I’m in a foul mood this morning – made worse by an overnight bout with a nasty “stomach flu” or perhaps the Zika virus or another of the virulent subtropical plagues, like Dengue Fever and Chikungunya, that are slowly creeping up the spine of Florida like a Brown Recluse spider – a six-eyed, brutally aggressive bastard who lives openly among us here in the Sunshine State.

Whatever it is, this horrific nausea and pounding head has effectively kept me without sleep and soured my general outlook.  Perhaps that explains why, when I opened the newspaper this morning and turned to the editorial page, I was moved to a blind rage that has driven me back to bed in a dark room to brood.

There’s an old saying that if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck – it’s probably a duck.  You know, res ipsa loquitur – the thing speaks for itself.  In other words, most smart people know that when it comes to Florida’s state, county and local governmental practices its best to trust your own eyes.

Make no mistake – the City of Debary’s proposed land deal is political corruption at its worst.  It is what it is.

For the past several days I’ve followed the public exposure of the City of Debary’s slimy relationship with The Honorable John Miklos, Chairman of the St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board and President of Bio-Tech Consulting, Inc.

The SJRWMD is a Florida regulatory agency established to protect and preserve our precious and increasingly at-risk water supply.  Bio-Tech Consulting, Inc. is a firm that, for a healthy fee, gently sails commercial developers and local governments through the minefield that is the SJRWMD permitting and regulatory process.

One might think that Mr. Miklos’ competing loyalties constitute a conflict of interest?  Not in Florida – here, it’s called an opportunity.

In a place where our collective drinking water is almost exclusively reliant on the hyper-sensitive Floridan Aquifer, one would think a strong and independent oversight board would be all important.

Think again.  We live on a sandy spit of land where our reptilian governor allows the uber-rich to play king, money rules all, laws control the peons, and our state legislators in Tallahassee don’t give a shit about your opinion – unless you pay them for the privilege.

I won’t rehash the machinations of Debary’s attempts to acquire over 100 acres of environmentally sensitive lands in close proximity to the Gemini Springs complex from the SJRWMD for development of “a “river-like” regional stormwater pond surrounded by single and multi-family homes, the centerpiece of a larger project to attract and promote economic development around the SunRail station.”  The Daytona Beach News-Journal has done some truly outstanding investigative journalism on the subject (complete with public records for your review) which explains the situation better than I can.

What galls me is the raw, open and abject corruption at the heart of this sordid matter – and no one who matters seems to give a damn.

When the City of Debary paid Mr. Miklos and his firm $38,500 (plus $155 per hour directly to Miklos for his involvement) to consult on a land acquisition process that everyone knew would ultimately come before the very board that he chairs, the fix was in.

The Florida Constitution, through its Code of Ethics, specifically prohibits public officers from corruptly using or attempting to use their official positions or the resources thereof to obtain a special privilege or benefit for themselves or others. [Sec. 112.313(6), Fla. Stat.]

If this isn’t a textbook example of a sitting public official selling the influence of his office to obtain a special benefit for a client, what is?  Hell, even the ethically challenged and probably legally insane Mayor of Debary, Clint Johnson, knew the approval of the land acquisition was a foregone conclusion when they hired Mr. Miklos’ firm.

According to News-Journal reporter Dinah Voyles Pulver, “Mayor Clint Johnson said the city never would pay out that kind of money without assurances the deal would be approved by the district.”

“Supposedly the chairman of the water management board has already given it the OK.”

Indeed, Mayor Johnson.  Indeed.

This also best illustrates why Governor Rick Scott’s personal involvement in unilaterally dismissing Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey last year set a dangerous precedent, shattered FDLE’s autonomy, and ultimately weakened regulatory efforts across state government.

After all, if Governor Scott can fire the FDLE Commissioner out-of-hand (and apparently he can), who’s going to question – or investigate – Rick’s personal appointment to the chairmanship of the powerful water district board?

Look, we’re not talking about a small town City Councilman who failed to report a steak dinner here.  This is an open cash gratuity, paid from public funds, to the sitting chairman of a highly sensitive regulatory board to effectively ensure a positive outcome for his client, the City of Debary.

Ultimately, Debary benefits from the increased tax revenue, impact fees, etc. – along with whichever speculative developer the City Commission selects for the mixed use project (any guesses on who that might be?)

Did I mention that Mori Hosseini’s sister was also appointed to the SJRWMD board by Governor Scott as well?

I would hope that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and/or the FBI will immediately open a public corruption investigation into the activities of John Miklos, Bio-Tech Consultants, Inc., and the elected and appointed officials of the City of Debary who are complicit in this scheme.

On its face, this is a basic “public official with a greasy-palm” scandal – but at its core, in my view, it is an environmental crime.  The unlawful taking of environmentally sensitive public lands set aside for conservation for commercial development by some greedy little shitheels who no longer deserve the privilege of holding public office.

Welcome to the Turkish Bazaar of influence peddling that best defines the Rick Scott administration.

