The results of a recent nationwide study found that more than half of all American’s no longer trust their government.

Interestingly, this widespread suspicion that those we elect to high office no longer have our best interests at heart spans all political ideologies and demographics.

If you live anywhere near Volusia County, I realize this doesn’t come as a surprise – after all, our confidence in governance here on Florida’s Fun Coast has scored just south of whale turds on the “faith and hope” scale for over a decade.

As government at all levels does everything in its considerable power to disenfranchise citizens – from discouraging public participation to the very real perception that special interests and campaign contributors receive the full attention of our elected officials while ignoring the needs of constituents – the more those of us who pay the bills simply disengage from the process.

Recently, the City of Daytona Beach changed its format for hearing public comment – limiting citizen participation to a half-hour period after the city commission meeting.  Following a short break at the close of business, residents are given just 2.5 minutes to speak on “any topic of concern,” so long as those remarks don’t include “personal attacks” on the “City Commission, City Staff or members of the public.”

The Volusia County Council “welcomes” public input thirty-minutes before their meeting even starts – and maybe our elected officials are present – or maybe they aren’t.

As a result, most citizens I’ve spoken to feel that their elected representatives no longer care what they have to say.

They’re right.

These overly formal processes that stifle open communication and make it increasingly difficult to present our grievances to those in a position of power further alienate us from our representatives – slowly eroding the public’s fragile trust.

In turn, we stand by and watch while our local ‘Rich & Powerful’ influence public policy simply by their mere presence in council chambers and it becomes crystal clear where We, The People stand in the political pecking order.

Somewhere along the way, our local political system in Volusia County has changed from a government of the people, by the people and for the people to a bastardized oligarchy – a shadowy means to an end wherein a few wealthy political insiders are given near carte blanche access to our elected and appointed officials who have become totally beholden to every whim of their campaign sugar daddies.

Unfortunately, as the election season begins to simmer, this greasy process of “pay to play” is ramping up with all the right last names pouring thousands of dollars into the campaign coffers of their hand-select candidates.

In a recent article by Mark Harper, writing in the Daytona Beach News-Journal entitled, “Place Your Bets – Donations give insights into Volusia/Flagler campaigns,” we learned that former Sheriff Ben Johnson has amassed a war chest totaling over $171,700 (through March 1^st).

 “Johnson, elected to four consecutive terms as sheriff before retiring after 2016, has a list of more than 400 donors, with 83 percent of his donations from Volusia. Insurance magnates Hyatt Brown, Powell Brown, their wives and nine Brown & Brown Insurance Co. affiliates each contributed the max $1,000, for a total of $13,000 to Johnson’s campaign. Developer Mori Hosseini has also gone in big supporting Johnson, using 16 of his ICI Homes’ subsidiaries to make $8,000 worth of contributions.”

By contrast, Johnson’s opponent – Rev. L. Ron Durham – has garnered just $14K over the same period.

 Look, I happen to like Ben Johnson.

We were colleagues for many years, and I always found him to be extremely generous with his time and agency assets, tirelessly supporting the municipalities and working hard to serve the needs of his constituents with an easy-going, very personable and approachable style.

Incumbent District 1 Councilman “Sleepy” Pat Patterson, has collected some $29,440 – more than double his nearest competitor.  According to the report, “$5,000 of that came from Mori Hosseini affiliates,” with another $2,500 from entities associated with Daytona business owner Theresa Doan.

Interestingly, only about one-quarter of Sleepy Pat’s contributions originated in West Volusia – his area of representation.

Even more disturbing is the curious campaign of The Very Reverend Dr. Fred Lowery – West Volusia’s District 5 incumbent – who reports just 9% of his $20,700 in campaign contributions coming from his district.

According to the News-Journal, “By contrast, Daytona Beach-based Brown & Brown Insurance and related entities gave him $7,000 and Hosseini’s companies donated $5,500 to the Enterprise pastor.”

Look, it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to see that the Big Money Machine is kicking on all cylinders early in this election season.

But is that necessarily a good thing for those benefiting from our High Panjandrums of Political Power?

In my view, how Ben Johnson and the others rationalize the obvious to concerned voters is going to be a very difficult task this fall.

I have a suspicion that the worm is beginning to turn.

Smart people are beginning to question how much longer a system that seemingly exists to turn public funds into private profits is sustainable.

Most recently, even those who stood to benefit the most came to the sobering realization that Jane and John Q. Public are concerned about the basic fairness of asking every man, woman, child and visitor to pay for unchecked growth while prolific campaign donors in the real estate development community continue to cash checks.

And the questions don’t stop there.

I’ve said it before – what we are seeing is the time-honored principle of Return on Investment at work.

Let’s face facts:  The local donor class make massive campaign contributions with the full knowledge that their personal, civic and professional interests will outweigh those of the “Average Joe” every time.

In the end, that is what they consider an appropriate return on their investment – and given the astronomical “economic incentives” that our elected officials have showered on this exclusive group in recent years – I would say they have done extremely well on the risk/reward scale.

Is what we experience in Volusia County a form of quid pro quo corruption – campaign dollars for political favors?

I don’t know.  But it has a whiff of the shit about it.

What I do know is that this open financial manipulation of the system – which scares off some candidates altogether and ensures that a select few have the wherewithal to get elected and defend the status quo – is destroying the public’s trust in their government.

In my view, we are beginning to see the very real manifestations of this genuine lack of confidence in things like the recent sales tax referendum debacle, and the growing gulf between those who pay the bills – and those who reap the benefits of our hard-earned tax dollars.

Stay tuned.

I think this is going to be a very interesting part of the political equation come this fall.

We have a weird tradition here in the Halifax area.

Whenever a speculative developer completes a project which invariably involves some government handout, such as a massive influx of tax dollars in the form of “economic incentives” or “public/private partnerships” –  schemes which use public funds to increase private profits – our elected and appointed officials piss all over themselves in a fit of excited incontinence, our newspaper of record fawns to the point of nausea for days on end, and the rest of us – the long-suffering taxpayers who either footed the bill or gave up a public amenity – are left feeling like chopped liver.

Happens every time the latest “game changer” comes to town.

Remember when J. Hyatt and company took millions of dollars in public incentives for the new Brown & Brown HQ – then thanked every sitting politician in the region while ignoring you and me – the ones who actually footed the bill?

I do.  I’m petty like that.

This week, we – the little people – stood at the gilded barrier like grubby Dickensian urchins, looking on as our political elite rubbed elbows, enjoyed cocktails, slapped backs and were lavishly entertained by a private firework spectacular and staged concert (on the first evening of sea turtle nesting season) at an “invitation only” VIP soiree as Summit Hospitality celebrated the grand opening of its Hard Rock Daytona with the politicians who made it happen.

Screw the sea turtles and nesting shorebirds.  It’s not all about them.

It’s time to celebrate Abbas’ accomplishment – and, goddammit, the ‘Rich & Powerful’ are going to party!

On the very day our elected officials were caught with their pants around their ankles on their doomed half-cent sales tax increase – a debacle which even casual observers marked as a low point in Volusia County government ineptitude – rather than hide their heads in shame, these dirty jokes that pass themselves off as “county leaders” boogied down with their campaign donors and political benefactors.

The tacky theme hotel was born of a murky financial sleight-of-hand between Volusia County government and Summit, which ultimately resulted in a three-card-monte public parking arrangement and the cheap giveaway of 410’ of beach driving and convenient access for residents and visitors.

There was a “smashing of the guitars” to christen the new franchise, and a daylong party with what passes for “dignitaries” seeing and being seen – festooned with goofy “VIP laminates” just like real rock stars.

(Apparently there weren’t any “real rock stars” in attendance at the celebration – I guess they all had to wash their hair – but a former waitress from Hard Rock London was flown in to give our wide-eyed political panjandrums a celebrity to swoon over. . .)

Our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, went all gaga, crowing in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “I’m excited personally, and as a resident of Volusia County, that they (Hard Rock) are here,” Kelley said. “They will be part of the catalyst for what’s going to make a difference in the Daytona Beach area.”

Heck yeah!  Excited!  Catalyst!  Difference!

Whoop-Whoop!

On Friday, our illustrious Governor Rick Scott showed up on the red carpet to cut the grand ribbon, press the flesh and no doubt hustle up some campaign support for his senate run this fall.

During his remarks before an array of tourism industry “leaders,” slack jawed politicians and executives from Daytona International Speedway (another recipient of millions in public funds), Slick Rick took the time to congratulate Summit Hospitality and praise hotel scullery workers for “making the place look spotless (?)”

In turn, Efrain Silva, vice president of Summit Hospitality, brown-nosed the assembled politicos, recognized the chamber of commerce set for their support and reminded everyone what a “great day” it is in Daytona Beach.

Yep.  Our ‘movers and shakers’ dissolved into a mutual admiration society – heaping glowing tributes on one another like the self-absorbed shitheels they are – and openly worshiping the latest “developer du jour” for bringing us rubes what everyone who is anyone is convinced will be a panacea for decades of squalor, dilapidation and economic hopelessness.

You know what our elected and appointed officials – or their new “business partners” at Summit Hospitality – failed to do?

Not one of them said ‘Thank You’ to us.

You know, the strapped taxpayers of Volusia County – thousands of whom live paycheck-to-paycheck and struggle to feed their families on service industry wages far below the poverty line – who were stripped of our century-old heritage of beach driving to “incentivize” the Hard Luck Hotel and create a semi-private beach for hotel guests while inconveniencing, well, every one of us who pays the bills in the form of exorbitant taxes.

No extravagant “invitation only” parties.

No fireworks.

No over-the-top, guitar smashing tributes to the public’s sacrifice to ensure their success.

Nothing.

Well, for what it’s worth – I, your cantankerous scribe, would like to send out a great big “Thank You!” to all my fellow residents for your incredible contribution to yet another private project that we all just know will be the cure-all for the utter economic stagnation that has plagued the Halifax area like a golem.

