Anyone familiar with Halifax area politics knows that nothing of substance happens without the acquiescence of the Big Money players who pull the strings.

It’s a fact of life.

Something the long-suffering residents of Volusia County have learned to live with – and we no longer even try and decipher the motivations of these elected shills who do their masters bidding behind a thin façade of political independence that hasn’t existed in our local council and commission chambers for decades.

While I don’t have any direct knowledge of the inner-workings of the beleaguered First Step Shelter Board or the behind-the-scenes maneuvering at the City of Daytona Beach – continuing political machinations that have thwarted efforts to kick-start a homeless assistance center in the pine scrub off International Speedway Boulevard for months – I suspect at least some of these influential elements are present.

In an informative article by News-Journal reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean entitled, “Shelter Board changes sought,” we learned of the weird eleventh-hour roadblock erected by Daytona Beach City Commissioner Quanita May – another mysterious hurdle on an already precarious path that has had more switchbacks and rough patches than the Death Road to Machu Picchu.

Inexplicably, after first suggesting that the First Step Shelter Board be disbanded and the effort returned to the sole control of the City of Daytona Beach (a move which would have left already suspicious municipalities who have pledged financial support without any representation) – now, Commissioner May is suggesting that “one or two” of the existing board members step down to make room for a woman.

Look, I’m all for diversity and multiplicity of opinions.

In my experience, a variety of unique viewpoints tends to make the product of any endeavor better – but given the fact the First Step Shelter project has just shown it’s first frail steps forward after many months of controversy and disorganization – perhaps now isn’t the best time to raise the issue of gender inclusiveness as a showstopper?

Let’s face it, despite her denials, it is apparent Commissioner May has done everything in her considerable power to besmirch the volunteer service of First Step Shelter board members, question the effectiveness of their efforts and obstruct substantive progress.

But why? 

According to the report, “She (May) wants women to have a voice, and with six of the seven board members representing Volusia County governments, she also would like the group to diversify by adding people with a business background who are “well-connected in the community” and have fundraising experience.”    

Look, I’m admittedly a conspiratorial nut job with trust issues – but the term “people with a business background who are well-connected in the community” sounds a whole hell of a lot like the Merriam-Webster definition of our oligarchical puppet masters who contributed heavily to Ms. May’s 2018 campaign.

In an August 2018 article in the News-Journal, “Daytona campaign contributions show who the power structure supports,” reporter Zaffiro-Kean wrote, “While some locals are trying to figure out how May was able to pull in so much money, and how she managed to get so much of it from some of the area’s most powerful people, May says there’s no mystery or controversy. She said the checks came from people she’s known for years, or those who heard about her accomplishments.”

Interesting. . .

Because even a casual observer of Volusia County politics might come to the conclusion that Ms. May’s sabotage is less noble than ensuring inclusiveness – and more designed to extend control to her politically unaccountable benefactors. . .

A quick check of Ms. May’s campaign finance reports finds most all the right last names and their various entities represented – nothing unusual for a Daytona Beach City Commission race – but perhaps it helps us better understand her bizarre last-minute obstructionism.

In my twisted take on this ongoing shitshow, I have always believed that our ‘Rich & Powerful’ overseers – the Halifax area’s power elite – are directly responsible for pushing the City of Daytona Beach into this no-win predicament in the first place.

They panicked – fearing that the great hordes of unwashed homeless would be an omnipresent part of the landscape – wandering mendicants begging for change around their new headquarters building, riverfront esplanade, “synergistic” speedway attractions and tony new shopping and entertainment areas, etc.

So, they forced the issue of a homeless warehouse – deep in the “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” hinterlands miles west of town – something no one in their right mind thought was a good idea.

In turn, the political pressure exerted by our ‘movers and shakers’ set about a Battle of Wills between Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm and former County Manager Jim Dinneen for who would ultimately be left holding the shitty end of the stick.

Clearly, Mr. Chisholm lost. . .

After a series of fits and starts – which almost destroyed the professional reputation of the Rev. L. Ron Durham, who became the face of the city’s often convoluted efforts to find a solution to the “homeless issue” – the idea of the First Step Shelter was set in stone way back in December 2017, when 150 local dignitaries gathered in their finery on the sandy site for a premature groundbreaking ceremony/photo opportunity.

It’s been an uphill battle to say the least – with community-wide disputes and strong feelings on the lack of direction, financial and administrative dysfunction, absence of substantive fundraising and the problem of operational plans and protocols that still haven’t jelled – but the walls and roof are up, the existing board members have pledged their commitment to seeing the project through and things are finally beginning to take shape.

In my view, now is not the time for political grandstanding, isolationism and petty impediments to progress – and I think we need some clarification on just what Commissioner May is really attempting to accomplish. . .

I’m just spit-balling here, but perhaps Ms. May’s political benefactors – who control everything but the ebb-and-flow of the Atlantic tides here of Florida’s fabled Fun Coast – have enlisted her help to ensure their influence on the routing of public funds and policy making now that it appears the First Step Shelter might actually come to fruition?

I don’t know – and I doubt anyone outside of Daytona Beach City Hall knows either.

But time will tell.

 

 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the newsmakers of the day – the winners and losers – who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way.

Let’s look at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Angel               VCSO Senior Deputy Frank Scofield & PIPD Lieutenant Max Binz

 From the time I was a young boy, law enforcement officers have always been my heroes.

They still are.

This week, God took two of our very best home.

Godspeed Frank and Max.

The great honor of my life was the opportunity to serve with men and women of your exceptional character and professionalism.

Well done – go rest now.  Your brothers and sisters behind the badge will take the watch from here.

You will be missed.

Angel               New Smyrna Beach Mayor Russ Owen

When I’m wrong – I’m wrong.

A few weeks ago, I mischaracterized a quote by New Smyrna Beach Mayor Russ Owen when I assumed – through psychological acclimation to Volusia County Politics – that his remarks in a recent News-Journal editorial represented a slight to citizens who voice their political frustrations on social media.

I was mistaken.  Mayor Owen gets it.

In the aftermath of the failed half-cent sales tax increase, savvy politicians in municipal governments throughout Volusia County are coming to the realization that the majority of their long-suffering constituents have had their fill of unchecked sprawl.

On Tuesday, those dullards on the Volusia County Council paid tacit lip service to the idea of ‘Smart Growth’ – a concept they can’t begin to comprehend – because it is counter to the mercenary tactics of those in the real estate development community who fund their re-election campaigns.

There was a fancy presentation – a typical opéra bouffe – replete with colorful maps and a PowerPoint chock full of meaningless fluff – to include a “History of Planning in Florida” (anyone consider that a success?) and an overview of how growth management regulations have essentially been reduced to one-ply toilet paper by the state. . .

The staged production even had the requisite amount of nonsensical “bureaucratese,” such as, “Need to update planning horizon and the data used in the analysis of the goals, objectives and policies.”

Say what? 

As always happens, after enough hot air had been generated, the puffed-up lecture ended with a call for a “needs analysis” relative to the county’s comprehensive plan – and yet another pie-in-the-sky call to “work with the cities,” put another do-nothing committee together, sit cross-legged on the floor and sing Kumbaya, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. . .

What was missing was any substantive talk about real smart growth initiatives – meanwhile, the bulldozers roar on massive developments that have already been approved – with more in the pipeline.

The temerity of these assholes to so blatantly insult our collective intelligence is astounding. . .

Another study.

Another colossal waste of time.

Another opportunity to put political distance between where we are now and the true crisis we will find ourselves in by the time some neutered committee’s “recommendations” have been finalized.

Then, the resulting report (no doubt crafted by Volusia Growth and Resource Management Director Clay Ervin to avoid any substance or accountability) can take its rightful spot in that groaning bookcase in DeLand where expensive, time-consuming studies go to die – how about sandwiched between the dusty 2013 Tourism and Marketing Study and the Beachside Redevelopment Committee report, eh? 

Another example of how true leadership and strategic vision on the serious issues that face Volusia County is anathema to this troupe of wholly compromised sock puppets.

For the uninitiated (including our elected officials in DeLand), smart growth initiatives are a way to build and expand cities and neighborhoods that are economically prosperous, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable – a deliberate approach to development that uses effective planning practices to enhance economic and community development to avoid unchecked sprawl and the resulting infrastructure and environmental pressures that degrade quality of life.

Earlier this year, in the lead-up to the sales tax referendum, Mayor Owen courageously brought up the idea of incorporating real smart growth initiatives into the discussion at the Volusia Roundtable of Elected Officials – a group that spent the better part of two-years scheming and dreaming with their handlers at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance about innovative ways to separate you and I from even more of our hard-earned tax dollars.

In an excellent article by News-Journal reporter Dustin Wyatt, “Smart growth movement gains momentum,” Mayor Owens indicated that our political leadership can find alternatives to the suburban sprawl that threatens to paralyze much of east Volusia County if they spend as much “time and energy” on the problem as they did pushing the sales tax initiative.

“We had more town halls (on that) than I’ve seen on anything,” Owen said. “There was a willingness to do whatever it took on that. If we do that here, we will see (ideas) start to come together on this. We will start stealing good ideas that are working in neighboring cities, neighboring counties, neighboring states.  We can find a way.”  

In April, the Knights of the Roundtable agreed to “make smart growth a focus once the sales tax vote was over.”

My ass.

Trust me.  At that point they would have agreed to anything – because they just knew the results of the weird mail-in referendum were a foregone conclusion. . .

At that time, Volusia County Councilwoman Heather Post – one of the few elected officials in the region who saw this shameless money grab for what it was – reached out to the municipalities in the spirit of cooperation (something unheard of in Volusia County) asking that they begin discussing incorporating smart growth concepts into their planning process.

According to the News-Journal’s report, “She (Post) called it “deeply troubling” that development in areas where roadways are already critical or near critical congestion levels continue to get approval.”

 “We all know that saying, ‘The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,’” she wrote. “Simple, yet that phrase holds true. If we want different results than what we’re getting, we have to try different approaches.”

Now that the sales tax vote has gone down in flames – and they realize the depth of their constituents disgust – our horribly compromised politicians will begin mewing about sustainable growth, commissioning political insulation studies and generally mouthing the keywords they think we want to hear.

But not too loud.

You see, they know which side their bread is buttered on.

They also know that the incredibly powerful real estate development community will continue to do exactly what they want on the Fun Coast – so long as they throw enough money around and support the political aspirations of their hired chattel on the dais of power in council and commission chambers throughout Volusia County.

Thank you, Mayor Owen.

Many of us support and appreciate your substantive efforts to protect our quality of life and slow the tsunami of unchecked growth along the spine of east Volusia County.

Angel              Rishi Desai & Gloria Max

With a true spirit of generosity and sense of care, Rishi Desai, a junior in the IB Program at Spruce Creek High School, is literally helping to save lives in our community.

That’s not surprising, considering this impressive young man has a goal of becoming a medical doctor.

In keeping with his commitment to helping others, he matched a community service project with a true need in our community of providing medical screening for those less fortunate.

Recently, Rishi raised $5,000 to provide 100 free mammograms for women in need.

The vouchers were presented to Gloria Max, executive director of the Jewish Federation who is generously administering the program.

For information on the mammogram program, contact the Jewish Federation at 386-672-0294.

Asshole           Chairman Ed Kelley and the Volusia County Council

We can all agree to disagree – because that’s what makes a horse race – and none of us are right all the time.

More important, we can have differing views and still be friends – because the healthy debate of competing ideas helps build communities.

