Hi, Kids!

I’m back – as Charlie Daniels said, “hungover, red-eyed – dog tired, but satisfied” – from a wild week in New Orleans, where we became part of the problem in the lead up to Mardi Gras last week.

Even at my advanced age, I can still party all day at places like Boondock Saint and Circle Bar, then catch beads and throws all night – Sazerac in hand – on the uptown parade route.

But now it takes me a week to recover.

Ouch.

My love affair with New Orleans began over 30-years ago, and after all this time, whenever we visit, I am reminded in the most wonderful ways why she stole my heart.  For me, it remains the most unique city in the nation – 300-years of incredible beauty, rich traditions and intractable civic and social problems.

Sadly, you’re more likely to be killed by a 16-year old street thug with a gun there than perhaps anywhere else in the world – I know, my wife and friend were standing less than 100-yards from a shooting incident last Thursday night – and at least four people have been murdered in street violence since Lundi Gras.

Politicians in Louisiana have taken graft, kick-backs and corruption to a whole different level – something locals have come to accept as just another ingredient in the gumbo of life in the “Big Easy.”

As one friend of mine who owns a bar on St. Charles Avenue rhetorically put it, “What’cha gonna do, I guess?”

Yet, ‘The City that Care Forgot’ endures.

You can travel down a beautifully canopied, but trash-strewn and potholed street, reeling from the the heavy odor of decay from collapsed structures that still haven’t been cleared since the levy broke – then cross an intersection and immediately smell the fragrance of fresh cut lumber at a construction site, where an old shotgun house – or some centuries-old commercial building – is being lovingly renovated, restored and resurrected.

And it gives hope that anything is possible.

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

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

Asshole:          Volusia County Council

I want to commend a recent editorial in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Stacked deck on impact fees,” which provided a thoughtful analysis of our County Council’s recent dismissal of any reasonable attempt to raise impact fees to help cover the cost of increasing infrastructure demands.

A week or so back, Councilwoman Deb Denys feigned interest in the idea – if just so she can say “See, I tried to get them to do something” – during her reelection attempt.  (And I sincerely hope there is a contest.  To-date, no one has stepped up to challenge her.)

If this empty exercise did anything, it exposed the depth to which our elected officials will publicly wallow and squirm to protect the interests of their campaign contributors who pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into local races as an effective means of controlling direct access to the public teat.

In most places, when obscure LLC’s, “political action committees,” and dubious corporate entities funnel hard cash into the campaign coffers of political candidates – then the people who control those contributions receive millions of dollars in “economic incentives” as return on investment – it is investigated as quid pro quo corruption.

In Volusia County, it’s called the cost of doing business – and you don’t have to be Elliott Ness to connect the dots from certain donors to certain lucrative “incentives.”

Yet, here on the Fun Coast, it’s all perfectly legal under our bastardized campaign finance system – yet, morally and ethically dishonest to its rotten core.

I wish the News-Journal would have explored that important aspect of this equation – something everyone recognizes, but no one wants to talk about.

In my view, it is patently wrong for our elected officials to make asinine excuses and insult the intelligence of their constituents.  Clearly, they desperately want the proposed half-cent sales tax increase, because Volusia County government needs ever increasing sources of revenue like a parasitic insect needs the blood of its host.

To say that impact fees should not be part of a comprehensive discussion of how we respond to the inevitable environmental and infrastructure pressures brought by massive growth and development is not just shortsighted – it is a well-choreographed sham to transfer the cost to the citizens of Volusia County, while protecting the self-interests of those uber-wealthy few who stand to benefit.

Despite the snobbish claims of our elected and appointed officials that We, The People are too stupid to understand the process, in my view, this dismal refusal by the county council to use all available existing sources to build and maintain infrastructure is a game changer.

Let’s send a strong message to these political whores who befoul their high office with this continuing swindle that we’re not as dumb as they think we are.

How, you ask?

Just say NO to their money-grubbing half-cent sales tax increase.  That’s how.

Asshole:          Brown & Brown

Look, my take on this may sound petty – but I’m going to say it anyway – because I’m nothing if not a trifling asshole with a sideways opinion: 

Now that you and I are strategic investors in the Daytona Beach-based international insurance intermediary, Brown & Brown – I feel a fiduciary responsibility to you, my fellow unofficial board members, to keep a close eye on our new business partner – and ensure that J. Hyatt keeps his lofty promises.

You know – trust but verify.

As you may recall, residents of Daytona Beach and Volusia County recently went in our collective pocket for a $15.5 million incentive package (to “assist” a company which reported $1.88 billion in revenue last year) for construction of a new 10-story corporate headquarters complex on Beach Street.

One of the high promises made to us by Chairman J. Hyatt Brown was that, in exchange for tax dollars and other breaks, Brown & Brown would create at least 600 “new” jobs paying an average of $41,300 – a handsome improvement over our current abysmal local wage.

While you and I may have thought the promised “new” jobs would originate where the incentive money did – you know, here in Volusia County – we later learned that the required positions need only be “new to Florida.”

Oh.

I guess I should have listened closer when J. Hyatt did his best Bachman-Turner Overdrive impression, screaming “B-b-b-baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet!” to the thunderous applause of his fawning sycophants last September.

I guess the devil truly is in the details.

With 16% of Volusia County residents living at or below the poverty line, I think everyone viewed J. Hyatt’s job creation promise as a real silver lining – an alternative to the scullery work and tragic “affordable housing” cycle that has kept thousands of our neighbors living hand-to-mouth.

Last week, at the annual soiree of that oxymoron known as the “Volusia County Association for Responsible Development (?),” (which, I think, exists to throw cocktail parties that place “consultants” elbow-to-elbow with elected and appointed decision makers) J. Hyatt told a roomful of our local ‘movers & shakers’ that he plans to meet his promise of 600 new jobs well before the 2022 deadline.

Yep.

However, locals shouldn’t break out the resume just yet.

Apparently – rather than organically creating 600 “new” local jobs – Brown & Brown will simply uproot two existing “profit centers,” one currently located in Detroit, the other in Boston, and transfer these 700 employees to the “new” Daytona Beach campus when its completed in 2020.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “He (Brown) declined to specify what kind of jobs the company was creating locally, but said they aren’t entry-level positions. “They’re highly complex jobs dealing with specialty lines of insurance,” he said.

 “Brown said the new trainees the company has added recently in Daytona Beach are part of the 700 jobs that are expected to be created by the relocation of the two profit centers.”

 So, why the rush to move current B&B employees to the Fun Coast?

I mean, why not take the opportunity to establish new jobs for existing area residents – you know, in keeping with the spirit of the subsidies that will be paid by existing area residents?

Well, as I understand it, if Brown & Brown meets the job/wage requirements, it stands to receive $4.5 million in performance-based “incentives” – $900,000 of that coming directly from our hard-earned local tax dollars.

Oh, and the company will also be eligible for additional giveaways to off-set construction overhead and infrastructure totaling $4.5 million from Volusia County residents – and $4.5 million from the City of Daytona Beach taxpayers.

According to our addle-brained County Chairman Ed Kelley, “Fantastic is the only word that comes to my mind.  It’s going to make us a destination for employment,” beyond service jobs, he said.”

(Really?  Because ‘bait-and-switch’ is the first thing that came to my mind. . .)

“A destination for employment?”

Where?  When?

What in God’s name is he yammering about?

I’m guessing Old Ed dozed-off, face-first, in his balsamic-drenched arugula at the VCARD gala and missed the part about “relocating” existing jobs, rather than creating “new” ones for Volusia County residents.

Because I sure as hell missed it.

Sorry Detroit.  Sorry Boston.  Your loss is our gain.

So, let’s welcome our new high-income neighbors!

You’re going to love your new digs!