Find the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s reporting here:

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20160423/NEWS/160429723/0/search?tc=ar

It’s been a rotten week in America and the hits just keep on coming.  As the weekend looms, I look forward to taking some time out to hunker down with smart friends, suck on a bottle of gin, and brood.

Let’s take a look at the issues of this past week in no particular order:

Just after three o’clock yesterday afternoon, regular television programming was preempted with a “breaking news” banner – you know, one of those hyper-dramatic interruptions that cause a queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach?  One of those nerve-jangling attention-getters, accompanied by intense music and a theatrical voiceover normally reserved for world-changing, historic moments like the Kennedy assassination or the death of a sitting Pope.

This disruption of daytime television announced that The Artist Formally Known as Prince had been found unresponsive on the greasy floor of an elevator at his mysterious compound known as “Paisley Park” somewhere on the outskirts of Minneapolis.  He was 57, and without question a true icon of music whose talents influenced popular culture and entertained us all.

Now, the death of anyone is regrettable and this is a terrible loss.  I won’t begin to diminish the impact these things have on a certain segment of the population who are moved to hysteria and the rending of garments whenever certain personalities pass away in this country.

But, just maybe, hard news outlets in this country should realize that there is a larger population to whom the other news of the day is equally important.

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s death several years ago, media outlets took heat for their wall-to-wall coverage that some felt pandered to a “Cult of Personality” – guess it fell on deaf ears.

It concerns me whenever all three television networks and every international cable “news” outlet in the Free World come to a hard stop to run looping tributes to a pop singer – or other “celebrity” – virtually to the complete exclusion of all other news and critical information.

After all, they built the 24-hour news cycle – the everything, all the time reportage that the American public has been forced to consume in a manner not unlike trying to drink from a three-inch fire hose since Teddy Turner flipped the switch on CNN.  Full-bore, baby.  Now, feed us our goddamned news.

Is it me, or is there something slightly lessening about watching trusted journalists wiping tears and whipping middle-aged fans into a frenzy of gut-wrenching grief, using terms like “transcendent” and warning that “the world will never be the same” while the strains of Raspberry Beret waft hauntingly in the background?

I’m just saying that I don’t believe Prince’s death – tragic as it is –  warrants the scale of coverage that we’ve seen, non-stop, since the news broke yesterday.

I mean, doesn’t anyone care that Kelly Ripa walked-off the set of “Kelly and Michael”? Can we get our priorities in order?

Perhaps during this orgasm of public grief and horror that has overtaken the nation like a shroud we could also take just a minute to reflect on the loss of former Arizona Cardinal-turned U.S. Army Ranger Pat Tillman who died in Afghanistan ten years ago today.  Or maybe we could contemplate the contribution of the thirty-three law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty in this country since January 1^st – true community heroes who have been taken from us and their families without a single fucking word of acknowledgement from our President.  Despicable.

But I suspect we’ll see more kick-out-the-jambs “All Purple, All the Time” coverage through the weekend – unless Donald Trump comes up with a catchy new adjective to describe Ted Cruz – or John Kasich does us all a favor and schleps home to Columbus. . .

(That, you can interrupt Live! With Kelly and Michael!” for.  Please.)

Speaking of failed presidential candidates – we also learned this week that Senator Lindsey Graham has “put on hold” legislation that he co-sponsored with Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions that would open the door for victims of the September 11^th attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for their suspected role in the worst act of terrorism in history.

On Tuesday, Sen. Graham told reporters that he took the action to block his own bill amidst fears that the legislation could open the United States to retaliatory lawsuits due to the acts of individuals or allies acting on our behalf.  Bullshit.

Unfortunately, Sen. Graham’s pull-back came at the same time the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began issuing harsh threats to sell off $750 billion in U.S. Treasury assets if the law passes – an action that could severely weaken our recovering economy.

There was a time in this country when direct threats of economic retaliation would have resulted in a behind-the-scenes ass kicking that wouldn’t soon be forgotten by any tin pot monarch stupid enough to raise their hand against the most powerful nation on the face of the planet.

Ah, the good old days, huh?  When some asshole kicked sand on us, he got a guided missile warhead planted directly on his forehead, and he didn’t make the same mistake twice.

Why in the hell does Saudi Arabia hold so much sway over our country and our legislative system?  After all, the Saudi’s have been allies in name only, suspected of funding ISIS and other regional terrorist groups, and have completely shirked their responsibility to accept war refugees or show leadership in other crisis points throughout the region.

This is what happens when a weak U.S. administration plays patty-cake rather than project strength.  I have no doubt that President Obama arrived in Riyadh with his hat in hand, bowed to the king, and fretted over how best to “clear the air” and dispel this recent “unpleasantness.”

At least Michelle didn’t disembark Air Force One in full Hijab. But then, based upon her strength of personality, I’ve suspected that she has worn the pants in that relationship for quite a while now. . .

In my view, it’s high time that President Obama and his administration get tough with the Saudi’s on this and other important issues.  Americans have a right to know why fifteen Saudi’s launched a vicious attack on our nation that took the lives of nearly 3,000 (with more first responders dying every day from illnesses originating at Ground Zero).  We have a right to know where they stand on the increasing threat of ISIS and al-Qaida (which has its very roots in Saudi Wahhabism).

