There are many pathways to public service – the willingness to commit ourselves to a cause greater than our own self-interests and work hard for the common good.

Some make a career of the civil service or serve in the military, others seek appointment to public positions of high responsibility, or volunteer with grassroots efforts to affect positive change in their communities.

And then there are those intrepid few who stand for election to public office.

The motivations and drive to hold oneself out as a political candidate are as varied as the people who participate in the process – a desire for community service, civic involvement, a need to change the status quo, the real ability to make a positive impact, patriotism – and the less noble reasons of power, prestige, personal and professional benefit and outsized ego.

In local government, those we elect to serve are our friends and neighbors – the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker – average people who give of their time and talents to serve in our collective interest. They are our insurance agent, realtor, dentist and clergy, school teachers and retirees, business owners and attorneys – folks from all walks of life, experience and backgrounds.

They take the late-night phone calls about trash collection, patiently listen to citizen complaints, explain the labyrinth of government processes, set budgets, hear zoning disputes, sit on boards and committees, listen to mind-numbing presentations, raise funds and awareness, endure relentless lobbying and persuasion from “power brokers” and competing interests, field personal insults and inquiries, and attend myriad ribbon cuttings, chamber events and rubber chicken civic functions.

In most cases, they serve in the public interest – but a few succumb to the temptation of power and become everything they hated when their political journey began.  Others are simply weak-minded or unprepared for the reality of politics – and are quickly taken into the maw of the “system,” a machine that feeds greedily on tax dollars and rejects creativity or individual thought in favor of homogenized conformity and fealty to the shadowy, behind-the-scenes shot-callers who use the public purse for personal enrichment.

For their trouble, everything our elected officials do and say is subject to withering criticism by louts like me.

Many who stand for public office quickly realize it is simply easier to go along, and get along.

But a few brave souls stand firm to their personal convictions, reject conformity, corruption and the status quo, and take a principled stand to serve their constituents honorably while fighting the strong currents of special interests and those elected and appointed officials who are indebted to them.

While I did not always agree with him, in my view, Deltona City Commissioner Brian Soukup was one of those.

His often-unique take on the issues of the day were always centered on the needs of his constituents – with a sensitivity for how decisions made today would ultimately affect the future of Volusia County’s largest municipality.

Unfortunately, his efforts were often met with a belittling arrogance by certain members of the City Commission who are clearly conflicted in their civic loyalties.

Last fall, in a Barker’s View post entitled, “Deltona: Welcome to 1984,” I described a dust-up wherein Commissioner Soukup had the abject temerity to question the motivations of City Manager Jane Shang – in my view, a compromised foul ball who feeds on drama and dysfunction – when she approved a highly unusual mid-service payout of some $93,000 in unused leave as part of a firefighter’s internal promotion.

Commissioner Soukup took issue with the questionable expenditure and publicly stated he believed Shang lied to him by omission when he made inquiry into the matter.

Mr. Soukup’s remarks were met with suspiciously sharp rebukes from Mayor John Masiarczyk and Vice Mayor Chris Nabicht (a retired Deltona deputy fire chief) both of whom thought Soukup’s comments somehow insulted the delicate sensibilities of the Deltona fire union.

During the ensuring brouhaha, Nabicht barked, “You’re out of line, Soukup.”

Out-of-line?

Questioning a $93,000 in-service payout is out-of-line?

A sitting elected official publicly announcing that he may have received questionable information from the City Manager is out-of-line?

Really?

Then, in perhaps the most chilling move ever witnessed from a local municipal government (at least since the coup d’état in the City of DeBary) – Deltona officials proposed something they called a “civility ordinance” – a screwy law designed to control the manner and means by which the people’s elected representatives could point out the errors and omissions of senior executives and voice critical opinions of staff performance or address constituent complaints.

Although the measure ultimately died unceremoniously, it exposed the rapidly metastasizing cancer that is the Shang administration to the air and light of day.

As the “system” will, other self-protection measures were soon implemented, such as denying elected officials ready access to corroborating information by imposing onerous fees for public records requests (you read that right: the City of Deltona charges elected officials for access to public records) block voting on important issues, the selective release of information to individual commission members, marginalizing those who are critical of the majority, open hostility towards constituents who speak critically of Deltona government, a decision barring individual commissioners from placing items for discussion on the agenda without majority approval and a perverse measure which allows only “positive and short comments during commission comment time.”    

On Monday, Commissioner Soukup gave up his fight for government of the people, by the people and for the people in the City of Deltona.

In his scathing letter of resignation, Mr. Soukup wrote:

“I can no longer be part of an elected body that, in principal and in practice, continues to create and operate in a culture of injustice and unethical and possibly illegal practices. It is a culture that absolutely refuses to respect, to include and to serve in the best interest of its residents. And worse, it is a culture that willingly condones and covers up unethical practices. It is clear that Deltona is being run by special interests and highly paid consultants, concerned only with lining their own pockets. I won’t be complicit in that!”

 The citizens of Deltona have lost a principled leader – an elected official who served in the best traditions of our democratic system of governance – and worked hard to make Deltona City Hall more accessible, transparent, and inclusive.

Unfortunately, the bastardized “system” of what passes for government in Deltona abhors those attributes.

In my view, it is time for Deltona residents to seek answers to the dark questions posed by Mr. Soukup’s resignation.

Now is the time for taxpayers to question the motivations of an elected body – and a city administration – that would stifle the free and open discussion of civic issues, engage in the misrepresentation, manipulation and controlled distribution of critical information, and demonstrate such a complete disregard for citizen concerns and input.

It is imperative that the Deltona City Commission immediately request the resignation of City Manager Jane Shang, and order an independent investigation into the improprieties and unethical practices detailed by a man whose character could no longer tolerate his association with them.

 

Photo Credit:  The Daytona Beach News-Journal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi, Kids!

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

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

Angel:             Journalist Dinah Pulver and Opinion Writer Scott Kent

When I began reading Dinah Pulver’s outstanding reportage of the political intrigue that would become known as “The Debacle in DeBary” in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, I knew right away that this was something different – something special.

Clearly, I’m no expert, but as a voracious, life-long reader, I know good writing when I see it.

She’s the real deal.

At the time, I wrote that Dinah’s in-depth coverage of the murky relationship between Orlando-based Bio-Tech, an environmental consultancy owned by John Miklos, chairman of the powerful St. Johns River Water Management District, and the City of DeBary, was nothing short of Pulitzer worthy.

Last week, Dinah Pulver was awarded the prestigious University of South Florida’s Waldo Proffitt Award for Excellence in Environmental Journalism at the Florida State Newspaper Editor’s conference.

Incredibly well deserved.

We are extremely fortunate to have Dinah Pulver reporting the news here on the Fun Coast.  Her innate ability to get important points across – to flesh-out those fine details that make her stories so deep and rich – is worthy of this special recognition, and our appreciation.

In addition, News-Journal Opinion Editor Scott Kent – my first read every morning – received the FSNE first place award for editorial writing.

Much of what I write is a riff on Mr. Kent’s hard work.

His excellent writing sparks our interest in a topic, educates our views and allows us to form a more well-rounded opinion.  While I don’t always agree with his point-of-view, I truly enjoy the clear-headed reason Mr. Kent brings to the important issues of the day.

As a goofy opinion blogger, my heroes are obscure authors and exceptional editorialists – smart people that I can learn from, steal from and emulate – Scott Kent and Pat Rice are among the very best.

We are all smarter for having read their unique take on the news and newsmakers of the day.

Congratulations to all News-Journal writers and staffers who received special recognition for your fine efforts on our behalf!

Angel:             City of Holly Hill, Florida

It’s no secret – a big part of my heart resides in Holly Hill – “The Hill” – that beautifully quirky, eclectic place on the west bank of the Halifax River that is home to some of the most wonderfully eccentric, caring and compassionate people on earth.

That’s why I fit in so well there for over three-decades.  The Hill accepts the oddball, the idiosyncratic, the original – and it embraces diversity unlike anyplace I’ve ever known.