The project, built on the skeleton of the Desert Inn, America’s dirtiest hotel, will either be a huge success, or – if history repeats – the place will close, change hands or drop the “luxury franchise” brand in about two-years.  (Anyone remember Bray & Gillespie and other speculative pirates that blew through town over the years?  I do.)

Thank you, my friends and neighbors, for giving up the convenience of beach driving and ready access to our most precious natural amenity so Abbas Abdulhussein – Volusia’s newest mega-campaign donor – can use our beach as a marketing tool.

Thank you, my fellow denizens of Volusia County, for not collectively vomiting during any of the myriad examples of how our power brokers ensured every whim of the developer during the years this project languished – even when it meant ignoring both the letter and spirit of county ordinances designed to ensure performance and provide oversight.

Thank you for taking it in stride when County Manager Jim Dinneen – who commands over $300,000 annually in public funds and benefits – failed in his modest task to ensure that the ugly, arsenic-laced wooden poles that were driven into the sand as a horrific barricade to beach driving behind the hotel were the proper distance apart.

Thank you for tolerating the abject dysfunction and ineptitude that has seized what passes for county government like some hellish Vampire Squid – squeezing the life out of our sense of place and civic pride – while enriching a few uber-wealthy political insiders who believe a “Four Star” luxury resort in a Hooterville market is the answer to our problems.

I sincerely applaud each of you for our collective sacrifice in service to corporate greed – and for giving up so much, for the benefit of so few.

Your welcome, Hard Rock.

 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

 

Hi, kids!

Before we start this bumpy Friday hayride – I want to take a minute to sincerely thank you, the loyal readers of Barker’s View, for another record-breaking month in the history of this little experiment in alternative opinion blogging.

In April, Barker’s View hosted over 20,000 views of this site – and we are on track to surpass that figure this month!

Thanks to each of you, things are really taking off!

I realize this is certainly no reflection on the quality of my writing – or the content – and has everything to do with your intelligent desire to explore diverse views and consider all sides of the issues that are important to our lives and livelihoods.

Thanks to the growing popularity of this site, in addition to our monthly radio program on GovStuff Live with Big John, Barker’s View is now a contributing opinion columnist to the outstanding regional newspaper The West Volusia Beacon!

Thank you for your loyalty, incredible support and encouragement – you’ve made this baffled old man very proud.

Well, it’s time once again to end our busy week with a recap of the good, the bad and the ugly that impacted all of us – the long-suffering denizens of Florida’s Fun Coast!

Just for giggles, I thought we might play another hand of our favorite pastime here at Barker’s View HQ – a game I like to call, “What the Hell?”

I cordially invite our friends at the Marine Science Center, the Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to play along!

Come on – it’ll be Wide. Open. Fun!

The rules are simple – study the photograph below and take a wild-ass guess if the scene depicted is:

A. Mortar emplacements at a fortified Syrian rebel camp outside Damascus?

or

B. Commercial fireworks on the beach behind the Hard Rock Daytona – on the first day of sea turtle nesting season – to entertain our VIP’s during an “invitation only” soiree earlier this week?

(Cue the Jeopardy theme. . .)

Times up!

If you selected “B” – the scene of a fireworks spectacular held exclusively for the Halifax areas political and social elite to celebrate the grand opening of the new Hard Luck Hotel – including the removal of convenient beach access and driving from 410’ (give or take) of our beach behind the hotel – give yourself a Gold Star!

In Volusia County, the protection of sea turtles, shorebirds and their nesting habitat is a big damn deal.

In fact, it’s why we no longer drive on the beach after 7:00pm – and artificial lighting emanating from oceanfront homes or commercial establishments is strictly prohibited by county ordinance during turtle nesting season, which runs from May 1 to October 1 each year.

Even ancillary light is frowned upon under our habitat protection plan which warns residents and visitors, “Avoid flash photography on the beach at night, and never discharge fireworks, which are prohibited on the beach.” 

Exception to the Rule: “If you are a Platinum Level campaign contributor to sitting politicians, a speculative developer or someone our powers-that-be find beneficial to their political careers and social status – the rules do not apply.”

If you meet that criteria, the county will issue a permit and you can blast away!

Yep.  A special event permit was issued by county officials for the pyrotechnics show – even though the authorization specifically stated, “The Protected Species Specialist has determined that this special event is not in the spirit of the Habitat Conservation Plan.”

No worries!  If certain conditions were met – the show could proceed.

Wow.

My question is, if a nanosecond camera flash is enough to disorient a nesting loggerhead – what did the rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air for the private enjoyment of the Hard Rock’s “invited guests” do for the sensitive little critters?

Who knows?  And who cares?

Certainly no one in Volusia County government.

So long as their name is spelled correctly on the goofy “VIP Concert Laminate” issued by Summit Hospitality, eh?

Talk about assholes. . .

Now, let’s 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:          Volusia County Government

In George Orwell’s allegorical novella, Animal Farm, the tyrannical pigs who rose to power and ultimately ran the farm under a dictatorial regime – all while enriching themselves on the labor of the other animals – made an eerie amendment to their founding principles to excuse the open gluttony, excess and elitism of those in control.

As the pigs began to walk upright and wear clothes – slowly taking on the trappings of the humans they abhorred – the canons of Animalism that were written on the barn wall for all to see began to change to fit their narrative – and by the end of the story, there was only one commandment left:

 “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”

It is generally considered to be the best analogy for the hypocrisy of government when it is corrupted to become a servant of the rich and powerful – catering exclusively to the whims of the few – while ignoring the needs of the people it was originally formed to serve.

Sound familiar?

It should.

In Volusia County, our representative democracy has transmogrified into a bastardized oligarchy – a hijacked system totally controlled by what our newspaper of record has described as the “Rich & Powerful” – uber-wealthy insiders who have turned our elections into bizarre livestock auctions and reduced our elected officials to dull implements that exist for the sole purpose of churning public funds into private profits.

Earlier this week, something called the Volusia Roundtable of Elected Officials – a political insulation committee of area mayors which promotes groupthink and provides strength in numbers against public criticism – met in “special session” to discuss whether you and I will be permitted to vote on a half-cent sales tax initiative this fall.

Make no mistake, the marching orders to pull the referendum didn’t come from the mayors, but from the Royal House of the Volusia CEO Business Alliance – a Star Chamber of millionaires who, apparently, drive public policy and decide what’s best for us slavish vassals here on Florida’s beleaguered Fun Coast.

During the meeting, our panjandrums sitting at the roundtable dutifully, but convincingly, vacillated on the sales tax initiative – a measure that was repeatedly billed as the only thing standing between us and transportation Armageddon – ultimately coming to the disingenuous conclusion that the November ballot was simply too crowded to give such an important measure it’s just consideration.

I suppose no one who is paid to care noticed that this “special” meeting was not reasonably noticed in advance as required by state statute whenever elected officials from the same body meet to discuss matters of public concern coming before them?

In my view, it flew in the face of Florida’s open meetings law as at least two of our elected county council members openly communicated with each other regarding a matter of grave public interest that was set for action on their agenda the very next day.

Oh, well – so much for Government in the Sunshine.

The rules don’t apply to the Ruling Class.

Besides, those in power will tell us what they want us to know – when they want us to know it.

Then, in the eleventh hour, when the Volusia County Council finally came together in open session to discuss what had already been decided the day before – our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, all but refused to allow his fellow elected representatives to even whisper about the possibility of considering an increase in impact fees.

That old mushwit really earned his campaign contributions on Tuesday, eh?

It was cringeworthy.

Even those arrogant dullards sitting next to him on the Dais of Power in DeLand were openly stunned by the brazenness of Old Ed’s defense of the indefensible:  Every man, woman, child and visitor is being asked to pony up to pay for out-of-control growth – while mega-developers haul cash to the bank in dump trucks? 

In my opinion, the only one who understood the gravity of this missed opportunity to grab a gazillion dollars in additional tax revenue was Councilwoman Joyce Cusack – a veteran politician who consistently stands out as the voice of reason on that rudderless ship of fools.

During an incredibly uncomfortable discussion of the issue, Ms. Cusack reminded her colleagues that this time in history may have passed forever.  With the almost biblical coming together of all 16 cities in lock-step support now in jeopardy and an election looming on the horizon – she mused that another bite at this shameless money grab may be impossible for many moons.

And just like that, the much-ballyhooed half-cent sales tax panacea evaporated into the ether – at least until “next year” – or the year after that. . .

Now, we can all stand back and watch as this weird arranged marriage between Volusia County and the municipalities dissolves into a shitstorm of finger pointing, counter-accusations and dictatorial edicts.

This Pageant of the Absurd will feature Little Jimmy Dinneen sidestepping any responsibility for his gross lack of leadership as he pouts like a schoolyard tattletale to anyone who’ll listen –  “The cities have impact fees that need raisin’ too!” – and Chairman Kelley will assume a pugilistic stance anytime someone questions a campaign donor’s profit motive – or broaches the topic of fairness and equity in funding infrastructure improvements.

After Tuesdays meeting, Old Ed curtly told Daytona Beach News-Journal reporter Dustin Wyatt that he doesn’t want a consultant involved in the council’s impact fee discussions – I suppose he feels plausible ignorance is better than having the truth plastered in your face like a rotten meringue pie.

Hell, even Ed has described Volusia’s current impact fee structure as so complicated the average mortal couldn’t possibly understand its enigmatic intricacies.

“I don’t need a consultant to tell me what we should charge,” he said.

This from a guy who needs help matching his frigging socks. . .

I’ll bet anyone reading this screed an Ormond Brewery Breakfast Brown Ale that it will be a long, long time before the cities ever get in bed with the Volusia County Council again – on anything.

In recent days, some have declared a hollow victory now that the specter of a sales tax increase has been driven back into its ratty coffin, at least temporarily.