The Saudi’s are a tribal people who are beginning to see the fragility of their oil-based economy for the first time, and who know, in their heart-of-hearts, that they need us far more than we need them.

It’s time for President Obama to reinforce that notion with King Salman.

On the local scene it appears the “Embry-Riddle Fifteen” aren’t going anywhere.

In a pointed and very well-written retort to the administrations tepid response to student and alumni demands for increased transparency by the Board of Trustees, the former Student Government Association representatives let everyone know that ERAU Potentate for Life Mori Hosseini has overstepped his bounds.

The tipping point appears to be naming rights to new construction on campus, a place which Chairman Hosseini has micromanaged like a feudal lord for years.  In their very well constructed response, former SGA President (’06) Sara McCook let everyone know that slapping Mori’s name on the new Student Union isn’t necessarily a done deal:

“We acknowledge that Mr. Hosseini has contributed greatly to Embry-Riddle over the years. Indeed, his assistance in the securing of several million dollars in state funding, as discussed in the Board’s response, will surely aid in Embry-Riddle’s expansion. As chairman of the Board, Mr. Hosseini deserves to take pride in the acquisition of this historic state grant, as it is exemplary of his ability to serve.”

 “However, this funding is a grant of taxpayer dollars, and that must not be confused with private philanthropy. Embry-Riddle cannot afford to accept good deeds in lieu of major gifts. Someone with the privilege of serving as chairman of the Board should be expected to deliver such benefit in the course of his or her duties, without any expectation of reward.”

 Well said, President McCook.  Speaking truth to power isn’t easy – but it demonstrates true leadership and, in the end, is the only way to truly ensure positive and lasting change.

That’s it for me.  Have a great weekend everyone.

     

In this morning’s excellent piece by the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Interim ERAU president jumps into new role as university battles alumni criticism”, it’s clear reporter Erica Breunlin did her homework.

In doing so, Ms. Breunlin may have just exposed what everyone suspected – from 2010 to 2012, ERAU paid Mori Hosseini-owned companies more than $1.5 million for “office space, utilities, and aircraft charter services” while he served as a member of the University’s Board of Trustees.

For years, residents of Volusia County have quietly accepted the fact that we are governed not by a representative democracy in Deland, but rather a “benevolent dictatorship,” ruled by the big three plutocrats – Hosseini, Brown and France.

We have accepted this, I suppose, because every so often these Potentates of Political Power threw us – the great unwashed – a bone.  They let us feel like our vote and our opinion counted in small, inconsequential matters that didn’t directly affect their bottom-line.  They allowed us to access and drive on our beach – with certain limitations – and only skimmed what they needed to advance their own self-interests.

In turn, we gave them increasing control of important aspects our lives.

We watched as they bought and sold our elected officials like chattel, stood idle as Mr. Hosseini used his vast wealth to purchase increasingly greater political influence at the local, county and state levels of government; ultimately becoming the most powerful person in the State of Florida.

Make no mistake, if you have political aspirations in Volusia County, or wish to serve on any local or state board beyond the Palmetto Club’s Easter Pageant Committee, you simply must go to Mr. Hosseini with your hat in hand and ask permission.  You see, unless you are anointed, your chances of participating in our democratic system of governance is slim to none.

If, as the most prescient political mind of our times, Hunter S. Thompson, said – “Politics is the art of controlling your environment” – then Mr. Hosseini truly is the king of his domain.  He bought and paid for it.  He owns it.

Now, I don’t have a problem with the accumulation of personal wealth.  Building a better mousetrap and making a million dollars is the American Way – and our free market economy is still the only place in the world where hard work and dedication can take you from the mail room to the boardroom.

However, I also believe in participatory government of the people, by the people and for the people – the ‘one person, one vote’ philosophy – where the debate of differing opinions results in better public policy and our elected representatives are transparent, equally accessible to everyone, and use the will of the people as their guide.

I have a big problem when great amounts of personal wealth are used to consolidate political power into the hands of a few, who then corrupt the checks and balances of our system of government through corporate campaign contributions and strong-arm tactics.

In a recent open letter by former members of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Student Government Association, we learn that many students and alumni are beginning to question the motives behind Chairman Hosseini’s altruism, his “outsize influence”, and “cronyism and conflicts of interest” by the board.

The ERAU alumni have also asked some difficult questions regarding the board’s process for administering naming rights for university buildings:

“Regarding the wealth and generosity of the board, we do not have enough info about their contributions. So let’s clear the air: what is the annual giving rate for each trustee over the last five years? How does this compare to other institutions? What are their major gifts in the last 10 years?”

 “In philanthropy, naming a building typically commands at least 20 percent of its cost. The board allegedly voted to honor Mr. Hosseini with his name on the new student union, which is projected to cost $70M. Did he agree to make a personal donation of $14M at a minimum?”

 In summarizing their very real concerns, the former SGA members wrote:

“The board should not be the personal playground of those seeking buildings named after them. Nor should it be a vehicle for trustees simply along for the ride, padding their bios with a board seat. It should be an honor and a privilege that comes with great responsibility … and accountability.”