I have often said that when a community’s luminaries are named “Big John,” “Crazy Eddie,” and “Snake” – you know it’s going to be an incredibly interesting place to be.

The citizens of Holly Hill embrace the genuine and reject the contrived, and they don’t suffer fools for long.

I love its people – and its spirit – and for over 31-years, they loved me back.  Unconditionally.

On Monday, the City of Holly Hill did themselves proud by pulling out the stops and hosting an exceptionally enthusiastic “Welcome Back!” celebration for students returning to Holly Hill School.

City officials, School Board members and senior management, police officers, parents and community members all gathered at the threshold – rolled out the red carpet – waved signs, blew party horns, “high-fived” and shouted words of encouragement to the arriving students.

What a wonderful show of support for a school still struggling to find its footing after the consolidation of the former Holly Hill Elementary and Middle School into a unique K-8 format several years ago.

Recently, Mayor John Penny issued a heartfelt letter to the Volusia County School Board urging more permanent leadership for the school that has suffered from a lack of “ownership” and stability, due in part to the near-constant turnover of senior administrators.

This year, Holly Hill School starts the new year under the fresh direction of Principal Jason Watson and Assistant Principal Derrick Henry – both talented educators and proven administrators who have pledged their support for increased resources and a renewed focus on raising academic standards.

The City of Holly Hill has many challenges; however, enthusiasm, thoughtfulness and a strong sense of community aren’t among them.

There is a lot of love in that little town, and on Monday, all of Volusia County got to see it.

If you’re looking to relocate your residence – or business – please give The City with a Heart a second look.

Be part of the renaissance of one of America’s great small towns.  You’ll be glad you did.

Angel:             City of DeLand – Community Redevelopment Agency

Because I spend an inordinate amount of time writing often scathing essays on the “dark side” of Volusia County politics, decrying the abject squalor in the Daytona Beach Resort Area and whining about the myriad internal and external challenges facing us here on the Fun Coast, sometimes people mistake me for an expert on the issues.

I’m not.

In fact, I’m just as mystified by the machinations and mini-moves of our elected and appointed officials as you are.

Most days, I feel like a misfit child wandering precariously deeper into the woods.

But I know what I like, what feels right and good to me, and I get that sense in places like DeLand – communities with a true sense of time and place that are working extremely hard to “get it right.”

I happen to believe that enthusiasm and creativity are just as contagious as blight and dilapidation, and the true renaissance of America’s best downtown proves that theory.  The hard work and persistence of community members, visionary entrepreneurs and forward-thinking city officials has created something very special.

Trust me – it wasn’t a new courthouse, a weird outlet mall or a mega-auto dealership that spurred success in DeLand.  It was old-fashioned hard work.

Earlier this month, I travelled to DeLand for a haircut at the amazingly cool Rusty Razor – an old school barbershop with an incredibly hip feel that is redefining the experience.

My visit included a late breakfast at Doug & Lil’s Potato Patch, followed by a wonderfully unhurried stroll among the quaint shops and eateries of Downtown DeLand.

I’m not sure, but I think you’ve officially become “a destination” when folks travel 33-miles for a haircut and a cheese omelet.

One of my favorite places in Central Florida is the diverse block of Georgia Avenue between South Woodland Boulevard and Florida Avenue – which includes Persimmon Hollow Brewery, Trilogy Coffee Roasting Company, Café De Vinci and Artisan Alley.  In many ways, this small, eclectic enclave embodies the great vibe and atmosphere that is making DeLand among the most attractive locations in the state.

Kudos to the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency for recently funding improvements to Georgia Avenue, striking upgrades which include a fashionable new street-scape complete with brick pavers and unique overhead lighting, amenities that bring a festive feel to the area.

Asshole:          County Manager Jim Dinneen

There is an old maxim that veteran salespeople have lived by for decades:  Don’t sell past the close.

According to the business blog Compile, “This chestnut is supposed to encourage you to listen intently to your customer for the signal that they are ready to buy and then stop blathering from that point on.” 

Apparently, County Manager Jim Dinneen is unfamiliar with that sage advise.

At yesterday’s Volusia County Council meeting, the fact that you and I are getting a brand-new $260+-million-dollar courthouse and office complex in Downtown Daytona – whether we want it or not – was a foregone conclusion.  Done deal.

Why?

Well, Volusia County paid an Orlando-based consultant – you know, the proverbial out-of-town expert with a briefcase – a quarter-million-dollars to “study” the issue of our aging judicial facilities – then report that the only possible solution is total obliteration of existing space and building a monstrous, five-story consolidated complex near the current S. James Foxman Justice Center on Beach Street.

Our consultant’s presentation to the County Council (during which he telegraphed his institutional knowledge of our area by referring to Ridgewood as “Rockwood”) was repeatedly interrupted by County Manager Jim Dinneen.  It was a compulsive regurgitation of facts already on the record – and a well-rehearsed (and totally contrived) explanation for his ambush-style July announcement.

(If I have to listen to Jimmy explain away one more of his “grand reveals” as the result of an “ethical obligation” I’m going to literally regurgitate.) 

Frankly, the presentation was hard to follow given Little Jimmy’s near-constant grandstanding (at one point he actually congratulated his own question).

Regardless, after the gentleman from Dewberry reported that their study found Volusia takes pretty good care of its buildings and facilities – well, I kind of called bullshit on everything that came after.

Doesn’t matter.  It was clear from the beginning that this project is happening.  The only thing left to cipher is exactly how you and I are going to pay for it all – but don’t worry – that’s coming.

We heard more flashlight-under-the-chin scary stories about safety and security concerns, the patience of staff, and listened to all the reasons why Volusia County resident’s living south of New Smyrna don’t need convenient access to judicial services.

Nothing to see here, you stupid rubes.

Your input is not needed.  Shut the fuck up and pay for it.

Remember – there is only one “preferred option” – because Jimmy said so –  and if it takes $260+-million of our hard-earned tax dollars to ensure the needs, wants and creature comforts of Volusia County bureaucrats are met for years to come – so be it.

Angel:             Commissioner Aaron Delgado

 Innovation is the key to success in business – and government.

According to Daytona Beach Commissioner Aaron Delgado, he recently read an article about Copper Bottom Distillery – Volusia County’s first craft distiller who produces a unique line of rum, vodka and specialty spirits from a renovated laundromat in Holly Hill.

When Mr. Delgado stopped to see the operation, and speak with the owners, he was told that the business originally wanted to open in Daytona Beach, but learned many entrepreneurs believe the process is simply too onerous to open an enterprise there.

In his inimitable style, Commissioner Delgado is once again thinking globally, while acting locally, to promote economic development and put locally produced products back on the map.

The plan will have a distinctive decal or logo – which will readily identify goods and services originating in Daytona Beach – a “Made in Daytona” label that will return pride of craftsmanship and sense of ownership back to our area.

Light manufacturers in Volusia County produce thousands of specialty products – from medical supplies to aftermarket electronics and sunscreen.  In my view, Commissioner Delgado’s idea to promote the Daytona Beach “brand” to global consumers while recognizing small businesses locally is something every company – and government – in Volusia County should get behind.

Simple ideas can change the world.

In my view, it’s this kind of original thinking and creativity that is going to take Commissioner Aaron Delgado to greater political heights.  His no-nonsense approach to public service and community improvement is refreshing and he deserves a bigger stage.

Quote of the Week:

“Now is the chance for the McDermott’s of the world to weigh in. No doubt the plan will ultimately prevail, but let’s have a discussion and let everyone weigh in.”

Chief Judge Raul Zambrano, speaking in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, after Retired Judge Michael McDermott had the temerity to question the mega-courthouse deal – suggesting that there must be a simpler, cheaper way to address facility shortcomings without the complete removal of judicial services from New Smyrna residents.

I know Judge Zambrano means well – and I am certain that he truly wants what’s best for everyone concerned – but I’m not sure confirming our worst fears that public input is but an inconvenient formality in the process of ramrodding the most expensive project ever undertaken in Volusia County instills confidence.