Frankly, I take no joy in it.

In fact, I have never been more embarrassed to call myself a citizen of Volusia County.

The Brennan Center at NYU School of Law, a policy institute that works to reform and defend our systems of democracy and justice, said on the matter of government dysfunction:

“Government dysfunction, in every dimension, has created a system that has failed to find pragmatic solutions or respond to fundamental public needs. Our broken politics now stands as a principal obstacle to economic progress. Further environmental and social challenges loom. To meet them, no task is more urgent than to fix broken government, restore trust, and rebuild the promise of American democracy.”  

At the end of the day, this entire ugly fiasco has once again exposed the abject ineptitude and incompetence in our county government – and shined a very bright light on those powerful political insiders who manipulate public policy outside the transparency and oversight of government processes.

Now, it is time for We, The People, to fix this broken mess and restore public trust in Volusia County government.

We can begin that important process at the ballot box this November.

Angel:             City of Holly Hill

It’s no secret – I love “The Hill.”

Throughout my long career serving the wonderful citizens of the “City with a Heart” I witnessed good times and bad – even desperate.

But like a phoenix rising from the ashes, my favorite place in all the world has an indomitable spirit and sense of civic pride that makes it incredibly resilient – and poised for great things.

Recently, city officials employed a Florida Department of Transportation grant to improve landscaping along the Ridgewood Avenue commercial corridor.

In addition, the undergrounding of utilities – a massive undertaking for a small community – will add to the aggressive beautification efforts, improving the overall appearance of Ridgewood Avenue and hardening the power grid as well.

That’s a good thing.

I am very proud of City Manager Joe Forte and the Holly Hill City Commission for their consistent efforts to put the city’s best foot forward, improve the quality of life for citizens and build a vibrant local economy.

Beautiful people.  Beautiful place.

As I tell everyone I meet, if you’re looking to relocate a business – or start a new life in the sun – I encourage you to consider this quaint river city.  You won’t be disappointed.

Asshole:          SJRWMD Chairman John Miklos & Geosam Capital

President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “No man who is corrupt, no man who condones corruption in others, can possibly do his duty by the community.”

Ol’ Teddy was right.  We need that wisdom now more than ever.

I took some flack this week for proclaiming that Florida is the most corrupt state in the union – but on balance – I stand by that assessment.

In fact, I believe the Sunshine State has become the biggest whorehouse in the world.

Need another example?

This week we learned that our friends at Geosam Capital – a Canadian developer who is responsible for a series of ugly missteps at their Coastal Woods mega-subdivision currently under construction near State Road 44, bloopers that include a raging wildfire that closed I-95 and frequent dust storms wafting from the site that rival 1930’s Oklahoma – have been operating without required environmental authorizations.

Now, the good people of New Smyrna are demanding oversight – and change.

According to reports, the St. John’s River Water Management District – the toothless state watchdog that “protects” our sensitive environment and drinking water supply – identified three project areas of the development which were completed sans permit.

Not to worry – the districts compliance coordinator took the draconian step of “recommending” work be halted until the pesky permitting issues can be resolved – at virtually the same time the SJRWMD was issuing a permit to Geosam for work on another phase of the project with their other hand.

WTF?

Enter our old friend Long John Miklos, president of Bio-Tech Consultants – an Orlando-based environmental consultancy – and the powerful, multi-term chairman of the St. John’s River Water Management Districts governing board.

You read that right.

He wears both hats simultaneously.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s incredibly talented environmental reporter, Dinah Voyles Pulver, “This case is the third time on record in five months that a company using Bio-Tech Consulting has run into trouble with the water district for doing work without the required permits.”

Last December, the Good Old Boy’s Investment Club over at Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company – also a Bio-Tech customer – was caught red-handed churning up wetlands without a permit.

And why wouldn’t they? 

As that tormented pervert, the Marquis de Sade said, “In an age that is utterly corrupt, it is best to do as others do.”

In 2016, the Florida Commission on Ethics investigated a citizen’s compelling allegation that Miklos was using his gubernatorial appointment as chairman of the St. John’s River Water Management District for personal gain.

It seemed like a no-brainer.

After all, you don’t have be Elliott Ness to deduce that Bio-Tech Consulting is paid to influence the official decisions of the very regulatory agency Mr. Miklos oversees – a classic Fox in the Henhouse scenario – and a blatant conflict of interest that Miklos attempts to sidestep by simply recusing himself from key votes involving his company’s clients.

Ultimately, the ethics commission’s independent investigation found probable cause that Chairman Miklos violated state ethics regulations while receiving public funds from the City of Debary to help those greedy bastards in City Hall secretly ramrod a Transportation Oriented Development on sensitive wetlands near the Gemini Springs Annex.

In December 2016, the Commission on Ethics – meeting behind closed doors – ignored the findings of their own investigators, blocked an administrative hearing regarding the allegations, and acquitted John Miklos on all charges against him.

One would think that with Governor Rick Scott in a tight race for the United States Senate, Slick Rick would have grown tired of the near-constant embarrassment of his hand-picked chairman’s greed-crazed shenanigans – but this is Florida – the rules are different here. 

As I wrote earlier this week, I believe John Miklos and the shameless developers he serves epitomize the worst-of-the-worst – leeches that thrive in a system where cheap enablers and appointed fixers are permitted to subvert the rules and give their middle-finger to the regulatory agencies they control – all while destroying our environment, grinding wetlands and wildlife habitat into muck and turning the few remaining natural places into moonscapes in their brazen pursuit of the almighty dollar in a place where the ends will always justify the means.

Quote of the Week:

 “I think we could do better on perception.  We have a wrinkle that needs to be addressed (impact fees), and we hope this body will do that.”

 –South Daytona City Manager Joe Yarborough, chair of the Volusia City Managers Association and unfortunate face of the half-cent sales tax failure, speaking to the Volusia County Council regarding why the best laid plans of mice-like men collapsed under the public’s perception of the money-grab.

A wrinkle? 

I know this is some hard cheese for Mr. Yarborough and others like him to swallow – but Jane and John Q. Public understand Volusia’s infrastructure needs – and the enormous pressures of unchecked development on their quality of life – perfectly.

And contrary to the bullshit Old Ed and Councilman “Sleepy” Pat Patterson spew, we even comprehend the mysterious complexities of impact fee assessments and allocations.

The haughty Volusia Roundtable of Elected Officials should realize that the key element missing from this misguided marketing effort wasn’t our perception of the basic unfairness of the tax – it was a matter of trust.

Our elected and appointed officials remain oblivious to the fact they have lost basic credibility with their constituency.

As I’ve previously said, Jim Dinneen’s mismanagement of this and other important policy issues best exemplifies all that’s wrong with government.

Our elected officials want higher taxes because they need higher taxes.

They put the cart before the horse in approving massive growth – now they have been caught with their knickers around their knees – and our dystopian campaign finance system prohibits elected officials from asking their sugar daddies in the real estate development community to pay one more nickel toward a fair and equitable distribution of the cost of growth.  That’s off the table.

Public confidence in county government has been slowly eroded by the steady flow of missteps, howlers, bullying, giveaways and political sleight-of-hand that invariably benefits a privileged few while laying the financial burden squarely on the backs of tax-strapped residents.

It appears some animals truly are more equal than others.

As a result, We, The People no longer assume our elected officials have our best interests at heart – and we damn well know the Volusia CEO Business Alliance shouldn’t be within a hundred miles of public policy decisions coming before our elected representatives.

So, we instinctively ask ourselves the chilling question, “Who benefits?” 

 Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.

There is no third time.

And Another Thing!

Late word has been received from Paul Zimmerman, the intrepid president of Sons of the Beach – Florida’s premiere beach access and driving advocacy – announcing the peaceful community protest of the open theft of 410’ of beach driving behind Hard Rock Daytona.

If you think this will be the last time our elected officials and their uber-wealthy handlers will barter away our century-old heritage of beach driving to “incentivize” speculative developers – think again.

I encourage everyone to come down to the semi-private beach behind the Hard Rock on Sunday, May 20, from 9:00am to 4:00pm and make your voices heard.

Bring a friend or two with you!

Children are welcome – after all, it’s their future we are fighting for!

As SOB President Zimmerman said, “It will be a respectful protest, even though Hard Rock and Volusia County have been totally disrespectful to us.”

Hope to see you there!

Have a great weekend, kids!

 

 

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same.

You may remember several weeks ago when a large brush fire originated from the site of Geosam Capital’s Coastal Woods mega-development in New Smyrna.  The blaze spread from a pile of burning debris from clear-cut land clearing operations, closing traffic and commerce on Interstate 95 for nearly 18-hours.

In total, the 844-acre Coastal Woods development will include some 1,400 homes and commercial areas situated along State Road 44.

According to the News-Journal, St. John’s River Water Management District documents show that nearly half the site was wetlands.

In recent days, citizens living in the area have reported billowing clouds of dust rising from the moonscape where environmentally sensitive pine scrub and wildlife habitat once stood.  The powdery dirt is carried on the breeze to surrounding residential areas and has covered everything in its path – cars, pools, homes and people – in a fine patina of filth.

Now, we have learned that the clearing and other work in three separate sections of the Coastal Woods subdivision was conducted without proper environmental permits.

You read that right.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s environmental reporter Dinah Voyles Pulver – whose work on the Debacle in Debary should have won her the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting – the St. John’s River Water Management District (the regulatory agency that protects and preserves our drinking water supply) has been begging Geosam since February to file conservation easements for wetland impacts on two already completed sections of the project.

According to the News-Journal, during a site inspection in March, district officials determined that another parcel had also been “entirely cleared and grubbed, and was being graded” with the required permit application still incomplete.

At that time, the SJRWMD compliance coordinator, William Charlie, “recommended” that Geosam cease construction operations on that site.

Jesus – let’s not go crazy here.  I mean, the district went so far as to “recommend” work should be stopped until permits are issues?

