Hi, kids!

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

Daytona “International” Airport – The Triumphant Return of JetBlue…

In 2018, just three years after Volusia County economic development types ponied up some $2.3 million in public incentives to lure JetBlue to Daytona “International” Airport – the low-cost carrier gave area residents the slip – moving on to more lucrative markets while consolidating “underperforming” routes.

In their patented “throw more money at it” strategy to coax discount airlines to Daytona Beach, our “movers & shakers” went so far as to develop a “travel bank” among local companies – to include Brown & Brown, the former Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company, International Speedway Corporation, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – which collectively promised to spend a quarter-million dollars with JetBlue if they agreed to grace us with one flight per day to New York’s JFK.

Add to that some $25,000 in free upgrades to the airlines gate location at DIA (paid for with public funds) and it was a pretty good deal – for JetBlue anyway…

Considering the lavish financial “incentives” offered, the departure of JetBlue was a demoralizing blow to a down-at-the-heels resort area that was repeatedly duped by hospitality statisticians who told us were drawing more visitors annually than we actually were.

Remember?  I do.  

In May, the Daytona Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau sheepishly explained a more than 50% drop in the annual visitor count in 2024 (4.5 million down from 10.1 million in 2023) after a fresh marketing and research firm began tallying the actual number of people who intentionally spent time here, as opposed to “pass-through” travelers.

Yeah.  I know…   

Last week, everyone who is anyone was busy firing up the Halifax Area All-Star Goodtime Band for another refrain of “Happy Days are Here Again, Again!” as JetBlue announced its triumphant return to Daytona “International” Airport!

This time around, routes include daily service to Boston and New York City.

So, did Volusia County economic development officials learn anything from our incredibly expensive jilting by JetBlue seven years ago? 

Hardly…

According to an article by business editor Clayton Park writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week:  

“When JetBlue Airways resumes daily flights here on Dec. 4 after a nearly seven-year absence, it will do so with a little economic incentive help from its friends at Daytona Beach International Airport.

“We have our standard airport marketing package that we do for every airline when they start service here,” said Joanne Magley, director of air service, marketing and customer experience at the Volusia County-run airport also known as DAB. “They’ll receive $200,000 in marketing support per route, and a waiver of certain airport fees (for the first two years of service),” she said.”

So, how much is the total “incentive package” worth beyond the $400,000 in “marketing support”? 

Who knows?

According to the News-Journal, “Magley did not say how much the incentives will be worth in total, but indicated it will be far less than the $2.3 million in incentives that JetBlue received its first time around here…” 

Shhhhhhhh.  Just a ‘standard package.’  That’s all ye know, and all ye need to know… 

Great.

Is this a “Huge Win-Win” for DAB or another expensive disappointment in the making as past experience would suggest?   

Time will tell… 

Rewarding the Unjustifiable: More Questions at Volusia County Schools

“It truly takes a village, and this work is fully realized through the engagement of our students, parents, all staff, community partners, volunteers, mentors, School Board, and stakeholders. Through collaborative partnerships and servant leadership, we’ve achieved remarkable progress with our first ‘A’ rating in 16 years. This recognition reinforces my commitment to the collective work we do to transform public education for every student we serve.”

Dr. Balgobin’s leadership is marked by her commitment to collaboration and knowledge sharing. She regularly shares scalable frameworks for instructional improvement, strategic alignment, and sustainable district transformation with other districts. Under her guidance, initiatives such as “Synergy Walks” and clear instructional “look-fors” have strengthened instructional capacity and fostered a culture of shared accountability across more than 70 schools.”

–Volusia County School Superintendent Carmen Balgobin, as conjured by those magicians at Volusia County Schools Community Information Services, “Dr. Carmen Balgobin Named Finalist for NASS 2025 Superintendent of the Year,” Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Want to have a little fun? 

Let’s play a game.

On the honor system, take all the time you need to decipher the meaning and definition of the following jabberwocky without throwing your hands-up in utter exasperation and turning to Google, Grammarly, or ChatGPT:

1. “Scalable framework for instructional improvement”
2. “Strategic alignment”
3. “Sustainable district transformation”
4. “Synergy walk”
5. “Clear instructional “Look Fors”

Now, put your right hand on a 2025 printing of Funk & Wagnall’s Encyclopedia of Inane Corporate-Speak and repeat after me:

“I affirm that I will not give or receive any unauthorized help on this just-for-fun exam, and that all hair I pull out in frustration will be my own.”

You may begin…  

Not as easy as it looks, eh? 

Don’t feel bad.   No one else understands it, either.

That’s because the only people who speak that nonsensical pseudo babble are eggheads and assholes – people who surround themselves with sycophantic minions who nod enthusiastically and act like they understand that gobbledygook – lest they expose themselves as being just as clueless as the rest of us.

It is the preferred vernacular of Dr. Carmen Balgobin, a cloistered senior official doubling-down on a still unproven accomplishment with her nomination for National Superintendent of the Year…   

You read that right.

This week, US News and World Report ranked Volusia’s Spruce Creek High School as 130^th in Florida with a graduation rate of 99% – yet only 44% of students were proficient in math and just 55% demonstrated reading proficiency… 

What are we graduating? 

Well-rounded young adults with the life and academic skills to succeed?  Or victims of a pernicious system designed to give economic development shills (and senior administrators) something to crow about?

I hate to be the proverbial turd in the celebratory punchbowl, but did the district really earn an “A” grade, or is it the contrived result of manipulating enrollment data by transferring lower performing students so they didn’t count against their assigned school’s graduation rate?

It’s a valid question.

This week, District 4 School Board Member Donna Brosemer continued to educate her constituents (and challenge the stagnant status quo) with a barnburner op/ed published in the Ormond Beach Observer. 

(Please find Ms. Brosemer’s editorial here: https://tinyurl.com/4j74v4tz )

In her cogent piece, Ms. Brosemer explained the board’s obligation to provide budgetary oversight in a place that has historically been less than forthcoming…

For instance, when discussing what passes for preliminary budget hearings, Ms. Brosemer wrote, “The process was equally sanitized this time too. There were numerous declarations of the evils of social media, and indignant demands that only “experts” should be trusted.”

In turn, Ms. Brosemer dropped another shocking allegation regarding the possible artificial manipulation of grades and graduation rates…

“My experts, as I have said many times, are my teachers and school administrators. They are on the ground, doing the heavy lifting, figuring out what works and what doesn’t.

They are the ones required to move kids around to produce the desired graduation rates. Or administering the same tests multiple times and eliminating the hard questions so the test grade is higher. Or who describe their ESE classes with 3 grade levels, multiple special needs, and 30 students, all in the same class, with just one para to help them.

Does the current budget reflect the needs of those experts? It’s hard to tell, because they are never candidly discussed. We’re too busy making everything pretty.”

That’s disturbing.  

So, what is the truth behind the “A grade” graduation rates and school scores for which Dr. Balgobin is receiving this national recognition? 

Is that the reason for the forced organizational silence at Volusia County Schools?

If not, why was it necessary for Superintendent Balgobin to demand over 100 public employees sign a chilling Nondisclosure Agreement limiting their ability to discuss matters specifically covered by Florida’s Public Records Law at the risk of having their careers destroyed?

Why would it be necessary to prevent administrators from speaking about where and how public funds are spent, i.e., “Information regarding the District’s financial operations, including budgets, funding sources, and allocation of resources”?

What about “Strategic planning documents and information,” or “Non-public communications between and among District personnel, the Department of Education, parents, students, and community stakeholders” is so top-secret staffers need to be officially gagged?  

When will those of us who pay the bills get answers to these important questions from Dr. Balgobin or our elected representatives on the School Board? 

In my view, haughty awards and individual recognition for senior administrators is admirable – so long as the basis for them is verifiable – not the result of restricting information to control the narrative regarding how these remarkable graduation rates were obtained…

Anything less is unconscionable – and further erodes the public’s trust.

As Ms. Brosemer so aptly said, “So many questions no one asks. So few answers no one wants. Does the board’s apathy mirror that of the public, or vice versa?”

Quote of the Week

“All over the state, local governments are pushing ahead on common-sense changes to their growth plans, wetlands protection, and impact fees. They’re doing so despite warnings from big, bad opponents that what they have in mind will violate a new pro-developer state law that limits city and county governments’ authority on new land-use or development regulations.

It’s happening in big counties like Orange and small cities like Edgewater. And everywhere it’s happening, it’s bad news for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature, because it shows that local governments are tired of being pushed around by developers and their toadies and are ready to push back.

“This is one of those tipping points,” Manatee County Commission Chairman George Kruse told me.

As my colleague Mitch Perry reported last week, the law they’re challenging has “become the most controversial new measure” of the 2025 legislative session.

People are now realizing what this law really demonstrates: Tallahassee is tightly controlled by campaign donors who don’t care about what’s best for Florida’s people, only what boosts their private profits, Kruse said. That’s why they wanted to handcuff the local officials who might object.

The bill was passed on the pretext of providing emergency help for hurricane victims. But it contained a poison pill benefiting no one but big developers.

“It’s important to realize that this was described as an emergency bill that goes far beyond an emergency to actually attack the basis of democracy,” said Kim Dinkins, planning and policy director for the smart growth group 1000 Friends of Florida. “It allows a popular vote to be overturned.”

With so many people lining up to resist, I’m thinking we should change our state song from “Old Folks at Home” (yawn!) to the far more appropriate “Fight the Power” by the Isley Brothers.”

–Reporter Craig Pittman, writing in the Florida Phoenix, as excerpted from his op/ed, “Florida cities and counties line up to defy new pro-developer state law,” Thursday, August 14, 2025

Courage takes many forms.  

Mostly it means having the moral strength to simply do the right thing…

On Monday evening, in a bold move, the majority of the Underwater City Commission voted 3-2 to keep development moratoriums in place to protect waterlogged residents from recurrent development-induced flooding by defying the pernicious tenets of SB-180. 

Edgewater Mayor Diezel DePew and Councilmembers Eric Rainbird and Charlotte Gillis voted to keep the protections in place, while Councilmembers Mike Thomas and Debbie Dolbow were opposed.

According to a report by Brenno Carillo writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “City Council members who supported keeping the city’s moratoriums echoed the vast majority of Edgewater residents’ opposition to the new state law. Rainbird and Gillis made emphatic and emotional statements about protecting residents, even if it means challenges could be on the way for the city.

Several Edgewater residents and some from surrounding cities spoke in near unison against the new state law and urged council members to keep the moratoriums.”

In Deltona, the City Commission voted 4-3 to join a growing coalition of cities and counties seeking a legal challenge to the overreach of SB 180.

Commissioners Maritza Avila-Vasquez, Stephen Cowell, Dori Howington, and Nick Lulli stood firm for their constituents – while Mayor Santiago Avila Jr, Vice Mayor Davison Heriot, and Commissioner Emma Santiago evidenced their cowardice in the face of this legislative attack on the right of Florida’s charter governments to self-determination.

Later, Santiago said she was merely following the spineless lead of the Florida League of Cities which, she claims, counseled her to “Spend time developing relationships with your legislators and stay out of the political fray.”

In other words, “play nice, keep your mouth shut, and do as you’re told…”

Which sums up why the Florida League of Cities has become a nonentity in the fight against repeat legislative bullying – cowering in the corner and kissing the rings of Florida lawmakers’ intent on destroying the ability of cities and counties to determine how, when, and where they grow.

For his part, Vice Mayor Heriot (and “others”?) has been unctuously pleading with Volusia legislators behind the scenes, asking pretty-please for “amendments” to SB 180; changes that are never coming.  This week he explained his vote as not wanting to kick his oppressors “in the face” with a lawsuit, just when his “discussions” are becoming “productive.”

Sure they are. 

Keep kowtowing, Mr. Heriot.  That always works…      

I get it.  It’s rarely easy for mealy-mouth politicians controlled by influential special interests to stand up and do the right thing – especially when it comes to challenging legislative aggression, intimidation, and political pressure from on high.  

In my view, these cold and timid elected officials should take a lesson from those brave souls throughout American history who taught that it is a moral obligation of citizenship to righteously oppose patently unfair laws.   

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, “One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

In my view, it is time the flood-prone and claustrophobic residents of Volusia County let our aloof, dictatorial, and wholly compromised legislative delegation know there is some shit we won’t eat…

And Another Thing!

“Holding our elected officials to a higher standard.

Today I picked up my lunch at an establishment that I frequent often.  As I was leaving, Ormond Beach Zone 3 Commissioner Kristen Deaton walked in.

I was walking towards the door to leave and Commissioner Deaton yelled “They should call it Protect Jason Leslie” (referring to Protect Volusia and Ormond Mayor Jason Leslie). Is this the type of behavior “WE” the residents of Ormond Beach should have to endure from our elected officials out in public?

Do residents of Ormond Beach now need to be concerned about being confronted in public or fear retaliation from their elected officials?

Elected Officials should be held to a higher standard as are police/fire employees.  Out of respect for the business owner I did not turn around and reply to her. I continued walking and left the establishment.

Protect Volusia has been assisting residents for over two years. We stand by them and we put out information that we feel the public needs to be aware of. We fight for the residents and always will.

This behavior was unprofessional and I expect more from an elected official.”

–Ormond Beach Activist Robin Magleora, co-founder of Protect Volusia, writing on Ormond Beach Citizens: Protect Ormond Beach Facebook page, Friday, August 15, 2025

Last week in this space, I discussed the pox of pettiness that has descended on local governance. 

From the contentious selection of the 2026 Volusia County Charter Commission, to the on-going shitshow of nastiness and infighting that is the Ormond Beach City Commission, the Lost City of Deltona, Palm Coast, etc. – it seems vindictiveness and spite rule the day – and the ‘people’s business’ takes a backseat to paltry one-upmanship…  

In my view, civic activist Robin Magleora’s self-described encounter with Ormond Beach City Commissioner Kristin Deaton last week exemplifies the “Us v. Them” divisions that continue to separate “We, The Little People” from our “political elite” – that self-anointed clique of arrogant elected dullards who have become convinced of their own infallibility by their political puppeteers.

It also exposed the Ormond “in-crowd’s” utter distain for Mayor Jason Leslie, a political outsider with the courage to speak his mind.  

In response to Mayor Leslie’s commitment to exercising his right to speak and keep his constituents informed on issues of community concern, earlier this year, Commissioner Deaton proposed a cockamamie ordinance to ensure the mayor – and any other elected official who dares to demonstrate independent thought – will be pounded into the round hole of conformity with the force of law…

According to a social media post by Protect Volusia’s Elena Kraft, it appears Ormond Beach City Attorney Randy Hayes has rightfully decided to put Deaton’s cheap attempt at oppressive censorship in the round file of bad ideas.   

In response to a recent inquiry by Ms. Kraft, Hayes explained “I have not addressed the matter further as other matters have taken priority. At this point, I do not intend to take further action without further direction by the commission.”

I find it interesting that Ms. Deaton’s nasty swipe at Protect Volusia comes during the brewing controversy over the oddly postponed selection of Ormond Beach’s city employee benefits provider after Brown & Brown’s bid for services came in some $50,000 less than their competitor, Foundation Risk Partners.  

Although Commissioners Travis Sergeant (who works for FRP) and Lori Tolland (whose son works for FRP) abstained from the vote in keeping with Florida’ ethics laws – I found it weird both were allowed to actively lobby their voting colleagues during the discussion…

During the back-and-forth that ensued, Mayor Leslie had the good sense to suggest the obvious – selecting the lowest cost option as identified by the city’s selection committee (Brown & Brown was ranked 100 while FRP scored 78). 

“I think it’s just suicide for me to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to spend more money for a broker that’s going to provide almost similar services to what we currently are going to have, or going to get,” Leslie said.

Ignoring staff’s objective scoring and the clear difference in cost, Commissioner Deaton arrogantly suggested that Mayor Leslie couldn’t possibly understand the underlying nuances of the selection because “You haven’t lived here, and haven’t worked with all of these people in this room, and that’s what makes it hard,” – openly insinuating that the selection should be weighted more toward insider relationships – rather than an impartial analysis of the services and costs contained in the proposals.  

Bullshit.

When it comes to the rules governing municipal appropriations and the allocation of public funds for apples-to-apples goods and services, ignoring a 50% difference in bid price is hard to explain.

Unfortunately, the Ormond Beach City Commission’s selection of a benefits provider is now forever tainted by the lobbying of members who are by law prohibited from voting, resulting in the highly suspicious move of tabling the decision until September 3. 

In my view, these ham-handed shenanigans open the door for Ormond Beach taxpayers – and the company who loses the bid – to speculate if the delay is to allow time for backroom maneuverings.     

That is an insult to the integrity of both of these venerated local insurance intermediaries – and an incredibly irresponsible process for an elected body. 

Sadly, with one snide remark, Commissioner Deaton exposed her distain for civic activists and organizations working hard for the betterment of their community – an embarrassing and confrontational comment that served no purpose – other than to prove Deaton’s lofty opinion of herself has cauterized the human emotion of shame from her outsized ego.

In my view, the remainder of the now compromised Ormond Beach City Commission should publicly condemn Commissioner Deaton’s conduct toward Ms. Magleora (and denounce her open animosity toward Mayor Leslie) as counter to the concept of ethical behavior and good governance.  

In the increasingly upside-down world of Ormond Beach politics, one thing is certain; this abhorrent arrogance of power will continue as long as voters permit it…

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

Hi, kids!

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

David v. Goliath – Small Town Values Run Deep in West Volusia

During a standing room only special meeting of the Lake Helen City Commission Monday evening, citizens of the small West Volusia community packed the chambers to support their police department.  The public outpouring came following a move to disband the agency and contract law enforcement services with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office as a cost-cutting measure.  

As one 25-year resident said, “I wanted to show our local Lake Helen Police Department that we all do care and it’s very important that we also as a community have our words considered and that it’s not just up to the commissioners and all of them.”

Let me repeat that: Citizens turned out because they wanted the town’s police officers to know their service and sacrifice is valued.    

That doesn’t happen everywhere in this day and age…

I’m a small town guy. 

In my view, when it comes to government, the closer to those it serves the better. More accessible, accountable, and responsive – neighbors serving neighbors – the embodiment of our foundational democratic principle “…of the people, by the people, for the people.”

In small communities the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker – average citizens with a willingness to serve – throw their hat in the ring, stand for election, and work hard for little compensation to make a positive difference in their own hometown.   

Relatively speaking, the decisions they make are no less consequential than those of larger government entities – although civic issues, good and bad, are often amplified in the politically charged atmosphere of a small community.   

I spent the bulk of my life serving as a police officer with the City of Holly Hill, a wonderfully eccentric small community on the banks of the beautiful Halifax river, a place that graciously adopted me as one their own during a career that spanned three-decades.   

It was the quintessence of community-oriented policing – and resulted in lifelong friendships with those I served – and a sense of pride and personal satisfaction that only comes from a commitment to something greater than one’s own self-interests.

By the very nature of small town politics, elected and appointed officials must look their constituents in the eye, discuss civic issues face-to-face, calm fears, actually listen to the needs and suggestions of taxpayers, and wear a variety of hats to meet challenges with limited resources.

The result is a true sense of community – where folks look after one another – needs are met collectively and accomplishments celebrated communally. 

That collaborative approach to governance and service delivery results in a creative and cooperative dynamic.  Through up-close and personalized service, small town residents know that bigger isn’t necessarily better, especially during emergencies when they have the comfort of knowing their community’s first responders are standing watch.  

In fact, the unique culture and identity of each community in the mosaic of municipalities here on the “Fun Coast” is what sets them apart from the others, offering different civic and natural amenities, a quaint charm, and perhaps a slower pace of life from the homogenized “sameness” of large consolidated metropolitan areas like Jacksonville and Metro Dade and their often indifferent centralized governments.      

Look, I’m not knocking larger local, state, and federal agencies – I have dear friends and former colleagues across the spectrum.  Through those associations, I’ve learned that first responders everywhere are personally committed to those they serve with willingness, dedication, and selflessness – true professionals with the universal trait of putting their lives on the line for people they don’t even know.   

I simply believe that small communities providing their own essential services – and the sense of identity they garner – is something worth preserving.  Something that transcends the sterile and dispassionate ebb and flow of the budget process.

Like many of you, last week, I followed the unfortunate disagreement between Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood and the Town of Pierson – “Fern Capitol of the World” – a quaint community of ~1,500 in West Volusia that has been reliant on the Sheriff’s Office for many years.

For the past several years, the town contracted for “enhanced” law enforcement services from the Sheriff’s Office.   As I understand it, the agreement essentially amounted to one deputy dedicated to the town limits 12-hours each day, with normal services provided by zone deputies outside the contracted hours of service.

According to reports, under the current agreement, the town pays the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office $319,650 annually.  In addition, property owners in Pierson pay ad valorem taxes, some of which are also allocated to county law enforcement operations.

In fact, every property owner in the county pays into the “Law Enforcement Trust Fund,” regardless of whether they are served by a municipal police department, ostensibly to pay for countywide services like SWAT, advanced crime scene processing, etc.

Citing an increase in healthcare, pay raises, vehicles, pension, and other operational expenses, Sheriff Chitwood announced a 10% increase in his agency’s contract with Pierson beginning in November, bringing the town’s annual cost for enhanced services to $345,000. 

The Town of Pierson has a bare-bones annual budget of around $1.1 million, and town officials have suggested the increase is “excessive and well above inflation.”   The controversy seemed to explode suddenly and took Pierson Mayor Gray Leonhard – and many of the town’s residents – by surprise.