My suggestion:  Buy a loft downtown, close to work, because once Margaritaville, Mosaic, Woodhaven, etc., etc. are built out, the resulting traffic congestion is going to make Boston area gridlock look like some idyllic country road. . .

And for us yokels left to underwrite the whole shebang – well, try not to be too sore over the fact we were kind of led to believe one thing – but ended up with something completely different.

Welcome to “Corporate America,” kids – The Art of the Deal.

Angel:             Chief Craig Capri & the Daytona Beach Police Department

Kudos to Chief Spike Capri who stood his ground and supported the bold actions of his officers in seizing 23 at-risk dogs – including a four-month old puppy, and seven newborns – from a Reva Street home last year.

During an unrelated investigation into a stolen car found on the property, officers discovered the animals being held in deplorable conditions, confined in small cages with contaminated water and floors covered in waste.

Several of the malnourished dogs were suffering from open, untreated puncture wounds.

Investigators also found physical evidence of dog fighting and forced breeding, to include what one veterinarian described as a “rape stand.”

Earlier this month, Judge Angela Dempsey ordered these vulnerable animals be returned to the abusive son-of-a-bitch who made their lives a living hell – ruling that officers violated the suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights and should have obtained a warrant to search the property.

Look, I understand the exclusionary rule – God knows I’ve lost my share of evidentiary hearings – but what about the inevitable discovery exception?  I’ve been out of the business a few years, but weren’t the officers conducting a lawful investigation when the 23 dogs were observed?

I’m not second-guessing Judge Dempsey – I’m asking.

Speaking in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Chief Capri was quick to point out that, under the circumstances, he would do the same thing again “in a heartbeat.”

I admire that.

In my view, Chief Capri and his officers acted in the highest traditions of the police service when they saved these tortured animals from an abusive, filthy and life-threatening situation.

When officers discovered animals in immediate danger, they conducted themselves in an exemplary fashion – and acted decisively to intervene and alleviate their acute suffering.

I find it unfortunate that, under the circumstances, there was no other legal alternative available to Judge Dempsey.

Considering there is an active investigation on-going, was there no room for continued judicial oversight – or some other means that would allow Judge Dempsey to monitor these helpless animals and protect them from continued abuse?

I mean, under current city ordinances, can a person possibly be permitted to keep 23 dogs in a single-family home?

Again, I’m asking.

In my view, the Daytona Beach Police Department continues to impress – and I want to recognize the outstanding kindness and compassion of Officer Kera Cantrell, who went above and beyond the call of duty in adopting and providing a safe and loving home to “River” the weeks-old puppy who was heartlessly abandoned to the elements and certain death under the Seabreeze Bridge one cold day last month.

Kera’s a great lady – and an exceptional law enforcement officer.

We’re fortunate to have incredibly compassionate people like Officer Cantrell, under the extraordinary leadership of Chief Capri, in service to the citizens of Daytona Beach.

Thank you for your commitment, both to our community – and to those helpless creatures who cannot speak for themselves.

Angel:             First Step Shelter Board

Members of the First Step Shelter Board are publicly asking what the rest of us have been thinking for months: “What the hell’s taking so long?”

I mean, it’s a homeless shelter – not a Summit Hospitality hotel renovation, for Christ sake.

On Tuesday evening, the First Step Shelter Board met to discuss their frustrations and examine what can be done – if anything – to put some fire under the various professionals and bureaucrats whose expertise and sign-off will ultimately be necessary to break ground.

Two months ago, everyone who is anyone in Volusia County gathered in front of a staged bulldozer while golden shovels turned ceremonial dirt.  Once the flowery speeches, gushing accolades and political backslapping at the barren site were over – nothing.

Crickets.

Now, members of the First Step Shelter Board – that diverse group of dedicated citizens and public servants who took perhaps the most intractable local problem of our age by the reins and spearheaded a viable effort to build a permanent shelter to provide temporary housing for area homeless – have legitimate concerns about the shelter’s design and construction schedule.

As I’ve said before, the timeline proposed by the architectural firm hired by the City of Daytona Beach is outlandishly drawn-out.  Under the current protracted calendar, the shelter’s doors won’t open until sometime in late 2019 – that’s two-years beyond what many involved in the process predicted.

And that’s unacceptable.

Board members are rightly concerned that, as more time passes, would-be benefactors and corporate donors will simply lose interest – or rightfully question the project’s management and oversight.

Other well-informed citizens doubt the shelter will happen at all.

One thing that truly concerned me was an uninformed comment by Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, who also serves as president of the First Step Shelter Board.  According to Mayor Henry’s take on the foot-dragging, “Short of city commissioners putting pressure on staff, there’s not much more we can do.”     

First, that’s not the way it works.

Second, that’s City Manager Jim Chisholm’s job – and Mayor Henry should know that.

If the City of Daytona Beach plans to continue supervising construction of the First Step Shelter, perhaps it’s time that Mr. Chisholm turn his legendary temper and logistical skills toward those in his charge who are hamstringing this important progress – and that includes contractors who are pretending a simple homeless shelter requires the architectural and engineering design of the Shanghai Tower.

Angel:             Paul Zimmerman & Sons of the Beach

No one has done more to educate us on the on-going shitstorm that is the Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock debacle than the intrepid Paul Zimmerman, president of Florida’s premiere beach access and advocacy group, Sons of the Beach.

If you haven’t already, I strongly suggest that everyone examine Paul’s recent photographic expose (available on Facebook at FREE Daytona Beach) depicting the horrific conditions at our new “4-Star” Hard Rock resort hotel – the never-ending fiasco which is still actively under construction on the bones of the haunted Desert Inn on Atlantic Avenue.

As you must know, last April our elected corporate shills on the Volusia County Council orchestrated amended legislation which gave the developer of this languishing “resort” – Summit Hospitality Group – a firm date of February 28^th to finish things up, or lose the generous giveaway removing beach driving from the strand behind the hotel.

As a former licensed contractor, Paul knows exactly what he’s talking about.

Look, I don’t have a clue which end of a hammer you blow in – but I can look at a picture of spalling concrete, rusted and fractured support posts, the effects of flooding and saltwater intrusion, the copious use of floor-jacks to prevent catastrophic collapse and the slapdash use of grout and plaster to cover obvious problems – and come to the opinion that, in a rush to finish, patched-over eyewash has replaced the complex structural repair and replacement one expects of a quality renovation.

My hope is that an independent regulatory agency will inspect this project – preferably before its ramrodded to completion using bubblegum and bailing wire – and take decisive steps to ensure the safety of workers and the public.

At the very least, Hard Rock International has got to be wondering exactly what they stepped in here on the sandy shores of the Fun Coast. . .

In my view, if they put the corporate brand on this very visible disaster at this stage of completion, Hard Rock stands to lose far more credibility in the global market than Summit Hospitality ever will.

Angel:             Bethune-Cookman University Athletics

The Barker’s View sports department sends hearty congratulations to B-CU Women’s Basketball on being ranked 25^th in the nation on the College Insider.com Mid-Major Top 25!

Bethune-Cookman – 19-4 overall, and undefeated in Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference play – received their first-ever Division 1 national ranking after their big win over North Carolina Central Monday night.

The Lady Wildcats are now one victory away from their first 20-win regular season in over three decades.

In addition, the school announced on Tuesday that guard Angel Golden was named the MEAC Conference Player of the Week, while forward Lyndsey Edwards received special recognition as Co-Defensive Player.

Well done, ladies.

Did I mention that all these accomplishments came as B-CU’s incomparable head coach, Vanessa Blair-Lewis, is nearly 9-months pregnant?

Congratulations Coach Blair-Lewis – on all fronts.

Incidentally, her husband, Eric, is a 14-season veteran of the NBA, who officiated the Cleveland/Boston match up which was nationally televised on ABC Sports last Sunday.