That said, in my opinion, anyone who thinks the current iteration of our horrifically compromised Volusia County Council has somehow “seen the light” in the aftermath of the half-cent sales tax vote and is preternaturally transmogrifying into a functional, accessible, transparent and responsive governing body with their constituents’ best interests at heart is delusional.

If you’re one of those unfortunates who truly believe recent events in DeLand are cause for hope – some kind of “new leaf” moment – far be it from me to wake you from this bizarre wet dream.

However, in my view, throwing an occasional bone with a bow on it to residents who have been historically ignored and abused isn’t my idea of substantive change – its ham-handed political manipulation, akin to a ‘Battered Constituent Syndrome,’ not responsive public policy-making. . .

In my view, our collective distrust is well-founded – and it will be a cold day in hell before I kiss the County Council’s collective ass and say, “Thank you, may I have another?” 

Screw that noise.  Nothing has changed but the tactic.

For instance, way back in June 2016, following one of the most divisive periods in the short history of the City of DeBary – after four-years of gross indecision by former County Manager Jim Dinneen – some 102 acres of extremely sensitive land collectively known as the Gemini Springs Annex was saved from the developer’s bulldozer when the Volusia County Council accepted the tract from the St. Johns River Water Management District.

At the time, I strongly suggested that given the shitstorm of controversy and open deceit surrounding the troubled land deal, rather than keep this sensitive area under government control, the acreage, in its entirety, should be transferred to an independent private conservation entity, such as the Nature Conservancy.

Obviously, that didn’t happen.

On or about June 2, 2016, the Volusia County Council adopted a revised resolution accepting the threatened land and agreeing to manage it as conservation lands “in perpetuity.”

The material portion of that resolution stated, in part:

“Utilizing any portion of the Gemini Springs Addition to support development or redevelopment is contrary to the stated mitigation purpose of the property.”   

“…the continued management and preservation of the entire Gemini Springs Addition solely as conservation lands is imperative for the restoration of the site which will provide an invaluable benefit to the ecology of the region.”

In keeping with their historic precedence of doing exactly the opposite of what they resolved to do – on Tuesday, the Volusia County Council voted unanimously to permit two-acres of the Gemini Springs Annex to be transferred to the City of DeBary, who will in turn permit a developer to pave it over for a four-approach signalized traffic intersection to support the DeBary Town Center project which sits adjacent to the “protected” land.

Oh, there was much consternation on the dais – a lot of steam about FDOT mandates and agreements the county has no control over, and a requirement to make a trip to the hurt here, help there mitigation bank – but, when it came time to make a statement and do the right thing – our elected dullards did exactly what the 2016 resolution said they would never do when they led two contiguous acres of the environmentally sensitive lands to slaughter.

I hate to say I told you so, but following the transfer of lands to Volusia County, I wrote:

“While this transfer may resolve the matter for the immediate future, in my experience the word “perpetuity” means “about 10-years” in government parlance.  I guarantee you this will not be the last move to develop these lands if they are left in the care of elected officials who are bought and paid for by speculative developers.”   

In fact, it only took three-years to start piecing it out and paving it over. . .

Asshole           Deltona City Manager Jane Shang

For the already beaten and bruised residents of Deltona, the hits just keep on coming. . .

Earlier this week, City Manager Jane “Shameless” Shang entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Office of the State Attorney – essentially admitting responsibility for six instances of voter fraud – three considered felony crimes.

During an investigation of allegations that Shang intentionally listed the address of Deltona City Hall – rather than her residence – on voter registration forms, it was determined that during last year’s election Shang voted in a District 1 race – while residing in District 3. . .

Despite Shang’s hubristic explanation that her offenses were the result of “mistakes and errors” – in my view, knowingly casting a vote in an election outside your district evidences a well-formed intent – something far from an honest oversight.

Under the terms of her agreement, Shang must pay investigative costs, undergo drug testing, perform 100 hours of community service and avoid violating any federal, state or local laws for the next 12 months.

This includes $50.00 per month “toward the cost of her supervision,” plus $2.00 per month to the Florida Department of Corrections – placing her on what is essentially supervised probation.

Jesus.  What a godawful embarrassment to this beleaguered community. . .

In my view, if Jane Shang doesn’t have the common human decency to resign her position and leave with the degree of dignity the city deserves – then the City Commission has a moral responsibility to their constituents to unceremoniously throw her sorry ass out of City Hall before any more damage can be done to Deltona’s already battered reputation.

Quote of the Week

“There will be a time when we have no auto access to our beaches,” Kelley said. “I don’t know when, it’s not my plan.  It’s not something that I’m looking forward to because I’ve driven on that beach since 1962.  I’ve been a supporter of beach access and driving. But you can bet the federal government is not going to allow us to have that permit in 2030.”

–County Chairman Ed Kelley, as quoted in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Volusia council oks new parking in NSB,” Wednesday, June 5, 2019

In my view, our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, is a congenital liar who has become so truth-averse over his many years in elective office that he can no longer discern fact from a bald-face falsehood.

I don’t think he even recognizes it anymore.

It’s borne of the same twisted mindset that ends with his much-anticipated “Plan B” unveil being just another uninspired tax scheme. . .

It’s one of the many problems inherent to a system where uber-wealthy insiders artificially manipulate political campaigns with massive cash infusions to perpetually return these two-faced twits and moral defects to positions of power.

There is nothing to suggest that the federal government is going to revoke the permit allowing beach driving in Volusia County – and Old Ed’s spurious speculation is clearly wishful thinking on his part.

The fact is, Ed Kelley has quibbled the distinct difference between “beach driving” and “beach access” for years.

On Tuesday, Mr. Kelley joined Council members Ben Johnson, Deb Denys and Fred Lowry in blatantly ignoring the wishes of New Smyrna Beach residents when they voted to spend $475,000 for eleven “off-beach” parking spots, bringing vehicular traffic to a quaint residential neighborhood that was well-served by a relatively inexpensive walkover.

Speaking with the News-Journal’s Dustin Wyatt following the meeting, New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Jake Sachs lamented:

“They basically want to turn New Smyrna Beach into a parking lot,” he said, while acknowledging that it could have been much worse. “I’m very pleased they didn’t make a beach driving ramp out of it.”

And, just like that, New Smyrna Beach joins other small beachside communities – like Daytona Beach Shores – who have taken it in the tookus from our not-so-benevolent dictators in Volusia County government.

As I’ve said, the quaint notion of municipalities controlling their own destiny through self-determination and local governance might work elsewhere, but not in Volusia County.

Don’t like it?  Tough shit.

When Daytona Beach Shores balked at this aggressive form of buggery, Volusia County unleashed the weaponized county attorney’s office like a rabid Doberman – with orders to do whatever was required to exert their omnipotence – including crushing the small municipality’s will with overwhelming legal bills.

When Old Ed says removing beach driving “is not my plan,” you can bet your sweet patootie that’s exactly what he has in mind. . .

In my view, Chairman Kelley now owes every taxpayer in Volusia County a formal apology for making outrageous statements and spending our hard-earned tax dollars over what the federal government may – or may not – do over a decade from now.

Folks, that’s not leadership – that’s hysterical raving and fear-mongering – and any self-serving elected official who has spent as much time humiliating himself from a political dais as Mr. Kelley has should know the difference.

And Another Thing!

I don’t know about you, but I really need a dose of Daytona Beach “International” Airport executive director Rick Karl’s infectious optimism right now. . .

I need to hear Rick tell me how my investment is all “part of the larger story of the renaissance of this community,” and assure me we’re not pissing good money after bad every time another national or regional carrier (that we handsomely subsidized) packs up and jets off into the sunset.

Because, that’s what we pay Mr. Karl for – to pat our bottoms and tell us all the good things about our “International” airport we so desperately want to hear. . .

Regardless of how dire the circumstance, Director Karl can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear – spinning fantastic yarns about “passenger traffic increases” – and soothing our worst fears with fairy tales about how much we stand to make in the gift shop if we just throw more money around in a market that has essentially remained a regional feeder – outpaced by Sanford, Orlando, hell, everywhere with access to an interstate highway.

With many in Volusia County still reeling from the abrupt departure of Jet-Blue, on Wednesday, we learned the disheartening news that our most recent beneficiary of public funds – something called Silver Airways – announced it will be stopping scheduled service from DAB effective July 1.

According to a crafty statement from the air carrier, while the service was “well-received by travelers and the community and bookings were good,” the fare level was not “financially sustainable” in current market conditions. . .

I find that strange, because just months ago you and I ponied up an incredibly lucrative incentive package to lure Silver Airways to Daytona Beach.

This included some $100,000 to market the Daytona Beach-Ft. Lauderdale flights, a partnership agreement with the Daytona Tortugas organization, waiving landing fees and “facilities costs” (read: rent and utilities), a year of free ground handling services (according to reports, estimated at $91,250) and a quarterly payment of $25,000 for one year to help “offset some of the airlines startup costs.”

 You do the math.

 I don’t make this shit up, folks. . .

At the time,  Mr. Karl sang us a comforting lullaby, assuring us weary rubes that this time we wouldn’t be stood-up like every time before, “This is the beginning of a long-relationship that we hope to build over time,” Karl said, adding, “One flight a day is not the goal. We want to have more flights. We want to grow the airline with us.”

 He sounded like Claude Rains in the final scene of Casablanca. . .

 Come on, Rick.  I really need to hear how this time is different from last time.

Please?

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

Angels & Assholes will be on a brief hiatus next week as I travel to my ancestral home deep in the verdant bosom of the Appalachian Mountains – time to watch the lightning bugs in the evening, sip some corn squeezins and get back to my hillbilly roots for a few days. . .

Stay vigilant!

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.”

― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Why is it that Volusia County politics – regardless of jurisdiction – is increasingly marked by the near-constant internecine battle between ‘Us and Them,’ a destructive series of lopsided skirmishes fought by We, The People and those we have elected to represent our highest and best interests?

In a well-written piece in Sunday’s News-Journal entitled, “Daytona riverfront property remains in limbo,” reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean took us on a journey through the brewing fight over public control of City Island – marked by a pernicious effort by Daytona Beach city officials to remove decades-old land restrictions that held the historic downtown property for “public purposes forever.”

Why? 

Why would any civil servant – or elected official who accepts public funds to serve in the public interest – seek to quietly strip protections forged decades ago when the spoil islands were created as the channel was dredged in the Intercoastal Waterway?

Because they want to hand it over to their political benefactors in the real estate development community, that’s why. 

That’s old news – the standard modus operandi of this compromised Oligarchy that has replaced our democratic principles in Volusia County.

What I find most disturbing is the mindset.

My sincere hope is that the overweening attitude of some in government that actively works to strip perpetual safeguards on lands set aside for public use through behind-the-scenes political maneuvers – is the typical “we know what’s best for you” bureaucratic approach – the disconnect commonly found in places where entrenched administrators successfully reverse the administrative and political power structure.

Because the alternative – a situation where special interests pressure (suggest?) the very policymakers whose political campaigns they have underwritten to remove restrictions and sell or lease the scenic land for private development – is too grim to consider.

Unfortunately, anything is possible in a time and place where a billionaire insurance executive can assume control of a massive riverfront park adjacent to his already publicly underwritten headquarters complex by mere acquiescence of the community’s elected body – then receive some $1 million annually in tax dollars over the next 50 years to cover maintenance costs. . .

No one asked the citizens of Daytona Beach if they wanted to spend $50 million of their hard-earned tax dollars over the next half-century on a really nice park – and no one has asked the residents of Volusia County if we want to hand over City Island and adjacent waterfront property to a speculative developer for another half-empty condominium tower and a strip center.

