In the past week, we saw two unfortunate interactions between people and black bears on both sides of Volusia County. 

These human-bear contacts are increasingly frequent occurrences in Central Florida, and, when they happen, things never end well. 

For the bear, that is. 

In my view, the idea of paving over wildlife habitat to make way for another damnable strip center, wood frame apartment complex, or theme housing development, then destroying bears who have become desensitized to the trappings of human beings, wild animals with nowhere to go, is wrong – epitomizing the arrogance of those who don’t give two-shits about preserving our natural places and sensitive ecosystems – choosing instead to profit from destroying habitat and killing off any wildlife that stands in their way.

As a young man I enjoyed deer hunting – more for the social aspect of sitting around camp enjoying the company of friends – or spending time with my late father on traditional dove hunts in South Georgia, learning from the yarns spun by my elders, as copious amounts of good bourbon were sipped in front of a roaring fireplace on cool fall evenings. 

From experience, I can report that there are few things more rewarding than spending time in the woods at daybreak, quietly attuned to the sights and sounds of nature all around, watching the grace and majesty of wild animals in their natural habitat. 

Unfortunately, almost to the acre, the forests and swamps where I enjoyed nature in my youth have been paved over – making way for “theme” communities where speculative developers have created an escapist façade for retirees seeking to live out an artificial lifestyle that no longer exists – pine scrub and hardwood forest ground into a black muck, the wetlands drained and filled, now chockfull of zero-lot-line wood frame cracker boxes from the “low $300’s” serviced by godawful half-empty strip centers. 

And We, The Little People – hapless rubes led to believe the “system” still serves us – watch helplessly as glib real estate attorneys, powerful developers, and marketing shills smooth off the rough edges – ensuring more “inventory” for the never-ending influx on the I-95 conveyor as we transition from subdivisions and gated communities to “Cities within a City.” 

My God.

The out-of-control overdevelopment of Volusia County is no longer an exercise in shaping growth – the art and science of planning neighborhoods, revitalizing downtowns, enhancing civic assets, ensuring adequate transportation and utilities infrastructure, making room for cultural and creative space, while preserving our historic places.

Now, those quaint ideas have been replaced by the disastrous idea of growth at all costs – which has resulted in the endless spread of placeless sprawl and the wholesale destruction of our remaining greenspace – further separating communities by income and demographic, all conveniently rubberstamped by malleable politicians all too eager to please their benefactors. 

With $1 of every $5 contributed to select Volusia County political campaigns in recent races originating from real estate development interests – prove me wrong.  

In a recent article in the Palm Beach Post, we learned that the State of Florida is considering increasing fines on developers who steam over gopher tortoise burrows as the cost of rehoming the endangered animals “…outpaces penalties for burying them alive.”

Estimates show the cost of “rehoming” a single gopher tortoise is now between $5,000 and $6,000 – while fines for destroying a burrow remains at a paltry $500 plus court costs. 

You read that right.

According to the disturbing report:

“Last year, housing giant Pulte Group paid $13,790 after pleading guilty to annihilating 22 burrows on land slated for an age-restricted community in Marion County.

At the Pulte site, investigators found a juvenile gopher tortoise that had been cut in half “by something large, presumably heavy equipment,” as noted in a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report. Another tortoise was spotted digging in a machine cleared area “attempting to repair its collapsed burrow.”

With malignant growth churning habitat into a moonscape across the width and breadth of the Sunshine State, last year, the Florida Wildlife Commission issued just 118 warnings and 49 citations statewide for gopher tortoise violations. . . 

Now, paving over a threatened species or cutting them in half with heavy equipment has become the cost of doing business.  In short, gopher tortoises, black bears, whitetail deer, and other species lost out to the voracious greed of speculative developers who hold the political paper on the souls of the craven politicians who facilitate it.

To ameliorate their guilt and mitigate the political damage – the same elected officials who rubberstamp land use changes and literally pave the way for more “planned unit developments” and industrial warehouses that interface with residential neighborhoods, pouring traffic onto already congested roadways – beat their chest and crow about “wildlife corridors,” narrow patches of contiguous natural space that allow wild animals a chance to run, fly, or swim from the vice-like growth that is rapidly destroying their last remaining habitat in the perverse name of “progress.” 

Bullshit.

In my view, the 2022 election cycle is our opportunity to purge these blowholes from the dais of power – those who asked for our sacred vote – then did nothing to address the destruction of our natural places, voted to approve more, more, more growth and sprawl, while shrugging their shoulders and telling us “there’s nothing we can do,” allowing “growth management” bureaucrats to run interference for developers in a tragic tail wagging the dog scenario they think we are too stupid to see through.

It is not hard to figure out a candidates allegiances.

Rather than listen to what they say – simply read their campaign finance reports – and review the record of how incumbents voted while in office.

In my view, if we leave these same compromised assholes at the helm – there will be no end to the cancerous sprawl that is metastasizing like tumors along the spine of Volusia County from Farmton to the Flagler County line. 

We cannot say we were not warned. 

The gopher tortoises and black bears did everything possible to get our attention.

When will we listen to them?

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               Volusia County Councilwoman Heather Post

As the late, great commentator Paul Harvey used to say, “Now we know the rest of the story.”

Earlier this month, during what passed for the annual organizational meeting of the Volusia County Council, the intrepid Councilwoman Heather Post took it on the chin from her “colleagues” for having the temerity to report a possible crime to the one person in the massive bureaucracy with the independence to do something about it – Internal Auditor Jonathan “Big Foot” Edwards.

I half-facetiously refer to Mr. Edwards as “Big Foot” – because like the mysterious Sasquatch – he is rumored to exist but rarely seen. . .

So, when Edwards appeared in the Council Chamber to present the 2022 Internal Audit Plan, Ms. Post took the rare opportunity to discuss the autonomy of the Internal Auditor in Volusia County’s autocratic hierarchy. 

During that discussion, we learned that in October 2021, Ms. Post reported a significant issue with Volusia County Jail inmate trust fund accounts to Mr. Edwards in her role as an elected representative – a responsibility which Ms. Post justly considers an integral and important part of her job.

Because it is.

That turned into a pointed rebuke by the three lame ducks, Councilman Ben Johnson, His Eminence “Dr.” Fred Lowry, and Councilwoman Billie Wheeler, who explained to Ms. Post just how county government works – ensuring that everyone is aware that all roads go through County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald – warning that individual elected officials are expressly prohibited from bringing serious concerns to Mr. Edwards’ attention.

Clearly, Volusia County’s “Old Guard” is comfortable in the knowledge that ferreting out fraud, theft, and financial inefficiencies will never be as important as lockstep conformity to a rigid process that protects the bureaucratic upper crust.

Bullshit. 

As a veteran law enforcement officer, Councilman Johnson knows that it is not important how crimes are reported, and an internal policy that discourages elected officials from bringing constituent concerns to the attention of the only person in the building specifically charged with investigating internal corruption is tailormade for disaster. 

It got worse.

“I don’t think that any one of the council should be going to a department head or Jonathan personally and saying, ‘I need you to look at this.’ That puts him in a terrible situation,” Councilwoman Billie Wheeler mewled.

Say what?

Then “Dr.” Fred Lowry took a cheap swipe at Ms. Post:

“The problem I have with the way it was brought up is it indicates to the public there’s a problem in that area.  While maybe certain people’s Facebook groupies tonight will be cheering them on, there will be a lot of saying, ‘Why in the world were they talking for hours? Is there a problem going on with the auditor?’”

Yes, you read that right.  This is how these jacklegs think. . . 

My God.

Now, we learn that Councilwoman Post’s concerns were completely validated when it was confirmed that money had been illegally taken from the accounts of some thirteen inmates – ostensibly to reimburse the county for various services provided during previous incarcerations – unauthorized withdrawals made after the statutorily permitted three-year time limit had passed. 

In an informative report by Mary Helen Moore writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Ms. Post explained that she routinely receives requests for assistance from her constituents – and acts upon them:

“In this case, a Volusia County Branch Jail inmate reached out to me for assistance, saying that money had been removed from his inmate banking account in violation of state statute and that his inquiries and requests for resolution over many months had been ignored,” she wrote in an email.

Post said she inquired about the matter and was told the money had been withdrawn to pay the medical lien from 2015, in violation of the Florida statute which caps the liens at three years.

“Although obviously simply an oversight in jail operations… We can’t be illegally taking money from people we have placed in jail,” Post said.

She told The News-Journal that she pointed out the person should be reimbursed and procedures should be corrected, then asked staff to investigate whether this had happened to others.

“I was advised there were too many transactions to look at to audit, so county finance staff advised they checked into a select category of inmate accounts with deposits of greater than $600 over the last two years and found twelve where the county had withdrawn monies in violation and they were working to rectify those,” she said.”

Wow.

Interestingly, the inmate trust fund accounts are now Priority One on Mr. Edwards’ 2022 audit plan. . . 

Despite the asinine unwritten policy limiting how evidence of possible criminal activity can be transmitted to Volusia County’s internal watchdog – purely bureaucratic restrictions that have a chilling effect on this important process – in this case, thanks to Councilwoman Post’s persistence in ensuring that a constituent’s initially ignored concerns were addressed, an unlawful practice was exposed and rectified. 

No thanks to Ms. Post’s craven “colleagues” who place more weight on lockstep conformity to a rigid system that allowed the unlawful withdrawals – and the concerns of victims of the pernicious practice to be ignored by senior administrators.    

Asshole           Gannett Company   

For the uninitiated, Barker’s View is not a “news site” and I am not a “journalist.”

Far from it. 

At best, I am a dilettante editorialist – at worst, a blowhard with internet access and a jaded opinion on everything. 

Like you, I simply digest scraps of “news” and rumor regarding the myriad issues of the day, consider the possibilities through the prism of over three-decades in local government, hoping my off-base theories stimulate a larger discussion in our community.

Unfortunately, local journalism is quickly ebbing away, leaving an information vacuum that social media forums and blogs simply cannot fill, especially in a political environment where public policy is chillingly susceptible to insider persuasion. 

Last month, The Daytona Beach News-Journal took a disturbing step in the ongoing effort to pare down and regionalize our hometown newspaper when they consolidated the Holiday Week editions, combining the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday print issues into a single paper that was delivered on Thursday. 

Rightfully, many long-time subscribers felt shortchanged. 

Because they were.  

Recently, the News-Journal’s parent, Gannett, announced that beginning in March it will be eliminating the Saturday print edition altogether – making it solely an online offering. 

In exchange for forcing this “new Saturday experience” on its dwindling readership, Gannett is now marketing what it enthusiastically bills as “additional benefits” for perplexed subscribers, including online access to its daily newspapers across the nation, as well as its flagship, the horribly homogenized USA Today.

What?  You don’t want a new Saturday experience?  Tough shit.

That is what happens when your hometown newspaper is sold to a media “investment group” committed to “expanding and promoting digital offerings” and the concept of local focus and control is lost to a greed-crazed strategy of profit over quality. . .

For instance, on Monday, when I attempted to take advantage of my “additional benefits” by accessing an online story from a previous e-edition of The Daytona Beach News-Journal – the website directed me to last Sunday’s Mansfield, Ohio News-Journal.

Whatever. 

We’re not alone.

According to reports, Gannett – the nation’s largest newspaper network – is eliminating the Saturday print edition in half its markets, a cost-cutting move affecting some 136 daily newspapers across the United States.

I often say that The Daytona Beach News-Journal is the best written, worst edited, daily in the nation. 

Our hometown newspaper has some of the most talented journalists in the business – dedicated reporters who live here and care about the issues that affect our lives and livelihoods – the hard-working survivors of a once bustling newsroom that lost so many in recent years, victims of corporate ‘downsizing,’ and others who were simply run off by shortsighted management – corporate tools more fixated on fighting the inane culture wars than retaining talent and producing a marketable product. . . 

When Gannett acquired our local newspaper, we lost a big part of our civic identity – and a vital watchdog in a political environment dominated by a few extremely wealthy insiders with outsized influence.  

Unfortunately, that external oversight is not coming back – now replaced with a mishmash of pap and fluff derived from other Gannett properties in the region – the editorial page eviscerated, while the local stories get short shrift just when we need aggressive investigative journalism the most. 

A disturbing sign of the times.  

A November 2019 study by the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin entitled, “Newspaper Decline and the Effect on Local Government Coverage,” found:

“…staffing cuts and a shift to online publishing have dramatically changed the reporting model of local newspapers. These changes prompted a reduction in press attention to local government activities and led to a more reactive press that is less able to set the agenda in communities.  Journalists note that there are likely important political consequences to changes in coverage. Corruption, mismanagement, lower turnout, and incumbency advantages are all thought to possible outcomes from changes to local government coverage.”

A frightening take on the old “When the cats away, the mice will play” analogy, in a place where our local governments are not known for their transparency. . .    

In the past 15-years, more than a quarter of American newspapers have gone away – and those that remain have been traded like chattel – with more than half of all daily newspapers now controlled by hedge funds and financial firms. 

In an excellent October 2021 article by McKay Coppins writing in The Atlantic, “A Secretive Hedge Fund is Gutting Newsrooms – Inside Alden Global Capital,” we got a glimpse of the mercenary strategy that many believe is destroying local journalism:

“What threatens local newspapers now is not just digital disruption or abstract market forces. They’re being targeted by investors who have figured out how to get rich by strip-mining local-news outfits. The model is simple: Gut the staff, sell the real estate, jack up subscription prices, and wring as much cash as possible out of the enterprise until eventually enough readers cancel their subscriptions that the paper folds, or is reduced to a desiccated husk of its former self.”

Sound familiar?

At a time when We, The Little People are increasingly ignored by those we have elected and appointed to represent our interests – openly sold out to speculative developers and craven opportunists willing to slash-and-burn our natural places to make room for another zero-lot-line “theme” community, while our hard-earned tax dollars are willingly pissed away in dubious corporate welfare schemes that hide projects behind “confidentiality agreements,” a system that perpetuates the warehouse/logistics economy that is being foisted on our children and grandchildren – independent local journalism has been neutered by this weird profit strategy that substitutes recycled and regionalized horseshit for hard news. 

Angel              Daytona Beach Shores City Manager Michael Booker

“At the top of the mountain we are all snow leopards. Anybody who can do one thing better than anyone else in the world is a natural friend of mine.”

–Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

I have a natural affinity for anyone at the top of their game – and few have done it better in their difficult field of endeavor than Daytona Beach Shores City Manager Michael Booker. 

Earlier this month, Mr. Booker announced he would be retiring in July following 22-years of admirable service to this seaside community – a notable effort that has helped craft one of the most stable and respected municipal governments in Florida.

In my view, Mr. Booker has built an outstanding team of servant/leaders that includes standouts like Director of Public Safety Stephan Dembinsky and Finance Director Kurt Swartzlander, two of the absolute best in the business. 

Last week, Daytona Beach Shores City Clerk/Human Resources Director Cheri Schwab was honored by the Volusia County League of Cities as Administrative Employee of the Year while Mayor Nancy Miller received the prestigious Mayor Blaine O’Neal Award of Excellence.