Wow.  Our environmental watchdogs don’t mess around when speculative developers rape the land, destroy wetlands and uplands, then leave a dusty gash in the earth, do they?

What a sick joke. . .

Then, inexplicably, the SJRWMD issued Geosam Capital a permit for Coastal Woods Unit C just last week?

What gives?

You have open and on-going permitting violations and incomplete applications, a strong “recommendation” that the company stop work, flagrant disregard for state environmental regulations and those charged with ensuring compliance – yet, the SJRWMD issues a permit for work to continue at the site?

I mean, one would think our old friend Long John Miklos was involved.

You would be right.

Records indicate that Geosam Capital employs Bio-Tech Consulting – an Orlando-based environmental consultancy whose president just happens to be John Miklos – who just happens to serve as the powerful, multi-term chairman of the St. John’s River Water Management District’s governing board.

Yes, that St. John’s River Water Management District.

The same state agency responsible for regulating Chairman Miklos’ private clients – and protecting our environment.

According to the News-Journal, “This case is the third time on record in five months that a company using Bio-Tech Consulting has run into trouble with the water district for doing work without the required permits.”

Last December, the Good Old Boy’s Investment Club over at Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company – also a Bio-Tech customer – was caught red-handed churning up wetlands without a permit.

And why wouldn’t they? 

As that tormented pervert, the Marquis de Sade said, “In an age that is utterly corrupt, it is best to do as others do.”

In 2016, the Florida Commission on Ethics investigated a citizen’s compelling allegation that Miklos was using his gubernatorial appointment as chairman of the St. John’s River Water Management District for personal gain.

It seemed like a no-brainer.

After all, you don’t have to be Elliott Ness to deduce that Bio-Tech Consulting is paid to lobby and influence the official decisions of the very regulatory agency Mr. Miklos oversees – a classic Fox in the Hen-house scenario.

In my view, a blatant conflict of interest that Miklos attempts to sidestep by simply recusing himself from key votes involving his company’s clients.

I don’t make this shit up, folks.

Ultimately, the ethics commission’s independent investigation found probable cause that Chairman Miklos violated state ethics regulations while receiving public funds from the City of Debary to help those greedy bastards in City Hall secretly ramrod a Transportation Oriented Development on sensitive wetlands near the Gemini Springs Annex.

In December 2016, the Commission on Ethics – meeting behind closed doors – ignored the findings of their own investigators, blocked an administrative hearing regarding the allegations and acquitted John Miklos on all charges.

One would think that with Governor Rick Scott in a tight race for the United States Senate, Slick Rick would have grown tired of the near-constant embarrassment of his hand-picked chairman’s greed-crazed shenanigans – but this is Florida – the rules are different here. 

I’ve said this before, in my jaded opinion we live in the most corrupt county in the most corrupt state in the union, where the cockamamie decisions of the very ethics tribunal charged with protecting us from politicians and political appointees with a profit motive reverse the conclusions of professional investigators and thwart the process for an independent finding of fact.

In my view, it is prima facie evidence that We, The People are screwed.

I believe John Miklos, and the shameless developers he serves, epitomize the worst-of-the-worst – leeches that thrive in a system where cheap enablers and appointed fixers are permitted to subvert the rules and give their collective middle-finger to the regulatory agencies they control – all while openly destroying the environment, churning wetlands and wildlife habitat into muck, and turning our few remaining natural places into moonscapes in their brazen pursuit of the almighty dollar in a place where the ends will always justify the means.

 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

 

Now things are getting weird.

For nearly a decade, Volusia County has been traveling a circuitous path toward strapping every man, woman, child and visitor with a half-cent sales tax increase – ostensibly designed to pay for transportation infrastructure enhancements in the shadow of massive growth.  Only in the last year have things really begun to gel.

Like most things County Manager Jim Dinneen’s administration is ultimately responsible for the push for a sales tax increase has not gone smoothly.

As the Daytona Beach News-Journal put it in a 2017 article, “Past attempts fizzled.”

There were the usual fits and starts – county council members hemmed, hawed and verbally attacked their municipal counterparts – with the always arrogant Deb Denys accusing local officials of hamstringing public buy-in with their lack of “clear vision.”

That’s rich. . .

Then the city managers came to the realization (with the prodding of incumbent politicians, I’m sure) that an election year was probably not the best time to place a tax increase on the ballot – so, in 2016 the initiative was shelved yet again.

Finally, a committee was formed which brought together all the cities – and bound them in a weird marriage with the secretive Star Chamber at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance –  where all our VIP’s discussed various ways to pick this turd up by the clean end.

Mainly, I think, it was little more than a political insulation committee to protect those cowardly dullards on the Volusia County Council – and get the almost universally disliked Jim Dinneen out of the mix.

With time, DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar and long-time South Daytona City Manager Joe Yarborough became the unfortunate faces of what many citizens came to recognize as a shameless money grab.

One year ago, county and municipal officials sat down and cobbled together a $1.6 billion wish list of unmet infrastructure needs – and in June, the Camera stellate known as the shadowy Volusia CEO Business Alliance – paid for a privately funded study (strategically exempt from Florida’s public records law) that we were told was designed to measure public support for the tax increase now being touted as a panacea for our looming growth pains.

At a now infamous “Eggs & Issues” breakfast in December (you remember, when our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, had a brain-fart and announced the county’s long-term plans to “move or relocate” the City Island Library?) Old Ed assured all of us that he had been lobbying the business community to support the sales tax increase, assured us our sacrifice would alleviate gridlock and brashly gave his personal promise that the measure is “going to be on the ballot.”

 In January, the results of the Star Chamber’s survey – which included a representative sampling of just 600 Volusia County voters (?) – were released, showing a “clear path to victory” for the initiative, so long as everyone in government was laser focused on “reeducating” their tax-weary constituents with, “. . .a disciplined, well-funded, and well-executed campaign plus strong and nearly universal support from the local governments through the county.” 

Many smart observers of all things government in Volusia County weren’t so sure.

Of course, the Volusia CEO Business Alliance volunteered to fund the re-education of Volusia County residents – even as the wet dream of $45-million in annual revenue began dancing like sugarplums in the heads of public officials countywide.

Nothing brings folks together like money.

Like estranged family members brown-nosing a rich old uncle on his deathbed – all 16 municipalities got in lock-step and passed resolutions supporting the half-cent money grab – the first time (perhaps in the history of Volusia County) that the mosaic of cities has unanimously agreed on anything.

It was like peace in the Middle-East.  Lambs lying down with lions – the solidarity was hailed by many rubes as an almost biblical example of what can happen when politicians feel that a massive influx of new revenue is within their grasp.

Then – as only they can do – the Volusia County Council tried their level best to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.

In February, county council members refused to even discuss the issue of raising Volusia’s antiquated transportation impact fees – which haven’t seen an increase in over 15-years – with our own elected Rip Van Winkle “Sleepy” Pat Patterson explaining that us uneducated bumpkins were too stupid to understand the complexities of impact fee calculations, as Ed Kelley bobbed his head in agreement like the victim of a situational cognitive disorder, and Little Jimmy assured us the sales tax increase will “help support the new roads.”

Just like that, impact fees were off the table.

But many tax-strapped citizens in Volusia County began to openly question why increased fees are good for the goose, but not for the gander?

Why shouldn’t growth be required to pay for itself?

Why aren’t mega-developers – who contribute thousands of dollars in campaign funds to hand-select candidates each election – being asked to pay their fair share for the out-of-control growth our elected officials have approved from Farmton to the Flagler County line?

And how did our gasoline tax infrastructure fund – that sends .12-cents on every gallon we pump to Volusia County government – go broke? 

 Questions, questions. . .

Then, not satisfied with a 100% buy-in by the cities – some elected officials on the Dais of Power in DeLand demanded that an envoy from each municipality parade before the County Council, hat in hand, heads bowed like the slavish vassals they have become – before prostrating themselves and demonstrating their iron-clad support for the sales tax increase.

The incomparably arrogant Councilwoman Deb Denys said, “I don’t think it’s asking too much to ask those entities who have skin in the game to appear before council and make the request as a unified group.  Without a unified approach (read: spreading the political liability) – we do not send a unified message.  I’m expecting to see a full chamber – I won’t do it without everybody.”

My ass.

In the interim, the Florida Legislature passed a measure which requires any county or school district seeking a sales tax hike to submit to an independent performance audit with the results posted 60-days before the referendum appears on the ballot.

Then, on Friday, I heard a rumor from a very knowledgeable source, that the panjandrums at the Volusia CEO Business alliance were considering pulling the tax increase off the table once again – citing a growing negativity among Volusia County voters and a crowded ballot.

Other smart people speculated that Mr. Dinneen and our oligarchs who pull the strings couldn’t weather an external audit of a county government that seems to exist solely to transform massive amounts of public funds into private profits for a select few well-heeled insiders.

Who knows?

But, the rumor proved true when, on Saturday, the Daytona Beach News-Journal announced that Mayor Apgar was calling a “special” meeting of all area mayors amid “increasing concerns” surrounding the sales tax initiative.

That group will meet at Daytona “International” Airport beginning at 11:45am this morning.

Ladies and gentlemen, the outcome of this confab will be interesting – especially in terms of what their collective, yet never revealed, “Plan B” is should the sales tax fizzle once again.

They do have a Plan B, right?

I mean, we’ve been told transportation Armageddon is threatening our very way of life here on the beleaguered Fun Coast if the sales tax fails – and an increase in impact fees is verboten – so our ‘Powers that Be” must have an alternative funding mechanism at the ready, right?

Time will tell.

If we have learned anything to this point, it is that Volusia County government is a macabre circus – a dumpster fire of ineptitude and abject dysfunction – a rudderless ship of fools, totally reliant on the direction and guidance of outside forces.

Now, our municipal officials have exposed themselves as well.