There is a lot of good things going on at B-CU Sports, and we’ll have more on their continuing success later.

Suffice it to say, both the school – and our community – are very proud of these young athletes!

Quote of the Week:

“It’s nice to have the information. I think that’s good enough for me. I think letting a sleeping dog lie in this case might be the best situation.” 

–District 5 Volusia County Council member, The Very Reverend Dr. Fred Lowry, shillyshallying his weary constituents as to why the burden of funding transportation infrastructure improvements in the face of massive, unchecked growth should be placed squarely on the taxpayer – rather than the wealthy developers who stand to benefit most.

What’cha gonna do, I guess. . .

Have a great weekend, kids.

I’ve seen some poorly choreographed political theater in my day – but the recent farcical skit produced by our elected officials on the Volusia County Council is another brazen assault on our collective intelligence.

This time, their tired Kabuki involved “revisiting” impact fees.

Last week, the now up-for-reelection Councilwoman Deb Denys took center stage and delivered her lines like an aging doyenne, desperately trying to redeem her dismal history of gross disservice to her fed-up constituents.

According to Deb’s well-rehearsed script – she crowed that it might be a good idea for the council to review our stale impact fees in the face of mega-developments growing like tumors along the spine of east Volusia – projects that everyone agrees will ultimately cripple our wholly inadequate transportation infrastructure.

In doing so, her fellow actors in this Theater of the Absurd knew that allowing her the spotlight might give ol’ Deb some much-needed credibility among that segment of her constituency that still haven’t pegged her for the bald face liar she is.

Don’t take my word for it – watch the video circulating on social media taken during her last campaign when Deb passionately promised us she would never vote to remove beach driving from the strand behind the languishing Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock project.

During the discussion, in a wholly orchestrated moment, our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, whined like a demented grandmother that forcing developers to help alleviate the burden these gargantuan projects have on existing infrastructure might drive up the cost of homes – or prove a “hindrance” to the creation of more commercial warehouse jobs.

Yep.  Old Ed is all about “fairness” when the business interests of his buddies are at stake.

In actively poo-pooing the idea of raising impact fees, the Right Reverend Fred Lowrey suggested (with a straight face) that, “Letting a sleeping dog lie in this case might be the best situation.”

Trust me.  That narcoleptic cur known as legitimate impact fees for infrastructure improvements was euthanized 15-years ago.

But, exactly which situation are you talking about, Fast Freddie?

The one where you and your cronies approved massive residential and commercial development from Farmton to the Flagler County line without the first consideration of its detrimental, and irreversible, effects on our sensitive environment and infrastructure?

Or, is it the one in which your uber-wealthy pals at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance are figuring how to best shove a half-cent sales tax down the collective throats of your constituents to pay for the very same environmental and transportation impacts that should rightfully be borne by those who benefit most?

Speaking of sleeping dogs, our own elected Rip Van Winkle – “Sleepy” Pat Patterson – naturally agrees with his goofy colleagues.

It seems whenever the prospect of holding his campaign contributors financially accountable, Pat magically grows a social conscience and openly frets about how reasonable impact fees might price new homes out of the reach of “families.”

(If you believe Pat Patterson gives a Tinker’s damn about your family, see a doctor – now.) 

Sleepy Pat even went so far as to suggest that anyone who bases their support for the sales tax increase on how our elected officials address impact fees are comparing apples and oranges.

According to Pat, even equating the two is “getting way out of line.” 

My God.  These sycophantic slugs are all the same.

Then, yet another highly compensated junior county attorney took the stage and suggested that the formula for calculating impact fees is simply too complicated for us hapless dupes to possibly understand.

Bullshit.

Folks, in its current form, the Volusia County Council will never – under any circumstances – ask their handlers to pay their fair share for anything.

That’s not the way it works in the Dinneen administration.

Those whom the Daytona Beach News-Journal has described as our “Rich and Powerful” do not lavish hundreds of thousands of green dollars into the campaign accounts of the anointed ones so they can be bothered with pesky impact fees.

In their world, loyalty goes one way – to the highest bidder.

Especially when these shadowy players are comfortable that they can coerce every man, woman and child in Volusia County to cover the ever-increasing burden with a shameless, money grabbing sales tax hike.

Let’s face it – these incumbent whores are bought-and-paid-for – and one need only review the current campaign finance reports of certain 2018 County Council candidates to see who is compromised – and who is not.

It’s now crystal clear – the burden is ours.  Alone.

Publishing a local newspaper in the digital age must take a Herculean effort.

I’m certainly no expert – or even an amateur journalist – just a casual observer of the local scene who sees the global pressures on traditional print media in an evolving market.

Sweeping changes in technology, the speed with which what passes for “news” is gathered and regurgitated, and the morphing social contract between those who report and those who consume, are forcing an industry-wide transformation.

Now, imagine the myriad issues inherent to publishing a daily paper in an environment wholly controlled by a select few oligarchs – an institutionalized hierarchy that controls every aspect of our lives and livelihoods through a morally corrupt campaign finance system that has co-opted our local system of governance here on Florida’s Fun Coast.

Consider the ethical and journalistic pressures of reporting the news in a place where the ‘powers-that-be’ demand that local mass media serve only to legitimize the system by touting massive giveaways to insanely wealthy corporations and billionaire families – always cloaked in the promise that using our money to ensure their continued prosperity will result in more scullery jobs – or the benefits of effectively privatizing public amenities and taking away our local culture and traditions in the name of “economic development.”

These stressors were never more evident than in Editor Pat Rice’s column in Sunday’s Daytona Beach News-Journal.

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Pat’s work.  He’s a smart guy – incredibly bright and intuitive – and I truly believe he has our collective best interests at heart.

However, Pat works in a very confined space, one where the delicate balance of independently reporting and opining on the news while protecting the self-interests of those who control literally everything – including scarce advertising dollars – is razor thin.

In his piece, “Proposed sales tax no slam dunk,” Mr. Rice discussed several potential obstacles local leaders face in their desperate attempt to shove a half-cent sales tax increase down the throats of an already tax strapped constituency.

Unfortunately, in my view, Pat deftly tap-danced around the one issue that may ultimately condemn this shameless money grab – and those doing the heavy lifting for the millionaire’s who stand to benefit most – to the political ash heap of tax scams past:  Public Trust.

They simply do not have the confidence of the people they represent – and for good reason.

According to Mr. Rice, “I don’t entirely agree with radio personality and former County Council member Big John’s statement in January that “the trust in Volusia County government administration is at an all-time low.” But the county administration does have an optics problem.”

Optics problem?

That’s like saying the Titanic had a slight moisture issue in the lower decks.

“It may be because Dinneen has been viewed— fairly or unfairly— as responsible for curtailing beach driving. It may be because some perceive the county — again, fairly or unfairly — as too often siding with developers.  Like last week, when a discussion about impact fees on new homes seemed scripted to ensure no increase.”

 Or, it may be because, as others in positions to know have pointed out, our elected and appointed officials in Volusia County government are duplicitous sacks of shit who continue to perpetuate a massive fraud against their constituents – one which requires a constant infusion of new funding sources to feed the private interests of political insiders – and keep this grotesque “tax and giveaway” wheel turning.

If you still believe that our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, and those dullards we elected to represent our interests on the dais of power in DeLand, have any semblance of credibility – I encourage you to examine the unfolding shit-storm that is the Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock debacle.

Last year, in an off the printed agenda surprise attack, County Manager Jim Dinneen personally orchestrated revised legislation that gave developers of the languishing, perpetually behind schedule, hotel project an extension on a previous ordinance that set specific performance standards – including a date certain for opening – or the ultimate incentive of removing beach driving from the strand behind the hotel would be null and void.

