung!:

“Violations of this Article XI, including but not limited to failure to adhere to the procedures set forth in this Article, by an elected city official acting in his or her official capacity shall constitute misconduct in office, malfeasance and/or misfeasance, as applicable, and may be the basis for censure with reasonable penalties as determined by a majority vote of the City Commission.”

 Wow.

This over-broad and patently biased pile of festering dog shit is an affront to everything free citizens of this nation believe, fight, and die for.

As someone who cares deeply about good governance and the protection of our Constitutionally protected rights to free speech, self-expression and the redress of grievances, let me set the record straight:

How dare these lily-livered, hyper-sensitive assholes attempt to legitimize their powerfully stupid and highly subjective notion of “devaluing speech” through the legislative process.

How dare they devalue our essential right to free speech and expression – especially in the context of a public meeting.

This country was founded upon the spirited debate of differing opinions and ideas.

Our basic rights – such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom from unreasonable search and seizures – all survived after bitter and divisive arguments between our Founding Fathers.

Leadership and good government do not take place in a vacuum.

In my view, to effectively tie the hands of the people’s elected representatives, and legislatively hamstring their sworn responsibilities to the community they serve, has a chilling effect on the process and consolidates ultimate power in the elite few who interpret things like what constitutes “devaluing” speech.

In my view, the City of Deltona clearly has deeper issues than any cockamamie “civility ordinance” can repair.  When a government reaches this level of open dysfunction, it is time for the senior staff to take their leave – voluntarily or involuntarily.

Clearly, Ms. Shang and Ms. Vose – with the acquiescence of several commissioners – are attempting to enact a prophylactic ordinance specifically designed to control the otherwise lawful conduct of the citizens elected representatives – and set the table for forcibly removing duly elected “offenders.”

This goes deeper than petty self-protection.

It represents the height of arrogance in a public official – and may well signal evidence of deeper and darker issues in Deltona City Hall.

Keep your eyes on this one, folks.

 

 

 

 

 

“Uncertainty is the worst of all evils until the moment when reality makes us regret uncertainty.”

–Alphonse Karr

The news out of Palatka this morning has confirmed my worst fears.

As I sit here at Barker’s View HQ at 8:53am on a crisp, clear fall morning, I’ve come to realize that it’s going to take more than three-fingers of fine bourbon whiskey in my Café Bustelo to get a handle on this one.

It’s ugly, so I’ll save you the cruel humor.

Smart people are awakening to the confirmation that the Sunshine State has been seized by the scum of the earth – and our way will be dark and slippery for a long time to come.

As usual, there are more questions than answers:

How long, Oh Lord, will the good people of Florida be saddled with the utterly corrupt sneak thief, John Miklos?

How long will we suffer a Governor’s personal appointee who openly plays both sides against the center, then gives his figurative middle finger to any regulatory agency or investigative journalist with the temerity to question him?

The answer is: Who knows?

It’s official.  We live in the most corrupt state in the union.

On Tuesday, the all-powerful St. John’s River Water Management District’s governing board – you know, that select group of political insiders appointed by the Governor to conserve and protect our sensitive water supply and wetlands – voted to reappoint Long John Miklos to an unprecedented fourth consecutive term as chairman.

We are doomed.  That’s all ye know, and all ye need to know.

You may recall that Mr. Miklos owns Orlando-based, Bio Tech Consultants, Inc., an environmental consultancy that has had an incredible run of success in ensuring that his clients – generally big-time developers – get what they damn well want from the very regulatory agency that he lords over.

In the Scott administration’s typical “we do what we want” approach to the myriad of shady deals and backhanded power appointments that have plagued the Governor for years, the SJRWMD board failed to even consider that Chairman-for-Life Miklos is currently the subject of investigations by both the Florida Ethics Commission – and the State Attorney’s Office.

To say that John Miklos is a one-man environmental wrecking ball is an understatement – but, in my view, it is his unbridled public corruption that sets him apart from some of Rick Scott’s other jackals with a title.

You might also remember that Long John commanded $155.00 per hour from the City of DeBary to ramrod the acquisition of 102 acres of sensitive conservation lands owned by the district that the city wanted to churn into a transit-oriented development near the SunRail station.

