“In an age that is utterly corrupt, it is best to do as others do.”

Marquis de Sade—

Misuse of Public Position

Public officers and employees, and local government attorneys are prohibited from corruptly using or attempting to use their official positions or the resources thereof to obtain a special privilege or benefit for themselves or others. [Sec. 112.313(6), Fla. Stat.]

Conflicting Employment or Contractual Relationship

A public officer or employee is prohibited from holding any employment or contract with any business entity or agency regulated by or doing business with his or her public agency. [Sec. 112.313(7), Fla. Stat.]

A public officer or employee also is prohibited from holding any employment or having a contractual relationship which will pose a frequently recurring conflict between the official’s private interests and public duties or which will impede the full and faithful discharge of the official’s public duties. [Sec. 112.313(7), Fla. Stat.]

When we ignore the rule of law, we undermine the very foundation of our society.

While the twisting and crowing of lawyers might muddy the water, it can’t change that fundamental fact.

As you may have heard, last week the Florida Commission on Ethics – meeting behind closed doors – ignored the findings of their independent investigator, blocked any opportunity for an administrative hearing, and acquitted John Miklos on charges that he used his appointment as chairman of the St. John’s River Water Management District’s governing board for personal gain.

The Ethics Commission previously authorized an investigation into a citizen’s compelling allegations of official misconduct by Governor Rick Scott’s handpicked appointee to the powerful regulatory board when convincing evidence surfaced that Miklos was personally being paid to influence the very agency he oversees.

Ultimately, the investigation found probable cause that Chairman Miklos violated state ethics laws while working for the city of DeBary.

Now, you don’t have to be Elliott Ness to deduce that Long John Miklos has made a cottage industry out of lobbying the St. John’s River Water Management District on behalf of clients of Bio-Tech Consultants – a company he personally owns and operates.

It’s not enough that Miklos sets the table by exerting his powerful influence among SJRWMD staffers and administrators, then steps aside should the matter come to a vote of the governing board.  In my view, his very presence in support of permit applications, or other regulatory actions, constitutes excessive and corrosive pressure that cannot be ignored.

This is especially true after Governor Scott and Miklos physically gutted anything resembling an environmental regulator from the district offices, and replaced them with a puppet administrator and compliant staff who understand which side their bread is buttered on.

And the Commission on Ethics damn well knows that.

During the hearing, Ethics Commission Chairman Matthew Carlucci and member Michael Cox (two of only three commissioners on the nine-member board who aren’t attorney’s) logically suggested, “If you are routinely making a living doing certain projects that eventually will go to certain boards for approval, then you might not want to take a position on that board.”

Instead, Miklos, “took a position on the board knowing full-well” the type of work his company engaged in could lead to potential conflicts.

Unfortunately, influential member – and DeBary resident – Tom Freeman (a retired circuit court judge and real estate attorney) who apparently acts as something of a legal Pied Piper for his fellow commission members, opined that “There’s no way in the world that you have enough facts or a firm foundation to find that he violated the ethics of Florida and we should in manner of justice find that there’s no probable cause for going forward and prosecuting under the ethics laws of Florida.”

 You mean other than the fact your own investigator testified that he found probable cause to prosecute Miklos?

 You mean other than the fact Miklos routinely accepts $155.00 per hour to personally influence the decisions of the very regulatory agency he oversees?

Per Judge Freeman, “The matter at this point is pure conjecture.  The issue was never submitted to the St. Johns River Water Management District for approval.  He never took a position and voted on it.”

You mean other than the fact that earlier this year Miklos represented the district at a meeting with DeBary officials and water district staff – while in the paid employ of the city of DeBary?

My God.

This is the same screwy reasoning that routinely saw Judge Freeman ranked at the bottom of the barrel by his judicial contemporaries in the 18th Circuit.

In a 2001 poll by the Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, he ranked 37^th out of 38 judges.

His lowest marks came in the important categories of legal knowledge and freedom from bias.

That same year, the Florida Department of Children and Families asked the 5^th District Court of Appeal to remove Freeman from all cases involving domestic violence, due to his perceived bias.

Freeman responded by withdrawing from all child-abuse and neglect cases.

In addition, a Central Florida domestic violence support organization, Families Against Abuse, felt that, based upon Judge Freeman’s actions on the bench, he “didn’t believe in batterers intervention or any help for men” who engage in spousal abuse.

In one of Freeman’s most controversial decisions, he ordered the release of suspected murderer Michael Stoll on $100,000 bail – without setting any conditions.  Freeman said Stoll had been sitting in jail too long, and that state law allows a judge to set bail if the evidence of guilt is weak.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Freeman said, “They haven’t brought him to trial in two years. I reviewed the proof (of first-degree murder), and I felt the man deserved bail.”

Prosecutors were shocked.

Despite Judge Freeman’s pre-trial assessment of the evidence in the local media, Stoll was later convicted of brutally killing his wife with the help of an employee of his carpet business.

He was sentenced to life in prison.

The apparent motive?  Stoll was angry over a previous arrest for domestic violence and child abuse.

In my view, Freeman showed his political pliability by switching parties – at least three times – in keeping with the sitting governor’s party affiliation.

He retired from the bench in 2003.

Now, Judge Freeman brings this same loyalty and commitment to protecting the public interest to the Florida Commission on Ethics.

Did I mention he lives in the city of DeBary?  I thought I did.

No potential for conflict there, I guess. . .

Folks, I’ve said it before, we live in the most corrupt state in the union, and cockamamie decisions by the very tribunal charged with protecting us from government buggery – findings that fly in the face of reason and explicitly reverse the conclusions of professional investigators to thwart an independent finding of fact – is prima facie evidence that We, the People, are screwed.

In my view, John Miklos epitomizes the worst-of-the-worst – a leech who preys on the very constituency he is sworn to protect – and those who can do something about it have been exposed as cheap enablers and appointed fixers.