Have a great weekend everyone.

 

 

 

Most regular readers of this forum understand it for what it is – my wacky opinions on the news and newsmakers of the day.  One man’s undiluted views on the issues that affect our lives and livelihoods here on the Fun Coast.

Some like it – some hate it.  It is what it is.

Look, I read the paper.  I’m not some wise sage spouting prophecy and waxing philosophic – and I am damn sure not a tenacious news reporter down in the trenches ferreting out the truth.

When you tune-in to Barker’s View, expect the frustrated rants of an uneducated oaf who sits around in his boxer shorts, pours three-fingers of bourbon in his morning brew, and broods heavily on the machinations of our elected and appointed officials.

No more, no less.

I rarely opine on international affairs, or delve into national politics, because, frankly, I don’t understand most of it and there is little I could do to change it if I did.

Besides, Volusia County is fertile ground for petty political intrigue – the good, the bad and the ugly of what passes for local governance.

(And I’m nothing if not petty.)

Hell, I’m convinced an independent investigative journalist could make a cottage industry out of Daytona Beach alone.

I have a working theory that the reason “things” are so messy here is due in large part to the strange, multi-layered oligarchical system that is Volusia County government.  While some will disagree, even those with a passing interest in local politics are coming to the realization that the point-of-the-spear – our elected officials – simply go where unseen forces take them.

And it has nothing to do with the needs, wants and concerns of their constituents.

As a result, it appears some of our representatives have just stopped trying.  By design, or necessity, they simply do what they are told, when they are told to do it.

For instance, last week in this space I spoke of my total astonishment at a late-night social media post by our doddering fool of a County Council Chair, Ed Kelley, when he exposed himself as a naïve asshole on the terms of the massive bond proposed for County Manager Jim Dinneen’s colossal courthouse/county office facility in Downtown Daytona.

In an unbelievably addle-brained outburst, Mr. Kelley raved, “Not sure who keeps making up this $200,000,000 number!!!!”

For the record – the Daytona Beach News-Journal reported (on the front page) that the cost of the courthouse development – the most expensive public project in the history of Volusia County – was expected to cost taxpayers between $165-million and $260-million over 30 to 40 years.

Also – for the record – it was Jim Dinneen who provided these figures to the newspaper.

Then, things just got weird.

This morning I read a piece written by the intrepid Dustin Wyatt in the News-Journal, which explained that for months before Mr. Dinneen launched his ‘Grand Reveal’ of the courthouse project, there were a series of “behind-the-scenes” meetings, far removed from the public eye, involving “Attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials, and architects” – even Councilwoman Heather Post attended one of the backroom discussions in her role on something called the Public Safety Coordinating Council.

 But when Reporter Wyatt asked the one person who should be “in the know” on the largest expenditure of public funds in the history of his jurisdiction – Chairman Ed Kelley – if he attended any of the lead-up meetings, he “demonstrated how far removed the public, and even some of the top elected officials, were from the process.”

 “What meetings?”  Kelley exclaimed – exuding all the confidence and leadership of a botched pre-frontal lobotomy victim.

“Not sure of any meetings.”

Minutes of these “stakeholder” meetings – confabs that were apparently so secretive even the Chairman of the Volusia County Council was kept in the dark – are part of a quarter-million-dollar report which began life as a nondescript judicial facilities study on the council’s consent agenda last fall.

I guess Ed’s not a stakeholder.  Neither are you or me.

He’s not very perceptive either.

One month ago, Jim Dinneen – in his patented “public policy by ambush” strategy – made the surprise announcement describing the “preferred option” of bureaucrats for our new office and courthouse facility before the Volusia County Council.

I say “surprise” because the proposed $260-million-dollar issue wasn’t listed on the printed agenda – and neither the elected officials, or their constituents – were wise to it in advance.

Whenever Mr. Dinneen is involved in capital improvement projects or facilities planning – the patented strategy will always be to allow years of neglect, and an expensive external “needs study,” to precede an ambuscade announcement that “we” – the taxpayers – are building a Taj Mahal replacement complex that will better serve the convenience of government over the needs of the public it serves.

At the end-of-the-day, Mr. Dinneen’s near-constant attempts to keep certain segments in-the-loop – and others completely in-the-dark – during the planning stage of any project invariably results in a Circus atmosphere that always overshadows the important issues under consideration – and gives clowns a bad name.

Don’t take my word for it – let’s take a walk through the dusty Big Top of recent history (careful, mind the horseshit and elephant dung):

From Jimmy’s proposed multi-million-dollar consolidated public works complex, to the “shocking” off-the-agenda announcement that the languishing Desert Inn/Westin project was transmogrifying into a “Hard Rock” something-or-other – complete with retroactive legislation to preserve the removal of beach driving provision that We, The People were promised would go away if certain very specific performance provisions weren’t met – to the still mysterious rumblings of a “boardwalk extension” that is actively being budgeted, but not talked about, to the blight and dilapidation of county-owned properties, and a surprise parking lot purchase in the heart of the Main Street redevelopment area, etc., etc.

Add to that the suspicious “economic development” giveaways, the sale of public property to private interests for half its just value, our High Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s continuous warning to anyone who will listen that Jim Dinneen is a “lying sack of shit,” the massive pay and benefit increases for inept senior management, and the lack of substantive citizen input in incredibly expensive and controversial issues – and you get the idea that things are happening in Volusia County despite our elected representatives – not because of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ability to agreeably disagree, to engage in the peaceful competition of ideas, and passionately debate the issues of the day in a thoughtful way are the hallmarks of our freedom of speech and self-expression – those inalienable rights that so many have fought and died to protect.

I write an opinion blog – one that is often hyper-critical of those who are elected and appointed to wield the massive powers of government in the public interest.  I consider this forum part of the checks-and-balances that protect our democratic values and processes, although the reality is I am merely an ant fighting an elephant – and while the battle may be fun to watch – I realize that I am no match for the powers that be.

And I never forget that my point of view is but one facet of any issue.

For instance, in his recent editorial in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, my friend Greg Gimbert wrote, “It’s all over social media: Fire Jim Dinneen. People have been copying and sharing it.  But that isn’t how local government is supposed to work.”

 I agree with him on one point:  Nothing about our system of governance in Volusia County is the way local government is “supposed to work.”

In my view, he’s wrong about the rest.

According to Mr. Gimbert, the only metric which determines whether Volusia’s county manager position is operating as intended is the alignment of council member votes and their apparent agreement on every issue coming before them.

“There is consensus on every issue; thus, the county manager is doing a good job in the eyes of his employers, our County Council.”

His argument holds that those who are actively calling for the termination of County Manager Jim Dinneen are acting out of frustration – blaming the tool instead of the hands on it – and that the true problem facing Volusia County residents are the “policy-makers” – our elected officials who ostensibly give an obedient county manager his marching orders.

The argument proposed by Mr. Gimbert assumes two very important points – the first accepts that we are living in a representative democracy, the second presupposes a council/manager form of government in Volusia County.

It also presumes that Mr. Dinneen gives a Tinker’s damn about the “policies” and directives of our horribly neutered and wholly out-of-touch elected officials.

Even a casual observer of local politics quickly understands that we are living in a bastardized oligarchy – a system controlled by a few outside influence brokers, distinguished by wealth – who insinuate large sums of cash (personally and through various business entities they control) into local political campaigns while insulating Mr. Dinneen from the normal oversight and control of the elected body.

As I’ve said before, the infusion of Big Money into individual local races by a few exclusive insiders who have proven time-and-time again that their motivations are purely self-serving, doesn’t make Volusia County unique – but it certainly establishes the political pecking order and directs the ebb and flow of public resources.

It also tips the balance in favor of a select few individuals and corporate interests in an environment where the average per capita income is approximately $24,000.

The net-net of these large investments to artificially control the outcome of local races is the very foundation of this oligarchical system we’ve come to collectively accept.