And don’t expect anyone to ask for your opinion on the issue anytime soon. . .

In the aftermath of the failed $500,000 mail-in ballot scheme designed to ramrod a half-cent sales tax increase down our collective throats – I doubt our ‘powers that be’ will be asking us to vote on anything of substance – at least nothing they can find an expeditious legislative work around for.

Because, when they do allow us a say – and the outcome is not what their uber-wealthy puppet masters thought it should be – they either attempt to overturn our will by filing a lawsuit against us using our own money – or perpetually return the question to the ballot (no doubt rewritten to make the latest iteration of the money grab even more opaque) each election cycle until the desired outcome is achieved.

That is not how a representative democracy is supposed to work. . .

Fortunately, it appears yet another grassroots effort to protect the public’s interest is forming ranks in the Halifax area to block the handover of public lands on City Island for private development and political expediency.

According to the News-Journal’s article, Daytona Beach resident Mary Welch recently challenged state Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff – the darling of the Florida Realtors PAC.  During the last legislative session, Ms. Fetterhoff pushed failed legislation to remove the City Island deed restrictions without requiring the city to pay a $8.77 million ransom demanded by former Governor Slick Rick Scott.

The report indicated Ms. Welch asked Fetterhoff on social media the logical question, “. . .what’s in it for you?”

 According to Welch, “She never replied.”

 “Fetterhoff said she understands there’s been pushback from local residents who want all of the land to remain open for public use, but she said “it needs some value. It’s off the tax rolls.”

Bullshit.

What Rep. Fetterhoff and her benefactors in the real estate development community fail to grasp is the intrinsic civic, social and recreational value of holding certain lands for the exclusive and collective use of the public – something our forefathers recognized way back in 1925.

In my view, small-minded politicians – and those officials who have willingly compromised themselves to the mercenary tactics of special interests – have disgraced themselves in the eyes of their disbelieving constituents.

However, rather than exhibit a sense of shame – the much darker emotion of political advancement at all cost has emerged.

It seems now that they have been unmasked for who, and what, they truly are – our ‘powers that be’ no longer try to camouflage their true motivations – or those of their gluttonous political benefactors.

Slowly, the thin façade of service in the public interest has been eroded to the point a pernicious system that exists to serve a small ‘power elite’ is exposed.

A symbiotic relationship between compromised politicians who need massive campaign contributions to ensure victory – and the Big Money donor class who recognize the opportunity this presents.

In my view, this growing shift in strategy represents a dangerous proposition in this no-holds-barred “Us vs. Them” atmosphere, where a few well-heeled winners take all – and the rest of us suffer the innumerable consequences of their ravenous greed.

 

 

 

 

Hi, kids!

Well, friends and neighbors, it appears our ‘powers that be’ have dropped the proverbial turd in our celebratory punch bowl.

That’s right.  Gird your loins in 2020 – because here it comes again. . .

In the aftermath of the Volusia County sales tax initiative – a failed plan that asked long-suffering taxpayers to suspend reality and lavish a $42 million annual windfall on the same compromised politicians and entrenched bureaucrats that created this quagmire of overburdened transportation and utilities infrastructure by rubber-stamping massive development without any concern for the devastating impacts of unchecked growth – it’s clear many of our elected officials are not mentally prepared to accept our decision.

Earlier this week, during a transportation hand-wringing session hosted by U.S. Representative Michael Waltz – which was attended by what the News-Journal described as “more than 20 movers and shakers” – our esteemed state Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff echoed our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley’s, asinine call to dismiss the will of Volusia County voters and return the half-cent sales tax to the ballot again next year.

These do-nothing windbags couldn’t move-and-shake their way out of a wet paper bag. . .

I don’t know about you, but the mindset of our “power elite” that says We, The People somehow got it wrong when we screamed enough-is-enough and rejected this shameless money grab pisses me off.

Most smart public officials and growth management professionals understand the importance of maintaining legally mandated concurrency – land use regulations that require adequate public facilities and infrastructure be in place to serve new development as it occurs.  That means having roads, sanitary sewer systems, stormwater facilities, emergency services, schools and other public infrastructure and utilities in place to support increased demand.

Not here.

In Volusia County, our elected dullards continue to put the cart before the horse – then cry about it, ad nauseum, like recalcitrant children when voters don’t fall for their privately orchestrated bailout scheme.

Bullshit.

Our elected officials have already approved massive sprawl along the spine of east Volusia from Farmton to the Flagler County line – all while keeping impact fees at historic lows – ensuring that their political sugar-daddies in the real estate development industry reaped maximum profits without concern for the social, civic and environmental effects.

Now, many Volusia County residents are looking for real leadership – a change from the external manipulation inherent to an oligarchical system that rewards cronyism and eschews independent thought and inclusion – then callously refuses to accept the will of the people whenever an election doesn’t go the way their uber-wealthy handlers had it planned.

On social media and over backyard fences, residents are already discussing the 2020 election cycle, which many see as the beginning of fundamental change in what passes for governance here on Florida’s Fun Coast.

Who will emerge as the right man or woman for this troubled time and place?

In my view, there are several sitting politicians throughout Volusia County who had the acumen and personal courage to question this ill-fated sales tax push from the beginning – including District 4 County Councilwoman Heather Post and Holly Hill Mayor Chris Via – leaders who asked the difficult questions and spoke early and often about their opposition to asking their constituents to self-inflict a regressive sales tax increase.

Another tireless leader with our best interests at heart is civic activist Jeff Brower – a life-long Volusia County resident who is deeply committed to our future – a change agent who says what he means and means what he says:

“It is time your money was recognized as your money instead of a slush fund for rewarding political favors.  It is time to give you as much respect, and the same kind of consideration, as the richest members of our community.  It is time to make Volusia County the cleanest, healthiest, and safest County to raise your family, work, and retire in.”

I’ve spoken with Jeff personally and he’s an impressive guy – bright, articulate and dedicated to a cause greater than his own self-interests – a true servant/leader who seeks to build community engagement and restore trust in Volusia County government.

There are others out there with a ‘fire in the belly’ and a call to serve who demonstrate the leadership, intelligence and finely-tuned moral compass required for public service – and more will surface in coming months.

In my view, with the defeat of the sales tax initiative – a victory many see as a David and Goliath conquest, where grassroots forces defeated this well-funded and well-orchestrated sham – many in Volusia County learned the valuable lesson that there is strength in numbers and the foundational aspects of our democratic processes truly can bring substantive change.

Now, I suggest it’s time sour-grapes assholes like Old Ed Kelley and Elizabeth Fetterhoff apologize to their constituents for questioning the will of the people, stop this ridiculous gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, and come to terms with the fact a flawed sales tax policy, handwritten by their political benefactors, got shut down by an electorate fed-up with the status quo.

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the newsmakers of the day – the winners and losers – who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way.

Let’s look at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Asshole                       One Daytona & International Speedway Corporation  

So long, Joe. . .

Late word is that Oklahoma Joe’s Bar-B-Que has shut the doors, tucked tail and shuffled on home to Tulsa after little more than six-months slinging hash at One Daytona.

Unfortunately, word on the street is that another restaurant at International Speedway Corporation’s “synergistic” shopping and entertainment complex is also on life support and not expected to survive.

Damn shame.  Because each exodus equates to the loss of jobs – which negatively impacts local families – and our economy.

When you couple that with last month’s abrupt departure of Hy’s Toggery – smart people can see the handwriting on the wall – and that’s an ominous sign for a project that was underwritten with $40 million in public funds, incentives and infrastructure.

Yet, in keeping with ISC’s strict policy of “loose lips sink ships” a spokeswoman aboard the leaky S.S. One Daytona once again refused to comment – or assuage our growing fears that these mounting closures and continuing loss of jobs at One Daytona isn’t a grim trend.

Given our personal investment – I think we have a right to know what’s going on, right?

Right. . .

I hate to say I told you so – but I told you so. . .

Many of our local ‘movers and shakers’ thought I was a raving lunatic when I proselytized that there aren’t enough tourists to support the venue year-round – and locals weren’t ready to pay International Speedway Corporation an “enhanced amenity fee” for the privilege of patronizing a shopping center we subsidized with our hard-earned tax dollars.

Perhaps they were right – I’m an admitted kook – but there is no denying something worrisome is afoot at One Daytona. . .

Meanwhile, in this incestuous marketplace, the ultimate insider, Glenn Ritchey, continues to serve as the “Mayor of One Daytona” in his role as chairman of the weird public/private “One Daytona Community Development District” – and the shopping complexes parent company, ISC, is being absorbed by NASCAR in some last-ditch effort to consolidate and survive the sport’s current death spiral – or, as ISC frames it, “. . .a highly competitive sports and entertainment landscape.”   

It seems nothing changes – even as Rome continues to burn. . .

In this artificial economy, the same tired last names, with the same tired ideas, retain their mercenary grip on power regardless of how dire the situation – or the consequences.

Don’t take it too hard, Joe.

You’re not the first Okie from Muskogee who got bamboozled by some two-bit Fun Coast “economic development” pirates in expensive suits and Gucci loafers – and you won’t be the last.

We have a long history of telling people what they want to hear.

Our promises are legendary.

Angel                          Volusia County School Board

Well, most of them anyway. . .

On Tuesday, School Board Chairman Carl Persis joined Ruben Colon and Jamie Haynes in a 3-2 vote to oust embattled Superintendent Tom Russell.  Members Ida Wright and Linda Cuthbert apparently bowed to outside pressures that inexplicably supported continuing Russell’s reign.

Look, someone ‘in-the-know’ told me that Tom Russell is a really nice man – perhaps too nice for someone overseeing the massive educational apparatus that serves our children and administers a nearly $900 million publicly funded budget.

I was also told that Russell has been poorly served by some in his ‘cabinet’. . .

Now that Superintendent Russell is departing, I’m not going to rehash the laundry list of issues that brought about this overdue action – but even casual observers of the trajectory of Volusia County Schools will agree that a change in leadership was the only viable option.

Because that’s what it all boils down to: Leadership.

The ability to lead is not magically imparted on an individual simply because they are elected or appointed to a prominent position – and organizations without inspired direction rarely meet their full potential.

The role is never static, it is fluid, constantly in flux, and it requires the ability to ‘multi-task,’ evaluate, consider variables, adjust to changing conditions – and most important – anticipate future challenges in time to adapt.

I can tell you from personal experience that providing guidance and leadership in a dynamic environment is a hard dollar – and while Superintendent Russell had many fine qualities and accomplishments (many of which he rattled off in his final moments on the dais Tuesday, before self-indulging an in-your-face, mic-drop moment: “It was said at the last meeting that I am an ineffective leader. This is what I’ve done.” before walking out) – by any metric used to judge the health and effectiveness of our schools, his tenure was less than inspiring. . .

Leadership positions come with great responsibility – and in most places outside of Volusia County government – an equal level of accountability.

In the public sector, we tend to reward those in positions of high authority based upon the level of political instability inherent to the job – rather than their individual performance and the overall success of the organization.

For instance, in Volusia County, we paid Mr. Russell an annual salary of $175,000.

Conversely, he will pull the ripcord on a golden parachute valued at between $250,000 and $270,000 – while the organization he oversaw is left to clean up the mess – including an on-going United States Department of Justice investigation of the district’s treatment of disabled children.

