Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Voters

“Politics is the art of controlling your environment.”

–Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

To the ~20% of Volusia County voters who cast your sacred vote during the primary, I salute you!

Thank you for participating in our democratic process, a civic responsibility that reaffirms our commitment to freedom and the idea of government “…of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  A time when, for one brief shining moment, the balance of power swings to We, The Little People. 

The sad reality is some eight out of ten registered voters in Volusia County couldn’t be bothered to cast a ballot… 

Depressing.

The basic right and responsibility of our representative democracy is voting in free and fair elections.  In my view, as this apathy and indifference continue to erode our foundational principles, and individual civic virtues continue to decline, the influential oligarchy (or technology?) will eventually govern us all by default.

Maybe they already do? 

Here on Florida’s fabled “Fun Coast” we repeatedly see the outsized weight of extremely wealthy insiders who long-ago purchased a chip in the game – those who contribute massive sums of money, both individually and through myriad corporate entities under their control, to the campaigns of hand-select candidates – while their political puppets on the dais try and convince us that their benefactors don’t expect a return on investment. 

I always get a perverse chuckle whenever I hear that… 

Now the die is cast and the field whittled down to the true players; the Big Dogs who are moving to the general.  Like Dr. Thompson so eloquently said, “That is the nature of professional politics.  Many are called, but few survive the nut-cutting hour…”

The “also-rans” – the fringe candidates, retread politicians, ringers, and political dilettantes whose tired message rang hollow will soon be laughed at and forgotten, their excuses ignored – because in politics, winning is all that matters, and quaint notions of “issue-focused campaigns,” “sportsmanship” and ‘how the game is played’ are for losers. 

Now, the gloves really come off… 

Trample the weak, hurdle the dead is the new political ethos.  

For instance, do you think Volusia County’s ‘movers and shakers’ literally poured cash into “Car Guy” Randy Dye’s groaning $336,000 war chest so he could garner just 28% of the vote against current Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower? 

Or was it so he could crush his competition like crippled insects early in the game?

That’s why every vote matters.  Because votes beat money every time.    

When Jeff Brower, a gentleman farmer from Deleon Springs and the political pariah of Volusia’s stagnant “Old Guard,” emerged on top of a field dominated by well-known, well-financed, and experienced political sharks, that told me his message of limiting unchecked sprawl, flood mitigation, and opposition to a massive fuel farm proposed for Ormond Beach are the issues resonating with John and Jane Q. Public.    

In Flagler County, where about 30% of eligible voters turned out, that self-serving champion of malignant growth, Palm Coast Mayor/Realtor David Alfin, was denied a second term, coming in third behind challengers Mike Norris and Cornelia Manfre who will continue to a runoff in November’s general election. 

According to reports, Alfin received just 18% of the vote.

In a post primary interview with The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Frank Fernandez, Mayor/Realtor Alfin lamented:

“I think an older community facing growth is confused by the inevitability of the future. And I think that they may have listened to folks who told them that they would stop growth, reduce taxes,” Alfin said “Those are the kinds of pandering’s that I’ve heard and I think that an older community wants to be believe those kinds of things.”

Since when did limiting growth, requiring ecologically smart and sustainable building practices, trimming bureaucratic bloat, mitigating flooding, and reducing onerous taxes and fees become fairytale political pandering? 

Perhaps the remaining contestants in local races will learn something from the success of smart growth and environmental advocates in Tuesday’s primary – grassroots candidates willing to take a stand and protect their neighbors from the pernicious greed of those who trade our quality of life for more, more, more development – including the threat of a bulk fuel facility proposed for the worst possible location on the eastern seaboard. 

Time will tell, eh?    

In my view, political accountability is just one reason it is vitally important to let your voice be heard at the ballot box in November.    

Geosam Capital & Venetian Bay’s Town Center

Two things are certain each lunar day here on the “Fun Coast” – the Atlantic tides will ebb and flow like clockwork – and more area restaurants and small businesses will close their doors forever.

The quiet death of these establishments is usually proclaimed with a blurb in the newspaper and a heartbreaking statement to loyal customers, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce…”

Considering all the “Good times are here again, again!” bilge being spewed by redundant “economic development” shills – and the enormous incentives, tax breaks, and public subsidies being handed out to lure and prop up big corporations – I find these small business failures, and the personal toll on owners and employees, terribly demoralizing.  

Like watching government use our tax dollars to skew the playing field, and callously determine who will thrive, and who will be allowed to die… 

Admittedly, it takes a lot to shock my gin cauterized conscience, but I shook my head in utter disbelief last week with the news that Canadian developer Geosam Capital – the owner/developer of the sprawling Venetian Bay “master-planned community” off State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach – has announced plans to charge customers $2.50 an hour to park and patronize the development’s struggling retail, dining, and shopping locations in Town Center.

You read that right.

According to a disturbing story first reported by WFTV’s Demie Johnson last week:  

“Dozens of people packed into the Happy Deli on Wednesday with signs to push back against the new parking plan.

Homeowner Carl Scharwath was bothered by the notice from the developer called Geosam, encouraging neighbors to walk instead of drive if they don’t want to pay to park where the shops and restaurants are located.

“We live in Florida! There is rain, there is heat. That is ridiculous,” said Scharwath.

Business owners have already lost a large chunk of customer parking because of the construction of the new apartments. They claim, people often call and cancel orders or reservations because they can’t find a place to park.”

According to Venetian Bay’s elegant website – one of those typically over-the-top adverts uniquely crafted by a developer’s marketing apparatus – the contrived “active lifestyle community” (aren’t they all?) promises:  

“Residents a sense a feeling of belonging. Whether it’s visiting the shops and restaurants at the Town Center, spending a family day at the Beach and Swim Club, playing a round of golf at our Championship Course or taking an evening walk along our miles of Nature Trails.  Children can be seen enjoying Venetian Bay’s Parks and Playgrounds. There is something for everyone at Venetian Bay!”

Except, it would appear, when Geosam wants to shoehorn more apartments into a space without adequate parking – then the almighty law of supply and demand rules the day – and that sense of “belonging” residents were sold is quickly replaced by the feeling of being gouged… 

Because they are.

In a cruel twist, Geosam’s announcement explained that Town Center merchants can opt to validate parking for customers, placing an additional burden totaling thousands of dollars annually on already strapped small businesses.

According to WFTV’s report, “We’ve got nine businesses and all of us live and work here, and we all have to share this space and it is difficult,” said owner of Happy Deli, Thomas Greiner.

“To ask people to pay more or our businesses to pay more when our food cost is up, our labor cost is up, I mean I don’t really know how we are supposed to survive off that,” said Bistro 424 employee Jenna Hawkins.”

Admittedly, I’m not a fan of these ubiquitous “master-planned” faux ‘lifestyle’ communities that our elected and appointed officials continue to rubber stamp on demand – homogenized, zero-lot-line cookie cutter subdivisions, wholly controlled by the developer, that now blanket much of Florida like an ugly patchwork quilt, dull places that offer the illusion of community in exchange for dues, fees, and fealty to the covenants – however; in my view, given the current retail climate this cash grab seems shortsighted.

In Venetian Bay, welcome to the new reality of $2.50 an hour to park when enjoying the “…wide variety of community events, activities, restaurants,” you were promised when you signed on the dotted line…

Will an “amenity fee” be next? 

Good luck, residents and merchants of Venetian Bay. 

You’re going to need it.

Quote of the Week

“Volusia County is hosting public meetings this month to generate community feedback on the proposed Road Priority List. One meeting will be held in each of the four impact fee zones to give residents the opportunity to comment and provide input into upcoming transportation and safety improvements.

Proposed capacity projects include widening roads, improving intersections, building new roads, and extending existing roads. Potential safety projects include adding paved shoulders, widening narrow lanes, and installing turn lanes. The information and presentations will be identical at all four meetings.

The meetings are scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Thursday, Aug. 22, at the Brannon Center, 105 S. Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach

Monday, Aug. 26, at the Deltona Regional Library, 2150 Eustace Ave.

Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the Ormond Beach Regional Library, 30 S. Beach St.

Thursday, Aug. 29, at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center, 123 W. Indiana Ave., DeLand”

— Clayton Jackson, Volusia County Community Information, “Volusia County Road Improvements and Capacity Community Meetings,” Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Something stinks…

Five-years ago, Volusia County government – in concert with their friends and political benefactors at the CEO Business Alliance – pushed hard for a half-cent sales tax ostensibly to fund our now insurmountable transportation infrastructure needs.   

Given the pernicious modus operandi of many area politicians, most Volusia County voters were rightfully convinced the sales tax would become another slush fund for rewarding political favors, rather than a means of improving desperately needed transportation infrastructure. 

Does anyone remember state priority funding for the Pioneer Trail interchange with Interstate 95, while that Monument to Mediocrity that is the two-lane pinch point at the LPGA/Tomoka River bridge remains unaddressed? 

Me neither…   

Those “loyalties” remain a legitimate fear in a place where the legally mandated concept of concurrency – having roads, sanitary sewer systems, stormwater facilities, emergency services, schools and other public infrastructure and utilities in place to support increased demand – have been wholly ignored by elected officials beholden to their political benefactors in the development industry. 

Is there another reason?

It didn’t help when our ‘powers that be’ ignored the concerns of residents who repeatedly pointed out that growth doesn’t pay for itself – and the claustrophobic effects of this “shove ten-pounds of shit in a five-pound bag” growth management strategy that has allowed developers to haul untold millions out of clear-cut pine scrub across the width and breadth of Volusia County.   

Don’t get me started on the “secret impact fee study” of 2018…    

As the bulldozers continue to roar, it is becoming increasingly clear that Volusia County officials are getting anxious, fidgeting nervously, and staring at their shoes each time we ask how they plan to get us out of the gridlock and congestion resulting from unchecked growth that far exceeds our frighteningly inadequate infrastructure, while they continue to feed that monstrously bloated bureaucracy in DeLand? 

Now, they want us – the already strapped taxpayers – to list our transportation priorities so they can turn the table and ask, “We see your Christmas list, how do you plan to pay for it?”

The fact is, we already pay for it – in exorbitant taxes and fees – and we should expect a reasonable return in the form of civic infrastructure that keeps pace with growth…

Earlier this week we learned that Volusia County is currently considering a budget totaling an astronomical $1.3 Billion.  In a county with an unincorporated population of 117,000?

Really?

So, where does that money go?   

I’m asking, because whenever “answers” to legitimate budgetary questions ooze from the inner sanctum in DeLand, they are convoluted and strategically mired in cryptic acronyms, cloaked in mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations, and spoken in obfuscating bureaucratese, so no one can figure out just how horribly overtaxed we truly are. 

Just pay the bills and keep your pieholes shut, okay?   

My ass…

For those with a short memory, a similar tactic was employed in 2019, during Volusia County’s second ill-fated bite at the sales tax, when officials asked the municipalities to cobble together a massive “priority list” of road construction, water quality, and flood control projects that, we were told, would be funded over the next 20-years or so. 

Anyone paying attention could see the wish list was another failed attempt to generate “buy in” from taxpayers – much like the laundry list of “needs” Volusia County District Schools used 25-years earlier when it persuaded voters a sales tax was needed to fund new schools.   

Fortunately, Volusia County voters recognized this shameless shim sham for what it was and rejected the “transportation” sales tax.  Twice.      

However, both the 2019 road priority inventory, and our collective “trust issues,” are still perfectly valid today – and growing by the minute…   

Which begs the question, why are Volusia County officials seeking “resident input” on another “priority” list of transportation projects now? 

More to the point, why would anyone in their right mind believe our elected officials will give two-shits what we think when the “…collected public feedback and the Road Priority List will be presented to the Volusia County Council at a future meeting”? 

Trust me.  This latest bait-and-switch bears watching. 

I could be wrong (I’m not) but it smells like the rotting corpse of the twice failed transportation sales tax initiative is being slowly resurrected from Volusia County’s ash heap of bad ideas…    

And Another Thing!

Once upon a time ago, my wife and I took the family to one of those professional haunted houses, where theatrically trained and costumed actors leap from hidden spaces, scenes of contrived carnage and gore unfold around each turn, and the suspense builds the deeper you move through the frightening maze.    

One of the downsides of being a career law enforcement officer is, once you’ve seen real houses of horror, the staged variety don’t hold much excitement; but I agreed to accompany my young nephew as we toured through the shocks and shrieks, bloody chainsaws blaring, ghouls clawing out in the dark, disorienting lights flashing through the smoke and mirrors.

The giddy screams from our fellow visitors continued to build as we entered the final scene, I looked down and the boy was taking it all in stride, no more unnerved by the sights and sounds than I was. 

The fact he had been raised in this crazy family of mine told me it would take a lot more than an imitation spook house to shake him, but the child was completely unfazed by it all.    

When we reached the end, I asked him if he was scared and he explained, “No.  I’m brave.” 

“Yes, you are,” I assured him – and he responded, “You have to be brave to look at scary things.” 

It showed wisdom far beyond his years… 

I was reminded of that last week when the cowardly First Step Shelter Board refused to pursue an incomplete investigation into serious allegations of fraudulent practices, financial irregularities, rule violations that created a dangerous environment for staff and clients, discrimination, and workplace harassment that originated from three former senior officials of the facility. 

I guess the board members lack the courage to look at scary things… 

Now, many concerned taxpayers are questioning why the First Step board engaged in such blatant blame deflection and victim shaming before the investigative report was made public?

Orchestrated defamation that destroyed the character and reputation of three brave whistleblowers – contemptuous condemnation that sent a chilling message to any other First Step employee having knowledge of malfeasance or misconduct who would dare to come forward. 

Perhaps most disturbing, several prominent local elected officials and community leaders populate the First Step Board – to include Ormond Beach City Commissioner and mayoral candidate Susan Persis, Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, board president Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, and their stroppy spokesperson Mike Panaggio – supposedly responsible public officials who should understand the potential ramifications (and optics) of maligning whistleblowers while shutting down an investigation with so many unanswered questions remaining.

Now, citizen suspicion has rightfully turned to the motivations of the First Step Board of Directors…    

The Daytona Beach City Commission appoints the board members, who are charged with “…being advocates and champions throughout the community, ensuring the establishment and implementation of appropriate policies and procedures, actively participating in resource development, and exercising stewardship and oversight.”  

That “stewardship and oversight” includes fiduciary responsibility for safeguarding some $4 million in essential public funds that are gifted by the citizens of Daytona Beach and Volusia County taxpayers every five years – to include contributions from other cities, individuals, and faith-based organizations.

Regardless, the First Step Shelter is most strongly associated with the City of Daytona Beach – who owns and leases the incredibly expensive building which sits on city owned land off US-92 – a city administration inextricably linked to the enigmatic program since former City Manager Jim “The Chisler” Chisholm schemed it into existence.

A program never fully explained to the community and fraught with divisive issues from its inception, not the least of which was the incredibly lucrative no-bid arrangement that Chisholm hammered out in effective darkness that allows P$S Paving, a private for-profit company, to haul publicly owned fill dirt off city property during the most prolific period of growth in our region’s history.

Given the ugly questions still swirling around the board’s response to serious accusations brought against First Step executive director Victoria Fahlberg – earlier this month, Daytona Beach City Commissioners Stacy Cantu and Ken Strickland rightly moved to table consideration of continued funding for the program and a lease renewal with First Step until more is known. 

It was the fiscally responsible thing to do. 

That’s why many found it odd when earlier this week the First Step lease renewal was placed on the City Commission’s consent agenda – a sparse explanation, devoid of any substance beyond City Manager Derek Feacher’s recommendation for renewal – without benefit of a fiscal impact statement, or even the estimated value of the lease as donated by Daytona Beach taxpayers?

Yet, inexplicably, the Daytona Beach City Commission threw caution to the wind and voted unanimously to renew the lease and extend funding for the First Step program for another five-years – with the same administration that is currently under suspicion still firmly at the helm…    

To add insult, on Sunday evening, prior to the City Commission’s vote, and apparently speaking as a member of the board, Mr. Panaggio went on one of his nonsensical afterhours raves on Facebook’s Volusia Issues – a grammatical nightmare that left stunned onlookers in absolute disbelief – when he launched with a double-entendre, calling the whistleblowers “disturbed,” explaining, “Disturbed can mean many things, and in this meaning it means they were upset by management.”

Sure.

Then Panaggio claimed the board “investigated” the whistleblower complaints but “got no where (sic).” 

Bullshit.

“We wasted money badly needed by the shelter residents. Mr Simpson did the best he could but was the wrong person got the job.”

What the hell is he blathering about?

Apparently, this is how wary Volusia County taxpayers are going to be advised of the secretive results of the board’s publicly funded partial investigation – in subjective midnight dribs-and-drabs by Mike Panaggio?    

Unbelievable.  And horribly irresponsible.    

In my view, this time Mr. Panaggio’s late-night nattering has crossed a very bright line and created an intractable mess for the City of Daytona Beach, the First Step’s beleaguered administration, and its compromised Board of Directors – a nasty quagmire of mounting questions and potential civil liability that cannot be tidied up with more of his egomaniacal hubris, blame shifting, and absurd counteraccusations.     

Now, the damage is complete. 

Made worse by the Daytona Beach City Commission throwing good money after bad before all the facts are known – citing the irrational conclusion that propping up this puzzling “shelter” somehow takes precedence over the sacred fiduciary responsibility of elected officials…     

In my view, how the remainder of the First Step Shelter’s directors – and those elected officials charged with allocating additional public funds for the program – choose to deal with the Panaggio Problem will tell taxpayers and potential donors all they need to know about the culture and future of this terribly troubled program going forward.     

Scary things indeed…   

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

Hi, kids!

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

First Step Shelter Board

When it comes to managing crisis and protecting the public’s confidence – most people can understand and forgive what they see themselves doing – that prism of principle, experience, ethics, integrity, and morality through which we view, and ultimately reconcile, those events that shock our conscience. 

There’s another old truism I’m fond of: “The cover-up is always worse than the crime…”  

Perhaps that’s why this week’s bombshell decision to block additional investigation into the serious allegations brought by three former employees of the First Step Shelter – accusations that include fiduciary maleficence, fraudulent activities, discriminatory bias, ongoing harassment, retaliation, breaches of confidentiality, unethical behavior, and fostering a toxic work environment – has left so many area residents (read: potential donors) in stunned disbelief. 

On Tuesday, before an investigative report has been made public, the First Step Board met to vehemently pooh-pooh the findings of a $5,000 inquiry – commissioned and paid for with First Step funds – and conducted by Ormond Beach attorney Scott Simpson, who offered to keep digging for an additional $3,000 (?) 

Which, to me, signals there may be more evidence and testimony to be uncovered… 

Inconceivably, despite a clearly incomplete investigation, the board voted unanimously to end any further probe into the serious allegations brought by three former senior officials at First Step, to include Patrick Smith, the director of philanthropy and engagement; Pamela Alexander, shelter housing coordinator; and Kim Kelly, a shelter nurse.

Not unexpectedly, only one of the complainants agreed to sit for an interview, while Ms. Kelly reportedly provided a sworn statement to Mr. Simpson.   

Look, call me crazy, but I don’t blame the whistleblowers for their reticence.  

If I were a First Step employee who came forward with credible allegations of fiduciary malfeasance, fraud, discrimination, and harassment in the publicly funded program – I might wait and cooperate with independent authorities responsible for conducting public integrity investigations – or heed the advice of my personal attorney – rather than sit down with an investigator/attorney hired by my former employer.    

I’m weird that way…

After digesting a disturbing article by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, I found the board’s blame projection and victim shaming nothing short of bizarre: 

“I’m totally against spending one more ridiculous dollar on this,” said board member Mike Panaggio. “There’s nothing we’ll get out of continuing the investigation.”

He said the shelter’s executive director, Victoria Fahlberg, should have been allowed to handle the complaints.

“I think this is appalling and it’s ridiculous we’re going through this charade,” Panaggio said.

Board members Susan Persis and Rose Ann Tornatore echoed Panaggio’s comments, saying they also don’t want to spend more money on the probe.

Panaggio charged that the complaint was part of an attempted coup to take over management of the shelter.”

Whoa.  Exactly who does Mike Panaggio represent on the First Step Shelter Board? 

Because something tells me his vicious tirade isn’t going to age well when it comes time for settling massive lawsuits…     

“Nothing to see here, folks.  Keep moving.  Just a charade – nothing more than an attempted coup – appalling and ridiculous.  Should have let the subject of the complaints investigate herself…” 

Weird. 

In another chilling exchange, Ormond Beach City Commissioner Susan Persis, a member of the board and current mayoral candidate, exposed her complete lack of reasoning, experience, and judgement when she leveled a pointed accusation against the primary whistleblower, claiming he “just wanted to cause a ruckus.”

Based on what evidence?

In turn, Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, also a board member, and current candidate for Volusia County Chair, landed a few low blows of his own, “He wants to make a complaint, but he doesn’t want to participate.”

As usual, for reasons known only to him, Mike Panaggio took things a reckless, meanspirited, and irresponsible step further… 

“This is a scam,” Panaggio said. “We know why he did it; because you (Fahlberg) wanted him to do his job and come into work. We have a mess from the last (shelter fundraising) gala.”

According to the News-Journal’s report, the subject of the whistleblower’s allegations, First Step’s executive director Dr. Victoria Fahlberg, pointed back at her accusers:  

“Everyone’s focused on me and not the whistleblowers,” she said. “I’m just so angry and frustrated.”

(Yeah.  That sensation you just experienced is normal.  I cringed too…) 

According to the report, Fahlberg said the complaints enlightened her to “what’s been going on behind my back for a year and a half.”

Say what? 