By suspending logic and reality, Miklos’ attorney, “Bucky” Miller, convinced the commission that the city of DeBary did not provide compensation under the Bio-Tech contract with the hope that it would influence Mr. Miklos’ official action as chairman of the district’s governing board.

Really?

Instead, Bucky argued – with a straight face – that Bio-Tech was hired because of Miklos’ “long-term business relationships with Matt Boerger, the city’s growth management director, and David Hamstra, the city’s engineering consultant.”

Long-term business relationship?  I’ll bet.

If I’m not mistaken, didn’t DeBary’s duly elected mayor, Clint Johnson, attempt to tell anyone who would listen just the opposite?

Prior to his political lynching by the ‘fraudulent four’ of the DeBary City Council, didn’t Mayor Johnson assure us that the city wouldn’t be moving forward with the Gemini annex land deal without assurances from Bio-Tech that it could get the required approvals from the St. John’s River Water Management District?

Hell, didn’t DeBary’s Transit Oriented Development Director, Roger Van Auker, all but tell us the same thing?

Yes, I’m sure I remember that.

Now, Clint Johnson has been summarily executed by those still clinging to power – and John Miklos has been exonerated of his crimes.

How clean.

What we don’t know, won’t hurt us. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whoever said reason and common sense problem-solving ever factored into Volusia County government operations?

In an excellent piece in this morning’s Daytona Beach News-Journal, reporter Dustin Wyatt lays out the quintessential example of why Tanger Outlets need Votran bus service – then deftly steps back and exposes the base ignorance of our so-called political leadership and their open abdication of an important civic responsibility.

In the process, we get a fleeting glimpse into the continuing mismanagement and utter dysfunction that remains the very hallmark of County Manager Jim Dinneen’s tenure.

As the story goes, Mr. Wyatt introduces us to a young lady who works at a sandwich shop in the Tanger complex.  She relies exclusively on public transportation.  We also meet her frustrated store manager, who has taken to driving his employees to-and-from work to ensure timely continuity of operations at his establishment in the absence of bus service.

Understand, this story is not unique – the Halifax area is chock-full of strapped individuals struggling to make ends meet in a service-based economy.

The vicious cycle includes safe housing options that remain just out of reach, a lack of reliable personal transportation, child care concerns, and a precious few opportunities for steady employment that would help to alleviate the other parts of the equation.

Anytime our local government officials set their sights on corporate giveaways, the justification always involves job creation.

Bullshit.

In my view, these retail jobs are a mere unintended consequence of throwing huge sums of public money to well-connected insiders, who now factor tax dollars into any speculative project that catches their eye.

As proof that they could care less, even when we succeed in attracting jobs, our elected and appointed officials refuse to provide even basic support services – like public transportation.

In the case of Tanger Outlets, we gifted the developers $4.5 million in public funds split between Volusia County and the City of Daytona Beach.  These “economic incentives” were earmarked for infrastructure costs.

That’s right – $4.5 million dollars of our money – and not one discussion regarding the public transportation needs of this crucial east Volusia job center.

Not one.

Apparently, rather than budget for additional bus service to Tanger Outlets and the nearby Trader Joe’s distribution center, Mr. Dinneen’s strategic plan was to put the arm on the City of Daytona Beach to fund the route.

I recently came into possession of some interesting internal county communications wherein Votran general manager Steve Sherrer confirms that Jim Dinneen directed him to write Daytona regarding the cost of extending bus service.

Responding to a question from an elected official as to why he would contact the City of Daytona Beach in the absence of any interlocal agreement requiring municipal transportation funding – or county council authorization – Sherrer explains:

“In June of 2015 the County Manager directed me to reach out to the city of Daytona Beach to ascertain the level of interest in having transit service at the Tanger complex.  This outreach was directed as it was assumed there was a level of expectation that service would be provided.  However, there was no official request for service from Tanger or the city of Daytona Beach.  As you saw, the city of Daytona Beach was not interested in funding transit to the site.  Nor has Tanger reached out to Votran or the County to discuss their expectation of public transportation service to their mall.  The manager directed me to explore this with the city in order to see if there might be other resources available to assist in funding new service outside the general fund of the county.”

 Wow.  Sherrer was quick to put his boss under the bus (pun intended).

 Just for the record – and at the risk of tooting the Barker’s View kazoo – this email confirms my previous assertion that this entire homegrown problem was yet another money-grab by Jim Dinneen.

Tragically, Mr. Sherrer would have us believe that Votran conducts evaluations three times each year to see if routes need to be adjusted based upon ridership.  Yet, by their own admission, two rarely used stops on LPGA Boulevard still have routine service.

So close, yet so far.

Interestingly, neither Sherrer – nor anyone else at Votran – has adequately explained their initial scare tactic that adding a stop at Tanger/Trader Joe’s would cost $400,000.

However, in an internal email on the subject, Mr. Sherrer finally admits that routes could be modified to provide a “no-cost option” to serve Tanger.

Unfortunately, he also quibbles that the option would require the elimination of several high ridership locations within those routes so the buses will stay on-time – and claims that the hours of operation would not coincide with those of the outlet mall.

Let’s see – it’s possible to provide service if Daytona Beach pays for it – but absolutely impossible otherwise.

Hum. . .

Sounds like a government manager trying to cover his well-paid ass to me.

But that is standard operating procedure in the Dinneen administration – a cabal of pathological liars enabled by ineffectual elected officials and their uber-rich beneficiaries.

Look, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but something tells me that a competent public transportation official – you know, like a smart guy who is paid to serve as the general manager of Votran – could sit down and figure out how to incorporate a quick stop in an area that employs some 1,400 area residents.

Maybe not.  But without even discussing the issue, how will we know?