During his impressive tenure, Mr. Booker has guided a period of incredible progress. 

Collaborating with elected officials and civically engaged residents who take immense pride in their unique coastal community, Mr. Booker successfully brought a new City Hall facility, a state-of-the-art Public Safety building, the Shores Community Center, beautiful parks and recreational opportunities, a Public Works headquarters and storage facility, and utilities infrastructure improvements.    

According to a release issued by Daytona Beach Shores:

“Safety, financial responsibility, and the appearance of the community are highly valued. Shores voters approved a major beautification project to move utilities underground and upgrade streetlights, sidewalks and water/sewer lines and, in 2021, the City paid off that debt early, along with other debt in the general fund. As the City prepares to welcome a new city manager, it is officially debt-free.”

Impressive.

“Booker said he’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife and family during retirement. He’s been in treatment for cancer since 2020. Booker plans to take up the drums again and is excited to have more time to read about history and to travel.”

Thank you, Mr. Booker.

Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement – enjoy it in good health and happiness!    

In my view, Michael Booker is a credit to his difficult profession, someone who has worked diligently to improve the quality of life for residents of Daytona Beach Shores.  In doing so, he has raised the bar for the entire Halifax area and set a shining example of what can be accomplished when government works cooperatively with those it serves.   

We’re glad he passed our way. 

Quote of the Week

“Brower said he thought the perception was that Holly Hill had been given special treatment.

“We need to talk about that,” Brower said before quizzing staff on a number of matters, including asking why Pictona was allowed to use other local property taxes to serve as their match when it had been prohibited for others in the past.”

–Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower, as quoted by reporter Mary Helen Moore writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Pictona scores $2.5M grant,” Wednesday, January 19, 2022

From personal experience, I can report that the City of Holly Hill has never received preferential treatment from Volusia County – or any other public or private entity – in its hardscrabble 121-year history.

While I normally agree with Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower – in this case, he got it wrong.   

On Tuesday, the Volusia County Council considered the recommendations of their ECHO Advisory Committee and approved some $3.8 million in grant funding – including an “exceptional grant” of $2.5 million for the expansion of the popular Pictona at Holly Hill pickleball facility – a public/private partnership of the City of Holly Hill and founders Rainer and Julie Martens. 

A worthwhile project that Chairman Brower voted against. . . 

Look, I understand not everyone agrees with the Volusia ECHO and Forever programs – publicly funded initiatives that use tax dollars to protect and enhance our environmental, cultural, historical, and outdoor amenities.

However, in 2020, some 70% of Volusia County voters supported renewing these important programs which makes this well-vetted allocation something Mr. Brower could have hung his hat on without any political liability.    

In my view, the Pictona expansion represents the very essence of a mutually beneficial public/private project, and its extraordinary success is self-evident. 

In fact, the incredibly popular pickleball facility is a proven regional asset, and the coming 1,200 seat multi-use championship stadium will also serve as a venue for concerts, art festivals, and community events. 

There is no denying that the sport has legions of devoted participants and represents a growing national draw – one that has, quite literally, put Holly Hill and Volusia County on the map – with fitness-related businesses, a proposed luxury recreational vehicle resort, and other enterprises seeking to take advantage of Pictona’s increasing popularity.   

In my view, Chairman Brower attempted to play the role – publicly questioning a proven project that had already been thoroughly scrutinized during a rigorous evaluation process – before casting the lone “No” vote, safe in the knowledge the grant request would pass with a majority vote. 

Rather than show unanimous support for the most promising new addition to Volusia County in decades – Mr. Brower chose to engage in the same ridiculous preening and posturing normally exhibited by his “colleagues” – a shallow, time-consuming exercise in political theater that is patently disingenuous and, in my view, corrosive to the public trust. 

Does Mr. Brower not realize that these carefully choreographed dramatics – questioning worthy projects, while issues of real concern, like corporate welfare giveaways and tax breaks are ramrodded at warp speed – represent everything his long-suffering constituents abhor?

For instance, where was the same level of concern in November when this council voted unanimously – without any substantive public discussion of the detrimental impacts – to accept a $2.7 million proportionate share agreement and extend Pelican Bay Drive, dumping traffic from what will be Amazon’s massive industrial warehouse onto the already congested Beville Road? 

I guess it all depends upon who’s asking, eh? 

Talk about special treatment. . . 

To their credit, Holly Hill Mayor Chris Via and City Manager Joe Forte stood firm, advocating for this valuable project, and the future of their community:

“It’s already shown to be a success,” Mayor Via explained. “Doubling this facility will only make it greater, into a world-class facility… This is an opportunity to put Volusia County on the map, Holly Hill on the map.”

Early in his presentation, Mayor Via made the cogent point that the City of Holly Hill does not ask for much – and Brower’s insinuation that this small community received an undue advantage in the open and extensive approval process is laughable.  And wrong.

To his credit, Councilman Danny Robins was the voice of reason reminding Chairman Brower that Volusia ECHO was overwhelmingly approved by voters during the 2020 election:

“We’re not talking about a 50-50 split in the community,” Robins said. “There is an extreme vetting process for this. It’s expensive, but the public voted for it.”

Nothing has ever been handed to Holly Hill – a community that has historically been treated like a red-headed stepchild by Volusia County government – and snidely maligned by some who have never lived or done business there.    

If it sounds like I take Mr. Brower’s pandering “No” vote on an issue of vital importance to the economic future of Holly Hill and beyond as an insult – that’s because I do. 

I can tell you from personal experience that Holly Hill City Manager Joe Forte, the elected officials, and staff get the most from every tax dollar they receive while providing a full range of responsive and efficient essential services to a grateful constituency. 

In fact, Volusia County government could learn a valuable lesson about fiscal stewardship, inclusivity, and the lasting benefits of working cooperatively to reach civic goals from The City with a Heart.

Congratulations to the City of Holly Hill and Pictona on this monumental award – one I am certain will pay dividends for all Volusia County residents for many years to come.

And Another Thing!

I am not an educated man. 

Perhaps best described as a hedonistic simpleton who squandered his early educational opportunities – the boy who couldn’t be told – a maladaptive daydreamer with a hyperactive imagination rivaling Thurber’s Walter Mitty. 

As a mimic of the admirable qualities found in others, I always felt Winston Churchill’s famous insight, “It’s a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations” was sound advice. 

In my experience, there is much to be learned from the musings of the great thinkers, and their anecdotes have helped shape my ability to think critically on the issues of the day.

For instance, I frequently use Einstein’s definition of insanity as a metaphor for Volusia County politics.

We do the same things – electing the same perennial politicians over and over again – each time expecting a better outcome than before.  

Fitting, don’t you think?

Because history always repeats for those who refuse to learn from it (George Santayana), this week we learned that the Volusia County Council’s own éminence grise – The Very Reverend “Dr.” Fred Lowry – will challenge incumbent Ruben Colón for the District 5 Volusia County School Board seat.

My God.  The more things change, the more they stay the same (Alphonse Karr). . . 

At present, “Dr.” Lowry has now been in elective office for the past 12-years – having been elected to the Deltona City Commission in 2010 – then elevated to the Volusia County Council in 2014 and again in 2018.

In my view, this important history lesson bears repeating.   

During his first term on the Volusia County Council, by any estimate, “Dr.” Lowry was an almost ethereal presence in the chamber – rarely heard from on the critical issues – voting as he was no doubt instructed by those who so deftly manipulate the rods and strings of their malleable politicians – always maintaining lockstep conformity with Volusia’s “Old Guard” – fiercely committed to maintaining the stagnant status quo.    

Then, in January 2021, following the election of Chairman Jeff Brower – an outsider who beat the ultimate insider with a voter mandate for change – Lowry seemed to emerge from a weird chrysalis, transforming before our eyes from an ineffectual lump – an inanimate houseplant perched on the dais of power who didn’t say two words during his first term – into a virtual parliamentary expert who relished publicly spanking the neophyte Brower for every procedural faux pas using arrogant histrionics, annoying “Hear!, Hears!,” and toad-like puffery to get his point across.

Don’t take my word for it.  Steel yourself with an antiemetic suppository and watch a Volusia County Council meeting. 

Trust me.  It will be 8 or 9 interminable hours of your life you will never get back – and you will somehow be dumber for the effort – but you will come away with a better understanding of how things work around here. . . 

As 2021 wore on, it became obvious to even a casual observer of that bimonthly théâtre de l’absurde that His Eminence was leading a blatant effort by those stalwarts of the status quo (inside government and out) to marginalize Chairman Brower and diminish any political momentum he may have enjoyed after decisively defeating the preferred puppet of Volusia’s well-heeled insiders.  

After four-years of virtual silence, Rev. Lowry had come into his own – and he aggressively fulfilled his marching orders to wrest power from Chairman Brower and return it to those elite political insiders who believe they have rightfully purchased it with massive campaign contributions to their political handmaidens. 

The Right Reverend repeatedly put the boots to the often-clumsy Chairman Brower, then sat back, arms folded with an overconfident hubris, as his “colleagues” on the political tag-team joined in the near non-stop beatdown of Brower, Councilwoman Heather Post, and everything they stand for.  

In turn, it looked certain to many observers that Rev. Lowry was on his way to the at-large seat in 2022.

Then, the hopes and dreams of Rev. Lowry’s uber-wealthy handlers went off the rails. . .

As often happens at the nexus of politics and religion, His Eminence virtually imploded in the pulpit of the Deltona Lakes Baptist Church during a May 30, 2021 sermon to the faithful – a weird allocution that ran the gamut of half-baked political nuttery – from wild conspiracy theories to descriptions of macabre Satanic rituals involving child sacrifice, even a puzzling denial of the Coronavirus pandemic – bizarre pontifications, literally from the lunatic fringe, that left many of his constituents horrified.

Some openly questioned Lowry’s clearly tenuous grip on reality. . .   

In a subsequent blockbuster op/ed by the Orlando Sentinel’s Editorial Board we learned:

“…a Facebook Live video shows one of Volusia County’s top elected officials preaching to the congregation about satanic rituals and torturing children and using their blood to extract a compound called adrenochrome, which is then used in the belief it brings on hallucinations, intensifies personalities and slows the aging process.

“This issue is supposed to be rampant I hear in Hollywood and among the elite,” Lowry told his flock. “I don’t know if it’s true, but where there’s smoke …” Lowry then held his hand behind his ear and awaited the answer he was looking for: “Fire.”

You read that right.

I am certainly not going to pick Rev. Lowry’s weird thoughts apart – because I don’t want to understand that level of batshit craziness – but, needless to say, the fallout was immediate and included calls for his resignation by the Volusia County Democratic Black Caucus and others who rightfully felt “Dr.” Lowry’s outrageous beliefs had no place in the policy-making chain.

Now, in a scenario that could only happen on Florida’s fabled Fun Coast – “Dr.” Lowry announced this week that he will seek a voice on the Volusia County School Board – no doubt to provide a better vantage point from which to protect our youth from the rampant scourge of “left coast” Adrenochrome fiends. . . 

Look, The Right Reverend is free to spew any bilgewater he wants from the comfort and protection of his haughty pulpit in Deltona, and no one, other than those unfortunate souls who choose to listen to his tripe, will be the worse for it.

In my view, regardless of your thoughts on Ruben Colón’s service, to elevate Lowry’s abject lunacy to a policymaking role on the Volusia County School Board – one that will have a direct and lasting impact on the formative education of our children and grandchildren – boggles the mind and proves that this shameless shill knows no boundaries in his perennial quest for power and prestige.      

I know it is hard to believe – but we deserve better than this.      

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

________________________________

On Monday, January 24, Barker’s View will join GovStuff Live! with Big John on the fastest two-hours in radio! 

We will take an in-depth look at the local issues and take your calls at 386-523-1380 beginning at 4:00pm. 

Please join us locally on WELE 1380am The CAT – or online at www.govstuff.org (Listen Live button). 

Thanks! 

Damn.  It’s our fault. 

Again. 

I realize these screeds can sound like a broken record, but nothing angers me more than when those who have made such a mess of things project blame on, We, The Little People – those of us who struggle mightily in an artificial economy, pay exorbitant taxes, and are expected to suffer in silence. 

They claim we are ill-informed, disinterested, and unwilling to get involved, and that may be true. 

But in my view, this civic and political malaise is the natural result of elected and appointed officials doing everything in their power to shut us out of the process, dismiss our concerns, and limit our input to three short minutes of their valuable time at choreographed public meetings.

This isn’t a recent phenomenon. 

The marginalization and exclusion of the governed has been years in the making – and many have learned that in an economic environment ruled by the same five people passing the same nickel around – it is not in their best interest to call foul, speak out, or provide input on the issues that touch our lives and livelihoods here on Florida’s Fun Coast.   

Now the only voices that matter belong to our ‘Rich & Powerful’ – the uber-wealthy donor class who have taken a profit out of the Halifax area for years, permitted strategic blight to drive property values into the toilet allowing all the right last names to acquire entire city blocks for pennies on the dollar, and destroyed the allure of our greatest natural asset, a beautiful beach, turned into a forest of ugly poles and confusing signage with our unique heritage given away to developers as a cheap spiff – all punctuated by an omnipresent homeless population whose necessities of life on the street adds to the overall down-at-the-heels feel. 

But somehow, it’s our fault? 

In a recent article by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “No walk-ins at the First Step Shelter,” we learned that our tax supported homeless shelter in name only will continue to limit admittance to “clients” referred by law enforcement, social service agencies, hospitals, and churches – while slamming the portcullis and turning away any poor soul who makes the arduous trip to that expensive Taj Mahal in the hinterlands off US-92 seeking shelter from the mean streets. 

Two-years on, we are told the First Step “programming” (whatever that may be) provides services for 40-50 residents at any given time (served, according to my count, by fourteen staff members). 

According to the News-Journal, board member Joan Campanaro – who was once an advocate for the 24/7 come as you are shelter we were promised – now reports:

“Until the shelter raises more money and can hire more caseworkers, Campanaro said she doesn’t see how the facility could increase the number of clients it helps every day. . .”

Ah, there it is – the First Step “Shelter’s” own broken LP: More money (skip), More money (skip), More money (skip). . .

Then came what we were all waiting for, “Mad Mike” Panaggio’s deflection of blame for what everyone knew was a financially unsustainable model going in – an ungrateful community who never gave the less-than-transparent boondoggle a “fair shake”: 

“Shelter board member Mike Panaggio said he doesn’t think local residents realize what First Step Shelter accomplishes every week.

“We don’t get a fair shake in the community,” said Panaggio, the founder and CEO of direct marketing company DME Holdings.”

Really?

So, once again, it is our fault. . . 

In our collective defense, from the outset, I’m not sure anyone connected with the First Step “Shelter” ever took the time to fully explain the mechanics of how a referred, vetted, and vaccinated client is taken into the enigmatic “program” – has their life transformed in “X” number of days/weeks/months/years – and ends up a functioning, self-sustaining adult with the employable skills necessary to live independently in an environment where the median gross monthly rent is now north of $1,075?   