To her immense credit, the intrepid Daytona Beach civic activist Anne Ruby addressed the First Step Board and cautioned them to speak to the whistleblower’s attorney and conduct a forensic audit.

According to the News-Journal, “Something smells very badly,” Ruby said.

She said when the whistleblower complaint and report are available to the public, “you’re going to be sorry.”

But board members did not agree with her.”

Wow.  I agree with Ms. Ruby – something smells very badly… 

It is important to note – this is the same First Step Board that recently discussed how best to exempt their meetings from Florida’s Sunshine Law – apparently forgetting they rely on a combined $4 million in scarce public resources every five years just to remain in existence. 

In my view, this should signal the beginning of the end of the First Step Shelter Board.

Let me be the first to call for these shockingly irresponsible cowards to resign, en masse, and allow a proper, thorough, and completely independent investigation by law enforcement or other regulatory authority into the management and administration of the publicly funded shelter. 

In fact, the City of Daytona Beach and County of Volusia should demand it.

By any measure, this is now becoming a godawful embarrassment for the City of Daytona Beach – and the board’s actions on Tuesday have irreversibly undermined the public’s confidence in the troubled program.     

Regardless of how these serious allegations are ultimately vetted, the damage to the character and personal reputations of those who found the courage to come forward and bring their concerns to light is now complete – a frightening message to other potential whistleblowers of the terrible fate that awaits anyone who challenges what is apparently Mike Panaggio’s personal fiefdom… 

Most important, this blatant deflection and shameful self-protection by those with a fiduciary responsibility to protect public funds should give caution to any elected official who will be asked to appropriate millions in additional tax dollars to financially support this opaque and enigmatic program.

Save New Smyrna Beach

Regular readers of these weekly raves have probably gathered – I’m not a huge fan of what our civic ‘visionaries’ perceive as “progress.”  Especially when it comes to the mindless destruction of the natural attributes and inherent charm that make picturesque beach towns appealing to residents and visitors. 

For years, I pointed to Flagler Beach and New Smyrna Beach as two unique seaside spots that ‘got it right.’ 

In the past, both communities worked hard to retain their allure while similarly situated places raced headlong into the abyss of growth and sprawl – rapidly becoming a homogenized everyplace – devoid of the character, eccentricities, and unconventionalities that set them apart. 

In my view, when Flagler Beach officials allowed a “Margaritaville” hotel at the beautiful intersection of A-1-A and SR-100 – what was once a public greenspace for songwriter’s festivals, art shows, and farmers markets – is now dominated by another “theme” hotel, a faux reproduction of what was already there.

In my view, that shortsighted capitulation was the sad epitaph for Flagler Beach’s much sought-after laidback lifestyle.    

Then came the “voluntary annexation” of the contrived community of Veranda Bay – marketed as the “Last stretch of Intracoastal property on Florida’s East Coast” (how sad) – which will double the size of one of the last vestiges of Old Florida left on the east coast – in my view, a mistake that may signal the death knell for one of the most distinct beach communities in Florida.   

Unfortunately, the enticement of small-town politicians to a developer’s view of “progress” isn’t limited to Flagler Beach…

To their credit, concerned residents of New Smyrna Beach recently voiced their opposition to a proposed five-story mixed use monstrosity proposed for South Atlantic Avenue that would tower 60 to 65 feet above the surrounding area.   

According to reports, the project – which flies in the face of New Smyrna’s zoning laws and Land Development Regulations – was recommended for approval by the city’s planning and zoning board (?), and would include a 321-space parking garage, a rooftop bar, retail space, and a restaurant. 

In my view, this represents a textbook example of how developers rely on elected officials to change, amend, vary, ignore, and make exceptions to the very zoning and land use regulations that were enacted to protect the character of their community. 

Don’t take my word for it – look across the width and breadth of Volusia County for glaring scenes of how exceptions have been used to destroy pristine ecological areas, foul our sensitive water supply, outpace transportation and utilities infrastructure, and encroach on wildlife habitat, as developers and their handmaidens in public office sacrifice our quality of life on the altar of greed.  

According to reports, thanks to public opposition to the proposed parking garage, on Tuesday, the project’s applicant, NSB Capital Group, withdrew its agenda items from consideration by the New Smyrna Beach City Commission.

In a social media release this week, the City of New Smyrna Beach explained, “These ordinances, related to a proposed five-story restaurant and retail development with an attached 321-space parking garage, will not be considered for either approval or a previously requested continuance during tonight’s meeting.”

Some wary NSB residents are calling the postponement a “delay tactic” to allow time and space between upcoming municipal elections and what they fear will be another bite at the apple… 

Time will tell. 

There is a reason the citizens of New Smyrna Beach once said “No” to building heights of more than three stories in Neighborhood Business Districts.  My hope is that if this project returns, New Smyrna Beach officials will remember and respect those zoning regulations for what they represent.    

Kudos to the residents of this quaint beachside community for standing firm in their commitment to protecting the best attributes of New Smyrna Beach.    

Commercial Fisherman Jimmy Hull and Attorney Dennis Bayer

“The arrogance of man is thinking that nature is in their control and not the other way around.”

— Ichiro Serizawa, “Godzilla”

There is one constant in the universe:  In man’s futile quest to dominate and control natural processes and the environment – Mother Nature always wins… 

Yet, in our infernal arrogance, we blunder on – convinced we can violate physical laws we barely understand, crashing about, trying to “fix” what we perceive as environmental “problems.”

Small minds with important titles, using the force of heavy equipment and hydraulics – supported by massive amounts of money and advanced technology – refusing to consider adaptation to live in synergy with the forces of nature.

I recently read an article questioning the practice of beach renourishment which asked the question, “How many times can a public beach vanish?”

The disturbing answer appears to be: As many times as politicians are willing to use our tax dollars to rebuild it…  

Rather than consider the long-term environmental impacts and unintended consequences of dredging and pumping operations or, God forbid, limit further development along the natural erosion control provided by the dune line – we do the same thing over-and-over again, always expecting a different result – then stand slack-jawed when the inevitable storm takes artificially placed boulders, sand, and expensive riprap out to sea…    

Recently, Jimmy Hull, a longtime commercial fisherman and owner of Hull’s Seafood & Market in Ormond Beach, realized something the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers apparently forgot to consider – the potential ecological impacts of beach renourishment operations off Flagler Beach that are dangerously close to a living reef and several long-established fisheries. 

As I understand it, the project essentially vacuums sand (including mollusks and other small sea creatures) off the ocean’s living bottom, then transfers it to the beach where the sand is used to replenish sections of the beach lost to erosion, while the water returns to sea.

What about the mollusks, crustaceans, and other sea life?  They just die… 

According to an excellent article by reporter Frank Fernandez writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“The project calls for placing 1.31 million cubic yards of sand onto a stretch of Flagler Beach from about Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area to North Seventh Street for a total of 3.5 miles. The Army Corps project is 2.6 miles of that stretch. Weeks Marine was awarded the $27 million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the initial project area of 2.6 miles.”

To protect the living waters off Flagler Beach, Mr. Hull contacted Dennis Bayer, an attorney and trained zoologist with extensive knowledge of Florida’s coastline, who recently took the growing concerns of area residents to the Flagler Beach City Commission. 

In turn, Flagler Beach County Attorney Al Hadeed notified the Army Corps of Engineers who convinced him that dredging operations are being conducted some 2.5 miles away from the natural reef system, with the project manager assuring the dredging is “not impacting commercial fishing areas.”

According to the News-Journal, Mr. Bayer is concerned that agencies conducting the operation were unaware of the presence of the live bottom.

According to the report, “Hull said July 30 that the dredging should be farther from the reef.

“Don’t get your sand out here where you could jeopardize this living priceless reef,” Hull said in a phone interview. “It’s all live bottom. It’s full of small shrimp, small crabs. It’s the food chain. The web of life. “

But he said plans were unlikely to change now.

“This multi-million-dollar train has left the station a long time ago,” Hull said.”

In addition, Mr. Hadeed advised in the News-Journal that according to evaluations, the Corps understands “…there will be some morbidity,” which, I think, is legalese for the fact some sea life will be collateral damage… 

Look, I appreciate the reassurance from attorneys and engineers that things on the seafloor will eventually return to normal when the dredging is complete, but who – beyond concerned citizens and commercial fishermen who understand the importance of this natural resource – is independently overseeing this environmentally sensitive operation to ensure the living reef is not disturbed or buried in silt? 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a long history of beneficial public works projects, frequently taking on difficult problems in the spirit of the organization’s motto “Essayons!” — “Let Us Try!”

Unfortunately, they also have a grim reputation for colossal and incredibly expensive failures… 

I think reporter Tony Schick writing for Oregon Public Broadcasting said it best in a November 2023 article on an incredibly expensive remediation plan to save salmon trapped behind the Corps’ dams on the Willamette River:

“The Corps has plunged ahead time and again with billion-dollar construction projects based on assumptions that don’t exactly pan out. In some cases, the agency goes on to spend billions more restoring the natural environment it manipulated.”

Like many, I’m hoping for the best in Flagler Beach.    

That said, perhaps it is time we consider if these massively expensive artificial renourishment projects are the best way to resolve the issue of Florida’s rapidly eroding shoreline and begin the exploration of symbiotic strategies – including a moratorium on development and the possibility of a managed retreat in threatened areas – a plan to allow natural processes the ability to protect and restore beaches as Mother Nature intended…  

Quote of the Week

“Someone who purchases a tract of land doesn’t, and shouldn’t, have the right to ignore the zoning restrictions for that land. Likewise, when someone purchases land for which code requires a special exception for certain uses, the buyer understands (or should understand) that limitation at the time of purchase. Property rights are clearly not absolute. They are closely tied to the zoning and approval process in place when the property was purchased.

County Council has the right to remove some of those restrictions. However, there are several reasons that they should be very careful about doing so.

First, neighbors also have property rights. Removing restrictions for one tract of land can infringe on the property rights of neighbors. Say we have neighbors, A and B, and that when B purchased their land, code prevented A from putting a hog farm on their property, or at least required a special exception. It’s not fair to B (and their property rights) for council to later reduce or drop the requirements for establishing a hog farm, and even eliminate B’s right to offer input. (B might even consider a lawsuit.)

It’s good to champion property rights, but it’s essential to also consider the property (and other) rights of others who might also be affected.

Second, there are often unforeseen circumstances and unexpected consequences. Changing from “Special Exception Required” to “By Right” forfeits the ability to address unanticipated situations, sets the county up for problems similar to what it’s experiencing with the Belvedere Terminals fuel farm, and suggests that council hasn’t learned well from that experience.

Finally, County Council should be very slow to adopt any rule changes which reduce citizen involvement.”  

–Steve Wonderly, as excerpted from the Ormond Beach Observer, Letters to the Editor, “Removing zoning restrictions will need careful consideration,” Tuesday, August 6, 2024

The great Florida storyteller and editorialist Carl Hiaasen once explained, “The one thing a column does is it gives readers a sense that they’re not the only ones who feel a certain way: ‘Oh good, he not only agrees with me, but he’s putting it in writing.’ It strengthens the positions of those whose voices are not always heard, or not always listened to, as they should be…”

I agree.  With both Mr. Hiaasen – and Mr. Wonderly. 

Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone is listening in the cloistered Halls of Power in Tallahassee – or Deland… 

In the view of many, thanks to the unchecked gutting of land development restrictions and environmental protections, Florida has become a developer’s playground – a wide-open wasteland where anything goes, and growth at all costs (and I do mean ‘all costs’) moves at such an astounding pace that the old-fashioned concept of concurrency – ensuring adequate public infrastructure to support further development – no longer factors into the greed-crazed equation.

Perhaps most infuriating, those we have elected – and the senior administrators appointed to represent our interests, plan for growth, manage resources, and protect our sensitive natural places – continue to malleably yield to mercenary forces, rubber stamping malignant growth, changing the topography of the land, destroying wetlands, paving over recharge areas, then act surprised by widespread flooding each time it rains. 

In turn, those carefully choreographed “public hearings” on zoning and land use changes typically take the form of a senior staff member reading from a PowerPoint in robotic monotone, a bureaucratic apraxia, droning on, ad infinitum, while the decision-makers stare into space, lulled into a trance by the sheer tedium of the acronyms alone, waiting patiently for the opportunity to serve their masters…   

Oh, you wanted to provide input, John and Jane Q? 

Make a salient point, or explain how the project will directly affect your life, home, or livelihood? 

Good luck.  You’ve got three minutes, asshole…   

As a result of their abject arrogance, many communities are suffering the claustrophobic effects of critical density – with waiting times in local emergency rooms now exceeding five hours or more on any given day, traffic congestion on most major thoroughfares requires the patience of Job to get from point A to B in (enter any Volusia County city here), and the environmental impacts are evident everywhere you look – and, most disturbing, in places you cannot see – like our endangered aquifer. 

Now, election season is well underway – that time every two to four years when incumbent politicians emerge from their exalted perch in the Ivory Tower of Power and pretend to “listen to our concerns,” call us “neighbor,” and act like we’re old friends – while newcomers to the political scene try and convince us they have a different vision (while accepting massive campaign contributions from the very same developers and real estate interests that own the political paper on incumbents?).

Perhaps now is the time we should ask those seeking our sacred vote the tough questions about the tattered remnants of our quality of life – and hold those who have lied to us politically accountable for their self-serving deceit and acquiescence. 

In my jaded view, we now live in a place where our elected officials have become little more than chattel – beholden to those “Big Money” interests with a chip in the game.  Don’t take my word for it.  Follow the money. 

Cui Bono?

If not now, when?    

And Another Thing!

This week I took advantage of early voting at the Ormond Beach Public Library. 

As always, Volusia County’s outstanding Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis and her incredibly attentive staff made this sacred civic duty a friendly and efficient experience. 

As a confirmed No Party Affiliate, I was limited to just two non-partisan races in the primary (Volusia County Council and Volusia County School Board District 4) – but it was well worth the time spent – because those we elect will allocate our tax dollars and shape public policy, actions that will directly (and irreparably) impact our lives and livelihoods.    

I typically don’t make political endorsements on this blog site, that would be pompous and pretentious.  (Fact is, I’m both pompous and pretentious, but my guess is no more valid or informed that yours.) 

Like you, I do my homework, hold my nose, and roll the dice.   

I naturally assume if you are reading Barker’s View you are what many politicians fear the most – an “educated voter.” 

Someone who takes the time to gain insight into the collective issues we face here on Florida’s “Fun Coast” – an active and involved citizen capable of determining which candidate and platform best matches your personal vision for our future.

It can be difficult to sort the wheat from the political chaff this weird day and age – but it’s important. 

The bedrock principle of our democracy – that all power is derived from the consent of the governed – is rooted in the conduct of fair and trustworthy elections, the idea of “one citizen, one vote,” that purely American concept of political equality.

In Volusia County, we can thank Supervisor Lisa Lewis and her staff for maintaining public confidence in our electoral process.

Unfortunately, far too many area residents have fallen victim to the curse of political apathy – that feeling of indifference born of having the rug pulled out from underneath them one too many times – the sense that their participation doesn’t count now that their voice is increasingly muted by elected officials (and the entrenched insiders they serve) who seek to suppress citizen input in governance. 

I also believe that the abject ugliness of the modern blood-soaked political battlefield – a fetid slit-trench where anything goes – has turned many good people off, especially at a time when political polarity has turned elections into an ‘Us vs. Them’ brawl. 

Now, even local campaigns resemble a back-alley knife fight, underwritten by massive contributions flowing from powerful forces supporting hand-select candidates, cash that skews the battlefield, as special interests cut-and-thrust with ominous television advertisements and exaggerated glossy mailers.  (See the allegations, accusations, and insinuations flying in the Florida Senate District 7 for an excellent example).  

Then there are contests like the extremely creepy race between incumbent Volusia County Clerk of the Court Laura Roth and a mysterious newcomer named John Flemm that has left veteran watchers scratching their heads.

Flemm, a 22-year-old resident of DeBary, has published bizarre social media posts making outlandish allegations, and recently distributed a misleading mailer smearing Ms. Roth with baseless accusations regarding issues completely out of her control – like gun rights, being “weak on crime,” and insinuating Ms. Roth gave herself pay raises.  (She can’t.  Her salary is determined by state statute.) 

Initially, I thought the Flemm campaign was a bad piece of comedic performance art – a farcical act of political satire that would leave us laughing at the absurdity of it all.  But the antics of Flemm – who comes off like an AI generated caricature of the archetypal partisan ideologue – and his handful of “supporters” aren’t humorous at all. 

Just another desperate also-ran taking the low road of mudslinging, demonstrably false accusations, defamation, and confrontation.    

We’ll talk more about the equally enigmatic Mackenzie Quinn the lone Democrat in the Clerk’s race who appeared out-of-the-blue, someone even local Democratic leaders suspect may be a “ghost candidate,” after the primary is decided on Tuesday…    

This week, retired Circuit Court Judge James Clayton rightfully defended Ms. Roth in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, saying “Either he’s (Flemm) incredibly stupid or he’s banking on the voting public to be ignorant as to what the clerk does and what the clerk’s office functions are.”

I agree. 

Further, Judge Clayton explained, “The clerk of court has absolutely nothing to do with law enforcement or gun rights — period,” Clayton said. “That’s just an outright misrepresentation. Some people would call it a lie.”

As a longtime spectator of Volusia County politics, I’ve seen some peculiar strategies at play in local races, but – with apologies to John Randolph – something about the Flemm “campaign” stinks ”like a rotten mackerel in the moonlight…” 

In my view, these mysterious machinations best demonstrate the importance of studying the issues – and getting to know the candidates – to include their character, competency, vision, and basic understanding of the duties and responsibilities of the position they seek.

There.  I feel better for speaking out about that – and for supporting the re-election of Laura Roth.    

Other local races, like those incredibly important hometown city commission and county council contests are seen by many as a referendum for fundamental change – where maintaining the status quo often means continued bureaucratic bloat, rising taxes, and the civic stagnation that has made Volusia County a cautionary tale to the rest of Central Florida…   

Regardless of your views, your vote – and your voice – are important.  I hope you exercise both this election season.  

In Volusia County, early voting ends tomorrow, Saturday, August 17 at 6:00pm. The primary election will be held Tuesday, August 20, 2024.  

Vote like your family’s quality of life depends upon it.

Because it does.

For more information, please visit www.volusiaelections.gov

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

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Council

Let’s start this week’s vituperations on a positive note!

Kudos to the majority of our elected representatives on the Volusia County Council who, for one brief shining moment, put petty politics aside and voted to allow long-suffering taxpayers to access our beach without paying a separate onerous charge for the privilege. 

I’ll get to the callous minority who thought it best to keep sticking it to strapped Volusia County families in favor of protecting the conveyor-like cash flow to that massive and insatiable bureaucracy in Deland – that ravenous machine they serve like the indentured handmaidens they are – in a minute… 

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Councilman Troy Kent and Chairman Jeff Brower – both of whom made it a firm campaign promise to reduce or eliminate beach access fees – on Tuesday, the Volusia County Council voted 5-2 to eliminate beach driving tolls for residents, while increasing the fees for non-residents, effective October 1. 

In a social media post, Councilman Kent said, “The taxpayers spend millions of dollars to fund our great local beaches, and by a 5-2 vote of the council, Volusia residents will soon have the ability to drive on it, park on it, and enjoy it the same way generations prior to us did for nearly 100 years, without having to pay for a pass to do so.”

As I understand it, to take advantage of the program Volusia County residents, and full-time students at area universities, will be required to register their vehicles through an “online portal” that has yet to be established – while non-residents will be required to pay $30 per day for vehicular beach access or $150 for an annual pass. 

Whoa. 

According to an excellent report by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer this week, “The beach toll changes came as the council approved a new five-year almost $4.2 million contract with PCI Municipal Services, LLC.  On July 16, the council previously awarded a $1.5 million contract to the Michigan-based company for off-beach automated paid parking services.”

Unfortunately, some are calling the fee elimination a “pilot program.  Free beach access for residents will expire on January 31, 2026, unless extended by the next council. 

According to the Observer, although Councilman Don Dempsey voted to waive fees, “I’m seeing this as a pilot program.  I would probably be against this if it wasn’t going to sunset … I’m hoping that this new structuring of fees will not result in an increased tax burden on the Volusia County taxpayers who don’t even use the beach.”

I found that interesting. 

Apparently, Councilman Dempsey doesn’t have the same reservations about using taxpayer dollars to build “Dempsey’s Folly” – a ludicrous “state-of-the-art” motocross facility to be constructed on public land that a consulting firm has estimated will cost a cool $10.2 million – something, I guarantee, most Volusia County residents will never use…  

In addition, Councilmembers Danny Robins and Matt Reinhart – both of whom represent beachside areas of Volusia County – inexplicably voted “No” to giving your family and mine a break on beach tolls, apparently fearing the budgetary impact to the bureaucracy. 

“Robins wanted to wait until after the elections to make a decision, citing unknowns in the economy. He also suggested waiting until the county has data on how much revenue the off-beach parking fees are bringing in after they’re implemented in January.

“I don’t think anyone of us, fiscally conservative as we are would risk our paychecks or our salaries to take that kind of gamble with our money, so my thought process is, ‘Why do it with the taxpayers?'” Robins said.”

(Sorry.  I just shot my fortified Café Bustelo out of my nose…  “Fiscally conservative”?  That’s a hoot!  Whew, got me with that one…)

According to the report, Mr. Reinhart played both sides of the field when saying he “wants the program to succeed.” 

Wait.  After he voted to quash the measure? 

Excuse me?

Whatever. 

I get it.  It’s a tough election cycle for Mr. Reinhart as he faces challenger Steve Miller for the District 2 seat.   