I found it interesting that when Superintendent Russell came under fire by the School Board, some diverse heavy hitters came to his defense – including Sheriff Michael Chitwood, who penned a Community Voices column in the News-Journal praising Russell’s vision and leadership – and a weird call-to-action by the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee calling for Republican’s to become “activists” and “movers & shakers” to lobby the School Board on Russell’s behalf.

(Where were these patriotic “movers & shakers” when some 75% of our elementary schools received a “C” grade from the State of Florida?  Languishing in a cycle of mediocrity – while graduation rates are well-below state average and those for economically disadvantaged children remain near dead last in similarly sized districts?)

The VCREC also claimed the move to oust Superintendent Russell was part of some mysterious “liberal agenda” – no doubt orchestrated by the Red Menace at Volusia United Educators. . .

I don’t make this shit up, folks. . .

Now, my hope is that the Volusia County School Board can come together and heal the wounds of what has been a difficult and divisive period – then set about the important work of finding a School Superintendent to lead our district forward.

Angel              NBA Referee Eric Lewis

Earlier this week, the National Basketball League announced that Eric Lewis – veteran NBA Referee, Bethune-Cookman University graduate and husband of Lady Wildcat’s Basketball Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis – has been selected as one of 12 referees who will officiate the 2019 NBA Finals!

According to a B-CU press release, “The Daytona Beach native was a member of the basketball teams at Mainland HS and here at Bethune-Cookman.”

“In each level of Eric’s personal and professional life he seems to reach the pinnacle of success,” said BCU Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Lynn W. Thompson. “No one deserves it more. He makes all of us so very proud!”           

Indeed.

The championship series between the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors began last night with an exciting win by the Raptors.

Game Two starts at 8:00pm Sunday in Toronto.

Congratulations Mr. Lewis!

Angel              Debbie Darino & Justice for Ponce

As a law enforcement officer, you tend to see a lot of things – good and bad.

Some of them stick with you. . .

Like a mental tableau of the dark depths of human depravity.

When I was a young patrolman in the early ‘80’s, one memorable afternoon I was dispatched to a call of an injured animal.

When I arrived at the modest home on May Avenue, I was immediately struck by the heartbreaking scene in the front yard of a teenage boy attempting to comfort a small dog who was writhing in pain – a hunting arrow protruding from the poor puppy’s head.

The thought of it still brings me to a seething rage over 30-years after the fact.

My hurried initial investigation found that the dog – a miniature Collie named ‘Lady’ – had wandered out of her yard, returning moments later with the aluminum arrow, equipped with a “broadhead” point (essentially a pair of fixed razor blades fashioned into a cutting point), that struck the dog in the face, penetrated the back of her neck and exited near the base of the skull.

The location and trajectory of the wound meant that whoever did this was looking Lady in her sweet eyes when the arrow was released. . .

Unfortunately, despite receiving emergency veterinary care, the internal damage was too extensive, and the projectile could not be surgically removed.

Lady was euthanized in the loving embrace of her family later that evening.

In years to come, I would spend many hours working high-profile homicide cases – and I would see the full-range of man’s despicable inhumanity to man, including horrific crimes against vulnerable children and the elderly – but I can assure you that the effort extended to identify the person responsible for harming that defenseless animal was equal to any criminal case I ever worked.

Partnering with a detective who was equally shocked by the nature of Lady’s death, we launched an exhaustive investigation that ultimately identified a suspect – a man who lived just a few doors down from Lady’s home.

There could be no explanation for what he had done – it was a vile act of pure evil.

I took great satisfaction in bringing that piece of human excrement to justice – although, at the end of the day, he was sentenced to little more than restitution and a short probation.

On a positive note, the young man who owned Lady is now a highly decorated local law enforcement executive – now protecting and serving others in the community where he grew up.

I am incredibly proud of the man he became.

In the years that followed, I never forgot the horror and sense of helplessness I felt at that bloody scene of inexplicable cruelty – or the sight of a grieving young man trying to comfort his dying pet.

Perhaps that’s why I was so incredibly moved by the efforts of the intrepid animal rights activist Debbie Darino, and members of the animal rights group Justice for Ponce, who lobbied so diligently for “Ponce’s Law” – important legislation that increased penalties for animal abusers and ensures those convicted of these heinous crimes will never own a pet again.

According to reports, “The law is named after Ponce, a Labrador retriever puppy found beaten to death in the Ponce Inlet backyard of Travis Archer just after midnight on April 8, 2017.”

In keeping with the spirit of Ponce’s Law, earlier this week, Volusia County launched an online registry of persons convicted of animal cruelty – a comprehensive archive going back a decade which includes the abuser’s photograph, date-of-birth and a brief description of their crimes.

The purpose of the database is to allow animal shelters and adoption agencies to screen potential pet owners and weed out those despicable assholes who would harm a defenseless animal.

The Volusia County Animal Abuse Database can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/y6n9dk2w

Kudos to Ms. Darino, the tireless advocates of the Justice for Ponce organization and everyone in state and local government who worked so diligently to see this important legal resource come to fruition.

God’s work.

Angel               Indigo Lakes Neighborhood

Anyone who has called the Halifax area home remembers Indigo Lakes as an exclusive golf community – one of Daytona Beach’s toniest neighborhoods – elegant homes surrounding a beautiful 18-hole course that was once the temporary home of the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

Now, not so much. . .

Like many once-stylish locations here on the Fun Coast, Indigo Lakes has fallen victim to the age-old problem of a speculative developer who scooped up a distressed location on the cheap – another “Grand Plan” to fundamentally change a unique community into yet another congested, high-density enclave where recreational and natural amenities are bulldozed to make room for more wood-frame cracker boxes, apartments and condominiums.

According to News-Journal reports, Colin Jon, “a Chinese-Canadian investor who is part of a group that bought Indigo Lakes Golf Club in 2013,” is apparently putting a plan in place to build more than 530 residential units on much of the existing golf course – including commercial development with access to Williamson Boulevard.

Under the plan, residents will be required to schlep their clubs around just nine playable holes – and make way for a shitload of new neighbors. . .

While many dismiss Mr. Jon’s early moves as mere spitballing – reports indicate that he has engaged the venerated Cobb Cole law firm – well-connected, razor-sharp land use attorneys who have little sense of humor when it comes to getting their clients exactly what they paid for. . .

Established residents of Indigo Lakes are pissed – and they have every right to be.

A good, old-fashioned Battle Royale is brewing. . .

This will be interesting to watch – especially given the fact that several current and former senior Daytona Beach city officials call Indigo Lakes home – including City Manager Jim Chisholm.

In my view, Mr. Jon and his investors should be required to restore the golf course to a respectable condition – that’s only right.  After all, that was the property’s historic use when it was purchased – and the reason many existing homeowners invested in Indigo Lakes in the first place.

Like many, I believe the City of Daytona Beach has an obligation to homeowners to ensure that the property is adequately maintained – rather than stand idle while the once pristine course at the heart of this neighborhood is allowed to deteriorate into a hocked-out, overgrown steppe – slowly destroying property values and ruining the quality of life for residents – while high-priced land use attorneys develop a profitable strategy for their client.

Quote of the Week

“Although I have serious trepidation with the circumstances surrounding how the special election came to be, I am much more concerned with the glaring dismissal of the will of the people.  It is outrageous that any elected official would have the audacity to announce intent prior to the vote even being counted that if the vote doesn’t go the way they want it to, the issue will be placed on the ballot again in the next election until the desired vote is achieved.  And now, after an election where the citizens of Volusia County voted, their voice is being stifled and dismissed by a continued message that the issue will simply be placed on the next ballot until the people vote differently.”

 –Volusia County Councilwoman Heather Post, writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “Don’t ignore the voice of the people,” Tuesday, May 28, 2019

And Another Thing!

Are you paying attention to the disturbing developments in the City of Deltona surrounding a plan to punish the long-suffering residents of Volusia’s largest city with an outrageous increase in water rates?

If not, you should be.

Last year, Deltona city commissioners – perhaps the most dysfunctional elected municipal body in the region (and, in Central Florida, that’s a difficult badge to earn) – made it clear that the city’s equally dysfunctional water utility is a business – not a charity.

That’s an understatement. . .

During a subsequent workshop to address growing concerns about an inordinate number of customers who were accumulating late fees on their water bills (in 2017, that amounted to some 84,000 customers, with more than 6,000 resulting in shut-off) – city officials opted to provide funds to social agencies who provide financial assistance for those who can no longer afford their water service.

At the same time, many customers of the Deltona water utility were raising disturbing questions about wild fluctuations in their monthly water bills – trapped in a paradoxical nightmare of repeatedly being told these insane amounts were the result of “leaks,” even after their properties were cleared by licensed plumbers and professional leak detectors – coupled with the city’s refusal to investigate the reasonable concerns of residents who felt victimized and powerless.

Let’s face it, unless you have a freshwater well and water conditioning system – or survive on some 17^th century rainwater cistern – most of us who live in incorporated areas are dependent upon our local government for little things like potable water. . .

In turn, we pay taxes (often exorbitant) and consumption fees with the expectation that this important, life-giving utility will be professionally maintained, closely managed and properly administered.

You see, most people don’t mind paying reasonable incremental increases to ensure both the safety and availability of our precious drinking water supply.

That means We, The People expect those we elect to represent our interests will ensure that city administrators maintain adequate repair and replacement schedules, abide by regulations, provide reliable distribution and a fair billing system with adequate checks and balances to protect customers.

Unfortunately, over the past decade, Deltona city government has apparently kicked the can down the road in the name of political expediency, leading to Mayor Heidi Herzberg’s recent assessment, “You had in Deltona effectively 10 years of no water-rate increases. . .”

Some residents are openly questioning Mayor Herzberg’s veracity, claiming residents received modest water and sewer rate increases both before – and after – the city purchased the water utility.

Interesting. . .

Now, the Tampa-based consultant that advises Deltona officials on the management of its water and sewer systems is recommending a massive rate increase – which includes a 15% one-time hike in water rates, followed by 5% annual increases in water and sewer rates through 2029.

Wow.

To add insult to injury, I’m told that a sitting City Commissioner recently admonished his constituents to “cut back” and learn to live with this new reality – including fixed-income seniors and the thousands living at or below the poverty line who are now forced to make difficult decisions, like not flushing toilets or skipping showers.

Yeah.  Wow.

In an excellent report in The West Volusia Beacon, we learned, “City officials say there are between 100 and 300 disconnections of water service each week in Deltona, many because of nonpayment of bills, but also because of families moving out of the city.”

My God.

Why does Deltona – a community that should be enjoying the intrinsic benefits of being uniquely situated between Daytona Beach and Orlando – have more governance and utilities issues than those lawless tribal territories in rural Pakistan?

And no one who should seems to care?

In my view, if this latest assault on Deltona residents isn’t the proverbial straw that breaks the camels back – then that bloated Deltona Dromedary’s spine can’t be broken – because this latest outrageous example of gross mismanagement and lack of strategic planning by city administrators’ boarders on the textbook definition of dereliction and nonfeasance.

Shouldn’t someone be held accountable? 

Keep an eye on this one, folks.  It’s going to get interesting.

That’s all for me!  Have a great weekend everyone!

 

 

 

Earlier this week I wrote a heartfelt post in support of ‘our’ hometown newspaper – The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

I meant every word of it.

That doesn’t mean we all have to agree with everything they publish.  Nor should we.

I have always advocated the philosophy that, “If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking” – because lock-step conformity is counterproductive to deliberative decision-making.

The purpose of editorial content is to sway public opinion, promote critical thinking on the issues facing our region and encourage readers to take action or vote a certain way.