And, to my knowledge, fundraising efforts apparently remain limited to Mr. Panaggio baiting and insulting potential donors in weird midnight rants on Facebook. . .

It might also help to remember that in addition to First Step’s $113,000 monthly nut (2020 estimates) which relies on private donations and public infusions, in September 2020, the Volusia County Council directed some $1.09 million in federal CARES Act funding to the needy “shelter” – a cash windfall we were told would be used to hire even more staff, build a 1,000 square foot addition, dedicated computer room, a floor-to-ceiling partition for the multipurpose room, with the remainder of the federal manna being used to:

“…hang microfiber curtains around bunk beds to prevent germ transmission; install motion-activated faucets, urinals and toilets; add UV air disinfection units; build outdoor patio roofs; buy patio furniture; purchase high-grade washers and dryers; hire a housing coordinator who would help find residents places to live; and add another new full-time employee who would monitor residents for up to 12 months after they moved into permanent housing.”

Remember?

I do.

But I’m a naysayer.  The Volusia County Curmudgeon. 

“Barker the Bitcher.”  

A disgruntled asshole always pointing out the dark side – marginalized by sitting elected officials and those who own the paper on their political souls – as they desperately seek to deflect their own gross ineptitude onto anyone who dares challenge the status quo. 

And everyone who is anyone in the Halifax area power structure would prefer you ignore my ravings and focus on their message exclusively. 

The illusory truth effect tells us if a person – or populous – is berated long enough, made to feel lesser than those who rule over them, eventually they will begin to believe it. 

If a citizenry is forced to pass the same blight and omnipresent homeless population – decade after decade – they will eventually become desensitized and begin to accept it – and even those ‘movers & shakers’ with the power to do something about it seem oblivious as they drive through the squalor on their way to another gilded soiree to accept a civic award or accolade for perpetuating it. 

The message our ‘powers that be’ don’t want you to hear is that We, The Little People have the ultimate ability to fundamentally change things through the power of the ballot box – to free ourselves from the stagnant status quo and return our local governments to a form that works for all of us – not just the entrenched insiders, self-serving manipulators, and the malleable politicians they control.      

It only becomes ‘our fault’ when we fail to wield the power of the vote effectively. 

I hope you will consider that this election season. 

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           Daytona Beach City Commission & Volusia County Council

It’s one thing when politicians have the wool pulled over their eyes. 

It is quite another when they willingly put their head in a bag and allow themselves to be led around like a poleaxed ungulate with a ring in its nose.  But in either eventuality – it is you and I who pay the price for their strategic lack of due diligence and situational awareness.    

That is just one of the problems inherent to an “economic development” sham that permits massive corporations to ramrod projects that will have long-term detrimental impacts on the community to remain hidden under the cloak of a mysterious cryptogram until it’s too late. 

In this case, the super-secret: Project Tarpon.

Regardless of how many times our ‘Rich & Powerful’ tell their bought-and-paid-for elected chattel how smart, witty, intelligent, and popular they are – it is times like this when politicians must wake up in a cold sweat – shocked by the realization they are little more than dull tools of a pernicious system, fueled by big money and influence, that they have no control over. 

A convenient arrangement that relies on the political insulation of plausible deniability – a tactical ignorance that allows embarrassed elected officials to mewl and grovel to their royally pissed off constituents, “Had I known what I was voting for, this never would have happened. . .”

Otherwise, how could any responsible decisionmaker live with themselves after voting on something in the blind without a clue as to the who, what, when, where, why, and how of a project’s multilayered impacts on their community? 

Sound familiar?

It should.  

Last November, the Volusia County Council voted unanimously to approve a $2.7 million proportionate share agreement between the City of Daytona Beach, Daytona 634 Development, LLC, and the County of Volusia – along with an extension of Pelican Bay Drive that will connect the Amazon fulfillment center’s driveway to busy Beville Road – and dump traffic from the 2.8 million-square-foot warehouse facility at the east entrance to the tony Pelican Bay golf community. . . 

According to a short report prepared by County Engineer Tadd Kasbeer, which, I am told, was a last-minute addition to the council’s November 2, 2021 agenda (?), said, in part, “In order to mitigate the traffic impacts to County thoroughfare roads in the vicinity of the proposed residences, the parties have agreed that Daytona 634 Development shall make a proportionate fair share payment to the County.”

(Proposed residences?  Sounds like Tadd forgot to change his boilerplate, eh?  Whatever.  “Close enough for government work,” as they say. . .)

Both measures passed with no discussion from the normally chatty councilmembers – beyond Chairman Jeff Brower yammering, “For the purpose of the public…I will let you know there has been a lot of discussion with councilmembers with staff, and apparently this seems to everybody, including me, that this will be a benefit for future economic development opening up this area. . .”

Guess they got it all out discussing our fate with “staff” in some backroom at the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Center – because our elected representatives were mysteriously quiet as church mice when it came time to vote. . .    

Then, just one month later, obviously aware of Volusia County’s approval of the proportionate share agreement and Pelican Bay Drive extension, the majority of the Daytona Beach City Commission enthusiastically approved a development agreement – including some $4 million in corporate welfare incentives to the wealthiest online retailer in the universe – allowing construction of the Amazon Fulfillment Center on a promise of $15 an hour warehouse jobs.

To his credit, Commissioner Ken Strickland cast the lone dissenting vote on the corporate welfare scheme.    

At the time, Daytona Beach City Commissioner Stacy Cantu – whose district (and neighborhood) is directly impacted by the project said, “We need the economic growth. We need more jobs. I think bringing this project in will help bring more industry to our community.”

“I love this project,” Cantu swooned when voting to approve the warehouse, “I think it will put us on the map.”

Oh, it put us on the map all right. . .

Even if she wasn’t aware of the Pelican Bay Drive extension, is it possible the majority of the Daytona Beach City Commission did not realize that, by its very nature, a colossal industrial warehouse comes with 24/7 heavy cargo and employee traffic?

They do now. 

According to reports, Commissioner Cantu recently described the situation as a “nightmare.”

Why the about face? 

Apparently, Commissioner Cantu has come to the stark realization that she and her fellow elected officials were kept in the dark.  Now the good citizens of Pelican Bay and interests along Beville Road (read: voters) have boiled into an angry hornet’s nest – rightfully concerned that the coming congestion, truck traffic, and gridlock will tank property values and sound the death knell for their gated community.   

Because it will. 

Ask yourself what your elected officials failed to consider when they were helping their friends at NASCAR land the biggest fish in the pond:  Do you want to live at the business end of an industrial warehouse’ alimentary canal?    

On Monday, Commissioner Cantu – a resident of Pelican Bay – hosted a public information forum to educate her neighbors and discuss growing citizen concerns, something many residents across the Halifax area feel should have come well before these elected dullards blindly approved the behemoth without a clue what they were voting for. 

According to a report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, several other now-concerned city and county officials also attended the meeting – including Amazon’s biggest cheerleader, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry – who reassured his distraught constituents that he and his fellow caught-by-surprise policymakers will “…be supportive to make the best of the situation.”

Whatever that means. . .

Look, I am having a tough time believing that those astute members of the Volusia County Council and Daytona Beach City Commission – who every election year flood our homes with glossy mailers billing themselves as our best and brightest – could be that gullible or ill-informed.

Is it possible that those we have elected to represent our interests were treated like mushrooms – kept in the dark and fed bullshit – by their own less-than-transparent bureaucracies until the Big Money players got what they needed from them?

I’m asking.  Because none of this makes sense – or instills confidence.    

Now those same well-connected elected officials who sit high atop the dais of power – our political elite who rub all the right elbows at invitation-only soirees, accept massive campaign contributions from the same ‘movers & shakers,’ and blithely make decisions that impact our lives and livelihoods – would have us believe they have been duped like the rest of us? 

Bullshit.  Not possible. 

Or is it?

And, if so, who in the gilded Tower of Power will be held accountable? 

Trust me.  Our elected elite either knew or should have known – and no one is fooled by the faux-indignation, political posturing, and handwringing these elected chameleons hope will assuage the very real fears of their constituents – homeowners and area businesses that are justifiably worried about their future.

And it is time we place blame where it belongs. 

In my view, those who permit these enigmatic ‘pig in a poke’ economic development shim-shams, then paint themselves as misinformed rubes, should be held accountable.

If senior staff intentionally misinformed the elected officials, they have an obligation to get to the bottom of it – and take definitive action to stop the backroom chicanery and gross lack of transparency that has destroyed We, The Little People’s trust in our local governments.  

In my view, if our elected officials are sincere, they will start by disbanding the facilitators at Team Volusia – those high-flying opportunists who perpetuate this warehouse/logistics economy that will have our children’s children moving boxes from point A to B to survive (until their job is automated, anyway) – throw them out of their comfortably appointed and publicly funded offices – and return the economic development function to local practitioners at the municipal level who have a personal stake in protecting the character of their communities.

Then, cut off the firehose of public funds and expensive spiffs that underwrite the for-profit projects of speculative developers, billionaires, and wealthy corporations who hide behind confidentiality agreements while gorging greedily on our hard-earned tax dollars, skewing the playing field, as government continues to pick winners and losers in the marketplace.  

Elections have consequences.  So does stupidity.     

And now you know. . .

Quote of the Week

“Watts also shared some facts and figures from traffic studies done to determine the impact of the Amazon facility that will be located between Bellevue Avenue and Beville Road just east of Williamson Boulevard.

 He said there would be about 630 truck trips to and from the distribution center every day, and about 3,000 employee vehicle trips every 24 hours as the workers come and go from the 100-acre site in their personal cars and trucks.”   

–Cobb Cole Attorney Mark Watts, who represents the new Amazon Fulfillment Center’s landlord, NASCAR, as quoted by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “New Amazon warehouse truck traffic worries Daytona residents south of Beville Road,” Tuesday, January 11, 2022

And Another Thing!

This one’s important. 

I hope you will indulge me for devoting this entire Angels & Assholes column to the widening mystery surrounding the Amazon Fulfillment Center, and, more importantly, the astonishing lack of transparency and foresight of our pompous elected and appointed officials who take such perverse pleasure in belittling our concerns and input.   

If there is one thing my massive ego enjoys it is being proven right – and this steaming pile of horseshit is dripping with “I told you so” irony. . . 

But the behind-the-scenes machinations that brought us here are far more important than that. 

How is it possible that no one in a position of power in Daytona Beach had any inkling that a 2.8 million-square-foot warehouse would have concentric and radiating impacts throughout east Volusia County? 

If Daytona Beach City Attorney Robert Jagger signed the proportionate share agreement with Daytona 634 Development, LLC, and the County of Volusia, how is it possible City Manager Deric Feacher and his bosses who make the decisions were not aware?

Do those on the dais of power really expect us to accept that senior staff members kept them in the dark – intentionally withholding key information regarding the extension of Pelican Bay Drive to service Amazon and other planned industrial/commercial development in the area – a road that will connect the 100+-acre Amazon campus (and whatever is secretly planned for nearby acreage also owned by NASCAR and Volusia County) with the already congested Beville Road?   

According to an excellent report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week:

“The racing giant will be pursuing a rezoning for the property next to the Amazon first-mile distribution center, but Watts said he’s not authorized to discuss what NASCAR is considering for the adjoining land.

NASCAR also kept its plans for the new Amazon warehouse quiet until the name had to be revealed publicly to ask Daytona Beach city commissioners for a property tax break. That happened at commissioners’ Dec. 1 meeting.”

My God. 

This corporate intrigue and secret compartmentalized information strategy reads like a John le Carré novel.

Thanks for the heads-up, NASCAR.  So much for being good neighbors and civic partners, eh?

In my view, the myriad issues surrounding this unfolding debacle speak volumes about the “trust issue” that permeates local governments – an ugly glimpse at how an institutionalized lack of transparency in the hallowed Halls of Power can cut both ways – leaving those with political accountability vulnerable to criticism and taxpayers holding the bag. 

With some of the biggest names in local business and government playing things close to the vest – many are rightfully concerned about ‘what comes next’ – while those we have elected to represent our interests play the role of Sergeant Shultz, “I know nothing!  Nothing!”    

Call me paranoid, but this one bears watching.   

You may remember that last summer I cautioned Daytona Beach City Commissioner Stacy Cantu for her attendance at an exclusive cocktail party held at the publicly funded One Daytona shopping and entertainment complex, which is wholly owned by Daytona International Speedway, where “50 of Daytona Beach’s most influential leaders” attempted to carve out some private time with new Daytona Beach City Manager Deric Feacher.

At the time, I took a lot of flak for suggesting the gathering was, at the very least, ‘poor optics’ – having the look and feel of an exclusive club – one that barred us rabble who pay the bills – in my view, a function intended to cozily pair politicians with those who donate to their campaigns, some of whom have received millions in public tax breaks, infrastructure, and incentives. 

Although other area elected officials were invited, for good or for ill, only Commissioner Cantu accepted.  I think she felt I made more out of it that it was – and maybe so.   

But now, an assurance Mr. Feacher made following the party is raising eyebrows.    

During this swellegant soiree, the crème de la crème of the Halifax areas civic, social, and business upper crust noshed on hors d’oeuvres while subliminally explaining to Mr. Feacher which side his bread is buttered on. . .

The exclusive guest list was laden with heavy hitters, to include NASCAR Executive Vice Chair Lesa France Kennedy – and His Royal Highness King J. Hyatt Brown – along with a coterie of lesser ‘movers & shakers’ all seeking to set the tone for Mr. Feacher’s tenure.

At the time, Mr. Feacher was quoted in The Daytona Beach News-Journal promising that he would never do anything “illegal, immoral or unethical,” and “…vowed to steer clear of any “under-the-table deals” and clandestine conversations.”

“It’s not going to happen,” he said.

Remember?

I guess Mr. Feacher knew why our civic elite had assembled that evening, even if Ms. Cantu did not. . . 

Admittedly, I was critical of Ms. Cantu’s appearance at the private party, which included many of the same names associated with this latest “nightmare” – especially one that physically excluded the media (until someone inside made the wise, if begrudging, decision to let a News-Journal reporter into the gilded space) – a situation of concern in an environment where one needs a program to figure out all the players and connections.    

When murky issues like this latest intrigue become known (and they always do) it makes We, The Little People rightfully suspicious of who knew what and when. 

That is why perceptions matter.

This one is about to get interesting – and you can bet in coming days there will be some powerful players around town trying to convince Ms. Cantu and her colleagues why granting a change in zoning designation for property surrounding the Amazon warehouse is so important to their political future. . .   

This latest debacle proves that – like the out-of-control development on-going west of I-95 – what happens in Daytona Beach affects the entire Halifax Area, and it is time those we elect to represent our interests understand that we will no longer sit quietly while the ‘Rich & Powerful’ shape what remains of our community while destroying our quality of life to quench their insatiable greed. 