In perhaps the best example of outgoing County Chair Jason Davis’ monumental stupidity, he said:

“The budget is already done. It isn’t going to happen until next year,” he said. “How much of a call is there for a Votran bus to go to the Tanger mall? Is there a lot of people who even want to do this? Those who are buying Polo and Louis Vuitton handbags … are those the people that need to ride the bus?”

No, dipshit.  The people who work there do.

We’re gonna miss his intellect and grasp of the issues around here. . .

Perhaps the only elected official on the dais who understands the importance of transportation forecasting and transit management when considering taxpayer funded projects is Councilman Doug Daniels.

He said the county should have planned for bus service before Tanger arrived. “It’s not fair, it’s not reasonable, it makes no sense and shows a serious lack of planning.”

He’s right.

Unfortunately, unless our newly elected County Chair Ed Kelley and the other cartoon characters on the council are willing to terminate Dinneen’s services immediately – you can expect the same abject incompetence in 2017.

 

  

Shortly after I founded this opinion blog, I realized that I had become everything I once hated.

And that was a good thing.

During my many years of municipal government service, I was often taken to task by those we insiders euphemistically referred to as Cave People – Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

The open criticism infuriated me, mostly because it challenged and humbled my over-sized ego.

Then, when I retired and began writing my opinions on the issues of the day, it dawned on me how important working journalists – and independent bloggers who opine on the issues they uncover – are to the process of keeping government honest.

Trust me – anything that makes our elected and appointed government officials uncomfortable and keeps them on-their-toes is a positive.

It lets them know someone is watching.

Much of what I write on Barker’s View is a riff on the news and civic issues published by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.  They do the heavy lifting – then guys like me have the luxury of sitting back and tut-tutting about those who Roosevelt described as, “actually in the arena.”

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of serving on editor Pat Rice’s readers panel, a group assembled to provide feedback during the revamp of the News-Journal’s hard copy and on-line products.

I’m not sure I provided any actionable suggestions, but I did learn quite a bit about the mechanics of putting out a daily newspaper – including the competition of ideas on everything from the front-page layout to editorial content.

I think everyone would agree, like newspapers all over the country, the News-Journal has faced some serious challenges – and the corporate outsourcing of key printing, proofing and publishing services, along with “downsizing” efforts in the newsroom – has not gone unnoticed by those of us who consume the final product.

In my view, the consistent bright spot down on 6^th Street is the quality of work produced by the reporters down in the trenches, working hard to bring us the news of the day.

I can tell you from personal experience that police reporter Lyda Longa is the hardest working journalist in the industry.

In addition to being incredibly bright and intuitive, she practices an old-fashioned shoe leather reporting style that goes beyond the canned press releases and spin of government information specialists to get to the meat-and-potatoes of any story she covers.

And she’s a nice person, too.

If anyone has seen it all, it’s Lyda Longa. Yet, somehow, she maintains compassion and respect for the subjects and system she covers.

And if you’re not reading Patricio Balona’s excellent reporting on Wild West Volusia, you’re doing it wrong.

I am also convinced that Dinah Voyles-Pulver’s outstanding coverage of what I politely call the ‘Debacle in DeBary’ is Pulitzer worthy.

Imagine if Ms. Pulver had not doggedly followed the money trail to uncover the critical link between John Miklos and city officials – or been stymied by now disgraced former city manager Dan Parrott’s ham-handed attempts to deny her public information?

She has discovered so many smoking guns in one story that I’m convinced all a prosecutor would need to indict the entire DeBary City Commission is to allow a grand jury to read Ms. Pulver’s articles in order of publication.

Powerful stuff.

Recently, Eileen Zaffiro-Kean wrote an excellent series on the City of Daytona Beach’s shocking plan to pay seven times the just value for two small beachside parking lots.

Rarely am I struck completely dumb, but the barefaced nature of this burgeoning scandal took even a grizzled old government hack like me by surprise.

Thanks to what Eileen so deftly described as the deafening “public outcry” spurred by her reportage, Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm was forced to pull the item from the commission agenda, literally at the eleventh hour.

Just remember – there is a reason why government officials made a very real attempt to pay some $862,000 for private property valued at a fraction of that.  The “rest of the story” is out there, and I have no doubt that we will learn more about the who, what, why and how of this mushrooming mess in coming days and weeks.

Kudos to these intrepid reporters – and the editors and staff of the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

I understand that the news business is a hard dollar, even on a good day.  But on those occasions when the News-Journal allows their best horses to have their head and run free, We, the People, are well-served by the critical information they provide.

At the end of the day, it’s up to us – the silent majority of weary taxpayers – to take that information and let those who accept public funds for service in the public interest know that there is some shit we won’t tolerate – ever.

I’m pretty sure this is how the system is supposed to work.

 

I had to laugh.

It was either that or throw myself on the floor and have a good cry.

Earlier this week, I saw an urgent social media post by outgoing Volusia County councilman Josh Wagner.  He was all whippy over a proposed action coming before the council later this week.

Councilman Wagner was screaming like Paul Revere, sounding the Klaxon and imploring people to pack the chambers wearing uniformed white shirts to ram home the point that Volusia County residents can raise a strong and united front when the chips are down.

What was this momentous act of governance that warranted our collective march on Deland?

Finally! A compassionate resolution to the homeless problem?

Or how about a reduction in government spending?  A pay increase for deputies?  Allocations for infrastructure repair and replacement?  An end to county corporate welfare schemes?  Securing beach access?  A limitation on insider influence in county government?  A motion to terminate County Manager Jim Dinneen and his $325,000+ annual salary?  A pledge to work collaboratively with the municipalities for the common good?  A strategic plan to revitalize our core tourist district?  A long-term solution to regional water issues?  Movement on the extension of SunRail service?

No.

Reducing the current buffer zone for surfers at area fishing piers.

Look, I don’t sit here and make this shit up, folks.