According to the News-Journal, on May 1, the town council had an open discussion regarding the possibility of negotiating a better price with the Sheriff’s Office. 

That’s when things took an adversarial turn:  

“Shortly after they started discussing the sheriff’s office policing contract, “in the middle of the meeting,” a deputy walked to the stage where the mayor was and asked him to check his messages, Leonhard said.

It appears that Chitwood had been informed about the town council’s discussion and sent a message to the mayor threatening to end policing quicker in Pierson, Leonhard said.

In the text message sent at 8:10 p.m. on May 1, a copy of which was provided to the News-Journal, Chitwood wrote: “Hey Mayor, thanks for the heads up on what you were about to do tonight. I don’t need 180 days. I’ll terminate the contract in 30.”

Chitwood also told the mayor in the text message that he will have to figure out what to do with all the property and evidence being held for the town of Pierson because “I’m not storing it without charging you.”

Wow.

Maybe things have changed since I retired, but I’m not sure dumping bags of evidence taken by sheriff deputies in criminal cases on the front steps of Pierson City Hall if they don’t pony up is legally, procedurally, or ethically an option – but that’s a question for State Attorney R. J. Larizza…

Sheriff Chitwood then dropped his parting words to the Town of Pierson: “Feel free to give me a call and discuss this but as far as I’m concerned, relationship is over. Good luck,” Chitwood wrote.”

In turn, Sheriff Chitwood followed up with a letter to residents of northwest Volusia which said, in part:

“Unfortunately, we have reached the point in our 34-year relationship where the Town Council has chosen to sever our contract and seek a lower level of law enforcement service instead.  The current contract for enhanced law enforcement services ends Nov. 12, 2025. It will be up to your Town Council to determine your course of action after that date.”

For his part, Mayor Leonhard countered that Sheriff Chitwood’s letter created undo “fear and confusion” in the small community. Now, both Sheriff Chitwood and Mayor Leonhard are accusing each other of failing to negotiate in good faith…

According to reports, during a press conference last month, Sheriff Chitwood slighted the Pierson Town Council as “inept,” and suggested the town was “defunding” law enforcement protection completely. 

According to an article by reporter Patricio Balona writing in the News-Journal last week, Mayor Leonhard pushed back against Sheriff Chitwood’s remarks:

“I am kind of upset about this because he’s told a bunch of lies. He sent letters to everybody in northwest Volusia County,” Leonhard said. “It was a letter that caused hate and discontent and caused confusion in the community as far as I am concerned.”

Many across Volusia County are wondering why Sheriff Chitwood, an incredibly powerful political personality, would find it necessary to take a ‘scorched earth’ approach to a relatively inconsequential “enhanced” service contract with a tiny community trying hard to be fiscally responsible?

It had a David v. Goliath quality that left some residents of Pierson feeling bullied by the very entity that should be looking out for them…

In Florida, it seems elected sheriffs have developed a friendly competition for who can be the ‘rootinist-tootinist tough guy’ around – some have taken to wearing ten-gallon hats, cowboy boots, six shooters, and hold tough talking press conferences – then use that well-crafted persona to build political popularity – and massive budgets.

It’s no secret that Sheriff Chitwood has carefully developed a reputation for berating “scumbags,” staging “perp walks” with criminal suspects, squaring up with his detractors, and cultivating a hardnosed image.   

I get it.  That’s politics, and few do it better than Mike Chitwood.

In my view, that acerbic approach should be reserved for the criminal element, not strapped small town officials trying hard to live up to their fiduciary responsibility and make ends meet without the massive and ever-expanding budget that Volusia County enjoys… 

That said, something incredibly special happened in Lake Helen on Monday.

Following a contentious meeting where residents made their feelings known, the Lake Helen City Commission listened to the fervent pleas of their residents and voted to keep their police department.  After hearing from their constituents, the elected officials realized that those on both sides of the badge care passionately about the tightknit community – and want to preserve those civic attributes that are most important to them.

Here’s hoping Sheriff Chitwood and Pierson officials can gain a mutual understanding, and work cooperatively to find common ground that permits residents to sleep comfortably knowing their community is adequately protected at a price they can afford.

Volusia County Council – Machiavellianism on Parade

By all accounts Niccolò Machiavelli was a piece of work – a Florentine politician, diplomat, early political scientist, and author of The Prince – and clearly a role model for many modern day bureaucrats and politicians…  

Most remember Machiavelli for his adaptation of the tactics necessary for a ruler to survive in politics, and his belief that those who were most successful engaged in deception, treachery, and criminal acts.

As a result, Machiavellianism refers to “…a personality trait characterized by manipulativeness, deceitfulness, high levels of self-interest, and a tendency to see other people as means to an end.”

Look, I may be a rube, but I’m not naïve.   

Neither are you.  

Spitefulness has become a requisite trait for politicians at all levels of government.  The instinctive ability to employ vindictive and mean-spirited strategies in slash-and-parry style to gain the political advantage by any means necessary.  The capacity to justify the means, however unscrupulous, when required to achieve and hold power.

Sound familiar?

Political might make’s it right.  Power with impunity.  Decisions without repercussions.  

Whoever has the gold makes the rules…

Last week, the Volusia County Council undertook the decennial task of selecting the 2026 Charter Review Commission – fifteen registered voters selected from a list of those who took the time to volunteer – a chance to influence substantive changes to our governing document and make county government more effective, efficient, and responsive to those who pay the bills.

At least that’s the noble concept behind it. 

The reality is far different…   

Every decade, the charter commission is carefully stacked with special interests, heavily weighted toward Volusia’s “Old Guard,” those backslapping representatives of the “good ole’ boys club,” to include former elected officials, business and insurance executives, real estate interests, and a small minority of us hoi polloi to keep up appearances.   

By imperial design, nothing changes.

(You can review the Volusia County’s Charter here: https://tinyurl.com/mpeandrc )

Last week, the selection process devolved into another dysfunctional shit show of abject pettiness when our squabbling elected dullards set about besmirching the motivations of residents who volunteered, stacking the deck, with (per usual) the majority ensuring that Chairman Jeff Brower was publicly humiliated like the castrated cur they portray him to be.

(Maybe if Chairman Brower keeps voting with them, acquiescing to their pet projects, and making nice-nice they’ll let him be part of the “clique” before he rides off into political obscurity?)  

In an article by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned that Florida Senate candidate Jason Voelz is exposing the process for what it is after his nomination was rejected (by his political opponent) last week:

“A man who was rejected for a spot on the Volusia County Charter Review Commission is claiming he was the victim of a conflict of interest, and the Volusia County Council may have violated state ethics laws.

Jason Voelz is a candidate for the 2026 Florida Senate District 8 race. And so is Council member Jake Johansson, who voted against appointing him along with four other members of the seven-member Council on Tuesday, Aug. 5.

“He (Johansson) should have just stepped aside and said, ‘I’m not participating in that one,'” Voelz said.

Three of the councilmen who voted against Voelz have donated to Johansson’s campaign, according to records. County Council Chairman Jeff Brower and District 4 Councilman Troy Kent voted for him. Brower nominated Voelz for the role.

“The involvement of a political opponent in the nomination process, coupled with public statements indicating political motivations, raises serious questions about adherence to these ethical standards (in Florida law),” he stated in a letter to the Council and the News-Journal.”

I guess some people just can’t accept, “That’s the way we do it here, boy.”

For his part, Councilman David “No Show” Santiago also put the boots to Voelz, claiming “I don’t think his commentary reflects the values that this Council necessarily would support in strategies on how to effectively communicate and get things done.”

Which is rich coming from Mr. Santiago – in my view the most self-serving, disingenuous, and manipulative marionette in that gross bimonthly political puppet show that passes for a public meeting…

In another caustic exchange quoted by the News-Journal, we see the outsized role insider politics plays in the selection process, and why residents of Volusia County who value their reputation volunteer for appointment to advisory positions at their own risk:

“Another nominee of Brower’s failed to gain enough support: Joel Paige, a New Smyrna Beach resident and retired fireman. District 3 Councilman Danny Robins said Paige isn’t qualified for the role, and Robins got into a back-and-forth exchange with Brower over the issue.

“Imagine Elon Musk just hiring anybody to send rockets into space … you know what I mean?” Robins said.

“This is just totally unfair to this man,” Brower said.

Paige called councilmembers “a bunch of clowns” who do the bidding of developers.

“Brower’s the only serious person on the Council,” Paige said.

Amy Munizzi, who made it onto the Charter Review Commission after Johannsson suggested her as the collective appointee, received criticism from Brower.

“If there’s anybody that’s argumentative and radical, it’s her,” Brower said, adding that he believed she and her husband are developers.

Munizzi said in a phone interview that her husband is a general contractor, but she is not involved in the business.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the word developer is being used as a dirty word,” she said.

Munizzi is president of the DeLeon Springs Community Association. She supported Dye, Brower’s opponent, in the 2024 race for county chairman.”

Welp.  There you have it, folks.  

I don’t know anything about Jason Voelz or his candidacy for the Florida Senate – but it appears he just got an up-close-and-personal look at the way ones jelly bread lands when he dares challenge the stagnant status quo in Volusia County.  

It shouldn’t be this way.  But it is. 

Here’s hoping Mr. Voelz makes good on his threat to explore “…all legal options to address this matter, including filing a formal complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics and pursuing any other remedies available under Florida law.”

In my view, it is high time someone steps forward with the courage to stand tall for the needs of Volusia County taxpayers over the greed and influence of controlling special interests.

Quote of the Week

“The construction on Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach from U.S. 1 east to A1A has caused dangerous and hazardous risks for every driver,” Miller said. “Six-inch concrete obstructions on Granada Boulevard probably there to slow down traffic by moving vehicles, weaving left and right, and driving lanes that have been reduced in size, have caused accidents and damage to many vehicles. … Every bit of this Granada Boulevard project has to be one of the worst ever conceived by FDOT.”

–Ormond Resident Marvin Miller, as excerpted from the Ormond Beach Observer, “FDOT to remove some curb extensions, chicanes in Ormond Beach’s downtown,” Tuesday, August 12, 2025

The Florida Department of Transportation has done something area activists and politicians have been attempting for decades – harnessing the anger and angst of Halifax area residents with a common focus of demanding better.  

They succeeded. 

Residents and business owners are unified in their utter distain for the $20.5 million abomination that is FDOT’s A-1-A roadway project – and the $9.2 million “obstacle course” that is now east/west Granada Boulevard – ostensibly engineered to “encourage safer driving speeds and enhance pedestrian safety.”

Bullshit.

This one’s a whopper of a five-alarm foul-up – one of those “only in government” fiascos – where bureaucrats analyze what works, conduct expensive engineering studies, investigate ways to expedite traffic, alleviate congestion, and enhance pedestrian safety – then do the exact opposite.

In recent weeks, motorists have noticed some ‘modifications’ to the new slalom course on A-1-A and Granada Boulevard – marked with oddly placed “bulb-outs,” chicanes, and concrete curb extensions along the shoulder (which in several spots resulted a trash-collecting gutter between the curb and the impediment?) – some of which have now been removed and replaced with temporary orange traffic barrels.  

Having travelled A-1-A for most of my life, what FDOT has done to the traffic lanes both north and south of Granada Boulevard boggles the mind. 

In fact, most residents who use A-1-A for daily transportation have been left scratching their heads – that slack-jawed “WTF?” moment we’ve all had – especially at a time when our area is experiencing increased traffic congestion from all points of the compass.

According to a report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week, “Some business owners say the roadwork is steering customers away from them, particularly with new medians that force motorists to drive beyond their intended target and then do U-turns to reach their destination.”

To their credit, unlike many government projects where unanticipated consequences are ignored and work continues regardless of negative outcomes, in this case, due to the frequency of complaints fielded by FDOT, changes are now being made to correct mistakes.

For instance, Daytona Beach restauranteur Christos Mavronas recently told WFTV-9 that the modifications made it difficult for customers to access his business:

“About 50 percent of our business disappeared because of this median,” said Christos Mavronas. Owner Christos Mavronas initially expressed concerns about the work with us in February and again in June. Two months later, his efforts for change have been successful.

“They approved my request to give me my access back. This is huge news for the entire community of Daytona Beach. We are getting our traffic access back,” said Mavronas.”

According to reports, at present, the changes are in the “design phase,” and FDOT doesn’t yet have an estimate for the cost of necessary construction revisions. 

Hey, maybe the third time’s a charm, right?  

As Mr. Mavronas explained to WFTV, “It’s very important that we speak up for our rights and for what we want.” 

Damn straight, Mr. Mavronas.  Well said.  

And Another Thing!

“In Volusia County, council members this week voted to request changes (to SB-180) for next year’s legislative session.

Deltona City Commissioner Dori Howington doesn’t want to wait until next year to have Tallahassee work on the issue.

“What’s happening is, we’re seeing lawyers lining up to basically attack ordinances that developers have not liked seeing implemented, and as a result, the lawsuits are stacking up against us,” she said. “Anything that you do regarding land use, building codes — anything can be challenged.”

–Deltona City Commissioner Dori Howington, as quoted by reporter Mitch Perry writing in the Florida Phoenix, “Opposition grows to Florida law designed to improve disaster recovery,” Friday, August 8, 2025

Despite whining from some handwringing shills on elected councils and commissions across the state – mealy-mouth crybabies spreading fear over which cudgel Gov. Ron DeSantis will use to punish their city or county if they refuse to sellout their residents – an increasing number of Florida cities and counties are finding the courage to righteously fight back against the sneakily intended effects of SB-180. 

The law, camouflaged as a disaster recovery measure, gives real estate developers carte blanche to challenge any reasonable local growth management regulations, circumvent planning processes, and retroactively hold local governments hostage with statutorily authorized lawsuits.   

With several Florida cities and counties now considering a lawsuit to challenge the expansive provisions of the law, even its sponsor, Florida Senator Nick DiCeglie, has admitted the language is “very broad.”

As no doubt intended…

In my view, business editor Clayton Park of The Daytona Beach News-Journal recently brought our collective predicament into stark perspective when he published a poignant photograph depicting the opening gashes of the I-95/Pioneer Trail interchange this week.   

One image depicted a lone cattle egret literally staring down a bulldozer as it churned the landscape into a black muck to make way for one very wealthy and influential man’s vision of “progress.”

Not much moves me anymore, but that single photograph summed up what many claustrophobic residents of Volusia County feel each time they see more malignant sprawl inching ever closer to irreplaceable natural places like Doris Leeper Preserve…

Environmental activists valiantly opposed the controversial transportation project – which was mysteriously “expedited by more than a decade” – to accommodate large-scale residential development in the Port Orange/New Smyrna Beach area.  Once complete, many experts believe that foul polluted runoff from the interchange will result in the slow destruction of the endangered Spruce Creek watershed and its incredibly biodiverse habitat.

With the permits now rubber stamped by state and federal environmental “regulators” and the roar of site preparation underway, there is no going back now…

In my view, the Pioneer Trail interchange will stand as a monument to everything that is wrong with Florida’s pernicious pay-to-play system, where the “rich and powerful” get what they want – when they want it – and the prioritization of infrastructure, environmental protections, and the very real fears of existing residents mean nothing when the big money moves.

That’s the way it is here in the Biggest Whorehouse in the World… 

Vote like your quality of life depends upon it.

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

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County District Schools – The Consequence of Silence

In an informative article by reporter Gabriel Velasquez Neira writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned about the recent $160,000 settlement of a disturbing lawsuit involving the serious consequences of institutionalized silence for a former student of Volusia County Schools.

We also learned that Superintendent Carmen Balgobin has “compelled” more than 100 public employees to sign secretive non-disclosure agreements…

According to the report, “Employees are being compelled to keep certain information, including “the district’s financial operations, including budgets, funding sources and allocation of resources,” confidential.”

The shocking confirmation of the rumored NDA was part of an alarming report regarding a former New Smyrna Beach Middle School student who was diagnosed with “severe adolescent idiopathic scoliosis” while at school in 2019. 

Unfortunately, the District failed to notify the child’s parents of her serious medical condition.

According to the News-Journal’s report, the student’s “…cheer coach noticed a curve in her back two years later, and she was again diagnosed with scoliosis. During those two years, her back went from having a 10-degree right curvature in her spine to an approximately 65-degree top curve and a 56-degree bottom curve.”

As a result of the delay, the child was forced to undergo extensive spinal surgery, to include “spinal fusion and hardware replacement,” according to a lawsuit later filed by the family. 

To literally add insult to injury, as the lawsuit progressed, the child was moved to Spruce Creek due to “severe bullying and harassment that she was facing in New Smyrna.”  The child has since moved out of state.   

Tragic. 

The Volusia County School Board unanimously approved the $160,000 settlement last week.

Somehow, that doesn’t seem like fair and just compensation for a victim who could have avoided severe pain and suffering had someone in the District simply spoken up and notified the child’s parents…

Although the initial failure to notify the child’s parents predated Dr. Balgobin’s initial tenure as Deputy Superintendent, this appalling situation – and the life-altering result – underscores the long-term transparency and communication problems at Volusia County Schools. 

A weird pall of secrecy and obfuscation that has baffled parents, staff, educators, and stakeholders for years.

Now, some of those who were required to sign Balgobin’s NDA are rightly worried about internal reprisals should they speak about otherwise publicly available information – and many question whether the agreement violates the letter and spirit of Florida’s open records law. 

In a social media post on Sunday morning, Volusia County School Board member Donna Brosemer wrote, “Only the state and federal governments may add to the definition of what public documents are “confidential.” WHAT IS THE DISTRICT TRYING TO HIDE?”

Damn good question. 

And the rumors and speculation surrounding Carmen’s Cult of Secrecy continue to mount.

On Monday, reporter Molly Reed of News-6 met Balgobin’s wall of silence when she asked Volusia County District Schools for information regarding the non-disclosure agreement after receiving a copy from Elizabeth Albert, president of Volusia United Educators. 

“The district has not responded to requests for clarification.”

According to the News-6 report, “Albert said the union first learned about the NDA about a month ago and shared the copy they received with News 6.

“We’re very concerned, especially because we’re heading into the season of negotiations, which of course impacts salaries and benefits,” Albert said.

Despite repeated requests, Albert said the union has not been given a list of employees required to sign the agreement.

“We’re a public entity. We are funded with taxpayer money. So anything less than full financial transparency is suspicious,” she added.”

A day later, a canned press release to News 6 – signed “Volusia County Schools” – oozed out of the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand:  

“Certain Volusia County School District Employees who work in departments or roles with access to sensitive or confidential information have been asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement. This is to ensure that sensitive information, regarding students and staff, safety plans, legal proceedings, discussions, and proprietary software is not compromised.

Moreover, all the District’s budgetary and financial information are available on the VCS’s website and through the Florida Department of Education. Individuals may make public records request for this information, also.

Confidential information does not include information that is required to be disclosed by law, regulation, or court order, as expressly written in the Non-Disclosure Agreement. Volusia County Schools will always comply with the law.”

Except, the NDA specifically covers “Information regarding the District’s financial operations, including budgets, funding sources, and allocation of resources“?

And why would administrators need to enter a SCIF to discuss the educational goals of the District’s strategic plan, as explicitly listed in the NDA? 

“Nothing to see here, folks.  Keep moving.  Just ensuring nothings “compromised.”  Don’t read more into it.  We always comply with the law, except when we don’t.  Loose lips sink ships.  Shhhhhhh.  Keep moving…”

For her part, Ms. Brosemer said she plans to discuss the issue during the board’s August 12 meeting, explaining “Legally, public agencies do not have the authority to add to the definitions of what is a confidential document, so by doing that about the budget, but also about a couple of other categories, we have grossly overstepped our bounds.”

Remember when Superintendent Balgobin arrogantly accused Ms. Brosemer of “irresponsible behavior” when she demonstrated the courage to request public confirmation of internal whispers (because that’s the only way people can effectively communicate in this environment) that Ormond Beach Elementary was on the chopping block?

I can’t think of anything more patently irresponsible than demanding that public employees remain silent on budget, allocations, and strategic educational goals when Volusia County taxpayers deserve answers.

In the interest of openness and accountability, it is time for the Volusia County School Board to stop their saccharine lovefest with Balgobin and demonstrate leadership. 

That means providing oversight and accountability, demanding answers, and clearing the air with a comprehensive investigation into the stench of suspicions, rumors, and speculation that continues to waft from the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand.  

Volusia County Council of Cowards – The Politics of Appeasement

Remember reading comic books as a kid? 

One of the highlights for me was the advertisements in the back featuring gimcracks and gewgaws tailored to young readers – Sea Monkeys, Whoopie Cushions, and “X-Ray” Specs – along with self-improvement “courses” like the Charles Atlas Fitness Program, guaranteed to turn weaklings into confident tough guys with the beef to back it up.   

The ad was laid out in cartoon cells, with the headline “The Insult That Made a Man Out of Mac.” 

The scene opens with “Mac” and his best girl laying on the beach under an umbrella when a burly bully kicks sand on them. 

“Hey, quit kicking sand on us!” Mac mewls.   

In response, Mac’s brawny tormentor grabs him by a scrawny arm and warns, “Listen here.  I’d smash your face…. only you’re so skinny you might dry up and blow away.”

Horribly emasculated in front of his disgusted girlfriend, Mac decides to order the Atlas bodybuilding course and is “later” transformed into a strapping strongman who takes the big bully out with one punch.