Smart people like J. Hyatt Brown, Lesa France-Kennedy, and Mori Hosseini are highly successful for one reason only – they don’t spend a dollar without knowing exactly what the return on that investment will be.

You don’t last long in business throwing good money after bad.

I don’t know about you, but when I spend money, I expect something in return.  In this case, the local ruling class – those few the Daytona Beach News-Journal has dubbed our Rich & Powerful – make these strategic campaign contributions with the understanding that their personal, civic and professional interests will outweigh those of the average citizen every time.

You want to see consensus?  Hide and watch the next time Mr. Brown, Mr. Hossieni or Ms. France-Kennedy enter the council chambers to support an issue.

The fact is, the policy-makers change – but the policy never does – and it never will, until the outsized influence of a few uber-wealthy power brokers is removed from the equation.

Otherwise, the result will always be a co-opted system which serves its masters on-demand, invariable directs public funds to private interests and protects the key facilitator from internal and external political threats.

When you add to that Mr. Dinneen’s patented “public policy by ambush” strategy – where controversial issues are sprung on “surprised” members of the county council and their long-suffering constituents – totally off the advertised public agenda – and one cannot help but come to the realization that our elected officials are mere handmaidens to their outside handlers who don’t extend them so much as the courtesy of a briefing.

All they know, or need to know, is how to vote.

The fact is, our elected officials in DeLand haven’t had an original thought in years.

Innovation and inventiveness was tactically removed from the system in favor of a “go along and get along” process that rewards homogenized conformity and punishes creativity.

The myriad problems, missteps, open mismanagement and gross ineptitude repeatedly exhibited by Mr. Dinneen and his senior staff – political and operational pratfalls that have left our elected officials looking like out-of-touch hayseeds with a cognitive disorder – with no accountability, confirms the idea that this “system” of ours bears no resemblance to quality governance.

I agree with Mr. Gimbert’s assertion that the solution to the problem is upstream of Jim Dinneen – but the headwaters of the problem remain outside what passes for democratic governance in Volusia County.

Make no mistake, We, The People, are right to call for Jim Dinneen’s termination – and to vote for candidates who understand the importance of political independence and value citizen input in the process.

We have a responsibility to restore civic accountability and ultimately change the nature and focus of a system that continues to benefit an influential few while ignoring the needs and unique heritage of Volusia County residents.

 

Photo Credit:  Daytona Beach News-Journal

Sometimes I wonder why otherwise bright, extremely well-educated, and politically influential people find it necessary to act-out in ways they must know will bring discredit to themselves, their family, their employer and their community.

People expect boorish behavior from uneducated louts like me – not highly esteemed university professors – or the First Lady of Daytona Beach.

I recently read a disturbing social media post regarding Dr. Stephanie Henry – the Acting Dean of Bethune-Cookman University’s College of Education and wife of Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry.

The post contained a copy of an official complaint affidavit completed by the Daytona Beach Police Department which detailed a June 2017 confrontation between Dr. Henry and the owner of the Beauty Bazaar, a small shop on North Nova Road.

Apparently, Dr. Henry entered the store, took some items off the shelf, then attempted to return an open and partially used beauty product.  The return was refused by the owner – who directed Henry to the store’s posted policy.

During the ensuing argument, the report states that Dr. Henry repeatedly mentioned that she was “the mayor’s wife” – and then became threatening: “I’m the mayor’s wife.  I’ll get you.”

Disturbing.

Especially considering she is, in fact, Mayor Henry’s spouse.

According to the report, Dr. Henry made things worse when she walked out of the store with about $4.75 worth of merchandise that she failed to pay for.  The ugly spat continued into the public parking lot.

Ultimately, Dr. Henry came back to the store, returned the items, and offered to pay for them.

Too late.  The store owner wasn’t hearing it.

I guess open political threats tend to have that effect on people.

In turn, a sworn statement was obtained from witnesses, and a complaint affidavit charging Dr. Henry with one count of misdemeanor Petit Theft was, I assume, sent to the State Attorney’s Office for review.

That’s generally how these things go – and perhaps the criminal charges have already been dismissed – I don’t really know.

What bothers me – and I’m sure many of you – is the “Don’t you know who I am?” arrogance that Dr. Henry’s statements conjure in the minds of her husband’s constituents.

Apparently, Dr. Henry believes that her husband’s political status can solve problems – and her cringeworthy announcement clearly indicates that she believes her status is more important than ours.

Perhaps it is, but given the rumor and intrigue surrounding Mayor Henry’s assumed return to Volusia County School’s following since-dropped felony charges alleging voter fraud – and his subsequent fall from grace at Mainland High School – one would think everyone involved would be on their best behavior.

Guess not.

So, Dr. Henry takes the prize this week.

In my view, threats and intimidation of small business owners is just bad optics – especially for the wife of a high-profile politician with a history many are trying very hard to get beyond.

People can forgive what they see themselves doing – and this behavior is, well, over-the-top – even for an uneducated lout like me.

Word to the wise:  Dr. Henry, you are in fact the Mayor’s wife – and an incredibly talented educator with a very bright future – everyone knows that.  I’m just not sure your husband’s lofty position needs repeating for leverage during petty arguments with Daytona Beach shopkeepers.

(UPDATE:  I have learned from a senior member of the judiciary that the misdemeanor charges against Dr. Henry were dismissed on June 23, 2017.)

 

This weekend, like many of you, I read Daytona Beach News-Journal editor Pat Rice’s piece in My Coast magazine entitled, “These 30 people make it happen.” 

Of course, it was one of those inane “most influential” lists, primarily consisting of what the News-Journal has dubbed our Rich & Powerful, with a few politicians and chamber of commerce-types mixed in for good will and ego massage.

Those of us still tethered to reality here on the Fun Coast know that our area’s true “movers and shakers” consist of five people who pass the same nickel around and effectively control what passes for our artificial local economy.

It appears Pat simply threw in twenty-five also-rans to avoid exposing the obvious.

My immediate thought was, “Make what happen?”

Followed immediately by, “Why in the hell would anyone want their good name associated with the convoluted shit-storm that is Volusia County? 

It’s like being named Boss Clown of the Theater of the Absurd.

Was Mr. Rice attempting to publicly shame those privileged few who have had repeated opportunities (and countless trips to the public trough) to make fundamental change to the blight, dilapidation, abject squalor, poverty, crime and economic suppression that permeates wide swaths of Volusia County like a suppurating ulcer?

No, Pat is far too nice for that.

I’ll let those who were named decide who is the meat and who is filler.

Far be it from me to winnow down this exalted list of local luminaries to those few High Panjandrums who truly impact our lives and livelihoods.

Look, don’t get me wrong, some of those listed deserve special recognition – people like Pat Northey and Gale Lemerand – who have worked extremely hard behind-the-scenes, and given generously of their time and personal resources to improve our lives, preserve our environment, and ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are protected.

Why these good folks were mixed in with some others who don’t is beyond me.

This year, John Albright, President and CEO of Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company, was named the most influential person in all Volusia County.

In my view, Mr. Albright’s most important achievement this year was slipping the corporate noose and keeping his job after the company’s largest investor sought to “maximize shareholder value” by selling the company, or liquidating its assets, which would have effectively shut down the traditional good-old-boy investor club that owns some 8,100 prime acres of undeveloped real estate – much of it near the ever-popular LPGA/I-95 corridor.

For instance, it has been reported that J. Hyatt Brown and his wife, Cici – both of whom were prominent on the “30-most influential” list – own some 10,000 shares of Consolidated-Tomoka stock.  And I’ll just bet they’re not the only ones on Mr. Rice’s roll with high stakes in Mr. Albright’s continued viability – so long as he remembers which side his bread is buttered on.

Of course, County Manager Jim Dinneen was listed among this year’s Camarilla of VIP’s – right next to his handlers – for his continued deft manipulation of the all-important nexus of public funds and private interests.

That position truly is influential.

I suppose what sent me fleeing to the restroom with cramping peristalses was Mr. Dinneen’s “Advise to others” message – which amounted to an over-the-top, subliminal mirror image of reality:

“Exercise honesty and integrity in your interactions with others.  If you are honest and have integrity, you are influencing others.”    