Frankly, I couldn’t if I tried.

Councilman Wagner, the mealy-mouthed backstabber who masqueraded as a beach driving advocate to get elected – then turned-tail when it mattered most – wants to divert our attention to some non-issue as he creeps out of office to chase ambulances for a living?

No.  I don’t think so.

If Josh Wagner proposed a resolution endorsing chocolate cake – I wouldn’t support it, and neither should you.

Why?  Because he can’t be trusted.

The fact that Josh Wagner is what passes for political “leadership” is indicative of all that’s wrong with Volusia County.

He’s the poster boy for mediocrity.

In my opinion, Josh Wagner remains the only person in Volusia County politics who thinks his opinion still matters, and the only legacy of his worthless political career will be the cheap, mean-spirited divisiveness he brought to any issue at hand.

I look like an elephant – and I’ve got a memory like one.

Others may have forgotten Mr. Wagner’s slimy and embarrassing involvement in the Waverly Media fiasco – or his close, personal relationship with Jimmy Sotolongo, the convicted grifter and criminal manipulator who is currently fashioning anal bungs out of apple cores in federal prison.

Or his obstructionist name-calling during the stand-off with the City of Daytona Beach over encamped homeless at the administration building.

But I haven’t.

If he accomplished anything, Josh Wagner set a new low for political bait-and-switch, and his complete lack of concern for the needs and wants of his constituents will remain the stuff of legend.

He wasn’t just wrong.  He was malicious – as half-bright, self important politicians often are.

If there is one bright spot on the horizon, it is that Mr. Wagner’s reign of arrogance is rapidly coming to an unceremonious close.  Soon, all we – the long-suffering taxpayers – must endure is his endless tacky television spots.

He will not be missed.

Meanwhile, back in Daytona Beach, the city commission is set to spend $826,000 in taxpayer funds for two beachside parking lots with a combined assessed value of just $125,000.

You read that right – and I have nothing more to ad.

It is what it is.

If I seem hyper-sensitive to the machinations of what passes for government in Volusia County, it is this level of mind-boggling idiocy that keeps me on edge.

How can people who have been elected and appointed to high public office have the audacity to look their constituents in the eye and attempt to convince them that using public funds to grossly overpay for private property is in their best interest?

Who are these people?

Clearly, Daytona Beach Redevelopment Director Reed Berger is delusional – and an abject failure at anything close to “redevelopment” or revitalization.  Frankly, in most places he would be institutionalized for even suggesting to a newspaper reporter that the assessed value of a property under consideration for purchase with public funds, “doesn’t mean anything.”

Not when your spending other people’s money, I suppose.

As a Volusia County taxpayer, I’ve reached the point of critical concern.

There is no denying the fact that huge sums of public funds are being funneled to a precious few well-connected individuals while the rest of us suffer in stunned silence.

And absolutely nothing is going to change.

The deck is stacked – not that it matters – because you and I aren’t even in the game.

We live in an environment where we pay exorbitant taxes for substandard or non-existent public services (don’t take my word for it, take a drive on the beachside, or mid-town, or Ridgewood Avenue, etc.).  Only to see our hard-earned dollars skimmed off or openly given away to insiders and power brokers who could care less about you, your family, or the community we call home.

The ‘system’ has become horribly addicted to our money.  And like any junkie I ever knew, the only thing it truly gives a shit about is the habit.  Tax, spend with the right people, repeat.

If we are to be brutally robbed by the same treacherous scum day-after-day, year-after-year, whose fault is it?

The thieves who prey on us?

Or ours, for tolerating it?

I was speaking to a veteran economic development director the other day.  Just shooting the breeze, really.

As we spoke, I took the opportunity to congratulate the success of places like Deland, New Smyrna Beach, and Flagler Beach – communities that have identified their unique assets and developed them to full potential.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It takes visionary elected and appointed officials, supported by talented professionals with the skill to craft a Mainstreet Deland, Flagler Avenue or the look and feel of a quaint beach town.

During our chat, my friend lamented how many business interests relocating to Florida – or even transferring operations from one city to another – instinctively begin negotiations with a prospective community by asking how much “incentive” money is on the table.

Regardless of their longevity, or past track record, those doing business here are conditioned to expect lucrative tax breaks, redevelopment incentives, infrastructure improvements and actual cash infusions from government with little, if any, performance metrics or expectations.

Why shouldn’t they?

Florida has become the poster child for corporate welfare – and it’s becoming a bidding war between communities seeking to attract new businesses and the jobs they bring.

Let’s face it – once they’ve seen the piles of public money dumped in places like Tanger Outlets, One Daytona, or the increasingly rag-tag Oceanwalk Shoppes – wild horses couldn’t keep their hands out of our collective pocket.

Clearly, Economic Development professionals have an interesting job attracting business and industry to the mosaic of municipalities that make up Volusia County.

When done properly, a community’s economic development department will take a holistic approach – working with planners to carefully select, recruit and position businesses in a way that provides the company with the best opportunity for commercial success, while enhancing quality of life and building a distinctive civic brand.

In short, they carefully shape an environment where people and businesses want to be.

Under Florida’s current economic development strategy, local and state governments are quickly becoming community banks – offering huge sums of public money to private interests – and whenever you are playing fast-and-loose with other people’s money, the risk for favoritism and corruption is high.

Trust me.  I’ve worked with some of the best economic development types – and some of the worst.

Here on the Fun Coast, Volusia County and the City of Daytona Beach have set a high mark when it comes to pissing away our hard-earned tax dollars to satiate the personal wants and professional needs of entrenched power brokers and political insiders.

Always cloaked in the dubious guise of “economic incentives.”

There was a time when government assisted the development of a strong commercial tax base by identifying and reducing expensive permitting, onerous regulations, and promoting fair practices for the benefit of consumers.