While working as a contract employee of DeBary, Miklos attended a meeting between city officials and representatives of the St. John’s River Water Management District while serving as the district’s board chairman.

You read that right.

In my view, that meeting best represents the predicate overt act required to prove a criminal conspiracy.

In a state where you can hire the chairman of a regulatory agency to lobby on your behalf before that same organization, anything is possible.  And trust me, that rabble at the City of DeBary knew exactly what they were doing when they got in bed with him.

But those flagrant shitheels in DeBary City Hall are far from Miklos’ only co-conspirators.

According to the excellent reporting of the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Dina Pulver, “Miklos has declared a conflict of interest before a board vote more than a dozen times in the three years since he was appointed chairman in November 2013.  But most permits aren’t reviewed by the board.  His company has been a party to at least 85 permit applications to the St. Johns district since he was named chairman.”

For the record, the number of permit applications to the St. Johns and South Florida water districts that list Bio Tech as their consultant doubled within the two-years after Miklos became head of the agency’s governing board.

If you think Governor Rick Scott gives two-shits, stop fooling yourself.

That reptilian asshole is the poster boy for the problem of quid pro quo corruption – and he has no qualms about selling his soul, or the State of Florida, to anyone who extends a buck in his direction.

In fact, the only board member to openly oppose putting the fox back in charge of the hen house was our own Maryam Ghyabi – owner of an Ormond Beach-based engineering firm and sister of the High Panjandrum of Florida politics, Mortenza “Mori” Hosseini.

Prior to the vote, Ms. Ghyabi voiced her concern that someone other than Miklos should be granted the opportunity to ascend to the leadership role.

Unfortunately, her plea went whistling over the heads of her fellow board members who immediately shit on her suggestion and voted 6-1 to reappoint Long John as chairman of the board.

Whether this public insult is enough to raise Mori’s infamous wrath is yet to be seen.

Or, perhaps Mr. Hosseini needs Long John’s considerable influence for an up-coming project?

Who knows.  It’s a moot point – these people always get what they pay for.

What I do know is that despite on-going criminal investigations – and blistering editorials by two influential regional newspapers – the Scott administration ignored the gamble and gave the nod that put this brazen greed-head back at the helm of Florida’s most powerful regulatory agency.

Because I’m a hopeless romantic – given the heat and exposure – I would have bet you a fistful of new hundreds that even a congenital crook like Rick Scott would have tossed his buddy out of the SJRWMD wheelhouse like a rotten mackerel.

But I was wrong.

We are living in the biggest whorehouse in the world.

Get used to feeling dirty.

Unless and until We, the People, demand that our government officials separate their personal finances from the public agencies they oversee, you can expect more of the same from Rick Scott and his cabal of treacherous scum and rip-off artists who masquerade as ‘public servants.’

The greed-hogs are fully in charge, they have seized the high ground, and their priorities are different than ours.

Aphonse Karr was right.  Reality is often more terrifying than our wildest speculations.

 

“No bus service planned for Tanger Outlets Mall”

Really?

This morning I read an informative piece in the Daytona Beach News-Journal reporting on the County of Volusia’s shortsighted refusal to extend Votran bus service to the new Tanger Outlet Mall.

In essence – Volusia officials are money-grubbing again, and the abject arrogance expressed by the County’s top transportation official tells me County Manager Jim Dinneen is pulling the strings on this one.

Last year, the County Council voted to approve an agreement to contribute $2.25 million to the Tanger development – while Daytona Beach city commissioners approved the expenditure of an additional $2.25 million for roads, water and sewer pipes, sidewalks and other infrastructure.

The highly anticipated 39-acre, $100 million-dollar retail center is set to open later this week.

Now, county officials would have us believe that they failed to allocate funds for public transportation service to the outlet mall.

They can’t be that stupid.

Can they?

Like everything else in Volusia County, the devil is in the details.

After throwing a collective $4.5 million of our tax dollars into a private retail development we’re told that the critical element of public transportation won’t be available.

The reason?  No money.