Earlier this week the University’s leadership finally provided a lumbering response to these concerns by assuring students and alumni that no member of the Board of Trustees are compensated for the time and personal resources they donate to ERAU.

Really?  I guess no one other than the Daytona Beach News-Journal bothered to check ERAU’s IRS 990 submissions. . .

Call it the “Ah-Ha!” moment – or the smoking gun (which is really what it is) – this morning we learned for the first time that Hosseini-owned Intervest Construction took in more than $1.5 million for “office space, utilities and aircraft charter services”.

Interestingly, the News-Journal reports that Mr. Hosseini wasn’t available for comment on Monday.

I guess Mori’s motives weren’t so philanthropic after all.  I guess the emperor truly doesn’t have any clothes.

Now, the powers-that-be at ERAU have been tut-tutting for the past two days about how the payments to Hosseini involved a “very open” process, and that the office space “certainly fit the need”, etc. etc.

Of course it does.  Nothing to see here, folks – keep moving. . .

Ms. Breunlin’s article has exposed the circle completing itself:  Mori spends thousands in personal and corporate campaign contributions to buy the influence of politicians.  In turn, they allow him unfettered control of university/hospital boards, etc.  He then uses that influence to claim the Chairmanship of ERAU’s Board of Trustees – and uses that position to take millions from backdoor deals conveniently couched as, “office space”, “utilities” and “charter services” – which in turn he uses to buy more politicians, greater power, and political influence.

It’s despicable – and it has gone on far too long.

In Volusia County voters are beginning to study campaign contribution reports of both municipal and county-wide candidates and using that critical information to their advantage.

As a result, the worm is finally beginning to turn.  (That’s right, Mayor Kelley – we’re watching.)

Candidates that seek to sell their souls to greedheads, speculative developers, insurance interests and power brokers are being exposed for who and what they truly are.  Nothing last forever, you scumbags.

I commend the Daytona Beach News-Journal for having the courage to report what has needed to be said for a very long time.  In my view, the Gilded Age of the Benevolent Dictatorship in Volusia County is, perhaps, seeing the beginning of its end.

Now, it’s up to us – we, the people– to act on the information we have been presented and take back the democratic process at the ballot box.

Our way of life depends on it.  Trust me.

http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20160418/NEWS/160419456/0/FRONTPAGE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(In the interest of complete disclosure – I publicly and unequivocally support Chris Yates’ candidacy for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.  Having worked with, and directly supervised, Chris for many years I believe he has the personal and professional attributes one expects from a law enforcement executive.  He has a strength of character and outstanding leadership skills – honed on the street during actual emergencies – and has demonstrated solid performance and sound decision-making under stress.  He has earned my respect and admiration.

I know that Chris respects the importance of honoring the public trust – and avoiding even the appearance of impropriety by those who have sworn to uphold and enforce the law fairly, firmly and without bias or favor.  He lives those ethics every day.  That’s why I support his run for Sheriff of Flagler County, and why you should to.)

Now, here’s my take on the painful personal and professional train wreck of Flagler County Sheriff James Manfre:

If someone compiled a naughty list of the Most Ethically Challenged Politicians in Central Florida, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office would consistently headline a long and distinguished directory of miscreants.

From former Sheriff Don Fleming accepting a private club membership that would have cost you or I tens of thousands of dollars (if we could qualify at all) and his horrific interference in a traffic homicide case, to Sheriff Jim Manfre’s extensive catalog of ethical lapses – something’s amiss in Flagler County.

I’m not saying this is anything new – after all, this is Florida – arguably the most corrupt state in the union and a place where pirates and politicians have plundered the natural resources and looted the public booty since old’ Edward “Blackbeard” Teach and his buccaneers helped himself to Spanish treasure here.

What consistently amazes me is the depth to which certain people will go to use their elected or appointed position to their own advantage – and that of their friends – and this phenomenon is almost exclusively limited to politicians and their uber-wealthy buddies and campaign contributors who can well-afford to pay their own way.

I mean, you almost never hear of an elected Robin Hood, making greasy moves and underhanded backroom deals to steal public funds to feed the homeless or clean-up the numerous environmental disasters that continue to plague our beautiful state (read the Indian River, Mosquito lagoon, Lake Okeechobee, etc., etc.).  Weird, right?

On the extremely off-chance that one of these ethically challenged “public servants” are caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar – rather than be taken into the criminal justice system and sent to prison where they belong – these lowlifes are (sometimes) held accountable by Florida’s Ethics Commission.

This virtually toothless watchdog and quasi-judicial board is comprised of nine appointed commissioners (five of which are, interestingly enough, appointed by the Governor) who operate ostensibly autonomous with their own investigators, rules of evidence, policies, and judicial procedures to ensure the accused receives due process.

Let’s face it – public officials are subject to salacious rumors, baseless accusations and outright lies by their political opponents and misguided or mentally ill constituents bent on making trouble.  I’ve experienced this myself, and in most cases, it is difficult if not impossible to have unsupported claims investigated independently because no individual or agency wants to get involved.