The very nature of the editorial page is to be persuasive and convey the newspaper’s thoughts and opinions.

In my view, opinion writing is meant to not only express the editorial board’s point-of-view – but to stimulate a larger conversation in the community that can breakdown barriers and lead to solutions.

I tend to disagree with those who say they don’t subscribe to the News-Journal because they feel the newspaper “leans” one way or the other – or the content is too “liberal” or “conservative” – too slanted toward the needs and wants of Big Money players, etc.

Because any publication worth it’s salt (including this goofy alternative opinion blog) is, at various times, going to be all those things and more when held up to the prism of the readers own viewpoint.

But if it stirs your emotions – causes you to think differently about an issue, sparks discussion, or even heated debate, and lets you know how other people in the community are thinking – well, that’s money (and stomach acid) well-spent.

A good example of that can be found in today’s News-Journal editorial entitled, “On infrastructure, what’s next?” which continues to struggle with the idea that We, The People have spoken – and the fact our “Rich & Powerful” overseers can’t seem to come to grips with the outcome – an unfortunate circumstance that doesn’t invalidate our concerns, or our near universal distrust of Volusia County government.

Frankly, we’re getting tired of hearing the same flashlight-under-the-chin scary stories that our ‘powers that be’ told – ad nauseum – as a means of cramming the idea of a half-cent sales tax increase down our throats for the last two-years.

We’re also growing increasingly frustrated with the fear-mongering and sour-grapes threats that only reinforce the core belief of many that local government’s have been caught flatfooted by their long-suffering constituents – exposed as dysfunctional shills for an oligarchical system that truly doesn’t have a “Plan B” beyond financially exsanguinating their already overtaxed constituents.

“There may be tough times ahead. Property taxes could go up; services local residents expect may be cut. Our biggest concern is that Volusia County will see itself left behind as Florida’s economy crests, and in more pain than it deserves when hard times inevitably come. That’s why we recommended a “yes” vote on the half-cent sales tax: We thought it was the best available option. Other paths will be thornier.”

Says who?

Our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley?

That shadowy consortium of millionaires over at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance?

Government contractors who heavily financed the failed sales tax grab who won’t have the opportunity to gorge at the public tit now that their much-anticipated $42 million windfall went bye-bye?

Because the rest of us here in The Real World are damn glad Daddy finally took the T-Bird away. . .

It is asinine to expect residents and visitors of Volusia County to throw good money after bad, lavishing our hard-earned tax dollars on the same do-nothing dullards who got us into this quagmire of suburban sprawl and overburdened infrastructure on the hope and prayer that, when the time came, their constituents would simply rollover, self-inflict a sales tax increase, and bail them out of the social, civic, economic and environmental mess they created.

Doesn’t work that way. . .

Most agree that the way forward is not going to be popular with those who currently call the shots – the uber-wealthy political insiders, the real estate developers who have received maximum profits while paying little for the direct impacts of growth and the bought and paid for politicians who facilitate Volusia County’s unique brand of quid pro quo cronyism that continues to stifle true economic development and exacerbates the problems inherent to out-of-control growth.

It will require that we elect candidates who retain the ability of independent thought – visionaries who can think strategically and stop the waste, favoritism and corporate giveaways that have brought us to this desperately low place in our history.

True servant/leaders who are accessible to all of their constituents – and have a vested interest in stopping the tragic cycle that has left thousands of Volusia County families living at or below the poverty line while a few insiders continue to get fat – using public funds to underwrite private, for-profit adventures – always under the guise of “better paying jobs” that never seem to materialize for those who attempt to eke out a life here.

In my view, the table is big enough for everyone – and those who were wildly successful before the May 21^st reckoning should understand that they can be part of the solution and still make a fortune – but it’s going to take a different mindset – one that partners with We, The People in decisions and priorities that directly involve the expenditure of our hard-earned tax dollars.

No one that I have spoken with – on either side of the issue – is under the mistaken opinion that the myriad problems Volusia County faces are going to get better on their own.

To the contrary.  The way forward will be difficult – and it will require hard work and tough decisions.

But I also believe our best days are ahead.

We now have the unique opportunity to restore trust in our sacred system of governance and the democratic processes that ensure a level playing field for everyone – not just those with the ability to pay-to-play.

We, The People can now negotiate from a position of power.

In my view, Volusia County is standing at the precipice of greatness – the opportunity to continue the grassroots momentum that stopped this shameless money grab and put our ‘powers that be’ on notice that we are tired of the status quo – as we work together to manage growth, restore our historic neighborhoods and core tourist areas and bring equal opportunities for success to anyone willing to invest in the future of Florida’s Fun Coast.

Despite what we’re being told – by our newspaper, our business leaders and those we have elected to represent our interests – the patch forward is bright.

The challenges ahead will test our mettle and there will be roadblocks as those who thrive in the status quo fight hard hold on to the old days and old ways – but those who see the opportunities ahead will not be deterred.

Persistence in omnipotent.

Keep the faith.

Never quit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday, The Daytona Beach News-Journal ran a cogent and touching piece penned by editor Pat Rice entitled, “We’re your local paper, and we need your support.” 

The op/ed ran following a particularly difficult week  during which six more professional journalists lost their jobs at the News-Journal in a corporate “restructuring” that apparently originated in a stale conference room of some faceless media conglomerate that trades in newspapers like a cheap commodity.

Frankly, the cavalier attitude exhibited by Mike Reed, CEO of GateHouse Media, which owns The Daytona Beach News-Journal, who called the cuts ‘immaterial’ was, in my view, particularly despicable.

Love it or hate it, the News-Journal truly is our “hometown” newspaper and those who work hard to report the news and provide entertaining features day-in-and-day-out deserve our support as they work hard to figure out the dynamics of a changing culture and the often-fickle wants and needs of an evolving readership.

As a long-time resident of the Halifax area, I’m old enough to remember when the News-Journal put out a morning and evening edition – and having spent over three-decades in law enforcement – a pursuit often considered a “newsmaker” – I got to know many reporters who later became life-long friends.

When I hear people say, “I wouldn’t wrap fish with that paper,” I understand the frustration – but I also know that if you take the time to turn the page – everyone can find something of substance in the News-Journal.

For instance, Dinah Voyles-Pulver is one of the finest environmental journalists working anywhere.

I felt her exhaustive reporting on the gross conflicts of interest at the St. John’s River Water Management District – and the on-going violations of environmental regulations at local residential and commercial developments – were worthy of the Pulitzer Prize.

And Elaine Zaffiro-Kean’s outstanding 2017 exposé, “Tarnished Jewel: Daytona’s troubled beachside,” which dove deep into the myriad issues that continue to plague our core tourist area, epitomized community journalism at its finest.

The five-part series examined how $120 million in Community Redevelopment Funds seemingly evaporated in the Main Street area – and exposed the continuing struggles of Ocean Walk and our desperate Boardwalk.

In fact, the News-Journal’s work spurred the Volusia County Council to commission a working group of our ‘best and brightest’ minds to study beachside redevelopment initiatives – and a series of informative Town Hall meetings that gave a voice to the many residents and entrepreneurs who have suffered in silence for far too long.

Unfortunately, as often happens once the political insulation provided by these exploratory committees has been realized by our elected officials, the resulting report is now collecting dust on the groaning credenza of some do-nothing bureaucrat wherever expensive, time-consuming “studies” go to die. . .

I also like the day-to-day local reporting of the intrepid Dustin Wyatt, and I try not to think about what would happen in the halls of power without Dustin and others in the ever diminishing newsroom who ask the difficult questions and stand as a silent sentinel for the rest of us.

In his article, Mr. Rice cited a note he received from New Smyrna Mayor Russ Owen, which read:

“’The Internet’ will not attend hours of local commission meetings and provide a (usually) fair and balanced article about what went on.

‘The Internet’ won’t come sit on my porch and get to know about my candidacy for Mayor and share that with the community. ‘The Internet’ doesn’t have long and deep connections in town with enough trust to learn about a city manager’s departure days before it was anywhere close to public knowledge.

These are things only a local reporter that is a part of the community can do. I don’t always agree with how things are portrayed by The News-Journal as a whole.

But when compared to the reams of misinformation, rumors, hearsay, and half-truths found on Nextdoor and Facebook every hour, The News-Journal stands as a gold standard of journalistic integrity for our community. I am glad it was there for administrations before me, and I hope it remains in place long after me.”

Unfortunately, it appears Mayor Owen has succumbed to that age-old close-minded mentality that invariably consumes politicians who fail to realize there are many “realities” in the information black holes that local governments have become.

The “reams of misinformation, rumors, hearsay and half-truths,” Owen’s rails about are mirror images of the same “misinformation, rumors, hearsay and half-truths,” We, The People are routinely subjected to by those we have elected to represent our interests – yet, over time, increasingly serve an oligarchical system more focused on billionaires with a profit motive than the true wants and needs of their long-suffering constituents.

A place where expensive impact fee studies are purposefully withheld from policymakers and the public – yet no one was ever held accountable for this almost criminal cover-up of a tax funded report.

Where a shadowy alliance of millionaire government contractors and business owners hand-craft public tax policy in backrooms – then privately pay for an extensive marketing campaign supported by county and municipal governments – designed to ramrod an asinine sales tax increase down the throat of every man, woman, child and visitor to Volusia County.

An environment where local government officials no longer present themselves to the working press – scurrying like diseased rats and hiding like the cowards they are behind paid mouthpieces and canned “press releases” that seek to spin the facts and avoid any semblance of accountability or responsibility.

The result is that taxpayers who are fed up living in the information desert that local governments have created will obtain their “news” anywhere they can find it – and express their opinions and frustrations on social media – which is now established as the digital “Town Square” of the new epoch.

Mayor Owens and his colleague need to understand that whoever controls the message, controls the masses – and the masses are sick and tired of being kept in the dark.

I’m an admitted hack – a dilettante who pens a goofy opinion blog, so hyper-political and regional in nature that one really has to search for it.

Yet, as of today, this site has generated 312,005 views – with thousands more each month –  including international visitors from some 121 countries around the world (ever heard of the Kingdom of Benin?  Me neither.  It’s a small country in West Africa – birthplace of the vodun (or “voodoo”) religion and home to the former Dahomey Kingdom from circa 1600–1900 – where some folks clearly enjoy reading Barker’s View!  Shout out to my peeps in Benin!)

But this forum is not a “news outlet” – it is a cheap opinion blog that voices my personal and political frustrations, rants and delusions – an often humorous, always irreverent take on the news and newsmakers of the day – and most smart people enjoy it for what it is: an alternative take on the issues that face us here on Florida’s fabled Fun Coast.

We need daily local newspapers – staffed by professional journalists who live in the community, know the players and can feel the results of their important work up close and personal.

In my view, reading the daily paper should stir the complete range of emotions – from breaking  local news, to in-depth series on the issues of the day and well-written editorials that spark a greater discussion in the community – and I am invariably moved (sometimes to rage, sometimes to laughter) when I digest the news of the day as reported by The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

I happen to subscribe to the News-Journal’s online content, because I like the up-to-the-minute news feature – coupled with the ability to read a digital version of the print edition each morning with coffee.

I couldn’t tell you what I pay for the subscription  – but whatever it is, it’s worth it.

Look, I know nothing about reporting the news – or what it takes to eke out a profit in an environment where traditional paper and print newspapers are quickly going the way of the buggy whip.

But I know that ‘our’ newspaper is as relevant and necessary today as it always has been – perhaps more so – and it deserves our support and defense.