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

I don’t go to the beach anymore. 

That beautiful place that was a constant in my life has lost its allure.   

I grew up ‘beachside’ – the sand and waves just a block away from my parents’ front door in Ormond Beach – the soothing background music I could hear and smell as I went to sleep on cool evenings with the jalousie windows open. 

In my younger years, it became an almost daily escape – with no tolls, signage, or physical barriers – a time when one could drive from Flagler County to Ponce Inlet anytime of the day or night and everyone knew the rules because there were so few of them to remember. 

The unique beauty of the barren windswept strand in winter, standing on an approach to marvel in the froth and churn of a wild ‘Nor’easter,’ taking in the silent beauty of an Atlantic sunrise. 

Vivid memories etched in my mind’s eye.

Childhood walks with my dad and our dog, surf fishing with friends, dragging a blue canvas raft to the water’s edge, the scream of seagulls and sandpipers scurrying from an incoming tide, the healing qualities of clean saltwater, the satisfying warmth of hot sun on tan shoulders, watching the ‘submarine races’ with negative ions creating an energy at the water’s edge. 

The fun, crowds, and music of spring break – the sights, sounds, and mix of aromas on the breeze – salt air mixed with the scent of tanning lotion, taffy, and footlong corndogs at the Boardwalk. 

If you know, you know. 

Going to ‘The Beach’ was an experience we shared – one that brought millions of visitors to our area when The World’s Most Famous Beach was recognized everywhere in the known universe.

But they went home, back to work and school somewhere “up north,” and we lucky few stayed.

We made our homes, families, and lives here on this salty piece of land – blissfully complacent in the knowledge our beach would always be there for ‘Us.’

Regrettably, I no longer feel welcome there. 

No longer at home.

On Sunday, The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s outstanding columnist Mark Lane wrote an informative piece advocating for a recent state legislative push to ban cigarette smoking from Florida beaches – and while my contrarian instinct was to write a barnburner opposing further regulations which limit otherwise lawful activity in an outdoor public space – especially one that smokers and non-smokers alike pay for – I realized, what happens on the beach is no longer a concern of mine. 

Screw it.  Smoke ‘em if you’ve got ‘em – or don’t – I just don’t care anymore. 

I’m a hardhead – a ‘one and done’ kind of guy.  You don’t get two bites at the same apple with me – and I’m perceptive enough to know when and where I am not wanted. 

Several years ago, just after I retired, a friend and I took a drive on the beach on a glorious summer day.  It was the first time in a long time, but that wonderful smell and the sun shimmering on the waves and ripples like a million mirrors brought so many good memories flooding back.   

I purchased an annual resident pass from a toll taker (my first), listened politely to the rules and regulations, rolled the windows down as instructed, turned on my lights, stayed in the traffic lane, no more than 10mph (“strictly enforced”), radio down, didn’t even think about texting, etc., etc.

Safe in the knowledge that after a lifetime of driving the beach I knew what I was doing. 

As we cruised north, two beach safety officers were stopped in the traffic lane in front of me – conferring door-to-door just like I have done thousands of times as a law enforcement officer – and rather than leave the marked traffic lane to guide around them, I stopped several car lengths behind and waited patiently.   

No big deal.  No rush.  Just enjoying the day.   

When the meeting ended, one of the officers pulled forward, stopping at my open driver’s window. 

At first, I thought he may have been someone I knew professionally, maybe worked or trained with in the past, but before I could exchange pleasantries, the uniformed officer angrily asked me what I was doing driving in an area marked for four-wheel-drive vehicles only?

Damn. 

It was the one directive in a forest of ‘do this/don’t do that’ signs, ugly wooden poles, and ubiquitous traffic cones that I missed – and my mistake infuriated this young law enforcement officer – who proceeded to put me on notice that if I became stuck in the soft sand, he “…will not help me.” 

Verbatim.  “I will not help you.” 

I never forgot that. . .

Having recently retired from over three-decades in the police service – I was privately bemused at how something this insignificant could trigger such a furious response – especially from an officer whose very job description includes being a good ambassador for Volusia County beaches.

I remained silent and attentive. 

Trust me.  I have lost my composure in uniform and acted less than professionally more than once.  As a young, inexperienced officer I could be “badge heavy” and cringeworthily officious. 

Given my time in service I understand better than most that everyone has the occasional difficult day when emotions are raw. 

But this officer seemed intent on punishing me for having violated a rule that, save for a temporary sign on the sand, I didn’t even know existed.  

And he succeeded.

Admittedly, I was embarrassed in front of my friend – and my feelings were hurt. 

Although he had no way of knowing, in my mind, a former “colleague” had treated me harshly for an infraction that could have been managed with an instructive, “The sand is getting soft ahead.  Follow me back the way you came so your vehicle won’t get stuck.” 

The ass chewing went on several minutes too long, and it became increasingly uncomfortable as my friend looked at me with a nervous “Is this really happening?” expression.   

In my mind, the interaction spoke to a culture within the various divisions charged with managing our beach – and, while I have no evidence of it, for some reason I came to the immediate conclusion that my experience wasn’t unique – an environment marked by harsh enforcement of petty rules that created an unpleasant and uninviting atmosphere. 

For me, anyway.  

When my tongue-lashing was complete – I responded with a contrite, “Yes, sir,” and apologized to the officer for my transgression – then asked him for the quickest way off the strand. 

I have never been back.  And I never will. 

I don’t belong there anymore.   

Sounds strange as I write about it – how something so insignificant could have such a lasting impact.

But it did.

In my mind, the beach I grew up on, that place I longed to get back to whenever I was away, is now the domain of a nameless bearded bully with a badge – and there is nothing the administration of the Volusia County Coastal Division, Beach Safety Department, or my strategically clueless elected representatives can do about it – even if they wanted to. 

Look, I know some outstanding current and former law enforcement officers who serve and protect with Volusia County Beach Safety, good cops and true professionals, who make a positive difference in the life of our community everyday – and things may have changed since the impressive Andrew Etheridge assumed command as our new Beach Safety Director – I don’t know.

And I don’t care. 

I was reminded of this experience last week as the Volusia County Council smartly voted to grant a ten-year contract to Beach Rentals & Refreshments of Volusia County, a local company who employs some sixty area families providing quality food, refreshments, and amenities to beachgoers from around the world. 

During the company’s presentation before the council, I learned that later this year, visitors will have the opportunity to rent cool beach teepees and fire pits, complete with a catered upscale dining experience, electric jetboards, ebikes, golf carts, and shop tony mobile boutiques, while enjoying exciting new food and beverage options without ever leaving their beach chair or pool deck.    

Why hadn’t I heard any of this before?

With so many wonderful new amenities and entertainment options coming to Volusia County beaches, many are asking how many more overpriced out-of-town “branding” consultants do we need? 

Maybe all the pieces and parts are already in the box if we just look close enough?

In my cynical view, it evokes the old idiom, “Can’t see the forest for the trees.”

Perhaps the Halifax Area Advertising Authority is so preoccupied with those things of singular importance to hoteliers in this multifaceted “hospitality market” that they cannot see the opportunities sprouting up right before their eyes.

My hope is that the HAAA Board of Directors, elected officials, and others in the industry will ensure that, as our beach management gurus negotiate the new contract, they establish a mutually beneficial working relationship with those concessionaires and entrepreneurs who are developing a fun and engaging experience for our diverse draw – vacationers, locals, and day-trippers alike – and work cooperatively to bring new and innovative recreation opportunities to the strand.  

__________________________________

My standing second Monday of the month visit to the local public affairs forum GovStuff Live! with Big John – the ‘fastest two-hours in radio’ – has been postponed until Monday, January 24, 2022, due my on-going bout with COVID-19.

I hope you’ll tune-in.    

Stay safe out there, y’all!

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           COVID-19 Omicron Edition

The bastard finally caught me.

After being “vaxxed,” boosted, masked, washing my hands to the point of distraction, etc., etc., on Monday, I tested positive for the dreaded ‘Rona, so if this edition of Angels & Assholes seems more jumbled and disjointed than normal (is that possible?) please give a sick man a break. 

Now I can speak from achy first-hand experience and provide you with my own victim impact statement from down here in the Kleenex-strewn trenches:

In short – COVID-19 Omicron Edition sucks. 

Going in, it is important to remember – I am a blowhard with a goofy opinion on everything – not an epidemiologist, which means I don’t have a flippin’ clue what variant du jour I am temporarily hosting in what remains of my upper respiratory tract.     

But it is definitely the one that moves in unannounced and unpacks a low-grade fever, chills, dry cough, fatigue, muscle aches, congestion, an all-encompassing “brain fog,” and a general “I feel like shit” malaise – one that transcends the normal aches, pains, and confusion of a 61-year-old inveterate drinker who has, for years, ignored the general care and maintenance of his now leaky vessel.

An accurate descriptor is the “flu-like symptoms” we have all been told to expect. 

As word gets around town, I have been humbled by the gracious outpouring of good wishes, advice, and moral support from friends and foes alike. 

A special thanks to everyone who took the time to drop a note on social media or send an offer of help – truly heartening and very much appreciated.  That includes the well-intentioned person who began a conversation about pharmaceutical treatment options by asking, “Do you live near a Petsmart?”     

Thank you all.  What would I do without you?

Last Sunday, a friend that I had contact with called to say he tested positive for COVID-19 – which would make my third known “exposure” in the two years since this damnable pandemic started.  Fortunately, the other two brushes resulted in little more than the recommended quarantine, no symptoms, negative testing, and a clean bill of health – so I wasn’t worried about it. 

In March, I received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, the much maligned “one and done” jab, because that was what they offered at the vaccination site, and I was not particularly fussy about which flavor I got.     

I experienced little more than mild soreness at the injection site – and, for good-or-ill, those little antibodies served me well, guarding against the virus and its various iterations for damn near nine months. 

From the outset, I understood that the vaccine is not a guaranteed grant of immunity – and “breakthrough” infections are increasingly common – but people I trust explained that like the annual flu shot, a vaccination can provide a better chance of avoiding hospitalization (or worse) if/when COVID came to call. 

Look, I am not some radical “vaxxer” – in fact, I could give two-shits if you get the vaccine or not.

Sorry, that may sound harsh, but in my view, immunizations are a personal healthcare decision, certainly none of my business, an individual choice made after weighing the benefits and consequences during a pandemic, something that transcends posturing and politics. 

Given the number of poor personal decisions in my own life.  I don’t judge others.    

So please do not feel the need to respond with reams of pro/anti-vaccination videos, articles, scary stories, rumors, and crude name-calling.  I get it. 

Rest comfortable in the knowledge that I already know I’m an asshole.  I hate me, too.

Thanks.    

The fact is, I was a hypochondriacal ‘germaphobe’ long before COVID-19 hatched – a compulsive handwasher who eschews ‘hugs,’ abhors close physical contact, bolts like a scalded dog at the sound of a sneeze, would rather starve to death than eat from a buffet – a pathological ochlophobe who avoids crowds and confined spaces with a zealousness that borders on fanaticism.

In short – I hate being sick – and if there is an overhyped vaccine, curative serum, Hungarian garlic ritual, obscure voodoo healing incantation, greasy unguent, or smelly ointment available – I’m all in – even if it kills me.

Call me a fool, but my one bugaboo is I stop short of any “remedy” that can be purchased at Tractor Supply. . .

Out of an abundance of caution, last Wednesday, I went online and made an appointment at my local Walgreens where a very friendly pharmacist tech administered both the Pfizer COVID-19 booster and this season’s flu shot at the same time.

By Sunday afternoon, I was feeling a little under the weather, not sick, just “off,” and I thought it might be a normal reaction to the booster.

To be on the safe side, I took a rapid test from a stock that Patti and I laid in a few weeks ago when they were still available on the shelves – back before petty politics required we all line up like cattle at government “testing sites” – hoping against hope we make it to the front of the grim queue of walking wounded while supplies last (trust me, by any metric, this is no way to manage a pandemic at any level of government – especially in the greatest nation on earth – and history will not be kind to our “leaders.”  All of them.)

After swirling and swabbing, then impatiently waiting the required 15-minutes, the home test proved negative.  Whew.   

So, I washed down two Advil with a shot of Woodford Reserve and went to bed.     

A few hours later, a dear friend who I spent considerable time with over the holidays called to say they were also positive for COVID-19.  The noose was tightening. 

My phobias and worry quickly gave way to a real fever and chills – accompanied by a persistent scratchy throat and that weird feeling one gets right before a chest cold settles in – punctuated with fatigue and a tell-tale headache that my daily two-hour “retirement nap” didn’t cure. 

Damn. 

On Monday, with the chills and body aches now undeniable, I took another test and this time the results were immediate – the dreaded pink parallel lines that confirmed the virus had finally stalked its circuitous way from some diseased bat in an obscure Asian wet market, crawled from a broken Petri dish in some back-alley in Botswana, escaped a mad scientist’s beaker in the bowels of Dr. Evil’s bioweapons laboratory, or (insert the latest wild-ass conspiratorial guess on where the damn thing originated) – before invading Barker’s View HQ, crawling up my nose, and making itself at home.      

Look, I don’t want to make light of a virus that has claimed far too many – some of whom were longtime friends, lives of significant contribution to our community, now forever lost – but it is important to look beyond the hype and horseshit, the partisan propaganda and organized campaigns that weaponize information, stir suspicion, and stoke the fearmongering that sells newspapers but confuses constructive discourse on a public health crisis by attaching nefarious motives to both camps – a shitstorm of epic proportions, horribly illustrating that political one-upmanship has become more important that saving lives.   

The facts as I know them are this:  My bout with COVID-19, though uncomfortable and inconvenient, has fluctuated between mild and moderate in severity – all symptoms well-managed at home with ample application of purely medicinal Hot Toddies.

Your experience may well be different than mine – and I urge everyone to contact your doctor for sound medical advice should you experience symptoms.     

Once this dreaded virus has run its course and left my body for other targets of opportunity, I will continue to take all reasonable precautions to protect my community and those dear to me from a similar (or worse) experience, because doing one’s part to limit the spread is the right thing to do. 

I hope you will, too. 

Angel               Holly Hill Police Chief Jeff Miller & Bunnell Police Chief Mike Walker

Wow.  News travels slow here in the hinterlands, eh? 

It is like we are living on the dark side of some barren information wasteland where, if it doesn’t catch the somnolent notice of the Palm Beach Post, Florida Times-Union, Lakeland Ledger, or some other regional newspaper laboring under the yoke of the ‘USA Today Network,’ it didn’t happen. . . 

Recently, two long serving and most deserving local law enforcement professionals were elevated to the rank of Chief of Police – both fine additions to their respective communities – and true gentlemen that I am proud to call friends. 

Last June, Jeff Miller was appointed Interim Chief of Police of the Holly Hill Police Department by City Manager Joe Forte following the retirement of Chief Stephen Aldrich who completed a stellar 29-year career with the agency.