Local, state and federal government ensured that the playing field was level –  then allowed the natural competition of the free market to work without unnatural stimuli.

It meant that only the best ideas survived, and that prices for goods and services were controlled by marketplace factors, such as quality of service and the law of supply and demand.

Look, I don’t have an MBA – I can barely balance a checkbook – but it doesn’t take a Harvard Business School graduate to understand that the artificial infusion of public funds, tax breaks and other government incentives (read: giveaways) to a well-connected few undermines the very foundation of fair trade.

In a recent piece by Jim Turner of the Florida News Service, we learned that Enterprise Florida – perhaps the most grotesque facilitator of corporate welfare in these United States – has hired a new Chief Operating Officer in former lawmaker, Chris Hart.

Hart’s appointment comes after former Enterprise Florida chief Bill Johnson quit after Governor “Slick Rick” Scott’s request for some $250 million in “economic development incentives” (our tax dollars) was soundly rejected during the 2016 legislative session.

When the legislature gave their collective middle finger to the Governor’s corporate welfare scheme, some suspicious spending came to light.  That’s when Slick Rick – who serves as EFI’s chairman – commissioned an investigation of the agency’s operations and activities.

The final report determined that Wild Bill Johnson treated himself to expensive dinners, luxury hotel rooms and lavish renovations to his Miami office, among other atrocities.

In one instance, Johnson enjoyed a $359 seafood dinner with his assistant, Max Stuart, at a Tampa area restaurant.  He justified the credit card expenditure as “discussion of area politics and strategy.”

They could have done that over a $2.00 Happy Hour Bud Light.  My treat.

EFI responded that none of the over-the-top personal expenses accumulated by Johnson were paid for with “public funds.”

That claim was later proven to be utter bullshit.

In most places, Johnson would be idling away the hours in state prison.  But this is Florida, the “rules are different here.”

Rather than being prosecuted for converting public funds to private use, Johnson was handed a $132,000 severance check after serving little more than one year in the position which paid $265,000 annually.

Initially, Enterprise Florida was designed to receive funding from both government sources and the private sector – but you know how that goes.  At the end of the day, some 90% of EFI’s incentive funds came from tax money.

Even then, a sizable portion of the few private dollars in the mix went to staff members and administrators in the form of lavish bonuses from something called, well, the “staff bonus pool.”

Hell, Johnson received a $50,000 spiff after just six months on the job.

All this on top of the $25 million the state of Florida kicks in to cover EFI’s operating expenses.

Look, I could write a book on the financial abuses and abject corruption at Enterprise Florida – but you get the drift.

During my working life, I witnessed a similar scenario play out with a former area City Manager, and career “economic development” shill, who never seemed to grasp that “spending money to make money” didn’t necessarily include extravagant dinners, complete with expensive scotch, at restaurants in Atlanta’s tony Buckhead neighborhood.

The point is – this disgusting misappropriation of public funds isn’t limited to state and federal government – and our current system clearly encourages the practice.

In my view, it’s time we demand an end to corporate welfare and cronyism, and allow the natural principles of fair and competitive trade to build a thriving, and sustainable, marketplace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For months, I’ve railed against the series of misfortunes and administrative missteps plaguing the beleaguered students, alumni and faculty of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

For those of you with insufficient airspeed – earlier this year, current and former student government members going back 15-years issued an open letter to the university’s board of trustees challenging perceived mismanagement and the outsized influence of Supreme Chairman Mori Hosseini.

This was followed by a vote of no confidence by the faculty senate – the strongest censure available to the disenfranchised professors and associates who develop and present the gold standard in aerospace and engineering curricula.

Stories of extravagant spending by the board – to include a $1 million-dollar chateau at the Paris Air Show, and luxury accommodations during out-of-state meetings – along with questionable travel and expenditures by highly compensated administrators foster the sense that all is not as it seems at our own Harvard of the Sky.

Of course, ERAU “leadership” immediately pooh-poohed the notion that this collective cry for help had any legitimacy, spinning that the measures taken by students and faculty were, “largely symbolic with no legal consequences.”

Well, let me tell you what does have significant consequences.

Earlier this year, a government watchdog blog – John Q. Public – which is authored by a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, obtained an internal Air Force document indicating that a retired General has been accused of sexual assault by a female active duty colonel formerly under his command.

As I understand it, the report refers to three incidents which allegedly occurred between 2007 and 2009, in which the male General is accused of using the power of his position to coerce the complainant into sexual activity.

Why is this important to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University?

In September, Military.com identified Retired Air Force General – and current ERAU Trustee – Arthur J. Lichte as the subject of the criminal investigation.

Since his retirement in 2010, General Lichte has been a busy man.

In addition to his service at Embry-Riddle, he has also been appointed to the board of directors of European aerospace giant Airbus Group; and Air Transport Services Group, a leading provider of air cargo and logistical services for domestic and international carriers.

During his military service, General Lichte once commanded the Air Mobility Command.

As a Volusia County taxpayer (and unofficial member of the Jack L. Hunt Society) who contributed to our recent endowment of $1.5 million dollars in public funds to the university, I have concerns about the optics of allowing General Lichte to remain a voting member of the board while he is under active criminal investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Trust me – I’m not making light of this matter.

I still hold to the old fashioned belief that public funds should be used in the public interest.  And I am highly suspicious whenever our hard-earned tax dollars are appropriated for dubious “economic development” fairy tales.

Once the elected officials have given our money away, no one – and I mean no one – bothers to ensure that our substantial investment is protected.

It just vaporizes.

I also believe that people are innocent until proven guilty, entitled to due process, and the right to confront their accuser in a court of law.  And General Lichte’s 38-years of honorable service to our nation is deserving of our respect and admiration.

My sincere hope is that justice prevails.