Now, the self-assured Mac is the envy of all the girls on the strand – hailed by all as the “Hero of the Beach!”

I was reminded of that old come-on this week as the Volusia County Council acted for all the world like that timid soul Caspar Milquetoast, “The man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick,” when they chose to ask “pretty please” in the face of rank aggression by those craven “rent-a-representatives” in Tallahassee…   

With the emphasis on tucking into a hot catered lunch, our elected dullards on the dais of power in DeLand rushed to clear the deck of how to address SB-180.  The new law was couched by the developer-controlled Florida legislature as a means of cutting red tape for property owners attempting to rebuild their homes and lives in the aftermath of a hurricane.

In reality, the law is a ruthless assault on Home Rule charter government by a wholly owned state government intent on destroying the concept of local democracy and self-determination to expedite the greed-crazed profit motives of their political benefactors.   

The legislature’s blatant end-run paves the way (literally) for even more unchecked development across the state, and represents a frightening beatdown of local elected officials, preempting virtually all municipal and county comprehensive plans, land development regulations, procedures for the review, approval, or issuance of site plans, development orders, and moratoriums retroactive to August 1, 2024.

In some cases the law overturns the will of Florida voters in favor of special interests by invalidating voter approved protections, such as Orange County’s rural boundary charter amendment (which passed with 73% of the vote), and the City of Deltona’s recent attempt to enact a moratorium on new development until serious flooding and utilities concerns can be addressed.

In fact, many local governments across the state have been forced to sheepishly repeal growth management measures – including much needed enhanced stormwater regulations – in the face of legal threats and saber-rattling by emboldened development interests.

Last month, rather than aggressively pushback against this historic threat to local decision-making – such as supporting the City of Deltona’s efforts to defy state overreach, demanding a special legislative session to overturn the law, or taking the lead in organizing other cities and counties considering a combined statewide legal challenge – the Volusia County Council faint-heartedly directed the county attorney to prepare a “discussion item” to consider suggestions for amending SB-180…

This week, the council shoehorned their tepid “discussion” of the most clear and present threat to our collective quality of life before their lunch got cold… 

During the public participation portion of the agenda item, environmental activist Cathrine Pante rightfully suggested that going to Tallahassee during next year’s legislative session – hat-in-hand – to ask for amendments to the law is a “weak” approach.

According to Pante, the timing of the process would prevent Volusia’s proposed rural boundary amendment from making it on the 2026 ballot, and accurately explained the well camouflaged purpose of the law to our slack-jawed “representatives” on the dais:

“Let’s call SB 180 what it truly is: A calculated move by the Legislature, aided by our local delegation, to strip away local authority and eliminate Home Rule.  It was designed not to be amended, but to serve powerful development interests that now dominate the legislative process.”

Well said.

With lunch waiting in the back, council members voted unanimously to direct the county’s lobbyist to make entreaty to our powerful state overseers seeking modest amendments to the law that narrow the focus to exempt properties damaged by hurricanes from local regulations.

In other words, correct the language to better represent the stated purpose of the law.

Does anyone think mealy-mouth groveling is going to work with that bunch in Tallahassee?   

In my view, Councilman (and current Florida Senate candidate) Jake Johansson epitomized the council’s kowtowing to the state’s abject thuggery when he whimpered:

“I still think the best way to move forward is to work collaboratively to try to get these changes in there without stirring the pot.  We’ve seen a couple counties stir the pot and they’re not in a good place right now compared to us, and I want to protect what we have from being preempted in the future as well.”

Really? 

How “collaborative” were those aloof members of Volusia’s legislative delegation when they voted to gut our sacred right to self-determination?

Did anyone get the impression our legislators were willing to compromise and cooperate with threatened local communities when they defended their vote on SB-180 at the West Volusia town hall last month? 

In my experience, trying to appease bullies never works. 

Pleading with those who intentionally misuse the legislative process (by hiding the true purpose of laws that benefit their political benefactors) is cowardly – and counter to the concept of self-governance, and the right of We, The Little People to control our destiny and preserve our quality of life.   

The more power and control you surrender to an aggressor – the more you dance to their tune, capitulate to demands, and rollover in the face of belligerence – the more dominance they will assert.   

Because power, ascendency, and control are the nature of the relationship between a subjugator and their victim…  

Quote of the Week

“There were lots of times he had somebody meet him at the house … to bring him cash,” Langston claimed, noting that she did not know who the person was.

“People would come with money bags, and he would get cash,” she added.

She also recalled an incident at a steakhouse in Washington, D.C. She and Mills were having dinner with Shannon Doyle and Jeffrey Kroeker, Mills’ fellow corporate directors at PACEM North Canada Inc., according to a filing that was updated in December. “They did not speak about business at all, but Cory did leave with money,” Langston said.”

— Lindsey Langston, reigning Miss United States and Columbia County, Florida Republican State Committeewoman, as quoted by reporters Courtney Weil and Jill Savage in Blaze Media, “Miss United States accuses Rep. Cory Mills of sextortion, accepting ‘money bags,’” Monday, August 5, 2025

Welp, my fellow “Fun Coasters,” U.S. Representative Cory Mills was back in the news this week. 

Twice. 

And one of those revelations is a flippin’ doozy…   

It was recently reported that Congressman Mills, who represents Seminole County and parts of southern Volusia County, was being evicted from his luxury penthouse apartment in Washington D.C. after owing a reported $85,000 in back rent on the $20,833 a month lease.  In addition to his D.C. digs, it has been reported that Rep. Mills also rents a beach house in New Smyrna Beach.

For the record, Rep. Mills earns $170,000 a year as a member of Congress.  His estimated net worth fluctuates from the sublime to the ridiculous depending upon where you look… 

In March, it was reported that Mills is under investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics for possibly “omitting or misrepresenting” information on financial disclosures, accepting excessive campaign contributions, and benefiting from government contracts while in office.

On Monday, we learned in a report by the News-Journal’s Mark Harper that Rep. Mills has apparently made good on the back rent fiasco and will not face eviction from his Washington penthouse next month. 

“The notice does not state how much Mills paid or whether he will remain a tenant of the luxury $20,833-per-month penthouse. But the congressman himself acknowledged the development in a text message to The News-Journal.

All is paid, sir,” Mills responded to an inquiry.”

That clears that up, I guess…

Then, the bizarre life and times of Rep. Cory Mills went completely off the rails on Monday when a shocking article appeared in Blaze Media. 

According to the incredibly disturbing report, Lindsey Langston, the reigning Miss United States and current Republican Committeewoman from Columbia County (who claims to have been in a personal relationship with Mills), has made horrific allegations of sexual extortion, physical threats, and possible financial irregularities by the sitting Congressman.

(Assuming a congressman having bags of cash delivered to his home can still be described as “out of the norm” at this point…)

According to the article, Ms. Langston’s accusations have been reported to both the Columbia County, Florida Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Find the salacious details here: https://tinyurl.com/f5x66jyx

I’ll warn you in advance, the accusations are shocking to the conscience…  

(Assuming anything a member of congress does in their personal life could still be considered scandalous, outrageous, or disgusting…)

I found it interesting that Ms. Langston is represented by the one and only Anthony Sabatini – the Republican firebrand and Mount Dora attorney who has recently made a cottage industry of representing “Fun Coast” mayors – to include Deltona’s always controversial Santiago Avila, Jr and Palm Coast’s embattled Mike Norris.  

In 2022, Mr. Sabatini – a voracious critic of Rep. Mills – was one of eight Republicans who ran in the 7th District congressional primary against Mills, who won with 37.9%.

According to the News-Journal, Rep. Mills denies the allegations against him, and explained, “Anthony Sabatini is weaponizing the legal system to launch a political attack against the man who beat him in the primary, using his corporate legal office to push a narrative built on lies and flawed legal arguments −all to score political headlines,” Mills said.

“These claims are false and misrepresent the nature of my interactions. I have always conducted myself with integrity, both personally and in service to Florida’s 7th District,” Mills said.”

Jesus.  I hope so. 

In my view, if half of the coercive, manipulative, and frighteningly threatening text messages attributed to Rep. Mills are true – someone with a badge in the pocket of their suitcoat needs to get off their ass and take a hard look at Florida statutes prohibiting threats and extortion – along with federal prohibitions on publishing non-consensual intimate imagery, a protection which was signed into law by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

If Ms. Langston’s allegations are proven true, Mills should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of his powerful political influence in Washington.   

The acrid smoke surrounding Rep. Mills is getting too thick to ignore, and the repeatedly embarrassed residents of the 7^th District deserve better…

And Another Thing!

I’ll be honest, I know I don’t look a day over 80 – but I turn 65 today (trust me, no one is more perplexed than me, and my mystified personal physician…) 

65. The gateway to the confusing new reality of blotchy “old people skin” and navigating the labyrinth of Medicare Parts A, B, D & G

A symbolic milestone marking the disorienting transition into the gloaming of my life. 

To quote my hero Augustus McCrae, “It’s been a hell of a party…”

I feel incredibly fortunate and began the day quietly thanking God for another year, all the wonderful blessings in my life (which includes everyone who takes the time to read these screeds), and giving thanks for all the people who have been put in my path that had my best interest at heart – or taught me the tough lesson that not everyone does…  

As I age not-so-gracefully – a Gin-soaked geriatric with a pack-a-day habit and diminishing tolerance for douche-baggery in all its forms – I still enjoy working the Rubic’s Cube of local politics, figuring out the motives, machinations, and agendas of those we elect here on the “Fun Coast.” 

Keeps my mind limber.

Although I must admit, it is getting increasingly difficult for me to sit through hours of those well-choreographed kabuki’s that pass for local council and commission meetings, even fortified with a dram or three of Tullamore Dew and three-fingers of a strong antiemetic, it’s getting tough…  

This week, I watched a few snippets from the Volusia County Council meeting, lamenting the fact I won’t have Volusia’s Growth and Resource Management Director Clay Ervin to kick around anymore… 

According to reports, Mr. Ervin entered a well-deserved retirement from the roil and rumble of county government last week. 

I wish him all the best with what comes next.    

This week, our elected dullards appointed the decennial Volusia Charter Review Commission – a mixed bag of former politicians, business and insurance executives, a retired judge, a prominent land use attorney, an environmentalist, and retired city manager. 

 Not a lot of Joe & Jane Lunchpails trying to eke out a living in this artificial economy on the list… 

Being the infernal optimist that I am, my hope is the commission will prove to be a well-balanced group with diverse opinions who will meet with open minds, consider citizen input, and decide on potential changes to Volusia’s governing document for voter approval.

We’ll see…

The venerated former Volusia County Council member Pat Northey is back from the 2016 Charter Review Commission, along with Cobb Cole land use attorney Mark Watts – former Chair J. Hyatt Brown is conspicuously not…

The big question this week was how/if the Volusia County Council would tackle the increasingly awkward question of what to do with “Dempsey’s Folly,” now that so much of the public’s time and money have been invested in exploring a potential motorcross track on 356-acres of “conservation” land off State Road 44.

Admittedly, I got a chuckle out of what passed for deliberation of how to move forward…

For his part, Chairman Jeff Brower took a circuitous track (pun intended) to get to the point that the proposed motorcross facility (and the weird funding scheme that got us here) is considered by many to be Councilman Dempsey’s “pet project.”

Because it is…

According to an excellent report by reporter Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal this week, “(Brower) noted that Dempsey voted against the pilot program to allow dogs on Ormond Beach, which has since become a permanent feature. During that discussion, Dempsey said people could go to Flagler County instead.

Brower pointed out that Flagler County already has a track. Brower said he was concerned it would go out of business if a county built a motocross facility.”  

In listening to his concerns about the Flagler County track, I found it odd that the normally environmentally conscious Chairman Brower virtually cooed over the number and variety of wildlife – deer, sandhill cranes, and alligators – that, he suggests, are all raising their young nearby and “takeover” the track each evening when the roar is done for the day. 

Others suggested the same magnificent biodiversity would appear once the Volusia facility is built – right in the middle of a designated wildlife corridor. 

Does anyone think that’s a good idea?  

After listening to Chairman Brower’s fumbling’s, I thought – What the hell else does he expect these claustrophobic creatures to do?  Move?

Where?

Then, in a stunning reversal from his usual foot-dragging, parliamentary procrastination, and penchant for kicking the proverbial can down the dusty political trail – Councilman David “No Show” Santiago announced he was “proud” to support the motorcross facility – before making a motion to have their consultant explore a potential public/private partnership and bring the matter back for discussion in December.  

According to the News-Journal, “Santiago said he wants the Council to make a final decision on direction instead of a slow “drip” of decisions.”

“Let’s rip this Band-Aid off. Let’s get on with it,” he said.”

Really?

On serious issues that directly impact the lives, livelihoods, and quality of life of Volusia County residents, “No Show” Santiago invariably needs more time/information/discussion/studies/staff input/PowerPoints/workshops/ad nauseum but when it comes to Dempsey’s motorcross facility – paid for with millions-of-dollars in public funds earmarked for passive outdoor recreation and environmental conservation – “Let’s rip the Band-Aid off this Sucker and get on with it!”

I don’t make this shit up, folks…

Others who participate in the sport enthusiastically support the idea. 

Time will tell. 

The next discussion of “Dempsey’s Folly” is scheduled for the December 2nd Volusia County Council meeting in DeLand.

Just in time for Christmas…

That’s all for me.  School starts for Volusia County students on Monday – let’s drive carefully out there, y’all!

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Schools – Lack of District Transparency Hits Home

“Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.“

–James Madison

I always get a chuckle when insiders tell me how this blog is received in the gilded Ivory Tower of Power of local government organizations.

Admittedly, I take perverse pleasure in hearing about the overwhelming angst these screeds evoke in some thin-skinned senior executives – all commanding six-figure salaries, with astronomical benefit packages and golden parachutes to cushion the inevitable fall – who dramatically overreact to the criticism of some guy up in north Ormond sitting around in his boxer shorts banging out his civic frustrations…

Elected officials and appointed administrators are quick to point out that not everything you read on blogs or social media is true – and that’s correct. 

This is just one man’s opinion. Nothing more.

Unfortunately, like repeatedly touching a hot stove, Volusia County taxpayers have learned the hard way that not everything coming out of the bureaucratic spin machine in local governments and taxing authorities is based in fact either. 

That leads to speculation and distrust.   

They can’t have it both ways…

Last week, someone in the know told me that Barker’s View has been blocked on all Volusia County School electronic devices.  A means (I suppose) of ensuring staff and “stakeholders” are prevented from hearing any alternative to the all-encompassing optimism and bureaucratic spin of Superintendent Carmen Balgobin’s tightlipped administration.   

ACHTUNG! The All-Knowing, Benevolent, and Imperial Leader has compassionately saved you from unwitting exposure to the swill of lies and discontent disgorging from that fetid sewer that is Barker’s View!  Return to your toil, Dalits!  Never mind those little people behind the velvet curtain!

I don’t know whether to be angry, amused, or proud of the accomplishment…  

As a horribly uneducated rube, I haven’t studied social studies or comparative government in any formal way since my habitually truant days of high school. So, I found a dogeared textbook and turned to an explanation of authoritarian leadership and consolidation of power through the suppression of dissent:

“The control of information is another crucial lever of power for authoritarian leaders. By monopolizing the media landscape or heavily censoring internet access, regimes can drown out dissent and promote favorable narratives. Media channels under the regime’s thumb are used to propagate ideology, reinforce the leader’s image, and broadcast messages that deter mobilization of anti-regime sentiments. Coupled with this, state authorities often restrict access to independent news sources or block foreign media perceived as hostile.”

That’s when the District’s suppression of alternative opinions all made perfect sense.

Regardless, the censorship thing had a weird feel to it, but what I learned next borders on the pathological.

It recently came to my attention that Superintendent Balgobin is requiring that senior district employees sign non-disclosure agreements, a legally binding document effectively insulating what should be the “public” record by effectively silencing those with direct knowledge of district administrative practices.

At present, no one seems to know how far down the chain of command “Carmen’s Cloak of Secrecy” extends…

I cannot think of anything more corrosive to the idea of government in the sunshine – or more chilling to our sacred right of free speech – than demanding silence (and fealty) from recipients of public funds.   

After reviewing the agreement, it classifies “Confidential Information” as student records, legal matters, IT credentials, security plans, certain personnel information, disabilities, and health records – information already specifically protected by both Florida and Federal law.    

Then, things cross into the realm of persecutory paranoia, delusional mistrust, and a potential violation of Florida’s open records law…

Inconceivably, the NDA specifically prohibits the disclosure of “Information regarding the District’s financial operations, including budgets, funding sources, and allocation of resources,” including “Strategic planning documents and information.”  Further, the confidentiality pact expands to “Non-public communications between and among District personnel, the Department of Education, parents, students, and community stakeholders.” 

So, are all “community stakeholders” equal? 

Or are some more equal than others, authorized to receive “confidential information” from senior staff that lesser “stakeholders” (like me and you) may not be entitled to?

Then, as an all-inclusive (and highly subjective) blanket protection, the Balgobin NDA bars public employees from disclosing “Other information specifically designated as confidential by the District during the Employee’s tenure.”

“That’s Top Secret!” 

“Why?”

“Because I said so, that’s why!”

Frightening… 

Now, the overriding question of silenced employees inside Balgobin’s cloistered clique – and those of us who pay the bills – is why this cult of secrecy exists in a tax supported public entity?   

More disturbing, why are our elected representatives on the School Board allowing it?

Especially when the state of Florida has enacted serious civil and criminal penalties for violations of our venerated Sunshine Law.  Statutory regulations which allow citizens unfettered access to public meetings, the ability to receive and review records, speak truth to power, seek answers, and hold government leaders accountable for their actions.

For example, Florida law governing the fiscal transparency required of school districts specifically speaks to the importance of openness to ensuring the public’s understanding, and trust:

“It is important for school districts to provide budgetary transparency to enable taxpayers, parents, and education advocates to obtain school district budget and related information in a manner that is simply explained and easily understandable. Budgetary transparency leads to more responsible spending, more citizen involvement, and improved accountability. A budget that is not transparent, accessible, and accurate cannot be properly analyzed, its implementation thoroughly monitored, or its outcomes evaluated.”

That said, why would Superintendent Balgobin explicitly suppress the discussion of “Information regarding the District’s financial operations, including budgets?”

On Tuesday, the Volusia County School Board approved the tentative budget for 2025-26 at $1.175 Billion…

Last week in this space I wrote my jumbled thoughts on a shocking revelation by Volusia County School Board member Donna Brosemer that suggests the not-easily-explained manipulation of performance metrics by the Balgobin administration that reclassifies low-performing students to increase school grades and “improve” graduation rates. 

Is this covenant of secrecy designed to insulate District administrators and their “experts” who engage in the strategic pencil whipping of student performance data under the “Other information specifically designated as confidential” clause? 

Is there something more sinister afoot? 

Again, that’s the problem with nonsensical secrecy – it breeds speculation. 

And distrust…  

In my view, Volusia County taxpayers should have the ability to speak with senior school administrators about issues of community concern, seek answers to how our tax dollars are being allocated, and obtain information at its source. 

As a recipient of public funds, Dr. Balgobin should understand that she is duty bound to serve in the public interest – obey Florida’s open records laws – and conform to the ethical standards of her profession.

Here’s an irrefutable fact from up here in the cheap seats: Secrecy and intentional concealment in public organizations always comes with consequences…

Cui Bono?  Who Benefits from Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris’ Downfall?   

I’ve said this before, but trite childishness driven by an overweening need for the spotlight of political drama and turmoil have become the hallmark of the Palm Coast City Council.  An ongoing embarrassment to residents who deserve better, and a testament to how far development interests will go to maintain power and control.

That trait isn’t unique to Palm Coast…

To keep the rancor and roil going, last week, the majority of the Palm Coast City Council (two of whom are unelected appointees) made good on their threat to ask Gov. Ron DeSantis to overturn the will (and sacred vote) of Palm Coast voters by ousting Mayor Mike Norris from his duly elected office.

Why? 

In my view, because “special interests” in the all-powerful real estate development community want Norris’ political head on a pike after he had the temerity to utter the “M” word. 

As you may remember, in March, Mayor Norris called for a moratorium on growth until the city’s already overstressed utilities infrastructure and flooding concerns can be adequately addressed.  At present, the city’s inadequate facilities (currently under a Florida Department of Environmental Destruction consent decree) have resulted in existing Palm Coast residents suffering some of the most onerous water and sewer rates in the state to pay for $512 million in needed upgrades.      

The mere mention of the word resulted in a telling ‘show of force’ as described by FlaglerLive.com:

“Mobilized like an army by the Flagler County Home Builders Association, the dump truck and trailers and semi cabs and pick-ups lined City Place and spilled onto Lake Avenue by City Hall this morning, their crews clustered in groups against the morning chill, a large “SAVE OUR CITY” banner stretched across the flank of a truck, with a red circle-backlash symbol painted over the head of Mayor Mike Norris.”  

The intent of that “demonstration” was clearly not lost of the other four members of the Palm Coast City Council, and Norris’ motion unceremoniously died for lack of a second.

The silence was deafening.

Undeterred by the input of angry residents demanding substantive relief from malignant overdevelopment, those developer shills on the dais of power launched an unrelenting barrage of “investigations,” allegations, insinuation, censures, alienation, and marginalization against Mayor Norris – including a half-baked complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics…    

The brutality of the attacks wasn’t particularly skillful (or original), a cheap adaptation of the political Meidung employed by pliable elected tools set on destroying the personal and political credibility of independent freethinkers to ensure lockstep conformity in service to their political benefactors.