I’m not sure Mr. Robins – or Mr. Reinhart – understand the concept of residents being charged twice – once in our property taxes and again at the beach toll kiosk – or the importance of bringing much-needed relief to struggling Volusia County families in the form of reduced taxes and fees.

However, both Robins and Reinhart clearly understand their primal political instincts that tell them not to give their nemesis Chairman Brower a “win” when he’s facing re-election… 

Fortunately for the rest of us, Chairman Brower and Councilman Kent both champion the cause of giving our greatest natural resource back to the people of Volusia County:

“People are hurting and anything that we can do to make sure that they don’t get double-taxed and pay twice for the same service, I’m going to be for and support,” said Brower, who has been advocating for residents to drive on the beach at no extra cost since 2021.

During his closing comments at the meeting, Kent thanked the council to “take a leap” on eliminating beach toll fees for residents.

“I think that it’s going to pay dividends in the future and we did a wonderful thing for our residents,” Kent said.”

Me too. 

ReGrow the Loop

I hate to be the bearer of this tragic news, but the once majestic Ormond Scenic Loop – east Volusia’s pristine environmental treasure – is gone.  Now reduced to a paper-thin veneer of vegetation – a cheap façade buffering Old Dixie Highway from the perverse ecological atrocity that is sprawling development stretching west to I-95 and beyond.    

The damage is done, and it is not coming back in our lifetimes – sadly, not in our grandchildren’s lifetimes…  

To insinuate anything else is disingenuous and cheapens the damage that was done here.   

In my view, we can thank those “visionaries” at Volusia County, the City of Ormond Beach, and various greed-crazed developers who saw dollar signs where virgin forests, old growth canopy, and a vibrant and varied ecosystem stood for millennia for what has happened along the western edge of what was once the Ormond Scenic Loop. 

We also have our own collective apathy – whatever lethargy or indifference calls us to re-elect those useful idiots who reside in the deep pockets of developers who finance their political campaigns – to thank for the crushing demise of these special places we once held dear.   

Perversely, once the damage is forever done, real estate developers, the sutlers who eke out a living on the crumbs left behind, and their fixers in government have found a way of living with themselves. 

After slashing, burning, clear-cutting, and denuding the land of old growth trees and native vegetation, they host well-crafted public manipulation campaigns, complete with colorful PowerPoint presentations to “educate” residents – shamelessly touting how many trees have been replanted in the aftermath of the for-profit environmental destruction that churned thousands of historic hardwoods into splinters – essentially putting a cheap Band-Aid on the gaping wound they left on the land. 

In my jaded view, a prime example of this syndrome is ReGrow the Loop – “a 12-month pilot program aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability within the community” – which reported its “significant milestones” earlier this week:

“…123 trees were generously distributed to community members, symbolizing a tangible step towards fostering a greener landscape and regenerating plant coverage.

Complementing this effort were 21 educational programs, ranging from formal workshops to informal walk and talks, which collectively engaged 332 individuals. These programs served as vital platforms for raising environmental awareness and empowering residents to take action.

As a result, an impressive 221 pledges were secured from participants, reflecting a resounding commitment to adopting sustainable practices and nurturing the local ecosystem. The success of the “ReGrow the Loop” initiative underscores the power of community-driven initiatives in effecting positive change and lays a strong foundation for ongoing environmental stewardship within the region.”

That’s sick.

It’s also complete bullshit.

“Take the pledge, you rubes!” 

“Commit to adopting ‘sustainable practices’ in your own yard – while we continue to rape the land for massive profit!  Do as we say, not as we do, suckers!”

“But what about the torrent of water flowing across Old Dixie every time it rains?  What caused the flooding and standing water east of the massive subdivisions, the slaughter of wildlife on the roadway, traffic congestion, and the billowing clouds of dust blowing off the moonscape where virgin forest once stood?

“Shut your pieholes, you ungrateful assholes… 

“This is progress!  Bend over and accept it!  We ‘generously distributed’ replacement trees, walked and talked, served as a ‘vital platform, ‘underscored the power of community-driven initiatives,’ and ‘empowered residents to take action’ didn’t we?” 

“Just say ‘thank you’ for our “wildly successful” eyewash, you ungrateful schlubs…”

Screw it. 

Look, my hat is off to those intrepid environmentalists who partnered in this process and have worked hard to expand what they see as “success” to a larger countywide program designed to clean up the ecological nightmare left in the wake of unchecked development across the region.

You can label whatever “new” program that will expand the best efforts of some local environmentalist countywide whatever you want, but please don’t call it “ReGrow the Loop.”  In my view, that is a vicious kick in the teeth to everyone who remembers what “The Loop” once represented before the circus came to town…   

The next time a developer “partners” with government and attempts to hoodwink shellshocked existing residents into believing they are “here to help” – consider the source – follow the money and look beyond the thinly camouflaged whoopla and puffery that would have us ignore the insatiable greed that has irreparably destroyed much of our quality of life.

Volusia’s Transform386 Program

Cue the eerie intro music…

(Recite in your best Rod Serling voice.)

“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area we call the Twilight Zone…”

Imagine a bizarre episode where Volusia County government receives nearly $329 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development specifically to assist residents with repair and recovery expenses from Hurricane Ian, develops a program to distribute the funds, and gives the relief program the metamorphic name Transform386.

Then, in something that could only happen in the shadowy Twilight Zone of county government – bureaucrats refuse to assist a local condominium owner with much-needed repairs for damage to his single-family condominium caused by Hurricane Ian – the exact community need the public funds were intended to meet.

Why? 

Well, that’s intentionally complicated… 

Apparently, county officials say HUD guidelines exclude residential complexes having more than four units – of course, HUD officials say the exact opposite – assuring that Volusia County can use the funds to assist condo owners. 

Get it?  Me neither… 

In the meantime, a resident of a hurricane damaged condo at the Daytona Beach Golf & Country Club Condominiums is suffering the severe health effects of stress and mold due to unfinished repairs – along with the type of anxiety that only comes when dealing with a Catch-22 created by a faceless and indifferent bureaucracy that, one can assume, has already earmarked the millions in public funds for something (or someone?) else.

Is there another explanation? 

According to a disturbing article by reporter Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, Daytona Beach resident Robert Arnold reports:

“I get some respiratory stuff that is just a lot of congestion stuff from it,” he said. “Main thing really is it brings on depression, depression and anxiety and stuff …. from the not knowing. But I looked up symptoms of the black mold and depression is one of the symptoms of living in that.”

According to the report, Mr. Arnold “… turned to the Volusia County government for help through its Transform386 Hurricane Ian recovery effort but was denied. The reason? He lives in a condo complex with more than four units, so his property isn’t considered a single-family home.

The Transform386 program is intended to help people recover from the storm, but the way it is set up has left Arnold out and could leave other condo owners out as well.”

Although federal officials confirmed that the funds are authorized for condominium complexes, a Volusia County mouthpiece spun the news that Transform386 “…was developed with a comprehensive approach to address the community’s most critical unmet needs.  The plan’s primary objective is to ensure that the resources are allocated in a manner that maximizes the impact on those most severely affected by the disaster.”

Is it?   

According to the report, single-family homes and duplexes made up 79% of FEMA registrants (27,061) following Hurricane Ian, while condominium owners made up 6% (2,080).

Now, as explained by a Volusia County spinmeister to the News-Journal, “here’s the rest of the story…” 

“The $200 million for housing in the Transform386 program is divided into the Single-Family Repair and Replacement Program ($145 million), the Rental Repair Program ($5 million) and the Multi-Family New Construction Program ($50 million).

Each program has eligibility requirements, and all programs focus on benefiting people with low-to-moderate incomes.

The Multi-family New Construction Program is for public housing authorities and both nonprofit and for-profit housing developers. It’s intended to provide funding that can be matched with other money to build new affordable multi-family housing such as apartments. It is not a rehab program for existing apartments or other multi-family units.”

Bingo!   

Welp.  There you have it, folks.   

It always amazes me the creativity and resourcefulness of our elected officials and appointed bureaucrats when turning a federal relief program into a sleazy pass-through to facilitate the smooth transfer of money from our pockets to the real estate development industry…

Something told me if we waited long enough there would be a provision in Transform386 to assist “for-profit housing developers,” using public funds appropriated for storm repair and stabilization to subsidize another sticks-and-glue apartment complex.

Sorry, Mr. Arnold – there are 50 million reasons you don’t qualify for this relief program – and none of them have to do with restoring your home after the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian…

Breeze Airways and Daytona Beach “International” Airport

“It’s nice to be nice…to the nice.”

–Maj. Frank Burns, M*A*S*H

This week, Volusia County elected officials – flanked by our always hyper-enthusiastic tourism and hospitality gurus – were falling all over themselves announcing another “big catch” for DAB – this time its discount carrier Breeze Airways – who announced non-stop service to four destinations beginning in November. 

According to a report by Clayton Park writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Bob Davis, president for life and CEO of the Hotel & Lodging Association of Volusia County gushed “Four new destinations? My god.”

Exactly.  My God… 

In keeping with the theme, Lori Campbell-Baker, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, labeled the arrival of the no-frills flights as nothing short of a “historic occasion.” 

According to the News-Journal report:

“The Utah-based low-cost airline will launch its service to Westchester County (White Plains), New York, on Thursdays and Sundays, beginning Nov. 14.

It will add flights on Thursdays and Sundays beginning Feb. 13, 2025, to and from Hartford, Connecticut, and to and from Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Then it will add flights on Mondays and Fridays beginning Feb. 14, 2025, to and from Providence, Rhode Island.”

As I understand it, Breeze Airways operates on a sliding fare system, ranging from a “No Flex” cattle call, to their ‘Nice,’ ‘Nicer,’ or ‘Nicest’ fares, which offer various combinations of carry-ons, checked bags, extra leg room, priority boarding, in-flight snacks, etc.

As Brian McCormick, director of airport properties for Breeze explained in the News-Journal, “Our purpose at Breeze is simple: we’re nice people, flying nice people to nice places and we’re bringing our seriously nice form of air travel right here to Daytona Beach.”

How nice…

So, how did those nice folks at Daytona “International” Airport sweeten the pot? 

According to the report, Airport Director Karen Feaster said landing Breeze was “…the culmination of years of talks with the airline’s route planners to try to convince them to give Daytona Beach a shot.” 

Considering Breeze Airways launched in May 2021, it hasn’t been that many years, but if county officials can’t embroider things to puff-up a big roll out, when can they embellish the message, eh? 

(Don’t answer that…)

“The airport has agreed to provide Breeze with the standard incentives it offers to all airlines new to Daytona Beach: a two-year waiver of fees such as for landing and baggage handling as well as for rent.

In addition the airport and Convention & Visitors Bureau have both pledged to assist Breeze in marketing its new routes.”

Calm down, calm down…be nice.  It was just the “standard incentives…”    

I’m sure it’s the same incentives Volusia County offers your small business whenever you have trouble making payroll, paying rent on your building, or have nothing left to market your services… 

Besides, airport officials will be quick to point out that DAB operates as an “enterprise fund” with expenses covered by the revenue it generates “and from state and federal grants” – which apparently originate in fairytale places like Tallahassee and Washington – where raindrops are gumdrops, money grows on trees, and geese lay golden eggs to underwrite for-profit discount airlines… 

In addition, Campbell-Baker announced that the CVB will offer up a cool $150,000 from its budget to help market Breeze’s new routes… 

How nice. 

Even Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower got caught up in the excitement, pulling the number “$21 million” out of his backside before the first Breeze flight has landed when swooning over the possible annual economic impact of the four routes, “It’s a win-win all the way around, he said.”

That’s nice… 

Quote of the Week

“Volusia County Schools had to return almost $5 million in state funds due to decreased enrollment numbers for the 2023-2024 school year.

As the district proceeds with planning its $1.2 billion budget for the upcoming academic year, School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said those funds could have helped with teacher and faculty salary increases.

“There are consequences sometimes to the actions that we choose to have,” Haynes said at the board’s meeting on Tuesday, July 30. “There is not a single state, district, county, area … in this entire United States that is perfect, just as there’s not a business out there that’s perfect. Every day, there are great teachers here in Volusia County Schools teaching our kids.”

The pandemic brought about “keyboard warriors,” she said — people that are using social media to bash the district and administration. Haynes said she believes this has contributed to the student enrollment decline.

“What you’re doing is you’re actually saying to parents that are watching and listening, ‘That’s not where I should keep my child,'” Haynes said.

The school district ended the 2023-2024 school year with an enrollment of 57,172 students. Pre-pandemic, VCS had an enrollment county of about 64,000 students.

“Every child we lose to one of the other choices impacts our budget,” Haynes said.”

–Volusia County School Board Chair Jamie Haynes, as quoted by reporter Jarleene Almenas, Ormond Beach Observer, “Volusia County Schools returns almost $5 million in state funds due to decreased enrollment,” Thursday, August 1, 2024

As a longtime watcher of all-things government and an insufferable blowhard – I have seen the best of elected officials and career public servants who give freely of their time and talents in service to the greater good.  Those who work diligently despite withering criticism, using constituent concerns as a civic barometer rather than a personal insult, always accepting responsibility for their personal and organizational shortcomings, learning from mistakes.   

Unfortunately, I’ve also seen the worst instincts of petty politicians who defect blame, project their own inadequacies, shift guilt, gaslight, disparage others, vilify, avoid accountability, and engage in other egocentric defense mechanisms from their lofty perch on the dais of power.   

Sound familiar? 

I don’t know about you, but count me in the growing number of Volusia County taxpayers, parents, students, teachers, and staff and who are sick and tired of being condescendingly lectured by (insert Volusia County School Board member here) who refuse to take a long and introspective look at the district’s abysmal lack of leadership, effective communication, or strategic vision as they fritter away a massive $1.2 billion annual budget.

In my view, Chairwoman Haynes should realize those “keyboard warriors” she blames are citizens and taxpayers – many with growing concerns about the competency and direction of our elected officials and senior leadership in the Ivory Tower of Power in Deland – frightened by the disastrous unaddressed maladministration and angered by their arrogant refusal to listen to the needs of those in the classroom. 

Perhaps that is why students, teachers, and staff continue their disturbing exodus? 

Just once, I wish an elected representative on the Volusia County School Board would admonish Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and her coterie of incompetents in senior administration with the same ferocity and verve she musters when blasting those of us who pay the bills and are expected to suffer in silence. 

And Another Thing!

When I say my military service was nothing special – you can take that to the bank…

During the summer of 1979, after horribly failing every course I had enrolled in at Daytona Beach Community College, my best friend and I stopped throwing a Frisbee on the beach long enough to join the U. S. Army Reserve. A few long and hot months later we completed Basic Training and Military Police School at Fort McClellan, Alabama.   

It was some of the best law enforcement instruction I ever received.  It also turned a wayward boy into a reasonably self-reliant man and taught me to work cooperatively with a diverse group of people under difficult circumstances. 

I served the next six-years with the 345^th MP Company (Escort Guard) 81^st ARCOM, based in Melbourne, Florida, with first platoon located in Daytona Beach, a unit trained to transport prisoners of war by various modes.      

While I never deployed – and didn’t earn one ribbon (especially not the Good Conduct medal) – I drank a lot of beer, was reduced in rank twice, and served with many great individuals, some of whom became lifelong friends and great colleagues in law enforcement. 

After completing my enlistment obligation, the worst soldier the Army ever produced was incredibly proud to receive an Honorable Discharge.

As a Private E-2… 

Yeah.  I know.

I tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of what passed for my military service in light of serious allegations that U.S. Representative Cory Mills may have fudged details of his military career as he runs for re-election in Florida’s 7th District that covers southern Volusia County and all of Seminole County.

According to an in-depth article by reporter Mark Harper in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week, we learned:

“Mills, a first-term congressman representing Florida’s 7th District, is facing an Aug. 20 Republican primary challenge from Michael Johnson, a retired Department of Defense employee and Vietnam-era Army veteran from Altamonte Springs.

While campaigning, Johnson is handing voters flyers that ask: “Why does Mills lie about his military service? … He is committing Stolen Valor.”    

If true, those are serious allegations against a sitting United States Congressman.  (See Rep. Mills’ official biography here: https://mills.house.gov/about )

According to the report, Rep. Mills’ accusers have posted their “evidence” online at www.corymillswatch.com

(Find the rest of Harper’s disturbing exposé here: https://tinyurl.com/2kxyjey9 )

At issue is Rep. Mills’ claim to have been awarded the Bronze Star medal for heroism during combat in Iraq.  His detractors believe he may have conflated his military service with time spent as a security contractor in Iraq, which apparently occurred after his discharge from the Army.   

The Army recently completed a review of Rep. Mills’ awards and confirmed he received the Bronze Star and several other service-related medals in a July memorandum.

Then Mills provided the News-Journal with a Form 638 – the official written recommendation for the Bronze Star – signed by retired Brigadier General Arnold Gordon-Bray, who corroborated to the News-Journal that he signed the recommendation. 

“Bray himself told The News-Journal that he did sign a recommendation for Mills, but neither he nor Mills answered the question of when it was signed.” 

In the article, Mills detractors point out the form was dated 2021 – and Gen. Gordon-Bray retired in 2012… 

In his defense, Rep. Mills was quoted in the News-Journal report, “I’m tired of the slander and the defamation,” Mills said. “I ran for office to be able to serve the American people, not to defend something I did 20 years ago over and over and over.”

I’ll bet he’s tired of these grievous smears.      

Because if Rep. Mills is in fact a combat wounded veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in Iraq – he deserves an immediate apology from the Johnson campaign – right before Mr. Johnson removes himself from the race.

However, if the insinuations brought by Mr. Johnson and others are true – then Rep. Mills owes his constituents – and anyone who served honorably in the Global War on Terror – an immediate apology, right before he resigns from Congress, closes his campaign, and steps aside… 

In my view, it is that serious.

In my view, claiming false service accomplishments and unearned awards for valor steals from those brave souls who earned the respect they so richly deserve with blood, sweat, and tears – or made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Having read the timeline and assorted items of “evidence” as posted by Mr. Johnson and his supporters, I must admit, some things in Rep. Mills’ official military records (as presented in the article and on the website) don’t add up to me.  

As a military veteran and Congressman, Rep. Mills must know how to file the proper form to correct his original DD-214 – something that would serve to quell the many questions swirling around these shocking claims and counterclaims.

If you live in Florida’s 7^th Congressional District – or are simply concerned about good governance, honesty, and personal integrity in high public office – I encourage you to peruse both sides of this disturbing debate then form your own conclusions. 

Because if this is a case of mudslinging gone horribly outside the bounds of ethical campaigning (a wide-open space in the scorched earth bloodbath that is modern politics) then it should be Exhibit A in the case to stop the personal destruction by and between candidates for elective office – something that has a chilling effect on good people considering a run for public service.  

While members of Congress – on both sides of the aisle – have set an extraordinarily low bar for what passes for “statesmanship” and elective service, in my view, sitting representatives like Mr. Mills have a moral and ethical obligation to tell the truth and conduct themselves in a manner that reflects creditably on the House of Representatives, their sworn office, and the district they serve. 

That means speaking the unvarnished truth to voters about their background and service.

In my view, these are moral imperatives for holding a position of public trust – and they should not be subject to quibbling, obfuscation, or false witness for cheap political gain on either side of a campaign. 

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

Hi, kids!

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

ERAU Chairman Mori Hosseini, Boeing, and Aura Aero Inc.

Big news at our Harvard of the Sky last week when it was announced Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will host French electric aircraft manufacturer Aura Aero Inc.’s new 10,000 square foot hangar facility.   

According to reports, the Big Enchilada remains the company’s planned 500,000-square-foot aircraft manufacturing plant, Aura Aero’s first in the United States.  As it stands, the ERAU hangar will employ 20 people – while the manufacturing facility would bring 1,030 jobs with an average annual wage of $73,895 to Daytona Beach – along with a capital investment of $172.5 million.

Although Aura Aero’s announcement stopped short of naming Embry-Riddle’s Research Park as the location for the production facility, it did mention that the plant will be built somewhere in the state. 

Regardless, the fact we are high in the running is outstanding news for long suffering Volusia County residents who have grown old and weary waiting on those elusive “high paying jobs” we’ve been promised (and shelled out publicly funded incentives to attract) for decades.  

Of course, I chuckled watching our myriad (and horribly redundant) “economic development” shills fall all over themselves taking credit for the Aura Aero hangar… 

In a recent article by Clayton Park writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we heard from Keith Norden – the high-flying CEO of that public/private travel club over at Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation – who weighed in from his latest junket to the Farnborough International Air Show in the United Kingdom. 

Although none of the official announcements from Aura Aero CEO Jérémy Caussade, Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Governor Ron DeSantis, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly, (whew, let me catch my breath…), FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue, Space Florida President and CEO Robert Long, etc., etc., mentioned Team Volusia by name – Mr. Norden “…confirmed that he spoke with Aura Aero officials on Monday.”

Okay…

I’m not sure if that means Mr. Norden ran into someone wearing an Aura Aero nametag exiting the ‘Loo,’ or if he single-handedly negotiated the deal to bring the aircraft manufacture to Daytona Beach last Monday?

But when Team Volusia’s “big gets” have essentially been limited to cobbling together a string of tax breaks and publicly funded incentives to lure the low hanging fruit of industrial warehouses, then using mysterious “code names” to force elected officials to approve the projects in the blind, while short selling the Daytona Beach area’s logistical brass ring that is the central nexus of I-4 and I-95, I suppose it is important to glom on to a trophy catch when and where you can, eh?   

By all appearances, the real rockstar in this deal – and last month’s equally impressive announcement that Boeing will locate a 400 strong research element at the Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology at Embry-Riddle this fall – is our own High Panjandrum of Political Power Mr. Mori Hosseini. 