But given the sensitivities, and obvious implications for a private university already reeling from internal turmoil, dysfunction and questionable leadership, not to mention the recent arrest of a civil engineering professor on alleged child sex abuse charges, wouldn’t it be in everyone’s best interest – including General Lichte’s – to simply call for his departure from the board until the matter has been decided by military authorities?

As reported by the John Q. Public blog, “Whoever ends up in the cross-hairs of this nascent scandal, it underscores that the high-paid help are no less susceptible to moral, ethical, and indeed criminal fallibility than those who fall under their command.  It’s one of the reasons it’s so important to choose with the utmost care those who will wield massive military authority.  It’s also a reason to responsibly curtail that authority.”

In my view, the same can be said for those appointed to leadership positions in the cloistered confines of a private university in acute crisis, where the enormous influence of one man is being openly and courageously challenged by those who matter most.

 

 

 

 

 

What comes to mind when you think of the Daytona Beach Boardwalk?

For most locals, there are as many good memories as there are bad impressions.

As children, my sister and I would go to the Joyland and Mardi Gras arcades whenever our grandparents came for a visit.  We would play some Skee Ball, swim by the pier, have epic miniature golf tournaments on the roof and watch the saltwater taffy being made.

When I became a police detective, my partner and I would go to the Boardwalk a couple times each week for lunch.  He had a thing for those foot-long corn dogs with mustard.

One time we solved a wandering daughter case after spotting the missing juvenile loitering beachside (I remember the three of us driving back to the police station to reunite the girl with her worried parents, all of us munching on giant cornbread-covered hot dogs. . .)

I have fond teenage memories of taking dates to the Boardwalk, riding the gondolas, then walking along with the loud ringing bells of the pinball machines singing out; surrounded by the aroma of hot pizza and the crash of the bumper cars (remember the pop of sparks flying off the electrified ceiling as the cars whizzed around the greasy metal floor?)

There was a unique feel and a great salty smell to the beach back then, a thrilling sense of something fun.

I don’t get that feeling when I go to the beach now.  Too many signs, too many rules, and too many unfriendly people who enforce them from ugly fiberglass kiosks where money-for-access is exchanged.

Today, you can visit the same arcades and gift shops – now, just a little more down-at-the-heels.

You can even play a loud game of Skee Ball on the exact same machines your grandparents enjoyed.

Literally.

Nothing has changed – except the omnipresent sense that our once venerated Boardwalk has become a blighted eyesore with all the elements necessary to kill a tourist economy.

The reason?  Well, pick your poison.

There are many contributing factors and players – all facilitated by a miserable lack of strategic vision – and elected officials who for the past thirty-years have simply ignored the most important economic engine to ever bless a resort community.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal recently reported on the convoluted lawsuit between an investment consortium of local insiders and the Paspalakis family that has allowed a key section of the area to stagnate.

The take-away:  Nothing positive is going to happen on the Boardwalk anytime soon.

As the News-Journal’s Mark Lane noted in his excellent piece on this decades-old legal mess, the lawsuit is over property that belonged to the Paspalakis family for ages but was part of a city condemnation action in 2003.

Tragically, the Paspalakis’ have been fighting the city’s condemnation since sometime in the 1980’s.

Naturally, this sordid battle has all the usual suspects that have preyed upon Daytona Beach for years:

Greedy investors, strategic bankruptcies, family monopolies, unscrupulous developers – to include convicted grifter, Bill Geary, of Ocean Walk Shoppes fame who is finishing a stint in federal prison – promises of pie-in-the-sky panacea hotels and tony shopping areas, a stubborn inability to reasonably negotiate with the best interests of the community in mind, government overreach and interference, insider maneuvering, piss poor planning, no leadership, etc., etc.

Whether we want to admit it or not, what we are collectively hearing over the roar of the surf is the sad death knell of one of America’s great tourist destinations.

The dirty little secret that most lawyers won’t tell you is that courts rarely settle anything to everyone’s liking – only reasonable people finding amicable solutions can do that.

But it requires that people care enough about the thing they are fighting over not to kill it in the process.

Like that ancient taffy-pulling machine at Zeno’s sweet shop, the wheels of justice will continue their slow churn – and the powers-that-be will keep their noses firmly planted in the backsides of their uber-wealthy handlers – while we, the long-suffering residents of the Halifax area, stand helpless as forces out of our control once again determine our collective destiny.

Keep this in mind the next time one of our elected officials tells you how great we have it here on the “Fun Coast.”

Let’s face it, when you live in Volusia County, there’s plenty of material – political and otherwise – to keep your average opinion blogger busy for years.

That’s one reason I like to keep things local here on Barker’s View – never a dull moment.

But sometimes a situation arises on the national front that simply cannot be ignored.

Take, for example, the curious case of Dr. Jill Stein, the utterly failed “Green Party” presidential candidate, opportunistic Castro apologist, and full-time squirrel turd.

She’s had quite a week trying to eke her way back to some trace of political relevance.

While most of us were gathering around the Thanksgiving table, Stein and her following of brain-dead progressives – who remain utterly terrified by the prospect that thinking adults are finally taking charge – pushed a half-baked plan to force recounts in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Her evidence?  Something Stein calls, “statistical anomalies.”

A strange hogwash of dubious voter fraud and foreign intrigue, with no basis in fact, that even the “prominent computer scientists and election lawyers” she originally cited as supporting the measure are running from like scalded dogs.

Just like her loopy domestic policies, Stein wants everyone else to pay for her sour grapes.

Stein’s weird GoFundMe-style effort first asked donors for $2.5 million to fund the recount – but that paltry sum was quickly revised upward when Stein explained that amount only covered “filing fees.”

One would have thought that this obvious bait-and-switch would scare most away from this scam, but not our overwrought friends on the left.  No, when Stein arbitrarily hiked the price to $4.5 million they (read: Clinton supporters) compulsively responded like good little lemmings.  Naturally, leftist demagogue George Soros is in the mix as well.