This week, the Florida Commission on Ethics dismissed the City Commission’s “complaint” against Mayor Norris citing “legal insufficiency.” 

Citing a laundry list of embroidered “outrageous conduct” – including “malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty and incompetence,” along with Norris’ failed lawsuit challenging the appointment of Councilman Charles Gambaro – the remainder of the city’s compromised council members wrote a letter last week asking Gov. DeSantis to use the power of his office to suspend Mayor Norris and appoint a “temporary replacement” to fulfill the duties of mayor.

If Gov. DeSantis acts to remove Mayor Norris, the majority of the Palm Coast City Council would be comprised of unelected appointees sympathetic to development interests…  

How tragic.  How terribly Un-American.

On Monday, Mayor Norris hosted a town hall independent of city government which drew a supportive crowd of 150+ residents. 

According to a report in the Palm Coast Observer, “Many asked him (Norris) how they could help him. One man encouraged others to write to Gov. Ron DeSantis to support Norris and prevent him from being removed from office — and to sign a petition to remove Gambaro.

Norris thanked the crowd.

“It does my heart good to know I’ve got people that support me,” he said. “I’ve been beat down since May, and I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

Where does it end? 

Who ultimately benefits from Mayor Norris’ downfall?

In my view, this is a clear example of how greed-crazed special interests will shit on our freedoms, destroy our quality of life, and use their elected (appointed) shills to manipulate the system – including wholly ignoring the fundamental concepts of a representative democracy – anything to serve the mercenary interests of a few at the expense of many.  

In Volusia County: “Progress” > The “Tree of Life”  

“Commissioner (Brian) Ashley said it is a “really difficult” decision to approve cutting down historic trees, “because these trees are fantastic creatures, and no one likes to see a tree destroyed.

“In the course of the growth of New Smyrna Beach, we are going to run into situation where, for the greater good, a tree has to go, or a couple of trees have to go,” Ashley said. “I love trees, but when we have people who are making a very, very strong effort to preserve whatever they can while providing a community service, I think that’s kind of noble.”

–New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Brian Ashley, as quoted by reporter Brenno Carillo in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “NSB approves new medical office project on SR 44 at cost of historic trees,” Monday, July 28, 2025

Last weekend, my wife and I had dinner with friends in New Smyrna Beach, a once quaint beach community and the embodiment of the now lost ‘Old Florida’ lifestyle.  A unique vibe many areas of our increasingly claustrophobic state are trying (and spending) desperately to recreate.  

Unfortunately, nothing screams phony quite like a faux-beach town crafted around a contrived Jimmy Buffett lyric…   

Too late for all that now.

Like the rest of those inimitable places that laid their natural amenities and laidback quality of life on the altar of greed – then watched helplessly as some compromised schlubs they elected sold paradise for a false version of “progress” – around the dinner table we all agreed that New Smyrna isn’t what it used to be.

And the specter of Deering Park will sadly be the region’s coup de grâce…

On July 22, the New Smyrna Beach City Commission voted 3-2 to allow the destruction of three historic trees to (literally) pave the way for a two-story medical office and “wellness” complex on State Road 44. 

Mayor Fred Cleveland and Vice Mayor Lisa Martin voted against the removal. 

Once the damage was done, Commissioner Martin held her ground during the subsequent vote to greenlight the project, while Mayor Cleveland figured “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” and the vote was 4-1 to approve the development…

In an eerily similar move, last month, the DeLand City Commission rubber stamped the wholesale destruction of 62 historic trees – mostly beautiful live oaks – which have stood for decades along the community “gateway” that is Cassadaga Road, to accommodate another “combination of warehouse and commercial space.”

At the time, Commissioner Richard Paiva whimpered about the weighty decision that had befallen the elected body, “These types of decisions are a little challenging for us because I get reminded by people who object that we are Tree City USA.”

“This is not easy,” Paiva said, “but in this case, if we say yes to trees, we’re kind of saying no to business and to jobs.”

Bullshit. 

Anyone else sick and tired of the disingenuous puling of complicit elected officials who turn every environmental decision into a handwringing moral conundrum – then invariably vote to facilitate more, more, more development while thousands of square feet of commercial space remain vacant throughout the region?

All at the cost of more trees, greenspace, wetlands, wildlife habitat, etcetera…

I find that sanctimonious horseshit infuriating.   

Year after year, Florida loses thousands of acres of old growth natural forest and tree canopy through the deforestation inherent to destructive slash-and-burn land clearing for residential and commercial development. The malignant sprawl results in habitat loss and fragmentation, threats to biodiversity, increased competition for water, and more stress on our now overwhelmed utilities and infrastructure.  

Our patronizing ‘powers that be’ should understand their constituents are smart enough to see that this rapid erosion of what we hold dear happens one tree at a time…

Quote of the Week

“These officials, including those on the Deltona City Commission, knew there would be issues with any new land development regulations they sought to pass, including the moratorium proposed by the City. Commissioner Howington stated in a letter to the governor that, “SB 180 would restrict municipalities from enacting certain types of ordinances” as she knew it would directly impact her push for a moratorium in Deltona.

Even though SB 180 was likely to be signed by the governor because of the overwhelming legislative support, some commissioners in Deltona doubled down to pass an ordinance that would be in direct defiance of state legislation. On June 30, 2025, after SB 180 had been signed and was in full effect, Deltona passed an ordinance to institute a moratorium in Deltona. Being unable to locate the economic impact report on the city’s website (as required prior to approving a moratorium), it is hard to say what economic impact this moratorium will have on the city and what type of funds will need to be made up by the residents. What is quite clear is that four of Deltona’s commissioners have said that building a new home in a community in Deltona is good for me, but not for thee.”

–Volusia Building Industry Association Executive Director Allison Root, as excerpted from her op/ed in the West Volusia Beacon, “Deltona’s moratorium: a lesson in neglecting the law,” Tuesday, July 22, 2025  

“I find it outrageous that Allison Root, executive officer of the Volusia Building Industry Association and longtime Deltona resident, is standing up for developers instead of her neighbors. Deltona should have a moratorium on development. Our city needs to fix the infrastructure before another major rain event. Allowing development to continue while this problem isn’t addressed is dumb. But, I don’t have a financial interest in allowing development like Allison Root does.

When I cannot get out of Deltona because all the roads are flooded with pumps running 24-7 to get to my job, it costs me money on my paycheck. When Louise Lake is overflowing onto Courtland Boulevard, it is a problem that allowing more development will not fix. Volusia County is currently taking steps to fix the county infrastructure; why shouldn’t Deltona do the same?”

–Deltona Resident Terry Desjardins, as excerpted from the West Volusia Beacon editorial “Deltona needs its development moratorium,” Tuesday, July 29, 2025

The debate between waterlogged residents across the width and breadth of Volusia County and development interests continues – while the bulldozers roar…

And Another Thing!

For years, municipal and county governments in Volusia County have chosen to deal with the “homeless problem” by not dealing with it. 

I know. I helped perpetuate the problem for years.

For good or ill, President Donald Trump just changed all that…

Last Week, President Trump signed an executive order to “…restore order to American cities and remove vagrant individuals from our streets, redirecting federal resources toward programs that tackle substance abuse and returning to the acute necessity of civil commitment.”

That means big changes are coming to the way communities deal with homelessness, and it won’t be pretty to watch…  

The order redirects federal funding to ensure that individuals living on the streets – often people suffering from serious mental illness and addiction – are moved into “treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or other facilities.”

The unfortunate reality is residential treatment centers are few and far between around these parts, and something tells me the idea of the involuntary internment of homeless persons for the “crime” of not having a roof over their heads, won’t be well received by homeless advocacies and service providers at the tip of the spear.      

But one thing is clear, doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result is no longer an option…  

In my view, for too long, Volusia County and its municipalities have put the bulk of scarce homeless assistance funds into that enigmatic housing assistance program misleadingly known as First Step Shelter. 

In turn, the First Step Board of Directors (when not defending the “shelter’s” executive director) run interference for politicians who supply its lifeblood by touting the number of people moved into their definition of “permanent housing.”

That concept was recently explained by a verbose board member on social media as a “complex network of programs including VA vouchers, transitional housing, recovery facilities, private landlords willing to work with case-managed clients, and partnerships with Changing Homelessness.”   

Whatever that means…  

The unfortunate reality is that every community in Volusia County still experience a very noticeable homeless population – the drunk, drugged, lame, and crazy – those who are physically or mentally incapable of maintaining a safe place to live and obviously don’t meet the “criteria” for acceptance onto First Step’s “path to housing.”   

I live in Ormond Beach – a beachside community with an overly high opinion of itself – that currently gifts First Step $82,000 of our tax dollars annually.  Despite the fact many of our elected officials use that money as false evidence they are “doing something,” the visible reality is we have a growing number of homeless people inhabiting commercial areas and neighborhoods.    

For instance, one morning last week, I counted five obviously homeless people – all their worldly belongings in bindles, on bicycles, or stuffed into trash bags – ambling along the tony main thoroughfare of Granada Boulevard between Nova Road and Beach Street.

In a recent editorial in the Ormond Beach Observer, a concerned resident urged city officials to do something to help homeless persons living the area of a proposed Walmart Supercenter expansion on SR-40, citing “…there’s still a big issue with homelessness that won’t just go away.”

Unfortunately, the majority of Ormond Beach elected officials go to great lengths to convince anyone watching that everything’s fine (because what else are they going to say?).

In May, as a means of publicly embarrassing Mayor Jason Leslie for having the temerity to question the effectiveness of Ormond Beach’s sizeable contribution to First Step, the remainder of the City Commission scoffed at him before firing off a nonsensical letter of support to the First Step board…    

For what?

This ‘head in the sand’ approach by elected officials across Volusia County is both heartbreaking and infinitely frustrating – and “success stories” don’t mean shit so long as there is a sizeable population suffering withering heat, desperate cold, thunderstorms, and indignities on the streets without a viable alternative.

Tragically, in other parts of the country, the problem is infinitely worse – with massive homeless encampments encroaching on city streets, bridges and overpasses turned into tent cities, with open drug use, rampant street crime, victimization, and exploitation – an apocalyptic disintegration of good order that has destroyed the economic viability of some of America’s largest cities.

According to President Trump’s directive, shifting homeless persons “into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment is the most proven way to restore public order.”  Rest assured that using law enforcement and involuntary institutionalization to combat a social/health/economic problem is going to receive very vocal pushback from social service providers.

Almost immediately, something called the National Homeless Law Center fired the first salvo saying, in part, “Today’s executive order, combined with MAGA’s budget cuts for housing and healthcare, will increase the number of people forced to live in tents, in their cars, and on the streets. This order does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet. The safest communities are those with the most housing and resources, not those that make it a crime to be poor or sick. Forced treatment is unethical, ineffective, and illegal.”

So, it appears we are going from a hands-off approach to involuntary incarcerating homeless people – without any currently available options for confining or treating those less fortunate in Volusia County – beyond a few underfunded non-profits and an incredibly expensive “housing program” recently put on a short leash by those government entities who pay for it.

Perhaps now Volusia County will finally get the come as you are homeless shelter we were promised in the first place?

In my view, as we face this quantum change in the way we address homelessness, now is the time to determine the when, where, why, and how scarce public funds can be used to serve the largest number of people in need within growing budget and resource constraints.    

We’ll see…

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

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia County Schools – Cause for Concern

“Volusia County Schools is now an A district for the first time since the 2008-2009 school year. What were some of the strategies that the district implemented to help achieve this?

There is still a disconnect between our proficiency rates and our graduation rates.

I know that the teachers work very hard to get their kids over the finish line. There are other strategies that the district uses that are a little harder to explain, and that includes transferring out the lower performing students who they know are not likely to graduate, so that they are in either online school or alternative schools or charter schools, and they don’t count against their assigned school’s graduation rate.  

I’m still trying to find out exactly how that works and see what we can do to make our numbers between proficiency and graduation come closer together.”

–As excerpted from the Ormond Beach Observer, “Policies for proficiency: Q+A with Volusia County School Board member Donna Brosemer,” Wednesday, July 16, 2025

I admire Volusia County School Board member Donna Brosemer. 

In an atmosphere where toxic positivity conceals the ugly truth, it takes courage to say the quiet part out loud, and speak truth to powerful appointed bureaucrats with no political liability and little external oversight…   

As a longtime observer of Volusia County politics, I knew from the moment Ms. Brosmer challenged the entrenched Carl Persis for the District 4 seat her road ahead would be craggy and fraught with impediments to progress.

For the first time in a long time, Volusia County District Schools was getting a true conservative voice – not another obsequious bobble-head doing the bidding of influential insiders or a whackadoodle comedienne still haunted by her oddball performance at an out-of-town confab – but a thoughtful leader with strategic vision in service to stakeholders.    

In my view, Ms. Brosemer brings a refreshing competence to a board in desperate need of independent thought, openness, and a sense that those elected to represent the interest of taxpayers should do just that.

Last week, Ms. Brosemer sat for an interview with the Ormond Beach Observer – an exchange which provided insight into her priorities for Volusia County schools – and a shocking revelation that seemed to mirror the manipulation of student enrollments in other districts around the state as a means of artificially bolstering graduation rates…

Most notably, in June, Fox 35 Orlando reported that a Florida Office of Inspector General investigation found credible evidence of misconduct by the former superintendent and assistant superintendent of Sumpter County Schools.  The investigation determined the administration, “…engaged in systemic falsification of student data by establishing so-called “shell schools” at various campuses across the county dating back to 2016.”

According to Fox 35, the OIA found that low-performing students were withdrawn from their assigned schools and enrolled — without their knowledge or parental consent — in a district-run virtual school under a separate school code to inflate “performance metrics.”

Sounds eerily familiar to what Ms. Brosemer described at Volusia County Schools…

Earlier this month, Superintendent Balgobin said in a press release published in the Observer:

“This A is more than a measure of academic success; it is a reflection of a district and a community that chose to come together — with purpose and with heart — to ignite a passion for learning in all students. When our School Board, families, staff, and community partners stand together and work hard, our students and community excel.” 

In a video address, Dr. Balgobin described the districts success as a “special moment more than 15 years in the making.”

“An achievement of this magnitude didn’t happen by accident,” she said. “It truly happened by design. It took a lot of heart, hard work, intentionality and a strong belief in our mission of igniting a passion for learning in all students.”

According to Balgobin’s gushing “July News Bites,” 100% of Volusia County schools scored an A, B, or C – “No Ds or Fs,” the 94% graduation rate is the second highest in Central Florida, with all high schools rated A or B “for the first time in district history.”

Excuse my skepticism…

In my view, the reign of Superintendent Carmen Balgobin and her top-heavy administration has been marked by a lack of transparency.  A pathological need to sugarcoat and keep what happens in the Ivory Tower of Power in DeLand a secret from both the School Board and those of us who pay the bills.

Time, and time, and time again…

When you add the School Board’s standard practice of allowing the tail to wag the dog – serving as a virtual rubber stamp for the administration rather than our elected oversight – in my view, the environment is ripe for abuse and manipulation.

If you have children still enrolled in Volusia County public schools or pay taxes to support them, this revelation is truly cause for concern.

If this magical transformation is less “purpose and heart” and more systemic manipulation to skew graduation rates as described, then it will be incumbent upon the Inspector General – and the Volusia County School Board – to take swift action to preserve the public trust and save students, teachers, and staff from the lasting stigma of manufactured “success.”  

City of Daytona Beach – A New “Watchdog” at City Hall 

“For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight.”

–The White House, February 3, 2025  

“At their Wednesday July 16 meeting, (Daytona Beach) commissioners voted to hire Abinet Belachew, a seasoned auditing and financial management professional with over two decades of experience, to be their new city auditor.

Belachew has most recently served as director of the Office of Financial Management for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In his role, which is being eliminated as part of federal government cuts under the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, he managed a $1.2 billion budget and led a team responsible for financial reporting, internal controls and compliance in high-risk international environments…”

–Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Daytona Beach’s new internal auditor will keep a close eye on tax dollars,” Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Earlier this week, the City of Daytona Beach hired Abinet Belachew to serve as its new internal auditor. Reporting directly to the City Commission, Mr. Belachew will be responsible for “…financial, fiscal compliance, financial procedure, legal and administrative audits of all city departments, offices, agencies and programs.”

The position was authorized by voters in 2014 and placed in the City Charter. 

According to the report, Mr. Belachew’s ancillary duties will include establishing an annual oversight plan prior to the start of each fiscal year, conducting “special audits and investigations” as directed by the commission, performing quarterly payroll audits, unannounced cash counts in all departments, and verifying pension and payroll data.

One would assume those measures were already being undertaken by the city’s Chief Financial Officer, but adding an additional set of eyes with a sole focus on ensuring fiscal accountability is a good thing – especially in a governmental organization with a budget now reaching $350 million – that continues to expand into commercial real estate, the restaurant industry, and retail grocery business…   

In my view, if the Daytona Beach City Commission sicced Mr. Belachew on ferreting out how $120+ million in public funds from the Main Street Redevelopment Area evaporated over the last 30-years – or finally determine exactly what is going on out at that enigma wrapped in a conundrum that is the First Step Shelter – he will more than earn his $163,271 annual salary… 

According to the News-Journal article, Mr. Belachew clearly has the credentials and experience for this important job; including an impressive career as director of internal audit for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, controller at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, controller for the Washington, D.C., government, and senior manager with two public accounting firms.

Unfortunately, his previous employer, USAID, where Mr. Belachew served from 2013 until the international aid organization was unceremoniously dismantled by the Trump administration earlier this year, is now widely associated with gross government waste, fraud, abuse, and a complete lack of fiscal accountability.

Having your organizations ‘financial irregularities’ spread across the front page of every newspaper in the world isn’t exactly a ‘key attribute’ for the old résumé, eh?

Oh, well. I’ll bet there is little in the way of fiscal shenanigans Mr. Belachew hasn’t seen.

Some would say having served as director of the Office of Financial Management of an agency once described as a “black hole” of taxpayer dollars – now identified with reckless spending, rewarding failure, throwing away good money after bad, funding corruption, etc. – will be a hard association for Mr. Belachew to overcome.

Others would say that it is the best preparation he could possibly have had for his new role in a municipal government in Volusia County…

Protect Volusia – A Grassroots Advocacy We Need Now, More Than Ever

Margaret Mead was right. 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Last week, three committed citizens – Elena Krafft, Robin Magleora and Britney Álamo – announced the formation of the nonprofit (and non-partisan) Protect Volusia.  The goal of the organization is advocating “…for responsible growth, government transparency and environmental preservation” throughout Volusia County. 

The notion is not lost on me that while it is one thing to mawkishly complain about problems (I do it religiously), it is quite another to put one’s time, talents, and effort into finding fundamental solutions to the seemingly intractable problems we collectively face here on Florida’s “Fun Coast.”

According to a report by Jarleene Almenas writing in the Ormond Beach Observer this week, the tree founders of Protect Volusia began their journey in civic advocacy by fighting the proposed Belvedere Fuel Terminal, an environmental and public safety abomination, that was once (and perhaps still) slated for the most inappropriate spot on the Eastern Seaboard near the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport and sports facility. 

“With the fuel terminal, we all came together to try to protect our community,” Krafft said. “We got to meet such wonderful people. I couldn’t believe the amount of people that were just, absolutely ready to fight, ready to protect the place.”

Throughout the course of the next two years, they developed a good relationship with others in the community — and that stayed with them, Krafft said. It organically grew into advocating for other issues people were facing, like flooding, development concerns and feeling unheard by their elected officials.”

In my view, the group’s well-thought mission statement is a primer for good citizenship and community advocacy:

“Our mission is to protect the health, safety, and quality of life of Volusia County residents by advocating for responsible growth, government transparency, and environmental preservation. We amplify community voices, demand accountability from elected officials, and stand up for the values that make Volusia a place worth protecting.”

That’s something we can all get behind.

Kudos to Elena Krafft, Robin Magleora and Britney Álamo – and all the environmental, growth management, and government watchdogs, activists, and advocacies in Volusia and Flagler Counties – for having the courage to stand tall and protect the wonderful attributes that make this such a special place. 

For more information, please find the Protect Volusia website at: https://protectvolusia.org/

Quote of the Week

“At the July 16 Wednesday night meeting, Mayor Derrick Henry and city commissioners Monica Paris and Quanita May didn’t share their opinions about beach driving. Henry did indicate he’d probably be fine with dogs on the beach from Seabreeze Boulevard to Williams Avenue, which is just south of Bellair Plaza.

But the mayor said beach driving is “another matter.”

“We have to talk about it,” Henry said, referring to beach driving. “It’s not quite that cut and dry for me.”

The county is hoping for a resolution of support from the city saying it wants beach driving in the stretch that includes the Main Street and Boardwalk area. But it’s not clear yet if there will be at least four commission votes to make that happen.

One solid yes vote will come from City Commissioner Stacy Cantu.

“I grew up here. I remember driving on the beach even at nighttime,” Cantu said. “I’m in total support of beach driving.”

“So am I,” said City Commissioner Paula Reed, who also grew up in Daytona Beach. “That’s what makes us the world’s most famous beach.”

City Commissioner Ken Strickland said he supports beach driving “wholeheartedly.”

The city manager said he’ll have commissioners vote on the beach driving expansion at a future meeting.