Although Mr. Hosseini, as chairman of Embry-Riddle’s board of directors, gave credit to Gov. DeSantis for creating a “favorable business environment,” I’ll bet you a donut (croissant?) we have the Big Guy to thank for connecting the university with these innovative aerospace engineering and research opportunities. 

According to a News-Journal article announcing Boeing’s presence at the research park, “Embry-Riddle is at the tip of Florida’s Space Triangle, and Boeing selecting ERAU and Volusia County will redefine our university and our community,” Hosseini said. “With 400 new, high-paying jobs right here in our backyard, the future has never been brighter in Central Florida and Volusia County.”

Great news all around. 

Kudos to Chairman Hosseini and everyone involved in bringing these important economic engines to Volusia County.    

Raquel Levy and Water Quality Advocates of Victoria Commons

Anyone who still questions the devastating effects of regional overdevelopment and nutrient pollution – phosphorous and nitrogen from sewage and surface runoff – in area waterways need look no further than the ongoing decimation of fish, ducks, and other wildlife in Deland’s Victoria Park lake. 

While state agencies charged with protecting Florida’s threatened environment and wildlife continue to drag their bureaucratic heels in determining the cause, local attorney Raquel Levy and residents of the Victoria Commons section are standing up to bring public focus to this growing problem. 

According to an article by Frank Fernandez writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Ms. Levy explained:

“We need clean water; everything in this lake has been dying. We have dead hawks, dead ibis, we have dozens of ducks that have died,” Levy said. “This lake is a selling point of this community. Most people have purchased a home here because of the beautiful lake and now what used to be a beautiful lake has become a death pond.”

According to the report, Ms. Levy and her equally ecologically conscious daughters recently collected signatures from area residents petitioning the Victoria Commons homeowners association to address the issue. 

Last week, the Levy’s organized a gathering of residents and area environmental advocates – including the intrepid Suzanne Scheiber of Dream Green Volusia – to call attention to water quality issues and encourage compassion for affected wildlife.  

Look, anyone who has spent time in the woods and on the waterways of Florida – or maintains a home aquarium, for that matter – understands the interconnected and symbiotic relationship of the systems and natural processes of rivers, lakes, and wetlands.   

Depending upon prevailing land uses, runoff from streets and roadways, residential fertilizer use, wastewater treatment, and certain agricultural operations can result in nutrient contamination of the watershed which leads to excessive algal growth.

Don’t take my word for it, read up on how overdevelopment around Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades – coupled with “Big Sugar’s” political manipulation of state environmental protections – is actively destroying South Florida’s fragile ecosystems… 

According to the News-Journal, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said photographs of Victoria Lake sent to that agency indicate the cause as cyanobacteria, a blue-green algae bloom that can result from excess nutrients. 

Meanwhile, a paid mouthpiece for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection reported, “We will be collecting samples from Victoria Lake following a request from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Currently, DEP is coordinating with the property owner to gain site access…” 

Whatever.

Meanwhile, many of those we have elected to represent our interests in municipal, county, and state offices sit on the dais of power in their respective jurisdictions – playing their role as one of the Three Mystic Apes who “hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil” when it comes to accommodating the greed-crazed demands of their political benefactors in the real estate development community who pour massive sums of money into the campaigns of hand-select candidates in a bizarre quid pro quo that could only be legal in Florida – arguably the biggest whorehouse in the world…   

Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago

“Councilman David Santiago said he believes he’s been clear on where he stands on the issue: He’s not willing to accept the liability if the I-2 zoning is amended. He was in favor of providing an exemption for the properties zoned I-2.

Santiago said none of his constituents have expressed wanting to take on the liability. However, last year, the Deltona City Commission passed a resolution 4-0 supporting the Volusia League of Cities in its opposition of the fuel farm project.

Kent told Santiago that if the fuel farm project was in Santiago’s district, Kent would be the “guy you want next to you saying ‘heck no’ to it.”

In response, Santiago said that, when the project was first brought to the council’s attention, he supported Kent’s opposition to the fuel farm.

“Do I finish in the same location with you? It’s the details,” Santiago. “If this were in the center of Deltona, it would be a lot tougher decision for me, I agree with that.”

–Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago, as quoted by reporter Jarleene Almenas, Ormond Beach Observer, “Volusia County Council at odds over amending heavy industrial zoning district due to existing fuel farm proposal,” Thursday, July 25, 2024

In my view, Volusia County Councilman David “No Show” Santiago is the most “polished” parliamentarian on the dais.  He is also one of the most mercurial, self-serving, and undependable politicians I’ve ever seen.

That’s a pretty high (low?) bar, y’all.

Last week, during a farcical “workshop” to discuss amending Volusia County’s “wide open” Heavy Industrial I-2 zoning – something our incredibly well-compensated growth and resource mismanagement gurus only learned of after Belvedere Terminals submitted a proposal to construct a massive 24/7 bulk fuel terminal on Hull Road in Ormond Beach (?) – Mr. Santiago openly put the screws to his flummoxed “colleague” District 4 Councilman Troy Kent.

He also showed Volusia County residents how quickly he will turn on them (and shamelessly flip-flop) when it becomes politically expedient to do so… 

In February, the majority voted against a moratorium on the development of heavy industrial properties as it considered changes to the zoning ordinance, with Chairman Brower and Councilman Kent the only two elected officials supporting the temporary pause.

According to the Ormond Observer’s report, “During the workshop, the council appeared to be split 4-3: Council Chair Jeff Brower and Councilmen Troy Kent and Matt Reinhart were in favor of pursuing amendments to the I-2 zoning ordinance. The rest worried the change could bring legal challenges to the county or voiced not wanting to impede on the property rights on the impacted landowners.”

Now, anxious residents wait to see what fate the unnervingly quiet Belvedere Terminals – who now holds all the cards – will hand them in coming months. 

Will Belvedere seize the advantage presented by the abject weakness and divisiveness of Volusia County officials and push forward with the bulk fuel terminal on Hull Road?

Will the $10 million in public funds offered by the Florida legislature persuade Belvedere to move the terminal away from Ormond Beach and into the backyards of some unfortunate residents elsewhere?

Perhaps most ominous – how will the “not my district/not my problem” fallback used by “No Show” Santiago as a cowardly excuse for turning his back on an issue of regional concern ultimately effect the concept of the council collectively representing the interests of all residents – especially from potential countywide threats proposed by these “wide open” zoning and land use regulations? 

Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce

Like everyone who is anyone this election cycle, the Daytona Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is engaging in the controversial practice of endorsing candidates for Florida Representatives and Senate races, a process with potential benefits – and deep pitfalls – for what should be an apolitical pro-business organization. 

The Chamber’s “Voters Guide” also contains the canned responses of local candidates to a series of questions, no doubt formulated by a committee… 

Please find the Chamber’s guide here:  https://tinyurl.com/u434xtrm

Now, can we please get back to the urgent and unrelenting issues at hand? 

Time’s a wastin’…  

In my view, through the years, the denial, misplaced optimism, and ineffective response of the chamber set – along with their cohorts in our ossified tourism and hospitality apparatus – has done little (if anything) to change the trajectory of the Daytona Beach Resort Area’s core economic driver: Entrepreneurship and investment on our beleaguered beachside.     

Prove me wrong?

I’m not talking about “New Daytona” over on Boomtown Boulevard, the publicly subsidized One Daytona, industrial warehouses, malignant sprawl west of I-95, or the tedious, wearisome, and ass-dragging “improvements” to that house of horrors that remains the gateway to the World’s Most Famous Beach on East International Speedway Boulevard. (Is it being completed by two guys working on weekends?  I’m asking…)

In my view, the most recent visible insult was the broken-down chair that prominently sat on the southeast corner of the intersection of East ISB and Atlantic Avenue during the heart of our summer tourist season – a lovely visual amenity for visiting families who responded to the Halifax Area Advertising Authority’s incredibly expensive “Beach On” marketing campaign… 

Whatever.

Earlier this year, a group of long-suffering Main Street merchants – intrepid entrepreneurs with a personal investment in the success of our core tourist area – made the pilgrimage to Deland, properly genuflected, and beseeched the monarchical Volusia County Council to bring back driving on the beach from International Speedway Boulevard to Auditorium Boulevard – an important stretch of the strand where vehicular access has been prohibited by legislative edict for more than 20 years.   

The group appeared before their elected representatives with the support of the Main Street Merchants Association, along with more than 100 signatures representing area businessowners and residents seeking a return of beach driving – something many see as the key to turning things around on Daytona’s struggling beachside.

Per usual, the initiative failed on a 4-2 vote (not surprisingly, Councilman David “No Show” Santiago was absent that day…).

At the time, Councilman Kent explained that his no vote was a “chess move,” a parliamentary strategy that would allow the motion to be brought back at a future council meeting when all seven members are attendance. 

Good luck… 

Of course, Bob Davis, president for life and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County, led the charge to maintain the tired status quo, rallying hoteliers seeking to retain a publicly inaccessible semi-private beach, and throwing up a phalanx of negativity to prevent progress for Main Street businesses. 

In turn, the Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce remained conspicuously silent on perhaps the most important question of our time – whether the restoration of our century-old tradition of beach driving and access can help invigorate and revitalize our core tourist area?

Why is that?

Rather than use their extensive membership to hold elected and appointed officials to account and demand substantive change to the decades-old stagnation and impediments on the beachside, the Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce continues to “consecrate the bonds of obedience” to the Halifax areas fossilized Ruling Elite by repeating our sad civic mantra in response to every self-serving blow, “Thank you, sir.  May I have another?”  

In my view, legislative lobbying for business-friendly public policy is a key responsibility of any Chamber of Commerce – but I draw the line at political cocktail parties and other time-wasting elbow-rubbing horseshit while entrepreneurial investment in places like Midtown, downtown, and our struggling beachside continues to be hamstrung by onerous hurdles and a refusal to move beyond demonstrably failed policies. 

Maybe it’s time for the DBRCC to get out of politics – and the organizational divisiveness and alienation that naturally results – and focus on its core mission of advocating for a strong economic and business environment for everyone.  

Just my two cents… 

Quote of the Week

“Gov. Ron DeSantis will not face a Florida Ethics Commission sanction over a golf simulator donated to the Governor’s Mansion.

The Ethics Commission announced that it found no probable cause to pursue further investigation of the simulator provided by Ormond Beach mega-donor Mori Hosseini in 2019, the year DeSantis − who previously represented the Daytona Beach area in Congress − took office in Tallahassee.

During a closed-door session Friday, the panel also found no probable cause that DeSantis failed to report as a gift free air travel provided by Hosseini. The Ethics Commission did not explain its findings.”

–Reporter Mark Harper, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Ethics commission drops probe into Mori Hosseini’s donation of golf simulator to DeSantis,” Wednesday, July 31, 2024

In my jaded view, the barefaced quid pro quo practice of “I do nice things for you, you do nice things for me” has become the way things get accomplished in the cloistered halls of power here in the Sunshine State. 

Them’s the rules, folks. 

You either have the wherewithal to purchase a seat at the table, or you don’t – and any “outsider” who happens to mistakenly slink past the gilded gate will be dealt with.  Harshly. 

Don’t take my word for it.  Attend any of the candidate forums and stilted “hob nobs” that are de rigueur this election cycle and ask beleaguered Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower about his reception into the “inner sanctum” of political power once it became apparent he wouldn’t go along and get along? 

Or you could ask former Councilwoman Heather Post (Who? Exactly…) how Volusia’s “Old Guard” responded when she refused to be beaten into the round hole of conformity by her “colleagues” on the dais of power?    

Not much phases me anymore, but what came as a surprise with this week’s announcement that Florida’s ethics apparatus – who long ago became the paralyzed and impotent victim of a horribly botched political neutering – met in effective darkness, then refused to explain its findings to citizen’s concerned about the appearance of the most connected and powerful man in Florida “gifting” expensive toys and private air travel to Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife… 

In my view, that secretiveness by a state agency charged with protecting the public trust is ultimately worse than the ethical implications – and does more to harm government integrity than a transparent ‘let the chips fall where they may’ process. 

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I suspect each legislative session, our elected representatives will continue to whittle away at Florida’s feeble ethics apparatus – a toothless hodge-podge of political appointees who, on occasion, issue a fine or censure for the most unavoidably egregious violations. 

In June, Governor DeSantis signed legislation that puts onerous burdens on those reporting possible ethics violations – now requiring that citizens who file ethics complaints with state and local ethics commissions have “personal knowledge” of the alleged violation – among other chilling limitations.  

Yeah.  I know…    

As Caroline Klancke, executive director of the Florida Ethics Institute and former deputy executive director of the Florida Commission on Ethics, warned in a February 2024 open letter (and dire warning) to the citizens of Florida:

“Florida has long led the country in its legal protections of fairness and transparency. But this is not the time to take these safeguards for granted. It is once again necessary for Floridians to band together to reiterate our collective commitment to fairness in government as evidenced in our State Code of Ethics.

Do not let the tools of accountability slip so easily from society’s grasp.”

And Another Thing! 

“In the last two months, the Palm Coast Planning Board has approved almost 750 homes for the next two phases and applications for a development within the Palm Coast Park development.

The Palm Coast Park Development of Regional Impact is a massive 4,700-acre, phased development project in the northwest portion of Palm Coast along Highway U.S. 1 that was originally approved in 2004. It is broken down into multiple tracts, with smaller developments within those tracts, and is expected to have over 2,000 homes once it is finished.”

–Sierra Williams, writing in the Palm Coast Observer, “Over last two months, city planning board OKs 750 homes for Sawmill Branch development,” Wednesday, July 24, 2024  

They call them “Developments of Regional Impact” for a reason…

According to Florida statute, a DRI is “…any development which, because of its character, magnitude, or location, would have a substantial effect upon the health, safety or welfare of citizens of more than one county.”

Sound familiar? 

If you live anywhere in the increasingly claustrophobic Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach Metropolitan Statistical Area (which includes Flagler County), it should. 

For years, the Florida legislature – populated by many perennial politicians with real estate interests – has worked diligently to fast-track development by eroding environmental protections, gutting review processes, eliminating local control – essentially setting the ball for developers so their counterparts in local and county governments can spike it down the throats of existing residents….

Across the region, municipal and county governments have exposed the shocking fact they have been caught flatfooted when it comes to growth management.  That realization usually hits existing residents when asking their representatives why their once high-and-dry homes and land are inundated with standing water each time it rains. 

It is increasingly clear that these elected and appointed incompetents are now totally incapacitated and overwhelmed by the monster they helped create – incapable of determining how to pay for necessary infrastructure and utilities improvements, protect our threatened water supply, and provide essential services, while kissing the sizeable asses of their “friends” in the development industry – always reverting to the one arrow in their quiver: Raising taxes and fees for existing residents. 

Always quibbling causality and disputing the facts – never admitting that their failed strategy of cramming ten-pounds of shit into a five-pound sack is destroying every region of the state – then continually procrastinating, kicking the can down that long political road, buying time while the bulldozers roar…   

Now, amid the most prolific period of explosive growth in our history – a time when every square inch of land, virgin forest, aquifer recharge area, wetland, and wildlife habitat is being churned into a foul black muck, filled, and elevated to shoehorn more, more, more zero lot line cracker boxes – many are dealing with the resultant impacts across both Volusia and Flagler Counties. 

So, how does the City of Palm Coast and other county and municipal governments on Florida’s “Fun Coast” respond to hundreds of reports of development-induced flooding, pollution, and density concerns? 

Reread the quote above for the abysmal answer to that troubling, and increasingly prevalent, question… 

Now, vote like your quality of life depends upon it. 

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

Hi, kids!

It’s time once again to turn a jaundiced eye toward the news and newsmakers of the day who – in my cynical opinion – either contributed to our quality of life, or detracted from it, in some significant way this week here on Florida’s fabled “Fun Coast.”

First Step Shelter Board

In an excellent follow-up this week by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned that the investigation into ugly allegations of fiduciary maleficence, fraudulent activities, discriminatory bias, ongoing harassment, retaliation, breaches of confidentiality, unethical behavior, fostering a toxic work environment, etc., etc., at the First Step Shelter in Daytona Beach is coming to conclusion. 

Incredulously, we also learned that the First Step Board of Directors is now considering getting taxpayer’s pesky noses out of their “business” by turning the operations and oversight private “…so that it no longer holds its meetings in public and is no longer obligated to share its current records with the public.”

Yeah.  You read that right…

With the enigmatic First Step program rocked by scandal – and many (including the News-Journal) questioning if Daytona Beach and Volusia County taxpayers should continue to throw a collective $800,000 in public funds toward the “shelter’s” $1.5 million annual budget – the board, under the direction of Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, is seriously considering trying to exempt the program from Florida’s Sunshine Law. 

According to the report, “Abiding by Florida’s Sunshine laws that require board members to only talk to one another about shelter matters during public meetings, and to allow the public to be at those meetings, “makes it hard to do our work,” said Mayor Derrick Henry, who serves as president of the First Step Shelter Board.”

I’ll bet it does… 

“My agenda is not to hide from anyone, but to be a more effective board,” Henry said. “I think we could raise more money if we could talk to each other.”

Really?   

Because it sure sounds like Mayor Henry and the board would prefer to conduct their affairs behind closed doors…you know, to be more “effective.”

My ass.

Mayor Henry also explained that he wants the “shelter” to stop conducting business like a “public entity” (even though the program exists solely because of the taxpayer’s largesse?) and have it operated “much differently” – which, I assume, means in effective darkness away from any reasonable public scrutiny…

According to the report, “My bigger concern has always been how do we make this stand on its own?” Henry said.”  

I’m not an expert on the administration of public or privately held not-for-profits – but so long as First Step is effectively reliant on tax dollars – it must operate in accordance with Florida’s open meetings law. 

In my view, First Step has suffered transparency issues since it began to rise from city owned pine scrub in December 2017.

I don’t know about you, but I well remember the day 150 local dignitaries gathered in their finery on the sandy site off US-92 for a premature groundbreaking ceremony/photo opportunity ahead of a facility that we were initially told would cost between $2 million and $3 million – then inexplicably ballooned to a whopping $6 million as costs mysteriously “evolved.” 

That shocking development morphed into an equally shadowy (and incredibly lucrative) no-bid “dirt deal” that allowed P$S Paving, the contractor who performed the site work for First Step, to harvest publicly owned fill dirt off publicly owned property adjacent to the First Step site during the most prolific development boom in our region’s history, in exchange for defraying some $2.13 million in site development costs.

In a disturbing December 2018 News-Journal article also by Zaffiro-Kean we learned, “Bids were never solicited. The agreement with P&S Paving was hammered out behind closed doors, city records show.”

Interestingly, the “deal” was extended another 21-months (without a price increase?) by the Daytona Beach City Commission in 2022…

Now this? 

I agree with Mayor Henry on one point: It is high time Volusia County taxpayers were off the hook for whatever First Step Shelter is (because it most definitely is not a come as you are shelter) – as the board finds a way to bring its operations and expenses to a point where the program can stand on its own. 

Most agree that the problem across our region is simply too great to devote a combined $4 million in scarce public resources to a single entity every five-years, while a very visible segment of the homeless population who are ineligible or incapable of transitioning to permanent housing remains without services and outreach. 

With the recent court ruling finding Daytona Beach’s effective panhandling ordinance unconstitutional, the Halifax area will soon be aswarm with transient beggars as more homeless (and professional panhandlers) make their return. 

In my view, rather than squander public funds and private donations scheming how best to hide First Step’s already murky administration from suspicious taxpayers and benefactors – perhaps now is the time to protect the public trust, restore the confidence of donors, and determine how best serve the needs of those less fortunate in Volusia County.

That will require strong leadership.  Not secrecy. 

Deltona Vice-Mayor Jody Lee Storozuk

“The government you elect, is the government you deserve.”

–Thomas Jefferson

The sad fact is, most people have become desensitized to the abhorrent behavior of Deltona elected officials – detestable conduct that consistently plumbs the depths of that fetid slit trench that passes for “politics” in Volusia County. 

Over time, repetition and familiarity have reduced the shock value, and what was once unthinkable has become expected, even accepted.  In fact, infighting, sabotage, and repugnant acts by and between senior officials have become Deltona’s unfortunate civic identity.    

Yet, just when you thought you’d seen it all, a Deltona official will succumb to their base instincts and sink to a level so crude it stuns even veteran watchers.  This week, I received a flurry of messages from Deltona residents stunned by a vile attack on a senior citizen by a sitting elected official. 

“Shocking” doesn’t quite do it justice…

With a confirmed reputation for loutish behavior, the oafish Vice-Mayor Jody Lee Storozuk has finally reached the nadir (I hope) of vulgarity toward longsuffering Deltona residents when he suggested in an open Facebook post to a 70-year-old female constituent, “how about yo just suck a dick….. lmfao”

Read it again.  This is what passes for political discourse in the Lost City of Deltona…

I don’t know what prompted this contemptible suggestion.  Frankly, it doesn’t matter. 

Despicable.

In the harsh aftermath, “Jody Lee” (as the Vice-Mayor prefers to be known) took to social media to issue an apology and accept responsibility by claiming someone else used his Facebook page to make the “totally inappropriate” (and now deleted) post.

In all honesty, I’m not sure what to make of this. 

Are you?   

As a veteran observer of Volusia County politics, I’ve witnessed some underhanded attacks, low blows, and dirty tricks – that comes with the territory – but this is beyond disturbing.       

Are we to believe Vice-Mayor “Jody Lee” has an evil twin?   

A brutish alter ego that lycanthropically transmogrifies into a monstrous social media thug? 

A Hyde-like brute who bullies elderly constituents, firing off salacious suggestions to septuagenarians from behind a keyboard whenever his feathers get ruffled during a political campaign? 