 (Excuse me for a moment.  I’ll be right back…)

There now.

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I have serious concerns about the direction of Volusia County government and the outsized influence of certain power brokers who use our bastardized campaign finance system to hand-select, and ultimately control, what passes for our elected representatives.

Recent events – such as Mr. Dinneen’s surprise announcement that he was purchasing a parking lot in the City of Daytona Beach for above its appraised value (totally unbeknownst to City Manager Jim Chisholm) – to his surprise announcement regarding the languishing Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock beach driving debacle (totally unbeknownst to citizens) – to his surprise announcement that he has personally decided to lash some $200,000,000 in debt to Volusia taxpayers, our children, and grandchildren over the next 30 to 40 years (totally unbeknownst to our elected officials) – tend to indicate that our council members are mere pawns in a shadow government that is wholly controlled by Mr. Dinneen and his wealthy handlers.

As I’ve said before, when you consider the complete mismanagement, mistakes, gaffes, howlers, fuck-ups and good old-fashioned open manipulation of information and misinformation under Mr. Dinneen’s administration – blunders that would have resulted in his immediate termination from any company controlled or managed by anyone on Mr. Rice’s list – it becomes immediately clear that he is politically protected by those who benefit from his direct control of the public tit – the endless supply of tax dollars that invariable flow into private projects and bolster our non-natural economy.

Is there another reasonable explanation?

In the continuing fall-out over Mr. Dinneen’s “grand reveal” of his five-story courthouse mega-facility in downtown Daytona, Vice Chair Deb Denys recently announced on the front page of the newspaper that she is uncomfortable with a process that resulted in just 38-minutes of discussion by decision-makers on the most expensive project in the history of Volusia County.

Now, I don’t believe for a nanosecond that Deb is really concerned – but she’s standing for reelection next year and optics are important right now.  Especially given the fact that people are beginning to question the astronomical cost and rapidity with which this dubious project is being shoved down our collective throat.

Then, our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, exposed himself in a late-night social media post which left little doubt that he was completely out-of-the-loop on Little Jimmy’s plans – and effectively numb to the concerns and questions of his long-suffering constituents.

This institutional indifference to Mr. Dinneen’s behind-the-scenes machinations represents an almost strategic ignorance by those who are sworn to represent our best interests.

Trust me.  I hold firm to the belief that this lack of even superficial knowledge of key events simply must be a well-orchestrated ruse.  Because – if our elected officials truly are that out-of-touch – the future for everyone other than those well-connected few is grim.

Perhaps Mr. Rice and his excellent investigative journalists at the News-Journal should go back and examine their “30-most” list – connect the dots, follow the money – and begin the important process of developing an accurate picture of the oligarchical system that has hampered legitimate economic development efforts for decades.

Regardless, I hope Jim Dinneen doesn’t take his loss to Mr. Albright too hard.  There’s always next year, eh?

Besides, you’ll always be King Rat to me.

 

Regular readers of this forum know that I frequently use over-the-top descriptors and goofy analogies to embroider the issue or characters that I’m opining about.

I think it’s funny – but the reality is it exposes the limitations of my writing skills and intellect.

For instance, I have a growing suspicion that our elected officials on the Volusia County Council are little more than pawns – hapless dupes – who serve as visible figureheads in a bastardized system that is wholly controlled by uber-wealthy power brokers who finance political campaigns through personal and corporate contributions in exchange for free rein access and influence.

I call this group – loosely consisting of J. Hyatt Brown, Mori Hossieni and Lesa France-Kennedy – the “High Panjandrums of Political Power.” 

In turn, the county’s true civic and political agenda is set, in toto, by these politically connected ‘investors,’ and their embedded business associates, through our hopelessly co-opted County Manager, Jim Dinneen.

I call this ‘complete bullshit’ – and counter to the democratic principles our nation was founded upon.

Increasingly, evidence suggests that our elected officials have become so detached from the actual process of our oligarchical system of governance – so marginalized and out-of-touch with the machinations of the county manager and his handlers – that they simply wander about like children lost in the woods.

They give great weight and import to issues like seabirds shitting on a private veranda – or the number of chicken coops permitted on residential lots, and make critical decisions regarding which way the door on beachfront Port-o-lets will face – you know, issues they truly have control over.

In the meantime, Mr. Dinneen ramrods the true agenda through his patented use of “public policy by ambush” tactics – a strategy that involves setting the stage well in advance of a “Grand Reveal” – a left-field sneak attack where he orchestrates the announcement of important issues without prior public notice and completely off the advertised meeting agenda.

You may remember the recent surprise announcement regarding the Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock change where Mr. Dinneen was caught on an open microphone giving our doddering fool of a Council Chairman, Ed Kelley, strict orders regarding how, when and where the great off-the-agenda revelation would occur during an open public meeting?

I do.

Then, just two-weeks ago, Mr. Dinneen threw yet another secret surprise party when he abruptly announced his “lofty vision” of putting a five-story courthouse and four-story county office complex near the S. James Foxman Justice Center in downtown Daytona.

Without prior notice – or even a placeholder spot on the Council’s public agenda – we learned that the massive public development, situated in the very heart of Daytona Beach, would consolidate operations of the current City Island Annex, the New Smyrna Beach courthouse and the county administration center.

In his typical style, Mr. Dinneen enlisted the assistance of several circuit court judges and court administrators to lend credibility – then pulled out snippets of a $248,000, yet-to-be-released, needs study by a Deland-based consultant – and alternated flashlight-under-the-chin scary stories with “game changer” and “icing on the cake” speculative economic development statements.

Oh, did I forget that he also explained that this done-deal project would cost Volusia County taxpayers, their children and grandchildren an estimated $195,000,000 to $260,000,00 over the next 30 to 40 years?

Because he did.

In the end, our elected officials were left swooning over Dinneen’s Taj Mahal courthouse – the most expensive project ever undertaken in Volusia County, Florida.

In fact, Councilman “Sleepy” Pat Patterson all but soiled himself on the dais – gushing over the economic impact a courthouse complex will have on the quaint shops and mixed-use vision in Downtown Daytona.

He even had the balls to credit the “new” Deland courthouse as the catalyst for all good things in that community – virtually ignoring the hard work of citizens, entrepreneurs and city officials that recently earned national recognition as the best Main Street in America.

In turn, Mr. Dinneen and Chairman Kelley sat down with the Daytona Beach News-Journal’s editorial board to flesh out the details of Little Jimmy’s “Grand Plan.”

Really, their picture was in the paper doing it.

According to the News-Journal’s article, “New courthouse, other plans, could transform downtown Daytona Beach,” the intrepid Eileen Zaffiro-Kean wrote:

“Despite a hefty price tag expected to top out at $195 million-$260 million, so far the project has received widespread support from County Council members, court system officials, law enforcement employees and Daytona Beach city government leaders.”

 Yep.  Everyone who is anyone was giddy.

Then, We, the People, started asking difficult questions – like how is it our elected officials spent three public meetings discussing suburban chicken coops, and just 38-minutes explaining away a $200+ million-dollar expenditure? – and the “widespread support” started to dry up faster than seagull shit on a hot pool deck.

Earlier this week, Dustin Wyatt, wrote an excellent piece in the News-Journal, focusing on citizens’ concerns about the consolidation of court services, lack of substantive public input – or even the courtesy of a heads-up – in the lead-up to Little Jimmy’s announcement.

Things that rubbed the always cantankerous (and up for re-election) Vice Chair Deb Denys the wrong way:

“While it’s not yet final, it would be the most expensive county project ever, and Vice Chair Deb Denys thinks it’s problematic how quickly the idea traveled from the hands of a third-party architect to a full-fledged plan for the future, without ever hearing from taxpayers.”

“I’m really struggling with some of the process here, and I can’t justify it,” she said Thursday. “We’ve had more discussions on backyard chickens than we have a $200 million courthouse,” which she expects will be even more expensive by the time it breaks ground.”