Cantu, Reed, Strickland and Henry all said they’re OK with allowing dogs on the 1.73-mile stretch from Seabreeze Boulevard to Williams Avenue.

City and county attorneys will talk now and decide how to proceed.”

–Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Daytona Beach considering beach driving from International Speedway Blvd. to Ocean Center,” Thursday, July 17, 2025

The beleaguered Main Street Merchants Association, along with what remains of Boardwalk businesses, have suffered mightily from the devastating economic impacts of removing beach driving between East International Speedway Boulevard and Auditorium Boulevard.

Last year, they approached Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower for help.  

According to estimates, Main Street businesses suffered a 50% decrease in revenue in 2000, the first summer cars were taken off the beach. 

Because the matter was brought forward by Chairman Brower, the ossified “Old Guard” on the Volusia County Council hemmed and hawed, doing everything possible to postpone and procrastinate on the issue.

Then, in an incredibly smart parliamentary chess move, Councilman Troy Kent was able to get the all-but-dead issue resurrected.  

Trust me, our ‘powers that be’ – both on the dais and those puppeteers who manipulate the rods and strings behind the scenes – aren’t accustomed to changing course, even when the results of their self-serving ideas have resulted in civic and fiscal disaster for the rest of us.

Just once, I wish those we elect to represent our interests would try something new. 

Something fun.  Something different.    

A forward-thinking strategy, one different from the stagnant status quo, that would return prosperity to the beachside by improving access to our most important economic asset. 

The return to a time when beach driving set The World’s Most Famous Beach apart, a time of vibrance, prominence, and pride – when Daytona Beach was a nationally recognized destination – before the greed factor saw politicians trade away our traditions as a cheap spiff for the next “game changing” panacea project…

In my view, Commissioners Stacy Cantu, Ken Strickland, and Paula Reed deserve thanks for their staunch support of beleaguered Main Street merchants and those Halifax area residents pushing hard to return beach driving and access.  

Smart people understand that the best way to correct a mistake is to listen to those effected, acknowledge the error, then change tack – return to what was successful – try again with the wisdom of hindsight, and stop blundering down the same path expecting a different result.

In my view, there is no shame in returning to what “worked” by restoring the amenities, draw, and access that once brought people, and prosperity, to our core tourist area.

And Another Thing!

One year ago, those self-described “fiscal conservatives” on the Volusia County Council dipped into voter approved ECHO funds – bureaucratically commandeering approximately $10 million in a scheme known as “direct county expenditures” – to include $3.5 million for Councilman Don Dempsey’s self-indulgent motocross facility to be built on property paid for with Volusia Forever conservation funds… 

You read that right.

This week, without any substantive discussion, explanation (or a second thought), they again dipped into their tax supported slush fund for an additional $5 million to cover nine new projects. 

The vote was unanimous (with Councilman Johansson absent) based on little more than a CYA staff memo and cursory “review” by the ECHO advisory committee.

According to the agenda item, since 2007, Volusia County has taken $37,633,718 through the DCE shim-sham…

Per usual, senior staff justified this sneak thievery through their construal of “ballot language” – along with a 2020 resolution permitting county government to fund projects by “direct county expenditures” – which means they take what they want, when they want in order to fund projects that should be budgeted as recurring repair and replacement expenses for existing facilities. 

For instance, in the latest grab, $400,000 has been allocated to make repairs to the dome, paint bricks, and refinish floors at the Historic Court House in DeLand (?).   

Other expenditures include paving projects in county parks, “lighting, sound equipment and power distribution upgrades” at the Ocean Center (will that place ever support its own existence?), ADA compliance upgrades at restroom facilities, relocating air conditioning units at the Fairgrounds, and other projects one would typically associate with budgeted expenses or those covered (one would hope) by parks and recreation impact fees. 

Public tax dollars allocated with little more than the wave of a wand…

Last year, Volusia County’s internal audit of the ECHO program determined the need for a “written handbook” clarifying the Direct County Expenditure scam. Written protocols and explanations that would “strengthen controls” for DCE projects – to include eligibility and evaluation criteria, the analysis of ongoing costs, and reporting/monitoring requirements – to educate advisory committee members and “stakeholders” (read: We, The Little People).  

It’s now July 2025, and I’ll be dipped in doo-doo if I can find that explanatory “handbook” the audit team suggested on the Volusia County website…   

Unfortunately, the idea of acquiring and preserving environmental, cultural, historic, and outdoor recreation amenities through competitive application, committee review, eligibility evaluation, scoring, and the myriad other hoops required during the award process is only for non-profits, municipal governments and us peons, piss-ants, and little people who pay the bills.

Not County government. 

It is that arrogance and sense of entitlement that perpetuates the malignant “trust issue” that continues to erode public confidence.  A greed factor that will forever cloud any tax-supported initiative Volusia County government can get their fingers in.

In my view, most responsible government entities (without a tax supported piggybank at their disposal) properly budget for capital asset repair, replacement, and upgrade obligations each year.

That is accomplished by prioritizing needs, following protocols for the allocation of public funds, and living within their means.

They don’t quibble resolutions, interpret ballot language, and stretch programmatic intent to shoehorn anything and everything – including the pet personal projects of sitting politicians – into a slimy slush fund where our tax dollars are regularly looted to cover the ongoing mismanagement of preventive maintenance, repair, and replacement of existing public assets. 

In a disturbing development, the discussion of how to proceed with Dempsey’s Folly – the publicly funded motorcross training facility ramrodded through the ECHO and Forever funding process for the oxymoronic purpose of “conservation and outdoor motorized recreation” – has been pushed to August 5, 2025.

At present, the three possible scenarios being considered include forcing Volusia County taxpayers into the motorsports industry with a county built and operated facility that you and I would equip, maintain, staff, and manage. 

(What?  You don’t know squat about the motorcross industry? Or how to perform a peg-standing cliff hanger off a whoop-de-doo, or the first thing about operating a racetrack?  That’s okay.  Neither does Volusia County government, but Mr. Dempsey gets what Mr. Dempsey wants.)

The second suggests that you and I (read: Volusia County taxpayers) build the facility, underwrite the cost of construction, giftwrap it in cash, then hand it over to a private entity that would operate and maintain the track, then pay the county a portion of their “profits.”

The final suggestion includes requesting proposals from independent contractors who would construct, maintain, assume liability, and operate the motorcross facility – with you and I sweetening the pot by funding “…site readiness improvements to make the parcel more attractive to a private developer.”

According to the agenda item, one of the problems with the third option is the same idea has already been unsuccessfully tried in other areas of the state, and there is a “high probability of not receiving bids.” 

So why are we considering spending public funds on a demonstrably failed idea?

You may disagree with me (most do) – but I’m not a fan of any of the staff suggestions offered.

In my view, if a private motorcross operator wants to purchase property and construct a state-of-the-art facility in Volusia County, they should do so on a fair and level playing field, based on due diligence, getting government (and public funds) out of the mix, instead of putting an expensive nice-to-have on the shoulders of already strapped taxpayers.   

Most Volusia County taxpayers would agree – we were led to believe that the ECHO and Forever programs were designed to secure passive outdoor recreation and conservation opportunities for the widest possible public use – not underwrite expensive playgrounds for elected officials’ intent on using public funds to further their private interests.

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

Hi, kids!

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

Florida League of Cities – Unmerited Trophies Destroy Public Confidence  

As a longtime observer of all-things government, I’ve come to accept the contradictions, sensationalized misinformation, and petty backstabbing inherent to that cloistered (and horribly corrupted) political biome, now predominantly inhabited by egotistical dullards suffering delusions of grandeur. 

Despite having gained some hard bark over the years, I still cannot stomach the stench of lies – “pay to play” schemes, legalized quid pro quo corruption, and gross self-aggrandizement by mealy-mouth schlubs holding high office – a deleterious trend that is destroying public confidence in government.

That includes the pernicious practice of undeserved rewards and accolades – not for merit or genuine achievement in the public interest – but to foster cheap influence by providing cover and concealment for compromised politicians.   

For instance, the DeLand City Commission recently authorized the wholesale destruction of 62 historic trees to accommodate another “combination of warehouse and commercial space,” yet the city somehow retained its distinction as a “Tree City USA” bestowed by the Arbor Day Foundation.

As a result, the once coveted recognition is now meaningless to residents who will watch in disgust as those historic trees are ground to splinters to accommodate more development.

Last week, the Ormond Beach Observer reported that the Florida League of Cities awarded State Rep. Bill Partington it’s “…Legislative Appreciation Award for his work during the 2025 Legislative Session to protect local decision making of Florida’s municipalities.”

Which is complete horseshit… 

On April 29, 2025, Mr. Partington sold his political soul to his political benefactors in the real estate development community when he voted for SB 180 – legislation which eviscerated the home rule right to self-determination of every city and county in Florida – and virtually eliminated any impediment to continued malignant sprawl under the guise of expediting post disaster restoration efforts.

The bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month, has been widely denounced by local governments around the state trying desperately to bring common sense regulations or temporarily pause growth until infrastructure, utilities, and stormwater management can catch up to current demands.

Not anymore.

Under the new law, which was supported by major real estate developers (read: our legislators sugar daddies) local governments are prohibited from making land use and development changes – retroactive to August 2024 – and allows developers to file suit seeking injunctive relief, including attorney fees, for any building or land use regulation they find “restrictive or burdensome.”    

Acting like the cat that ate the canary, Rep. Partington was quoted, “Thank you to the Florida League of Cities for this incredible honor,” Partington said. “I’m deeply grateful to be recognized with the 2025 Legislative Appreciation Award for defending local decision making and empowering municipal leadership across our great state.”

In my view, to undeservedly offer an award recognizing Mr. Partington for “defending local decision-making” after he voted for the most sweeping anti-home rule legislation in recent history is one thing – but shamelessly accepting an honor he must know is wholly unmerited is quite another. 

Who does that?

Unfortunately, with these undeserved awards going to those who so willingly preempted local control, the Florida League of Cities has become an irrelevant fraternity – a neutered watchdog taken to handing out plaques rather than effectively lobbying for its members – no longer pertinent to the cause of preserving charter government and protecting the sacred concept of self-determination enshrined in their slogan, “local voices making local choices.”

I no longer expect much from those perennial politicians who ingratiate themselves with special interests then climb the ladder – their self-serving motives are easy to discern. 

However, in my view, advocacies like the Florida League of Cities have an obligation to stand with those local elected officials who truly champion the right of communities to control their destiny and strive to represent their desperate constituents over the for-profit motives of developers.

Palm Coast City Council vs. Mayor Mike Norris – Enough is Enough  

By its nature, politics is confrontational. 

A battle of ideologies and vision – a war to win ‘hearts and minds’ – a hard-fought contest to convince voters of the superiority of a candidate’s ideas and ultimately prevail at the ballot box.  Unfortunately, here in the Sunshine State, most political contests have become a means for mercenary special interests to control their environment by stacking the deck.    

When the ballots are counted and the election night parties wind down, that’s when the real contest begins – the struggle for power and dominance – the ability to control a majority vote on councils and commissions by crushing any impediment to the profit motives of those well-heeled contributors who brought them to the dance.  

Don’t take my word for it. 

Ask Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower what happens when you become the square peg that refuses to be beaten into the round hole of conformity?

In the City of Palm Coast, Mayor Mike Norris is being taught a tough lesson in what it means to stand against the interests of real estate developers intent on a massive “westward expansion” – despite the fact growth has long overtaken the capacity of the city’s utilities.  

When you add the fact Norris is somewhat rough around the edges when dealing with those delicate flowers (read: senior city officials) who inhabit Palm Coast City Hall, it becomes easy to paint him as an iconoclastic cad, a sharp-elbowed rogue physiologically incapable of reason or compromise.

In April, the City Council commissioned an outside “investigation” of Mayor Norris which ended in one of those weird Kangaroo Kourts where his “colleagues” served as judge, jury, and executioner.  For his refusal to play nice with others, Norris was publicly embarrassed – handed a meaningless “vote of no confidence” – and referred to the Florida Commission on Ethics for reasons that remain unclear.

In May, the Battle Royale continued with Norris filing a lawsuit challenging the council’s October 2024 appointment of Charles Gambaro, a brigadier general with the U.S. Army Reserve, who many rightfully saw as an attaché of former Mayor/Palm Coast Realtor David Alfin. 

At the time, Gambaro was administratively selected for the seat without standing for election following the resignation of former council member Cathy Heighter.    

According to a report in the Palm Coast Observer last week, “Circuit Court Judge Christopher France found Norris had no legal standing to file the law. France also said, “Although the result is flawed, the charter was complied with to fill the vacancy.” 

In addition, “In the City Council meeting on July 8, Gambaro asked the council to consider going after Norris for the city’s attorney fees used in the lawsuit, an estimated $30,000. Norris said the council could take him to court for those fees and that he didn’t “care if it costs the city a million dollars,” he would continue “defending our residents right to pick their representative.”    

Then, last Friday, Palm Coast residents got a glimpse of just how petty-minded things can get when internecine spats take precedence over the ‘people’s business.’

According to reports, David Ayers, the host of WNZF radio’s “Free for All Fridays,” was joined by Gambaro, Palm Coast Economic Manager Craig McKinney, and co-host Brian McMillan (who also serves as publisher of the Palm Coast Observer) who were “…all surprised when Ayres proposed giving out the mayor’s work cell phone number for an informal “poll” for residents.”

“We text the mayor and say, ‘Hey, Mayor Mike, I love you. You’re doing a great job. Keep it up.’ Or we text him and say, ‘You need to go, please resign,’” Ayres said. “So it’d be kind of an A or B, yes, we support you, [or] no, we don’t.”

In turn, Mayor Norris, also a retired Army officer who has proven he can take a punch and give one, responded by posting Gambaro’s personal cell phone number on Facebook – calling Gambaro “the epitome of a DEI (Didn’t Earn It) Hire.” 

The mayor suggested his supporter’s text “NO DEI” to Gambaro. 

It was childish.  A tit-for-tat retaliation, and (one would hope) everyone understood that.   

Then, Gambaro took things to the extreme – accusing Mayor Norris of violating a law that went into effect July 1 which apparently makes it a crime to release a sitting public official’s personal telephone number or home address (say what?), further insulating our elected officials from those they took an oath to serve.   

On Saturday, Norris edited his social media post changing the number to Gambaro’s city issued cell phone.

It didn’t end there.

In a self-aggrandizing “statement” published in the Palm Coast Observer, the easily intimidated Gambaro appeared to be shaking in his boots – clearly traumatized by the fact his constituents were given access to his personal cell phone number – while disavowing any prior knowledge of Mr. Ayers “survey” using Mayor Norris’ city cell phone, then listing his military résumé for effect.  

In my view, that’s when Gen. Gambaro jumped the shark…

“The release of my personal phone number to the public on Mayor Norris’ Facebook page was intentionally done to intimidate my family and I. This reckless action violates the spirit of the recent Senate Bill 268, that was enacted into law on July 1, 2025.

This law was established to protect the private information of public officials and their families as they choose to serve in public office. This is truly the action of a reckless man that does not care about the safety of the residents he was elected to serve.”

Really? 

The Council/Norris feud hit its nadir on Tuesday when, for the second time in three months, the council voted 4-1 to censure Mayor Norris – this time agreeing to request that Gov. Ron DeSantis overturn the will of 63% of Palm Coast voters and remove Norris from office.

According to a report in FlaglerLive.com this week, “The vote followed a brief statement by Council member Charles Gambaro describing Norris as exhibiting a “pattern of toxic behavior,” and whose “fear and intimidation represent a clear and present danger to the citizens of Palm Coast” and city employees.”

Clearly Councilman “Thin-skinned” Gambaro’s penchant for dramatic overreaction knows no bounds…  

During the meeting, Vice Mayor Theresa Pontieri cited her belief the mayor has given “recurring misstatements, contradictions and misrepresentations” regarding legal advice from city attorneys who claim Norris was advised he had no chance of prevailing in his lawsuit challenging the Gambaro appointment.

For his part, Norris denies receiving counsel from the legal staff that he lacked standing. 

Now, Pontieri wants Norris to pay all or part of the $30,000 the city paid an outside hired gun to defend the lawsuit.

In my experience, pettiness and cheap manipulation are counter to an accessible and responsive local government – and reflect poorly on the character of those melodramatic mavens holding high office who perpetuate the timewasting roil.   

In the sad case of Palm Coast, I have a fairly good idea what the stakes are – so do those who stand to benefit.  

More important, I understand the motivations of those behind the constant Sturm und Drang at City Hall.  If you live, pay taxes, and experience the claustrophobic effects of overdevelopment on your quality of life anywhere in Flagler County, I suspect you do too…  

Perhaps now is the time for Palm Coast residents to say, “enough is enough.”             

All sides should know that bullying, frivolous controversy, and headline grabbing revenge for every perceived slight is distracting from the significant issues facing Palm Coast residents, and those who indulge in these self-serving histrionics should face the consequences at the ballot box.  

Volusia County’s Iconic Tourism Advocate Bob Davis – Requiescat in Pace

I didn’t always agree with Bob Davis, the longtime President and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County, but I always admired his tireless advocacy for the Daytona Beach Resort Area and the economic engine that is our tourism industry.   

By any metric, Bob Davis was sui generis. 

The self-proclaimed “Mouth of the South” – a true force of nature – with a visceral devotion to the betterment of his community. 

Writing on social media this week, Volusia County Council member Matt Reinhart, who serves as chair of the county’s Tourist Development Council, expressed the thoughts of many area civic leaders when he eloquently recalled Mr. Davis’s love for promoting Volusia County to the world:

“Bob Davis was more than just Volusia County’s most passionate advocate for the hospitality industry—he was one of the most sincere, generous, and dedicated individuals I’ve ever had the privilege to know.

A mentor, a philanthropist, and a true believer in the power of community, Bob didn’t just love the hospitality industry—he cared deeply about our schools, our students, and their future. He believed in education, in opportunity, and in the importance of lifting others up, especially through literacy and learning.

I’ll never forget when I was first campaigning—Bob was the first to take me under his wing and teach me everything I needed to know about our vital tourism and hospitality sectors. He wanted everyone to understand how much these industries meant to our region, and he did it with unmatched passion and warmth.

Bob was widely loved, deeply respected, and will be sorely missed. There will truly never be another like him. There will only ever be one Bob Davis.”

Sadly, Bob Davis passed away on Sunday following a courageous battle with cancer. 

He was 87.

To honor Mr. Davis’s legacy, please consider a donation to the “Bob Davis Culinary and Hospitality Endowed Scholarship” at Daytona State College. 

Donations may be made here: https://tinyurl.com/6uxju7up

Quote of the Week

“Volusia County Councilman Jake Johansson has raised more than $140,000 for his campaign to succeed Sen. Tommy Wright.

The Port Orange Republican’s official campaign account reported almost $45,000 in new fundraising in the second quarter, bringing his candidate haul to more than $113,000 since his December campaign launch.

Additionally, the Johansson-chaired Pathway to Prosperity committee reported another $10,000 in donations, bringing its total contributions north of $30,000.

With Johansson also tossing in a $10,000 candidate loan, he closed the quarter with almost $117,000 in cash on hand between both accounts.

Meanwhile, former Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, a DeLand Republican, has reported no new fundraising this year and closed the quarter with just over $7,000 in her candidate account. Her United for Florida’s Future committee has more than $49,000, thanks to $50,000 given in December. But that committee also hasn’t reported new contributions all year.

Two other Republicans in the race, Heather Bendl and Jason Voelz, have yet to report any contributions, and both failed to turn in second-quarter reports on time Thursday.

To date, only Republicans have filed in Senate District 8, where Wright cannot seek another term because of term limits.

As for Johansson’s source of support, his committee reported $2,500 donations in April from lobbyist Ron Book (who also gave $1,000 to the candidate account) and Tallahassee consulting firm SKD Consulting Group, as well as from the Florida Beer Wholesalers Good Government Committee. A Wine and Spirits Distributors committee also gave $1,500, along with $1,000 to the campaign account. Interior designer Chris Roy gave $1,000.

In Johansson’s official campaign account, he also reported $1,000 donations from Robin Turnbull & Associates (sic), Heffley & Associates, Associated Industries of Florida, the Committee of Automotive Retailers and the committee Floridians Solving Problems.

Duff Underwriters, FTBA Transportation and Synergy Billing also gave maximum donations, as did Indigo Development and the Ormond Riverside Limited Partnership.”

–Political Analyst Jacob Ogles, writing in Florida Politics, “Jake Johansson clears 6-figure mark in campaign to succeed Tommy Wright in SD 8,” Friday, July 11, 2025

With apologies to the late Charlie Daniels, it looks like “Jake the Snake” is raking in chips like Grant took Richmond… 

Thanks to Mr. Ogles for this eye-opening look at how Florida senate campaigns are underwritten here in The Biggest Whorehouse in the World…

Now, where do you think Mr. Johansson’s loyalty lies? 

With the residents of Senate District 8 – or with his well-heeled political benefactors in the Tallahassee lobbying industry?

And Another Thing!

For someone who considers themselves relatively well-informed on the issues of the day, its hard to admit, but I’m seriously confused…  

More questions than answers, a “lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you’s running around old Duder’s head,” a weird feeling of uncertainty that always sends my Mittyesque imagination into overdrive, that nagging feeling, “Can this really be true?”

“Is it what I think it is, or is there another explanation that I’m too dumb to grasp?”