Appearing like a weird clown troop who willingly bent over for those bullies in DeLand who have openly tormented them for years – simply for the promise of a few table scraps from the windfall they all knew was coming.

Once this latest foul mess is exposed, perhaps those we have elected to represent our interests will deliver their long-suffering constituents from Jim Dinneen’s incompetence once and for all.

Then place an immediate moratorium on unchecked development until the adults in the room can work the problem.

If not, it is high time we demand change at the ballot box this fall.

 

 

 

The online reference site Wikipedia defines the study of Political Psychology as “an interdisciplinary academic field dedicated to understanding politics, politicians and political behavior from a psychological perspective.”   

Wow.

Could a political psychologist have a field day in Volusia County or what?

Look, I’m no Sigmund Freud, but my layman’s psychoanalysis of our current crop of elected and appointed officials on the Dais of Power in DeLand finds a contagious psychosis at work – a virulent disorder that ensures malleability, lock-step conformity and a pathological ability to compromise themselves in their pursuit of power.

A shared illness that renders its victim’s completely devoid of independent thought or strategic vision.

When you expose those afflicted to an entrenched system that beats square pegs into round holes to protect the status quo, the disease spreads like a pandemic to other similarly situated local politicians.

The malady – let’s call it “Volusia Dysfunction Syndrome” – is marked by small-minded authoritarian personalities with enormous egos, a low ability for critical thinking and a voracious appetite for tax dollars.

Unfortunately, over time, these feeble victims of VDS are exploited and controlled, becoming drone-like servants to an insatiable machine which takes public funds and transforms them into private profits.

Just my weird diagnosis.  But is there another explanation?

I’m asking.

Perhaps it’s just good old-fashioned greed at work.

In his 2017 work in Politico, “The Boomtown that Shouldn’t Exist,” Michael Gunwald described Florida as a, “. . .precarious civilization engineered out of a watery wilderness, a bewildering dreamscape forged by greed, flimflam and absurdly grandiose visions that somehow stumbled into heavily populated realities.”

From its earliest days, the Sunshine State has been wholly controlled by uber-wealthy and incredibly influential political insiders who use large sums of cold cash to manipulate policy and ensure their direct access to an unlimited stream of public funds.

The examples are legendary – from big sugar to mega-developers – the width and breadth of this fragile paradise we call home has been environmentally and financially stripped by ravenous bastards driven by overweening greed in a never-ending pursuit of personal wealth and political power.

If you can’t see that pathology at play in Volusia County politics – you need new spectacles.

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating.

Our system of governance in Volusia County no longer bears any resemblance to a representative democracy – replaced by a weird camarilla of “Rich & Powerful” panjandrums who have turned our local elections into livestock auctions.

Now, there is a rumor circulating among well-informed people in our community that the Star Chamber at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance is strongly considering pulling the much-touted half-cent sales tax referendum off the November ballot – citing an increasing negative perception of this shameless money grab among Volusia residents – and a cramped slate which includes constitutional amendments, local seats and myriad other issues.

In my view, if true, this confirms once and for all the incredible power and influence a small group of ingrained political insiders, working totally outside the transparency and oversight of government processes, have on the direction of public policy even to the point of determining when We, The People can vote on important matters that effect our lives and livelihoods here on the Fun Coast.

I can’t think of anything less democratic – or more frightening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, kids!

Welcome to the weekend!

Time for – as one astute critic recently described it – your weekly “tiresome load of crap”!

What an apt descriptor for these screeds!  I like it!

I was talking to one of our local ‘movers & shakers’ this week – a person who, unlike me, has real influence on the future of our region.  While we don’t agree on much of anything, we enjoy a mutual respect that allows us to politely debate our collective situation here on Florida’s Fun Coast.

During our discussion, my friend told me that he regularly reads Barker’s View, not because he concurs with my opinions, but because my take on the issues of the day keep him in stitches.

I appreciate that.

Look, I have a weird sense of humor, made dark by over three-decades in law enforcement, where gallows humor, based on shared experiences, helps bond first responders and alleviate the horror of the shocking incidents they are required to witness.

It was always understood that these jokes were just between us – never shared with family or the public.

In fact, in the quiet times when my mind wanders back to unpleasant places, it is the inappropriate stories and sick one-liners we used to ease the tension – rather than the terrible details that can contribute to post-traumatic stress – that I remember most vividly.

You laugh, rather than scream – and perhaps that’s the real benefit.

In today’s ultra-PC environment, police officers, firefighters and EMS professionals may have gotten away from the warped, tasteless humor that served my generation as an effective coping mechanism that built trust and unit cohesion.

Maybe that’s one reason for the incredible rise in PTSD and other stress-related disease in the emergency services?

I don’t know – but I think we could all afford to ‘lighten up’ a little in this country.

Regardless of your pursuit, it helps to find humor in the everyday events of life.

When we laugh at ourselves – find comedy in our differences and poke fun at our human faults and frailties, when we laugh with each other and not at each other, it keeps us humble – and binds us together.

The analytics provided by the platform which hosts this blogsite allow me to, among other things, track the number of views each post receives, see total visitors – and even review the search phrases and keywords that bring viewers to the site.

Last week, someone searching Google for information on an “incinerating toilet” was directed to Barker’s View.

I found that funny as hell.

I couldn’t figure out if it was a commentary on the quality of my writing – or an apt descriptor for what passes for governance here in Volusia County – both of which resemble a raging sewer fire.

Look, I’m not a religious guy – just another hopeless sinner who tries to be a better man today than I was yesterday – but the bible says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance . . .”

I hope you find the time to laugh today.

Now, let’s 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:             Daytona Blues Festival

Say so-long to another piece of what passes for arts and entertainment in this cultural wasteland we call home.

Last evening, late word was received from a loyal Barker’s View reader – and long-time festival volunteer – that the Daytona Blues Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation founded in 2009 to produce an annual blues music weekend at Jackie Robinson Ballpark (with all proceeds going to support health initiatives for women and children in Volusia and Flagler counties) – is closing the show for good.

According to a note on the foundation’s website, “Costs and competitive events have increased, and the festival can no longer rely on the amazing local sponsors that supported its production.”

That’s a damnable shame.

And another loss in a long-list of “used to be” events.

During its impressive 8-year run, the Daytona Blues Festival raised over $295,000 for women and children in our area.

While our various “committees,” “task forces” and community development dilettantes waste time wringing their hands about how we are ever going to pull ourselves out of this quicksand of blight, dilapidation and economic stagnation that plagues the Halifax area like a golem – perhaps we should begin by identifying those aspects of life on the Fun Coast that attract or repel quality investment.

Determine what’s working for us – and what isn’t.  You know, Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Many designers, urban planners, public administrators and creative elected officials throughout the nation are learning that a lively arts and cultural scene can improve struggling communities by building connections, creating a sense of place and improving the “livability” of an area.

By finding (and funding) ways in which people from all walks of life can come together in public spaces, meet and be exposed to their neighbors, we can encourage social interaction and civic engagement.

Celebrations and festivals help increase community participation (been to Mount Dora lately?) and draw people from outside the area.  In fact, two of our most successful local municipalities – New Smyrna and DeLand – each have a vibrant cultural scene, an active community theater and recurring public art and music events.

In my view, revitalization begins when people take true ownership of their community and engage both emotionally and intellectually in transforming it into a place they are proud to call home.

Local government can help by ensuring attractive amenities and common-sense regulations that encourage entrepreneurial investment – rather than pricing a day at the beach out of reach of families or tipping the playing field in favor of insiders with “public/private partnerships” and multi-million-dollar corporate welfare handouts.

I assure you, despite the “game changer” promises of those who stand to benefit – a new insurance building, or a tacky theme hotel – isn’t the transformative, God-gifted panacea the anointed ones are hoping for.

The following is a quote from the famed Justice Michael Musmanno of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case of Conrad v. City of Pittsburgh:

“The objective of a community is not merely to survive, but to progress, to go forward into an ever-increasing enjoyment of the blessings conferred by the rich resources of this nation under the benefaction of the Supreme Being for the benefit of all the people of that community.

 If a well governed city were to confine its governmental functions merely to the task of assuring survival, if it were to do nothing but to provide ‘basic services’ for an animal survival, it would be a city without parks, swimming pools, zoos, baseball diamonds, football gridirons, and playgrounds for children. Such a city would be a dreary city indeed.

 As man cannot live by bread alone, a city cannot endure on cement, asphalt and sewer pipes alone.

 A city must have a municipal spirit beyond its physical properties, it must be alive with an esprit de corps, its personality must be such that visitors—both business and tourist—are attracted to the city, pleased by it and wish to return to it. That personality must be one to which the population contributes by mass participation in activities identified with that city.”

How would you define the Halifax areas “personality”?

Angel:             Flagler Sheriff Rick Staley

According to Sheriff Rick Staley, serious crimes were down some 18% in Flagler County the first quarter of 2018.  That’s a significant drop, and something the Sheriff’s Office should rightly take pride in.

As a former police chief, I always tried to remain neutral when crime trended down – because I didn’t want to defend my agency when the numbers invariably went up – choosing instead to focus on those aspects of crime and community problem solving that law enforcement traditionally has a positive impact on.

Then again, I didn’t have to stand for re-election every four-years either.

I find it most impressive that Sheriff Staley isn’t resting on his laurels.

In fact, since taking office he has worked hard to develop innovative programs that address the causative aspects of crime – such as domestic violence prevention or monitoring habitual felony offenders – and, perhaps most important, a geographic patrol strategy for field deputies.

From quaint beach communities, to the core population center of Palm Coast and rural agricultural areas to the west – the unique nature of each region of the county requires different focus, assets and organizational specialties – something Sheriff Staley is working hard to identify.

In my view, residents of Flagler County are well-served by Sheriff Rick Staley and the incredibly professional team he has assembled.