According to Steve Sherrer, general manager of our county operated bus system, “There is currently no funding in Votran’s operating budget to support new service to the Tanger mall.”

In Volusia County’s typical over-the-top fashion –  Sherrer would have us believe that adding a short connection to an important economic driver like Tanger would cost between $300,000 to $400,000 a year – not counting the cost of vehicles.

Bullshit.

According to Google Maps, using the North Williamson Boulevard route from the nearest Votran stop on LPGA Boulevard, the distance is approximately one-half mile.  Too far for the elderly or disabled to walk – especially on a hot summer day – but a short five-minutes by bus.

In June of last year, Sherrer sent a letter to the City of Daytona Beach asking if they would be interested in funding bus service for Tanger Outlets and the nearby Trader Joe’s distribution center.

Seem weird?  You bet it is.

In turn, Assistant City Manager Betty Goodman responded, “It is surprising that Votran’s opinion is that expense for the new service would need to be borne by the city.  As I’m sure you are aware, we do not have any budget for Votran service routes.”

Surprising indeed.

According to Sherrer, “We certainly recognize that Tanger is going to be a legitimate trip generator, but if I don’t have any money in my budget (to add Votran service to the outlet mall) how am I supposed to provide it?” he asked. “I reached out to the city but I can’t twist their arm.”

When asked by the News-Journal whether Votran has sought funding assistance from the outlet mall itself, Sherrer said, “We have not heard from Tanger, but I haven’t picked up the phone (to speak with them).”

Of course not.

Why would the general manager of our public transportation system consider “picking up the phone” and communicating with the area’s most touted retail destination in years to discuss alternatives to a problem everyone saw coming over a year ago?

I suppose it comes from the same mindset that fails to budget – or at least plan for the system flexibility necessary to address a legitimate public need.

Let me get this right: We use millions in public funds to create ‘jobs’ – then fail to provide a means of access to workers who rely on public transportation – and the shoppers who will ultimately make or break our investment.

Tragic.

In most competently managed and accountable organizations – Mr. Sherrer would be called on the carpet and summarily fired for his incompetence, lack of strategic planning, piss-poor budgetary oversight, and the condescending tone of his public communications on a matter of community concern.

As I’ve previously said, once again a situation erupts that exposes the depth of dysfunction in County government and begs the obvious question: “When is it appropriate to hold public officials accountable”?

In the Dinneen administration the answer is never.

In government, as in most progressive private organizations, accountability exists when a responsible individual, and the services they provide, are subject to critical oversight. This occurs when the responsible party is required to provide articulable justification for their actions, omissions, expenditures, planning, and performance.

A practice especially important for government officials at the executive level whose decisions can have wide-ranging and very expensive implications – such as the management of our public transportation system.

Despite overwhelming evidence that Mr. Dinneen is incapable of holding his senior staff responsible for their continuing pattern of gross mismanagement – a serious problem that has been the hallmark of his tenure – rather than demand accountability, our elected officials continue to praise Dinneen’s performance, and reinforce his behavior.

Ridiculous.

You want to know what is truly the most serious issue Volusia County residents face?

It is the staggering level of incompetence, government waste and resource mismanagement during Jim Dinneen’s administration – and a continuing, almost institutionalized, lack of substantive oversight by our elected officials that allows this atrocious malfeasance to continue.

Now, as always, Volusia County is crying poor-mouth and threatening service cuts to municipal taxpayers as a means of shirking yet another county responsibility.

Call it what it is – extortion.

You want transportation to the most heralded addition to the Halifax area’s retail scene in over 20-years?

Then pay us what we demand – or walk.

Disgusting.

Our much-anticipated election has come and gone and our sensitive liberal friends are in the midst of a national nervous breakdown.

It may be cold comfort, but trust me – this too shall pass.

Perhaps its time to finish the hot cocoa, put the fuzzy woobie away, pick-up the soaked crying towels and get back to school, work, or whatever it is you do to contribute to our societal welfare.

I’m kidding of course.  I understand the agony of loosing a tough contest, but I still believe that American’s can fundamentally disagree on political issues and still care about one another – in fact, I can’t think of anything more purely American.