Seriously, I’m at a loss this week…

While I typically focus on the absurdities of “Fun Coast” governance, (and you may find this hard to believe), but I have a pollyannaish need to trust those institutions and individuals who guide our future – to believe that the reportage I read in the media is based in fair-minded fact – and that those we elect to high office have our best interests at heart.

But this week the salacious headlines, rumors, and conjecture oozing out of Washington and Tallahassee gave me pause.     

For instance, it was reported that United States Rep. Cory Mills (who represents portions of Volusia County) is being evicted from a $21,000 a month penthouse near the National Mall after owing some $85,000 in back rent. That’s in addition to an active ethics investigation into allegations he personally benefitted from government contracts, along with scandalous reports of the Congressman’s February domestic skirmish that were later retracted… 

For his part, Rep. Mills – who reportedly has a net worth north of $24 million – has emphatically denied any wrongdoing on all fronts and suggests his attempts to pay rent were stymied by an “error code” on a billpaying service.

Well, okay.  I guess…  

All I know with certainty is my wife and I (who have a net worth substantially lower than Rep. Mills) have this “arrangement” with our finicky mortgage company – we send our monthly payment, and they let us stay in this arrogantly shabby cracker box another 30-days.

How’s by you?  

Something else bothered me this week when I read a disturbing exposé in the Orlando Sentinel which raised more questions regarding the still simmering Hope Florida debacle.  

Once considered the “next-big-thing” in national politics until a premature run for White House put him at odds with President Donald Trump.  Gov. Ron DeSantis has struggled to rehabilitate his image and return to relevancy ever since.

During the unmitigated shit-show that was the 2025 Florida Legislative Session – when the Republican dominated legislature righteously flexed their independence for the first time in a long time – things took a telling turn when the ugly details of the Hope Florida fiasco were trotted out for all to see by House Chair Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola).

The high-profile state House probe into allegations of “money laundering and wire fraud” involving the highest levels of state government abruptly ended in April.   One month later, media outlets confirmed that Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell was opening a criminal investigation into the matter.

Now, the speculation continues, and answers are hard to come by… 

As I understand it, Hope Florida was originally touted as a means of utilizing trained “navigators” and community non-profits to get people off government assistance.  The program was intimately associated with First Lady Casey DeSantis and seen by many as a launch point for her potential gubernatorial run in 2026.   

That all changed when the non-profit’s bizarre spending patterns, bonuses for state employees, hazy recordkeeping, and its foundation’s disturbing involvement in funneling $10 million from a state legal settlement to defeat a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana became a serious embarrassment for the Governor and First Lady.  

The questions continue to mount…

This week, the Orlando Sentinel released its report “Hope Florida: Odd, unexplained payments raise more questions,” by investigative reporter Jeffrey Schweers, which took a deep dive into the organizations “haphazard” charitable giving and incomplete record-keeping.

Find the Orland Sentinel’s report here: https://tinyurl.com/ykkzw696  

Now, I’m beginning to question if Gov. DeSantis’ recent efforts to establish a state/federal hybrid immigration detention facility in South Florida is a subliminal attempt to deflect attention from the growing scrutiny of Hope Florida?

Last month, Gov. DeSantis used his expanded powers under an emergency immigration declaration signed in 2023 to seize property from Dade County, then authorized controversial no-bid contracts to build the slap-dash “federal” immigration detention facility in the Everglades in just eight-days… 

At present, the tents and chain-link “temporary” facility has reportedly left Florida taxpayers holding a $450 million bill for construction and annual operations, and it appears no one in Tallahassee has gotten around to submitting a reimbursement request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

According to reports, FEMA was expected to reimburse Floridians for the cost of the facility from funds taken from the Biden administrations asinine and disastrously irresponsible plan to house migrants in New York City hotels… 

Here’s the point of my confusion:

In response to a recent lawsuit filed by environmental groups seeking to stop construction of the facility in an ecologically sensitive area of the glades, attorneys representing the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and FEMA claim the agencies should be removed from the suit as the federal government has not “implemented, authorized, directed, or funded Florida’s temporary detention center.” 

“Florida has received no federal funds, nor has it applied for federal funds related to the temporary detention center.  Courts cannot adjudicate hypothetical future funding decisions or render advisory opinions on contingent scenarios that may never materialize.”

Last weekend, Jeff Brandes, the former Republican lawmaker who served in both the Florida House of Representatives and Senate, questioned the facilities inflated cost of operation in a post on “X”:

“Had to run down to Miami tonight — scored a $117 rate at the Marriott. Driving Alligator Alley, I couldn’t help but think about Alligator Alcatraz and its nightly cost per detainee: At 5,000 detainees: $246.58 At 3,000: $410.96 At current 750: $1,643.84 That’s based on $450M in annual operating costs — compared to $75/night for the average Florida inmate in prison.”

As you might expect, Democrats have reacted to the facility with typical mock outrage (the same hypocrites who pissed away an unconscionable $22.6 Billion in federal funds (read: our tax dollars) on assistance to illegal immigrants in just four years). 

To compound the controversy, this week the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida asked to join the federal lawsuit to stop construction and operation of the detention facility, citing the fact it is being built in a place tribal members consider “sacred ancestral homelands.”  

(I thought it was being built on an abandoned jetport?)

Your views may differ, but I happen to support the vigorous enforcement of federal immigration laws as an important part of protecting our national security (and sovereignty). I am less accepting of grandiose stunts that deflect attention – and our tax dollars – to rehabilitate the flagging public image of politicians with their ass in a sling…

I don’t know about you, but I found it disturbing that while Gov. DeSantis was vetoing some $5 million in appropriations for desperately needed stormwater and flood control projects in Volusia County, he was building a multi-million-dollar ersatz “federal” detention facility with the made-for-media moniker “Alligator Alcatraz.” 

Given the scare many flood-frightened area residents received earlier this week when water started to rise, that bothers me…  

Perhaps I spend too much time ruminating on intractable issues with no good answers – but now I question if “Alligator Alcatraz” was ever about strengthening immigration enforcement efforts in Florida or elsewhere?  Or was it thrown together with little planning or purpose simply to ensure Gov. DeSantis got the 15-minutes on the national stage he needed to flex after a very public fall from grace that has eroded his legislative influence and hamstrung his wife’s political ambitions?    

Last month, Mr. Brandes, who now heads a think tank known as the Florida Policy Project, questioned “Is it a federal facility, or is it a state facility that is leased to the feds?” and pondered how “Alligator Alcatraz” will ultimately be staffed?

Again, more questions than answers. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, Bonanza’s coming on and I never miss it. At least I can still tell the good guys from the bad guys…

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

Hi, kids!

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

First Step Shelter Finally Gets the Scrutiny We Deserve

Last month, the Daytona Beach City Commission and Volusia County Council authorized an agreement with First Step Shelter which calls for taxpayers to continue underwriting the enigmatic program to the tune of $2.6 million over the next five years.

The good news? 

This time there are solid strings attached.  

For the first time in First Step’s existence, We, The Little People who pay for it will have some assurance that what we are told by the less-than-transparent board of directors is honest, accurate, and verifiable.  

According to a report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean and Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “The new agreement also includes specific language addressing County Council members’ concerns about government dollars being used for administrative overhead and not direct service provision. It explicitly prohibits the use of county funds for executive salaries, bonuses, administrative overhead costs unrelated to program operations, unauthorized capital expenditures, and indirect costs not directly tied to shelter operations.”

Good.  In my view, those municipalities currently spending the bulk of their social services budget on First Step while our regional homeless population surges should demand the same.

In addition, Volusia County has specified which operating expenses will be covered and requires that shelter officials submit monthly requests for reimbursement with the stipulation “…no money will be released until those amounts are approved.”

Other requirements include monthly, quarterly, and annual reviews to ensure conditions set forth in the agreement are being met, to include an annual audit of the shelter’s “files” and a site visit by county staff.

“The county also has the right to terminate its role in the agreement with 60 days written notice if First Step officials fail to meet at least 50% of the annual performance metrics in the agreement, they fail to submit any required report or they misuse funds.”

Perhaps now Volusia County taxpayers can learn exactly where First Step alumni are being housed (something the program recently touted at 1,000 people) and who is paying for it long-term? 

A cursory check of several Volusia County housing authorities found very few (if any) opportunities for low-income housing.  For instance, according to a stern notice on the Housing Daytona Beach website, “Interested persons can ONLY apply for housing when a notice appears to the public to do so. At this time, ALL WAITING LIST ARE CLOSED.”

On the Volusia County’s Community Assistance site, those seeking housing vouchers (Section 8) are told, “Volusia County’s Housing Choice Voucher Program is not accepting applications at this time.”

In West Volusia, a notice on the DeLand Housing Authority’s website grimly explained, “The DeLand Housing Authority (DHA) last accepted Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher waiting list applications from June 11, 2024, until 1,000 applications have been received. This is the first time the waiting list has been open since it closed in January, 2022.”

Clearly the need for subsidized housing is far outpacing supply here on the “Fun Coast.”  

With low-income Volusia County families currently languishing on waiting lists, where did First Step house 1,000 people over the past five years? 

Perhaps now Volusia County taxpayers will receive the answers – and basic accountability – we deserve.  

So long, Fresh Market – Hope it wasn’t something I said?

“Turns out The Fresh Market isn’t coming here after all.

The Greensboro, North Carolina-based chain scrapped its plans to expand to the World’s Most Famous Beach after determining that Daytona Beach lacks the demographics to support upscale grocery stores.

Meanwhile, construction is well underway for two of its biggest competitors across the street from where it would have gone: Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Markets.

“Fresh Market declined the site. I was shocked by the reasoning,” said Jason Kaiser, leasing agent for the planned shopping center called The Cays where the grocery chain had signed a letter-of-intent earlier this year to become a tenant.”

–Business Editor Clayton Park, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Fresh Market not expanding to Daytona Beach. Here’s the surprising reason why,” Thursday, July 3, 2025

Welp.  Darn the luck…

Just when everyone who is anyone here on the “Fun Coast” was touting the arrival of three specialty grocery chains and a Tesla dealership as a preternatural prodigium that we are on the cusp of a regional economic renaissance, it appears Fresh Market took a powder…

For years, Trader Joe’s added to our civic identity crisis when they told us the Halifax area may have the “demographics” to schlep boxes around a Trader Joe’s warehouse, but we simply didn’t have the social credit rating required for one of their tony grocery stores. 

Apparently, Daytona Beach just didn’t meet the mark on whatever sophistication scale Trader Joe’s uses to determine who it will grace, and who it won’t…

That all changed after some crack investigative work by the News-Journal’s Clayton Park and Hometown News sleuth Charles Guarria determined that an honest-to-goodness Trader Joe’s would one day grace the Tomoka Town Center off Boomtown Boulevard.     

We also learned that both Fresh Market and Sprouts Famers Market planned to open outlets across the street (?) near a new Tesla electric-car dealership – a sure sign that our chaunts and fervent prayers to the Specialty Grocery God’s had (finally) been heard – a biblical prophecy of economic resurgence fulfilled. 

I’m not a marketing guru – just another rube wandering the wilderness, like you – but while our ‘powers that be’ were in a frenzy of exuberation, I harbored serious concerns that the close proximity of three competing niche stores would oversaturate the market. As usual, our gushing “movers-and-shakers” didn’t seem to share my fears.

Look, I get it.   

Every retailer wants to be close to Margaritaville – the faux beach community west of I-95 that truly has the “demographic” to support specialty grocers and Tesla dealerships. As a result, developers are working overtime to pave over every square inch of greenspace off LPGA, Williamson, Clyde Morris, etc., to accommodate more of the same.  

Not to worry, according to the News-Journal article, leasing agent Jason Keiser said he’s “trading paper” with several prospects at The Cay’s – to include another “big box” retailer (that he refused to identify) and several restaurants that are considering space in the complex.

Keep your fingers crossed, and I’ll do the same.

Here’s hoping Trader Joe and Farmer Sprout hold firm to their promise and give us bumpkins a chance to prove ourselves.

Volusia’s Legislative Delegation – Who Works for Whom? 

This week, three members of Volusia’s state legislative delegation gathered on a gilded stage in Deltona to answer questions from their confused (and increasingly claustrophobic) constituents about why they voted the way they did during that flaming shit-show that passed for a legislative session this year.

Of specific concern to waterlogged Volusia County residents was SB 180 – the new law cleverly labeled “emergencies” that blatantly strips municipal and county governments of their right to self-determination under home rule charter – and gives greed-crazed developers carte blanche to build when, where, and what they want. 

The environment, water quality and quantity, and the threat of development-induced flooding be damned…

I have to admit, I was curious how legislators who so unashamedly sold out their local governments to the benefit of their campaign benefactors could possibly explain themselves in a place where out-of-control growth has now surpassed our antiquated transportation infrastructure, utilities, and patience? 

According to a summary by reporter Mark Harper writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Rep. Chase Tramont (Port Orange) described the bill as “complicated” (which means he’s caught between a rock and his political donors), and explained it’s more about him than us:

In Mr. Tramont’s view, local government protections for existing homeowners facing devastating repeat flooding due to the tremendous growth that has altered the topography of the land takes second fiddle to the “”American dream” of homeownership,” (which, I think, means the ability to screw your inundated neighbor if it benefits the right last names?)

On the idea of local governments taking a commonsense tap of the brakes on growth until infrastructure and stormwater control can catch up to current demands:

“I fundamentally don’t agree with moratoriums,” Tramont said. “The idea of a moratorium… you’re not sticking it to the developer. You’re sticking it to the construction worker… You’re taking away the ability for people to work. You’re taking away from their ability to provide housing.” 

Bullshit.

For his part, it appears Rep. Webster Barnaby (Deltona) chose the monolog from “Animal House” to explain himself.  According to the report, Mr. Barnaby “…cited the U.S. Constitution in defending his vote: “These are the United States of America. We’re not the United Cities and we’re not the United Counties.”

Say what?

The only thing missing was Mr. Barnaby dramatically leading his colleagues off the dais humming the Star-Spangled Banner, screaming “Well, you can do what you want to us, but we’re not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!”

According to Rep. Barnaby, “The bill was passed to make sure people can rebuild faster and better,” Barnaby said, later adding: “I don’t want you living in a tent in a park.”

Whatever.

To add insult, the News-Journal is reporting a paltry $1 million in state appropriations to improve the City of Underwater’s antiquated and overgrown canal drainage system.  Now, Edgewater’s manchild Mayor Diezel Depew is calling the chump-change that survived Gov. Ron DeSantis’ rapierlike veto pen “a turning point for our community…”

Really?

“It’s a history-making moment in our community.”

If you say so.

Unfortunately, some flooded residents of Edgewater have a different view – and they want a more modern system of stormwater management than overgrown ditches and trash strewn canals.

In my view, Volusia’s legislative delegation knows exactly why SB 180 was written the way it was – and it has nothing to do with protecting the rights of property owners to rebuild following hurricanes – and everything to do with getting the speedbumps of local building regulations and the threat of temporary moratoriums out the way of real estate developers who have purchased a very lucrative chip in the game.

Don’t take my word for it – check the extensive list of campaign contributors who underwrite our state and local decision-makers political ambitions – time, after time, after time…

If you live in Volusia County and suffer under the notion your concerns should be the concerns of your legislative delegation – rather than their personal views, wants, and motivations – then make yourself known at the ballot box. 

I fear that’s the only hope for substantive change we have left… 

Quote of the Week

“We in Volusia County are blessed. We have the best county-council members that money can buy. And, as a bonus, we have a planning department staffed with mental midgets, divinely chosen for their expertise. With perhaps the exception of Jeff Brower, these folks revel riding in the hip pocket of real estate developers. Like obedient robots, they rubber-stamp zoning changes, building plans, impact fee waivers and sundry requests made by their campaign contributors. The developers get what they pay for.

Years of citizens’ concerns about chronic flooding and unbridled growth go unheeded. As more bulldozers are unleashed daily on our shrinking woodlands, nary a scrub is left standing when construction begins. Destruction always precedes construction.

When completed, the projects are given quaint names like Hidden Creek, Whispering Pines, or Golden Oaks. More often than not, the name reflects what used to be on the property and no longer is. When construction is completed, a few small saplings are planted, a chunk of sod laid down, and this is called landscaping.

Little concern is paid to environmental impact or water retention. Drainage is simply an afterthought. If rainwater is pushed onto your neighbor’s property, so be it. This “build, baby, build” policy is a financial windfall for developers, who often are not local, and have no stake in a project when finished.

A short tour of the Interstate 95 area of Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach is a fine example of raped landscape now covered with ticky-tacky apartment construction. More mega-projects are soon to come. Responsible growth, with an emphasis on a healthy green environment, should be a mandatory policy, both at a state and county level. Quality of life should supersede quantity of construction.

The claim that we have a housing shortage, partly due to the influx of new Florida residents, is valid. But the quality of construction should take precedence over quantity of construction.

A moratorium on new development is long overdue. We are now building future slums, barren of any greenery or pedestrian amenities. Density, setbacks and infrastructure needs have to be planned responsibly. Unfortunately, corporate developers have been let loose by our governor, and the plunder of our resources and neighborhoods continues unabated.

After the next storm, we can cry again about high insurance rates, flooding, and traffic congestion. And our “bought and paid for” commissioners can go home to their gated communities and schedule another workshop to discuss and delay any meaningful action.”

–Chuck Oakwood, DeLand, writing in The West Volusia Beacon, Letters to the Editor, “Quality should take precedence over quantity,” Tuesday, July 1, 2025

What he said…  

And Another Thing!

The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s outstanding investigative reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean recently penned one of those feel-good “Top Ten” lists – signs that let us denizens of the Daytona Beach Resort Area know we’re “real locals” – or as Eileen so aptly put it, “…if you stick around long enough the Daytona-ness of it all finds its way into your psyche.”

I’ll say…

The News-Journal’s inventory included common experiences like our righteous preoccupation with the Atlantic Hurricane Season, and shared connection to the Daytona International Speedway, Flea Market, what remains of the Daytona Beach Boardwalk, and the venerable “Who’s Who of Daytona Beach,” which includes Matthias Day; Charles Burgoyne; Bill France Sr., and his descendants; Mary McLeod Bethune; J. Hyatt Brown; Mori Hosseini; and Glenn Ritchey.

As a lifelong resident of the Halifax area, I’ve developed my own list of the universal familiarities that form the communal bond between us hardy souls who eke out a living, raise families, educate our kids, and (as the Chamber of Commerce set likes to say) “live, work, play, and learn” here on this salty piece of land we call home:

10.       You expect to be hit in the ass by an uninsured motorist driving a “car” held together with bailing wire and bubblegum, towing a utility trailer with no taillights, (who may or may not be fleeing from the police).  But that’s okay, because if you live anywhere in East Central Florida, you know the name, telephone number, and recent client settlements of at least three personal injury attorney’s – including their spouse, kids, and dog.     

9.         As a savvy “local” you know better than to walk.  Anywhere. 

For years, the Deltona-Daytona-Ormond “metro” has received the dubious distinction of being among the most dangerous areas in the nation for pedestrian fatalities.

By a lot…

Of course, our hospitality gurus in Tallahassee used this grim statistic to do what they do best and put some polish on the turd, claiming with a straight face, “Florida is a state with weather warm enough to invite walking outdoors nearly the entire year, as opposed to, say, Provo, Utah, or Madison, Wisconsin, or Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, the three safest places to walk.”

Seriously.  I don’t make this shit up, folks…

8.         We are forced to accept that our collective civic vision, and that of our ‘powers that be,’ are not the same.  Not even close…   

For instance, although we live in the most dangerous place in the known universe for pedestrians, experiential learning – that weird pain/habituation “nocebo” effect – has taught us to get comfortable with waiting through three cycles of a traffic light at (enter any intersection east or west of the Palmetto Curtain here).

As veterans of the Volusia County soft-shoe, when it comes to transportation infrastructure, we expect gaseous lip service from our elected officials and regional transportation planning organization (who is big on “policy positions” and light on actually improving our near-gridlocked streets and roadways). 

Regardless, hard-earned experience has taught we never ask the Florida Department of Transportation to “fix” a traffic problem. 

Ever. 

Don’t take my word for it.  When someone at the City of Ormond Beach asked:

“How could we possibly f*&K up Granada Boulevard and A-1-A more than it already is, you know, a real abomination that makes it almost impossible to navigate – while doing maximum damage to tires, bumpers, and undercarriages – requiring motorists have the skills of Joie Chitwood to get east, west, north, or south?” 

FDOT responded: “Hold my beer…”

7.         You remember when a trip around the Ormond Scenic Loop was, well, “scenic.” 

A time before massive development was shoehorned between US-1 and Old Dixie Highway – slash-n-burn land clearing that left a thin veneer of trees that only partially obscure the ugly zero lot line cracker boxes to the west – along with the near-constant stream of stormwater flowing over the pavement due to the drastic change in topography we were all promised would not occur…

6.         We are governed by a wacky Clown Troupe – a strange “Political Fun House” – where truth is always stranger than fiction. 

A weird Theater of the Absurd where our elected officials make pacts that require they completely ignore the presence of any constituent who comes before them.

For instance, whenever a Volusia County taxpayer takes time away from their “good paying job,” drive to DeLand, find parking, and approach the Monarchy – we are met with a catatonic gaze from our elected gargoyles – a bureaucratic aphasia that lets us know those we elect to represent our interests don’t give two-shits about our piddly-problems.