“It all moved so fast that some residents feel kept in the dark and are questioning the value of public input.”

Indeed.

In turn, I took the County Council to task for looking like a passel of out-of-touch dementia victims who were apparently caught as flatfooted by Dinneen’s announcement as the rest of us were.

If so, that’s some scary stuff.

Well, my worst fears were confirmed by a late-evening social media post by Chairman Ed Kelley in response to a very smart, and very civically engaged, citizen’s critique of the uber-weird lead-up:

“No public debate, no notice on the agenda, yet a 200-million-dollar plan was approved to move forward on a new courthouse facility in Daytona. Sketch”

Well, Ed Kelley came unhinged – I mean batshit, multi-exclamation point, furious – over the nerve and temerity of a taxpayer who actually questioned the machinations of his government.

Inexplicably, Chairman Kelley responded:

“Public hearings before any approved plans!!!!!  This has been discussed for almost a decade!!!! Not sure who keeps making up a $200,000,000 number!!!!”

Look, I don’t make this shit up.  Mr. Kelley really is that addle-brained.

Folks, that was the actual, verbatim response from your County Council Chair to a citizen’s criticism.

For the record, Chairman Kelley, the matter has not been discussed for “over a decade” – the only “discussion” I recall was a circa 2016 PowerPoint presentation of 10-year Capital-Improvement projects suggesting $1-million be set aside for “City Island Courthouse Improvements” – which included safety/security issues, acoustical and configuration of courtrooms, ADA accessibly issues and emergency backup power.

$1-million.

Remember that?

I do.

And everyone agrees we need a new courthouse.

What I don’t remember is the decades-long discussions of the urgent need for a $260+ million dollar consolidated mega-facility.

As far as who suggested the $200,000,000-dollar figure you screamed about – it was your County Manager – Little Jimmy Dinneen.

In fact, it was emblazoned on the front page of the Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“The changes are expected to be financed with a $120 million bond issue, costing the county $6.5 million annually on debt service that’s anticipated to take 30 to 40 years to pay off. In all, taxpayers are expected to be on the hook for between $195 million and $260 million, officials said.”

So, Mr. Kelley, before you go off like a deranged banshee on thoughtful citizens who are trying to get their heads around the most expensive project in the history of Volusia County – one that garnered exactly 38-minutes of open discussion – you might try reading the newspaper.

Look, I know you can read, Ed – I’ve seen your lips moving.

In my view, the exalted Chairman of the Volusia County Council might consider educating himself on the important issues of the day before spouting-off like a clueless asshole on social media.

It’s unbecoming – and undermines the people’s confidence.

 

 

 

 

Hi, Kids!

Tomorrow afternoon I will join with a few close friends in the watering holes of New Smyrna Beach as we hoist a few adult beverages, rage against the dying of the light, and toast my 57^th trip around the sun.

My God.  Where does the time go? 

The older I get the less range of extreme emotions I feel – intense anger, happiness, etc.  Researchers have found that the ability of “older adults” to give up on goals that are no longer attainable can help them avoid symptoms of depression over time.

Trust me.  No one embraces diminishing personal expectations like I do.

I dunno – I just don’t get overly excited or deeply depressed anymore – not much “moves” me the way it once did when I was a passionate young man, full of piss and vinegar.  With age comes acceptance, and ultimately a change in perspective, I suppose – besides, my beat-up old heart doesn’t like surprises anymore.

But I must tell you, friends – this week was different.

Sometime in the past few days, the “total views” meter – a kind of statistical odometer which digitally records the number of times good folks like you access and read Barker’s View blogposts – rolled past 100,000 views!

You guys have made this opinionated old drunkard very happy – and I’ve spent much of the last week telling anyone who will listen about this important milestone.

As of this moment, deep thinkers like you – folks who truly care about the issues facing our community and beyond – have viewed Barker’s View posts 101,640 times since this little social experiment in alternative opinion blogging began 20-months ago.

In turn, readership has expanded to some 88 countries around the globe!

With so much going on in the world, why people in Guyana, Senegal, Bahrain or Bangladesh care a whit about my goofy thoughts on the political machinations of Little Jimmy Dinneen, or the in’s-n-out’s of the war on beach driving in Volusia County, is beyond me – but we welcome them to the party with open arms!

Wow.  That’s humbling – and incredibly satisfying.

I also want to thank our local oracle of all-things government – Big John – for allowing me two-hours of valuable radio airtime the second Monday of each month on his popular show, GovStuff Live!, to pontificate on civic matters big and small.

So today, and every day, it is my honor to grant ‘Angel Status’ on each of you – the loyal and fearless readers of Barker’s View.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read and ponder my weird thoughts on the news and newsmakers of the day here on the Fun Coast – and for supporting our inalienable right of free speech and critical self-expression.

Whenever I get the opportunity to meet Barker’s View readers and discuss important issues, you have been incredibly warm, bright and accepting (if not critical of the colorful language) and the feedback and creative suggestions you bring help make this space something unique – a forum for furthering the debate of entrenched civic and social issues facing our community.

Thank you for your kindness – and your continued support.

It means more to me than you know.

To those very important, rich & powerful people that I routinely take to the woodshed, thank you for accepting the often-withering critique with a thoughtful spirit and good humor.

We may not always agree, but I sincerely appreciate the occasional “off the record” discussions with certain critical decision-makers and “big shots” – conversations that always enlighten my sometimes-rigid point of view.  You know who you are.

And, to those arrogant few elected and appointed officials (and the power brokers who control them) who look at public service as a personal enrichment scheme, and, worse yet, refuse to accept constructive criticism from their constituents – tough shit.  My readers and I aren’t going anywhere.

Read, learn, grow.

Thanks again, y’all.

Now, 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 have a peak at who tried to screw us – and who tried to save us – during the week that was:

Asshole:          County Manager Jim Dinneen & Volusia County Council

 Wow.  Our elected officials in DeLand are a little slow on the uptake.

Guess they should have listened when Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Jim Dinneen is a “lying sack of shit.”

Now, they have only themselves to blame.

Once again, Vice Chairman Deb Denys, and those other visibly addled dupes who sit at the dais with her, are giving their best faux-astonishment performance over Jim Dinneen’s recent bombshell that he and his friends have decided we’re getting a $200+ million-dollar courthouse and county office building in Downtown Daytona.

They can’t be that dumb, right?

Yep.  Last fall, an innocuous item labeled “judiciary space analysis” appeared on the consent agenda and was approved without question.

Now, without any public notice – or even buried placement on the County Council’s agenda – last week Little Jimmy pulled his best “surprise reveal” since we collectively received the dry suppository that was the Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock news when he announced he was (apparently single-handedly) undertaking the most expensive project in the history of Volusia County on the strength of a DeLand-based consultant’s report.

You and me?  Well, we’re just supposed to accept Dinneen’s “explanations” – pay the bills – and keep our traps shut.  (Not that we were provided an opportunity to provide input on the issue anyway.  That would have spoiled Little Jimmy’s surprise.)

Then, doing his patented Edger Bergen impression, our doddering fool of a Council Chairman, Ed Kelley – who told us all that he would no longer accept ambush-style, off-the-agenda shenanigans by fellow officials and staff – now says, from the other side of his mouth, “I don’t have a problem with this one.”

Why the hell not? 

Because it didn’t require a vote.

Bullshit.

Hey, Ed – just for the record – most presentations and other items that don’t require formal action by the council routinely appear on the agenda – and you damn well know it.

The fact is, given the gravity of this news – the public should have received notice.

Look, it’s one thing for you to serve as an active apologist for Dinneen’s “policy by ambush” style as he continues to work with his handlers behind the council’s back – and you can keep kissing the collective ass of the High Panjandrums of Political Power until the cows come home, for all I care.

But if you want to stop looking like a lame passel of out-of-touch dementia victims every time Jimmy and his buddies have a big announcement to spring on your unsuspecting constituents – then you’ll get a handle on the problem and mount an effort to fire Jim Dinneen now.