Asshole:          Volusia County Council

Next week, those dullards we elected to represent our interests on the Dais of Power in DeLand will decide whether to ask voters if they want a half-cent sales tax increase, and – believe it or not – there is still some naïve speculation on the fate of this shameless money grab.    

I’m going to go out on a limb here – put on my Swami hat – and set the conjecture to rest with one of my Markstradamus Prophecy’s:

Folks, rabid red-eyed hellhounds couldn’t prevent that tax increase from going before Volusia County voters this fall. 

 In fact, many municipalities, like the City of Daytona Beach, are already salivating like Pavlov’s dogs at the mere thought of it – holding workshops and asking themselves (because they sure as hell aren’t interested in hearing what you and I have to say) how best to spend the windfall they just know is coming.

For many local governments, simply strapping every man, woman and child with a sales tax increase won’t be enough – they will use the additional revenue to secure massive bonds (read: debt) to further burden our children and grandchildren.

Trust me – this onanistic tax-and-spend wet dream is getting elected officials throughout Volusia County all hot and bothered.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, under the current trickledown scheme, Volusia County will throw a $3.7 million table scrap to Daytona Beach annually.

 “Over 20-years, the half-cent sales tax could be worth $74 million to Daytona Beach. With distribution of the special tax collections based on population, the tally could push $1 billion as the number of Daytona Beach residents grows.”

That’s “Billion” – with a “B.”

In my view, the only thing you and I – the long-suffering taxpayers – have going for us is a new measure signed into law by Governor Rick Scott last month that requires an independent performance audit before the referendum can be placed on the ballot.

The requirement sent a shiver through local public officials like an ice water enema.

For instance, our mendacious fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, left little doubt how he feels about any measure that would add a modicum of oversight and transparency to his ability to tax the eyeballs out of his constituents:

“It’s a ridiculous process to have to go through,” Old Ed said.

“It takes away from home rule and the voter’s decision to do something. They (lawmakers) did this for control and for political reasons to say they are watching out for the people. It’s to show they have control. If this was not an election year I’m not sure they would have done it.” 

You mean like when Volusia County used public funds to file suit against its own citizens when they wanted a vote on beach access and management decisions?

Come on, Ed – even in your addled state you must remember when Jim Dinneen directed his weaponized county attorney to ensure that the Let Volusia Vote petition never saw the light of day, like you said, “for control and for political reasons”?

Well, those elected and appointed officials who support this sneak thievery might be in for a rude awakening come November.

If I was a sitting politician, I wouldn’t count my chickens before they hatch.

In my view, reality is finally coming home to roost – We, The People no longer trust the gross lies, deceit and political sleight-of-hand that keeps all the right last names firmly attached to the public tit – while you and I are strong-armed for more-and-more tax dollars.

I believe our collective frustration is going to have a real impact at the ballot box this fall.

Asshole:          Ormond Beach City Commission

Nothing pisses people off like having their intelligence insulted by those who accept public funds to work in the public interest.

Last week, many of my neighbors were incensed by the fact that the City of Ormond Beach hosted a faux-celebration of “Earth Day” even as the stench of rotting old growth hardwoods wafted from that muddy gash on Granada Boulevard – an environmental nightmare that traded a canopy of historic trees and natural buffers for another convenience store.

Many times, all it takes is one highly visible affront to awaken the sleeping masses to an important issue that, under normal circumstances, many would shrug-off as “politics as usual.”

But this was different.

There is a visceral, “scorched earth” component that shocked our conscience.

What happened to those beautiful trees and wildlife habitat was wrong – and all the self-serving bullshit being spewed by the developer and those who stand to profit won’t change that reality.

Equally offensive is when public officials attempt to salve-over our raw emotions by pretending to give two-shits about the environment, all while weakening land use regulations to accommodate speculative developers with a profit motive and paying lip service to residents who fear for the value and viability of their homes, now that the topography and character of their long-established neighborhoods has been radically altered.

Trust me – the all-male revue on the Ormond Beach City Commission have proven – by their actions – that they care more about a green dollar than our greenspace, our quality of life or the unique character of our beautiful community.

“Earth Day?”  My God.

These people should be ashamed of themselves.

Quote of the Week:

 “All of this obfuscation merely raises the notion that politicians have lost all credibility and respect from the people you claim to represent. We will not be bullied into raising our taxes for the convenience of elected officials who refuse to do the job they were elected to do.”

–Thomas Kehoe, Ormond Beach, letter to the editor “Not fooled by tax,” Daytona Beach News-Journal, April 25, 2018

I get the feeling that citizens of Volusia County are fed up with being openly lied to by elected tools who believe that We, The People are too stupid to understand the “complicated” nature of impact fee calculations and proportional share agreements.

In my view, so long as mega-developers continue to funnel thousands of dollars into the campaign coffers of their hand-select candidates – the quid pro quo return will never permit an increase in impact fees or other regulations that require those who benefit from unchecked growth to pay for services and infrastructure related to it.

Our elected officials would rather gnaw their own arm off than approve any measure increasing costs that adversely affect a developer’s bottom line.

Why?  Because those same developers paid their admission to the to big dance, that’s why.

Mr. Kehoe is right.

The citizens have lost all respect and confidence in county government – a reality that should send a strong message to vulnerable municipal officials up for re-election who continue to stand in lock-step with these greedy shitheels – putting the lust for easy money over the trust of their constituents.

 And Another Thing!

 This is day 58 of the illegal beach blockade behind the Hard Luck Hotel, but who’s counting. . .

 If you’re like me, you’ve been champing at the bit to do something – anything – to express your growing anger with the Volusia County Council’s asinine decision to close 410’ feet of our beach behind the Hard Rock Daytona in violation of their own ordinance which spelled out strict performance and completion standards for the project.

Along with a drop-dead date of February 28^th.

Although a “certification” was pencil whipped by Hard Rock International and readily accepted by Little Jimmy Dinneen, visible construction activity is still underway on the property today.

What gives?  And why are our elected representatives bending over for this shit?

I think we all know the answer to that question – but we don’t have to take it lying down.

Please join me and those intrepid members of Sons of the Beach – Florida’s premiere beach advocacy – for a peaceful protest on the strand behind Hard Rock Daytona on Sunday, May 20^th (Mark the date!  Time and details will be forthcoming).

In matters of public policy – there is strength in numbers – and now is the time for us to come together and let our elected representatives know exactly how we feel about the closure of our beach – and those horrific posts they used to accomplish it!

Besides, a little civil disobedience from time-to-time is good for the soul – and our democracy.

Also, if you’re looking for a fun activity for the kids this weekend, consider the Daytona 100 Children’s Bike Ride!

On Saturday, children 8 and up can join Daytona Beach police officers on a 2.6-mile bicycle ride – then enjoy a fun day at the John H. Dickerson Center with games, food, music and more.

Best of all – the event is free!

The fun begins at 9:00am at the Dickerson Center, 308 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Daytona Beach.  All riders must wear closed-toe shoes and bicycle helmets (the Daytona Beach Police Department will provide helmets to registered participants if needed).

For more information, or to register your child for the event, go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-daytona-100-childrens-bicycle-event-tickets-44197704524

Have a great weekend, kids!

 

 

 

At first blush, I really didn’t think I had a dog in this fight.

After all, I don’t own rental property and my experience with short-term rentals is limited to my family’s increasing use of online “sharing” services like Airbnb and VRBO – sites that pair vacationers and business travelers with hosts around the world.

I enjoy the convenience of renting a larger space – such as a private home or condominium – often for less than the cost of a chain hotel.

If you haven’t tried it, I strongly encourage you to consider it.

The more I ruminated on the issue, the more I realized that anyone with a vested interest in the health and future of the Daytona Beach Resort Area should keep an eye on how our ‘powers that be’ ultimately settle the growing battle between the City of Daytona Beach and owners of short-term rental properties – both of which depend on a vibrant tourism industry.

On Monday, Circuit Judge Leah Case found merit in the property owner’s case and the lawsuit will continue.

As I understand it, short-term vacation rentals are currently prohibited in most residential areas of the city by an ordinance dating to 1993, which, among other things, sets rules requiring a minimum rental of six months duration.

Although current regulations permit the practice in certain “tourist zoning districts,” vacation rentals are a no-no in most neighborhoods.

Apparently, the city didn’t begin enforcing the prohibition with any regularity until 2015.

In my view, this expensive and time-consuming fight is unfortunate – and its time that the City of Daytona Beach and other municipalities in the mosaic of communities in east 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 in Daytona Beach – 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 the intrepid Mary Synk, who owns short term rental property in Daytona Beach, 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.

In addition, allowing sharing services to collect and remit occupancy taxes on behalf of hosts would contribute to the overall economic health of our community.

In fact, a recent study by Walt Disney World – no slouch when it comes to the art and science of tourism – found that vacationers who use short-term rentals spend five times more money during their stay than those who use traditional hotels.

To help educate the public and lobby for responsible regulation and ownership in this growing industry, Ms. Synk and her group Supporting Affordable Vacations for Everyone has developed an informational website at www.savedaytona.org – I encourage everyone to check it out.

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 fleabags which contribute to the seedy sense of hopelessness that continues to plague revitalization efforts.

And those flophouses that dot Ridgewood Avenue from New Smyrna to Ormond Beach are essentially  crime incubators – places that harbor transient drug dealers, prostitution activity and provide an unsafe environment for unfortunate families caught between a week-to-week motel room and homelessness.

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

It is also time for local government to get the hell out of the marketplace.

Why is it so damn difficult for public officials to grasp that when you create an aesthetically pleasing environment with responsible government regulations that encourage entrepreneurial investment and a level playing field, good things happen?

Trust me – the last thing east Volusia cities need to be wasting code enforcement efforts on is vacation rentals. . .

According to John Albright, president and CEO of Consolidated-Tomoka – who’s compensation package demonstrates that he is infinitely smarter than I am – recently said in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “I think it’s an awesome idea to incentivize people to invest in these properties.” 