Or are we to believe that Vice-Mayor Storozuk allows others to publish demeaning and profane missives under his name and likeness so he can feign dubious deniability when his constituents rightfully take offense? 

Only in Deltona would one consider either of these bizarre possibilities, but under the circumstances, they are legitimate questions… 

Unfortunately, last year, “Jody Lee’s” opponent for the District 6 seat, Dominic “Nick” Lulli, fell victim to similar treatment at the hands of former Deltona City Commissioner Tom Burbank, who launched a hate filled and homophobic social media attack on Mr. Lulli – a private citizen – who later filed a successful lawsuit against the City of Deltona. 

So, what did he do to provoke the ire of former Commissioner Burbank? 

Lulli had the temerity to announce he was exploring a run for the District 6 seat. 

Recognizing this repugnant behavior for what it was, the Deltona City Commission later officially censured Burbank during a public meeting.

So, how will the Deltona City Commission respond to Vice-Mayor Storozuk’s sexually charged cyber-abuse of a senior citizen? 

If left unaddressed, this treatment will have a chilling effect on any Deltona citizen considering participating in their municipal government…   

Although Mr. Burbank later did the right thing and resigned his seat, I don’t expect the same from the likes of Vice-Mayor Storozuk.  In my view, doing the right thing is clearly not in his character… 

Look, I realize this is the cesspool of Deltona politics we’re talking about – but this boorish and offensive behavior should not become the accepted norm for sitting elected officials – and Jody Lee Storozuk should resign immediately.   

Palm Coast Vice-Mayor Ed Danko

Speaking of skeevy… 

As things begin to heat up on the campaign scene – an interesting time that always brings out the best and worst in those with the weird compulsion to hold themselves out for high office – it appears a good old-fashioned Flagler County bruhaha has erupted between Palm Coast Vice-Mayor Ed Danko and Sheriff Rick Staly.

In a recent political advertisement touting his run for the Flagler County Commission, Danko attempted to cloak himself with the imprimatur of Sheriff Staly’s popularity by employing a crafty script and images that suggested Staly has endorsed Danko’s candidacy. 

In the video, narrated by retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Oliver North and posted to Danko’s YouTube channel, it was insinuated that Danko supports Staly and, by inference, that Staly supports Danko.       

That’s news to Sheriff Staly… 

According to an informative article in FlaglerLive!, “Sheriff Staly Rejects as ‘Misleading’ Ed Danko Campaign Claim of Endorsement in Latest Ollie North Video,” we learned that a 60-second ad paid for by the Danko campaign suggests Danko “has endorsed my friend Sheriff Staly and his efforts in reducing crime,” a line that Staly described as “misleading.”

(Watch it for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywupIQqtdZM )

“Ed Danko did not endorse me. Publicly he supports this office but there was no formal endorsement done nor did I ever ask for an endorsement,” Staly said. “Every endorsement I received running for reelection, my campaign put out a press release and you will never find a press release indicating that Ed Danko endorsed me, because that just didn’t happen. I have a lot of people that want me to endorse them, because I am a very popular elected official and well know, and that is exactly why I’m staying out of local politics with the exception of state level and national level elections.”    

In my view, Sheriff Staly’s commitment to remaining above the fray in local races – especially for those offices he must work with on budget and policy decisions – is a sound practice.   

Personally, I think political endorsements by local politicians is presumptuous at best – but in an environment where too few voters think for themselves – receiving the seal of approval from popular political leaders, celebrities, and influential organizations can change the minds of undecided/uninformed voters and help build credibility during heated campaigns.

As elected officials, both Staly and Danko are exempt from a Florida law that rightfully limits electioneering by appointed public employees in their respective political jurisdiction, a practice that erodes the impartiality required of civil servants. 

However, Mr. Danko is not exempt from the Florida statute that makes it “…unlawful for any candidate or person on behalf of a candidate to represent that any person or organization supports such candidate, unless the person or organization so represented has given specific approval in writing to the candidate to make such representation.” 

Look, I understand why Sheriff Staly wants to keep Ed Danko at arm’s length. 

As the residents of Palm Coast well know – Danko brings a kooky brand of political drama, roil, and instability to the dais – a weird kabuki he now wants to bring to the larger stage of the Flagler County Commission. 

According to FlaglerLive!, in reiterating his stance on endorsements last week, Staly said:

“The only one I have endorsed is Tom Leek for a state position. I have not endorsed any local candidate and I have no intentions of endorsing any local candidate because I have to work with them as sheriff,” Staly said, “and I am having this video reviewed by my general counsel. Once that review is done we will address any violations or implied endorsements appropriately.”

Subsequently, Flagler County Sheriff’s general counsel John LeMaster issued a cease and desist to Danko, which stated:

“While you indicate you did not write the script for the advertisement, you and/or your campaign have promoted it, providing a false narrative and misleading the voters of Flagler County. We demand both you and your campaign immediately cease and desist all uses and references to Sheriff Staly, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and/or the likeness of either in all mediums including, but not limited to, social media, mailers and commercials.

You will not receive another warning letter. Failure to comply will cause this office to take any and all legal action necessary to gain compliance.”

I applaud Sheriff Rick Staly for standing by his ethical standards, ensuring compliance with electoral regulations, and for maintaining the integrity of our democratic process.  By his actions, the citizens of Flagler County can have confidence in their Sheriff – and the system.   

Quote of the Week

“City Commissioner Stacy Cantu said it’s “the worst deal I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“This is actually an insult to the commission and our residents,” Cantu said. “This is laughable. Do they really think we’re that stupid to approve this?”

–Daytona Beach City Commissioner Stacy Cantu, as quoted by The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “’The worst deal I’ve ever seen in my life’: Daytona considers Beach St. building purchase,” Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Kudos to Commissioner Stacy Cantu for demanding city officials pump the brakes on an odd proposal that would grossly overpay for a dilapidated office building on Beach Street. 

In my view, that’s good governance.

According to the News-Journal, “At their July 3 meeting, city commissioners were asked to vote on a contract to purchase a 63-year-old Beach Street building, as is, for $4.4 million.”

“The asking price was $1 million above an appraisal the city had done a year ago, and the four-story building just north of the post office would also need another $3 million or so of renovation and repair work. That would escalate the city’s total expenditure to at least $7.4 million for the mostly empty structure that also might need building code updates, mold and asbestos removal, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and a new roof.”

Oh, I forgot.  The terms of the sale would also allow the current owner of the property to keep his general contracting company offices in the building for $100 per month while providing “consulting” services for the renovation project. 

Say what? 

Look, I’m not a real estate speculator (all my money is tied up in what chartered accountants call “liabilities”) but that sounds like a great deal for someone – just not the taxpayers of Daytona Beach…   

According to reports, the City of Daytona Beach is under pressure to spend at least $11.4 million in accumulated permits and licensing funds by October 4 or risk forfeiting it to the state.  The building would be used to house city permitting operations.    

As often happens when government is required to spend an exorbitant amount of money in a brief period – caution and due diligence take a backseat to rushed and ill-informed decision making – that rarely works to the taxpayer’s advantage.    

In my view, perhaps the Daytona Beach City Commission should consider hiring the owner of the Beach Street building to negotiate any future real estate “deals” on their behalf – and leave senior city staff on the bench… 

And Another Thing!

Admittedly, I’m a curmudgeonly asshole with a jaded view of the body politic. 

But this election cycle a few local races seem more like a dilemma to me.  A weird Morton’s fork, where regardless of choice, any outcome results in equally unfavorable consequences…

Namely, more of the same… 

I might not be the smartest guy you know, but I’m perceptive as hell, and I hear you out there, stomping your feet, spewing your beverage of choice, screaming wildly “Wait just a damn minute Barker!  (Insert your favorite candidate here) is different!  He/she is going to make a difference and turn things around!”   

No, they aren’t. 

Oh, they say all the right things – and, in many cases, the neophyte candidate sincerely believes he/she has the answers – that our lives and livelihoods will be better under their unique brand of “leadership and vision,” if only We, The Little People will give them a chance.

Then during the campaign someone teaches them to speak in soundbites – carefully crafted to give the appearance they have a grasp of the issues – just shy of specifics, implication without substance, any salient point obscured by smoke and mirrors.

For instance, I recently read an interesting piece in the West Volusia Beacon introducing the candidates and incumbent vying for Volusia County Chair.  My recurring fears were realized with their non-answers to the logical question, why should people vote for you and not your opponent(s)?

For instance, Deb Denys, a retread politician who mysteriously threw her hat in the ring after losing to incumbent Jeff Brower by 40,000 votes in 2020, responded: “Proven leadership. Ability to collaborate and achieve successful outcomes by meeting and working with partners and concerned citizens. Protecting and preserving our natural resources continues to be in the forefront of my active engagement.”      

What does that mean?  Who speaks like that?

In turn, Chairman Brower responded with: “I have kept my word to the public and will not sell them out. My highest goal is to protect their constitutional rights and quality of life. This vote represents a clear choice between developer-financed candidates and me, your voice to protect your quality of life and everything that makes Volusia County a great place to live, work and play.”

That may be true, but many are asking: How can any of that happen on a dais filled with obstinate impediments – sedentary lumps committed to preserving the status quo – political chattel who have devoted themselves to suppressing Brower’s every initiative?

Since his tumultuous term began, Chairman Brower has been repeatedly gaslighted by his “colleagues” – his every suggestion and vote marginalized – Volusia’s stagnant “Old Guard” consistently painting him as an irresponsible and ineffective dirt-worshiping buffoon – even as they block and procrastinate on the development and environmental issues that most residents consider important.

To the increasing number of citizens dealing with the flooding, gridlock, and claustrophobia from the explosive development that has spread like a malignancy across the width and breadth of Volusia County – unchecked growth that cannot and will not pay for itself – it appears that Chairman Brower is an ineffectual outsider jousting with windmills.

Unfortunately, (and by insider design) he has been.

In my view, one thing Chairman Brower hasn’t done is fall victim to the political pitfalls that await most first term elected officials when they are taken into the inner sanctum, made to feel part of the bureaucratic system, groomed by senior officials to believe they alone hold the answers, while influential people who wouldn’t have given them the time of day before the election laugh at their jokes and slap their backs. 

Heady stuff for the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker who win an election…

In many ways, Brower has remained an iconoclast (and on the losing end of more 6-1 and 5-2 votes than I can count) who now has the beatdown appearance of a tattered piñata as he tries to convince disillusioned voters he can somehow be effective from inside the soundproof box his “colleagues” have confined him in. 

Earlier this week, we witnessed the worst of how this current iteration of the Volusia County Council treats worried citizens from throughout the region who are concerned about the frightening specter of an around-the-clock bulk fuel terminal proposed for Ormond Beach.

Rather than rattle the saber on a zoning change to prohibit the terminal from being built in the most inappropriate location on the Eastern Seaboard – a bold move that held the risk of a court challenge – the majority decided to do what they always do and sit with their thumbs firmly wedged in their backsides “letting the process play out”  while arrogantly insinuating they have insider knowledge that the project may eventually be moved out of the area.

Chairman Brower and Councilman Troy Kent were the only elected officials who stood with residents, committed to using all means legally and legislatively available to stop the dangerous distribution terminal from being located literally in the backyards of existing Ormond Beach residents (and future residents of Ormond Crossings).

In my experience, in politics and life, it becomes a whole different game when the piñata hits back.

If Mr. Brower is to have any chance for a second term – now is the time for him to take off the gloves (as he has previously promised) and bring the chronic obstructionism and time-wasting procrastination of his “colleagues” to the attention of the vast number of uninformed, uninspired, disenfranchised, and apathetic voters who continue to rubber stamp their ballot based upon a glossy mailer…   

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

Hi, kids!

You’ll notice some changes to this week’s column… 

Even before the unthinkable events of last weekend, I did some naval-gazing, thinking long and hard about the future of this alternative opinion blog in an age where even local political divisions have digressed from ideological disagreements and conflicting ideas to a blood feud between rival gangs – all fostered and funded by dark forces the average Joe Lunchpail like me can’t begin to comprehend – weaponized fear and real hatred that is tearing at the fabric of our society.

Given the hateful rhetoric and ad hominem attacks that pervade our political dialog, I have questioned whether blogsites like this help or hurt those divisions? 

I’ve come to the realization that what the public discourse doesn’t need is another jackleg editorialist like me subjectively categorizing politicians and public policies as “Angels” or “Assholes.”   

I naturally assume that whether we agree or disagree on the issues of the day, anyone who takes time out of their day to read Barker’s View is an engaged citizen and informed voter – someone who seeks and considers various points of view – then forms their own unique opinions and internal dialog on the issues we face.   

Here are my jaded thoughts on the news and newsmakers of the day.  Yours may differ. 

I sincerely hope we can agree to disagree… 

Volusia County Council

“As with most programs administered by Volusia County government, in the lead-up to the vote to renew ECHO and Forever, taxpayers became concerned about the manner and means by which the funds were being administered – including a lack of transparency in the process – which resulted in the formation of citizen oversight committees.

It became known as the “trust issue” – and is the exact reason Volusia County voters rejected a proposed half-cent sales tax in 2019.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that most Volusia County residents were under the distinct impression that ECHO funds would be used to bring new and innovative opportunities to life by partnering with non-profits and municipal governments with an innovative project of countywide interest who agreed to the grant match and performance requirements.  

Instead, on Tuesday, by unanimous vote, the Volusia County Council approved a “Direct County Expenditure” bundled as a “5-year plan” which will now place divisional capital improvement expenditures – specifically the repair and replacement of existing infrastructure – on the back of the Volusia ECHO program.”

–Barker’s View, Angels & Assholes for March 10, 2023

Earlier this week, those self-described “fiscal conservatives” on the Volusia County Council once again dipped into voter approved ECHO funds – adding approximately $10 million in “direct county expenditures” (read: “It’s our piggybank and we take what we want with the wave of a wand”) – to include $3.5 million for Councilman Don Dempsey’s indulgent motocross facility…

Really? 

I’m not sure how much more of this weird brand of “fiscal responsibility” strapped Volusia County taxpayers can stand… 

In my view, supplanting recurring repair and replacement expenditures with funds earmarked for ECHO grants, then wrapping it in some bureaucratese and shoving it down our throats, is not a proper and compliant use of these dollars – it’s bait-and-switch sneak thievery.

As history repeats, to ramrod another massive expenditure, Community Services Director Brad Burbaugh hid behind an obscure 2020 resolution passed by the Volusia County Council authorizing the ballot initiative and permitting the council to use ECHO funds for “direct county expenditure for County government projects or by grants-in-aid awards.”

(You remember that resolution, right?)

I’ve said this before, but when I voted to extend the ECHO and Forever programs, I had no idea that those dollars would ultimately be used for “cultural and historic” amenities like repairing long neglected beach ramps, walkovers, and docks, renovating public restrooms and parking lots at county facilities, and building a multi-million-dollar motocross facility to eliminate overhead for a yet to be identified private for-profit contractor. 

Most responsible government entities without a tax supported piggybank at their disposal properly budget for capital asset repair and replacement obligations each year. 

They don’t quibble resolutions, twist ballot language, and stretch programmatic intent to shoehorn anything and everything – including the pet personal projects of sitting politicians – or turn funds for additional ecological, cultural, historic, and outdoor recreation amenities into a slimy slush fund where our tax dollars are regularly looted to cover ongoing mismanagement in the preventive maintenance, repair, and replacement of existing public assets.  

At the same meeting – after years of sitting on their thumbs while development spread like a malignancy across the width and breadth of Volusia County, quickly outpacing any notion of concurrency, and overwhelming transportation and public infrastructure – councilmembers are now wringing their hands over how to pay for these long-ignored civic necessities. 

As always, Volusia’s stagnant “Old Guard” would prefer to smokescreen the issues with “look, we’re doing something!” eyewash – this time proposing a property tax increase (because their repeated attempts to push a sales tax increase have failed miserably) that would generate a relatively miniscule $5 million in additional tax revenue for road improvements. 

County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald advised that amount would add about one mile of road expansion….  

Wow.

According to a report by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week, “District 3 Councilman Danny Robins suggested the idea as a starting point for raising money to tackle the county’s backlog in road projects. The council plans to discuss the matter further as part of the budget process, including how big that backlog is and how a dedicated millage rate for road infrastructure could be used.”

“If not now, when?” Robins asked. “I’d like to start chipping away at this.”

Other’s saw it for what it was, with District 1 Councilman Don Dempsey, District 4 Councilman and Vice Chair Troy Kent, and Chairman Jeff Brower all voting against the increase.

According to the News-Journal, “Kent said he would support a workshop to talk about road needs, but he didn’t want to raise taxes on people for what he called a minuscule difference in road funding.

“I’m not just a no, I’m a hard no on this,” he said.”

Look, I’ve come around to Councilman Kent’s way of thinking on many issues, but I’m not sure another hot-air generator is going to amount to a hill of beans when it comes to our now insurmountable infrastructure shortfalls – but that never stops them from kicking the can down that dusty political trail…   

Maybe they can bookend another do-nothing “workshop” on transportation needs with next weeks “Permitting and Zoning” workshop – which will no doubt consist of Growth and Resource Mismanagement Director Clay Ervin putting us all under the ether with another multi-slide PowerPoint presentation…   

Whatever.

I don’t know about you, but in my view, it is time we begin the hard discussion of “right sizing” Volusia County government, focusing scarce resources where they are needed most, rather than perpetuating an unsustainable environment where taxpayers now shovel $1.3 billion annually into the insatiable maw of this massive bureaucracy with little tangible benefit year-over-year beyond another sad chorus of the Poormouth Blues…    

First Step Shelter

“Fiduciary maleficence. Fraudulent activities. Discriminatory bias in employment procedures and policies. Ongoing harassment and retaliation against employees who speak up. Breaches of confidentiality, unethical behavior and fostering a toxic work environment.”

–Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Employees of homeless shelter accuse director of fraud, discrimination, other misdeeds,” June 17, 2024

I’ve never been a fan of the First Step “Shelter” concept. 

In the view of many, the incredibly expensive and enigmatic program that seeks to move certain homeless people who meet established criteria into permanent housing continues to sponge the bulk of Volusia County’s scarce resources leaving large gaps in services and outreach – while those unfortunate souls who don’t meet the program’s entrance standards remain a very visible and underserved presence on our streets. 

According to reports, First Step’s $1.5 million annual budget remains underwritten by $800,000 in public funds split between the City of Daytona Beach and Volusia County governments; with additional funding coming from a few other cities, grants, churches, and individual donations – while major fundraising still relies on an incredibly tone deaf black tie “Mayor’s Gala” – a glamorous soiree where black tie, glittery gowns, ostentatious jewelry, fancy cocktails, and a theme dinner seem to fly in the face of the needs of those sleeping behind the dumpster outside…   

Sad. 

Now, the First Step program is facing its most pressing questions since the lucrative no-bid “deal” that has allowed a private for-profit paving contractor to haul publicly owned fill dirt off publicly owned property adjacent to the First Step site during the most prolific development boom in our region’s history…       

The drama unfolded last month when current and former ranking employees of First Step Shelter came forward with disturbing allegations of personal, professional, and fiduciary misconduct centering on Executive Director Victoria Fahlberg.

According to a June report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Their complaints run the gamut, and include accusations that Fahlberg submitted to an accountant a fabricated receipt for the sale of a car donated to the shelter, and that Fahlberg put a sexual device in a former employee’s box of belongings to make the employee uncomfortable.”

Other claims include client-on-client bullying, internal theft, weapons, and drugs entering the facility, violations of admission policies, and other procedural and safety violations that has put staff and residents at risk.   

The allegations also suggest that Fahlberg directed an employee to backdate and create fraudulent records of donations to the City of Daytona Beach’s “Discourage Panhandling” campaign. 

In addition, the News-Journal reports that Patrick Smith, the shelter’s director of philanthropy and engagement, “…alleged that Fahlberg told him she suspected a local elected official was trying to undermine her because she refused to go on a date with him.”

Whoa…

After some initial debate, the First Step Shelter Board, under the leadership of Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry, opted to pay local attorney Scott Simpson $5,000 to conduct a “preliminary investigation” that will include interviews with the “shelter’s” fifteen employees, and (one would assume) a forensic review of internal finances and controls. 

No word on whether Mr. Simpson will seek to determine and expose the identity of the jilted “local elected official” mentioned in Smith’s allegation… 

Following Mr. Simpson’s inquiry, the News-Journal reports “…shelter board members will decide whether to look deeper into the allegations, consider corrective actions, or end the investigation without further response.”

In my experience, very few organizations – public or private – are immune from misconduct, malfeasance, and general assholery from those in positions of trust.   

When issues arise, it is important that those in an oversight position mount an effective and transparent investigation – especially when public funds are involved – and take affirmative steps to remove the threat, establish stability and continuity of services, and establish protocols to prevent similar events in the future.   

Time will tell how the First Step Shelter Board reacts to protect the public trust, restore the confidence of donors, and best serve the needs of those less fortunate in our community. 

Debbie Darino and the Ponce Animal Foundation

Last year our dog Nola, in one of her frequent fits of excitement, made a running jump and injured the tendon of her right knee.  She was a spry nine-year-old – the absolute light of our lives – and it was pitiful to watch her hobble around on three legs.  After consultation with our veterinarian, it was decided Nola was healthy enough for surgery. 

As we searched for the best possible care, Debbie Darino, the valiant hero of the tragic story of Ponce – a 9-month-old Labrador puppy that was beaten to death by a cowardly shitbag in 2017 – reached out and put us in touch with Dr. Jay Erne of the Veterinary Orthopedic Clinic in St. Augustine. 