Chief Miller is a product of “The City with a Heart,” attending Holly Hill Elementary School, Holly Hill Junior High, and graduating from Mainland High School in 1989.  

He holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida and is a graduate of the 262nd Session of the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia.  His prior leadership roles include service as the City of Holly Hill’s Emergency Management Coordinator, Captain, Deputy Chief of Operations, and Sergeant leading the agency’s Crime Suppression Unit. 

Chief Miller is a member of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, Volusia/Flagler Police Chiefs Association, Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy Associates, the Holly Hill School Advisory Committee, Florida Department of Children and Families Executive Order 18-81 Leadership Steering Committee, and the Freedom 7 Human Trafficking Task Force. 

Last month, during a surprise ceremony at Holly Hill City Hall attended by three former Holly Hill police chiefs, along with a packed house of friends, family members, and colleagues, Jeff was formally appointed Chief of Police. 

I had the distinct pleasure of serving with Chief Miller for many years, and having watched his professional development and career progression, I can think of no one more deserving.     

In my experience, Chief Miller leads from the front – with a personal commitment to servant leadership – which means he places himself in service to those under his command, not the other way around – always honoring the demanding work and sacrifice of those who serve, protect, and deliver quality services to the citizens of Holly Hill, while demanding a high degree of professionalism and integrity.    

Earlier this week, Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson announced the selection of Michael Walker to serve as that community’s new Chief of Police. 

Chief Walker will be formally appointed during a community ceremony on January 24, 2022. 

From experience, small-town policing takes a steady hand and a ‘jack of all trades’ dexterity, adaptive leadership skills, the ability to manage scarce resources, adopting modern policing principles while holding firm to the best traditions of small-town life and developing a neighborly connection to those you serve.

When done right, serving a quaint, close-knit community is one of the most personally rewarding experiences in the law enforcement profession – and the cities of Holly Hill and Bunnell now have two of the finest practitioners of true “community-oriented policing” at the helm.

Chief Walker comes from a distinguished line of career law enforcement officers.

I had the honor of serving under Mike’s late father, Larry Walker, who retired as Holly Hill’s police chief.  His brother, Mark Walker, retired from the Ormond Beach Police Department before embarking on a stellar career with the Ponce Inlet Police Department. 

Another brother, Jim Crimmins, also retired from the Ormond Beach Police Department.

Chief Walker began his service to the citizens of Lake Helen in 1989 after a year with the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety.  He was appointed Chief of Police in 2011.

During his long and honorable career, Chief Walker set the gold standard – always humble and engaged – with an ever-present smile and quick wit – no job too big or too small to ensure the safety of his beautiful community.

The City of Bunnell is in very capable hands. 

In my experience, small town chiefs do not seek this multifaceted job for the salary and benefits that their often-itinerant major city counterpart’s command.  They do it out of an abundance of love and a sense of community – a mutual affection that forms the very essence of what it means to serve, protect, and place the needs of others above one’s own self-interest. 

These two extraordinary professionals have proven their personal commitment to that time-honored tradition. 

Kudos to Chief Jeffrey Miller and Chief Mike Walker on this wonderful accomplishment in their impressive careers.   

Quote of the Week

“Such an excellent idea from Rep. Bob Rommel to insist on the installation of cameras and microphones in our public school classrooms! So great a concept that no doubt he would insist it to be extended to our state legislature… as in all our elected officials’ offices, conference rooms, et cetera paid for by taxpayers where state business is discussed.

I’m sure Mr. Rommel will be pleased to have his every word recorded for public scrutiny. Remembering, of course, we are the Sunshine State.”    

–Stephen Smith, Palm Coast, writing in what remains of The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Letters to the Editor section, “Why stop at teachers?” Wednesday, January 5, 2022

I don’t know Stephen Smith of Palm Coast – but I like how he thinks. 

The nationwide push to advance our burgeoning surveillance state by placing a camera and microphone in every classroom/bathroom/locker room/police cruiser/etc. (anywhere but the corporate boardroom – or the backrooms of the State Capitol and Congress) came to the Sunshine State last week in a bill sponsored by State Rep. Bob Rommel (R-Naples).

In my view, Rep. Rommel’s measure is designed to ensure Florida teachers are ‘sticking to the script’ – and, like so many posturing mandates that are foisted on local governments and school districts from Tallahassee – the concept of self-determination and the unintended consequences of ill-thought laws be damned. 

Trust me.  When Rep. Rommel’s bill becomes law – the only benefit will be when parents of recalcitrant “students” are forced to watch a loop of their offspring violently and profanely acting out, abusing teachers, students, and staff in a dangerous and all too frequent occurrence that has turned many a public school into a dystopian Thunderdome.   

Like law enforcement officers before them, professional educators are now being told by their elected representatives “We don’t trust you to do the right thing.” 

So, rather than simply set sound academic policy and reasonable oversight – we’re going to have Big Brother monitor you from an all-seeing Orwellian “telescreen” – an omnipresent eye in the sky that captures and records everything you say and do – leaving your every word, move, and teaching technique open to painstaking interpretation by lawyers, parents, politicians, administrators, government agencies, and professional critics.

My God.

What are we becoming? 

More importantly, why in hell are We, The People allowing ourselves to be thrown down this very slippery path? 

Who will watch the watchers?   

The roots of this issue run deep – to the heart of the all-or-nothing cultural warfare that permeates everything – with the far left elites of what passes for “higher education” – those who blanket themselves in the insulating cocoon of tenure while spouting divisive, even violent, rhetoric in college classrooms around the nation (then ‘cancel’ anyone who dissents) – while “conservative” regents respond with the “nuclear option” – crushing free speech with iron boot intimidation, chilling any academic challenge to controversial ideas and concepts, discussions that should form the backbone of a meaningful college education.     

Sound familiar? 

Screw it.  We could trudge down that dank slit-trench all day and not find a sensible answer – because outdated concepts like reasonableness and rationality no longer inform the discussion in Tallahassee and beyond.

Now, lockstep conformity to partisan politics and the pursuit of unrestrained power (and fealty to those self-serving fringe elements on both sides of the widening divide who fund it) is the only thing that matters.    

I agree with Mr. Smith’s suggestion.

It is time we put cameras in the inner-sanctums of government at all levels – broadcasting the backroom mini-moves of our elected officials and those uber-wealthy insiders who control the rods and strings – laying bare the bartered policy decisions, tax breaks, corporate welfare giveaways, exposing the Turkish bazaar atmosphere of “economic development” incentives where government uses our hard-earned tax dollars to select winners-and-losers in the “free” marketplace – an unblinking view of the rotten sausage as it is being made.

Don’t hold your breath, folks. . .    

And Another Thing!

Maybe I was giddy with COVID-induced fever, but as midnight tolled on New Year’s Eve, I resolved to keep an open mind in 2022 – to wipe clear the cracked and greasy lens through which I view the intrigues of local government and those who so deftly manipulate it – vowing to look past the hucksterism in a strange election year when every seat on the Volusia County Council is up for grabs with the exception of County Chair Jeff Brower.

Like clockwork, my well-intentioned fresh start was shot all to hell on Thursday when I tuned into what passed for the Volusia County Council’s annual organizational meeting – which set the tone with a quick adoption of a monthly meeting schedule geared toward the comfort and convenience of our elected and appointed officials – with absolutely no thought of moving “public” meetings to a time when the public can attend and participate in their government.

Can’t afford to take time off to be heard by your elected representatives?  Tough shit, John Q. . . 

A common theme began to emerge as Councilwoman Heather Post took it on the chin from several of her “colleagues” – telegraphing that Volusia’s entrenched Old Guard plan to continue the tired theater of questioning Ms. Post’s motives while limiting her ability to represent constituents with parliamentary shenanigans, then painting her as ineffectual ahead of the coming election cycle. 

Classic political gaslighting – performed Keystone Kops style – a bungling slapstick that always ends in comedic chaos.    

For instance, on the critical issue of ensuring the patency of Florida’s Wildlife Corridor in Volusia County, our elected representatives took the courageous step of voting to accept a staff report (whatever that means?), promises of a “broader” future discussion, and a study to study the need for another “Green Ribbon Political Insulation Committee” which will, no doubt, put even more time and distance between now and anything of substance.   

I hope I’m wrong. 

The Wildlife Corridor Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last summer,  is designed to protect interconnected natural areas of the state – a physical necessity as increasingly enveloped wildlife are forced to escape the out-of-control destruction of their natural habitat to make way for more development.   

It quickly became infinitely clear whose voice mattered most.

When Chairman Brower rightly opted to allow Dr. Wendy Anderson, a professor of environmental science at Stetson University and the duly elected Chair of the Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District, more time to address this important issue from the podium, Councilman Ben Johnson was quick to publicly spank Brower for not cutting Dr. Anderson off at the knees before she finished her informative presentation.

Why?  Dr. Anderson went over her allotted three-minutes. . .

Yet, when a representative for the company that owns the massive Farmton Tract – a proposed development which will fundamentally change the landscape of Volusia County as we know it – approached the dais to tout the developer’s conservation efforts – at Mr. Brower’s invitation, Councilman Johnson moved to allow the Farmton spokesperson more time to drone on. 

Because in Volusia County, the “We like ice cream, too!” yammering of a glib corporate shill – a deep-tissue massage that almost convinced me a 60,000-acre development is going to be beneficial to the environment – is infinitely more important than the educated opinion of a respected environmental scientist on an issue made necessary by overdevelopment.   

Whatever.

When Ms. Post asked that a focused discussion of development regulations governing lands near Volusia sections of the Florida Wildlife Corridor be placed on an April workshop – her reasonable request was met with the confused mewling and twaddling of lame duck Councilwoman Billie Wheeler.   

Before the vote on Post’s request, Councilman Johnson asked to recuse himself due to what The Daytona Beach News-Journal described as “…a potential financial interest…”

I don’t make this shit up, folks.

When the fleeting apparition of the ethereal Jonathan “Big Foot” Edwards, Volusia County’s Internal Auditor – who, like Sasquatch, is rumored to exist but rarely seen – appeared out of a ghostly vapor in the Council Chamber to present the 2022 Internal Audit Plan, a puzzling discussion ensued as Ms. Post attempted to ascertain Edward’s complete autonomy. 

In October, Ms. Post reported an unidentified issue with inmate trust fund accounts to Mr. Edwards in her role as an elected representative – a responsibility which Ms. Post rightfully considers an integral and important part of her job. Because it is.

That turned into a pointed reminder by Councilman Johnson, His Eminence Fred Lowry, and Councilwoman Wheeler of how county government works – ensuring that the individual elected officials know they are neutered – expressly prohibited from bringing serious individual or constituent concerns to Mr. Edwards’ attention – comfortable in the fact that, in Volusia County, ferreting out fraud, theft, and financial inefficiencies will never be as important as lockstep conformity to a rigid process that protects the bureaucratic upper crust. 

Bullshit.   

For her trouble, Ms. Post was left defending herself from insinuations of overreach because she reported a potential crime to the county’s “independent” auditor – which Lowry claimed left a perception in the public’s mind that there are “problems” with the internal oversight and inspection process.

In my view, the most telling twist came when our éminence grise “Dr.” Lowry adopted his weird Perry Mason persona and questioned County Attorney Mike Dyer and Mr. Edwards regarding the auditor’s sovereignty from the dais – concluding that he alone cleared any doubt from the minds of a concerned public – because what else were they going to say? 

While still center stage, Lowry took a cheap swipe at Ms. Post and her supporters here in the Real World, claiming that while “…certain peoples Facebook groupies tonight will be cheering them on” he wants everyone to know there is no problem with the internal auditing process because, based upon his superpower of deductive reasoning, he dispelled any suspicion beyond a shadow of a doubt.    

Okay, whatever you say, Fred. . .  

While there may be some misguided souls out there who disagree – I no longer believe anything that comes from Councilman Lowry’s mouth – and something tells me there is more to this mysterious autonomy question than meets the eye. . .

Please don’t take my word for it.  Watch the archived meeting video and form your own conclusion.

With Ms. Post now a viable and declared candidate for the At-Large seat, look for more of the same in coming months as the campaign to protect the stagnant status quo heats up.    

On a positive note, the elected officials evaluated compelling proposals from our longtime beach concession provider Beach Rentals and Refreshments of Volusia County – and the impressive Miami Beach-based vendor Boucher Brothers.

Fortunately, Councilmembers voted unanimously to keep the 10-year contract local. 

The move will allow some sixty area families who earn their living on the beach to keep providing the unique atmosphere and quality concessions residents and visitors have come to expect. 

Unusually smart thinking for that bunch – and an impressive start to what will be a very interesting year.   

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

L. Cassius ille, quem populus Romanus verissimum et sapientissimum iudicem putabat, identidem in causis quaerere solebat, cui bono fuisset?

–Cicero: Pro Roscio Amerin

(“Lucius Cassius, whom the Roman people used to regard as a most honest and most wise judge, was in the habit of asking time and again in lawsuits: “to whom might it be for a benefit?“)

This blogsite cut its editorial teeth on that ancient question – Cui bono?

In my view, asking “who benefits?” in an age where explosive growth is rapidly overtaking our ability to absorb and accommodate the flash flood of new neighbors – and their vehicles, waste, and copious consumption – may sound like a rhetorical question, even naïve, but I have never been accused of being quick on the uptake or known for my political sophistication. 

Like a dull boy with a Tinker Toy, to better understand complex questions, I must break the issues down into their smaller parts, study the ways they connect, look at them analytically, and determine how things “came to be.”

For a rube like me, it is necessary to look back to the genesis of the problem, beyond the hype and horseshit, to that place where powerful forces came together and created an environment where those we have elected and appointed to represent our best interests thought it wise to approve massive developments atop our aquifer recharge areas – the very source of our drinking water – churn our remaining wildlife habitat into a muddy moonscape, and inundate our wholly inadequate transportation infrastructure with near gridlocked traffic – all frustratingly bottlenecked at a two-lane pinch point that will take years (and tens-of-millions in public funds) to correct.

For the record, some of those same politicians and planners who have approved thousands of new homes and commercial developments in the piney woods west of I-95 and beyond are still sitting on the dais of power – or polishing a wingback chair with their sizeable backsides at a City Hall or county administrative complex near you – still rubberstamping land use changes, granting “planned unit developments” across the width and breadth of Volusia County, consistently telling set-upon residents that there is “…nuttin’ we can do about it – hands are tied – bidness is bidness, y’all.”    

And, that might have worked. 

At one time. . . 

Then, Volusia County taxpayers learned the outright subterfuge surrounding a quashed 52-page/$50,000 “secret study” that, in 2016, recommended impact fees be raised some three time higher in certain categories – and a change to a county ordinance that “the consultants deemed overly generous to developers.”

We never looked at our elected officials the same again. . . 

With Clay Ervin, who still serves our interests as Volusia County’s growth and resource management guru, yammering that the secret study “…was not final; it was still a draft … and we felt it was incorrect,” and sitting elected officials calling the debacle “troubling,” “upsetting,” and “frustrating” – it proved, conclusively, the worst fears of those of us who pay the bills and suffer in silence – and cemented the “trust issue” our elected officials told us didn’t exist yet still skews the political landscape here on the Fun Coast.     