He went on to explain that many successful resort areas throughout Florida – all of which compete with the Halifax area – have embraced short-term rentals as part of their comprehensive tourism and marketing strategy.

“If they can have it, why can’t we? We can start with an area and see how it goes. You could go from Main Street to ISB and around the Ocean Center,” he said.

I agree.

If any good came from that wheel-spinning exercise that was the Beachside Redevelopment Commission, it’s that our community leaders are beginning to realize that doing the same thing for decades, while expecting a different result, isn’t working out.

 

 

 

 

 

I frequently receive heartfelt calls and messages from residents of the Halifax area who are increasingly dissatisfied by the direction our local political “leaders” – from New Smyrna to Ormond Beach – are taking us.

Especially in terms of irresponsible development.

In Ormond Beach, many remain horrified by the sight of the shocking scene of the environmental abattoir that now encompasses both sides of Granada Boulevard.

Recently, to make way for a commercial project spearheaded by local developer Paul Holub, a beautiful hardwood hammock populated by majestic old growth oak trees was clear-cut – I mean decimated and churned into sawdust – to make way for another convenience store, a chicken wing drive-thru and a mystery grocery.

An intrusive, noisy, high-traffic and completely inappropriate commercial beehive plopped at the exact interface of a long-established residential neighborhood and the Granada corridor.

Many times, all it takes is one highly visible insult our collective conscience to awaken the sleeping masses to an important civic issue that, under normal circumstances, many would shrug-off as “politics as usual.”

But this is different.  There is a visceral component to the devastation.

What happened to those historic trees and wildlife habitat was wrong.

I recently spoke with a citizen who lives near Mr. Holub’s muddy quagmire on Tomoka Road who, due to his homes proximity to the project, has real concerns about how the radical change in topography will affect flooding issues in his neighborhood and beyond.

The gentleman told me that he called a long-time Ormond Beach city commissioner who – astonishingly – dismissed the citizen’s concerns, then crowed that he had never made a mistake during his over 15-years on the dais of power.

Other neighbors that I’ve spoken to report similar responses to their concerns about the project – and it appears no one on the all-male revue that is the Ormond Beach City Commission seems to see a problem with this wholesale destruction of a natural space that has galvanized our community.

And that, my friends, is the crux of the problem we face.

During my service in municipal government, I learned that all people really want is to be listened to.

They want to know that those who they elect to make decisions that directly effect their lives and livelihoods care enough to hear their concerns – then factor that input into the legislative process.

It really is that simple.

The problem is, in government as in many pursuits where imperfect human beings are granted extraordinary power over others, a mild superiority complex – over time – morphs into unbridled hubris.

This isn’t universally true – I know several long-serving politicians who respect the high office they have ascended to and hold their sacred responsibilities to constituents above their own self-interests.

But it is increasingly rare at all levels of government.

The problem begins when the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker transition from engaged citizen to elected policy maker and begin the slow process of setting themselves apart from their constituents.

Very important people begin to fawn over them, they are invited to social events that they wouldn’t have been allowed to wash dishes at before the election – and the symbiotic relationship based upon, “I need your campaign contribution.  Good, because I need your vote on certain issues. . .” begins to blossom.

Once they sell their souls and compromise their independence – some politicians become everything they hated.

Soon after they assume a position of power, the media takes notice, and our newly minted royals are quoted on the front page of the newspaper, no matter how inane – or untrue – their every utterance may be.

They begin to buy into their own schtick.

Add to that the trappings of the office, and the near-constant kowtowing of the sycophantic lickspittles who often populate low-level government offices and elected officials begin to believe they are “different” from the rest of us – which reinforces an overweening sense of infallibility.

The checks and balances of self-doubt begin to evaporate and the “I’ve never made a mistake” pathology takes root.

In Volusia County, the Donor Class have perfected a political strategy of funneling massive amounts of money into the campaign coffers of their hand-select candidates for local offices early in the process – a tactic which scares away otherwise viable candidates without the financial wherewithal to mount an effective challenge.

In short, the electorate begin to feel that the outcome is a foregone conclusion – they are inundated by glossy mailers touting the bought-and-paid for candidate’s attributes and see professionally produced television advertisements of the wannabe and his perfectly coiffed family frolicking on the beach – and the voters natural instincts are dulled.

After all, if an astronomically successful billionaire believes Joe Schmoe is good for our community – who am I to disagree?

And the cycle continues.

It is heartening to see that from the utter shock of the Holub debacle has grown a grassroots effort in the form of CANDO II – a group of concerned Ormond Beach residents who are committed to environmentally responsible growth and accountability in future land use decisions.

So far, one quality candidate has emerged in Ormond’s Zone 3 race to challenge the status quo – who just happens to be – believe it or not – a woman (I mean, its an elected office – not the Ormond Beach Rotary Club, for Christ sake).

In fact, Sandy Kaufman – a veteran Volusia County Deputy Clerk of the Court – recently announced that preserving our greenspace and ensuring that the devastation seen at the Granada Pointe site never happens again is the very foundation of her candidacy.

Good for you, Ms. Kaufman – we need more like you in the mix.

I hope other citizens with a true desire serve their neighbors make the difficult decision to run as well.

In my view, the only way we can overcome the current political climate that has placed the whims and wants of political insiders over the real needs of residents is the power of the ballot box.

I fear it’s now, or never.

To quote Sheriff Mike Chitwood – Volusia County (and, I would add, many of its municipalities) – needs an enema.

In my view, it is time for voters to return a sense of humility and service-above-self to the Halls of Power in Ormond Beach and beyond.  We can do this by electing servant-leaders who have proven – by their actions, not the size of their campaign account – a willingness to work hard in the best interests of our county and communities.

 

 

Photo Credit:  The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Hi, kids!

Never underestimate the extraordinary stupidity and dysfunction inherent to large bureaucracies in the absence of effective leadership and outside oversight.

What started out as a simple – but incredibly controversial – directive from County Manager Jim Dinneen to his toadies in the Coastal Division to close 410 linear feet of the beach to vehicular traffic behind the Hard Luck Hotel quickly escalated into the damnedest Keystone Kops farce ever foisted on a flabbergasted constituency.

Under the direct supervision of two highly paid senior department heads, a county contractor haphazardly stuck over $4,000 worth of horrendous, chemically-treated wooden utility poles in the sand.

God knows what you and I ultimately paid in installation costs.

Then, a vigilant citizen actually bothered to measure the distance and discovered that the slapdash blockade had been erected 20’ too far apart!

When it appeared on the front page of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, it was clear our dimwitted county council members were once again caught with their proverbial knickers around their knees – sputtering about another of “staffs” colossal howlers (careful not to mention the culpability of the Boss Clown) and gushingly assured us all that Summit Hospitality’s money would make it right again.

So, this week a new crew arrived (I’m sure with the required environmental permits in hand?) and replaced the round wooden poles with, well, square wooden poles.

To add insult, the county added EIGHT MORE POSTS to differentiate an emergency traffic lane cut right through the middle of where beachgoers would normally enjoy their beach.

According to our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley – the pillars will be “wrapped” in “something decorative like sea life, sea turtles, or shells, or fish.”

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.

You read it right.  The Enchanted Forest of wooden poles that are ruining the natural beauty and ambiance of our beach are about to be festooned with some artificial “decorative wrap.” 

(I promised a local pastor last week I would try my best to refrain from dropping the “F-word,” thus allowing him to share my posts with his flock without being publicly defrocked – but feel free to shoehorn that expletive in wherever you feel appropriate.) 

In my mind’s eye I can almost see Old Ed leading that troop of dunces he heads, pounding their fists and stomping their feet on the dais, gibbering repeatedly, “Square Good!  Round Bad! Square Good! Round Bad!” as bewildered citizens looking on from the gallery bury their faces in their hands. . .

Want to bet our friends at Summit Hospitality are beginning to wonder what in the hell they were thinking when they got in bed with these unctuous morons in Volusia County government?

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:             Bellaire Community Group

There are many things I don’t understand.  That’s obvious.

Among those are Japanese poetry, the mysteries of long division and the byzantine process of reporting Federal Income Tax.

When I was a young man, I dropped off my W-2 at the local H&R Block office, signed a 1040EZ, then cashed a small check a few weeks later.  Now, Patti handles our finances exclusively – God bless her – because I don’t know the difference between an itemized deduction and a hole in the ground.

With “assets” consisting of a high-interest mortgage on a wood frame cracker box and two used cars that we’re upside down on – trust me, we don’t have much to report – yet it now takes two accountants and a tax attorney to figure out what the high-rolling Barker’s owe the gov’ment?

Oh, well.  Like my mom used to say when I couldn’t throw a baseball very far, “You’re good at other things.”

During a long professional life in municipal government, I came to appreciate the inherent benefit in listening to the needs, wants and concerns of those I served.

I also learned about the power of committed citizens who mobilize in a noble cause – everyday people who band together and work cooperatively to bring about positive change in their neighborhood – or simply right a wrong – often against strong forces who seek to protect the status quo.

 Last evening, I had the distinct pleasure of speaking to the Bellaire Community Group – a caucus of civically-conscious neighbors working for the betterment of our lives and livelihoods in the Halifax area.

It was exciting – there was true enthusiasm in the room and a vested interest in the important issues.

In other words, it was completely unlike when I attend any local government meeting, which is like sitting in the wheelhouse of a sinking ghost ship on the Voyage of the Damned.

These aren’t loose cannons like me.  These are solid citizens with a unified interest in building a sense of community and improving our quality of life on the beleaguered beachside and beyond.

After a brisk Q&A covering a wide range of local topics moderated by the very astute Steve Koenig, the group gifted me with a special certificate – which, as promised, will occupy a place of honor here at Barker’s View HQ.

I enjoy being around smart people with good intentions in their heart – that’s how I learn – and I sincerely thank the intrepid members of the Bellaire Community Group for your incredible kindness and hospitality.