Now, Stein has upped the target goal to $7 million.  Hey, why not?

I guess Thomas Tusser was right with his whole “fool and his money” thing. . .

After rightfully conceding, it now appears the rotting skeletal remains of the Clinton campaign has miraculously reanimated to give tacit support to Stein’s cockamamie attempt to clean her conscience after handing Donald Trump, well, Michigan and Wisconsin, during the general election.

Please understand, these recounts will not change the outcome in any of these states – and Clinton would need a clean sweep in all three to succeed.

Jill Stein knows it.  And so, does Hillary Clinton.

As I understand it – and I’m not sure that I do – the actual purpose of this bogus “recount” effort is much more sinister than ferreting out any “statistical anomalies” or malicious Russian hacking schemes.

It’s about fueling the maniacal “Not my President” sect, adding credence to the paid protesters wreaking havoc in our streets, cooing over the pouting snowflakes in places like Hampshire College, and weakening domestic and international confidence in our nations democratic system.

At the end of the day, it’s about undermining Donald J. Trump.

If Stein and Company demand a hand-count of the ballots cast – and she’s filed suit in Wisconsin to do just that – the time required may surpass the last day for certifying the official tally and directing Electoral College voters in these states.

If the Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania recounts all miss the deadline (or Stein’s legal challenges prevail) Trump will stand at 260 electoral votes, with Clinton at 231.

Neither would have the 270 votes required to officially win the election.

Should this happen, the matter would go before the United States Congress.  In that case, the House – casting one vote per state – would elect Donald Trump, and the Senate would select Mike Pence.

So, if the results are the same, why bother?

Why fan the hopes of those Mensa members still hoping-against-hope that Hillary has a chance to reverse the space/time continuum?

Because, if successful in hamstringing the system, Democrats and the various kooky fringe parties could then use the unusual process to further delegitimize a Trump presidency by insinuating that he was merely appointed by members of the majority Republican party – not the electorate.

In my view, intentionally obstructing our electoral process at this stage for stupid partisan posturing is patently un-American and contrary to our democratic principles.

It also doesn’t play well with Democrats who are just beginning the autopsy to determine exactly what led to their repudiation at the polls.  Even President Obama has expressed his displeasure as he works to ensure an orderly transition.

But when has any of that mattered to self-aggrandizing shitheels like Jill Stein?

Interestingly, for months before the election, Hillary Clinton and her supporters crowed ad nauseum about Trump’s “anti-democratic” refusal to confirm if he would accept his highly anticipated defeat with graciousness and simply go away.

Remember?

These simpering bedwetters viciously railed against Donald Trump when he raised the possibility of Democratic voter fraud and system rigging.  They held him out as a “danger to democracy,” all while smirking with unbridled hubris, assured by their friends in the media that they had the election in the bag.

Then the unthinkable happened.

American voters in the fly-over states ignored the paid statisticians – and defied the babbling bubbleheads of a dishonest corporate media establishment gone berserk.

And they demanded change.

Real change.

Now, it appears Hillary and her Useful Idiot Jill Stein aren’t capable of accepting reality.

Not that they ever were.

Look, I’ve tried hard to be sympathetic to my left-leaning friends – it was a tough loss, I get it – and I hope they would afford me the same courtesy if the situation were reversed.

(They wouldn’t.  I’ve been dumped like a hot rock by “friends” on social media – and called a racist, misogynist, and homophobe – simply because of my choice in a presidential election.)

I thought that once they work through the stages of grief, most would find some level of acceptance (as I did during two consecutive Obama administrations) and let the healing begin.

Given the over-the-top gnashing of teeth and rending of garments that continues to play out on social media, college campuses, and during public “protests” around the nation, imagine what would have happened if Trump had in fact lost the election – then demanded an eleventh-hour recount under dubious circumstances which jeopardized the canonization of Hillary Clinton?

Anarchy.  Guaranteed.

The fact is, it’s time for the Democratic party, their humiliated media pollsters, and the skinny-jean wearing hyper-sensitive factions of the delusional socialist left to accept the fact that Donald J. Trump is our President-elect – and nothing is going to change that.

It is high time we look to the future, and leave egomaniacal stooges like Dr. Jill Stein on the ash heap of history where she so rightly belongs.

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you and I (the long-suffering taxpayers of Volusia County) are Patrons of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, I keep waiting on my invitation to our induction into the prestigious Jack L. Hunt Society in grateful recognition of our generous endowment of $1.5 million in public funds.

Maybe we can even get our name on something?  Hell, everyone else does.

“Eagles Nest: The Rubes of Volusia County Student Restroom Complex”

Hey.  Fair is fair – and shitting in their own nest seems to be the university administrations recent stock in trade.

As an honored ERAU benefactor, I’m paying close attention to our endowment.

I’m weird that way – when someone takes my money because they know what’s best for me, I tend to keep an eye on them – you know:  Trust, but verify.

So far, I’m not happy.

At a gala held earlier this month at the John F. Kennedy Space Center, aerospace giant Lockheed Martin awarded a $5 million-dollar contract to Florida A&M University.

Under the terms of the agreement, FAMU students and faculty members will work closely with Lockheed Martin engineers to develop components and systems for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle designed for long-term human deep space exploration.

Unfortunately, as NASA reaches for the asteroids, Mars and beyond – ERAU remains grounded.

In an excellent article by the Orlando Sentinel’s Gabrielle Russon, FAMU engineering professor Okenwa Okoli said, “We hope to assist with developing future materials and structures, as well as optimizing manufacturing procedures for the Orion program, especially those that will serve a dual purpose here on Earth.”

It’s called being on the cutting edge of developing the most technologically advanced aircraft and space vehicles ever envisioned.