From flood victims demanding relief, to environmentalists asking the tough questions about overdevelopment, and exsanguinated taxpayers questioning a $1.3 billion+ annual budget, the eerie silence from the dais is deafening.

A one-way conversation where enquiries, anecdotal information, requests for assistance, and good old-fashioned public input into policy decisions, flow into a communication black hole, one so dense that when a disgusting racist diatribe was recently launched from the podium, it was met with stone-faced silence (later buffered by ridiculous claims of acute deafness) from our detached Council members…    

Of course, things change each election cycle when those same perennial politicians seeking reelection invite us to campaign launches – “get-togethers” and stilted “hob nobs” – where they shake our hand, slap our backs, call us neighbors, and tell us how much they enjoy “serving” our needs.  

Right.

A bizarre form of political gaslighting to distract from the fact they are accepting massive campaign contributions from all the right last names to ensure their personal and professional “needs” outpace ours every time.

Look, Volusia County taxpayers may be rubes, but we are not dumb.

Increasingly, our elected dullards are having a difficult time convincing us they care about the myriad issues we face when they are constantly sending subliminal signals that they don’t…

5.         We’ve become calloused to the latest “game-changer.”

When a speculative developer completes a project which invariably involves some government handout – such as a massive influx of our tax dollars in the form of “economic incentives” or “public/private partnerships” – schemes which use public funds to increase private profits – our elected and appointed officials soil themselves with excitement-induced urinary incontinence.    

In turn, everyone who is anyone catches the fever and fawns to the point of nausea for days on end, while the rest of us – the long-suffering taxpayers who either footed the bill or gave up a public amenity – are left feeling like an afterthought.

A necessary nuisance who pays the bills.  A means to an end who ask too many questions.  

Each and every time, We, The Little People who hand over our hard-earned tax dollars to underwrite the for-profit motives of our “Rich & Powerful,” are considered ingrateful bastards for not blindly accepting the latest panacea project as a miracle cure for everything from our social, civic, and economically depleted beachside to swimmer’s itch…

Heck yeah!  Excited!  Catalyst!  Difference!

Whoop-Whoop!

4.         You’re still sore about giving up beach driving to accommodate someone’s idea of “progress” in our disastrously distressed core tourist area.

Anyone remember standing at the gilded barrier like grubby Dickensian urchins – looking on as our political elite rubbed elbows, enjoyed cocktails, and were lavishly entertained by a private firework spectacular and staged concert (on the first evening of sea turtle nesting season?) – at an “invitation only” VIP soiree as the politicians who traded away our beach access for a row of poison poles celebrated the grand opening of Hard Rock Daytona?

Me neither…  

3.         You are no longer shocked by News-Journal articles with the headline, “Is that an algae bloom or raw sewage in the Indian River?  How to tell the difference…”

Note to newcomers to the region: Don’t taste it.

For the uninitiated, according to a recent report, “Sewage and algae blooms can be difficult to distinguish visually, especially during warmer months.  Sewage typically contains debris like toilet paper and has a foul odor, while algae has an earthier smell.”

Cleared that up. You’re welcome.

2.         Despite the threat of hurricanes, wildfires, and recurrent flooding, our greatest collective terror remains losing the air conditioner…   

I know, I know – don’t even think about it. 

The News-Journal’s list of ten signs you’re a local included, “No tolerance for cold temperatures.”  I would submit that we’re not big on the hellish heat of a Central Florida summer either…

Having lived in Florida for nearly 65 summers now, I have a weird theory that refrigeration is the only thing that separates us from the Great Apes.

Remember the 1986 movie The Mosquito Coast?

It was an excellent sociological study of an increasingly insane inventor who set out with his family to build a utopia in the jungles of Central America.  In a pivotal scene, as the cheese slowly slips off his cracker in the heat and humidity, the mad man – expertly portrayed by actor Harrison Ford – screams at the indifferent natives, “Ice is civilization!”

Dude was right.  We’ve all been there. 

While most Floridian’s don’t have a clue who their mayor is, they can immediately tell you the name of their HVAC repair tech…   

1. We share a growing political apathy – a “ho-hum” acceptance that our politicians are wholly owned by “special interests” with a very lucrative chip in the game – and many of us have become so disillusioned we don’t care anymore… 

We “Fun Coasters” are a strange group – victims of a long line of pirates; swashbuckling thieves who traded tri-corn hats and cutlasses for Armani suits and Montblanc pens.  As a result, we have become conditioned to endure a lot from those who claim to be looking out for our interests…   

Author John Gunther accurately said in his 1947 work on the United States and our unique politics, Inside U.S.A., that Florida’s “freakishness in everything from architecture to social behavior [is] unmatched in any American state.”

That’s still true today.

I call Tallahassee “The Biggest Whorehouse in the World.” 

Because it is.

A skewed unmeritocratic system where hand-select candidates for political office – typically dimwitted egoists who are chosen by local party “kingmakers” for their Gumby-like malleability and individual talent, accomplishment, or intelligence be damned – wade into the fetid shitpit of modern Volusia County political contests.

Then we watch as the “Rich & Powerful” (i.e., the same five people who pass the same nickel around in this artificial economy) steam shovel large sums of money into the groaning war chests of the ‘chosen ones.”

The subliminal ‘return on investment’ it buys is important as their political benefactors are not used to being told “No” – especially at the nexus of public funds and private projects…

In turn, local campaigns now resemble a back-alley knife fight, underwritten by these massive contributions flowing from powerful forces, cash that skews the battlefield, as special interests cut-and-thrust using ominous television advertisements and exaggerated glossy mailers touting scandalous claims to gain an advantage.  

In the clamor and din of the political warfare, it becomes increasingly difficult to know who we can trust.  

I think that’s the plan.   

Through hard-earned experience, claustrophobic Volusia County residents are beginning to reject the empty promises of perennial politicians seeking reelection – those who say one thing at election time, then do the exact opposite once assuming power.   

(I don’t know about you, but I identify their horseshit by its earthy smell…)

Unfortunately, far too many area residents have fallen victim to the curse of political apathy – that feeling of frustrated indifference born of having the rug pulled out from underneath them one too many times.

The sense that participation in their local government doesn’t count now that their voice is increasingly muted by compromised elected officials (and the entrenched insiders they serve) who seek to suppress citizen input at every turn.

So, where do we go from here?

In my view, “Fun Coast” residents are slowly coming to the waterlogged realization that business as usual cannot continue.  We’ve reached the point where malignant sprawl is having profound consequences that impact our quality of life. 

We truly are in this together.  A shared experience. One totally foreign to our marionettes in Tallahassee and many ensconced on our local councils and commissions.

Despite the divisions and differences of opinion we face, we are stronger when we work together to set goals, find common ground, take a stand for our neighbors, and determine our civic destiny by setting a shared vision for the future.

I think that’s what ‘community’ means.    

At the end of the day, returning a local government of, by, and for the people is our responsibility. 

Vote like our lives and livelihoods depend upon it.

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

Hi, kids!

Happy Thursday, to all who celebrate…

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

Courage and Cowardice in the Lost City of Deltona

I was recently on an airplane enroute to Orlando International Airport from LAX.  To avoid building thunderstorms over the Gulf Coast, the flight deviated along the Florida-Georgia border before turning south and traversing the spine of Florida just east of Lake City, Gainesville, Ocala, and Leesburg.

Slumped in 21-F, I gazed out the window, noting the striking difference between established neighborhoods – treelined streets and large verdant lots – and the sheer number of massive developments that are metastasizing across the width and breadth of the state.

The new subdivisions clearly differentiated from existing homes by the mitochondria-like matrix of zero lot line cracker boxes swirled in a way that shoehorns the maximum number of structures onto every denuded acre.

Equally prominent were the large black gashes in the barren landscape where heavy equipment is taking large bites from the margins of unspoiled greenspace – slash-and-burn land clearing that churns the earth to muck.  Once the land is stripped of trees and vegetation, fill dirt is trucked in to elevate homesites – forever changing the topography of the land – and destroying what environmentalists call the “natural infrastructure” that helps control flooding, provides wildlife habitat, and recharges our water supply.

From the literal 30,000’ view, it is disturbingly clear that the Sunshine State is screwed…

Last week, in yet another sneak attack (this time camouflaged as hurricane recovery legislation) on charter government and the home rule right of Florida counties and municipalities to determine their destiny, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 180, a law that literally handed greed-crazed developers the keys to the kingdom.

Inconceivably, this overreaching special interest preemption limits changes to virtually all local comprehensive plans, land development regulations, procedures for the review, approval, or issuance of site plans, development orders, or building moratoriums, retroactive to August 1, 2024.

For an added kick in the crotch to local governments, the law empowers developers to file civil actions to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief – along with recovery of attorneys’ fees – if a city or county fails to announce its intent to repeal any lawfully enacted ordinance the developer finds subjectively “restrictive or burdensome” within 14 days of receiving written demand and then repeals the ordinance within 30 days.

The local impacts were immediate.

Within hours of Gov. DeSantis’ signature, the City of Deltona received notice of intent to file suit under the terms of Senate Bill 180 from an Orlando law firm representing a multi-unit developer challenging an ordinance unanimously passed by the City Commission last December. 

Trust me, that’s just the beginning…

To their credit, on Monday, a majority of the Deltona City Commission courageously passed a temporary building moratorium on a 4-3 vote – a bold move that has nothing to do with rebuilding after recent hurricanes – as city officials attempt to do the will of their constituents and tap the brakes on growth while determining solutions to persistent stormwater and flooding issues.

Following passage of the nine-month pause on applications for new residential construction, the city’s schlub of a mayor, Santiago Avila Jr. – who joined Vice Mayor Davison Heriot and Commissioner Emma “No Show II” Santiago in attempting to defeat the measure – wrung his hands and mewled to reporters that he’s afraid state legislators won’t like him anymore.

During his tone-deaf virtue signaling, Mayor Avila had the stones to talk about his “oath,” (an inconvenience he’s repeatedly ignored to the financial detriment of Deltona taxpayers) while moralizing to his fellow elected officials:

“I took an oath of office, to vote the way I am supposed to as far as abiding by the law.  What we just did right now, in my opinion, is malfeasance, and it’s dereliction of duty. It’s unconstitutional, and it’s wrong. It’s a lot of political play. Instead of playing these games, we should concentrate on our impact fees, getting them fast-tracked.”

That’s rich coming from Mayor Avila…    

Then, a clearly rattled Avila tried his best to capitulate to those in Tallahassee who are actively trying to crush Deltona’s ability to control their destiny, “We are literally touting that we have just passed an unconstitutional resolution, ordinance, whatever you want to call it, and we’re kind of saying, ‘Hey, Governor, we’re here, and we want to pick a fight with you.’ Ask the speaker of the House on that one.”

A day later, Avila hyper-dramatically announced on Facebook (?) he will refuse to sign the ordinance passed by majority vote of the Deltona City Commission – saying it would constitute malfeasance and invite a legal challenge – and suggests the “Commission designate another official, should they choose to proceed.”  

This coming from the same debt-dodging hack who used Deltona resident’s hard-earned tax dollars to fund a political junket for him and his wife to Washington – then hired a high-priced mouthpiece (again at taxpayer expense) to claim Avila didn’t know the city had a travel policy…

Kudos to Commissioners Dori Howington, Maritza Avila-Vazquez, Stephen Colwell, and Nick Lulli for having the courage of their convictions and standing with citizens threatened by development-induced flooding, inadequate infrastructure, and spineless politicians like Mayor Avila (and others behind the scenes) who are more interested in feathering their political nests than protecting existing residents.   

Now it is time for We, The Little People to demand that these craven shills stop weakening the concept of home rule with heavy handed legislative tactics for the enrichment of their political benefactors and use the power of the ballot box to hold these bought-and-paid-for prostitutes at all levels of government politically accountable for their despicable actions.  

In my view, if we are to preserve local control of planning, development, and self-determination in accordance with a community’s vision and character, it is imperative those do-nothings at the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of Counties, and our local elected officials get off their asses and let those marionettes in Tallahassee know that existing residents should have the basic right to regulate growth that will impact their lives and livelihoods. 

“High Paying Jobs” vs. Historic Trees.  Guess who won?

The lede typically reads, “Volusia County offered $500,000 in performance-based incentives the company would receive only if it makes good on its pledge to create 1,000 jobs,” or “The City of Deltona dangled a carrot of $2.5 million in performance-based incentives if Amazon were to make good on its pledge to create at least 500 jobs that paid at least $15 an hour plus benefits…”

The locations change but the story remains the same. 

A local government willingly concedes something of value – typically our hard-earned tax dollars – to a corporate entity on the subjective promise of “high paying jobs.” 

According to statewide economic studies, Volusia County has a high percentage of working households who are considered asset limited/income constrained, families who earn above the federal poverty level but are unable to afford basic living expenses.

That means keeping a roof over your head and putting food on the table is getting increasingly difficult, especially in an artificial economy where your local government picks winners and losers with lavish “incentives” that your struggling Mom & Pop business could only dream of.

As a result, We, The Little People willingly acquiesce to these corporate giveaways (what else are we going to do?) while our economic development guru’s lull us into a false sense of “progress” – a civic fallacy based upon toxic optimism that has gotten so far afield here on the “Fun Coast” that we are now led to believe a specialty grocery chain signals regional rebirth and prosperity for all…

As development spreads like wildfire across Florida, the “incentives” gifted to developers increasingly involve irreversible environmental sacrifices, ecological devastation that will ultimately cost each of us far more than another corporate welfare cash incentive…  

Last week, the “jobs” ruse was rolled out to devastating effect when the DeLand City Commission voted 4-0 (with Commissioner Dan Reed absent) to permit the wholesale destruction of 62 historic trees to make way for another industrial and commercial “park,” this one to be constructed near Cassadaga Road and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beltway. 

During the discussion, City Commissioner Richard Paiva whined about the weighty decision that had befallen the elected body, “These types of decisions are a little challenging for us because I get reminded by people who object that we are Tree City USA.”

“This is not easy,” Paiva said, “but in this case, if we say yes to trees, we’re kind of saying no to business and to jobs.”

Bullshit.

According to a report by Robin Mimna writing in The West Volusia Beacon last week:

“To move forward with the project, the developer, Longleaf Four LLC, (really?) proposed a mitigation package that includes a 1:1 replacement for each historic tree removed, thousands of additional inches of trees planted across the site, and the preservation of a 10-acre wooded parcel in unincorporated Volusia County — home to an estimated 562 live oaks, turkey oaks and longleaf pines, that will eventually be annexed into DeLand.

Because DeLand’s code does not typically allow preserved trees to count toward mitigation, the city previously amended the project’s Planned Unit Development to permit off-site preservation.”

In response, Dr. Wendy Anderson, professor and chair of environmental science and studies at Stetson University, a member of the Volusia County Soil and Water Conservation Board, and a candidate for the District 1 Volusia County Council seat, explained to city officials that the mitigation plan offered by the developer represents the bare minimum required under current regulations.

“The ‘solutions’ offered to the Tree Advisory Committee were presented as some big concession, but in reality, it’s just the bare minimum required under development regulations,” Anderson said.

“These trees provide shade and help capture stormwater,” she added. “We already have stormwater mitigation systems — why not integrate the existing natural infrastructure?”

Now that their elected officials have proven what’s important to them, and what is not, residents of DeLand can say goodbye to that which defines the character and charm of their community. We now live in a foul age where the shiny nugget of 1.5 million square feet of industrial warehouse space and some out-of-state developer’s notion of homogenized sameness beats historic hardwoods every damn time…

Quote of the Week

“Media reports document 90-100 seasonal lifeguard vacancies in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In the past year, County Councilman Troy Kent made numerous inquiries into Volusia’s ongoing lifeguard shortage. The Ormond Beach City Commission recently sent a letter to the county questioning unstaffed lifeguard stations.

Specifically, Neptune Avenue, with a large county-leased parking lot and an A1A traffic light for pedestrian crossings, has a lifeguard only on weekends and some Mondays. That means Ormond beachgoers north of Granada should never go into the water on weekdays. Yet many of them do, at Neptune, Amsden, and Standish approaches.

Deputy County Manager Suzanne Konchan has responded: The county is budgeted to staff all towers seven days a week, but there have been fewer numbers of seasonal lifeguards available during the spring/summer season. (Historically, lifeguards were staffed every half mile, within sight and sound of each other’s calls for emergency backup.)

Today, mobile units patrol extensive stretches of beach to cover the gaps.

The lifeguard shortage has been addressed with increased recruiting and training, increased salaries, benefits, and bonuses. Scheduling strategies have been updated. Proactive efforts now encourage the return of lifeguards from previous years.

Lifeguard deployments are based on data analysis of historical crowds and rescues, placing resources in areas of high beachgoer density with off-beach parking availability. A tiered priority system considers rescue history, environmental conditions, and swimmer density patterns.

But if fewer beachgoers go to unguarded beaches, low counts on those beaches become a self- fulfilling prophecy. And after years of high vacancies, new recruitment strategies are needed.”

–Former Ormond Beach City Commissioner & Civic Activist Jeff Boyle, as excerpted from his op/ed in The Ormond Beach Observer, “Lifeguard shortage still not addressed,” Tuesday, July 1, 2025

In his cogent piece in the Observer, Mr. Boyle noted the shocking fact that last year there were nine drownings on unguarded Volusia County beaches, 13 in 2023, and eight deaths in 2022.

Those grim statistics represent lives lost, and families destroyed, on Volusia County beaches.

That’s unacceptable.

“A study by Simmrin Law identified the 10 most dangerous beaches in America, factoring storms, lightning, shark attacks, and surf-related fatalities. Ranked: New Smyrna Beach (1), Daytona Beach (3), Ormond Beach (6), and Ponce Inlet (7).”

Damn.

In an equally stunning and short-sighted cost cutting measure, this week Flagler County Administrator Heidi Petito announced the county is considering ending its annual grant to Flagler Beach which pays half the cost of the city’s lifeguard program.

According to a report in FlaglerLive.com, the cost sharing agreement between the city and county has been in effect since 2017, and “Last year Flagler Beach’s 31 lifeguards conducted 241 rescues and took 1,800 preventive actions, with zero drownings…”

In addition, “Since 2017, when the city and the county signed a joint agreement ensuring that the county would contribute 50 percent of the funding, lifeguards have conducted 1,132 rescues, with zero drownings in the guarded portions of the beach.

There have been zero drownings along the guarded beaches since 2009, the earliest year of USLA data. In contrast, there have been seven drownings on unguarded portions of Flagler County beaches over that span. (The United States Lifeguard Association calculates the chance of a drowning off a protected beach at 1 in 18 million.)”

The $106,000 annual county contribution only covers lifeguard salaries, not equipment or other needs of the program.

Find the disturbing article here: https://tinyurl.com/28p8c4eb

According to reports, Petito’s unilateral decision to cancel an interlocal agreement – public policy approved by the Flagler Board of County Commissioners and Flagler Beach City Commission – came as a surprise to elected and administrative officials at both the city and county.   

Perhaps this is clapback from the BOCC’s recent rejection of Petito’s beach management plan which called for a half-cent sales tax increase. Last month, Commissioner Greg Hansen said that without the sales tax hike, Petito’s proposal would require a “…plan that cuts programs, cuts people, and eliminates jobs,” to generate the $12 million annually for beach management and preservation. 

For the record, this isn’t the first time County Administrator Petito has blindsided her bosses… 

In March 2024, she fired off a brusque missive to School Superintendent LaShakia Moore suggesting Flagler County would be reducing or eliminating its $1.4 million commitment to the School District as part of a decade old 50/50 cost-sharing plan, most of which funds the School Resource Deputy program.

Chaos ensued and the displeasure from both sides of the dais was immediate.

In my view, someone should give Ms. Petito a quick lesson in effective communication strategies – the ability to build trust with citizens, stakeholders, and other government entities – while increasing transparency and collaboration with those elected officials who are ultimately politically accountable for her actions.   

And Another Thing!

According to the Florida League of Cities, “The most precious powers a city in Florida has are its Home Rule powers. The ability to establish its form of government through its charter, and to then enact ordinances, codes, plans, and resolutions without prior state approval is a tremendous authority.”

In its purest form, most would agree that the fundamental right to self-determination – the ability of citizens in counties and municipalities to govern themselves – free of outside interference from the state in the pursuit of their community’s economic, social, and civic development, is critical to our representative form of governance where the ultimate power is derived from the people.

Increasingly, that sacred right to self-determination is under direct attack by state legislators’ intent on preempting local control – a process once narrowly focused on limiting inconsistencies in state and local laws – now used as a cudgel to crush local decisions as a means of running interference for their political benefactors.

Like their “friends” in the uber-powerful real estate development industry…

In my view, these blanket special interest preemptions represent a classic quid pro quo corruption of the system – with crafty legislators couching sweeping attacks on home rule as “hurricane recovery” laws and claims they are protecting Florida businesses from “burdensome local regulations” and interference in a free market (pa-lease…). 

Don’t take my word for it.  A cursory review of campaign finance reports from jurisdictions across the width and breadth of Florida show that real estate development interests make significant political contributions to hand-select candidates and political action committees who are favorable to their interests. 

I think that’s called a ‘return on investment,’ all perfectly legal under our skewed campaign finance laws.

In my view, the problem comes when an industry with massive impacts on the civic, economic, and environmental health of communities stack the deck with a slate of “rent a representatives” – then use tactics like preemption to wrest local control away from the most responsive (and politically accountable) level of government.