The deadline set by our elected officials was clear and succinct – “This ordinance shall stand repealed in the entirety if the conditions … have not been met in full by Feb. 28, 2018.”

 Well, it has become self-evident that construction on the building, and its highly touted “Rock Star” amenities, can’t possibly be completed, tested and inspected – at least to the quality standards one expects of a “Four Diamond” resort – in just 17-days.

So, the doctrine of fairness and transparency in government would naturally dictate that the incredibly controversial issue of beach driving be taken off the table per the letter and spirit of the ordinance – a move that Hard Rock International should rightfully understand and embrace.

Instead of standing by his word, Chairman Kelley and our county attorney’s office have the abject temerity to pull a slimy bait-and-switch scam on those they represent – pissing backwards and quibbling facts – working hard to convince us rubes that legally agreed upon performance standards and hard completion dates mean nothing – so long as the ultimate goal of removing our heritage of beach driving prevails.

Once and for all, these shameless hucksters have exposed themselves as the disingenuous prostitutes they are – bought-and-paid-for whores who have no qualms lying openly to their constituents whenever it serves the bottom line of their greedy masters.

“Fairly or unfairly,” the barefaced political chattel on the Volusia County Council – and their well-paid facilitator who runs interference for the whole sham – represent the most perverse and malignant form of political cowardice and quid pro quo sleaze ever foisted on an unsuspecting public.

And that, Mr. Rice, is why nothing this rabble says will ever be trusted again – and that includes the emergent need for even more sources of revenue to slake the insatiable appetite of this bloated pig of a county government and the select few it exists to benefit.

 

 

 

 

Hi, Kids!

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

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

Earlier this week, someone on social media opined that reading Barker’s View is like watching Fox News – “Angry, twisted versions of facts that are always spun negative.”

Guilty as charged.

To show that I’m not a complete Debbie Downer, I thought we would start this week’s segment with a little game I like to call, “Guess Where?”

The rules are simple – study the photograph below and take a wild-ass guess if the thing depicted is in Kabul, Port-au-Prince, Juarez or the Daytona Beach Resort Area?

Come on.  Play along.

Our friends at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Beachside Redevelopment Committee and the Regional Chamber of Commerce are welcome to join in!

It’ll be Wide.  Open.  Fun!

Asshole:          City of Deltona

It’s clear to anyone paying attention – Florida has its issues.

But something the beleaguered residents of the Sunshine State have going for us is a robust public records law – one that ensures the people’s right to know what our government is doing with our money, and why.

In fact, under the law, public officials are required to interpret record requests in the broadest possible way – that means not quibbling over non-existent technical exemptions.

Last week, we learned that the City of Deltona’s event manager, Chris O’Donnell, resigned his post just one month after the city’s $9 million community center opened.

It’s important, because Mr. O’Donnell was a major salesman for the tax funded project – including providing decision-makers with dubious projections that the center would bring in some $970,700 annually – a figure significantly higher than what similar public facilities realize.

With a few weddings, a birthday party and a smattering of civic events under its belt, is it possible that Mr. O’Donnell came to the sobering realization that Deltona’s highly touted new center wouldn’t come close to his initial earning predictions?

Or, are there internal or political conditions inside City Hall that made it impossible for him to continue?

The suspense was exacerbated by Mr. O’Donnell’s cryptic comment in the newspaper that he would never work in city government again.  That’s strange, because wild horses couldn’t pull most bureaucrats out of their cushy offices – highly sought-after jobs with important titles, regular pay and awesome benefits (I know, I was one of them. . .)     

What gives?  

Unfortunately, the details of exactly why Mr. O’Donnell left the public service remain open to speculation – but when it comes to Deltona government – it seems conjecture and guesswork are typically all we have to go on.

Why is that? 

As I understand it – Deltona’s uber-weird City Manager, Jane Shang, has unilaterally exempted O’Donnell’s letter of resignation under the terms of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – a federal law designed to protect the privacy of medical records and healthcare information.

I also find it interesting that O’Donnell recently told the Daytona Beach News-Journal he is prohibited from discussing the terms of his departure due to a “non-disclosure” agreement he signed with Deltona.

That’s odd.

Why would a local events manager be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement?

I mean, literally everything about the facility – from the budget to fees to bookings – are open for public scrutiny.

Once again, the City of Deltona has succeeded in turning some routine human resources matter into a Hardy Boy’s mystery – and it is completely unnecessary.

In my view, Jane Shang and other senior administrators have worked overtime to keep the public’s prying eyes out of city business.  This includes the imposition of onerous fees and other hoops designed to frost the windows at City Hall and hide the machinations of this wholly dysfunctional government.

Again, why?     

I sincerely hope that the Daytona Beach News-Journal doesn’t take this bullshit lying down.

In my opinion, any news organization worth its salt owes it to their consumers to dig deep and challenge pseudo-exemptions to our cherished open records law by government pencil pushers with a paranoia disorder – even on issues that don’t seem that important on their face.

Angel:             Commissioner Rob Littleton, Ormond Beach

In an open letter to the editor of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Ormond Beach District 4 City Commissioner Rob Littleton put into words what many of us have been thinking.

As our elected officials in both municipal and county government are ramping-up an intensive “re-education” campaign designed to sell We, The People on their latest money grab – a one-half cent sales tax increase, ostensibly to fund transportation infrastructure improvements in Volusia County – Mr. Littleton is a voice of reason.

In his letter, Commissioner Littleton explained that he has a real problem with three aspects of the plan that is being foisted on us by the powerbrokers.  These include the potential for using tax dollars generated by the increase for other than transportation needs, disparities in funding distributions, and the use of public money (and staff time) to sell the tax hike with this “vaguely defined” education campaign.

Mr. Littleton asked, “Do they (constituents) want their property tax dollars used to sell this to the voters?” 

According to a dubious private study, bought and paid for by that Star Chamber of uber-wealthy elitists over at the Volusia CEO Business Alliance, voters will most likely support the half-cent measure – but it will require a “disciplined, well-funded, and well-executed campaign plus strong and nearly universal support from the local governments through the county.”

Well, it appears Mr. Littleton is one servant-leader who is not in lock-step with the crowd.

It takes political courage for a lone public official to stand up, speak the truth, and ask the hard questions – especially when certain last names are involved.

The fact is, given the abysmal track record of Volusia County’s current administration – and the very real fear that any tax increase will ultimately be hijacked and diverted for things other than the original selling point – Mr. Littleton is right to be skeptical of the motivations of those who stand to benefit most.

In my view, we need more like Rob Littleton in public office.

He has demonstrated the strength of character and fortitude to stand against a very strong flow and logically consider the best interests of his constituents – rather than blindly push the self-serving notions of a few political insiders with a profit motive.

Angel:             City of Daytona Beach & First Step Shelter Board

 There is a memorable quote from a long-forgotten movie starring Danny Devito – “All I know is, the choices we make dictate the life we lead.”

I’m a strong believer in personal responsibility, and the importance of good decision-making to a happy and healthy life.  My father taught me that.

My life experience proved to me that sometimes things conspire against the best of us – and when you’re living on the ragged edge of sanity, addiction, or complete financial ruin, it doesn’t take much to end up in a living hell.

Sometimes people slip through the societal cracks.  In the Halifax area, we drive past them every day, tourists walk around them at beachside parks and they live and die in the shadows.

And we shake our heads in pity – or cuss them for what they represent in a resort area already struggling with blight.

But the question remains, do we, as a society, have a moral obligation to provide for those who cannot adequately care for themselves?  That small, but very visible, segment of our local population who – for myriad reasons – can no longer meet what Maslow described as the basic physiological needs of food, water, clothing or shelter.

Well, that is the age-old conundrum – and I certainly don’t have the answer.