Asshole:          Flagler County School Board

In the tragic aftermath of the Parkland school shooting, the Florida legislature did what politicians always do, they had an immediate knee-jerk reaction without considering the means of implementation – or ultimate cost – of their always politically motivated “solution.”

It’s called an “unfunded mandate” – edicts that have long-term consequences for local governments.

In their mind, it is far better to do something – anything – quickly, even sloppily, then face the withering criticism that often comes when taking the time to get it right.

If that means trampling a few privacy rights and moving closer to an Orwellian dystopia with omnipresent government surveillance – where our collective “security” is decided by the powerful at secret meetings held behind locked doors – so be it.

Earlier this week, the Flagler County School Board met in closed session to approve a measure to pay a Vermont company, Social Sentinel, $18,500 annually to monitor social media and online postings for various words, emojis, keywords and hashtags that the security program’s “Artificial Intelligence” deems to be threatening or criminal in nature.

According to the news outlet FlaglerLive.com, last month when district panjandrums first met in secret session to hear a sales pitch from the company, not even Sheriff Rick Staley – the county’s chief law enforcement officer – was permitted to attend.

I find that confusing – and disturbing.

Then, in perhaps the worst case of contradictory political double-speak on record, school board member Andy Dance explained in the Daytona Beach News-Journal that the public was kept in the dark because, “Too much public information could reduce the effectiveness of security measures.” 

He then countered with, “…the district will have to “ensure to the public that this program is transparent and that we are not digging for information that’s not pertinent to school security.”

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

I know many will say, “look, Barker – if I have to submit to 24/7 electronic surveillance of my online activity to keep our kids safe, so be it.” 

 The fact is, if I thought for one nanosecond that using a computer program to interpret the meaning of words and phrases on social media would provide a whit of protection I would agree.

But I don’t.

The fact is, law enforcement and security professionals know well what is required to physically secure a school – and they know the harsh reality of what it takes to neutralize an active threat.

Unfortunately, Flagler County school administrators would rather hire an out-of-state Big Brother to monitor the online communications of tens-of-thousands of well-adjusted, law-abiding citizens rather than make the uncomfortable decisions necessary to truly keep our children safe.

The reality is that many in academia – who have no idea what the term “security” means – are adamantly opposed to having trained personnel, outfitted with the life-saving tools to defend life, anywhere near a campus.

Effective physical security protocols are “scary” and “distasteful,” often deliberately inconvenient, so they throw the concept of liberty – and what’s left of “privacy” in 2018 – out the window in favor of technological invigilators that they believe can detect what amounts to thoughtcrimes – or as a Social Sentinel representative phrases it, “the language of harm” – and identify anyone suspected of harboring ideas or opinions which the government finds threatening.

In the immediate aftermath of the Parkland atrocity – everyone associated with that campus – students, parents, teachers and administrators alike – knew the exact identity of the shooter, with many saying within minutes of the bloodshed that they were convinced this homicidal maniac was a ticking time bomb years before his horrific act of violence.

In fact, local, state and federal law enforcement authorities were repeatedly made aware of the growing threat posed by this sick bastard, yet either ignored the warnings, or were hamstrung by a system that coddles juvenile criminals and has no effective mechanism for treating children (or adults, for that matter) who suffer from serious mental illness.

Trust me – over-medicating and desensitizing children with violent video games isn’t working out – and all the social media watchdogs in the world won’t change that.

And don’t get me started on the lack of effective action to curtail bullying in schools – an unchecked malignancy on our educational system that contributes to thousands of aggressive encounters, suicides and increased student dropout rates each year.

Perhaps it’s time we come to the difficult realization that academic policy wonks and eggheads with Ph.D.’s (and no life experience) aren’t necessarily subject matter experts on the physical security of high-population dynamic environments.

Just maybe it’s time school administrators begin listening to the suggestions of law enforcement and private security professionals, even though these effective strategies make sensitive educators queasy.

I think it was old Ben Franklin who said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Let that one sink in.

Whoever still believes that our Founding Fathers couldn’t have envisioned the physical and intellectual treats to our fundamental rights and freedoms in 2018 are sadly mistaken.

Welcome to 1984, Flagler County.

Asshole:          Volusia County Government

I wrote about this topic earlier in the week, but it bears repeating.

Regular readers of this forum know that there are two recurring issues near to my heart – beach access and government accountability.

Here on Florida’s Fun Coast, so long as public officials continue to haggle away our beach as an “inducement” to private developers, these two subjects will remain interconnected at the molecular level.

I also have a problem with our county government’s insatiable appetite for tax dollars – and the depths to which our elected officials will stoop to squeeze more of them from our wallet – all while allowing political insiders to get snout-deep in the public trough.

In an explosive exposé in Sunday’s Daytona Beach News-Journal, reporter Dustin Wyatt gave specific examples of how We, The People are being openly lied to by our mendacious County Manager Jim Dinneen and his brainwashed tools on the Volusia County Council.

While the municipalities prepare to pay fealty to their masters on the Dais of Power in DeLand – promenading before our elected royalty in a gutless demonstration of their lock-step support of Volusia County’s proposed half-cent money grab – smart people are beginning to question why every man, woman and child is being asked to contribute to transportation infrastructure, while those who stand to benefit most – the developers of these mega-communities – refuse to pay their fair share in impact fees.

And our elected officials refuse to even discuss it – using the insulting excuse that you and I are too damn stupid to understand the concept of making unchecked growth pay for itself.

In Sunday’s piece, our own elected somnambulist, Councilman “Sleepy” Pat Patterson, had the stones to lecture taxpayers on just how “complicated” this bait-and-switch scam really is, “In politics, you make a one-minute statement that requires a one-hour response that would put people to sleep.  And in this case, it’s several inches of print in the newspaper that really takes many, many inches to really get all the facts out. … It’s a lot more complicated than just saying ‘Raise the impact fee.’”

My ass.

While Sleepy Pat is merely a washed-up political hack repeating the party line – the uber-arrogant Councilwoman Deb Denys is either pitifully ignorant of the mechanics of this important issue – or she’s a compulsive liar.

Perhaps both.

According to the obviously ill-informed Ms. Denys, “We have existing impact fees, but developers are paying proportionate share fees on top of impact fees.  This strategy is brilliant.  It really is.”

Yep, it’s a brilliant sham, alright.

The problem is – it’s total bullshit.

In Dumb Deb’s defense, she is only parroting what County Manager Jim Dinneen told her and the rest of those dullards we elected to represent our interests – and trust me, that group isn’t known for doing its own independent research.

The fact is, developers that enter into proportional share agreements – a process designed to ensure that developments have the necessary infrastructure to move forward on schedule – do not pay “prop share” fees on top of impact fees.

Developers who pay into a proportionate share agreement save on the impact fees they owe Volusia County – fees which haven’t been increased in the past 15-years – or they receive “credits” which they can then sell to other developers who can then also save money on impact fees.

In my view, Professor Arthur Nelson of the University of Arizona – who literally authored the book on impact fees – best simplified Volusia’s lopsided deal with speculative developers, “Since 2003, road construction costs have risen 74% or roughly twice the 36% increase in the cost of living.  Road impact fees should be adjusted regularly to account for increases in costs.  If they aren’t?  It may fall further behind because (proportionate share) is based on current (construction) costs, while impact fees are based on older, lower costs.” 

 There now – that wasn’t so hard to understand, was it?

In most civilized areas of the free world, when sitting politicians and appointed officials get caught in bald-faced lies  – especially while trying to force their grubby fingers deeper into the pockets of their overburdened constituents – they do the right thing, resign their lofty positions, and slink off to that dark and slimy place where those who violate the public trust go to hide from the scornful gaze of their neighbors.

But this is Volusia County – the rules are different here.

Quote of the Week:

 “He (Dinneen) told me he was going to under-calculate and make it 408 feet instead, we don’t want to rush on how this is going to look. We want to make sure we do it right.”

 –Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler, speaking in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, regarding the replacement of the beach blockade after the original poles were placed too far apart.

Don’t want to rush?  Really?

After all the embarrassing slapstick and non-stop gaffes behind this shameless beach grab, a stupid move that has forever embarrassed our elected officials, confounded anyone with the smarts to read a tape measure and shattered the public’s trust in their county government – now this godawful debacle has exposed the fact our $300,000+ autocratic County Manager is intellectually and operationally incapable of simply putting the Tinker Toys in the right place.

Come on!  It’s not rocket surgery, Jim!

Jesus, the ordinance specified 410’ feet – not 408’ – why is that distance so hard to measure?

And since when does Jim Dinneen have the authority to violate the letter of the law by arbitrarily deciding for the rest of us that the blockade will now be two-feet shorter than required?

Questions, questions. . . always with the questions, Barker. . . 

And Another Thing!

Here’s a reminder that your Sons of the Beach – Florida’s premiere beach access advocacy – will hold a fund raiser this Sunday, April 22^nd from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Oasis Tiki Bar & Grill, 313 South Atlantic Avenue (oceanside of The Fountain Beach Resort).

Enjoy lunch and a cool beverage while listening to the live sounds of Tom Redmond, Buddy Kays and Paul Hart – and don’t forget to support the cause by joining in the 50/50 raffles – and pick up some cool SOB t-shirts, koozies and much more!

All proceeds go to help protect OUR right to beach driving and access.

If you aren’t already a member of SOB – joining is simple:  Just go to www.sonsofthebeach.org and sign up – then print your membership card!

Best of all, it’s free!  However, donations are accepted on the site.

It’s a great opportunity to get educated on the latest legal updates from the hard-working SOB legal team, and our dedicated Head Honcho – Paul Zimmerman – will have information on the planned peaceful protest of Volusia County’s wholesale giveaway of our century-old tradition of beach driving behind the Hard Rock Daytona.

Hope to see you there!

Have a great weekend, kids!