According to a June 2018 article by former News-Journal reporter Dustin Wyatt entitled, “Secret study? Volusia County’s 2016 report calls for higher impact fees” we learned:

“But they (county officials) also didn’t mention it in February, when council members decided against reviewing impact fees (when His Eminence Councilman Fred Lowry voted to “let a sleeping dog lie” when it came to discussing impact fees). They didn’t bring it up in March, when the council reiterated that decision after a public outcry. The report didn’t come up in May, when, in the face of more public criticism, the council decided to postpone a vote on the half-cent sales tax until it could revise its impact fees. And it didn’t come up this month, when the council approved a contract with Duncan Associates to study the issue.”

Remember?  I do.   

At that time, our entrenched ‘powers that be’ had the abject temerity to attempt a half-cent money grab – a sales tax increase that would have placed the burden of improving our transportation infrastructure squarely on the back of every man, woman, and child in Volusia County – rather than demanding a reasonable fair share from their well-heeled “friends” in the development industry who created the burden in the first place. . .

But why? 

Well, in August 2018, Wyatt (who is no longer digging the facts and writing for The Daytona Beach News-Journal) educated us on where an outsized portion of campaign contributions originate in Volusia County elections:  

“Of the $423,729 reported to the supervisor of elections office through July 6 (2018), not including contributions made by the candidates themselves, $1 of every $5 has come from a developer or someone in the construction or building industry. . .”

Yeah.  “Wow.”

On Sunday, The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s business editor Clayton Park presented a front-page exposé on Volusia’s growth outlook for the coming year – a scourge that shows no sign of slowing as speculative developers continue to make hay (and massive amounts of cash) while the sun shines.

Existing residents, and our new neighbors trapped to the west of the Tomoka River funnel, will be happy to hear that – according to a few of our well-connected real estate mavens – out-of-control growth is expected to ‘sizzle’ in 2022, with more new homes, stick-and-glue apartment complexes, and commercial space on the way as they continue to pursue this “shove ten-pounds of shit into a five-pound bag” planning and management strategy. 

According to G. G. Galloway, a commercial Realtor who serves as a member of the Ormond Beach Planning Board (who last month was on the losing end of a 5-1 vote denying the controversial 143 home Tattersall project at Tymber Creek and Airport Road, which, in the view of many, threatened to bring even more traffic and flooding issues to the area) said:

“Florida’s going to continue to grow. We don’t have a state income tax and we have the sun and weather,” he said. “Sooner or later, rising (home) prices (and construction costs) will slow things down but not in 2022. There’s a lot of projects that will be coming out of the ground in the new year.”

In fact, so many new projects are “coming out of the ground” that malignant sprawl is metastasizing along the spine of Volusia County – with even toxic former golf courses being eyed as a suitable place to shoehorn a few more single-family cracker boxes.

Given the insatiable appetite of real estate developers, will cemeteries be next?

Now, at the advent of 2022, the taxpayers of Volusia County are still waiting on a slow-walked impact fee study that Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower has been begging for since he took office last January – while our wholly compromised elected officials countywide vow to commission more studies, and expend more hot air, on what “responsible development” means – and what the current growth at all cost strategy is doing to our quality of life – as the bulldozers continue to roar.

Cui bono, indeed.

As the 2022 election cycle heats up, it is important to look past the rhetoric and study the campaign finance reports of those who hold themselves out for high office – and review the voting record of those currently in office – as unchecked growth, and what to do about it, becomes the seminal issue of our time. 

Hi, kids!

“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”

― Rainer Maria Rilke

Where does the time go?

At the end of each year, I like to recognize those intrepid souls who, in my cynical opinion, either contributed to our quality of life – or detracted from it – in some significant way as we proudly unveil the 2021 Barker’s View Honor Roll!

I know, I know – but it remains the only civic honor (however dubious) in Volusia County that our “Rich & Powerful” cannot buy. . .

Whatever.

From our social, civic, and economic elite – the ‘movers and shakers’ and entrenched insiders with infinite power and influence – to us lowly rubes who struggle mightily, eke out a living, and raise families in this weird artificial economy – we all have a vested interest in improving our lot here on Florida’s Fun Coast.  

That proposition has become increasingly difficult in an era where elected bodies enact draconian rules, often cloaked as “civility ordinances,” designed to protect the sensitive feelings of our elected officials and prevent substantive public engagement – a time when approaching The Monarchy for redress of grievances is a frustrating exercise in futility – as the important decisions are settled by “staff recommendations” and political insulation committees long before the choreographed theater of a public meeting.    

Now, the prevailing ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality has left many rightly convinced we deserve better from those who control our fate – increasingly willing to participate in our democratic process and elect likeminded neighbors – as we work to wrest power from the bloated bureaucracy (and those who control it) and return it to We, The Little People.

Thank you. 

You are my heroes. 

I honor those who fight the good fight – who persevere, overcome, and make a life here in Volusia County – those who stand for elective office for the right reasons and endure the slings and arrows of harsh criticism and the career civil servants who have devoted their lives to public service – the watchers, voters, and dedicated gadflies who courageously let their voice be heard – and those of us up here in the cheap seats who pay the bills and suffer in silence.

Thank you. 

To those hardworking civic activists who fight valiantly to protect our natural places, improve amenities, and enhance our quality of life – from visionary environmental advocates and those who fight for animal rights to beach driving supporters and beyond – your dedication and perseverance is inspiring.    

Thank you. 

I never lose sight of the fact that cynical blowholes like me do not matter. 

As Roosevelt said, the real credit belongs to those “who are actually in the arena” – who spend themselves in a worthy cause – and the grassroots efforts of neighborhood organizations and volunteers form the very backbone of our community.

Thank you. 

Six years ago, I launched Barker’s View to provide an alternative opinion on the news and newsmakers in east Central Florida – and I could never have imagined how many of you would take the time to read, welcome a different perspective, and consider these diatribes for what they are – and what they are not.

Thanks to your engagement, this blog continues to open doors and influence opinion – and I appreciate the opportunity to meet and correspond with so many wonderful people – including a few of those powerbrokers and politicians I take to the woodshed – some of whom still have the humility and sense of humor to laugh at themselves and our situation.

While I cannot know the hundreds-of-thousands of you who have visited this site – including readers from some eighty-five countries around the globe this year alone – I appreciate each of you for taking the time to connect with Barker’s View.    

Thank you. 

Invariably, whenever I meet readers of Barker’s View – you are incredibly kind to me – and take the time to offer your own unique perspective on the issues, point out where we agree or differ, and provide constructive criticism. 

Thank you. 

To everyone who reached out this year, stopped me in the grocery isle, wrote a note, or sat down next to me on a barstool to solve the world’s problems, pass some gossip, commiserate, share a joke, argue a fine point, or just lend a word of encouragement.

Thank you. 

I appreciate that more than you know.   

The problem with making lists is you will invariably (and inadvertently) omit someone most deserving and if I have overlooked your contributions, please forgive me – know it was not intentional – and let me know where I fell short.  The mistake is mine alone. 

While this Honor Roll is not all inclusive, it begins and ends with YOU.

Those who read, contribute, opine, comment, argue, agree, disagree, disparage, elevate, share, offer solutions, moderate a social media site, educate our children, speak truth to power, serve on an advisory board, plan for our future, think and care deeply, offer criticism, further the discussion, serve their community, care for the sick and infirm, save lives, raise the bar, give generously, provide hope and encouragement – political allies and foes alike – who can still be my friend when the heated debate is over.

Thank you.

But most of all, to the faithful readers of Barker’s View – the independent thinkers who analyze and contemplate my often-warped thoughts on the myriad issues of the day – vehemently and honestly disagreeing with my skewed views – and those who share these screeds to provoke a larger discussion in the community, an important exercise that can lead to innovative ideas and solutions to the problems we face.

Thank you.

You are making a difference!

In the coming year, the good Lord willing, I will be here – spectating from the Peanut Gallery – cocktail in hand – a rheumy-eyed witness to the machinations of our local players, powerbrokers, and politicians – providing you, the devoted members of the Barker’s View Tribe, with my jaded opinions and odd perspective on the issues that affect our lives and livelihoods. 

Thank you all – and may God bless each of you and this beautiful place we call home. 

That’s all for me in 2021, y’all!

Here’s wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

2021 Barker’s View Honor Roll

Aaron Delgado

Aaron Van Kleeck

Abraxas Books

Adam Bucher

AdventHealth

Al Moore

Al Smith

Alan Burton

Alan Lowe

Alan Rosen

Alex J. Kennedy

Alexey Lysich

Alicia Page

Allan Brewer

Allen E. Harrell

Alvin B. Jackson

Alvin Mortimer

Alycia Severson

Amanda Brower

Amazon

Amy Pyle

Andrea Totten

Andrei Ludu

Andrew Ethridge

Andrew Gant

Andrew Grosso

Andrew Hall

Andrew Sandall

Androse Bell

Andy & Debbie Cotton

Andy Dance

Andy Esterhay

Andy Grosso

Angela Dempsey

Angelique Nelson

Angry Mom

Anita Bradford

Anita Burnette

Ann Marie Sikorski

Ann McFall (RIP)

Ann Ryder

Anna Wright

Anne B. Evans

Anne Ruby

AnnMarie Groarke

Anonymous Teacher

Anthony DeFeo

Anthony Recascino

Arthur J. Byrnes

Astrid Deparry

Avalon Park Daytona

B&B Cheetah

Babe’s Blue Room

Barb Girtman

Barb Shepherd

Barbara Bonariggo

Barbara Deering

Barbara Kincade

Barbara Zimmerman Phillips

Barry Chantler

Barry du Moulin

Barry Gear

Beat Kahli

Bellaire Community Group

Belle Schumann

Ben Butera

Ben Johnson

Benjamin Bartlett

Benji Shiflette

Benjiman Jerkins

Benny Barker

Beth Legary

Beth Sutherland

Bethune-Cookman University

Betty Goodman

Betty Landrum

Big John

Biggins Gentlemens Club

Bill Albert

Bill Barber

Bill Bernardo

Bill Boots Bouthillette

Bill Chaffin

Bill Fletcher

Bill Hall

Bill Hyde

Bill Koster

Bill Lindlau

Bill Milano

Bill Navara

Bill Offill

Bill Orpinuk

Bill Partington

Bill Partington II

Bill Posey

Bill Willis

Billie Barker

Billie Wheeler

Billy Flash

Billy Rose

Blaine Lansberry

Blanca A. Maldonado

Bo Brewer

Bob Apgar

Bob Davis

Bob Finch

Bob Fitzsimmons

Bob Jagger

Bob Kates

Bob LaRue

Bob Lloyd

Bob Renforth

Bob Walker

Bobbi Glass Cline

Bobbie Stricklen

Bobby & Tracy Parks

Bobby Thigpen

Body Exchange

Brad Burbaugh

Brad Carter

Bradford Gonzalez

Brandon Young

Brandy Lee White

Brass Against

Brenda Hahn

Brenno Carillo

Brent Brown

Bret Douglas

Brian Lapointe

Brian Nave

Brian Smith

Brian Soukup

Britney Miller

Brodie Hughes

Brown & Brown

Bruce Heugel

Bruce Williams

Bryan Feigenbaum

Bryan Glaze

Bryan Soukop

Bryn Rawlins

Bryon White

Bub Robson

Buc-ee’s

Bud Baldwin (RIP)

Bud Ritchey

Buz McKim

Buz Nesbit

Byron Cogdell

Byway Chairperson

Cameron Lane

Carl Persis

Carmen Balgobin

Carmen Rosamonda

Carrie Baird

Casmira Harrison

Cassidy Alexander

Catherine Craig Fisler

Catherine Robinson

Cathleen “Kat” Atwood

Catholic Charities

Cathy Wharton

Chad Lingenfelter

Charleen Smith

Charlene Greer

Charles “Chuck” Duva

Charles Cino

Charles Lichtigman

Charles Moskowitz

Charles Paiva

Charles Puckett

Charles Sintes

Charlie Lydecker

Charlotte Price Carr

Chase Herbig

Chase Tramont

Cheryl Bagshaw Frederick

Cheryl Espy-Dalton

Cheryl Reed

Chez Paul

Chief Tomokie

Chip Olden

Chip Wile

Chris & Christine Daly

Chris Belflower

Chris Bowler

Chris Challis

Chris Cloudman

Chris Graham

Chris Jarnagin

Chris Nabicht

Chris Via

Christian Miller

Christina Gerson

Christine Power

Christine Ratti-Sprowl

Christopher Alcantara

Christopher Cloudman

Christopher France

Christopher Kelly

Christos Mavronas

Chuck Collins

Chuck Gittner

Chuck Guarria

Chuck Marcus

Chuck Siple

Chuck Tindall

CiCi Brown

Cindy Hale

Cindy Rivera

City of Daytona Beach

City of Daytona Beach Shores

City of DeBary

City of Deland

City of Deltona

City of Flagler Beach

City of Holly Hill

City of New Smyrna Beach

City of Ormond Beach

City of Palm Coast

Claire Metz

Claudia Archer

Claudia Vanderhorst

Clay Ervin

Clay Henderson

Clayton Park

Clement Nadeau

Cliff Colby

Clinton F. Smith

Coach Morris Small, Jr.

Coastal Cloud

Colleen & Rob Corrozza

Colleen McDevitt

Conklin Center

Connie Colby

Connie McNamara

Corunna Stevens Goris

Costa Magoulas

County of Volusia

Craig Albright

Craig Capri

Crazy Eddie Colosimo (RIP)

CTO Realty Growth, Inc.

Cumiskey Consultants

Curtis Colee

Curtis Wayne

Cyndi Ritchey

Cyndi Stevenson

Cyrus Callum

D. Gray Leonhard

D. J. Lebo

D. W. Smith

Dale Anderson

Dallas Seibert

Dan Eckert

Dan Luby

Dan Merrithew

Dan Ravan

Dan Ryan

Dana C. Dougherty

Dana McCool

Dana Paige-Pender

Dana White

Daniel Apker

Dannette Henry

Danny Fuqua

Danny Oakes

Danny Robins 

Danny Yanesh

Darcy Lynn

Darlene Weincouff

Darren Zoeckler

Dave Jeffries

Dave Seyse

Dave Stokes

David Alfin

David Brannon

David Cromartie

David Foxman

David Hudson

David Isenberg

David LaMotte

David Loh

David Mims

David Romeo

David Romeo

David Santiago

David Simmons

David Smith

David Sosa

David Sullivan

David Vukelja

David W. Acuff

Dawn Fields

Dawn Glaczenski Petrella

Dawn Nichols

Dawn Starr

Dayle Whitman

Daytona Beach Black Clergy Alliance

Daytona Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

Daytona Beach Police Department

Daytona Beach Regional Chamber

Daytona Dog Beach, Inc

Daytona International Airport

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona State College

Daytona Times

Daytona Tortugas

Deana Sallee

Deanna Newkirk

Deb Denys

Deb Lord Lafreniere

Debbie Darino & Justice for Ponce

Debbie Kruck-Forrester

Debbie Phillips

Deborah Joy Williams

Deborah Phillips

Debra Berner

Dede Siebenaler

Defend the Loop

Deltona – A City on the Move?