What I do know is that the City of Daytona Beach – and those who dutifully serve on the First Step Shelter Board – continue to work tirelessly to find a compassionate solution to the problem of chronic homelessness and the deleterious economic and social impact it is having on the Halifax area.

Even when they don’t agree – they never stop trying.

I admire that.

This week, city officials took their case to the First Step Board, explaining that conditions at the “safe zone” near Clyde Morris Boulevard and Bellevue Avenue are becoming untenable.

The solution proposed by Daytona Beach was relocating the encampment to a patch of scrub near Derbyshire Road – a location which would put the safe zone near the “Boomtown Boulevard” of the LPGA corridor.

For good reason, the board rejected that idea – but allowing a growing tent city in the middle of a major commercial corridor, literally on the doorstep of Embry-Riddle, isn’t the best option either.

It’s a tough problem, but that doesn’t mean we should stop thinking about alternative solutions.

The City of Daytona Beach has borne more than their fair share of this difficult burden, now it is time for Volusia County and other area municipalities to step up to the plate.

In my view, the Volusia County Council has – like always – simply thrown money at the problem without taking a whit of responsibility for finding workable answers.

Unless someone with the strength of personality and political clout of Mrs. Forough Hossieni takes the lead and ramrods a project (like Hope Place) to fruition, our county officials are seemingly blind to the catastrophe unfolding on our streets.

Chronic homelessness is a countywide problem that will ultimately require a countywide solution.

And with the First Step Shelter still over a year out – we desperately need workable options to the current safe zone – solutions that will require strong leadership and creativity.

Unfortunately, as usual, the Volusia County Council is out-to-lunch when it comes time for the heavy lifting.

In my view, it is high time for Ed Kelley and those dullards sitting on the dais of power in DeLand to stop sitting on their laurels – smugly content that throwing around copious amounts of our money is the sole extent of their obligation – and begin working collaboratively with Daytona Beach to develop alternatives.

Look, I take a lot of cheap shots at Daytona Beach city officials – but I have been incredibly impressed with their efforts to find a compassionate answer to an incredibly difficult problem.

Clearly, the City of Daytona Beach should not be expected to bear the full impact of this growing humanitarian crisis alone.

Trust me – with “Speed Weeks” just days away, I suspect we will see some movement on this issue very soon.  I only hope the very real needs of those we are trying to serve aren’t forgotten in the shuffle.

Asshole:          B-CU Board of Trustees

Just before this forum published last week we learned the grim facts of Bethune-Cookman University’s involvement in a weird luxury apartment development in Daytona’s struggling Midtown neighborhood – a project that was so secret apparently not one of the university’s trustees – or anyone in city government – was aware of it.

Now, Canadian developer Heron Group has been left holding the bag after B-CU abruptly backed out of the deal – and there will be hell to pay.

It is apparent that the Heron Group, unlike the B-CU board of trustees, does not hesitate to protect its interests.

A blistering lawsuit recently filed by the Heron Group’s able attorney charges – among other sins – that Bethune-Cookman engaged in fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment and breach of contract.

The suit is seeking calamitous damages against the university totaling in the tens-of-millions.

As the ramparts built by the university’s disgraced former president Dr. Edison O. Jackson continue to crumble, we are left with a very bleak picture of a terribly compromised institution – one with absolutely no substantive oversight and an immoral lack of accountability by senior administrators and trustees.

Look, I’m just a smartass with a thesaurus – but these are truly smart people – and it defies logic to say that board members and senior staff with extremely close ties to the university, and the community, simply didn’t know what was going on.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first-time intelligent people ignored their best instincts – or their responsibilities.

For instance, Bethune-Cookman University’s At Large Trustees include luminaries such as the Halifax areas own Dr. Kent Sharples.  Excuse me?

I mean, how many more local institutions of higher learning are we going to allow ol’ Kent to involve himself with?

I’m just asking.

Only in Volusia County can you go from the American Music Festival disaster to the boardroom of the CEO Business Alliance and Bethune-Cookman University. . .

In most industries, senior administrators are given one bite at that apple before they are exposed as jacklegs and cashiered out of the service – but not in academia – or economic development organizations, I suppose.

Is it possible everyone was too busy accepting honorary doctorates, bickering over commencement speakers and bullying whistleblowers to notice that Dr. Bethune’s beloved institution was being looted by some of the very administrators charged with protecting and promoting it – or was something even more nefarious afoot?

I mean, how could the Board of Trustee’s not have known?

The answers to these increasingly difficult questions will ultimately be revealed – and this sordid mess won’t end well for those who feebly attempt to sweep things under the rug and clean up the evils of the past.

This growing scandal is too big to contain now – and the very fate of a once great university hangs in the balance.  It is time for those with direct personal involvement to step aside and allow professionals to investigate, formulate the appropriate charges and begin the process of bringing those responsible to justice.

It is going to be expensive – and it is going to take time.

I say again – in my view, this difficult period should rightfully begin with the immediate resignation of the Board of Trustees.

It is time for complete transparency, and anything less is counter to the goal of exposing the truth and rehabilitating the reputation of this important institution.

Quote of the Week:

 “Do residents believe government employees should take time and effort away from serving the citizens in order to promote this new sales tax?  Do they want their property tax dollars being used to sell this to the voters?  Of course they don’t, and neither do I.”

 –Ormond Beach City Commissioner Rob Littleton, writing in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, regarding the proposed half-cent sales tax increase.

 News & Notes:

Near the end of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the title character reckons it’s time to light out for the territory, lest Aunt Sally “sivilize” him – “I can’t stand it.”  Huck said, “I been there before. . .”

I know how he felt.

Now and then you must throw off the yoke, spit the bit and go a little crazy.  It is the only effective preventative I know for the curse of complete insanity – a condition I stagger closer to everyday.

It’s time to recharge and relax.

This week, the Ancient and Honorable secret order known as “The Fun Pigs” will launch on another great adventure, seeking wanton fun and shameless debauchery in a place that holds great significance for my wife Patti and I (more on that later).

Yep!  We’ve iced down some cold beer in the Yeti, laid in a supply of fine spirits, and fueled up with a full tank of freedom as we set out on another infamous road trip.

During this brief hiatus from the roil and churn of local political shenanigans, I’ll be posting a few “Best of Barker’s View” segments – and adding some goofy quips and commentary describing our escapades on social media as well.  (If you’re not already following BV on Facebook and Twitter, now would be a great time to get off your arse and join the fun!)     

As always, thanks so much for reading.

I am proud to report that January 2018 was one of the best months in the history of this experiment in alternative opinion blogging – and I sincerely appreciate your continued interest.

Please know that I’ll be back tilting at the windmills of life here on Florida’s Fun Coast on Monday, February 12^th, when Barker’s View will join Big John on “the fastest two-hours in radio” – GovStuff Live! – beginning at 4:00pm.

Find us at 1380am or online at www.govstuff.org (listen live button)!

We are also in the planning stage for a possible “Barker’s View Readers Party” – a good, old-fashioned kegger – sometime this spring, with all donations going to support those intrepid souls at Sons of the Beach in their fight to protect our heritage of beach driving and access!

Stay tuned!

Have great weekend, y’all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problem with doing someone a favor is eventually they come to expect it from you.

Just ask the City of Daytona Beach.

This week, city staff let the First Step Shelter Board know that conditions at the homeless “safe zone” near Clyde Morris Boulevard and Bellevue Avenue have become untenable.

In fact, the place has taken on the appearance of Toussaint’s leper colony in French Guiana, and anyone who has driven by the burgeoning tent city can see that something must change.

It’s also clear that city officials are getting pressure from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and other strong forces, to move the camp out of a major commercial corridor – a location which is literally in the side-yard of Daytona International Airport.

I understand their concern.