It’s time we all come together behind President-elect Trump and support the peaceful transition of power.

We owe it to our democratic process – and our nation.

On the local front, the Volusia County Council has a new chairman-elect in Ed Kelley – and the District 4 seat will be filled by Heather Post – following a weird, hard-fought campaign against her opponent, Al Smith.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate both Mr. Kelley and Mrs. Post – and extend my best wishes for success.  After all, they will represent our collective interests and be accountable for serving as good stewards of our hard-earned tax dollars.  They deserve our support until their actions prove otherwise.

In my view, given the train wreck that is county government, they have nowhere to go but up.

They say the devil is in the details – and in Volusia County – that old maxim continues to hold true.

I recently wrote a screed venting my spleen on the Volusia County Council’s latest buggering by uber-wealthy power broker, Mori Hosseini, President of ICI Homes and Chairman of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Board of Trustees.

You may recall the shameless money-grab by Mr. Hosseini and ERAU Interim President Karen Holbrook which ultimately netted the private university some $1.5-million in taxpayer dollars – cash – coupled with the “sale” of public property near Clyde Morris and Bellevue to the college for half its appraised value.

Now, you might think strutting out of the council chambers with over $2-million dollars in public funds and assets would have satisfied the big guy.

Not hardly.

When you’re the High Panjandrum of Volusia County, you get what you want – when you want it.  Unfortunately for us, this most recent debacle will be the gift that keeps on giving.

Check this out:

Prior to the county council’s vote to literally give publicly owned property to ERAU, Mr. Hosseini had the brass to ask (read: direct) County Manager Jim Dinneen to use even more of our tax dollars to fund any environmental clean-up that may be required prior to the transfer.

I’ll give Mori this – he’s got some stones.

For years, the land in question housed the county’s B-1 Barn – a heavy maintenance and storage facility.  You can bet your bippy that there will be extensive hazardous materials remediation required, such as oil and fluids in the soil, chemical contamination, etc.

Do you think your elected representatives took the opportunity to remind Mr. Hosseini that you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth?

Or that, given the bargain basement price, perhaps the university should foot the clean-up costs?

Do you think they looked out for our interests at all?

No.  They didn’t.

But they damn sure made certain that Mr. Hosseini’s concerns were met.

According to the official minutes of the meeting, “Mr. Dinneen said if it turned out to be a problem, he would take the matter to the council.”   

So, Mori and ERAU walked out of the council chambers with our money – and our land – and now you and I are also stuck with the bill for environmental restoration that I have no doubt will be far more than the $10,000 to $15,000 Little Jimmy estimates.

You may remember he also said Hurricane Matthew debris would be collected in just 20-days – knowing that was physically impossible.

Let’s face it, Jim Dinneen has proven time-and-again that he is incapable of telling the truth.

In fact, he’s a baldfaced liar.

For instance, to make certain this slimy land deal comports with laws prohibiting just these types of quid pro quo transfers of public assets for private advantage; the resolution was constructed with the patently fraudulent verbiage, the “County owned real property is not needed for county purposes and required for public or community interest and welfare.”

Please don’t tell me that ERAU’s research park – the “Micaplex” – will benefit anyone’s “interest and welfare” other than Mori’s hand-selected business partners.

In my view, the evidence increasingly suggests that Mr. Hosseini is using the university as a conduit to access public funds – and Jim Dinneen is facilitating the con through sleight-of-hand and old fashioned mismanagement.

It’s painful to watch.

During the meeting, council member Pat Patterson all but prostrated himself before the Master and evoked his role as the county’s representative to “Team Volusia” – our government funded do-nothing “economic development” experiment – in supporting the public property giveaway.

With the timing of a Swiss watch, the half-priced sale of public land to a private entity was unanimously approved by the full council.

As though the outcome was ever in doubt.

On this Veteran’s Day 2016, I want to republish this piece from earlier this year and dedicate it to all those brave men and women who answered the call to serve in defense of our great nation.  We owe them a debt that cannot be repaid:

In 1979, my best friend Mike Lowe and I enlisted at the old U.S. Army recruiting station on Ridgewood Avenue when skipping classes at Daytona Beach Community College got old. . .