We have a saying in law enforcement – “You can’t pick up a turd by the clean end” – and most times it’s best to simply walk away from someone else’s political mess.

I’m not saying it’s right – but it is reality.

During my public life I was once responsible for investigating and formulating a complaint to the Florida Ethics Commission regarding the unethical conduct of a high ranking appointed public official.

In what became a very public and drawn-out process, my complaint and supporting evidence were independently investigated by the Commission who found probable cause to pursue charges in the matter.   However, at the end of the day, the subject of the complaint was found not guilty by a State Administrative Law Judge – which shocked the Ethics Commission’s advocate (an attorney who “tried” the case on behalf of the State of Florida) perhaps more than it did me – and I was stunned speechless.  I still am.

You see, not many of these cases make it to a formal hearing – and those that do usually end in conviction based upon the independent nature of the Commission’s fact-finding efforts and the usually bald-faced nature of the violations which make it that far.  That is why the Flagler County cases have been so intriguing to me.

As a career law enforcement officer I have closely followed Sheriff Manfre’s ongoing ethical problems, which ultimately resulted in the Ethics Commission unanimously recommending a $6,200 fine and public reprimand and censure (a public shaming, of sorts, which normally results in the resignation of the exposed official).

In most counties in the State of Florida, the Sheriff serves as the chief law enforcement officer and has powers well in excess of those at the municipal level of government.  In fact, the Governor alone can remove a sitting Sheriff from office.

As a result, elected Sheriff’s and their deputies have a duty to those they serve, and the law enforcement community, to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.  The public trust is a precious gift – and once violated – it is nearly impossible to regain.  Without it, law enforcement officers and agencies are simply incapable of performing their sworn responsibilities to protect and serve – and we all know it.

Professional law enforcement officers also know the penalties if we choose to break the rules for our personal enrichment.

Let’s face it, even a rookie cop knows that you don’t use your assigned vehicle for personal vacation trips to North Carolina and New Orleans.  Every public executive knows that you don’t use a government issued purchasing card for cocktails, meals, and the personal entertainment of your family and friends.  And everyone knows – especially an attorney and officer of the court – that you don’t have the luxury of telling three different stories under oath while attempting to explain away why you didn’t report the gift of a swank mountain getaway. . .

In the case of Sheriff Manfre, he failed to uphold the professional standards of the law enforcement service, and the ethical standards of his high office.  What I find most disturbing is Manfre’s basic defense that the rules don’t apply to him, and later, his aporetic argument that the penalty he received for violating the public trust was out of line with the sanctions imposed on his predecessor.

In response to a recent Daytona Beach News-Journal article by Jennifer Edwards-Park, Sheriff Manfre makes several pathetic counter-accusations against his former undersheriff, now political opponent, Rick Staley.

According to Sheriff Manfre, Staley has several ethically challenged skeletons in his own closet – to include allegations of misuse of public office while employed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office – and allegations that Staley personally recommended former Sheriff Don Flemming’s now infamous membership at the Hammock Beach Club while he served as Director of Security there.

In addition, Manfre alludes that it was Staley – as the owner of the Smokey Mountain cabin – who intentionally inflated the price of the accommodations as a means of embarrassing his boss.

Unfortunately, Sheriff Manfre would have us believe that he is either a fool or a dupe – neither of which are personality traits one wants in a law enforcement executive.  I mean, if true, why would Manfre have hired someone with Staley’s alleged background as his most trusted adviser and senior commander?

We have also learned that Staley has played politics in the past, and even after getting his fingers burned, couldn’t seem to stop touching the furnace.

Clearly there is enough blame to go around, but at the end of the day only Jim Manfre holds the title of Sheriff of Flagler County.  It’s time for him to stop these feeble challenges and accept the fact that he has as much chance of being re-elected sheriff as I do.

In my view, his self-serving finger pointing and endless legal challenges to the recommendations of the Ethics Commission expose a disgusting – and disturbing – lack of personal character and judgment.

The fact is, Sheriff Manfre should accept personal responsibility for his reprehensible conduct.  Governor Scott should relieve Manfre of command, stop this embarrassing sideshow, and return honor and leadership to the good men and women of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Most important, the voters of Flagler County should take away from this embarrassing debacle a valuable lesson in the importance of personal integrity, honor, and professional ethics in your next sheriff.

 

 

 

 

 

I found the below letter through the social media posting of a friend and found it one of the most cogent articles on the depth and reach of Mr. Mori Hosseini’s influence I’ve ever read.

That’s probably because there is not much written – or spoken – on the topic.

You see, people who speak out about the long-standing Benevolent Dictatorship in Volusia County are marginalized pretty quickly by the powers that be.

I was glad to see the Daytona Beach News-Journal take up the issue of bureaucratic paralysis and the need for proactive, rather than reactive, measures to improve traffic safety in the aftermath of Tuesday’s tragic accident on SR-44.

However, when I reached the end of the piece I, quite simply, lost it.

At Thursday’s Volusia County Council meeting Sheriff Ben Johnson took a strong leadership role in asking the Florida Department of Transportation for emergency safety improvements to the intersection of SR-44 and Grand Avenue.