After thoughtful discussion, board members rejected the city’s request to spend $585,555 to develop an alternative site in the scrub west of Derbyshire Road.  The idea of moving the encampment to the “Boomtown Boulevard” area of the LPGA corridor is counter to the thriving, multi-use gateway many are working and spending to achieve.

I understand that decision as well.

The fact is, the City of Daytona Beach has done their level best to find a compassionate solution to this growing issue while other elected bodies, namely the Volusia County Council, have sat on their ass and done nothing – except take convenient credit for the good work of others.

On Wednesday, Chief of Police Craig Capri, speaking in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, didn’t mince words, “The current situation is not working.  Why does Daytona Beach always have to take the brunt of it?”

He’s right.

From the moment city officials took the reins and intervened in the Great Homeless Standoff of 2016, partnering with the Salvation Army to move entrenched street people from the front of the Volusia County Administration Center on Beach Street, Daytona Beach has demonstrated a true hands-on willingness to help.

Now, it is time for Volusia County government to become an active part of the solution, you know, like our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, said they were during his haughty State of the County Address.

By any measure, the economic and social impact of chronic homelessness is a countywide problem – which deserves a countywide solution.

Regardless of which side of the issue you fall on – we are facing a true humanitarian crisis that simply cannot be ignored while we wait on a more permanent answer – and save the bullshit tough-talk and “let ’em starve” rhetoric for someone else.

Look, I’m no Mother Teresa, but I find that flippant attitude immoral.

We have a warm and dry facility to house and nourish stray dogs – and we should probably have something similar to provide basic, temporary shelter from the elements for our fellow human beings who cannot care for themselves.

Why?  Because its the right thing to do.  That’s why.

With the First Step Shelter more than a year from completion (?), it is imperative that local governments find a way to work collaboratively to develop an effective alternative.  After all, that’s what it means to serve in the public interest – and while that concept is foreign to many area politicians – sometimes you gotta bite the bullet and make things happen. . .

Perhaps Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm’s idea of each municipality identifying its own safe zone is a fair and equitable (albeit temporary) solution to the Halifax areas current quagmire.

I mean, if the mosaic of east Volusia municipalities each want their own fiefdom, then you have to take the good with the bad.  But in universal issues that effect all of us, County government has an obligation to find comprehensive answers.

Good luck with that.

In my view, rather than demonstrate strong leadership on this important issue (or anything else for that matter), Volusia County has – in typical fashion – turned its back on the citizens of Daytona Beach, choosing to simply throw our money around, rather than roll up their sleeves and help with the heavy lifting.

As President Theodore Roosevelt once said, it’s easy to criticize how the doer of deeds could have done them better – God knows, I do it all the time.  But I truly commend the City of Daytona Beach for bearing the full impact of this difficult problem, all while working diligently to find an effective and benevolent way forward.

Now, it’s time for Volusia County – and other area municipalities – to step up and do the right thing.

Bullshit!

Please excuse the expletive – but there simply is no other way to express my outrage at the back-handed, bait-and-switch machinations of those ethically bankrupt assholes who have seized control of Volusia County government.

As a long-time area resident who served in municipal government for over three-decades, suffice it to say I’ve seen some “things” in my day.  But the level of open treachery to which our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley – and that pack of dullards we elected to represent our interests – will stoop to erase our heritage of beach driving has reached its nadir.

Under the terms of a 2015 ordinance – conveniently amended in 2017 – the languishing Hard Rock Daytona (a “theme resort” reanimated on the skeleton of the haunted Desert Inn – once known as “America’s Dirtiest Hotel,” in more ways than one) was required to meet a laundry list of performance standards (right down to a “Gourmet Sundries Shop” and “Lobby Barista”) and be open for business no later than February 28, 2018, or the “traffic-free zone” would not be implemented.

Fair enough, right?

Now, as evidence mounts that Summit Hospitality can’t possibly meet the conditions established by ordinance in the next 30-days – County Attorney Dan Eckert is beginning his patented quibbling and hogwash designed to convince us rubes that the performance standards set by the County Council aren’t really that important after all.

Unfortunately, Dan is being assisted in pulling the rug out from under area residents by our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, who was recently quoted in the newspaper essentially saying, ‘fuck the performance guarantees.’

So long as the property receives a certificate of occupancy – Old Ed is happy.

But that’s not what they promised us in April.

Trust me – Volusia County will remove beach driving from the strand behind the Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock on February 28^th regardless of the project’s condition.

In my view, based upon my personal observations of construction activities, and photographs on social media showing serious concrete spalling and structural fractures compromising the hotel’s seawall, the Hard Rock project is nowhere near ready to open.

Look, you don’t have to be that surly little bald guy from “Hotel Impossible” to know when a luxury, “4-Diamond” property is prepared to welcome guests – and, in my estimation, the Hard Rock Daytona could use a few more months to finalize some important details and complete the high-end, luxurious amenities they promised (like a swimming pool. . .)

Instead, Dan Eckert and Ed Kelley run cover –  tap dancing and blowing dust in the air – while the developer pull’s some slapdash cover moves in a last-ditch effort to meet their agreed upon obligations to the citizens of Volusia County and open by the end of February.

Who do our county officials work for?

In my view, Dan Eckert should check his pay stub.

He might discover that he accepts public funds and actually serves the interests of We, The People of Volusia County – not the marketing needs of Summit Hospitality Group.

How typical.  How tragic.

If anyone with two synapses still firing needs evidence of the ugly “Us vs. Them” mentality of Volusia County government, hide and watch as “our” County Attorney and his team begin the process of changing the rules mid-game.

I realize what a shock to the system it is when one comes to the sudden realization that their elected officials are bald-ass sneak-cheats and liars – but the evidence is clear – and mounting.

If Hard Rock International wants to build “buy-in” and develop an important partnership with area residents (all of whom wish them nothing but success), they can start by admitting the property remains under construction, take their time moving forward, and embrace and incorporate beach driving for the unique area tradition it is.

Folks, when you’ve had enough of this flimflammery, join Florida’s premier beach advocacy organization, Sons of the Beach, and help fight for our heritage of open access and driving on the World’s Most Famous Beach.   

Find your friends and neighbors here: https://www.sonsofthebeach.org/

And remember – as we enter the 2018 election cycle – any candidate or issue these incumbent assholes support is immediately suspect.

They simply can no longer be trusted.

 

Photo Credit:  Paul Zimmerman, January 24, 2018

Hi, Kids!

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

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

Asshole:          Chairman Ed Kelley & the Volusia County Council

On Monday, the annual political bacchanalia known as the “State of the County Address” was held at the languishing Ocean Center – a beautiful county-owned facility with a 42,000-square foot arena, and seating for over 9,000, that has been reduced from staging Elton John and Bob Dylan concerts to hosting quilting bees.

Everyone (who is anyone) dutifully gathered for this spectacle of vanity run amok – an orchestrated opportunity for our elected officials to showcase dubious “accomplishments and achievements” – slap some backs, and take credit for the work of others during the past year.

According to News-Journal reporter Dustin Wyatt, (who relegated their coverage of the soiree to page C-1), the theme of the event was “Accelerating to new heights.” 

It beats “Going to hell in a handbasket,” I suppose.

This year, just like every year, our delusional elected officials in DeLand aptly took credit for their true role in the Dinneen regime – facilitating “local financial support” (read: corporate welfare) for all the right last names – to include gifting millions of dollars in public funds to Brown & Brown, the billionaire international insurance intermediary, for a new headquarters building.

Oh, Old Ed threw in a few zingers – like claiming responsibility for a couple of public parks and nature trails – and grabbed the glory for “opening” beach ramps that were arbitrarily and inexplicably closed years ago.

 (I’m not sure giving back something we already had can be considered an “accomplishment” – but here in the Twilight Zone, anything is possible.)