 

 

Hi, kids!

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.

–Earnest Lawrence Thayer

Feels good to win one, doesn’t it?

It should.  Enjoy it while it lasts. . .

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the newsmakers of the day – the winners and losers – who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way.

Let’s look at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Asshole           Mark D. Barker, Unrepentant Shit Stirrer  

Sometimes I laugh at myself whenever I read an opinion piece penned by one of our “local illuminati” that exposes just how wrong and painfully out-of-touch I am on any given issue.

For instance, according to News-Journal Editor Pat Rice, our new Lucky’s Market on Granada Boulevard is THE happening place – just about the best thing since sliced bread (they have that – only it’s called “sliced Brioche” and it sells for four bucks a loaf. . .)

I made my first foray to Lucky’s last week – dutifully making hot laps around the crowded parking lot until a sufficient number of customers departed to make way for the throngs still pouring in.

I’m not new to this ground.

Fifty years ago, Oceanside County Club’s swimming pool sat on the site – which provided a cool summer respite for my classmates and I at St. James Day School, just south on Halifax Drive.

Once I shoehorned the Lone Eagle into a parking space, I removed a small buggy from the rack outside and began zigzagging my way through the mass of self-absorbed shoppers fondling a huge stack of “organic” pineapples near the entrance – clanging my cart into others as I attempted to navigate the narrow aisles – muttering sotto voce, “excuse me, ‘cuse me. . .pardon, whoops, sorry, excuse me. . .”

My stress level immediately hit 9.8 on the agoraphobia scale.

So, I made for the draft beer taps at the back of the store, thinking a cold craft brew might soothe the raging social anxiety I was experiencing from being in such close proximity to so many of my fellow Ormondites.

The beer line was ten deep and growing. . .

I quickly grabbed a bag of “savory crostini,” a container of olive tapenade, some salame di parma and a chunk of aged Parmigiano Reggiano (add a glass of good Italian red wine and you’ve got the makings of a nice lunch) then weaved my way to the small bakery for some chocolate chip cookies, a loaf of sourdough bread, some cheese danish and other essentials for the Barker’s View HQ larder.

My bill was just over $70.

Look, Lucky’s is a great addition to Ormond Beach – similar, if slightly less pretentious, than a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods – and I’m very happy the opening has been such a huge success.

If you’re in need of a few specialty items (or some really good prepared foods) I encourage you to brave the crowds and enjoy the communal experience of this upscale souk.

I’ve always been tragically “unhip” –  totally oblivious to what’s “happening” now – or maybe I’m just a curmudgeonly asshole, too inflexible and set in my ways to embrace the fashionable – but if I had subjected myself to the Lucky’s experience 17 times in the past two-weeks as Pat did, I’d be institutionalized. . .

Look, I know what I like.

When I want good, locally produced beef and pork, I travel to Harris Grocery in Bunnell – a small IGA market located on U.S.-1 that’s been owned and operated by the same family for over 25-years.

If you haven’t tried the bulk country sausage – or “market fresh” meat bundles and exceptional vegetables, often displayed right in the farm box they were harvested in – well, you’re doing it wrong.

For everyday shopping, I’m a Publix guy.

In fact, I still drive out of my way to the Ormond-By-The-Sea location because that’s where my mom took me shopping when I was a little boy.  I know where my staples are located – and even when they try and trick me with periodic product placement changes – I can instinctively ferret out my Walker’s Shortbread and Martinelli’s apple juice. . .

I was also a bit surprised by just how wrong I was in my harsh criticism of embattled Volusia County School Superintendent Tom Russell. . .

In a Community Voices column last Sunday, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood opined that, “In our county, we have been fortunate to have the leadership and vision of Tom Russell.”  

Really?  

Because in my view, Superintendent Russell’s time at the helm of Volusia County Schools has been marked by one roiling shitstorm after another. . .

Although Sheriff Chitwood points to “improving” graduation rates – statistically, Volusia County remains woefully short of the state average – and when you consider completion rates for economically disadvantaged students – the results are abysmal.

Now, We, The People – and our elected representatives on the Volusia County School Board – are just learning that the district has been the focus of a United States Department of Justice investigation into the treatment of student’s living with Autism for over a year?

Say what?

What about the ham-handed “secret discussions” that resulted in a five-year contract with AdventHealth – naming the healthcare provider the “exclusive student education and student wellness partner of the School Board for all purposes and on all levels” – for just $200,000 in cash each year. . .?

One might have thought that given our current dire financial straits – a direct advertising campaign reaching some 63,000 Volusia County families might have been worth a tad more?

Or the decades-old backlog of school infrastructure projects, bargain basement sale of public property and the never-ending/never-productive negotiations with our teachers – professionals who are desperately seeking a living wage for their important work – anything to stop the hemorrhage of talent as educators continue to flee Volusia for more responsible districts or professions that appreciate their contributions.

Add to that the stark realization that we cannot adequately fund prudent security measures without putting the arm on already strapped municipalities – and a hundred other serious issues facing our struggling schools – and I can’t help but think that Sheriff Chitwood’s idea of Russell’s “leadership and vision” and mine are two very different things. . .

Is it possible I’m living in some alternate universe? 

A parallel reality where residents no longer believe anything their elected say or do – yet only one in four actually participate in the democratic process?  Where our bought-and-paid for shills on the dais of power continue to tell us things that don’t comport with what we see with our own eyes – yet few seem to care?

A coastal county with incredible natural amenities and inherent beauty that has been allowed to dissolve into a dreary, uninspired place where tens-of-thousands live below the poverty line – and a dearth of affordable housing leaves many on the precipice of homelessness – yet our government officials continue to lavish millions of our hard-earned tax dollars on the wants and whims of local billionaires with a profit motive in some horribly corrupted “economic development” scheme that is routinely glorified in our newspaper as “progress”?

A mosaic of once vibrant beachside communities that wallow in mediocrity – all while speculative developers haul massive profits out of the pine scrub west of I-95 as even more wood-frame slices of the American Dream are erected on top of our sensitive aquifer in a faux “beach community” miles from the languishing real one – a world where asphalt and concrete blanket wetlands and crush wildlife habitat in the name of suburban sprawl?

Maybe I am living in a fantasy land – tilting at windmills and railing against conspiracies real and imagined – lost in delusions of my own making.

But I was right about one thing. . .

On Tuesday, We, The People overwhelmingly decided that enough is enough!

After a protracted marketing effort culminating in a weird mail-in ballot scheme designed to give the half-cent sales tax initiative it’s best chance of passage – Volusia County voters roundly rejected a strong push by a cabal of uber-wealthy opportunists and their hired chattel on the county council and municipal commissions up-and-down the Fun Coast.

For far too long the residents of Volusia County have taken it on the chin – trapped in a system they can neither understand nor escape – struggling in an artificial economy controlled by the same five people passing the same nickel around – where public policy is decided in boardrooms by those with the ability to pay-to-play, then rubberstamped by politicians hand-selected in backrooms, anointed by “kingmakers,” and financed by massive campaign contributions that skew the political playing field and ensure a handsome return on investment.

This is what it feels like to finally negotiate from a position of power.

That’s what elections are all about – and we finally know how J. Hyatt feels most election cycles.

Now, the true test will be if we can use this incredible momentum to return accountability to the halls of power and restore the public’s trust in local government.

Besides, it does my beat-up old heart good to be right for a change. . .

Angel              Volusia County Voters

I don’t care how you voted.

If you were one of the 28% of eligible Volusia County voters who cast a mail-in ballot in what passed for the convoluted local option sales tax referendum, give yourself a Barker’s View Gold Star!

In my view, a participatory democracy requires, well, participation.

For most, the very idea of a free and democratic process represents the idea of equality and fairness – the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way.  But it also requires that citizens take advantage of that chance and let their voice be heard at the ballot box.

The question of why growing numbers of people allow a small percentage of their fellow citizens to decide the important questions of our time is a conundrum political scientists have struggled with for years.

In Volusia County, voter apathy is a growing problem that aggravates the other serious issues that have resulted in such widespread distrust in government.

Many citizens I speak with tell me they believe their vote doesn’t matter – that the “system” is rigged to protect itself – even from the foundational processes and protections of our democracy.

Others tell me our elections have devolved into little more than a weird Sophie’s Choice – the lesser of two evils – where candidates with malleable ethics are bought, sold and fielded by Big Money interests who see the process as a means to a profitable end.

Perhaps they’re right. . .

Several years ago, a group of committed citizens petitioned Volusia County government for the right to vote on issues effecting beach driving and access in an effort to stop the pernicious practice of elected and appointed officials using our beach as a cheap bargaining chip for speculative developers seeking to privatize our most precious natural amenity.

Under the simple premise that “Politics Change – Community Values do not,” the grassroots effort collected nearly 19,000 signatures and qualified the charter amendment for its rightful place on the ballot.

Then, fearing a challenge to the status quo, Volusia County government sicced their weaponized public attorney – Dan “Cujo” Eckert – on the intrepid beach driving advocates and filed suit against these long-time citizen activists using their own tax dollars to do it.

Most recently, Volusia County government mounted a strenuous and protracted legal challenge after 53% of the county’s electorate approved Amendment 10 – which will return constitutional authority to the sheriff, property appraiser and elections supervisor – each of which currently serve as little more than elected department heads, held firmly under the yoke of an unelected, unaccountable and almost omnipotent county manager.

This aggressive challenge to the will of the people further reinforced the notion that this oligarchical system will go to whatever lengths necessary to stifle the democratic process and ensure the patency of the public tit. . .

When viewed from the perspective of a compromised Volusia County political system, one that has been bought and paid for by a few ultra-rich elites who throw huge sums of cash at select candidates through multiple, but individually controlled, corporate entities many get the impression that citizen input and opinion on matters large and small is neither wanted nor considered.

I believe there remains one fundamental mechanism which, if used properly, will allow us to prevail over the insiders and well-heeled donor class that seem intent on taking our lifestyle and heritage away from us and handing it to outside speculators for backdoor personal enrichment:

It is the ultimate power of the ballot box.

I believe that if enough like-minded citizens hold firm to the basic belief that we can control our destiny by electing strong, ethical and visionary members of our community to high public office, we can once again balance political power and restore transparency, fairness, and the spirit of equality and fair play in Volusia County government.

To those who took the opportunity to participate in this sacred process – Thank you.

Asshole           City of Ormond Beach  

 From the “Things that make you say W.T.F?” file. . .

A very astute observer of all-things political, and an avid reader of Barker’s View, recently pointed out that on the very day following the sales tax initiatives demise – the City of Ormond Beach posted a cryptic notice on their website announcing:

“Due to extended dry weather and increased demand, reclaimed water is currently unavailable. The reuse system will be made available as soon as the water supply is adequately replenished by rainwater. Updates will be posted on the City’s website at http://www.ormondbeach.org.

 As a reminder, once reclaimed water service is restored, please do your part to use reclaimed water wisely. The St. John’s River Water Management District recommends the following for a healthy landscape:

 Irrigate no more than twice (2x) per week.

Irrigate no more than ¾ inch of water per zone per irrigation day.

Irrigate no more than one hour per irrigation zone per irrigation day.

Thank you for your consideration!

Please contact the Public Works Department at (386) 676-3220 for further information.”

 For the uninitiated, reclaimed water is essentially partially treated and disinfected effluent –sewer water – used for irrigation.

We don’t drink it (Yet) – we water our lawns with it where available.

According the city’s website, the system currently provides some one-billion gallons of reuse water annually to Ormond Beach customers.