Thanks to Dr. Erne’s incredible skill and the rehab that followed, our Nola is good as new today!

But that is Debbie’s way. 

Whenever and wherever an animal is suffering – she moves heaven and earth to be the positive difference in the outcome. 

From her tireless efforts to enact Ponce’s Law, a much-needed Florida statute that increases penalties for animal cruelty, to her work with the Ponce Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $45,000 to help pet owners cover veterinary bills and provide housing for the pets of domestic violence survivors, her care and compassion continues to be a blessing in the lives of defenseless animals in Volusia County and beyond.     

God’s work.

These vital services are made possible by your tax-deductible donations.  To learn more about how you can help further Debbie’s mission of advocacy, education, and support for injured and abused animals, please see www.theponceanimalfoundation.org (Make a Donation button). 

Thank you, Debbie Darino, and the Ponce Animal Foundation.  We’re glad you passed our way. 

Quote of the Week

“On Monday night, Edgewater resident Anthony Kianvar walked up to the podium in what appeared to be a packed council meeting room and said: “On or about June 5 of last month, our mayor, Mr. DePew along with Donald Burnette, the mayor of Port Orange, decided to have an evening at a business serving alcoholic beverages in Port Orange. And during their visit, Mr. DePew attempted to use a Georgia ID with a 2000 birthdate.”

DePew interrupted Kianvar and asked him to stick to city business.

“OK, well, I think that this is city business, sir,” Kianvar said. “Now, you may be thinking our mayor is 19 years old. You may be thinking he is not 24.”

DePew asked Kianvar to address the council regarding city business matters only.”

–Reporter Mark Harper, writing in The Daytona-Beach News Journal, “Edgewater resident cut off from comments after alleging 20-year-old mayor used fake ID,” Wednesday, July 3, 2024

It got worse… 

“If the kid did something knuckleheaded, he wouldn’t be the first 20-year-old to do something,” Burnette said. “And I didn’t even know he was underage, to be honest with you.”

–Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, as quoted by The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Say what? 

Look, I’m not a political scientist, just another bemused spectator up here in the cheap seats – but in the history of political campaigns – no candidate, regardless of context, wants to be quoted in the newspaper saying, “I didn’t even know he was underage, to be honest with you…” 

Sorry.  I got a chuckle out of that one. 

When I was a kid growing up in the Halifax area the drinking age was 18 and we didn’t need fake ID’s.  In fact, I can’t recall too many beachside bars that bothered to check – which means I was a regular at The Silver Bucket on Seabreeze Boulevard by sixteen…    

As I understand it (and I’m not sure I do) last month, Edgewater Mayor Diezel DePew – who was just 18 years old when he was elected in 2022, becoming the youngest mayor in Florida – attempted to shutdown Anthony Kianvar during the citizen comment portion of an open public meeting when he alleged an apparent incident involving DePew at a Port Orange restaurant last month.

According to Kianvar’s allegations, DePew is said to have attempted to use a fake identification card to purchase an alcoholic beverage. 

If true, that’s not “knuckleheaded” – it’s against the law. 

Penalties include fines of up to $500 and 60-days in jail for anyone under the age of 21 who purchases, possesses, or consumes alcoholic beverages.  The law also includes any establishment who serves someone under the legal drinking age…   

It is also illegal to use an altered or counterfeit identification card – in some cases, a third-degree felony. 

I agree with Mr. Kianvar – when credible allegations of criminal conduct involve the sitting Mayor of Edgewater, Florida – that’s a significant issue of public concern.

Regardless, Mayor DePew was less than forthcoming, repeatedly claiming the allegations involved a “…personal matter that may be addressed later” – arrogantly talking over Kianvar, and at one point reportedly calling for an “officer” ostensibly to silence a concerned citizen addressing duly elected officials about a matter of public concern.   

Adding to the awkwardness was Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, a candidate for Volusia County Chair, who did an impressive version of Sergeant Shultz’ “I know NOTHING!” when asked about the incident.   

According to the News-Journal’s report:

“On Wednesday, Burnette, the Port Orange mayor who is also running as a candidate for Volusia County Council chairman, said he was at the Port Orange Half Wall restaurant and beer house on what might have been June 5, eating dinner with a friend and DePew asked to join him.

“He didn’t stay long and left,” Burnette said. “Don’t know much about it.

“I’m not sure if there’s something personal between him and some guy,” Burnette said, “because the server made some comments about him when he left, and frankly, I wasn’t involved, didn’t see much and wanted to stay the hell out of it, so I was like, ‘OK.'”

Burnette said he did not see any police at the restaurant.” 

That’s beyond embarrassing, and the lack of transparency only results in deeper, more disturbing questions…   

In my view, making a mistake is one thing, but knowingly uttering an altered or counterfeit identification card in an attempt to purchase alcohol is an intentional act. 

That’s concerning.

The citizens of Edgewater deserve clear answers from Mayor DePew.   

And Another Thing!  

Our participatory democracy demands civil, pointed, and critical discourse – coupled with citizen oversight of government at all levels.   

In fact, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution preserves our inalienable right to free speech and peaceable assembly, the ability of a free people to come together and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend our individual and shared ideas.

There is no place for political violence. 

Attempting to silence, intimidate, or eliminate others who hold a differing viewpoint is a direct attack on our democratic system of governance – and our sacred freedoms. 

When I started writing down my thoughts and floating them on this blogsite eight years ago, I wasn’t searching for a political identity or following (maybe an egocentric need to stay relevant in retirement?) and I vowed to never require a subscription fee, accept advertising revenue, and always put my name on anything I write. 

The fact is, I write these screeds for me – and profiting from this blog would cheapen the purpose.      

These jaded observations are a cathartic release, a means of purging my political frustrations by venting my spleen, one man’s hypercritical hyperbole – neither always right, nor always wrong – a constructive outlet for voicing my opinions on the issues of the day.

Sometimes we agree, and many times we don’t.  That’s okay. 

That’s what this exercise is all about.  I learn best when proven wrong.     

Unfortunately, the escalation in the tone and incivility of the rhetoric at all levels of politics, including the vicious, terrifying, and unwarranted demonization of public servants that I saw during my recent return to public service, gave me pause.    

Last week, I was profoundly moved when reading the sincere thoughts of Barker’s View readers – all of which were exceedingly kind – even those who vehemently disagree with my every thought on the issues we collectively face. 

Humbling. 

Some generously compared these jeremiads (or at least the motivation behind them) to the extraordinary work of the late great Big John and Marc Bernier in furthering a larger discussion in the community.   

Look, I cannot hold a candle to either of those great souls (who are no doubt rolling in their respective repositories at the mere thought of being mentioned in the same sentence together…) 

However, I still believe that those who care about the civic, social, and political challenges on Florida’s “Fun Coast” need somewhere to gather, to think, and honestly consider – a salon, of sorts – a place for the debate of unique ideas adjacent to the din and hullabaloo of social media, the lopsided spin of paid mouthpieces, or partisan echo chambers.   

That’s important.                                                          

While I cannot promise we will always agree, I will endeavor to point out what I see as the absurdity of it all, with the same bite and sarcasm you’ve come to know and love or loathe, and hopefully provide a starting place for a larger discussion of the issues.

Thanks for being here.

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

A long time ago, God sat down in a dark corner of his heavenly workshop.  Spread out before him was an assortment of mislabeled pieces and broken parts that he put in a cocktail shaker, shook passionately, then poured out the prototypical Holly Hill cop. 

In exchange for giving him a special place to love and care for his whole life through – the Good Lord’s compromise was that when the officer’s productive life was through – he would never be good for anything else again.   

Astonishingly, just when I thought no one could ever count on me for anything – someone did…

I was recently granted a short furlough from retirement to help transition my beloved Holly Hill Police Department from a very dark place to an exciting new future.  A difficult but personally fulfilling challenge that showed me how much things have changed in my profession – and my life.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it – we took it on the chin – and when I first entered the building, that intimately familiar place where I spent the bulk of my adult life, it had the feel of a hospice.   

Hard lessons learned.  A transformative experience that changed everyone involved.    

For instance, I used to be a voracious consumer of the news, reading multiple newspapers before breakfast, perusing editorials across the political spectrum, making notes, annotating articles, and keeping up with breaking stories was a big part of my day. 

After repeatedly seeing the accurate but heartbreaking descriptor “troubled” written in front of my beleaguered department’s name in the news each day, it hurt, and I don’t follow current events much anymore. 

And I have all but abandoned the feeding frenzy of social media, a medium I once viewed as every man’s soapbox – now more of a compulsive waste of time, where reasonable voices are drowned out by asinine inaccuracies and uninformed speculation – something I no longer have the stomach for. 

At least not right now.   

Through this process, I learned much about the depths of disappointment, and the best and worst of human nature during a crisis; the silence and cruelty of some I thought were friends, perceived enemies who showed compassion when we needed it most, the damage political opportunists can do when they smell blood in the water, and the indominable spirit of a small group of resolute professionals who never quit when others on their right and left broke and ran, and the livelihoods of dedicated men and women, many with young families, hung in the balance as a century old tradition of policing in this small, tightknit community was threatened with extinction.      

I will be forever proud of those officers, staff members, senior city administrators, and elected officials I had the privilege of going through this extraordinary period of pain and embarrassment with – they made me a better person – forged a stronger organization, and acquitted themselves with honor, integrity, and great courage under withering criticism.   

Having been out of the game for over a decade it was disorienting, but I tried my best to help more than hurt and provide hope and stability to some well-deserving public servants while secretly shaking in my boots. 

During that trying time, I literally begged some good men and women to stay the course after they were actively recruited to leave for perceived greener pastures (pun intended), and I received much-needed encouragement and guidance from a few former colleagues still in the fray.  

I will never forget that. 

Slowly we dusted ourselves off, cleaned up the department literally and figuratively, and began to smile more (truth be told, I closed the door and silently cried a few times, which is not a leadership trait that inspires confidence, but an honest human emotion).  Along the way I came to the painful realization that I am a tired and technologically illiterate old man whose notion of shoe leather policework long ago went the way of the buggy whip…  

Though much has changed about my former profession, other aspects of the job remain the same. 

A young person’s tragic death by overdose.  The search for a lost Alzheimer’s victim.  Mans inhumanity to man.  My legendary emotions rising and doing my best to suppress them, my once ferocious roar now muted and humble.   

A hit-and-run crash that injured a teen.  A confused elderly person who could no longer care for their equally confused and frightened pet. Commiserating with a young officer affected by a difficult death notification; marveling at the extraordinary courage and personal resilience of another recently involved in a traumatic incident.

Sweeping the floors, being the last to leave, trying to set a personal example. Enjoying the camaraderie that bridges time and age – and the good-natured ribbing of those who still remember some of my more cringeworthy career highlights (CHAOS: “Chief Has Another Outstanding Solution.”)

Trying hard to decompress after a long day without the crutch of multiple Martinis, staying alert and clearheaded, watching the weather, watching everything, anticipating, waiting for the phone to ring after midnight. 

It brought back so many memories, good and bad.  Still hard and clear as glass…     

In the many years since my productive life ended, I have lamented how much I missed the work I loved; and the feeling of being welcomed inside that historic coquina building that became a personal touchstone.  No matter what happened in my life, I knew if I could just get back to that wonderful place there were people inside who cared about me.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that what I missed were the people I once served with – some of whom are no longer with us.  Those friends, colleagues, and magnificent souls who made my life and career so incredibly fulfilling. 

It was like returning to a beautiful house that I helped build with love, blood, sweat, and tears to find a new family living there.  After wasting so much precious time yearning for a time and place that no longer exists, I really needed that closure. 

My time has come and gone, and that’s okay. 

That’s life.  A good life.    

This is a new generations’ era – young and energetic professionals doing a difficult and dangerous job with great skill and devotion. 

Good people who deserved far better from their former leadership… 

I wish them careers full of great achievement and complex challenges, doing work worth doing for people who appreciate the effort – and the overwhelming sense of satisfaction that only comes from service to a cause greater than one’s own self-interests.  

Those intrepid souls who have remained loyal to the brand deserve that.  (They deserve a living wage and better benefits for their families, too…)    

Everywhere I looked, there was an intense pride in service, an eagerness to serve others despite near constant fault-finding and condemnation – a willingness to put their lives on the line to protect your family and mine, striving to uphold the finest traditions of public service. 

Throughout the trials and turmoil of the past months, that dedication to the mission was the one constant that continued to burn bright.  

Earlier this week, in front of a standing room only crowd of well-wishers, the City of Holly Hill extended a warm welcome to their new Chief of Police Byron Williams – a true gentleman and inspirational servant-leader who recently completed a stellar 25-year career with the Daytona Beach Police Department. An exceptional law enforcement professional who emerged from a nationwide search – the right person, at the right time – to make a positive difference in the life of this most deserving community.

While others tried to exploit a bad situation, Chief Williams ran to help. 

His legacy is yet to be written.   

When the ceremony was over, I faded back into retirement.  Finally content to pace the cage, back to my well-worn barstool, safe in the knowledge things are in caring and capable hands.

Earlier this week I was asked by a former colleague if I would consider writing a treatise on the leadership challenges of being called back to service after so many idle years – between the lines I heard, “Will you explain the rational of why a tired and troubled old man with a long white beard, covered with tattoos commemorating his former service, would think he had anything to offer in a potentially terminal crisis?”

The short answer to those who aspire to a leadership role is – if you care enough about something – and have a deep devotion to the care and welfare of those wonderful people associated with it – you will instinctively, unquestioningly, and unhesitatingly do whatever you can to help. 

Even when the odds seem insurmountable.

That isn’t leadership – it’s Love. 

I’m no expert, but perhaps those who teach and pontificate on management and leadership should make those terms interchangeable? 

Now, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of disappointment, distrust, and despair comes an exciting new beginning – a department and community who, as Hemingway said, will be “stronger in the broken places…”  A wonderful time of renewal and resurrection.      

In recent days, many loyal Barker’s View readers have asked when my frequent screeds on the news and newsmakers of the day will return to this page.   

The answer is, I don’t know. 

Over the past five weeks of responsibility-induced sobriety (not a fan, by the way), I’ve wrestled with questions of whether these blogposts help or hurt our current divisions in an age marked by pettiness and provocation.    

If the Quixotic notion of pointing out the self-serving machinations of local politicians furthers a larger discussion of the issues we collectively face, or merely contributes to the mean-spirited goading so prevalent now; and whether voicing an alternative opinion is a colossal waste of time when the size of one’s bank account remains proportional to their political influence and access?    

I question the reasons some office holders still confuse why they serve, and who they serve, with their own self-aggrandizement, political ambition, and not-so-hidden personal agendas and proclivities – while openly lying to us about critical issues we face, like the pace of unchecked development, its effect on the land and environment, and the resultant social, civic, and economic pressures?       

Angels & Assholes…  I’ve seen enough of both to know I don’t have the answers…

After stubbornly calling attention to the political screw job we denizens of the “Fun Coast” have collectively faced for the past eight-years, at the end of the day, maybe I was the biggest asshole of them all?    

That’s the problem with introspection – it can be uncomfortable.  I suppose that’s why so few people engage in it…

Right now, all I know with certainty is that over the past few weeks I had the great privilege of coming through a profound and transformational experience with some extraordinary people at a time when my beloved department, and the community it serves, desperately needed help. 

Maybe that was the purpose God intended at his celestial workbench all those years ago?   

I’ll figure it all out and get back to you… 

Thanks for listening.  Thanks for everything.  Talk soon.   

For the past eight-years I’ve written this alternative opinion blog, neither always right or always wrong, just one man’s jaded opinion on the news and newsmakers of the day. 

Since its inception, I have never asked for a subscription fee from the thousands who view this blogsite each month or sought advertising revenue.  I always felt accepting renumeration would cheapen the message. 

Besides, I’m certainly not a ‘professional journalist’ – just a frustrated blowhard with internet access and, perhaps, too much time on my hands…    

My goal has always been to stimulate a larger discussion of the issues we collectively face – because I learn from those who disagree with me – and nothing is more enlightening (or humbling) than when I am proven wrong.

Truth be told, I have great friendships with some of those elected officials and “movers & shakers” I have taken to the woodshed.  A few I’ve known since we were kids. While we don’t always agree, their insight and contributions are invaluable, and I appreciate their acceptance of these barbs and criticisms with due consideration and good humor.   

Recently, some good people I care deeply about have been through a difficult time and I offered my help.

The great privilege of my life was the three-decades I served the citizens of the City of Holly Hill – doing work worth doing for people who truly appreciated the effort.  A wonderful community who gave me all I have or will ever have – mostly an enduring sense of appreciation for allowing me the opportunity to serve others in a meaningful way.   

For the next several weeks, I will serve the officers and staff of the Holly Hill Police Department in an interim administrative role while city officials complete the process of seating a new Chief of Police. 

In retirement, I discovered that a meaningful life is defined by purpose – not leisure – spending oneself in a worthy pursuit, one greater than our own self-interests.  It is incredibly fulfilling to be of service again – especially to those I love so dearly.

For the meantime, it is right that I put Barker’s View on hold to focus my attention on the important needs at hand.   

For those who read, contemplate, and share Barker’s View, I appreciate you more than words can describe.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. 

Whether we agree or vehemently disagree on the issues of the day – your participation, encouragement, and friendship continue to enrich my life immeasurably. 

Angels all.    

I hope you stay active and involved in local politics, run for elective office, volunteer for causes that move you, participate, vote your conscience, stand up, speak out, and contribute your voice to the discussion.  It’s important. 

That’s all for me, kids… 

For now.

Much love,

MDB

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           Volusia County Council

I’m often asked what device I use to winnow the angels from assholes each week – who makes the cut and why. 

Let’s just say, here on Florida’s fabled “Fun Coast,” one needn’t look too deep into the fetid slit-trench that passes for “politics” to find either – especially when it comes to the decades-long struggle to preserve (and return) our century-old tradition of beach access and driving.

On Tuesday evening, Volusia County residents got another shocking look at the depths to which some mealy-mouthed political tools will go to serve their unseen masters – while marginalizing a “colleague” who brought forth serious citizen concerns – seeking nothing more than to further the discussion of a horribly failed “economic development” policy that has hamstrung businesses in our core tourist area for decades. 

Recently, the beleaguered Main Street Merchants Association – who, along with what remains of Boardwalk businesses, have suffered mightily from the devastating economic impacts of removing beach driving between East International Speedway Boulevard and Auditorium Boulevard – approached Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower for help.   

According to estimates, Main Street businesses suffered a 50% decrease in revenue the first summer cars were taken off the beach. 

In turn, Chairman Brower asked County Attorney Michael Dyer for direction on how to open a dialog that could result in a plan for resolving the myriad federal, state, and local roadblocks to restoring vehicular access to the area.

According to Chairman Brower, Mr. Dyer explained that the item should be put on the Council agenda. 

So, he did. 

In a report last week by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned:

“The County Council voted in 1996 to take away beach driving when a certain amount of parking became available. Beach driving ended in this stretch in March 2000 when 1,500 parking spaces opened at the Ocean Center.

“When we closed that down, it just killed the beachside businesses there because the people stopped coming. That was a very popular beach with locals and also tourists,” said Council Chairman Jeff Brower, who is proposing the reopening of the beach.

The area begins just south of the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort and includes the boardwalk and pier.”

Accompanying the agenda item was a lengthy staff report explaining the various hoops Volusia County will be required to clear – along with a rehash of the 1996 ordinance that removed vehicles from that section of the strand:

“The current state law allows removal of beach driving from sections where it was previously authorized but does not provide authority to restore beach driving. At a minimum, the action would require enactment of a special law allowing the Council to restore beach driving to that section of the beach. In addition to seeking a change to state law, the decision to convert a non-driving section of the beach to a driving section of the beach involves other legal issues, such as any needed amendment to the federal permit, customary use, and any outstanding contractual commitments. Each section of the beach is unique as to those issues and requires review.”

Almost immediately, Volusia’s “Old Guard” – those ossified dinosaurs who have successfully maintained the stagnant status quo for decades – circled the wagons and began huffing and puffing about the potential loss of what is in practicality an inaccessible private beach for a few Daytona Beach Resort Area hotels. 

Leading the charge to keep cars off the beach was Bob Davis, the fossilized president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County, who rallied a few of his members to write emails to council members crowing the same tired arguments they used to remove beach driving in the first place – heavy on fear mongering and completely devoid of solutions or suggestions for saving their struggling neighbors.      

With Councilman David “No Show” Santiago conspicuously absent for the umpteenth time since taking office – the even number remaining on the dais set the stage for some classic political theatrics – complete with the usual disingenuous exasperation of Councilman Jake Johansson and the hyper-dramatic histrionics of Danny Robins. 

It also included a surprising – and incredibly smart – chess move played to perfection by Councilman Troy Kent, a parliamentary strategy that may see the all-but-dead issue brought back for another vote… 

During what passed for “discussion,” Councilman Jake Johansson feigning confusion of the central economic issues surrounding the “third rail of Volusia County politics,” claimed Brower’s simple request to discuss this age-old debate required more “homework.”

According to a News-Journal report:

“Johansson said he didn’t have much time to talk to people about the issue after it was placed on the agenda. He said he received many emails from hoteliers in opposition. He also questioned the timing of the decision. Restoring beach driving in that area would require action from the state.

“Maybe it isn’t the right time to talk to the state about getting driving back on the beach when we have other things that are important that we need to discuss with the state and resolve,” Johansson said. “I’ve seen that asking the state for too many things at once means you get none, so I’m a little conflicted right now on the timing of this.”