Of course, our High Panjandrums of Political Power took time to grovel for their handlers, and gush appreciation for their “sponsors” – comprised almost exclusively of county contractors or political insiders – who ponied-up the estimated $30,000 so our movers & shakers could enjoy a “free lunch.”

Free lunch.  Yeah, right. . .

I noticed Mr. Kelley didn’t take credit for the strategic neglect that has left county-owned facilities throughout Volusia County in a state of utter dilapidation – to include prime real estate held off municipal tax roles as potential “off beach parking” – deplorable conditions that contribute to blight in Ormond Beach and elsewhere – or the recurring gaffs and mistakes, open theft of our heritage of beach driving, off-the-agenda sleight-of-hand, tax addiction, lack of infrastructure planning, astronomical fee increases, or the pathological secrecy that shrouds everything this administration does or says.

And I’m sure Ed didn’t mention the bizarre “public policy by ambush” strategy that has become Mr. Dinneen’s modus operandi, a Machiavellian scheme that continues to seriously undermine public trust in Volusia County government.

Perhaps most mindboggling was Mr. Kelley’s warm embrace of recent hard-won homeless initiatives as a county “achievement.”

My ass.

For years, Volusia County fought tooth-and-nail to obstruct any reasonable solution to the homeless problem; that is until the City of Daytona Beach, Mrs. Forough Hossieni and other local leaders took the reins and developed workable solutions to this pervasive countywide problem, one that continues to hamper real “economic development” and adds to the overall sense of hopelessness that pervades many areas of east Volusia.

Shameless.

When this snoozefest was resurrected last year, I wrote:

“Note to Chairman Kelley: The benefits of a lavish State of the County address are lost on us uncultivated rubes who gaze in amazement at the cringe-worthy state of affairs in DeLand – where our Sheriff has rightfully and openly exposed our County Manager as a “lying sack of shit” on the front page of the newspaper – and we keep rehashing corporate welfare projects and an increasingly artificial economy as “progress.”  Frankly, given our current imbroglios – it really is poor optics – either pure arrogance or utter denial. 

What’s changed?

Asshole:          Bethune-Cookman University Board of Trustees

Now, it is undeniable.

The disturbing pattern of corruption, intrigue and outright ineptitude is threatening the very future of Bethune-Cookman University – and it happened right under the nose of those charged with protecting and promoting the institution.

From the ugliness of last year’s dormitory debacle – a still brewing scandal which may ultimately expose the university to $306 million in crippling debt – to the latest revelation of the Heron Group’s super-secret partnership with former B-CU executives in an unrealized development known as the “MLK Lofts” – a weird project that was initially billed as luxurious high-end apartments positioned in Daytona’s horribly blighted Midtown.

(I wrote about it here: https://barkersview.org/2017/02/08/volusia-politics-smarter-than-the-average-bear/ )

As often happens when our worst fears are realized, the layers of this tragic disaster are being revealed slowly – like peeling a rotten onion – and now those responsible are being exposed as well.

With each new revelation, we see with greater clarity what happens when the frantic cries of the whistleblower are ignored – and unbridled arrogance and power form a malignant cancer on an institution – a hubristic disease which is allowed to metastasize by the complicity, and acquiescence, of those charged with providing oversight and accountability.

Like you, I’m still digesting things, but there is enough blame to go around.

There are a lot of unanswered questions, too.

Like, who knew what – and when.

Like, did Daytona Beach Redevelopment Director Reed Berger – or anyone else – perform even cursory due diligence before the city authorized some $3.6 million in tax abatement for the MLK Lofts project?

(I’m no expert, but even a rube like me knows there is a huge difference between a college dormitory and a posh, upmarket apartment complex.)

And why didn’t Deputy City Manager Jim Morris bring his insider knowledge of the deal to the attention of his boss, City Manager Jim Chisholm, when he became a public servant?

I’m not making accusations – I’m asking.

These are serious questions, that deserve serious answers.

I know Hubert Grimes to be an exceptional man of high integrity and great intellect, and I have every confidence in his ability to right a ship that is in grave danger of foundering – but that correction will require complete transparency, even when it gets uncomfortable.

In my view, the ultimate blame resides where it always does – at the top – squarely on the shoulders of the one individual who accepted the high mantle of responsibility as Chairman of the Bethune-Cookman University Board of Trustees – Mr. Joe Petrock.

Chairman Petrock – you didn’t know?

Really?

As B-CU alum and current Daytona Beach City Commissioner Paula Reed so eloquently stated in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, “This could bankrupt us,” said Reed, the only city commissioner who voted against the MLK Lofts project. “Where were the gatekeepers, the Board of Trustees, when this was taking place? To say you didn’t know is a poor excuse. The Board of Trustees are the supervisor of the president.”

Indeed.  Where in hell were the gatekeepers?

(Inexplicably, Mr. Petrock appears to have been out-to-lunch when the university he oversaw was being looted from within – yet, he still found time to accept the J. Saxon Lloyd Lifetime Achievement Award from the Halifax Civic League last week. Talk about shameless. . .) 

I suspect that when all is said-and-done, someone is going to jail – at least they should – and many others will be exposed as the frauds they are.

Now, Bethune-Cookman University is in real jeopardy – and we are left with the knowledge that those who were personally, ethically and morally responsible for protecting the institution – and Dr. Bethune’s esteemed legacy of “faith, scholarship and service” – failed in their sacred duties.

That is inexcusable.

In my view, it is past the time for former Chairman Petrock to resign – and for Interim President Grimes to request a federal investigation into the increasingly obvious financial crimes that have brought this venerated and historic university to its knees.

Angel:             Dr. Marie Herrmann, Volusia Medical Examiner

Barker’s View extends hearty congratulations and a sincere “thank you” for a job well done to Dr. Marie Herrmann, who recently announced her well-deserved retirement after over ten-years at the helm of the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office.

I don’t want to cloud Dr. Herrmann’s good work with the stench of politics – so I’ll just say that she did more, with less, than perhaps any other senior executive in Volusia County.

In all my professional dealings with Dr. Herrmann, I found her to be a quiet professional – intently focused on “getting it right.”  She served her various constituencies, to include law enforcement, the judicial system and bereaved families, extremely well.

Best wishes for all future endeavors, Dr. Herrmann.

Thank you for your outstanding service and dedication to the citizens of Volusia County.

We’re glad you came our way.

Asshole:          Lake Helen City Commission

There’s an old Chinese proverb the starstruck elected and appointed officials of Lake Helen who recently approved the I-4 Auto Mall development should become familiar with:

“Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true.”   

Angel:             Tim Curtis & L. Gale Lemerand

In the transient environment of the Halifax area – things come, and they go.

There is very little feeling of permanency – those places where we can come together, have common experiences and build a sense of community.

The original Houligan’s in Ormond Beach is one of those venues.

It was recently announced that area restaurateurs Tim Curtis and Gale Lemerand are bringing “our” Houligan’s back to life later this month after the building sustained extensive damage during Hurricane Matthew.

As a long-time area resident, I was a regular at Houligan’s predecessor – Scooters – a small sports bar in the South Forty Shopping Center where I passed many long nights playing shuffleboard, shooting pool and having copious libations with friends.

When Tim and his late father, Wally, opened Houligan’s in 1990, it was a natural sync – and a huge success.  It became the place we celebrated family events, enjoyed an after-work beer and met friends to catch up on the local gossip.

I’ve often said that Tim Curtis and Gale Lemerand do more for our community behind-the-scenes than any two people I know.  Their brand of discreet philanthropy, always focusing on real needs while remaining out of the limelight, sets the example for community-based problem solving and personal generosity.

Congratulations to Mr. Curtis and Mr. Lemerand for investing their incredible talents in finding a way to return this iconic Ormond Beach eatery to those of us who love it – who need it.