In a 2023 article in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned that 42% of Florida lawmakers had personal ties to the real estate development industry. 

That disturbing fact concerned Ben Wilcox, research director for Integrity Florida, who said at the time, “There’s really been a concerted effort (in recent years) by the Legislature to hold down local government. It’s all part of the legal corruption that goes on in state government: legalized bribery. The corruption is not always illegal. Sometimes it’s legal corruption.”

Unfortunately, here on Florida’s “Fun Coast” it’s not much better at the local level, where each election cycle the same influential last names shower massive campaign contributions on their shills, ensuring at least a subliminal obligation that ensures issues effecting their bottom line goes their way. 

Every. Damn. Time…

The next time the Volusia County Council has a development-related issue on (or off) the agenda, I encourage everyone to watch for themselves the strategic foot-dragging, parliamentary procrastination, and outright hostility from those compromised lackeys who have helped facilitate overdevelopment at every opportunity.

Now we’ve reached the nadir of special interest preemptions – totally eliminating local control of growth and development – even as existing residents face the very real threat of persistent development-induced flooding in a state surrounded by water and increasingly covered with impervious surfaces. 

And the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season is just heating up… 

It’s true.  Here in the Biggest Whorehouse in the World, those with the gold make the rules.

With next year’s elections beginning to attract candidates – including some perennial pro-development political hacks seeking another bite at the apple – I encourage you to begin sorting the wheat from the chaff, do your homework, ask the tough questions, and prepare to use the power of the ballot box to take back local control of our civic destiny. 

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

Hi, kids!

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

Volusia Flooding – Now, two can play that game…

In my view, for far too long real estate developers have been gifted carte blanche to build when, where, and what they want here in the Sunshine State. 

The results have been wide-ranging – a virtual blanket of zero lot line cracker boxes (“Starting in the mid $300’s”) and ugly sticks-and-glue apartment complexes covering the state – terribly destructive to our sensitive environmental processes and the quality of life of existing residents.

We are repeatedly told by our ‘powers that be’ they have some bizarre moral obligation to approve more, more, more to accommodate a wave of transplants to Florida.  Rather than allow supply and demand to dictate higher resale prices while controlling the pace, suitability, and quality of growth state legislators have openly shit on the concept of Home Rule in a bid to consolidate power. 

As a result, malleable “rent a representatives” in Tallahassee have given their political benefactors in the real estate industry extraordinary statutory protections that increasingly limit local government’s ability to control growth, and there’s not a lot We, The Little People can do about it.

Or is there?

Here in Volusia County, the majority of the County Council have proven to be little more than lapdog lackeys – running interference for their uber-wealthy donors in the real estate industry, rubber stamping development, and strategically dragging their heels on any attempt to slow growth or require low-impact construction practices – adding to the problem while refusing to act decisively to alleviate the scourge of development-induced flooding.

In January, officials in the City of Underwater in Southeast Volusia voted to tap the brakes on development with a temporary moratorium on new construction to give the community a chance to modify stormwater protections and find commonsense solutions to repeat flooding.

In May, the behemoth Lennar Homes – reportedly the second-largest developer in the United States – filed an action in Circuit Court seeking judicial review and reversal of the City of Edgewater’s denial of their final Phase II plat for Edgewater Preserve (in my view, another one of those perverse and antithetical monikers that only a real estate marketing firm could conjure) citing stormwater concerns.

It appears that Lennar is intent on pressing forward with its plans for Phase II – regardless of the community’s attempts to protect existing residents from what has been described as “severe and repeat” flooding – something many suggest is the result of changes in topography brought by new development.  

During Florida’s 2025 Legislative Circus, legislators passed a bill amending the platting statute which now takes the local elected body out of the approval process.  Instead, the local governing agency must appoint an “administrative authority” to process and review plats and replats for developments, and an “administrative officer” to approve the plat.

If signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the law smoothing out the humps and bumps for developers intent on fast tracking projects would take effect on July 1, 2025.  

Last week, the Volusia County Council approved a fox in the henhouse resolution appointing the Land Development Division of the Growth and Resource Mismanagement Department as the administrative authority and County Manager George “The Wreck” Rectenwald or his designee as the approving official… 

So, who looks out for existing residents? 

Unfortunately, so far there was little that existing residents could do but bend over and bear it… 

Now, it appears the influential law firm of Morgan and Morgan is letting waterlogged homeowners know that two can play that game.  Last week, the firm filed suit on behalf of two Deltona couples alleging that a Lennar Homes development near Deltona has resulted in “repeat flooding issues” on their properties.  

According to a report by Sheldon Gardner writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“The 13-page complaint, filed June 11 in Circuit Court in Volusia County by Morgan & Morgan’s Business Trial Group, focuses on Lennar’s “alleged flawed design and construction of the stormwater management system” in Vineland Reserve, according to a statement from the law firm. The plaintiffs are Suzanne and Mark Duda and Jerry Woods Jr. and his spouse, Robin.

Morgan & Morgan recently filed another lawsuit dealing with flooding complaints in Volusia County; the firm is representing multiple people over flooding around Miller Lake in Orange City.

Lennar Homes started building the development off Doyle Road in 2022. Before the development came along, “homes in the area allegedly had no history of substantial flooding during rainfall event.”

“Now their homes are alleged to be sustaining ongoing damage, and they are allegedly unable to use or enjoy their property,” according to the law firm. “The lawsuit claims that the plaintiffs communicated with Lennar several times to express their concerns, and despite allegedly being fully aware of the drainage issues, Lennar has not adequately repaired the system or paid for the damages already incurred.”

(Find the News-Journal report here: https://tinyurl.com/y3z3bzwm )

This lawsuit represents a quantum shift in the power dynamic that has squeezed Florida homeowners between voracious developers and their shills in government, leaving many with the option of selling their homes in an after-the-fact stormwater mitigation scheme, making expensive renovations after each event, or living in fear of the next unstoppable inundation.

In my view, even here in the Biggest Whorehouse in the World, the idea of existing residents being repeatedly victimized while out-of-state developers haul untold millions out the denuded pine scrub – with no legal recourse against either those who planned it, or those who permitted it – is counter to our concept of basic fairness, due process, and a respect for the property rights of everyone effected.

City of Palm Coast – Dissecting the Obvious

From the earliest origins of participatory government, anthropologists have struggled with the question of why humans developed the social, judicial, and bureaucratic institutions that are now such an integral part of our society (and individual tax burden…)

According to social scientists, the “cooperative theory” suggests that governments were initially developed as a means of coordinating common tasks between early tribes, a communal contract of sorts, where everyone gave up some of their own resources in exchange for collective benefits, a collaborative agreement that avoided conflict to meet shared needs.

By contrast, the “extractive theory” assumes that “might makes right” – with powerful groups extracting tributes, taxes, and resources from weaker ones – then ensconcing themselves as the ‘political elite’ and perpetuating a pernicious cycle using what has been described as “institutional bullying.”

Sounds eerily familiar, eh? 

According to Leander Heldring, an Assistant Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences at the Kellogg School of Management:

“We see it clearly in the archaeological and historical record,” he says. “Initial assembly meetings become less important, and you see people becoming enforcers within bureaucracies. So even if the initial push for developing these institutions was coordination, afterwards you’d still have to protect them. And that tension is very much still with us.”

Look, I’m not an educated man, but I spent the bulk of my adult life serving in a small municipality, which I still believe is most accessible, responsive, and efficient level of government.  Based upon that experience, I learned that the élan vital of any government organization is a fundamental commitment to service. 

At least it should be.

An organizational dedication to provide those essential functions that protect the safety and welfare of citizens, deliver essential services, maintain public infrastructure, mitigate threats, manage sanitation and stormwater, and provide the myriad other services that address common needs, improve quality of life, and meet the collective goals of the community.

In a modern council/manager system, the citizens elect representatives to act in their interest, handle legislation, allocate resources, and hire a competent manager to direct the multifaceted day-to-day operations of a working local government under the provisions of the city or county’s charter.

But what happens when things go awry and the finest traditions, protections, and social contracts of good governance come apart like a bad flywheel? 

Typically, that’s when governments in crisis turn to a highly compensated “consultant” – the proverbial “expert from out-of-town,” someone with a nice suit and briefcase – someone who rides into town and spends a copious amount of the people’s time and money dissecting the obvious.

At the end of the day, the “expert” will prepare an elaborate report based on their “findings” and present it to the exasperated council or commission who hired them. 

Unfortunately, many consulting firms (at least those who want other government contracts) will often play the role of the distracted wrestling referee – failing to point out the gross dysfunction, personal agendas, and mercenary loyalties of the elected dullards – as the root cause of the organizational inefficiencies and whale-shit staff morale they were hired to study in the first place…  

Last week, the tumultuous City of Palm Coast, a community in a neck-and-neck competition with the Lost City of Deltona as the most disastrously dysfunctional municipality in the Metropolitan Statistical Area, voted to spend some $60,000 to bring in the national consulting firm Plante Moran to conduct an “Entity‑Wide Risk Assessment” this summer.

According to recent media release by Palm Coast’s municipal mouthpiece: 

“The scope of the assessment includes evaluating current City capabilities and developing a framework the City can use to assess risk on an ongoing basis. Plante Moran will conduct interviews with key stakeholders to identify operational, strategic, financial, and compliance-related risks. Based on those findings, the firm will work with City leadership to prioritize risks, create targeted mitigation strategies, and recommend ways to align these efforts with the City’s long-term objectives. Additionally, the City will receive guidance on actionable measures that can enhance operational efficiency and improve services across all departments.”

I know what you’re thinking – those basic operational goals (spelled out with such flourish by the Palm Coast Communications & Marketing division) are exactly what most communities expect from their city/county manager… 

You’re right.

In my unscientific view, you don’t need a $60K study to see that the fissures so prevalent among the competing entities – divisions that have resulted in the public castration of Mayor Mike Norris, and exposed the self-serving allegiances of certain elected officials (and senior bureaucrats) intent on facilitating Palm Coast’s shove ten-pounds of shit in a five-pound sack growth management strategy – are the result of mercenary loyalties and piss-poor leadership.

And it’s getting worse…

This week, we learned that Jason DeLorenzo, Palm Coast’s community development director and chief of staff, has fled the city government’s troubled ziggurat for greener pastures as the assistant city manager of Palm Bay. 

In my view, with a list of city manager applicants now eliminated (or having fled for anywhere else amidst the internal shitshow) and senior officials beginning to jump ship, the experts at Plante Moran have their work cut out for them.

Let’s hope the most recent “experts” to peek behind the curtain of this horribly dysfunctional government demonstrate the professional integrity and civic honesty to place the blame where it rightfully belongs…   

Bunnell City Commission – A Startling Betrayal

“The Bunnell City Commission in a stunning move at the very end of its meeting Monday night, before a nearly empty chamber, voted 3-2 to revive the 8,000-home Reserve at Haw Creek development the commission rejected just two weeks ago. The item was not on the agenda.

Mayor Catherine Robinson prompted the motion, which Commissioner Pete Young offered without batting an eye–or asking questions–though Young had been in the 3-2 majority to reject the proposal on June 9. Robinson had met with the city manager and the developer for three hours Monday morning. She said the developer was prepared to submit a revised plan that takes public concerns into account.

Young said he’d met with City Manager Alvin Jackson and others on Friday to discuss the development and to let Jackson know he was supportive of Haw Creek as long as it made certain changes. “I met with the city manager and our people,” Young said in an interview today. He wasn’t sure if the developer was among those in the room. “All know is I told them what I would like to see and they said OK, we’ll pass it on to them.”

With Young’s reversal, the motion to reconsider carried, 3-2, with Commissioners John Rogers and David Atkinson as if in too much shock to comment. Rogers walked out immediately after the vote and the gavel to end the meeting, not addressing anyone in the room.”

–Pierre Tristam, writing in FlaglerLive.com, “Bunnell Mayor in Stunning Maneuver Revives 8,000-Home Development Commission Killed 2 Weeks Ago,” Tuesday, June 24, 2025

You read that right.

In a viciously underhanded use of an off-the-agenda public policy by ambush, Bunnell Mayor Cathrine Robinson waited until the end of Monday’s City Commission meeting to resurrect the prospect of the Reserve at Haw Creek – an 8,000-home monstrosity that will blanket over 2,800 acres between SR-100 and SR-11. 

Before her incredibly suspicious switcheroo – on Monday morning, Mayor Robinson said she met with the developer (out of the public’s prying eyes) – where she was told a “revised plan” would be submitted that addressed some of the myriad concerns expressed by frightened residents who see the development as a threat to their quality of life and the character of this small community.

Because it is. 

Among other potential impacts, once built out, the Reserve at Haw Creek is expected to increase traffic from the current 8,817 daily trips to an obscene 81,943 trips per day on already stressed area roadways. 

After strategically waiting for interested residents to leave the chamber – Mayor Robinson sprang her clearly choreographed surprise:

“I have a request based on a meeting with city staff and the Northeast Florida developers about the Haw Creek development to address both the public and the commission’s concerns,” the mayor said. “I would like a motion to reconsider the denial of the rezoning application and move forward with the development agreement.”

Once the motion was made and seconded, the vote to approve reconsidering both the planned unit development and the development agreement passed 3-2, with Commissioners John Rogers and David Atkinson dissenting.

Now, shocked residents of Bunnell are left to ask the troubling questions…

Such as, how was the developer was so conveniently able to persuade Mayor Robinson to bring this wildly controversial project back for reconsideration just two-weeks after the commission voted 4-1 to reject it?

Or why the massive development – one that threatens to fundamentally change everything about the community – was resurrected by a backstabbing mayor at the end of a public meeting with no public notice, substantive information, or citizen participation?

This was wrong, duplicitous, and horribly deceitful. 

In my view, Mayor Robinson and those elected officials who pushed this sneaky scheme have sold their political souls to push an agenda, and they will never be trusted again…

The residents of Bunnell deserve better from those they put their solemn trust in…   

Quote of the Week

“At their June 18 meeting, (Daytona Beach) city commissioners voted to amend their agreement with Protogroup to allow the company to be partially reimbursed for its costs for a beach access improvement and the new one-story building. Once those projects are complete, Protogroup will be reimbursed up to 50% of the property taxes for them paid to the city’s community redevelopment area fund over five years.

The agreement originally said Protogroup would have to completely finish the condo tower before it would get some of its money back for things such as new pedestrian beach access and improved water and sewer infrastructure. Now the agreement says the company just needs to complete the new one-story building.

“I just want to hide that ugly rebar we’ve been looking at for three years,” said City Commissioner Ken Strickland. “I don’t want to do anything that hampers getting that out of our eyesight.”

–Reporter Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Long-idled Daytona Beach condo project set to resume construction in July,” Thursday, June 26, 2025

What a joke…

For the umpteenth time since the decade-old debacle of the Protogroup’s abandoned mess of stained pilings and rusted rebar in the heart of our core tourist area began, it appears the Daytona Beach City Commission has simply given up – now deciding to do away with any semblance of holding the developer to his word. 

Instead of initiating condemnation procedures to ensure compliance, it appears city officials are going to incentivize a façade – anything to camouflage the suppurating eyesore that serves as a monument to another failed “panacea project” all the right last names promised us would change our fortunes for the better.

Bullshit.

According to the News-Journal’s report, “In early September 2022, the city’s chief building official issued a condemnation and demolition order that said portions of the unfinished structure were dangerous and “likely to partially or completely collapse or to become detached or dislodged” due to faulty construction, neglect, abandonment, exposure to the elements, damage and decay.

The city backed off the condemnation and demolition threat after Protogroup cleaned up the site and agreed to a plan to have structural engineers inspect the foundation work before resuming construction.”

So, is the unfinished structure “likely to partially or completely collapse,” or not? 

Unfortunately, the City of Daytona Beach and Volusia County have allowed developers to get them over a barrel, and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about it now.

In an October 2018 piece in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the former chairman of the ill-fated Beachside Redevelopment Committee, Tony Grippa, prophetically said:

“The city still lacks an overall strategy as it relates to A1A and the beachside corridor, and this is what happens when you put all your eggs in one basket.”

At this point, however, completion of the (Protogroup) project is imperative, Grippa said.

“It would be absolutely devastating to have, in addition to all the old boarded-up buildings, now a new partially completed building,” Grippa said. “That sitting vacant and empty would really hurt the beachside, optically, economically and emotionally.”

Tragic, indeed.

In my view, it is time our elected and appointed officials start representing those of us who pay the bills and demand the provisions of performance assurances and completion deadlines are enforced – or else.

This mercurial capitulation sends a bright signal to other developers that if you defy regulatory authority long enough, the ‘powers that be’ responsible for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public will simply cave and give you whatever you demand to complete (insert “game changing” project here.)  

And Another Thing!

Last week, a dear friend and I traveled to “La-La Land” – Los Angeles, California.  

Beverly Hills, to be exact. Swimming pools.  Movie stars.   

And more bone-crushing traffic than I’ve ever seen my life…   

The purpose of our trip was to check on another lifelong friend who has been under the weather of late, courageously participating in a cutting-edge experimental treatment at UCLA’s impressive Ronald Reagan Medical Center.  An exciting technology that may eventually help doctor’s treat cancer in a more precise way.

While I’ve visited Southern California in the past, this was the first time I saw much of what Los Angeles has to offer. Great experiences like dinner at the classic “Old Hollywood” restaurant Dan Tana’s, and a wonderful afternoon over cocktails at the iconic Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Our bartender, Vladimir, could not have been more accommodating, and treated two ballcap/blue jean clad yokels from Florida like gold – taking time to explain the rich history of the hotel (now owned by the Sultan of Brunei) – and jokingly offered to pour us a McCallan 72 from a lacquered case behind the bar – a rare Scotch offered at $10,000 a shot…   

“Make it double, Vlad…”

Just kidding. As it stood, I needed a second mortgage to cover the bar tab.

The conspicuous wealth, glitz, and glamor of Tinseltown set up a classic Jed Clampett meets George Jetson story – an up-close and jaw dropping exposure to some incredible technological/AI advances currently in operation on the west coast.   

For instance, I took advantage of the new (to me, anyway) Waymo self-driving autonomous vehicle for local transportation.  A product of Google that was a decade in development, the service utilizes the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE – a sleek four-door sedan with a whirring array of sensors on the roof and each corner of the vehicle – to include an illuminated sign on the roof that displays the riders name at the point of pickup. 

Much like Uber or Lyft, the ride is summoned (and the fare paid) from your phone.  Once the location is entered, the Waymo drives to your GPS location and with the touch of a button on the app, handles emerge, and the doors unlock. 

Once inside the comfortable rear seat, the rider fastens the seatbelt, touches a “start ride” button on the screen, and you are literally along for the ride.   

What happens next is a little scary – and infinitely fascinating. 

From the back seat, the rider watches as the vehicle enters traffic and proceeds by the most expedient route – the steering wheel eerily turning independently, as though operated by a spectral “driver” – smoothly navigating to your destination.   

I’ll admit, the first trip was a bit freaky, and, over time, I discovered a few “wrinkles in the matrix.”

For instance, during one trip, the Waymo passed my hotel and dropped us inconveniently a block away, another time, the car circled the block at our destination before getting its bearings and returning to the drop-off point.   

In each case, the artificial intelligence and various sensors powering the navigation system were “learning” – getting better, more precise with each trip – a weird digital cognition training a complex decision-making capability – gathering data from each “experience,” never forgetting the lessons learned, becoming “smarter” and more accurate with each “mistake.”

During the course of the week, I found myself relying more on Waymo and less on manned ridesharing programs that work much the same, but with a person at the wheel. 

In another weird revelation, while having lunch in Westwood, I was surprised by what appeared to be an orange Igloo cooler on wheels trundling down the sidewalk outside the restaurant. 

I did a double-take…   

It was “Coco” – a purpose built “robocourier” – which autonomously transports groceries, prepared food deliveries, or other goods along city sidewalks at a brisk walking speed (or faster in a bicycle lane) – a device that became so ubiquitous that the novelty quickly wore off and I stopped noticing the little buggers.

As Coco went about its appointed rounds, the cart would stop for people walking on the sidewalk, and I realized that human beings were an impediment to its progress – in more ways than one…    

According to Coco Robotics, the urban logistics service is now available in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Helsinki.

In retrospect, it is somewhat unsettling that in time I preferred to deal with a self-driving car than a fellow human being trying to earn a living – no tip and no complex social interaction (including one awkward exchange with an Uber driver who offered to provide us with Russian hookers and Armenian vodka during our stay in LA…true story.)  

I now realize that the ease and rapidity with which I relinquished control and acclimated to an autonomous vehicle and a robotic delivery cart is ultimately how we, living/breathing/emotional beings, may ultimately become obsolete – mere impediments to “progress” – as artificial intelligence “learns” from experience and interactions, just like we do.

Which prompts disturbing question like what role will “we” play in a world dominated by (sentient?) machines, and, ultimately, how will we address the Frankensteinian conundrum of how to control the monster once it escapes our control? 

Welcome to the future, Barker… 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to spend some quality time with my toaster.  It missed me while I was gone…  

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

Note to the Loyal Barker’s View Tribe:

Barker’s View will be taking a break this week.  

During our short intermission from the “Fun Coast’s” civic/political théâtre de l’absurde, please feel free to enjoy some past asides from the BV achieves at the bottom of this page.  It’s fun to take a look back with the clarity of hindsight and see what has changed, and what remains the same, where we call home.

See you next week!