Deltona City Commission

Deltona Strong

Denise Brewer

Dennis Breo

Dennis Craig

Dennis Futch

Denny Hockenberry

Deputy Chief Jennifer Whittet

Derek Catron

Derek Lamontagne

Deric Feacher

Derrick Henry

Derrick Orberg

Developing Daytona Beach

Diana Malik

Diana Webster

Diane Carney

Diane Choquette

Diane Clow

Diane Crisp

Diane Kirvan

Diane Reynolds

Diane Vandervoort

Diane Whitby

Dinah Voyles-Pulver

DME Holdings

Don Bok

Don Burnette

Don Shinnamon

Dona Butler

Dona McIntire

Donald Freeman

Donald Moore

Donald Needham

Donald O’Brien

Donald Parks

Donald Williamson

Donna Craig

Donna Fitzpatrick

Donna Maxwell

Dontpooponputnum.org

Doris Catauro

Dorothy A. Fogg

Doug Kinney

Doug Pettit

Doug Quartier

Douglas Bell

Douglas Gibson

Dream Green Volusia

Drew Bastian

Dru Driscoll

Duane De Freese

Duffy Dyer

Durenda West Durrance

Dustin Wyatt

Dwight Selby

E. LaBrent Chrite

Earl

Earnest Murphy, Jr.

East ISB Dead Zone

East/West Volusia Forum

Ed Connor

Ed Danko

Ed Gist

Ed Kelley

Ed Noseworthy

Eddie Branquinho

Eddie Hennessey

Edgewater Environmental Alliance

Edith Shelley

Edward Gist

Edward Somers

Eileen Zaffiro-Kean

Elaine Barnicle

Elaine Gibilisco

Elaine Stewart

Elbert Bryan

Elizabeth Albert

Elizabeth Blackburn

Elizabeth Caswell

Elizabeth Fetterhoff

Elizabeth Lendian

Elizabeth Wade

Elliott Hagood

Emily Nice

Enrique Zahn

ERAU

Eric & Vanessa Lewis

Eric Breitenbach

Eric Cooley 

Eric Lewis

Eric Sander

Erick Piskator

EVAC

Eveline Kraljic

Evelyn Fine

FAITH

FDOT

First Step Shelter Board of Directors

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office

Flaglerlive.com

Fletcher’s Pub

Florida Department of Health

Florida Legislature

Food Brings Hope

Forough Hosseini

Foundation Risk Partners

Framework Group

France Family

Francis Snipes Himes

Frank Bruno

Frank Castle

Frank Costa 

Frank Fabrizio

Frank Fernandez

Frank Garaitonandia

Frank Molnar

Frank Sawyer

Frank Thomas Graham

Frank Van Pelt

Fred Costello

Fred Lowry

Frederik Coulter

Fredrik Coulter

FREE Daytona Beach

G. G. Galloway

G. L. Crews

Gail Gianfelice

Gannett

Gary Libby

Gary Mostert

Gary Owens

Gary Smith

Gary Wandelt

Gene Crouch

Georgann Carnicella

George Anderson

George Butts

George Cameron Lane

George Colby

George F. Ritchie

George Mirabal (RIP)

George Pappas

George Recktenwald

George Smith

Gerald Fieser

Geraldine Morgan Clinton

Gerard Pendergast

Gerard Witman

Gigi Bennington

Gil Adams

Ginger Adair

Ginny Maccio

Glenn & Connie Ritchey

Glenn Irby

Glenn Ring

Glenn Storch

Gloria Max (RIP)

Godwin Kelly

Gordon Brown

Gordon Meyer

GovStuff.org

Greg “F-ing” Smith

Greg Akin

Greg Burns

Greg Gimbert

Greg Hansen

Greg Vernam

Gregory Trent

Gus Massfeller

Gwen & Rev. Larry Edwards

H.V. Grantham

HAAA

Halifax Health

Hard Rock Daytona

Hardy Smith

Harold Briley

Harry Black

Harry Jennings

Harry L. Burney, III (RIP)

Harry Newkirk

Harvey Morse

Heather Post

Heather Rutledge

Heidi Herzberg

Helene Wetherington

Helga van Eckert

Helping Hands Through Arts

Henry Wolfond

Heraclitus

Highland Park Fish Camp

High Paying Space Jobs

Holly Hill Police Department

Holly Smith

Homeless2Home

Hometown News

Hopcycles

Hope Place

Hornitos Tequila

Howard Bailey

Hubert Grimes

Hunter S. Thompson

ICI Homes

Ida Wright

Indigo Lakes Residents

IRL Council

Iron Head

Itsaboutgreen

J. D. Bushdid

J. D. McGurk

J. Hyatt Brown

J. Mark Barfield

J. Scott Green

J. Suzy Peterson

Jack D. Howell

Jack Driskell

Jack Jarrell

Jack Surrette

Jack White

Jaclyn Carrell

Jacqueline P. Kelly

Jakari Young

Jake Johansson

Jake Sachs

James & Ashley Brodick

James Alford

James Bland

James Clayton

James Connell

James D. Sass

James Fulcher

James Gillis

James Manfre

James Newman

James Pendleton

James Pericola

James Powers

James S. Purdy

Jameson Distillery

Jamie Haynes

Jamie Overfield

Jamie Seaman

Jamison Jessup

Jan Shinnamon

Jane Bloom

Jane Glover

Jane Mealy

Janet Kersey

Janet Nutt

Janet Tomlinson

Jared Crawford

Jared Thompson 

Jarleene Almenas

Jason Davis

Jason Greene

Jason McGuirk

Jason Raynor (RIP)

Jason Umberger

Jason Wheeler

Jay Barton

Jay Maher

Jay Young

Jayson Meyer

Jean Lord

Jeaneen Witt

Jed Smith

Jeff Boyle

Jeff Brower

Jeff Feasel

Jeff Martin

Jeff Miller

Jeff Phillips

Jeff Terzini

Jeff Thorla

Jeff White

Jeff-A-Rooski

Jeffery P. Terzini

Jeffrey Ault

Jeffrey Bender

Jeffrey Dees

Jennifer Finno Ellis

Jennifer Whittet

Jenny Nazak

Jerry Cameron

Jerry Chow

Jerry Ficco

Jesse Godfrey

Jessica Davis

Jessica Gow

Jessica Melton

Jessica Winterwerp

Jessie Thompson

Jewel Dickson

Jewish Federation

Jim Abbott

Jim Annett

Jim Arthur

Jim Berkley

Jim Cameron

Jim Chisholm

Jim Connell

Jim Evans (RIP)

Jim Fogg

Jim France

Jim Goempel

Jim Judge

Jim Kotas

Jim Landon

Jim Legary

Jim Meyers

Jim Morris

Jim Neviaser

Jim Pappalardo

Jim Purdy

Jim Rose

Jim Weite

Jim Whittet

Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Paul

Jo Glennie

Joan Anthony

Joan Campanaro

Jodi Beard

Joe Bungart

Joe DeAngelo

Joe Forte

Joe Hannoush

Joe Mullins

Joe Petrock

Joe Pozzo

Joe Roebuck

Joe Stitch

Joe Wolfing

Joe Woody

Joel Paige

Joey Gallagher

John & Karen Bulman

John A. Peacock

John A. Peters

John Albright

John B. Henderson

John Boyer

John Bozzo

John Cavanaugh

John Clukey

John Danio

John Difiore

John Gibson

John Guthrie

John Hawkins

John Hill

John Kirvan

John Nicholson

John Penny

John Power

John R. Rogers

John Reid

John Reynolds

John Szaroleta

Johnson Bros.

Jon Cheney

Jon Wong

Jonah Powers

Jonathan Abraham Eid

Jonathan Brokaw

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Foley

Jonathan L. Squires

Joseph Hopkins

Josh Fogarty

Josh Vedder

Josh Wagner

Joyce Cusack

Joyce Shanahan

Juanita Garza

Judith Campbell

Judy Rock Bergevine

Julie Bowers

Julie Sipes

Julio David Sosa

Kadie Hayward Mullins

Kandi Schromm

Karen Chasez

Karen Foxman

Karen Jans

Karen Robey

Karen Stokes Stone

Karen Waters

Kat Brown

Kate Perez

Katherine Hurst Miller

Katherine Wanamaker

Kathleen Dulco

Kathleen McNeilly

Kathryn Disbrow

Kathryn Weston

Kathy Josenhans

Kathy Tew-Ricky

Kathy Yingling Weaver

Katie Kustura

Kayleen Garcia

Keith Chester

Keith Norden

Keith Prewitt

Kelli McGee

Kelly Frasca

Kelly Kwiatek

Kelly McGee

Kelly Schulz

Kelly White

Kelvin Miller

Ken & Deborah Strickland

Ken Bradley

Ken Bryan

Ken Doremus

Ken Edwards

Ken Fustin

Ken Sipes

Ken Smith

Kenny Franks

Kent Sharples

Kerry Orpinuk

Kevin Bowler

Kevin Callahan

Kevin Captain

Kevin Duffy

Kevin Gelnaw

Kevin Kilian

Kevin Lowe

Kevin Para & Ashley’s Ride 

Kevin Reid

Kevin Wallace

Kevin Walsh

Kiki Bobo

Kim Harty

Kim Morris

Kim Olden

Kimberly Hennessey

Kimberly Short

Kimberly Taylor-Bandorf

Krista Goodrich

Kristine Tollefsen-Cunningham

Krys Fluker

Kurt Ardaman

Kurt Swartzlander

Kyei Anchor Solomons

Kyle Capsaicin

Kyle Powell

L. Gale Lemerand

L. Ronald Durham

Langford Every

Larry Arrington

Larry Bartlett

Larry Denham

Larry Edwards

Larry French

Larry Newsom

Larry Steele

Laura & Greg Ward

Laura Berglund Weast

Laura Roth

Laurel and Mike Foley

Lauren Olsen

Laurie Cromie

Laurie Massfeller

Lea Bartos

Leah Case

Lee Ann Luedeke

Lee Strong

Leo J. Vidal

Leonard Marinaccio III

Les Cantrell

Lesa France Kennedy

Lesley Blackner

Let Volusia Vote

Libby Ann Higbee

Linda Ann Brownlee

Linda Cuthbert

Linda Gatewood

Linda Gaustad

Linda Leary

Linda Morse Dixon

Linda Parkin

Linda Scheibener-Boardman

Linda Smiley

Linda White

Linda Williams

Lisa Lewis

Lisa Martin

Lisa O’Neal

Lisa Rinaman

Lisa Scartelli

Liz Murdoch

Liz Wade

Lloyd Bowers

Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia

Lois Paritsky

Loren King

Loretta Arthur

Lori Bennett

Lori Campbell Baker

Lori Graf

Lori Koontz

Lowell Lohman

Lu Witton

Luke Delaney

Luke Zona

Lynda Kessler

Lynn Caniglia

Lynn Curley Ney

Lynn Swenson

Lynn W. Thompson

Main Street Station

Mainland High School

Manny Chevrolet

Marc Antonie-Cooper

Marc Bernier (RIP)

Margaret Hudson

Margaret Macduffie

Margaret Peggie Hart

Margie Padgett

Maria Summerlin

Maria Trent

Marilyn Ford

Marilyn Stumpf

Mario Bertolami

Mario’s

Maritza Avila-Vazquez

Mark Annitto

Mark Billings

Mark Gardner

Mark Geallis

Mark Harper

Mark Lane

Mark Nealon

Mark Soskin

Mark Swanson

Mark Watts

Mark Wolcott

Mark9000

Marko Galbreath

Marks Culver

Marla A.

Marla Abell

Marlene O’neill

Marshallann Marti Weeks Camp

Marti Jolley Winn

Marti Smolinski

Martin J. Favis

Marty Grimshaw

Marvin Miller

Mary Anne Connors

Mary Bruno

Mary Connor

Mary Feeley

Mary Forester

Mary Helen Moore

Mary Jolley

Mary Martin

Mary Mcleod Bethune 

Mary Reid Morelly

Mary Synk

Maryam Ghyabi-White

Matt Doughney

Matt Gable

Matt Metz

Matt Morton

Matthew Foxman

Matthew Hopson

Matthew Monroe

Maureen France

Megan O’Keefe

Meganne Sarau

Mel Lindauer

Mel Quinton

Melissa Holland

Melissa Lammers

Messod Bendayan

Michael Booker

Michael Chitwood

Michael Chiumento III

Michael Dorsett

Michael Dye

Michael Dyer 

Michael J. Arminio

Michael Kolody

Michael L. Young

Michael Lee Young

Michael Mc Bride

Michael McDowall

Michael Orfinger

Michael Pleus

Michael Politis

Michael Ray

Michael Schottey

Michael Sznapstajler

Michael Ulrich

Michael Von Kreuzfaufsteiger

Michael Waltz

Michelle Carter

Michelle Newman

Michelle Zirkelbach

Mike Bregg

Mike Chuven

Mike Denis

Mike Fincher

Mike Jiloty (RIP)

Mike Orfinger

Mike Panaggio

Mike Philbrick

Mike Poniatowski

Mike Read

Mike Scudiero

Mike Shekari

Mike Springer

Mike Synan

Mike Thomas

Mike Walker

Mike Waltz

Milissa Holland

Milverton Robinson

Mindy McLarnan

Minto Communities

Missy Herrero

Missy Phillips

Molly Cunningham

Mori Hosseini

Museum of Arts and Sciences

Nan Tarasi

Nancy Capo

Nancy Epps

Nancy Keefer

Nancy Lohman

Nancy Long

Nancy Maddox

Nancy Miller

Nancy Niles

Nancy Steele Lilly

Nanette McKeel Petrella

NASCAR

Natalie Brunner

Natalie Pilipczak

Neil Harrington

News Daytona Beach

New Smyrna Board of Realtors

Newton White

Nic Klufas

Nick Conte

Niki Yanakou

Nikki Ross

Noah McKinnon

Noel Bickford

Nola Barker

Noreen Morris

Norma Bland

Norma Guida

North Turn Beach Bar & Grille

Northern Mockingbirds

Oliver Du Bois

One Daytona

Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board 

Ormond Beach Historical Society

Ormond Beach Observer

Ormond Brewing Company

Ormond Einsteins

Ormond Issues

Ormond Strong

Ormond-by-the-Sea Association

P&S Paving

P. Barry Butler

Palm Beach Post (Daytona Edition)