At the opposite end of the leadership spectrum, Councilman Josh Wagner – a contemptible human being who gives politicians a bad name and serves as the poster boy for why people hate attorneys – used the discussion as an opportunity to shame his constituents into supporting the now tabled local sales tax (ostensibly earmarked for roads and transportation – but more realistically to be used to fuel the bloated bureaucracy that is Volusia County government).

I would like to publicly commend the efforts of Sheriff Ben Johnson and the Volusia County Council to improve safety at the intersection of Grande Avenue and SR-44 in Deland. It is the epitome of public service to speak out and take definitive action in the interest of our collective safety and I believe the Sheriff and County Council member’s acted in that spirit yesterday.

The tragic event that took the lives of three precious children and their grandmother earlier this week is simply too difficult to comprehend.  It has affected everyone.

Like most, I’ve struggled with the shock and horror of the news, and I have come to the conclusion that there can be no consolation for the ones directly affected. I simply don’t have the capacity to understand it.

I believe now is the time for prayer and quiet contemplation of the importance of the people in our lives who truly matter – and how quickly everything can change. Very complex emotions.

As most of my friends know, I can be quick to criticize County government. But the gravity of this situation far exceeds my normal snarky remarks and ad hominem comments. There is no one to blame, and only God understands the “Why” of it.

In my view, as residents of Volusia County we owe our elected and appointed officials a debt of thanks for their efforts to correct a very dangerous situation. Perhaps in the terrible aftermath all levels of government can somehow work together to fix a transportation system that takes decades, scores of accidents, and the lives of three beautiful children to stimulate priority action and positive change.

On Tuesday evening the Volusia County School Board missed the mark.  Again.  Twice.

After a months-long brouhaha over the issue of student uniforms, the Board can collectively feel better about themselves after issuing a toothless edict that is more a dress code for an Appleby’s server than a school uniform policy.

And in doing so they have over-complicated an issue that could have benefited from a more surgically precise antidote.

Now, I don’t have a dog in the fight (or a kid in public school, for that matter) but I do know something about this issue.  I was educated in parochial schools where uniforms are de rigueur and help reinforce the homogeneous and conformist nature of private education.  In fact, I wore a uniform each year in elementary school (which included a tie) and was required to wear a blazer and necktie during my first year of high school.  (As a result, I can most often be found in a “preppy” pink oxford cloth shirt, shorts that look like they were constructed of upholstery fabric, and the ubiquitous Sperry Top-Siders. . . tassel knots and white soles only, please.)

My strange “Kmart meets Murray’s Toggery Shop” style aside, I’m none the worse for the experience, and most of my classmates are now relatively successful and well-adjusted adults who don’t appear to have suffered from the lack of individuality and “self-expression” in dress that some feel is all-important to the academic and social development of elementary school students.

Under the new policy, beginning next year students will be required to wear: “A white-knit polo-style or Oxford-style shirt; a principal may designate up to two additional colors.  A wide-range of bottoms. Navy blue, black or tan-colored pants, shorts, capris, skirts, skorts or jumpers, and blue or black denim.  If you’re an elementary or middle school student, you must wear closed-toe shoes. High school students can also wear sandals.  Fastened belt if there are belt loops.”

Our friends at Mirriam-Webster define “Uniform” as “Not varying or changing: staying the same at all times, in all places, or for all parts or members.”

In my opinion, if you are going to implement dress standardization then go all in or don’t go at all.

Under this ambiguous new policy, our teachers and school administrators are now forced into the unenviable role of fashion police – a weird combination of Joan Rivers and Jaime Escalante – tasked with both forming impressionable young minds while determining if Johnny’s shirt meets the definition of “Oxford-style” (button down or loose collar points?) or if Sally’s ‘skorts’ are uniform tan or offending ocher?

Not to mention the fact that our intrepid leaders forgot to add a penalty provision to their sartorial statute, which never works out well, regardless of what’s being regulated.

There are many benefits to a uniform policy – just as there are many arguments why legislating personal dress is a bad idea.  Given the fact that many modern public schools look more like a prison yard than a place of education and self-discovery, perhaps a forced “sameness” would have been a step in the right direction, however; I’m not sure what happened at Tuesday’s School Board meeting serves either side of the argument.

In a far less contentious (but incredibly telling) move, the School Board also voted to abandon the long-standing “pass to play” academic requirements for student athletes.

I have a problem with that.

Unbeknownst to me – but in keeping with a nation-wide trend of “dumbing-down” the process – Volusia was the last remaining county in the State of Florida to hold students who participate in organized sports accountable for maintaining passing grades.  Really?

I’m just spit-balling here, but could it be that we put too much emphasis on high school athletics and less on the important business of educating and developing functional, skilled and contributing members of society?

Competitive sports are important, I get that.  But is the education of our children still the primary mission?

When did raising the bar become a bad idea?

Unfortunately, it appears that Volusia County is simply following a disturbing “if everyone wins, no one loses” philosophy that dominates all levels of our educational system.