Inexplicably, Johansson questioned why Brower would place the item on the agenda in the first place, lecturing that retuning beach driving didn’t fit within the narrow confines of some obscure “council goals” – arrogantly dismissing the cries for help from Main Street merchants hanging on by their fingernails with classic political procrastination, asserting he still needs to hear from the irrelevant Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce who has sat quiet for years, before deciding whether or not to allow county staff to merely research the requirements.

Yet, Mr. Johansson “needs more time…”?

Bizarre. 

In turn, the other two stooges that comprise the Council’s East Volusia Confederacy of Dunces – Councilmen Danny Robins and Matt Reinhart – worked in concert to block the discussion of the issue – with Robins’ employing his patented “gaslighting” technique – a political modus operandi that includes lobbing allegations and accusations at Chairman Brower, questioning the motivations of anyone who disagrees with him, engaging in political theater while accusing Brower of the same, then swelling up like a poison toad and arguing the minutia of “process.”   

During his rambling diatribe, Councilman Robins saw fit to denigrate the City of Daytona Beach, just to prove the Main Street Merchants Association wrong… 

Not surprisingly, Councilman Reinhart – whose district covers the area of the beach in question – “echoed” the detached sentiments of Johansson, claiming he “…didn’t have a lot of time to look into it.” 

Say what? 

Like the rest of us, Mr. Reinhart has had nearly thirty-years to form an opinion…

I find it disturbingly coincidental how Robins, Reinhart, and Johansson are in lockstep agreement – completely sympatico when defecating on every issue that Chairman Brower (and his longsuffering constituents) find important to the future of Volusia County.

Why is that?

To their immense credit, Council members Troy Kent and Don Dempsey both agreed to support moving the discussion forward – each recalling times when they enjoyed the beach with family, commiserating with struggling beachside businessowners, keeping an open mind, and recognizing the give-and-take that comes with political compromise – and the importance of honest negotiation to the effectiveness of an elected body.

Unfortunately, it was painfully clear how the vote would progress – a 3-3 tie – that would effectively kill any further discussion of this important economic development issue – or potentially reverse a decades-old mistake that has contributed to the economic decline of our core tourist area while benefitting a few hoteliers and beachfront developers.

To his credit, Councilman Troy Kent employed a parliamentary strategy that will allow the matter to be revisited when/if Mr. Santiago finds his way back to the council chamber… 

As I understand it (and I’m not sure I do) by voting “No” to deny the measure – Mr. Kent landed on the prevailing side of the issue – which, pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order, will allow him to later make a motion to reconsider the vote when the full council is seated. 

Smart move.  

Watch for yourself here: https://tinyurl.com/3z9k7hu4  (The item begins at 1:42:18)

In my view, it was (once again) Volusia County politics at its worst – an issue of great civic importance, advanced by taxpayers and businessowners trying desperately to seek help from those they elected to represent their interests – only to be caught up the internecine political shitshow that demands certain sitting politicians block, marginalize, and vilify anything Chairman Brower tries to accomplish.

Even an exploratory discussion of a long-standing civic divide. 

Unfortunately, the Main Street Merchant’s Association learned a disturbing lesson this week – when it comes to Volusia County politics, you’re either on the inside, or you are shit out of luck… 

Vote like your quality of life and livelihood depends upon it.

Angel               Ormond Beach and Flagler County

Professional actors and attorneys have a lot in common.     

Just like show business, good lawyers – those at the top of their game, the most dramaturgic – will plumb the depts of their artistic talents to give you both the performance and the legal satisfaction you demand.

In either case, from A-list actors to top-shelf legal talent, it’s going to cost you… 

The explosive feud between the City of Ormond Beach and Flagler County that popped quite suddenly last fall was preliminarily settled last week following an unprecedented – and by all accounts highly theatrical – confab between the City Commission and Flagler County Council over a disputed portion of a rutted dirt road that traverses both jurisdictions known as “40 Grade.” 

According to an excellent report in FlaglerLive! we learned that the exaggerated melodramatics performed by the attorneys representing the city and county didn’t disappoint:

“The two attorneys started off an unprecedented meeting of the two government boards Thursday evening at Ormond Beach City Hall with what Shepard would later describe as a round of “chest-beating” in the legal dispute about a county easement over a 1,750-foot portion of dirt road that crosses into Ormond Beach, and to which the county had no right. The language was sharp, accusatory, and legally threatening on both sides. Yet by the end of the meeting, the two sides were lobbing so much gallantry at each other, it was probably wise that an eight-foot gutter divided the two sets of mutually-smitten officials.”

In my view, the real fear was that Flagler County would eventually improve the road and connect to the already congested State Road 40, something of grave concern to existing Ormond Beach residents, considering the specter of the 10,000 home Avalon Park in Daytona Beach and Palm Coast Realtor/Mayor David Alfin’s aggressive growth at all cost strategy to the north. 

Others believe the issue remains water.

Access to drinking water in this age of greed-fueled overdevelopment is becoming the gravest issue of our time, and Ormond Beach had previously sought a special use easement from Flagler County to place wells near 40 Grade. 

There was also the unresolved issue of U.S. Capital Alliance, the developer of Hunter’s Ridge, a “Development of Regional Impact,” who Ormond Beach officials claimed have failed to grant some 300 acres of conservation lands to the city since 1991, and in 2017, issued an easement to Flagler County for 40 Grade.

So, last year, the City of Ormond Beach – seemingly out of the blue – slapped Flagler County and Hunter’s Ridge with a noncompliance ruling and lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief. 

At the time, Flagler County believed the issue could be resolved at the negotiating table – while Ormond Beach dug in its heels and prepared for a protracted (and expensive) legal fight – which brings us to last week’s unusual tête-à-tête…

According to FlaglerLive!, when the peacocking, posturing, a face-saving was complete, all sides found a way to play nice going forward, hopefully avoiding further intergovernmental animosity:

“County Commissioner Leann Pennington got assurances that the emergency use of the road by local residents would be preserved. Commissioner Donald O’Brien assured Ormond Beach that all matters of sovereignty “resonates with me as as a commissioner on our side.” Ormond Beach commissioners suggested the use of surveillance cameras to cut down on illegal hunters’ use of the road, or other illegal uses of the road. The city was all for granting the 60-foot easement and allowing the shelling–of the road, not of each other–to continue. A lawyer representing Alliance was, once one got past the contorted legalese, similarly agreeable. At Commissioner Andy Dance’s suggestion, the two governments also agreed to split survey costs.”

Oh, well.

As that great thespian William Shakespeare said, “All’s well that ends well…”

I suppose.

Unfortunately, the fate of other rapidly diminishing undeveloped areas that buffer the interface between area municipalities, and cushion the massive sprawl that threatens the quality of life of existing residents, remains to be seen… 

Angel               News-Journal Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean

From the ‘painfully obvious’ column – I’m not a journalist. 

On good days, a dilettante editorialist – at my worst, a blowhard with internet access – just another hapless rube wandering the wilderness of what passes for “Fun Coast” politics, spewing my jaundiced views on the news and newsmakers of the day…

During my productive life in public service, I had the opportunity to work with many outstanding professional journalists in the print and electronic media who – with time and trust – became important partners in pushing quality information to the public. 

As good watchdogs should, those same reporters took me to task when I made a mistake… 

That comes with the territory, and in retrospect, most of the public drubbings I took in the press were well deserved…     

Now, as a voracious consumer of the news – and a long-suffering taxpayer – I understand the importance of local journalism to the external oversight of government, especially in an age when much of what oozes out of the cloistered halls of power is carefully crafted and canned by public mouthpieces.

For the past 22-years, through thick and thin, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean has brought the stories that matter to Volusia County residents with her clear, concise, and insightful reportage – and this week her significant contributions were highlighted by the newspaper she has served so well. 

As one of the last remaining old-school investigative journalists writing for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Eileen’s unique coverage has shined a bright light on some of the most pressing stories of our time – digging deep and going over, under, around, and through the bureaucratic barriers that government officials erect to avoid pointed questions – to expose the uncomfortable truths that impact our lives and livelihoods.

Trust me.  We need more of that dying art around these parts…

In 2017, Eileen published her extraordinary exposé – “Tarnished Jewel – Daytona’s Troubled Beachside” – the News-Journal’s autopsy of the festering remains of the Halifax area’s troubled core tourist area – the chronic homelessness, blight, dilapidation, commercial and residential vacancies, crumbling façades, abject greed, and the mismanagement of critical redevelopment funds, a story that shocked the conscience of residents and civic leaders alike. 

Now, those who control the smart money have turned their backs to the east in favor of the blank canvas to the west – developing thousands of new homes, up-scale shopping areas, and amenities along Boomtown Boulevard – neglecting the challenges (and potential) of the beleaguered beachside.

In my view, the quality of that extraordinary examination of the multifaceted issues facing our “Tarnished Jewel” was worthy of the Pulitzer Prize – a tragic and infinitely fascinating story that desperately needed to be told.

In the aftermath, the News-Journal hosted a town hall attended by over 200 concerned citizens and businessowners – a long-needed kick in the pants that many believe was the impetus for the embryonic progress beachside residents have experienced in recent years.

But more remains to be done.

In my view, what we must never forget is that our identity – our draw – will always remain “The World’s Most Famous Beach,” and we ignore that reality at our collective peril.

The Daytona Beach Resort Area remains a Tale of Two Cities – two markedly different places – one dilapidated, neglected, and subject to the ravages of time and tide.  The other shiny and new – “theme” communities and publicly subsidized shopping centers – or as Charles Woodyard, the CEO of the Daytona Beach Housing Authority, recently described it in the News-Journal, “…varying levels of affluence and deterioration.”

This week, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean turned her curious eye to the entrenched civic, social, and economic challenges that continue to plague the Midtown neighborhood of Daytona Beach:

“Throughout its 125-year existence, the historically Black Midtown neighborhood has battled crippling poverty, racism and dilapidation. It’s a community deeply scarred by segregation, neglect, chronic crime, devastating flooding and a concentration of public housing. It’s a pocket of Daytona Beach that would be easy to give up on, but the Daytona Beach Housing Authority is launching an effort that may funnel tens of millions of dollars in new funding into the neighborhood, and finally bring real changes that extend beyond a City Hall discussion or a colorful master plan rendering.”

Thanks to the leadership of the Daytona Beach City Commission, City Manager Derek Feacher, and the Daytona Beach Housing Authority – with the assistance of various state and federal agencies – to include Bethune-Cookman University, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Housing and Urban Development – there is hope for the revitalization of Midtown and beyond.

According to Eileen’s informative report, a “master plan” for Midtown’s redevelopment will be completed next year and submitted to HUD in 2026, along with a grant application requesting up to $50 million in federal funds. 

“If the money does come to Daytona Beach, Woodyard will try to leverage that to attract another $200 million in state government dollars, private investment and tax credit equity.”

I’m normally cool to “public/private” partnerships and tax supported “incentives,” but correcting the historical civic neglect facing Midtown will require all available resources.

To that end, City Manager Feacher envisions a holistic approach to the problems of Midtown, which will include infrastructure upgrades based upon the findings of a flood mitigation study conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.   

“None of this does any good if the neighborhood still floods,” Feacher said.”

Please begin Eileen’s outstanding coverage here: https://tinyurl.com/mw5rc2fr

In my view, it is one thing when local government does important things in service to those who need it most – but how that good work is communicated to the public build’s community confidence, sparks enthusiasm, and leads to stakeholder buy-in – something that rarely comes from a canned “press release” formulated by a municipal mouthpiece…   

That is the importance of local journalism – and those resolute professionals like Eileen Zaffiro-Kean who practice it with their heart, soul, and wonderfully inquisitive minds.

Quote of the Week

“Students go to school for the same reason teachers teach: to learn the lessons that will give them a foundation for life’s success. They can’t learn in a combat zone. Our consistently low proficiency scores, that have hovered at or near 50% in both English and math for decades, prove the point.

The Volusia County Schools Code of Student Conduct is 25 pages long. None of it means anything if it isn’t enforced. One school board member shrugged off a workshop proposal about dress codes, saying simply, “The principals won’t do that.”

That isn’t okay. The board’s job is to set policy. The administration’s job is to implement and enforce those policies. If they refuse or otherwise fail, it’s the board’s job to follow through with repercussions for that failure.”

–Donna Brosemer, candidate for Volusia County School Board District 4, as excerpted from her “My View” op/ed in the Ormond Beach Observer, “We need to enforce classroom discipline at Volusia County Schools,” Thursday, May 16, 2024

In complete transparency, although we’ve never met, Ms. Brosemer and I are frequent pen pals on social media. 

As a chronic complainer and hypocritical finger-pointer, I frequently speak issues with candidates, our “movers & shakers,” insiders, bureaucrats, political operatives, people on the next barstool, neighbors over the electronic fence, and sitting elected officials – some of whom I consider unlikely friends despite our often-adversarial relationship.     

However, I stop short of “endorsing” candidates for public office.  As I see it, that’s not “Barker the Bitcher’s” narrowly defined role as a Quixotic crank and committed gadfly… 

Besides, what kind of presumptuous asshole would tell someone for whom to cast their sacred vote? 

(Wait.  Hold that thought for later in the campaign season when various partisan hacks and factions start publishing those stilted “voter guides” for those who are too distracted, disinterested, or disengaged to do their homework…)   

That said, I find Ms. Brosmer to be bright, accomplished, and enthusiastic – well-worth a look, considering her incumbent competition…

I agree with the premise of her well-executed essay – children cannot learn inside the “Thunderdome” – and vulnerable teachers and staff should not be subjected to the physical, verbal, and psychological abuse of their completely ungovernable students, and it is time those in a position to craft and enact public policy do something about it.       

It’s no secret the Volusia County School Board has lost all credibility with those it exists to serve – now considered a rudderless ship of fools – kicking critical issues down the dusty political trail, cluelessly blundering from one high-profile gaffe to another, the tail constantly wagging the dog, while ignoring the voices of anyone outside the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand.

That’s nothing new in Volusia County governance, where those we elect to represent our interests are quickly taken into the bureaucratic maw – fashioned into the dull implements of senior administrators – and become everything they hated when they ran for office…

Sound familiar?

In my view, now we must consider what example our elected officials are setting for students?

Some developmental psychologists suggest children are like mirrors – reflecting the values, behaviors, mores, habits, language, and mannerisms of those around them – a potent mechanism of learning, emotional development, and social adaptation. 

Unfortunately, the same is true when impressionable minds experience chaos, confusion, and abnormal behavior from authority figures.

In recent months, students and stakeholders have bravely appeared before the Volusia County School Board to express their serious concerns of maladministration following the horrible mismanagement of federal Covid relief funds, a onetime windfall that was somehow used for recurring expenses – including personnel costs – resulting in a multi-million-dollar deficit, teacher displacement, and the loss of important educational opportunities and enrichment programs. 

A disaster of epic proportion…

To make matters worse, embattled Superintendent Carmen Balgobin recently shut down a speaker at a school board meeting who questioned why she refuses to pay attention during citizen participation in public meetings.   

As Superintendent Balgobin abruptly interrupted – she ordered Chairwoman Jamie Haynes to reread aloud the school boards policy on personal attacks (it wasn’t a personal attack – merely an observation of the Superintendent’s unprofessional conduct) – yet, Chairman Hayes immediately hopped to like a trained seal and did exactly as she was told by the boss – reciting the policy like the good stooge she is, while Balgobin went back to conspicuously playing on her phone…

I don’t make this shit up, folks.   

Watch for yourself here: https://tinyurl.com/ptzsbmxr – the ugliness begins at 5:07:30.

Incredibly, not one sitting elected official rose to defend Ms. Haynes, call Superintendent Balgobin out for her grossly insubordinate behavior to the Chair, or address her utter rudeness to a member of the public – a condescending power move that denigrated the speaker, Chairwoman Haynes, and the Volusia County School Board.  

In my view, Balgobin’s abject arrogance telegraphs to everyone watching – including impressionable students – that there is no accountability in Volusia County Schools – and no legitimacy to the school board’s sworn oversight responsibility. 

I suggest all voters in Volusia County take the time to ask each incumbent and candidate for the Volusia County School Board how they plan to address the “Balgobin issue” during this important campaign season…

And Another Thing!  

In the constantly evolving mosaic of Volusia County municipalities, more times than not, the City of New Smyrna Beach gets it right…

I know – the quaint community faces many of the same issues as the rest of us – gross overdevelopment, flooding, overstressed transportation and utilities infrastructure, and the blessing and curse of overcrowding from summertime invaders from throughout Central Florida and beyond, yet somehow manages to keep its allure as Volusia’s quintessential beach town.  

Whenever I’m down that way, I like to take a seat on the rooftop bar at Avanu on beautiful Flagler Avenue – the perfect perch overlooking beachside New Smyrna – which reminds me a lot of places I enjoy spending time, like Savannah, Charleston, and the Florida Keys – quaint destinations that have worked hard to retain their unique charm.  

Unlike the political subterfuge that clouded the Lost City of Deltona’s shambolic search for a new city manager – as Khalid Resheidat prepares to retire in August, New Smyrna followed a smart and well-planned process, led by a recognized headhunter, Strategic Government Resources, Inc., – an effort which ultimately provided the City Commission with thirteen seemingly well-qualified semifinalists. 

Even with everything in place, sometimes major red flags slip through the cracks…

As of last week, Jeff Mihelich, who held the position in Bozeman, Montana, from 2020 until March 2024, was named the frontrunner in New Smyrna. 

What followed was a study of the dichotomy between how potential civic leaders presents themselves in resumés and stilted interviews – and how they conduct themselves when they believe no one is watching… 

In February, the Bozeman City Commission placed Mihelich on paid leave after he was caught making disparaging comments about the city’s new Mayor Terry Cunningham and residents of the community during a recorded office gossip session following a video meeting with city staff.  

Mr. Mihelich resigned in early March – which ultimately led him to New Smyrna’s short list.

According to a report by Brenno Carillo writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“When Doug Thomas, Strategic Government Resources, Inc.’s executive vice president, reintroduced Mihelich’s name during his presentation at Thursday night’s City Commission meeting, Vice Mayor Valli Perrine raised her concern about the incident.

“When I heard the video, I was very disappointed,” she said, adding that his was in fact the strongest resume. “For transparency, I wouldn’t trust somebody like that to ever work with him. So I don’t want to waste his time, because I can’t get past the things he said.”

Good for Vice Mayor Perrine.

Regardless, it now appears the citizens of New Smyrna Beach dodged the proverbial bullet. 

During my three-decades in municipal government, I worked for some of the best – and worst – city managers in the known solar system…

From that vantagepoint, vetting and selecting the senior executive is perhaps the most crucial decision an elected body will undertake – a virtually omnipotent position that, by city or county charter, has operational and administrative control of all governmental functions and essential services. 

In a council/manager form of government, We, The Little People, elect the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker to serve on a council or commission – who collectively appoint a manager with strong managerial and organizational skills to run the day-to-day operations of government, approve budget allocations, oversee the various departments, and carryout the policy decisions of the elected body.

It’s a hard dollar, but most do a fine job serving multiple masters while bringing economic and civic progress to their communities.

The system also insulates career civil servants who provide services to the community from the politically motivated nature of elected officials who are normally prohibited by charter from interfering with public employees and operations.

That’s important.

But any system that places such enormous power in the hands of one person – a virtual demigod who also controls the all-important flow of information to the elected officials (and residents) – requires close checks and balances.

That begins with painstaking due diligence when filling the role… 

In many instances, the search criteria for local governments is limited to reviewing qualifications, interviews conducted behind closed doors, a public grip-n-grin, naming a finalist, then negotiating the enormous salary, conditions, perquisites, and “Golden Parachutes” that are now de ri​gueur for senior management.

A process that is rarely more than examining a brief, often unrepresentative glimpse of a career based upon material submitted by the candidate themselves – with little emphasis on their cognitive skills, management style, temperament, written and interpersonal communications, peer reviews, formal background investigation, or other personal and professional evaluations that would allow a more comprehensive assessment of a prospective leader with the potential to advance – or destroy – a community.    

If you live in New Smyrna and care about the distinctive character of your community – ask questions and demand answers. 

This one’s important.

Kudos to the New Smyrna Beach City Commission for their thoughtful and reasoned approach to the Mihelich revelation.  Now, here’s hoping the vetting process will find a suitable match for this unique place – one of the last vestiges of Old Florida on the east coast. 

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

(Angels & Assholes will be on hiatus next week as Barker’s View takes a short pause.  I find it interesting to look back at what has changed – and what’s remained the same – here on this salty piece of land we call home.  If you are so inclined, while we take a break, please enjoy a look back at the extensive archive located at the bottom of this page.  Thanks for reading.  A&A will return soon.)

Hi, kids! 

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

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

Angel               The Chief Tomokie Preservation Group

When I was a little kid growing up in a vastly different Ormond Beach, a big day was enjoying a family picnic under the majestic oaks surrounding the Chief Tomokie statue at beautiful Tomoka State Park.  

I remember gazing up at the anatomically correct Indians, bowstrings taught, shooting arrows at the Chief as he stood proud, bravely pouring water over his attackers from a golden goblet with spear raised high.

The Chief looked like a giant atop the high ground, standing tall over a reflecting pool at the foot of the sculpture’s coquina base.

Now, he looks like a broken mess – the pool long-dry – and on stormy nights along the Tomoka Basin, what remains of Tomokie’s crumbling fist can be seen in the flashes of lightning, rising above the dark forest canopy in defiant resistance…

According to a report in the Ormond Beach Observer, the 45-foot statue was erected in 1955 by acclaimed American sculptor Frederick Dana Marsh on the site of an ancient Timucuan village known as “Nocoroco.” 

“The statue depicts the “Legend of Tomokie,” based on a fictional account of a mythical tribe. The legend says Tomokie’s tribe turned on him for the sacrilege of drinking the Water of Life from the Sacred Cup.”