Palmer Panton

Palmer Wilson

Pam Carbiener

Pam Clark

Pam Lawler

Pam Wilsky

Pamela Rodriquez

Parker Mynchenberg

Pat & Ed Northey

Pat Finn

Pat Hodgkins

Pat Jeffries

Pat Katzenstein

Pat Patterson

Pat Rice

Pat Zuegg (RIP)

Patricia Boswell

Patricia Heard

Patricia Miracle

Patricia Page

Patricia Stevenson

Patricio Balona

Patrick Opalewski

Patti Barker

Patti Starkey

Paul Carpenella

Paul Deering

Paul Milward

Paul Renner

Paul Rice

Paul Skinner

Paul Stevenson

Paul Zimmerman

Paula Reed

Paula Rossiter

Peg Brown

Penny Currie

Perego

Pete Lynch

Pete Zahn

Peter

Peter Grosfeld

Peter McGlashan

Peter Migner

Phaedra Lee

Phil “Father Phil” Egitto

Phil Maroney

Phil Vanderhoof

Phillip Hoffeld

Phyllis Beynon

Phyllis Butlien

Phyllis Clark Hogan

Phyllis Stauffenberg

Pictona at Holly Hill

Pierre Louis

Pierre Tristam

Port Orange Gov Forum

Preston Root

Protogroup

Psycho Magnet

Quanita May

R. J. Larizza

Rafael Ramirez

Rainer and Julie Martens

Randall Rowe, III

Randy Ast

Randy Cadenhead

Randy Dye

Randy Hartman

Randy Post

Raquel Levy

Raul Zambrano

Ray Evans

Ray Hill

Ray Max

Raymond Johnson

Rebecca Lynn Doremus

Rebecca Wade

Reed Berger

Regina Santilli

Reginald C. Williams

Rell Black

Rene Coman

Renee Richardson

Reuben “Lounge Lizard” Morgan

Rhonda and Walter Glasnak

Rhonda Kanan

Rich Felisko

Rich Malkus

Rich Waters

Richard Bellach

Richard Bryan

Richard Feller

Richard Frizalone

Richard Kane

Richard Klein

Richard Little

Richard Martinez

Richard Myers

Richard Nisbett

Richard Slaughter (RIP)

Richard Thripp

Richard Waters

Rick Basso

Rick Belhumeur

Rick Dwyer

Rick Goodsite

Rick Karl

Rick Rollins

Rick Rawlins (RIP)

Rick Staly

Rita Ware

Riverside Conservancy

River to Sea TPO

Rob Bobek

Rob Bridger

Rob Brown

Rob Gilliland

Rob Hougham

Rob Jackson

Rob Littleton

Rob Merrell

Rob Sabatino

Robert Augusto

Robert Augusto

Robert Barnes

Robert Barrett

Robert Burnetti

Robert Burns

Robert D. McFall

Robert Giebel

Robert Gilliland

Robert Greenlund

Robert Hawes

Robert Jagger

Robert Joseph Sorenson

Robert Maccio

Robert Mullins

Robert Riggio

Robert Sanders, Jr.

Robert Sprouse

Robert Stolpmann

Robert Taylor

Robert W. Krause

Robert Watson

Roberta Richardson

Robin Hanger

Rocky Lawrence

Rocky Norris

Rodney Cruise

Roger Accardi

Roger Eckert

Roger Sonnenfeld

Roland Blossom

Roland Via

Rommel Scalf

Ron Andersen

Ron DeSantis

Ron Kendrick

Ron Martin

Ron Nowviskie

Ron Wright

Ronald Donovan

Ronald Jungk

Ronnie Mills

Root Family

Rose Ann Tornatore

Rose Schuhmacher

Ross Janke

Roundtable of Elected Officials

Roxanne Hallahan

Roy Johnson

Ruben Colon

Russ Cormican

Russ Moulton

Russ Owen

Rusty Ford

Ruth Norman

Ruth Trager

Ryan Ossowski 

Ryan Ridder

Sam Bell

Samantha J. West

Samuel G. S. Bennett

Sanctuary Café

Sandford Kinne

Sandi Snodgrass

Sandra Bass Van Cleef

Sandra Chavous

Sandra Kay Watts Battiste

Sandra Upchurch

Sandra Walters

Sandy Kauffman

Sandy Murphy

Sandy Walters

Santiago Avila, Jr.

Sara Collins

Sara Crane

Sara Murphy

Sara Ragsdale Petroski

Sarah Bruce

Sarah Johnson

Saralee Morrissey

Scott Caldwell

Scott Fritz

Scott Gutauckis

Scott in Daytona Beach

Scott Lee

Scott Markham

Scott O’Connell

Scott Simpson

Scott Stiltner

Scott W. Spradley

Sea Dunes

Sebastian

Security First Insurance

Seminole Curmudgeon

Sen. Rick Scott

Sergia Cardenas

Seth Green

Sharon Raffel

Shawn Collins

Shawnerie Langford

Sheila Hancock

Shelia Prather

Shelley Szafraniec

Sheriff Guindi

Sheron Weatherholtz

Sherrise Boyd

Sherry Gilreath

Sherry Huskey-Hopson

Sherry Purdy

Sheryl A. Cook

Skip Andress

Snake Andress

Soles4Souls

Sons of the Beach

Sonya Wiles

Sophia Urista

Sophie’s Circle Dog Rescue

Spencer Stratton Hathaway

St. John’s River Keepers

St. John’s River Water Management District

Stacey Simmons

Stacy Cantu

Stacy Wager Day

Stan Kapp

Stan Schmidt

Stanley Escudero

Stasia Warren

Stephan Dembinsky

Stephanie Bidlack Cox

Stephen Bacon

Stephen McGee

Step-Up Volusia

Stetson University

Steve Aldrich

Steve Crump

Steve Koenig

Steve Parker

Steve Puckett

Steve Ridder

Steve Stinson

Steve Thomas

Steve Thorp

Steve Weaver

Steven Burk

Steven Henderson (RIP)

Steven Miller

Steven Narvaez

Stirling Gosa

Stony Sixma

Sue Barnes

Sue Lyle Reynolds

Susan Barrie

Susan Brehme Park

Susan Bussinger

Susan Cerbone

Susan Lutz

Susan Persis

Susan Scofield

Susan Skow

Susanne I. Odena

Suzanne Johnston

Suzanne Kridner

Suzanne Scheiber

Suzie Johnston

Sweetie (RIP)

Synergy Billing

Tadd Kasbeer

Tangela Hardy

Tanger Outlets

Tanner Andrews

Tariq Hamid

Taxpayers of Volusia County

Team Volusia

Ted Doran

Ted Hordecky

Ted Noftall

Ted Teschner

Tennessee Hills Distillery

Tere Arce

Terence Perkins

Teresa Martin Lawson

Teresa Morford Rice-Peck

Terica Charles

Terry Cady

Terry Heisler

The Avion

The Bridge

The Civitas Project

The Daytona Beach News-Journal

The Frye’s

The Lowe Down

The Nines Parlor

The Nowinski’s

The Pallet Pub

Theresa Doan

Thom Morris

Thomas Akin, Sr.

Thomas Burbank

Thomas R. Larrivee

Tiger Roberts

Tim Baylie

Tim Curtis

Tim Egnor

Tim Grigsby

Tim Harbuck

Tim Phillips

Timmy & Annemarie Groarke

Tina Louise

Tina-Marie Schultz

Tito’s Vodka

Todd Phillips (RIP)

Tom A. Wright

Tom and Kayti Caffrey

Tom Bertolami

Tom Clapsaddle

Tom Coriale 

Tom Goreau

Tom Laputka

Tom Leek

Tom LoBasso

Tom Maccio

Tom Morgan

Tom Rebman

Tom Russell

Tom Ryan

Tommy Jee

Tomoka Oaks Residents

Tony Cassata

Tony Goudie

Tony Ledbetter (RIP)

Tony Servance

Tony Walsh

Tonya Gordon

Travis Hutson

Tripp Parham

Troubled Men Podcast

Troy Crawford

Troy Kent

Troy Olson

Troy Shimkus

Troy’s Pub

Tulapuppy

Turner Hymes

US Coast Guard – NSB

Valencia Gallon-Stubbs

Valerie Duhl

Valerie Joiner

Valerie Manning

Valoree Mclean

Vanessa Blair-Lewis

Vernon Burton

Vic Baker

Vic Irland

Vicky Jackson

Victor Barbosa

Victor Ramos

Victoria B. Holmes

Victoria Fahlberg

Vikki Leonard

Voloria Manning

Volusia Building Industry Association

Volusia CEO Business Alliance

Volusia County Concerns

Volusia County Council

Volusia County Deputies Association

Volusia County Government Forum

Volusia County School Parents Forum

Volusia County Schools

Volusia County Sheriff’s Office

Volusia County Voters

Volusia Deputies Association

Volusia ECHO

Volusia Firefighters Association

Volusia Forever

Volusia Forever/ECHO Alliance

Volusia Issues

Volusia Political Scene

Volusia Politics

Volusia Tax Reform

Volusia United Educators

Volusia’s Old Guard

Votran

Wallace Bailey

Wanda Van Dam

Warren Shaw

Waylan Niece

Wayne Harris

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Welcome to Rockville

WELE “The CAT”

Wendall Ray DallaRosa

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Wendy B. Anderson

Wendy Wilson  

Wesley Heidt

West Volusia Beacon

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Westplan Investors

Will Roberts

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William Jones, Jr.

William Reischmann 

William Sell

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WNDB

World’s Most Famous Brewery

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Xiangjun Li

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All who contribute and wish to remain nameless

And, well, you know who you are. . .

“All power is originally vested in, and consequently derived from, the people. That government is instituted and ought to be exercised for the benefit of the people, which consists in the enjoyment of life and liberty and the right of acquiring property, and generally of pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety. That the people have an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform or change their government whenever it be found adverse or inadequate to the purpose of its institution.”

–James Madison

Does the hallowed concept of political power originating from the consent of the governed and exercised for our collective benefit sound anything like our system of governance here on Florida’s Fun Coast? 

I didn’t think so. 

This week, an excellent article by Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal gave an overview of the current political playing field as six seats on the Volusia County Council will be decided next year, and Volusia’s Old Guard – those stodgy stalwarts of the stagnant status quo – are clearly getting nervous.

They should be. 

In all things, the ‘political pendulum’ swings whenever We, The Little People awaken to the fact that our interests have become secondary to those of a few well-heeled insiders who control Volusia County politics (and feather their comfy nests) by taking advantage of a weird campaign finance system that allows those with the wherewithal to make massive contributions to hand-select candidates – cloaked under the various and sundry corporate entities they control – to enjoy undue influence in the hallowed Halls of Power.

In my view, by injecting huge sums of money into local political contests – dollars that skew the playing field – they ensure a return on investment through subliminal fealty to the oligarchic “system” that has been in control for far too long.   

This Turkish bazaar atmosphere has allowed a small group of uber-wealthy elites to exert extraordinary influence over local policymaking as they pull the rods and strings of those small and malleable minds willing to sell their political souls in a Faustian bargain for the power and perquisites of office.  

As a result, public meetings have become little more than bad theater, with choreographed “winners and losers” decided in advance as what passes for “public policy” becomes a foregone conclusion – any deviation met with eyerolling histrionics or outright obstructionism (See: Any idea or initiative endorsed by Volusia County Chair Jeff Brower or Councilwoman Heather Post.)

With a practiced eye, it becomes easy to discern the often-blurred line between a staged representation and the actual intrigues of what passes for the “people’s business,” especially when those who are elected and appointed to represent our interests form a lockstep majority and become enmeshed in petty power plays and slapstick skits designed to block any substantive change while ensuring the health, growth, and prosperity of the bureaucracy. 

Don’t take my word for it – just watch a painful replay of the recent budget cycle, when those who wear the trappings of “fiscal conservatives” displayed their true plumage by increasing property taxes and fees – arrogantly ignoring the fervent pleas of their strapped constituents – many living at or below the poverty line, unable to escape the scut work and warehouse jobs our “economic development” gurus have the balls to tout as “progress,” even as they serve as shameless conduits between private profit motives and the public teat.    

My God.

Now, the wagons are being circled as the Old Guard rolls out a few political fossils who attempt to rewrite history on the frontpage of the newspaper, telling scary stories about “fiefdoms,” and elected officials losing a sense of “free will,” wringing their hands that a potential “…slate of candidates running together — if that’s what it becomes — might smack of partisanship.”

Bullshit. 

This wholly compromised system that has served a select few for so long bares no semblance to a participatory democracy – with concepts like independent thought and “free will” forcibly beaten out of any newly elected official who dares break with the lockstep conformity or consider solutions outside the aging box of conventionality – and it is made crystal clear that the inner sanctum of power at the Thomas C. Kelly Administrative Complex is reserved for those who go along and get along.

Don’t take my word for it. 

Ask Chairman Brower and Councilwoman Heather Post the heavy price of political independence – then watch the Gang of Four crush anything resembling an innovative revenue source, tax decrease, growth reduction strategy, or spending reduction – a political shunning of duly elected members of the Volusia County Council as a means of limiting influence and forcing allegiance to the status quo. 

From time immemorial, Volusia County politicians have endorsed candidates, tried to ‘stack the deck,’ and form a like-minded majority (something unheard of in politics, right?).

But now that Chairman Brower has openly backed Paul Zimmerman for the District 2 seat, and David Sosa in District 5, the Old Guard is losing their feeble minds, suggesting “…Brower appears to be orchestrating an attempt to control the County Council,” and labeling the practice of political endorsements “unprecedented.” 

My ass.

Buckle your seatbelts, kids. 

This is what happens when an entrenched power structure starts to feel the heat from a fed-up constituency – those who have been ignored and marginalized for far too long – and the political hype and horseshit is about to wash over the Fun Coast like a tsunami as our “Rich and Powerful” see their decades-long control slipping away. 

I believe the unserved, overtaxed, and wholly ignored masses – who have been ordered to pay the bills and suffer in silence – are beginning to understand what those who have controlled our lives and livelihoods have known for years:  Elections have consequences. 

Fortunately, that awakening is beginning to change the political dynamic. 

If enough like-minded citizens hold firm to the basic belief that we can control our destiny by electing strong, ethical, and visionary members of our community to high office – servant-leaders not marionettes – who will stand firm in defense of the rights, responsibilities, and best interests of taxpaying residents who work hard to carve out a life here on Florida’s Fun Coast – we can once again balance political power and restore transparency, fairness, and the spirit of democracy in Volusia County government.

And she brought forth her firstborn son,

and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,

and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2

One of the greatest gifts in my life is the sense of purpose this blogsite has given me – the opportunity to participate in a larger discussion – all made possible thanks to your readership and support. 

Whether or not we agree on the myriad social, civic, and economic issues of the day, I hope we remain friends, grounded in the common purpose of seeking a better tomorrow for our children and grandchildren through the vigorous competition of ideas. 

Here’s a special thanks to the loyal members of the Barker’s View tribe. Your awareness and activism are making a difference in our community – and your friendship has enhanced my life in immeasurable ways. 

A true blessing.

Here’s wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2022!

Mark