In her excellent Op/Ed addressing the trend, Washington Post columnist Catharine Rampell discusses the results of a recent report on grade inflation compiled by former Duke University professor Stuart Rojstaczer, and Furman professor Chris Healy.

According to Ms. Rampell:

“Analyzing 70 years of transcript records from more than 400 schools, the researchers found that the share of A grades has tripled, from just 15 percent of grades in 1940 to 45 percent in 2013. At private schools, A’s account for nearly a majority of grades awarded.”

“These findings raise questions not only about whether the United States has been watering down its educational standards — and hampering the ability of students to compete in the global marketplace in the process. They also lend credence to the perception that campuses leave their students coddled, pampered and unchallenged, awarding them trophies just for showing up.”

In a recent article addressing the School Board’s action, Daytona Beach News-Journal reporter Dustin Wyatt quotes Board Member Dr. John Hill (a product of Volusia County Schools and practicing medical doctor) as opining, “It’s frustrating to student athletes.  The entire team suffers when one student can’t meet our standards.  It’s time to remove it.”

I don’t give a Tinker’s damn if it frustrates student athletes or not, Dr. Hill.

It’s called reality, and at the end of the day, nobody cares how far you threw a football, how fast you ran a footrace, or your prowess on the soccer pitch.  What matters is whether or not you are adequately prepared for the gut wrenching realities of earning a living and establishing your contribution potential in an increasingly competitive world.

In real life the entire team, business, government, department, agency, etc., suffers when one member either can’t or won’t meet accepted institutional standards of conduct and performance.  Societal progress requires that those responsible for upholding these standards correct or remove the offending member, rather than simply reduce or eliminate organizational canons and professional values.  The accommodation of substandard performance is corrosive – in schools and in society.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what this School Board is doing.

It is high time the Volusia County School Board understands that their sworn responsibilities begin and end with establishing quality public policy that provides our children with the best education possible.

Their duty is to uphold strong educational standards that make our next generation competitive in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics – those core competencies that will provide our students with opportunities in an increasingly difficult local, national and international job market.

In my view, the School Board can best achieve these important goals by emphasizing academic excellence above extra-curricular activities, despite the braying of high school coaches, “student athletes”, and their short-sighted parents.

 

 

 

Volusia County uses public funds to purchase “off beach parking” while simultaneously increasing tolls, removing beach access points and establishing traffic-free zones, and now County Manager Jim Dinneen suggests charging residents and visitors for parking (up to $20 per day) at those very off-beach lots and public parks!

The hits just keep on coming.

Smart people have suggested that this is just one more move in a slow but steady push by Volusia County to discourage public use of our beach with an endgame of luxury condominiums and private beach clubs.  Others believe it is merely a classic money grab by a bloated bureaucracy that has lost touch with the core values of the constituency it serves. I happen to think its a combination of both.

Regardless of the political strategy at play, there is one question I can’t answer:

Why would the County Manager even consider suggesting metered parking in public lots given the raging controversy that has come to define Volusia County government’s involvement with anything related to the beach during an election year?

Fact is, I haven’t heard any good news out of the County Manager’s office in months.

During a recent meeting of the Volusia City Manager’s Association the cities were (for once) completely united and in full lockstep agreement that no one wants to push for the 1% sales tax increase for transportation funding in 2016.

A no brainer.  Just bad timing – and a bad idea.

This is the way things are supposed to work during an election year – it’s cotton candy clouds and big rock candy mountains – not tax increases and “take your medicine.”  We’re used to fancy accolades, tales of even fancier accomplishments, and big plans for our collective future being the resounding and near constant message from our old friends in public office.

During the quadrennial ass-smooch an amazing transformation takes place during which the elitists we voted into office (and who won’t return your email for the next four years) suddenly become one of us again!  They hug our necks, grip our hands, slap our backs, refer to us as “neighbor” and actually make us feel – well – like an important part of the process.  Enjoy it while it lasts. . .

But this year seems different to me.  Rather than spread the feel-good message of hope that has defined election cycles since this patch of east Florida pine scrub was founded, all we have heard from Jim Dinneen and Company is graphic descriptions of missteps, management blunders, dubious expenditures and half-baked suggestions for how the County Council can spend even more.

Something’s not right here.

Trust me, Machiavellian campaign strategies and dirty tricks are common in Volusia County politics.  Let’s face it, elections are a contact sport where the stakes are high and the only sin is losing.  However, the unspoken rule has always held that appointed government officials and staff civil servants stay out of the fray – serving the elective body and implementing its public policy with equal dedication and enthusiasm – regardless of who may fill the seats on the dais.

Now I don’t mean to sound conspiratorial here – but could there be a coordinated push by the Triumvirate (Brown, France, Hosseini) and others to use Little Jimmy Dinneen as a tool to further compromise an already weakened County Chairman Jason Davis and ensure an Ed Kelley walk-in?

Don’t laugh.  Have you seen Eddies campaign contribution reports?  They read like a “Who’s-Who” of the slightly moldy upper crust of Daytona Beach insiders. . . you know, the anointed ones who have lorded over Volusia County like their personal fiefdom for years and have no intention of relinquishing control.