Regardless, stop lying to us in the morning paper.  It’s unbecoming – and old.

And stop making asinine excuses – the tail continues to wag the dog – and everyone but our elected officials seem to recognize it.

Angel:             Ormond Beach City Manager Joyce Shanahan

I have been a resident of Ormond Beach since 1963.  My family settled in one of the first houses built on North Halifax Drive when the road was little more than a fire trail, and our backyard was essentially an expanse of sea oat covered dunes all the way to A-1-A.

Although I was born in East Tennessee, Ormond Beach is home and always will be.

In my view, City Manager Joyce Shanahan is one of the unsung heroes of the Halifax area.

Eschewing the braggadocio of many public managers, Shanahan works diligently and quietly to retain and enhance the best of our community while keeping ever increasing costs in check.

Perhaps most important, the few times I’ve called Ms. Shanahan for help, she was accessible, professional and simply took care of the problem.  As far as I’m concerned, that responsiveness is what separates good managers from the rest.

On Saturday, Ms. Shanahan will once again make herself available to residents when she hosts “Walking with the Manager” – a two-mile stroll through various areas of our beautiful community that provides citizens an opportunity to share comments and suggestions.

This week, the walk begins at 8:00am, starting and ending at Fire Station 91, 364 South Atlantic Avenue, and will include Ormond Beach Fire Chief Bob Mandarino.

Call 386-676-3315 for more details.

Also, if you are a resident of Ormond Beach and aren’t receiving Ms. Shanahan’s weekly review and staff report – you’re doing it wrong.  This highly informative newsletter comes out each Friday and is chockfull of information important to the life and health of our community.

It’s called transparency and open government in action – and it’s incredibly refreshing.

In short, Ms. Shanahan sets an excellent example of solid, community-based management – and her hard work is paying dividends for citizens of one of the most livable cities in Volusia County.

Asshole:          Flagler Beach City Manager Larry Newsom

Look, I don’t think Mr. Newsom is an asshole – hell, I don’t even know the man – and Golden Lion in Flagler Beach is one of my favorite places in the whole world.  But, in this column, it’s one or the other.

In my view, he has done wonderful work building an effective and efficient team – while preserving that true Old Florida feel that other communities are spending to recreate –  despite some weird small-town politics.

But enough with the perennial job hunt, Larry.

In-or-out, dude.

It seems that every time a city or county manager gig opens in the State of Florida, Larry Newsom is first in que – teeth polished and shoes shined – to submit his impressive resumé.

Jackson County.

Port St. Lucie.

Bunnell.  (Hey, the rumors swirled.)

Florida Transportation Secretary.

Putnam County.

What gives? 

Then, when he becomes a contender and his name is made public, Newsome is left looking at his shoes while explaining to the city’s confused elected officials (and his worried employees) that he’s just “testing his continued marketability.”

 Say what? 

 The Daytona Beach News-Journal now has a standing headline: “Newsome Not Leaving!”

It’s no secret that Mr. Newsom wants access to the Florida Retirement System so he can make changes to a pension plan he joined while serving in Escambia County – something he could easily accomplish with even a short stint with a government entity who participates in FRS.

I get that – it’s important to his family’s financial future.

But one would think there would be a way for Mr. Newsome to maximize his FRS benefits – or salary package – without threatening to jump ship every 15-minutes.

At least one Flagler Beach resident has suggested the city explore the possibility of entering the Florida Retirement System, something that would prove beneficial to Mr. Newsome and other municipal employees in the long-term.

I agree.

Either join FRS or pay the man what he’s worth.  Mr. Newsome is a proven hand that makes substantially less than some other municipal managers in the regional market.

The problem is – who wants to invest in a guy who’s checking his “marketability” all the time?

In my view, it’s a shame that City Manager Newsome’s good work in responsibly and creatively stewarding one of Florida’s premiere beach communities is overshadowed by the constant job search that keeps residents, employees and city officials guessing.

Asshole:          Daytona’s “Sugardaddy” – Richard Basaraba

Kudos to the Volusia County Beach Safety officers who identified and issued a trespass warning to Richard “Sugardaddy” Basaraba, 73, effectively keeping him away from our beaches for the next six-months after his disturbing encounter with a teenage girl.

Apparently, Basaraba was ambling along the shoreline wearing an uber-creepy “Sugardaddy seeking his Sugarbaby” t-shirt and aggressively passing-out similarly embossed brochures to female beach-goers – all while holding up a “bra pad” (I don’t even know what that is), ogling their breasts for size, and making super-weird comments.

Yeah.  That’s what I thought, too.

Last weekend, Basaraba approached a 16-year old Oviedo girl and her two 18-year old friends, then handed them a card containing the picture of some old perv with a young girl sitting on his lap, along with the line, “Ask me about your monthly allowance.”

According to an interview with the creep in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Basaraba said, “I engaged (the younger girl) before I knew she was 16 because of her bust size. I did make the mistake of saying, ‘You’re the cutest one here. Call me when you’re 18.”

Yeah.  That’s what I thought, too.

Before some irate father could rip Mr. Basaraba’s nuts off and turn his teeth into so many Chicklets – the 16-year old’s mother quickly reported the highly suspicious encounter to a Beach Safety officer.

Fortunately, they took care of the rest without incident.

Now, Basaraba contends it was all one big misunderstanding.  I guess a bright red t-shirt and professionally produced pamphlets can mislead the casual observer as to your actual intent. . .

Regardless of Sugardaddy’s true goal – shit like this we don’t need.

In my view, it harkens back to a time when the former Desert Inn was the epicenter of child sexual abuse – a house of horrors where the lives of so many were tragically destroyed – and Daytona Beach became known as the place you don’t let your kids go to the Boardwalk alone.

With Sheriff Chitwood and other area law enforcement agencies working hard to purge our public parks of serial masturbators and open sex offenders – my hat’s off to the Volusia County Beach Safety Department for getting this turd off our beach.

Keep up the good work – and be vigilant – there are plenty more “Sugardaddies” out there who don’t advertise their true objectives so obviously.

 Angel:             Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri

 The societal lot of a police officer has often been described as, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” 

But sometimes, law enforcement officers go out of their way to just look bad – I know, I’ve made my share of mistakes, and suffered the embarrassment and consequences.

A more accurate truism holds that if one officer acts like an asshole – it tarnishes the reputation and standing of the rest – so the chief of police does his or her level best to set and enforce proper standards of professional conduct – and disciplines those who fail to live up to the high ethical and moral benchmarks society expects.

Trust me.  It’s a full-time job.

Back in June, body-worn camera footage of a verbal confrontation between two uniformed officers – one of whom had been stopped for speeding in her personal vehicle on the way to work by the other – was released to the media, and the usual shit-storm of public outrage and demands for personal destruction ensued.

The offending officer’s arrogance and stupidity in leaving the scene before being released by the investigating officer was just that – stupid and rude – yet some called for “picketing” the Daytona Beach Police Department, demanding that the officer be summarily terminated, prosecuted or worse.

Recently, a long-time local defense attorney opined in the Daytona Beach News-Journal that the officer’s conduct rose to the level of fleeing and eluding – a felony crime – “which routinely gets prosecuted and jail time.”

It fell to Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri to sort the wheat from the chaff and issue appropriate and constructive discipline.

Earlier this week, he rightly handed down a disciplinary suspension – representing the effective loss of hundreds of dollars in pay and benefits – and leaving a dark blemish on the officer’s record and future opportunities.

I support Chief Capri’s assessment, and his decision to render corrective action designed to change behavior – rather than destroy a young life and career – for a momentary lapse in good judgment, courtesy and professional bearing on a deserted side street at 5 o’clock in the morning.

The fact is, this was not a case of fleeing and eluding – the offending officer stopped, was properly identified by her co-worker, made a shitty remark – then abruptly left the scene, punctuating her “screw you” attitude with a hubristic chirp of the tires.

In turn, the officer who initiated the stop appropriately reported the offending officers abysmal conduct to his sergeant – who took the matter up the chain-of-command for investigation and resolution.