Angel:             Volusia Property Appraiser Larry Bartlett

Kudos to Property Appraiser Larry Bartlett for doing what his predecessor wouldn’t and putting some much-needed teeth in local code enforcement efforts.

Look, I know this idea isn’t popular with everyone – nor should it be.  But, in my view, the time has come to try something new.

Just before I retired from municipal service in 2014, the City of Holly Hill threatened a lawsuit against former Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath, when he refused the city’s request to place code liens as a non-ad valorem assessment on tax bills.

When I took up the rocking chair, I lost track of how things ultimately shook out.

I thought it was a good idea then, and I still do.

Let’s face facts – we continue to suffer the long-term consequences of lax or non-existent code enforcement in municipalities throughout Volusia County – and some unincorporated areas are in worse shape yet.

In some cases, it is the result of political cowardice – many elected officials simply can’t fade the political heat that comes with holding constituents accountable – and sometimes it’s just good old-timey incompetence.

In cities where decades of blight and dilapidation have become the norm, there is a real sense by enforcement officials that the task at hand is simply too great to accomplish.

They feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the beast.

When you couple that frustration with the fact code enforcement efforts historically haven’t been supported by administrators and elected officials (“complaint-driven” response, limitations on proactive enforcement, political meddling, etc.) and literally nothing is accomplished – and no one really cares.

When this cycle repeats itself for years – communities end up where we find ourselves today.

Is there a potential for abuse?  Sure.  But most modern code compliance ordinances have ample due process requirements, rules of evidence, and the opportunity for an outside, unbiased review by a special magistrate or the judicial system.

For example, one need look no further than the outstanding work of Daytona Beach Special Master David Vukelja for reassurance.

Under Mr. Bartlett’s plan, long-term violators – those who simply will not comply with traditional compliance efforts – face the very real possibility of financial sanctions that cannot be ignored or deferred.

It’s a good start.

Let’s try something different for a change.

Now, I hope Bartlett will “crackdown” on phony agricultural exemptions by large corporate landowners in Volusia County.  In my view, if our elected officials keep planning these perennial tax increases – its high time everyone pays their fair share.

Angel:             Jeff Feasel, CEO, Halifax Health

The Halifax Health Board of Commissioners took some heat on the street this week after authorizing a compensation and benefits increase for Chief Executive Officer Jeff Feasel.

According to reports, the move brought Mr. Feasel’s base salary to $586,500 – which (believe it or not) still places him among the lowest paid administrators in the industry.

Look, regular readers of my twaddle know that I’m the first to call bullshit on the over-the-top salaries commanded by a few of our do-nothing anointed ones – but I happen to have a personal connection to Mr. Feasel’s leadership.

Several years ago, two incredibly talented surgeons – Dr. Joel Sebastien and Dr. Harry Black – removed my sigmoid colon in a six-hour operation at Halifax Hospital.  The procedure required a few days stay in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and nearly a week recuperating in the France Tower.

The experience gave me a broad overview of the staff and services provided by Halifax Health.

From the moment I walked in the front door until my discharge, the quality and consistency of customer service rivaled that of Disney World.

Perhaps most important, the professionalism of the nursing and medical staff was second-to-none.

The nurses and technicians who treated me provided a quality of care that transcend what one would expect from a public hospital – or a private setting, for that matter.  These men and women were true angels of mercy, and their healing skills were based upon real human compassion and the highest standards of modern medicine.

Kindhearted, attentive, sympathetic, caring and technically proficient.  These caregivers remain my personal heroes.

Whenever I have the opportunity, I tell people about my wonderful, life-changing experience at Halifax Health.  We are truly blessed to have this incredible, technologically advanced facility in service to our community.

I don’t know Mr. Feasel personally, but I recognize talent and leadership when I experience it.

In my view, if his management style and personal commitment to excellence in healthcare have contributed to this outstanding culture of care and professionalism – then he deserves ample compensation for his incredible contribution to our community.

Quote of the Week:

“The main purpose of One Daytona is to supplement the Speedway.”

 –Jeff Boerger, ISC Vice President for Corporate Development, speaking in the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

And that, in a nutshell, explains why our local elected officials handed over $40 million of our hard-earned tax dollars to subsidize a little family enterprise located just across the street.

A place where shoppers are required to pay a one-percent “Enhanced Amenity Fee” on retail purchases at the publicly underwritten One Daytona complex.

In 2015, the France Family was listed at #53 on Forbes magazine’s list of the Richest Families in America with an estimated net worth over time of $5.7 Billion dollars.

News & Notes:  Our friend Anne Ruby – a tireless civic activist who has worked diligently to foster positive change and improve our quality of life in Volusia County – is launching a refreshing new public affairs blog, bringing her unique insight to the often-thorny issues facing us here on the Fun Coast.  It’s good stuff.

Find it here:  www.annotations4today.com

Have a great weekend, y’all.

I must admit – I didn’t think much of New Smyrna City Manager Pam Brangaccio.

Her exchange with a local homeless advocate in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irma put me off.  In a pique, I took Ms. Brangaccio to the woodshed on this forum – even after she publicly apologized for a transgression born of mental and physical exhaustion.

I was wrong – I often am.

And I apologize.

There is no denying the fact that Ms. Brangaccio has a true talent for civic management, and she is actively helping transform New Smyrna into one of the most desirable communities in Central Florida.

The contributions and stewardship of Mayor Jim Hathaway and the City Commission have added to the sense of political stability and cohesiveness evident in everything the city does.

And now, the citizens of this beautiful beachside community can also take credit for fostering real progress.

Last week, New Smyrna officials hosted the first of many community meetings specifically designed to bring the input and creativity of area residents into the decision-making process.  Over 250 citizens gathered at the Brannon Center to discuss ways to ensure New Smyrna remains a strong and resilient community.

I am pretty sure that’s the way things are supposed to work in a representative democracy – but it’s been so long I’m beginning to doubt my instincts.

Can you imagine – in your wildest wet dreams – a scenario in which Volusia County government would solicit feedback from We, The People on anything – let alone our actual needs and priorities?

My God.

Public input and transparency is anathema to the uber-reticent administration of County Manager Jim Dinneen.  In fact, the efforts taken to hide the county’s true agenda has left Mr. Dinneen and County Chair Ed Kelley looking like Secret Squirrel and Morocco Mole.

After all, if you include citizens in the planning process, value outside participation and solicit “buy-in” – then you lose the all-important “surprise factor” that well-executed ambushes require.

In Jim Dinneen’s world, it just muddies the water when you discuss options and possibilities with your constituents.  For Little Jimmy, it’s so much easier to buy an opinion from a consultant, knowing you have the complete acquiescence of the elected representatives.

He would rather spring a massive $260-million construction debt on an unsuspecting public, surprise us with off-the-agenda legislation, or file a lawsuit against grassroots organizations to prohibit their participation in shaping public policy.

When you compare this tragic, ham-fisted bungling that passes for governance in the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center with the innovative and civically inclusive processes in successful communities – the glaring differences are shocking – and perfectly exemplify why no one trusts county government anymore.

Unfortunately, the insular sense of political superiority that shuns outside ideas in favor of focusing exclusively on the needs of a few well-connected insiders, isn’t limited to the Volusia County Council.

Municipalities throughout Volusia County – especially the mosaic of communities on the east-side – should parrot the management and leadership traits so evident in places like New Smyrna Beach and DeLand.

These communities are doing it right – in partnership with all stakeholders.

By including those who ultimately pay the bills in the planning process – and truly valuing their contributions – everyone involved can experience the pride of success as they work cooperatively to build a strong, sustainable city together.

Good work, Ms. Brangaccio – and the citizens of New Smyrna.  Thank you.