In my view, it’s plausible.

It doesn’t take the mind of Karl Rove to understand that it’s probably not a good idea to ask your constituents for money, impose additional fees, raise taxes, suggest multi-million dollar consolidated public works facilities or engage in open warfare over no-win issues like homelessness and beach management during the election cycle.

Especially when incumbents are actively running for their political lives.

Let’s face it, Chairman Davis’ star began to fall last year when his cockamamie personal enrichment scams became too blatant for even his shameless co-conspirators to ignore – culminating in his September “suggestion” of a charter amendment which would have resulted in Mr. Davis receiving a 67% pay increase.  (Can’t make this stuff up.)

I think the money movers have decided it’s time to end the Davis sideshow – and Ed Kelley’s political ties go back decades.   Regardless of the motivation, it appears to me that the worm is beginning to turn in Volusia County government.

Buckle-up, Kids – it’s going to be an interesting summer.

 

Once again County Manager Jim Dinneen has found the one issue over all others that is, “as serious as anything we’ve faced.”  Volusia County government wants to spend your money – a lot of it – and they need a really good ‘emergency du jour’ to sell it.

Sound the claxon, Jim!

Bolstered by the public hand-wringing of Volusia County Public Works Director John Anguilli and Road and Bridge Supervisor Judy Grim, Mr. Dinneen reports that our County facilities are in such utter disrepair that the structures can longer adequately serve the public’s needs.  Naturally, this has led our intrepid leaders to the foregone conclusion that a new $19-million consolidated Public Works campus is the best answer.

Really?

Sometime, somewhere in our history, someone thought it might be a good idea to strategically distribute Public Works facilities throughout the width and breadth of Volusia County.  Given the diversity of our infrastructure, our geographical susceptibility to catastrophic weather, wildfires, and other natural disasters combined with a service area of over 1,400 square miles, one might think that the decentralization of equipment and personnel makes sense.

Apparently not.

But more to the point, was anyone aware just how serious this situation has become?

In a recent article by Daytona Beach News-Journal Reporter Tony Holt, I learned for the first time that our dilapidated Public Works facilities have reached critical disrepair.  It appears the Volusia County Council was caught flat-footed by the news as well, given the fact that members recently rejected a $2.5 million staff request to purchase some 231-acres along State Road 44 for the centralized Public Works campus.

In the News-Journal report, Councilman Doug Daniels did his best to give the appearance of cognizance when he expressed concern that we might need more information than the Public Works Director’s gut instinct that consolidation is the way to go.

According to Daniels, “The public works buildings we have now may need to be replaced, but we don’t have anything that shows there would be any particular value in having a centralized location.”

Indeed.

In my view, this situation is classic Volusia County government.

Under Mr. Dinneen’s management, we allow public infrastructure to literally crumble into the ground as a means of demonstrating the need for another County-owned Taj Mahal.  Then, in this weird Twilight Zone where nothing is as it seems, we allow the very public officials responsible for creating the problem to tell us how best to correct their own gross mismanagement.

In Mr. Holt’s report, Road and Bridge Director Judy Grim reassures us that County employees continue to soldier-on despite their Third World work environment, “We don’t have anyone complain about the conditions.  We’re doers.”

Doers?  Right.  That’s the descriptor that first came to my mind. . .

Whatever it is Judy’s troops are responsible for, it obviously has nothing to do with facilities maintenance, strategic budgeting for critical infrastructure repair and replacement, or the development of governmental best practices for the distribution of Public Works assets for maximum efficiency in coastal Florida.

For most of my adult life I worked for a small municipal government in Volusia County.  Our core services were housed in a City Hall that is now some 75-years old and going strong.  How, you may ask, could a government building possibly remain serviceable for three-quarters of a century?  It’s called ‘preventive maintenance’ – much like your own home may require – and when spread over time is an economical way of ensuring your assets remain efficient and effective.

It’s also called taking pride in public service.

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 horizontal oversight.  This occurs when the responsible party is required to provide articulable justification for their actions, expenditures, and the performance of their subordinate staff.  A practice especially important for government officials at the executive level whose decisions can have wide-ranging and very expensive implications.

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 in the form of salary and benefit increases that have reached the point of ridiculousness.

Now, in some insane twist of reality, Mr. Dinneen would have us believe that his staff’s inability to properly manage and maintain their department’s facilities constitutes an emergency requiring a $19 million solution?

Perhaps more preposterous, we should expect that these same bumbling officials will somehow ensure that the new facilities are properly maintained?  Really?  REALLY?

The only bright spot in this latest farce is that Council members took a positive step in rejecting a dubious multi million dollar expenditure proposed by Mr. Dinneen and his incompetent toady’s in the Public Works Department.

I guess some things are just too blatant to ignore.

You want to know what’s truly the most serious issue Volusia County residents face? It’s the staggering level of incompetence, government waste and resource mismanagement during Mr. Dinneen’s administration – and a continuing, almost institutionalized, lack of substantive oversight by our elected officials that allows this atrocious course of conduct to continue.

That’s a problem that needs our attention this election season.