We were 19-years old when we boarded a Greyhound bus for Ft. McClellan, Alabama.

I want to begin by saying that my time in service pales in comparison with others – in fact, it doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same company with those of you who fought in combat, deployed to a war zone, or actually sacrificed during peacetime.

You have my utmost thanks and respect this Veterans Day, and every day.

I wasn’t a recruiting poster soldier, I’ll admit.

Like most, I complained about everything – it’s too hot, it’s too cold, hurry up and wait, etc. – and to say that we had more fun than any two Army Privates before or since is an understatement.

I didn’t earn any medals – but I did drink a lot of beer.

Today, when someone asks me what I did in the Army I say, “I can’t tell you.” And they ask, “Classified?”, and I say, “No. Statute of Limitations. . .”

While Mike was promoted to Specialist 4^th Class, I was reduced in rank due to company-level discipline three times – I spent A LOT of time on KP and extra-duty – and I deserved every miserable minute of it.

(In fact, I think I’ve personally cleaned out every grease trap in every mess hall from here to West Point. . .)

While I can’t take much pride in my personal contribution – I am extremely proud of what the Army gave to me:

They took an irresponsible, stupid little boy and made a man in a very short period of time. (Thank you Senior Drill Sergeant Ainsworth – I owe you more than you know.)

They taught me valuable skills that formed the foundation of a very successful law enforcement career – in fact, Military Police School was among the best police training I ever experienced – and that includes the FBI National Academy.

They taught me to respect tradition – and the importance of committing yourself to something larger than your own self-interest.

They taught me how to put ego aside and work cooperatively with a group of diverse people to achieve a common goal.

They taught me attention to detail.

They taught me to never quit – and that you can always put one foot in front of the other – despite how tired, sick and beat-down you may think you are.

They gave me a sense of pride and patriotism that only someone who has endured basic recruit training in the armed forces can appreciate.

And best of all, the experience allowed me the opportunity to serve with some of the finest men and women I have ever known – some of whom fought in Viet Nam, and others who went on to serve with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan.

All of them remain life-long friends.

After six years – by the grace of God – I received an Honorable Discharge (Pvt. E-2) from the 345th Military Police Company (EG) U.S. Army Reserve.

It seems the older I get the prouder I am of this wonderful experience – and the men and women I served with.

Thank you to all who answered the call and served in defense of this great nation.

I am extremely proud to have played a very, very small part, and I always will be.

American’s are waking up this morning and greeting a brand-new day – in more ways than one.

Overnight, our world changed.

As Gerald Ford said in the aftermath of the Watergate tragedy, “Our long national nightmare is over” – and I’m not talking about the change in political power in this country.

This grueling election cycle was ghastly – and a true learning experience for smart people who paid attention.

Friends, family and whole segments of our society remain bitterly divided, not so much by partisan politics, but by the simmering ideological differences that have been suppressed in this country for too long.

These include our national policies (or lack thereof) on immigration, trade, Washington gridlock, almost two decades of war, domestic social issues, and our dwindling national standing in the world – tough problems that trigger strong emotions.

Elections are about preserving and progressing our Republic.

And despite the best efforts of some of our most trusted institutions, democracy prevailed.

Our national media proved that high-level politics are hard-fought battles with no rules of engagement.  Unfortunately, the press also demonstrated the depth to which uber-wealthy corporations, and those who control them, will stoop to force an artificial agenda.

In my view, that crossed a line.

Because President Elect Donald Trump was an “outsider” – someone who has never held public office, and whose positions on the issues of the day were often diametrically opposed to the talking heads, political pundits and Hollywood’s limousine liberals – he, and his followers, were dismissed as ‘deplorable’ and worse.

To say election coverage was divisive doesn’t come close to describing what we collectively experienced.

And at the end of the day, the media didn’t just get it wrong – they imploded right before the eyes of the world.

In fact, the clear majority of our corporate controlled media outlets – and the political pollsters who feed them –  were so laser-focused on coordinating prejudice, abusing their influence, and openly manipulating the outcome of our national election that they lost sight of their important purpose.