At the end of the day, Chief Capri properly identified what was stupid, disrespectful and over-the-top behavior by a uniformed officer during an exchange between co-workers – one of whom was actively investigating a traffic violation.

The job of a police chief is a difficult one, and tough disciplinary issues often come down to the gray area of what is necessary, and what is possible.

In my view, Chief Capri acted in the best interests of the community and the agency in properly applying appropriate sanctions to ensure this never happens again.

Rather than go down the rabbit hole of attempting to appease the visceral reaction a snippet of video invariably has on criminal defense attorneys and diehard critics of law enforcement – Chief Capri sent an effective message to his subordinates – and the citizens he serves – that this type of arrogance and disrespect will not be tolerated in his command.

Good job, Chief.

Quote of the Week:

“I’m really struggling with some of the process here, and I can’t justify it.  We’ve had more discussions on backyard chickens than we have a $200 million courthouse.” 

Vice Chair Deb Denys, quoted in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, preaching to the choir about how County Manager Jim Dinneen continues to press the true, behind-the-scenes, agenda – while pandering to the massive egos and gross stupidity of our feckless elected officials.

Thanks for nothing, Deb!

That’s it for me!

Have a great weekend!

What do citizens of DeBary and every other Florida taxpayer have in common?

We’re all being deftly screwed by “outside attorneys” and there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.

A recent audit by the Associated Press found that between 2011 and 2017, the State of Florida spent more than $237 million of our precious tax dollars on private lawyers to defend the Scott administrations agenda.

That doesn’t include the nearly $16 million the state has been ordered to reimburse opposing attorney fees – bringing the total amount of public funds paid to private law firms to some $253 million in just six-years.

According to Dominic Calabro, president of Florida TaxWatch, “A quarter of a billion dollars is a gosh lot of money.”

Goshdamn right it is.

Perhaps more disturbing is the fact that much of the money used to pay outside legal fees goes unaccounted for in the normal budget process – and no one in state government is closely monitoring billable hours or scrutinizing the massive invoices for services rendered.

You read that right – no one in state government keeps track of overall spending for outside legal services.

Governor Scott – a reptilian attorney by training who made a billion-gagillion-fafillion-shabadabalo-shabadamillion-shabaling-shabalomillion dollars overseeing the largest Medicare fraud in United States history – sees absolutely no problem using our money to pay select private law firms to defend losing policy and political battles – to include the convoluted and mega-expensive water-rights war with the State of Georgia.

That decades-old dispute is being litigated by our advocates at Latham & Watkins at a cost of $825.00 per hour for its best and brightest.  In total, Florida has paid more than $41 million in the past 18-months for that case alone.

You do believe they are looking out for us, right?

$41 million. 

Unfortunately, many of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s corps of over 450 lawyers currently on the state payroll are busy with the important work of defending Scott’s cockamamie policies and litigating the constitutionality of the often asinine laws and regulations passed by our illustrious state lawmakers – like the coming legal fight over the legislature’s ham-handed botch of the medicinal marijuana roll out.

Bullshit.

I agree with House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s assessment – “We’re getting gouged.”

If that’s what they call public sodomy in Tallahassee these days.

Then, yeah, we’re getting “gouged” alright.

 

 

The award winning 2010 documentary “Waiting for “Superman” examined growing issues in American public education, following the lives of five students and the trials and tribulations of their efforts to be accepted into a charter school.

Along the way, the film exposed the increasing bureaucratic and professional insulation that makes it difficult to hold teachers and administrators accountable for poor performance, conflicting expectations at the local, state and federal levels, funding disparities, the positive and negative effects of teacher’s unions and other intractable issues facing the system.

Naturally, comparisons were made – and some academics challenged the accuracy of the producer’s findings – claiming the documentary was no more than a “marketing piece” designed to break unions and privatize education.

The film also reminded us that “education statistics” have names.

Several weeks ago, I took the Volusia County School District to the woodshed for their continuing – and in my view, counterproductive – practice of playing hopscotch with school principals.

For reasons known only to district administrators, principals are routinely moved from one school to another, resulting in instability, and leaving students and teachers with no sense of continuity, and the communities which host the schools with no one to partner with – or hold accountable – long-term.

For years, the cities have sat quietly while the Volusia County School Board – elected officials with the ethical and fiduciary responsibility to set effective and efficient educational policies for the district – have functionally ignored festering issues in challenged schools.

According to an excellent piece by Erica Breunlin in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, at least two communities in east Volusia are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it anymore.

Recently, Holly Hill Mayor John Penny asked City Manager Joe Forte to read a scathing letter during an open meeting of the School Board, demanding better for his long-suffering constituents.

South Daytona Mayor Bill Hall – an outstanding career public servant who recently retired as that city’s chief of police – also raised difficult questions when South Daytona Elementary (the second largest in Volusia County) received a “D” grade from the state in June.

In my view, standing idle while students in poorly performing schools circle the bowl – literally through no fault of their own – is morally reprehensible, and counter to the economic and social health of the communities involved.

Unfortunately, things appear to be getting worse throughout the Sunshine State.

During the last legislative session, Governor Rick Scott and our elected lawmakers telegraphed their true commitment to public education when they passed a budget which drastically reduced per-student funding.

The net-net is that Volusia County will receive millions of dollars less from the State of Florida – money which historically supplements district funds raised primarily through our property taxes.

Add to that a weird, grossly inequitable, state funding formula which punishes already strapped Volusia taxpayers – coupled with the almost pathological inability of our School Board to live within their means – and you get the feeling our children are doomed to be victims of a horribly failed system.

In addition, late last week we learned that several important volunteer-based literacy programs won’t be returning to Volusia County schools this year.

Citing a “lack of resources,”  Junior Achievement and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (both based in Orlando) announced that they will be pulling their programs which served a collective 6,500 local students in some 360 classrooms countywide.

That hurts.

But what I find most disturbing is the continuing mismanagement of assets and personnel – things district administrators still have direct control over – and the seeming lack of strategic planning that is quickly creating a financial quagmire while reducing service delivery.

For instance, in Holly Hill, five principals and nine assistant principals have passed through what Mayor Penny aptly describes as a “revolving door.”

There can be no doubt that this near-constant administrative swirl has resulted in a sense of flux and uncertainty in a school comprised almost exclusively (94%) of economically disadvantaged children – a student population which is expected to surge to over 1,000 this school year.

According to the News-Journal, the district has selected former Pathways Elementary principal Jason Watson to head the challenged Holly Hill School when classes begin next month.

This gives reason for hope – and Mr. Watson is certainly saying all the right things.

It’s a tall order, but I hope he truly is the caped superhero that can come to the rescue of this beautiful, but challenged, community when they need it most.

One question the News-Journal’s report didn’t answer is the rapidly spreading rumor that Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry is being considered for Holly Hill’s assistant principal slot.

I find that interesting.

In 2010, then City Commissioner Henry – while serving as assistant principal of Mainland High School – was charged with nine felony counts of voter fraud, including two counts of absentee ballots and voting violations and one count of conspiracy to commit the same.

The State Attorney’s Office dropped all criminal charges against Mayor Henry during the summer of 2011 – and he ultimately left Volusia County Schools – taking an administrative position with the Putnam County School District.

At the time, the terms of his departure were sketchy – with reports claiming he voluntarily resigned his position with Volusia County when it was announced he would not be returning to Mainland where he had served for 18-years.

Now, unconfirmed reports have Mayor Henry high in the running for the assistant principal slot at Holly Hill – although his name has yet to be officially placed on the School Board’s agenda.

Superman?  Hardly.

But at this point, I’ll just bet the city is willing to give a second chance if it means returning stability and performance-based accountability to a school in desperate need of both.

Unfortunately, these persistent rumors – which I have been told were propagated by certain sitting School Board members – only adds to the confusion surrounding the future of Holly Hill School.

Clearly, city officials, families of students and the beleaguered teaching staff have every right to question the districts motives – and secrecy.

 

Photo Credit:  WFTV