“Currently there is an annual average day customer demand of 3.62 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) used for irrigation purposes from the available 4.57 MGD sanitary sewer flow rate received at the City’s wastewater treatment facility. Using effluent for irrigation reduces the amount of effluent that must be discharged to the Halifax River, lessening environmental impacts to the River’s ecosystem.”  

If these figures are correct, at average daily demand – using sanitary sewer intake alone –  the system produces a surplus of approximately .95 million gallons of reuse water per day.

Now, unless the good citizens of Ormond Beach have ceased exercising their bodily functions or flushing their toilets in some weird protest – the treatment facility should be producing an ample supply of reuse water.

Am I right? 

Look, we’ve had “extended dry weather” before – even what many meteorological experts consider extreme drought conditions – and I’ve never seen the entire supply of reclaimed water abruptly shut off to Ormond Beach customers.

What gives? 

Because I’m a conspiratorial asshole – my initial thought was that this is the first of many “punishments” and small inconveniences we can expect from our local governments for having the temerity to quash their big windfall on Tuesday – because why else would a public utility producing a billion gallons of reuse water each year suddenly and inexplicably turn off the tap to thousands of residential and commercial customers without a peep of warning?

Now, we’re seeing “updates,” such as, “Thank you for your patience as we make every effort to restore and maintain full access to the reuse system as soon as possible.”

 What? 

If the “extended dry weather” excuse is true, what is Mayor Partington going to do, some ceremonial dance on the steps of City Hall in hopes the heavens open up?

I hate to be an alarmist, but it appears “something” happened beyond a dry spell. . .

We’ll see.

Angel              Citizens of Ormond Beach

Kudos to the citizens of Ormond Beach who voted to block a nasty power grab by elected officials who attempted to lash term extensions and staggered elections to the sales tax referendum.

This cheap-jack move to cement their positions came following one of the most hotly contested and expensive contests in recent memory, when a majority of incumbents were returned to office on a wave of developer dollars.

Fortunately, their hubristic past came back to haunt them on Tuesday. . .

On election night 2018, our tone-deaf Mayor and Commissioners posed for a picture during their collective victory party on the dance floor of the Rockin’ Ranch – epitomizing the back-slappin’ good ol’ boy network they represent – holding a filthy push broom to signify their unanimous “clean sweep.”

To add insult to injury, the most vocal of the bunch – “Deputy Mayor” Troy Kent – who long ago became the mouthpiece and chief apologist for speculative developers – was costumed, cap-a-pie, in a ten-gallon cowboy hat and boots – personifying the chummy Old South crony politics many of us who lived it have worked hard to escape.

Simultaneous to the Hootenanny over at the Rockin’ Ranch – those aligned with Mr. Kent and his buddies – placed an industrial highway sign on Granada Boulevard blazing antagonistic one-liners (“THANKS ORMOND NO-CANDO”) and other juvenile slogans – as a direct thumb-in-the-eye to a very committed segment of their constituency who fought hard for what they thought was right for their quality of life.

According to the Ormond Beach Observer, “Ormond Beach heard a resounding “no” echoing throughout the city as voters rejected the four-year term proposal 65.7% to 34.3%. Its defeat meant that staggered terms also went down the drain, because it was dependent on four-year terms passing. Voters said no to staggered terms 57.8% to 42.2%.”

“Voters said yes to term limits, 62% to 38%, but term limits will not be instated, because the question was also dependent on four-year terms.”

Hear, Hear!

Asshole           County Chair Ed Kelley

“My goal would be to discuss it and see if there’s an interest in putting it back on the ballot in 2020,” he said. That way “we’d have a 60 percent turnout in voters, and it would give us more time to inform the public. Maybe a year and a few months will make a difference.”

The one constant in Volusia County politics is that no tax proposal is ever really dead.

Make no mistake, if our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, has his way (and he will) the moldering corpse of the recently deceased half-cent sales tax initiative will be reanimated on the bones of the same tired issues and trotted out for a second run in 2020.

Why?

Because it’s true – Old Ed and his fellow uninspired dullards – truly have “No Plan B.”

All they know is the malicious cycle of take from the weak and give to the powerful who pull the strings – mental prisoners of the insipid lock-step conformity that permeates Volusia County government and abhors ingenuity, imagination and creativity.

The unfortunate reality is that Mr. Kelley still refuses to accept that, over time, We, The People have lost all trust in the system he serves – and now we have sent a clear message that we will no longer allow our hard-earned tax dollars to be frittered away or simply handed over to his cronies and political benefactors.

Clearly, with few exceptions, our elected and appointed officials in Volusia County government still haven’t come to terms with the fact this referendum was a public indictment of their lack of transparency, abject favoritism and gross mismanagement.

Until certain key policymakers resign or are voted out of office – this basic lack of moral and ethical clarity will cause an equal backlash in 2020.

It’s time our ‘powers that be’ understand the practical implications of their collective behavior on the public’s trust.

For good or for ill, this sales tax debacle painted our elected officials, and those members of the Volusia CEO Business Alliance who pushed the initiative from its inception, as master manipulators – willing to say anything, and use any means at their disposal, to “reeducate” citizens and achieve their greed-crazed end result – an ill-fated campaign that merely highlighted the sloth-like inefficiencies inherent to government projects and the ineptitude of our elected officials in DeLand.

That’s not how healthy partnerships start.

In my view, this desperately failed money grab was Old Ed’s Waterloo.

We’ve had enough of his unique brand of “leadership.”

Now, it’s time for Chairman Kelley to own his dithering Captain Queeq routine and resign for the good of his constituents and the institution he represents – then, slither off to that smoldering ash heap where cheap-jack politicians go once they have been exposed for who and what they are. . .

Asshole           GateHouse Media

Yesterday, the slash-and-burn “restructuring” by GateHouse Media – which owns The Daytona Beach News-Journal – continued with the unceremonious termination of six more professional journalists.

Look, I frequently criticize the views and opinions of the News-Journal’s editorial board – but make no mistake – The News-Journal is my newspaper, and has been since I was old enough to read critically and take the news of the day.

In my view, Pat Rice and a core of dedicated journalists do a fantastic job, in a very difficult economic environment, reporting on local issues that affect all of us – and in an age when a sizable portion of the population have lost total trust in their government – we need that oversight now, more than ever.

In a report by Poynter Media, some corporate pencil-neck stooge who can’t seem to navigate the current media marketplace with enough dexterity to save his most important assets made an incredibly heartless statement announcing the layoffs:

“Mike Reed — CEO of GateHouse’s parent company, New Media Investment Group — told Poynter media business analyst Rick Edmonds, “We are doing a small restructuring — at least that’s what I would call it — that I’m sure will be misreported. We have 11,000 employees. This involves a couple of hundred.”

Jesus.

According to reports, the cuts at the News-Journal included “. . .editors for sports, features, politics and letters.”

My heart breaks for these dedicated professionals.

Godspeed and all best wishes to everyone affected – including those still in the trenches fighting the good fight – may your future be bright.

You deserve better.

Quote of the Week

“I’m here to fight,” said board member Joe Forte, Holly Hill’s city manager.”

 “I don’t recall ever quitting anything,” said board member Bill Hall, South Daytona’s mayor and former police chief.”

–Speaking at the First Step Shelter Board meeting, Tuesday, May 21, 2019, as quoted by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Shelter board to stay intact,” Wednesday, May 22, 2019

My hat’s off to the much-maligned members of the First Step Shelter Board who took a bold stand earlier this week in the fight to see the homeless assistance center become a reality.

Clearly, the City of Daytona Beach isn’t making it easy – and that’s unfortunate.

But things are definitely looking up.

Following the loss of Executive Director Mark Geallis, who succumbed to the age-old malady of political stagnation, protectionism and the Machiavellian strategy of withholding key information as a means of controlling ones grip on power, it appeared to everyone that the First Step Shelter was in danger of foundering – a rudderless ship left to the fierce political winds.

Now, after reaffirming their collective commitment to helping solve one of the most intractable problems of our time, it appears the First Step Board – and, by all accounts, the City of Daytona Beach and even Volusia County (who has been effectively riding the pine since this effort began) – will be able to move forward with a renewed enthusiasm.

I, for one, am pulling for them.

And Another Thing!

A judge recently upheld the City of Daytona Beach’s misplaced argument that short-term rentals are only allowed in tourist zoning districts or community redevelopment areas where hotels and motels are also permitted.

Now, the intrepid group of rental property owners who sued the city in the summer of 2017 is planning to appeal the decision to the 5th District Court of Appeal.

In my view, the city’s position on this important issue is shortsighted and clearly geared toward appeasing the Halifax areas strong hotel/motel lobby, who view short-term vacations rentals as a threat to their continued viability, in an era where tourists are growing tired of paying exorbitant prices for a cubical in a beachfront fleabag that smells like mold and looks like merde. . .

As I’ve said before, this expensive and time-consuming fight is unfortunate – and it’s time that the City of Daytona Beach and other municipalities throughout Volusia County awaken to the benefits of this growing segment of the state’s tourism economy.

You don’t have to venture very far into many neighborhoods – especially on the languishing beachside – to see the devastation that has resulted from a stagnating service-based economy, decades of neglect, a lack of strategic vision and almost non-existent code enforcement.

In certain areas, malignant blight is so prevalent that it creates a gut-wrenching visual.

The deplorable condition of once vibrant residential and commercial districts is defining our community in the eyes of residents and visitors alike – and that’s not a good thing for the future of tourism on Florida’s Fun Coast.

When investors purchase dilapidated properties and renovate them into a marketable short-term rental – it has a radiating effect in the surrounding area, slows the spread of blight and proves that pride in appearance can be equally contagious.

According to rental property owners, these renovations are performed at private expense, without tax abatement or government incentives, and the construction and ongoing maintenance provides jobs, such as landscaping, property management and other trades while increasing sales at local businesses.

I know a few of the plaintiffs in this case – others I have met at community events – and they are solid citizens, many heavily invested in the City of Daytona Beach and personally committed to the Halifax areas social, civic and economic revitalization.

One property owner recently explained to me that resort hotels are artfully designed to keep visitors on the property – spending money at on-site restaurants and lounges – while short-term vacation rentals, by their very nature, encourage tourists to get out into the community – to shop, eat, drink and play at local businesses and venues.

Obviously, local governments must retain the right to enact common-sense rules to alleviate nuisance issues and ensure the health, safety and quality of life for all residents – but property owners should be permitted to market short-term rentals in an open and responsible way without oppressive government regulation.

In my view, many local hotel/motel operators are part of the problem.

For years they have refused to reinvest in their product, squeezed profits while paying shit wages for scullery work and allowed their facilities and amenities to deteriorate.  While some hoteliers have kept up with the times, many others on Atlantic Avenue and beyond have become little more than run-down dumps which contribute to the seedy sense of hopelessness that continues to plague revitalization efforts.

In my view, it’s time that our elected and appointed officials come to the realization that we simply must incorporate innovation and alternatives and change the status quo.

That’s all for me – have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.  Never forget. . .

On Tuesday, We, The People overwhelmingly decided that enough is enough!

After a protracted and incredibly expensive public/private marketing effort culminated in a weird, $490,000 mail-in ballot scheme designed to give the half-cent sales tax money grab it’s best chance of passage – Volusia County voters roundly rejected a strong push by a cabal of uber-wealthy opportunists and their hired chattel on the County Council and municipal commissions up-and-down the Fun Coast.

For the first time in decades, voters sent a clear message to our ‘powers that be’ and their “Rich & Powerful” overseers that there is some shit we won’t eat.