As I understand the folktale, there was an artesian spring flowing near the village – a sacred place where the tribe believed the Great Spirit came each day to have a cool drink – the dew that dripped from his wings imbuing the waters with curative powers.

Dismissive of tribal lore, Chief Tomokie boldly drank from the source, desecrating the hallowed elixir, and an internecine war ensued amongst the Timucua. After taking the waters, Chief Tomokie seemed invincible – its restorative powers making him immune to the many arrows the warriors shot at him.   

Then, Oleeta, a beautiful Timucuan maiden, sprang forth, took careful aim, and pierced Tomokie’s calloused old heart with a well-placed arrow…

I don’t know about you, but I’m a superstitious old fool. 

I believe in the power of legend, myth, and storytelling – those historical fables and symbols that can teach valuable lessons to those willing to listen.  On occasion, I travel to the West Volusia community of Cassadaga – the bucolic spiritualist camp now celebrating its 130^th anniversary as the “Psychic Capital of the World” – to speak with mediums and psychics, or just sit on a bench and take in the tranquil vibe of that quaint and incredibly friendly community.

In my view, the “Legend of Tomokie” serves as a powerful metaphor for how modern-day leaders – like that arrogant Chief of yore – continue to defile and sacrifice our own sacred “Water of Life” on the altar of greed…     

Given the near constant political sleight-of-hand and self-serving schemes we face here on the “Fun Coast,” I think ‘ol Chief Tomokie took the ass after watching us indiscriminately violate the land his people once inhabited – where they lived in complete harmony with the lifegiving natural processes – to make room for more, more, more 3/2 cracker boxes and half-empty strip centers – then allowed his legendary monument to be desecrated and destroyed by time, elements, and vandals… 

As a result, “The Curse of Chief Tomokie” has doomed current inhabitants of Volusia County to wretchedly poor governance and a dearth of upscale grocery stores for the next thousand years…

Regardless, the dilapidated statute now serves as a stark reminder for visitors to Tomoka State Park about what our ‘powers that be’ in the Florida legislature find important, and what they do not, when preparing the state budget… 

Now, a dedicated group of residents and historians known as the Chief Tomokie Preservation Group is working hard to save this important piece of public art by having it listed on a statewide historic preservation list. 

According to the Observer’s report:

“The Chief Tomokie Preservation Group is aiming to have the statue placed on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation’s “11 to Save” program for 2024 — and the group is soliciting letters of support from the community. Every year, the organization picks 11 threatened historic places in the state and highlights them with the mission to inspire communities to preserve them. While no funding accompanies the designation, being on the list helps with applying for grants that could fund preservation efforts.”

To his credit, earlier this month, Commissioner Harold Briley successfully urged his colleagues on the Ormond Beach City Commission to issue an official letter of support to the Florida Trust.

That’s a good start. 

Here’s hoping the Volusia County legislative delegation will hear our collective voice and finally break Tomokie’s ancient curse by allocating funds for the restoration of this important Ormond Beach landmark.   

Please mail letters of support to Bill Partington II at ahc_locksmith@hotmail.com or mail them to 54 West Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, Florida 32174.

Asshole           The Tightlipped County of Volusia

“Build it and they will come?”

Earlier this week, The Daytona Beach News-Journal aptly turned that classic line from Field of Dreams into a perplexing question to tease business editor Clayton Park’s excellent explainer on why public land is currently being cleared at Daytona “International” Airport.

What?  Nobody you elected to represent your interests in the cloistered Halls of Power at Volusia County government told you?   

Me neither… 

Because I have too much time on my hands, I went back months and perused “news releases” from Volusia County’s Community Misinformation Division and Daytona “International” Airport and couldn’t find peep about why the bulldozers are roaring. 

In an article that best exemplified the importance of local journalism, Clayton Park reported that land clearing operations along the Bellevue Avenue Extension at DIA will prepare “…hundreds of acres of unused land the airport owns south of its runways and taxiways for potential future aviation/airline-related commercial development, according to Cyrus Callum, Volusia County’s director of economic and aviation resources.”

Well, it appears Volusia County taxpayers are, once again, in the speculative commercial real estate business – whether we like it or not… 

Three years ago, when our elected officials and economic development shills were still referring to the worst kept secret in town as “Project Tarpon” – there was speculation that the Amazon robotic warehouse near DIA would spawn industrial parks both on and off airport property to accommodate ancillary businesses supporting the e-commerce operation.

That included the possibility of our airport becoming a Florida “air support center” for Amazon. 

In a 2021 News-Journal piece, Mr. Park reported that Volusia County economic development officials have wanted to build an industrial park on airport property for over 15-years, however:

“That proposed business park was never built,” said Phil Ehlinger, a retired longtime economic development staffer for the county whose stint included serving as economic development director from 2009 to 2012.

“I know exactly why the industrial park never got developed,” he said last week. “Consolidated-Tomoka (now known as CTO Realty Growth) and the city of Daytona Beach objected to it on the basis that the county was going to compete with private landowners.”

I guess with initial opposition tamped down and anxious residents resigned to the Amazon fulfillment center, keeping government out of the marketplace is no longer a concern? 

For now, what we know is that 54 acres of airport property are being made “shovel ready” in a project funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration earmarked for airport development.

According to the News-Journal, Mr. Callum reports the airport has yet to identify potential tenants for the industrial park but claims county officials have been approached by “a number of interested developers.”

As you may recall, in 2022, area residents and established business interests along already congested Beville Road expressed serious concerns regarding the massive truck and employee traffic associated with the Amazon fulfillment center. 

At the time, some anxious residents of Pelican Bay claimed they had been “blindsided” by both the proposed Amazon warehouse – and later the network of planned roadways to service the center and other industrial sites that only became known after plans had been finalized.      

So, rather than wait until Amazon cranks up and its impact on residents, transportation infrastructure, and existing businesses can be honestly evaluated – Volusia County decides to start clearing land for heavier industrial and air cargo operations – activities which will put even more heavy truck traffic at the I-95/I-4 hub? 

Sounds about right…  

The more disturbing question remains why none of our elected or appointed officials bothered to explain both the positives and potential impacts of the DIA project to We, The Little People – taxpayers who are routinely kept in the dark and expected to make decisions regarding threatened property values and our quality of life with little information or explanation of what comes next?

Slowly but surely, Volusia County residents are awakening to the realization we are pawns in a much larger game – where plans that directly affect our lives and livelihoods have been agreed upon by our “Rich & Powerful” behind closed doors – those with a chip in the game who don’t give two-shits how their for-profit schemes impact the rest of us.

In my jaded view, that is why Volusia’s influential insiders – those who pour massive contributions into the campaigns of hand-select candidates – are so desperate to turn the Volusia County Council and various municipal commissions into echo chambers – little more than elected marionettes who keep their mouths shut and nod in simultaneous agreement when it comes time for a return on their benefactors very lucrative investments…

In recent weeks, courageous taxpayers – fed-up with being ignored by those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest – have demanded the undivided attention of their elected representatives on various boards, councils, and commissions throughout Volusia County when they engage in what passes for “citizen participation” at open meetings. 

In each case, residents boldly called out the lack of attentiveness by their elected officials – who always seem more interested in sotto voce parleys with their “colleagues,” looking at their phone, shuffling papers, or leaving the dais altogether – always during the brief three-minute audiences set aside for us peons who pay the bills. 

In their defense, I doubt if many of our disconnected elected officials are even aware of these projects – many of which they rubber stamp on a “consent agenda” – never to be discussed publicly again…

The resulting sense of remoteness between the average citizen and those we elect to serve our interests is becoming institutionalized, an accepted part of what passes for local governance in an environment where public policy is formed in seclusion – and secrecy is the operative ethic.

I hope you will keep this disturbing trend in mind at the ballot box this year…

Angel               Daytona Beach City Commissioner Stacy Cantu

This week we learned that the City of Daytona Beach has a problem many municipalities would love to have – too much money in its Permitting and Licensing fund. 

According to an article by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the city has been under a state review since 2021, when the State Auditor General – no doubt in a feeding frenzy – realized that if the funds are not spent properly, some of those dollars must be forfeited to state coffers… 

“State law says governments in Florida can’t let too much of their permits and license revenue go unspent year after year, and the city has found itself in that situation. The fund currently has a balance of about $22 million.

Top city staffers have come up with an $11 million plan to draw down the revenue. But at least some city commissioners have been unaware of the accumulated permits and licensing funds, the state laws governing their use, the ongoing audit, and the constraints of buying a nearly $1 million mobile command vehicle with permits and licensing funds.”

In December 2023, something called the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee – a bureaucratic collection agency comprised of state senators and representatives – ordered Daytona Beach officials to produce a written plan for how the money would be spent. 

The city’s plan called for, among other things, purchasing property for a new Permitting & Licensing facility, renovation of existing assets, acquiring vehicles, additional staff positions, information technology upgrades, new office furniture and fixtures, etc. 

In addition, the plan called for the purchase of a $1 million mobile command post, ostensibly to help coordinate operations for “Code, Building, Fire Inspectors and during major disasters/events for Police and Fire.”

Look, I was never a fan of a million-dollar mobile command post – not for licensing operations, anyway.  It appears at least some members of the Daytona Beach City Commission weren’t either…  

According to the News-Journal, Mayor Derrick Henry said he wasn’t “hunky-dory” with the command post purchase – while Commissioner Stacy Cantu correctly explained “…state law makes it clear permits and licensing funds can only be used for permits and licensing functions. So if a mobile command vehicle funded by permits and licensing was also used by other city departments, it appears that would violate the statute.”

In turn, Ms. Cantu suggested that, given Florida’s raging property insurance crisis, perhaps some of the funds could be used to help residents offset the cost of new roof replacements through a rebate program.

“We might be able to give rebates for a few years,” she said.

In my view, returning public funds to the public who generated them should always be the preferred option – and I applaud Ms. Cantu’s willingness to assist Daytona Beach residents as the city government works through this unique “problem.”

In addition, Mayor Henry and Commissioner Cantu expressed their concern that City Manager Derek Feacher apparently developed the corrective action plan – which was received by state auditors just four days before the March 29 deadline – without the input of the City Commission… 

According to the News-Journal report, Mr. Feacher explained, “It appears there is confusion on how these funds can be expended as well as the need to provide more detailed information to the elected officials,” Feacher wrote in the email. “It is not my desire ever for an elected official to denote the appearance of impropriety in the work we do. Our goal is to always provide the facts for the elected officials to be able to make the best decision for the residents of Daytona Beach.”

Feacher agreed last week to talk to the News-Journal about the permits and license mobile command vehicle purchase, but then said he was requesting more information and didn’t believe it was “prudent to have an interview.”

Now, all information coming out of City Hall related to the issue must first be filtered through Communications Manager Susan Cerbone.   

That’s unfortunate…

In my view, the Lost City of Deltona should serve as a shining example to other local governments on the importance openness and transparency when outside regulators start snooping around asking questions – keeping both the elected body and their constituents “in the loop” at every opportunity.

That contributes to the healthy debate of ideas, makes everyone feel part of the solution, ensures fair and equitable allocations of public funds, and helps build trust.

For now, the matter will be discussed at an upcoming City Commission workshop next month.  

In my view, too much money is a “good problem” to have.  Here’s hoping Mr. Feacher, and the Daytona Beach City Commission, can work cooperatively to find a beneficial solution. 

Quote of the Week

“What about the current police station at 170 W. Granada Blvd.? City Manager Joyce Shanahan said the city “certainly needs some sort of presence in the downtown.” The commission, she said, will decide what that will look like.

“We will impress upon them (the consultants) the importance of keeping that presence in the downtown,” Shanahan said. “We don’t want anyone in this room or in the community to think that we’re going to abandon the downtown.”

The original police station was built in the downtown in 1972. The current 21,000-square feet police station was rebuilt onsite in 2001.”

–Ormond Beach City Manager Joyce Shanahan, as quoted by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer, “Ormond Beach chooses architecture firm for new police station, EOC study,” Friday, May 10, 2024

Say what?

Call it bureaucratic “paralysis by analysis” – the bane of taxpayers everywhere – where government at all levels spends scarce tax dollars on studies, feasibility reports, “space needs” analysis, architectural renderings, and employing outside consultants to “define the scope” of a project, all before the first block is laid or nail driven… 

Never mind the fact they have in-house experts with institutional knowledge (namely those who have worked in a space for years), engineers, and others on the public payroll who will be required to speak with a highly paid intermediary, who will generate a report, which in turn provides a degree of political insulation for elected officials and senior administrators by confirming that their initial assessment was right all along… 

Look, I live and pay taxes in Ormond Beach.  It is no secret that we need a new public safety complex with an up-to-date Emergency Operations Center – one more centrally located – that can provide room for expansion and advanced technology as the community continues to grow.

So, why didn’t our ‘powers that be’ just say that in the first place and get on with it – rather than wait for land and construction prices to increase exponentially?     

As you may recall, in 2019, Ormond Beach Mayor Bill Partington raised suspicions when he attempted to convince taxpayers that the still perfectly serviceable police department – rebuilt 23-years ago on West Granada Boulevard – was “obsolete,” horribly flood-prone, and in dire need of massively expensive repair and replacement.

Bullshit.

In my view, it was the classic Boy Who Cried Wolf tactic – leadership by manufactured crisis – the political dark art of creating an emergency to justify a need. 

At the time, many questioned why Mayor Chicken Little would embroider such a gloom-and-doom scenario, choosing to frighten residents into submission, rather than simply tell them the truth?

Why not explain that the police department sits as the western anchor of Ormond Beach’s Main Street revitalization efforts (perhaps the most valuable commercial real estate in town) and the facility should be relocated west to keep up with the rapidly expanding population center, allowing the current property to be developed and returned to the tax rolls. 

I like City Manager Joyce Shanahan – in my experience, she is accessible, responsive, and knowledgeable – and despite the often-shambolic nature of the City Commission, she somehow makes it “work,” keeping Ormond Beach one of the most stable and well-managed communities in the region. 

However, given her odd comments in the Observer, perhaps she should step outside her office and reorient herself?      

Ormond Beach City Hall sits conspicuously at the east end of West Granada Boulevard – making the municipal government complex the most prominent presence in the downtown corridor. 

It’s hard to miss.  Besides, Ms. Shanahan is smarter than that. 

Which makes me suspicious that Mayor Partington is crafting another of his Henny-Penny scenarios – calming non-existent fears that the city is “abandoning” Granada Boulevard (which may not be a terrible thing) – to facilitate the relocation of the police facility. 

In my view, this smells like another blatant political insulation tactic – one carefully crafted and foisted on already suspicious taxpayers – at a time when the truth would better serve the community…

And Another Thing!

How time (and opportunity) flies while government “study’s” the issue du jour – putting time and money between an unaddressed civic problem and their constituent’s incredibly short collective memory…    

Seven years ago, what became known as the “Grippa Committee” – a blue-ribbon panel led by former Brown & Brown senior executive Tony Grippa and comprised of the “Fun Coast’s” heaviest hitters – was charged by the Volusia County Council with developing a comprehensive revitalization strategy for the Halifax area’s still struggling beachside. 

The only red flag was the upfront caveat that the group never acknowledge the 800-pound gorilla in the room – Volusia County’s perennial beach mismanagement issues… 

Even hamstrung by that odd stipulation, given the impressive make-up and mandate of the Grippa Group, in a swoon of naivety, I was cautiously optimistic that if any alliance could influence positive change, provide effective leadership, and identify actionable solutions – it was this extraordinary assembly of civic strength and power.

There were meetings and presentations – in-depth discussions of uncomfortable truths – and a concerted effort to set a clear path forward.

Then Superman met bureaucratic Kryptonite…

After ten-months and a sincere effort to find answers, the fatal flaw came when the job of crafting the committee’s final report was left to the ultimate entrenched bureaucrat – Volusia County’s Director of Growth & Resource Management Director Clay Ervin.

What resulted was another missed opportunity – a final work product wrapped in vagaries, and prosaic clichés, strongly peppered with bureaucratese – chockfull of jargony horseshit such as, “expanding opportunities,” and “determining feasibility” – nonsensical terms that say nothing and mean less.

For instance, the group’s top two “recommendations” in what should have been a visionary roadmap for the complete revitalization of our core tourist area – the Halifax areas “tarnished jewel” of a tourism product – as construed by Director Ervin were:

1.         Expand the opportunities to make the beach a year-round destination for all visitors.

2.         Utilize prior redevelopment efforts to determine the feasibility and viability of new efforts to attract the type of redevelopment targeted by the individual cities (Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores and Ormond Beach).

You read that right… 

Frankly, given the influential and high-profile VIP committee members, I’m not sure how any County administrator associated with this sham still has a job after neutering and embarrassing all the right last names.  

In my jaded view, the legacy of the Grippa Group will remain its complete waste of time, talent, and enthusiasm – an embarrassing exercise in wheel-spinning – in retrospect, little more than a gilded (and unwitting) political insulation committee that confirmed the worst fears of beachside stakeholders. 

I was reminded of “what could have been” last week as Volusia County’s Tourism and Hospitality gurus gathered at the Hard Rock Daytona with senior County officials to join hands and congratulate themselves on attracting 10.1 million visitors to the Halifax area in 2023 – down from a record 10.6 million in 2022… 

Really?

Wow.  On average, that’s over 841,600 visitors to Volusia County each month last year – substantially more than our permanent population of 553,540… 

As a jaded skeptic, I seriously doubt the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau knows exactly how many visitors vacationed here last year. 

I bet they know even less about the number of families who arrived, drove the dilapidated gauntlet that is the East ISB “Gateway,” locked the car doors, and fled west down I-4 to places that know something about attracting, entertaining, and retaining tourists.  

Each week, I do my civic due diligence and take a driving tour of the Halifax area, watching the latest godawful “condotel” coming out of the ground, lamenting the demise of another restaurant, while pulling for the success of new-comers to A-1-A – passing the same tired façades and streetscapes that comprise much of our core tourist area – taking in the same sights, sounds, and smells that greet visitors and residents alike… 

You should try that sometime.  It’s eye-opening… 

In my view, instead of giving each other awards and accolades for maintaining the status quo, it is time Volusia County’s redundant tourist and hospitality apparatus stop living exaggerated statistic to statistic and start the long overdue process of improving the product.

I crow about this concept ad nauseum – but it isn’t an original idea. 

Over a decade ago, the Volusia County Council commissioned a $100,000 (in 2012 dollars) in-depth analysis of our tourism and hospitality industry. 

At the time, a prescient op/ed in The Daytona Beach News-Journal warned:

“As most Volusia residents know, county government and local cities love to launch studies of various issues. Those studies are usually intended to prompt action on a particular problem or opportunity, but more often than not they end up on the proverbial shelf, gathering dust.

Let’s hope the tourism report doesn’t suffer that fate. Tourism is a $3.7 billion-plus industry in Volusia County, employing more than 37,000 people. More than a third of the county’s sales tax revenue comes from tourists, according to the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tourism is essential to the economy and the future of Volusia County. Officials do need to study the tourism market and figure out precisely what the area is doing right — and doing wrong.”

In fact, the introduction to the report compiled by the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) of Duluth, Georgia, noted that all components of the study sprang from a common theme:

“Tourism is one of the most important industries in Volusia County.”

Yet, to this day, Volusia County’s economic development arm – that publicly subsidized travel club over at Team Volusia – has yet to add “Tourism and Hospitality” to their list of “Target Industries.” 

Why is that?

In their detailed final analysis, SAG wrote of our “Tourism Product”:

“The stakeholders expressed concern over the current condition of the tourism “product,” notably the beach side of Daytona Beach. There were many types of concerns expressed.

Examples include:

Condition of hotels

Condition of storefronts in high volume areas

Lack of attractive streetscape in key tourism areas

There is widespread concern that there is no “plan” for who is leading the effort and how these challenges can be improved. The issue of improvement in the tourism product was a top priority in most of the interviews.”

Any of that sound familiar twelve-years on? 

Other findings in the SAG report included:

“Disengaged Industry and Community:  . . .A very real current threat is the consistent indication of being uniformed and having no understanding of the effectiveness of current tourism initiatives. An aggressive and effective communication plan featuring understandable, measurable results is critical for the long-term support and success of tourism.  An additional theme in SAG’s meetings was the sense that it is going to be difficult to instill broad based confidence that is vital toward improved collaboration.”

“Product Deterioration: . . .Without resources – leadership and economic – the overall tourism experience in Volusia County will decline.  An overall collaborative strategy is needed.” 

In my view, broad-based public confidence begins with effective communication and identifiable results – infrastructure, revitalization, and amenities that go beyond some visitors count construed and bandied about by those who are paid to sell Volusia County to the world.

Unfortunately, it appears our hospitality maharishis are still groping for an identifiable “brand” – one many hope will capitalize on the historic lure of the “World’s Most Famous Beach” – something more than a goofy catch slogan like “Seize the Daytona” or “Forget everything you thought you knew about Daytona…” 

Then support opening more of our beach to driving as advocated by the Main Street Merchants Association, developing a viable boardwalk/entertainment district, and making the area attractive for entrepreneurial investment – while embracing those traditions and natural amenities that once made the Daytona Beach Resort Area a world-class destination.

A comprehensive tourism product we can all take pride in, rather than clucking and clapping once a year over some swagged statistic that may, or may not, be completely accurate – or pertinent to the larger discussion.   

I know.  I sound like a broken record – but it needs to be said…

With the SAG report now gathering dust on some groaning shelf in a dead-records morgue in DeLand – bookended by the findings of the Grippa Commission – how many more ways do those who allocate bed taxes need to hear it? 

“An overall collaborative strategy is needed…”

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