In my view, once respected journalists will have a hard time washing the blood from their hands and explaining to the American people why they ignored their professional ethics and journalistic standards when we needed their integrity most.

Perhaps the most destructive outcome of this mess is that the once venerated fourth estate no longer enjoys the public trust.

And that is a true problem.

In my view, it no longer matters which candidate you supported – like it or hate it – the people have spoken and the peaceful transition of power in the greatest nation in the world will soon begin.

In the aftermath of one of the most corrosive and polarizing elections in the history of our nation, now is the time to heal, to accept, and to demonstrate our patriotism and solidarity to our allies and enemies alike.

Let’s come together as American’s always do, and stand united in support of our new president.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

There’s a land that’s fair and bright

Where the handouts grow on bushes

And you sleep out every night

Where the sun shines every day

Oh, I’m bound to go where there ain’t no snow

Where the rain don’t fall and the wind don’t blow

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains

 — Haywire McClintock

 

Let’s be honest.

The Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce has a tough sell – and the recent “kick out the jams” coverage of their annual awards luncheon by the Daytona Beach News-Journal was an interesting read.

Rest easy.  All’s well on the “Fun Coast.”

Really?

Look, I understand the Chamber’s important role – and I’ve worked with their impressive 2016 chair, Teresa Rand, in my past life.  Good people who are passionate supporters of business and commerce in east Volusia County, and they do a wonderful job of staging our area in the most positive light possible.

In her “upbeat” report on the local economy, Rand said, “We all feel the energy that’s taking place in our community right now.”

Call me the perpetual Debbie Downer – but I’m not so optimistic.

Not feeling the whole ‘energy’ thing.

Unfortunately, in my view, the Chamber looks like the cheer-leading squad for the 1980 New Orleans Saints – crying inside, while outwardly smiling and enthusiastically rooting for a perennial loser – as we, the long-suffering fans, sit in the stands with paper bags on over our heads.

Watching our local ‘Trailblazers’ take credit for anything even remotely resembling an economic “achievement” is like staring at a pack of hungry dog’s pile on a bone.  I mean, is there any of our local “leaders” –  or the entities they represent – that haven’t used the same dubious “accomplishments” to convince us of their success and worth to the community?

Their collective triumphs include One Daytona, Tanger Outlets, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s research park – all of which were paid for, in whole or in part, with taxpayer dollars.

Add to that everyone-who-is-anyone’s “engagement” with the issues of blight and homelessness – a still festering quagmire that has not improved one jot since the “Occupation of Beach Street” – and you get the feeling that these folks will glom onto anything that makes them look relevant.

Hardly a ringing endorsement for the achievements of our local movers-and-shakers.

According to Eric Peburn, the chief financial officer of Halifax Health who will succeed Rand as chair in 2017, the Chamber has set lofty goals, to include revitalizing the city’s beachside, downtown, and the cruddy International Speedway Boulevard corridor.

That’s like saying, “I like ice cream.”  We all want that – but when?  

We’ve been listening to the same saw for years.

Typically, the Chamber of Commerce – much like Daytona Beach and Volusia County government – is long on hope, but short on a plan for getting us there.

“We need all those with the will and vision to get involved in this effort (to revitalize both ISB and the Boardwalk area) as it will reshape the image of Daytona Beach to the world class community designation it deserves,” Peburn said in an interview with The News-Journal.

Good luck with all that.

Look, I’m not knocking their enthusiasm – but we’ve heard it all before.

Anyone want to take a bet that come next year’s awards gala absolutely nothing will have changed on the beachside, downtown – or anywhere else?

Unfortunately, those with the “will and vision” (read: money and influence) are too busy manipulating elections for their own self-interests, and surreptitiously diverting our tax dollars for their private profit motives, to give two-shits about revitalizing anything.

That’s the way it is, and the way it shall be.

Until our business community gets fed up with the status quo and exerts their formidable collective influence to fundamentally change the way our elected and appointed officials govern, things will stay the same – and all the well-meaning “rah-rah” speeches and fancy luncheons in the Chamber’s repertoire won’t change anything.