In my view, the only positive to emerge from this incredibly expensive and time-consuming fiasco is that many in Volusia County are beginning to question how much longer we can afford this level of external manipulation of our sacred systems of governance by politically connected insiders who have clearly demonstrated just how pervasive their influence truly is.

Clearly, Volusia County voters are slowly awakening to the real threat posed by this oligarchical control of our government processes – and that should scare the hell out of petty politicians who have now been exposed as little more than two-bit shills for entrenched special interests – while blatantly ignoring the needs and wants of their long-suffering constituents.

Many politicians and hangers-on in Volusia County politics were caught flatfooted on this one.

It seems they never understood the basic flaw in their “No Plan B” strategy that painted them as visionless shit-heels who lack the skills to identify the myriad problems that accompany unchecked growth – or the basic ingenuity to develop workable solutions beyond taxing the eyeballs out of every man, woman, child and visitor.

In the aftermath, our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, is apparently still trying to grasp the reality of his situation:

“It was not anything personal. It was about taking care of the needs we’ve been facing, that we’ve been putting off.”

To those of us who, for years, have been ignored, expected to pay the bills and endure the corporate giveaways, inadequate impact fee structure purposely designed to profit their political benefactors in the real estate development community, and the craven spending habits and favoritism of those compromised puppets we elected to represent our interests – it has been incredibly personal.

I just hope Old Ed was looking at his watch last night as the returns were announced – because it’s not every politician who knows the exact second his career ended. . .

Just do the right thing, Ed – Resign.  Step aside.  Make way.  Slink off to that smoldering ash heap where cheap-jack politicians go once they have been exposed for who and what they truly are. . .

Look, I try to be humble in victory and gracious in defeat – but this one just feels good.

And it should.

For far too long the residents of Volusia County have taken it on the chin – trapped in a system they can neither understand nor escape – struggling in an artificial economy controlled by the same five people passing the same nickel around – where public policy is decided in boardrooms by those with the ability to pay-to-play, then rubber-stamped by politicians hand-selected in backrooms, anointed by “kingmakers,” and financed by massive campaign contributions that skew the political playing field and ensure a handsome return on investment.

Unfortunately, the problems of suburban sprawl, inadequate transportation infrastructure, water quality and the devastating environmental impacts of unchecked growth are real – and they are not going away.

But, this is what it feels like to finally negotiate from a position of power.

That’s what elections are all about.

Now, the true test will be if we can use this incredible grassroots momentum to return accountability to the halls of power and restore the public’s trust in local government in 2020?

 

 

Screw it.  I’m over it.

There, I said it.

But it doesn’t matter what I think.

This afternoon, the much-maligned members of the First Step Shelter Board will meet to determine their future – and decide just how much pain and suffering they are willing to endure, personally and politically, to help solve one of the most entrenched problems of our time.

In my view, there is honor in walking away from toxic circumstances that no longer serve the best interests of the community – when you cease to have even a semblance of influence in the outcome – and refuse to give tacit approval to an increasingly mysterious endgame gone haywire.

Sometimes the best-laid plans of mice and men are doomed from the start – and, once again, those who control our destiny here on Florida’s Fun Coast have proven there is no problem, large or small, that they can’t exacerbate with in-fighting, selfishness and good, old-fashioned political hubris.

After years of heel-dragging, the beleaguered First Step Shelter, which may or may not ultimately become the Halifax area’s first homeless assistance center, is at a pivotal point in its convoluted evolution from a blustery stand-off on the front steps of a Volusia County administration building in downtown Daytona Beach.

To their credit – and ultimate detriment – in the face of Volusia County’s complete inaction on this malignant social and economic issue that has affected every community in the region, the City of Daytona Beach took firm ownership of the “homeless problem,” and, after a series of fits and starts, settled on a plan that seemed to generate real buy-in from several key stakeholders.

Perhaps most important, the First Step Shelter, as it came to be known, would be governed by a board consisting of elected and appointed officials and community leaders from the various cities who pledged to fund recurrent operating costs and provide guidance, stewardship and equity – a wise choice whenever disparate tax dollars are commingled. . .

It seemed like the perfect symbiotic relationship – providing the City of Daytona Beach a degree of political insulation while protecting the varied interests of the other municipalities involved – and all it required for real success was marginal cooperation and fair play.

Some heavy-hitters signed on for the effort, and an executive director was hired – then, after months of stagnation – earlier this year the prefabricated walls of the structure began to take shape.

Unfortunately, as happens more times than not, the specter of political division and protectionism took hold – and when talk turned to who would fund what and when – it seemed the project suddenly and irrevocably derailed.

The City of Daytona Beach refused to release information critical to administrative goals and fundraising efforts to the First Step Shelter Board – then, executive director Mark Geallis abruptly resigned, describing irreconcilable conflicts and a lack of access to the real players that made his position untenable.

Recently, the Daytona Beach City Commission inexplicably set upon those same board members who volunteered their time and talents to help – pointing fingers and blaming the governing board for the myriad delays and still unresolved questions that surround the shelter’s operations – before putting a figurative gun to their heads with a threatening motion to disband the First Step Shelter Board altogether.

(Don’t Daytona Beach city commissioners realize that if they disband the shelter board now, the fault for this ugly debacle lays firmly on their shoulders?  What will they do with nowhere to place blame – or when once promising public funding sources evaporate before their eyes?  I mean, the project could implode altogether, and the tax-funded land clearing, infrastructure, drainage, retention ponds and acres of site improvements that we paid for might fall to opportunistic speculative developers who will put up yet another “theme” subdivision in the pine scrub rather tha – wait, what. . .?) 

Sorry, I got lost in one of my infernal conspiratorial rants. . .  After all, public funds would never be used to reduce developers overhead under the guise of a failed homeless shelter – that’s crazy talk, Barker – have another drink. . .

Jeez, I get out there on the fringe sometimes, eh?  Where were we?

Now, we’re told that the First Step Shelter may not become a homeless assistance center at all, but rather some hodge-podge of services called a “jail diversion program” – where people seeking shelter are interned in a hierarchical system where ferine subhumans sleep in the dirt outdoors, humans progress to floor-space inside and gainfully employed “residents” graduate to a cheap bunk bed in some purgatory between a jail cell and the mean streets.

I don’t know much – but unless things have drastically changed since I got out of the business – I do know that law enforcement is woefully ill equipped to deal with the myriad social, medical and psychological causes of homelessness.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s recent suggestion of a “hybrid” program administrated by his agency, the Daytona Beach Police Department and Volusia County Jail officials seems like a 180-degree diversion from what Volusia County residents were sold when our ‘powers that be’ gathered in their finery for the groundbreaking ceremony that bright December morning in 2017.

Don’t you remember?  

When the Reverend L. Ron Durham lauded the assembled politicos for their inspirational vision?

“It is because of all of you that we have now come to this historic day in the county of Volusia,” Durham said. “First Step Shelter, and all that it represents, is in an inspiration to all of us that good works can be achieved by communities that share a common vision.”

 My ass.

With the recent success of Daytona Beach’s panhandling ordinance – a law which effectively removed ragtag mendicants from every major intersection in the city – most citizens have gone back into hibernation.

After all, when it comes to the “homeless problem,” out of sight means comfortably out of mind.

Maybe Sheriff Chitwood’s plan for a cut-rate alternative to the incredibly expensive revolving door of incarcerating homeless persons for nuisance crimes has legs – I don’t know – but it’s certainly better than nothing.

(And, being the political voyeur that I am, it will be interesting to see what the Sheriff’s detractors on the dais of power in DeLand will ultimately have to say about his confederation with Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm. . .)

But, whatever ultimately becomes of the First Step Shelter, in my view, it will long stand as a troubled monument to the political ineptitude that continues to plague the long-suffering residents of Volusia County and proves, once again, that our path forward on the real issues we collectively face will be dark and slippery for many years to come.

 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

 

“Engineers said the coaster’s design along with excessive speed and wear on the coaster were likely factors in the accident, according to reports. The engineers also said they found evidence that the coaster had traveled too fast many times and had an extended history of derailments.”

I found a loose analogy in News-Journal reporter Frank Fernandez’ informative article on efforts by Daytona Beach Boardwalk honcho George Anderson to have the hulk of the ill-fated “Sandblaster” roller coaster removed from the haunted ruins of the once popular tourist area.

Anyone paying attention to what passes for governance here on Florida’s fabled Fun Coast will see it immediately. . .

The long-suffering taxpayers of Volusia County have been trapped on this rickety chute-the-chute for years – nauseated by the constant ups, downs, twists, turns and loop-de-loops of an out-of-control bureaucracy operated by a troupe of clueless carnies drunk on greed and power.

The centerpiece of a Carnival of the Absurd that no longer bears any semblance to a participatory democracy.

Next week, the storm and stress that has marked the no-holds-barred push by that consortium of millionaires over at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance to saddle every man, woman, child and visitor with a half-cent sales tax increase will come to an unceremonious end – as these things always do.

There will be no “winners and losers” on Tuesday.

So, put that quaint notion out of your mind and prepare yourself for the crushing realization that, whatever happens, the outcome will not be good for Volusia County residents.

If the tax increase passes, it is expected to result in a $42 million annual windfall to a horribly compromised county government (with a percentage broken off and hand-fed to the municipalities, who are barking like trained seals at the hand of their masters) – cold hard cash that will ultimately be encumbered then passed through to those individuals and corporations who concocted and funded this pernicious initiative from its inception.

Our bought-and-paid-for politicians, and their uber-wealthy political overseers, will crow long and loud about what a great “Victory” it will be if We, The People succumb to the scary stories, fear-mongering and half-truths that have been used to sell this shameless money grab to the masses and self-inflict a tax increase.

They will preen like peacocks – call the win a “mandate” to continue the status quo – then set about doing exactly what they have always done with our hard-earned tax dollars – following the same failed policies and corrupt processes that have brought us to this incredibly low point in our history.

A visionless “No Plan B” strategy in the face of unchecked sprawl along the spine of Volusia County, where speculative developers rape the land, ignore environmental regulations and the ecological impacts to our water supply and get wildly rich in the process – while hapless residents face the specter of gridlocked traffic, overloaded essential services and the very real prospect of consuming our own sewage in a few short years – a gluttonous all-or-nothing mindset that continues to ignore the myriad problems that got us here.

That’s why I voted “No” – and I hope you will too.  But, regardless of the outcome – I fear our near future is grim. . .

If voters reject doing the same thing over-and-over again while expecting a different outcome from these uninspired shitheels we elected to represent our best interests and deny the increase, where are we then?

Does anyone really think if this local option tax initiative fails our ‘powers that be’ will put a moratorium on new development – finally say “No” to the developers who feed their political campaigns – or implement austerity measures to shrink the size and scope of that grossly bloated bureaucracy in DeLand?

Do you think our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, has the strategic vision, leadership skills and basic intelligence to drive a workable solution to the crushing tsunami of infrastructure, utilities and environmental overburden that is just over the horizon?   

In my view, we – the long-suffering residents of Volusia County – are about to reap the whirlwind that invariably results when a disinterested electorate (where just less than one-in-four households could be bothered to check a box and drop a postage paid ballot in the mail) is set upon by greed-crazed oligarchs who use their massive resources to openly buy elections, corrupt the system of checks-and-balance and continue to openly control the destiny of this sandy piece of land like a fiefdom while you and I pay for it.

As my literary hero Hunter S. Thompson said, “In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught.  In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.”