In addition, this partnership assists FAMU in developing graduates with skills in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines that will form the workforce necessary to take the United States back to space.

In my view, FAMU’s win is a tough loss for our own Harvard of the Sky.

In addition, for over a decade, NASA’s Ames Research Center has cultivated strategic partnerships with academic, non-profit, and aerospace industry leaders to work cooperatively on innovative projects in support of NASA’s future space exploration goals.

Current academic partnerships include, Carnegie Mellon University, Silicon Valley/Santa Clara University, Singularity University and Taksha University.

ERAU?  Not so much.

However, in August, Embry-Riddle announced something called it’s “Nexus Partners” in the university’s new John Mica Engineering and Aerospace Innovation Complex.

Boeing?  Lockheed Martin?  General Electric?  Harris Corporation?  Raytheon?

No.

While the global aerospace industry is busy collaborating with other schools, Embry-Riddle’s new partners include a virtual “who’s who” of local political insiders and perennial power brokers:

International Speedway Corporation, Cobb Cole, FireSpring Fund, James Moore & Company, Vann Data Services, DuvaSawko and venVelo.

I guess if NASA ever needs a good real estate attorney – or help sending out a doctor’s bill – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is the place to be. . .

While ERAU publicly wallows in administrative dysfunction, aerospace and defense industry leaders are taking note and partnering with other colleges and universities around the world to develop the next generation of engineers, researchers and tech workers.

ERAU students should take note: These important partnerships provide your future competitors with the opportunity to work collaboratively with leaders in critical industries, and acquire the all-important “real world” experience that will make a difference on their résumé.

Unfortunately, for the high-flying Eagles of ERAU, the outlook is grim.

For months, the university has been dogged by a cockamamie search for a new president – along with cries for help from disenfranchised students, alumni and faculty members as they peel the onion of mismanagement and dubious spending by the university’s board of trustees.

For instance, student government representatives going back 15-years have issued an open letter denouncing the actions of the board of trustees – especially the Machiavellian mucking about of Chairman Mori Hosseini – while expressing their collective concern for the future of ERAU.

Then, the faculty senate issued a vote of no confidence against the board – an unprecedented censure representing the most powerful statement of disapproval available to the long-suffering professors and associates.

I’m just speculating here, but when you add to that allegations that Mr. Hosseini has done business with the very university he oversees – “business” which netted his Intervest Construction some $1.5 million dollars – you get the queasy feeling that the intrigues of the Big Man on Campus may not be as benevolent as he would like us to believe.

Given the fact that those who matter – the students, alumni and faculty – have tried in vain to pull back the very heavy curtain on Mori’s dictatorship, last month I called for an independent review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the independent agency that accredits ERAU.

Per SACS principles, colleges and universities that seek accreditation are required to make “reasonable and responsible decisions consistent with the spirit of integrity in all matters.”

I think an argument can be made that the ERAU leadership has failed to live up to those simple standards of fair dealing.

There is a reason these research contracts and partnerships are consistently being awarded to other schools – and it has nothing to do with the caliber of ERAU’s students, faculty or curriculum.

In my view, it is time for a fundamental change in the make-up and focus of ERAU’s board of trustees.  Clearly, the need for increased faculty/student oversight of the direction and stewardship of the university is critical.

And as us uneducated bumpkins say, “time’s a-wastin”

So long as the university remains deeply embroiled in these ugly controversies – and aggressively controlled by one man who casts a very large shadow – I fear these vital government and industry collaborations will continue to go elsewhere.

That is a dangerous proposition for a private school that prides itself as the leader in aviation and aerospace education in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What an incredible year it has been for Barker’s View!

When I started this opinion blog in January, I could not have imagined that it would garner 43,775 views from nearly 30,000 (29,707 as of this writing) visitors, literally from around the world.

I am incredibly grateful to all of you for making that happen.

I have always believed that there is room for an alternative point-of-view in Volusia County.  An opinion beyond the government soundbites and spin – a blogsite that holds those in positions of high responsibility accountable.

Something that lets them know we’re watching.

I’m delusional enough to believe that we are beginning to make a difference – and those in a position to affect change are taking notice.

All thanks to your loyal readership.

Writing Barker’s View has been incredibly cathartic.  It has given me a purpose, much-needed social interaction, and the process continues to keep my mind limber.

At the end of the day, I’m still just a guy in my boxer shorts with too much time on my hands bashing about on the Internet – but your response to the writing, acceptance of my personal flaws, and friendship has been a true blessing in my life.

The best part of this experiment, for me, is hearing your feedback, discussing differing opinions and arguing the fine points.

Sometimes you agree with me – other times, you vehemently disagree.  But we can remain friends and perhaps gain a better perspective on the important issues of the day through the civil debate of ideas.

I can’t think of anything more purely American than that.

Most of all, I have enjoyed meeting some of you, grabbing a beer or lunch with Barker’s View readers, and discussing the issues that are important to you.

We might even plan an informal get-together sometime soon – I’ll buy the keg.

Gratefully, some of the power brokers, politicians and appointed officials I skewer on this site reach out periodically and tell me how much they enjoy reading the blog – even when I take them to task.  Please know that I appreciate your emails, texts and calls.

Thanks for keeping me honest – and confirming my suspicions from time-to-time.

In 2017, I hope to expand the site to include a weekly podcast – and just for fun – I’ve got some Barker’s View swag coming, like this cool new bumper sticker that will immediately improve the appearance of any car or truck to which it is affixed:

On this Thanksgiving 2016, please accept my sincere thanks and deep appreciation for your loyalty, friendship, and for taking time out of your busy day to read, think and form an opinion on the critical issues and news-makers of the day.

It’s important.

May God bless each of you and your families, and especially our men and women in uniform at home and abroad – our military and first responders – who go into harm’s way to protect us every day.

From the Barker Family to yours – Happy Thanksgiving!

Mark