“Scribner had been employed by King Transportation Company, on and off, for approximately two-years, and had reported for work at approximately 18:30hrs on October 9, 1995, as the night driver of Cab #63. 

The previous driver of the car that day was identified as D. P., who washed the vehicle immediately prior to turning it over to Scribner. 

During an initial interview, R. C. reported that Scribner was a good employee, and recalled that he had been the victim of a strongarm robbery in the City of Daytona Beach approximately two-weeks ago. 

That incident was not reported to police. 

According to R. C., King Transportation’s night dispatcher was identified as R. T., who would be able to confirm Scribner’s runs for the previous evening.”

____________________

As the sun began to rise over the gruesome scene, the forensic processing was completed, and the taxi covered and loaded onto a flatbed wrecker for escorted transport to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s crime laboratory in Orlando. 

To preserve items of trace evidence, the victim’s hands were covered with paper bags and securely taped in place before his body was carefully placed inside a non-porous human remains pouch – often called a “body bag” – and custody of the body transferred to the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s office for post mortem examination to determine the manner and cause of death.     

In forensic science, Locard’s exchange principle holds that the perpetrator of a crime will bring something into the crime scene and leave with something from it, and that both can be used as evidence:

“Wherever he steps, whatever he touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as a silent witness against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibres from his clothes, the glass he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or semen he deposits or collects. All of these and more, bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong, it cannot perjure itself, it cannot be wholly absent. Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.”

The process also requires meticulously documenting the chain of custody for each item of evidence, literally from the crime scene to the courtroom.

Who collected it, who transported it, who processed it, where and how it was securely stored – a continuous, unbroken record of possession that preserves the integrity and authenticates each item from point of discovery until its introduction in a court of law.   

As Detective Sergeant, my job was to assume responsibility and coordinate all aspects of a multifaceted investigation – including ensuring everyone on the team maintained strict adherence to investigative processes, protocols and the legal requirements of proving or disproving a crime. 

____________________

“At approximately 06:30hrs, I assigned officers to conduct a coordinated search of the area for any additional items of physical evidence.  Officers and investigators covered a geographical area from Sickler Drive in Daytona Beach, north to the 300 block of Riverside Drive, and from the west bank of the Halifax River to the west shoulder of Riverside Drive. 

This search included the rooftops of all surrounding buildings, all boats in the adjacent marina storage yard, all trash receptacles, and a thorough inspection of the rear maintenance area of the shopping center and marina.

The canvas failed to reveal any additional items of physical evidence or witnesses to the incident.

A call was placed to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, who initiated an underwater search of the adjacent waters of the Halifax River immediately east of the scene with negative results.”

___________________ 

Homicide investigations require a multidisciplinary approach – that begins with building positive relationships with outside agencies.    

The use of specialized units, crime scene technicians, forensic pathologists, experienced prosecutors, and myriad subject matter experts is all part of this team concept.

As our investigation continued, I assigned veteran Investigator James Patton to identify the victim’s next-of-kin and, if out-of-town, to locate a law enforcement agency to make the death notification. 

Our department has a long-standing compassionate rule that no death notification – one of the most difficult tasks a law enforcement officer can perform – would be done by telephone.  Once the next-of-kin were identified, the family’s local law enforcement agency would be provided the details so the tragic news could be delivered to the family in-person.      

In addition, Inv. Patton was directed to begin the process of piecing together Mr. Scribner’s background – painstakingly recreating the last 24-hours of his life – as we began to build a picture of who he was and any risk characteristics (other than the obvious danger of being a nighttime cab driver) that may have contributed to his victimization. 

____________________

“At approximately 07:00hrs, Investigator Stephen Aldrich obtained the dispatch records from King Transportation Dispatcher R. T. 

These logs determined that, at approximately 22:00hrs on October 9, 1995, Scribner had been dispatched to the 7-11 convenience store at 301 South Peninsula Drive, Daytona Beach.  After accepting the fare at the store, Scribner advised via radio that he was enroute to the Halifax Shopping Center with two passengers.  

Dispatcher R. T. recalled attempting to communicate with Scribner approximately 15-minutes after his final transmission but received no answer. 

The logs provided by King Transportation support the recollections of Dispatcher R. T.; however, the audio recording of dispatch communications with drivers for the time in question was inoperative and failed to record the final transmission of Mr. Scribner. 

The victim’s personal vehicle was located at King Transportation, and Inv. Aldrich conducted a cursory search of the interior, locating a large envelope containing a return address for a “Johanna Scribner – East Taunton, Massachusetts.” 

The information was transmitted to Inv. Patton for follow-up and the vehicle was towed to the Holly Hill Police Department for safekeeping. 

At approximately 13:30hrs, Inv. Aldrich arrived at the City of Daytona Beach Police Department’s Code Enforcement Division.  That agency supplied a copy of Mr. Scribner’s taxi drivers permit which contained both his photograph and signature. 

In addition, Inv. Aldrich drove to the 7-11 convenience store at 301 South Peninsula Drive and took possession of the store’s surveillance video which many have captured the exterior of the building at the time Mr. Scribner picked up his final passengers.   

At approximately 15:00hrs, the manager of the 7/11 store contacted the Holly Hill Police Department after seeing television media coverage of the incident. 

The manager reports that overnight, a clerk at the store located a large knife in a trash receptacle located just outside the main entrance to the store at approximately 02:00hrs. 

The knife was described as a large hunting-type knife, silver in color, and was initially observed laying on top of garbage inside the trashcan. 

The clerk who discovered the knife removed it from the bin, showed it to a coworker, and placed it in a storeroom. 

At approximately 15:30hrs, Inv. Aldrich arrived back at the 7-11 store to take custody of the knife and determine any relevance it may have to this case.  During an interview with the clerk who discovered the knife, Inv. Aldrich learned that it was discovered when the employee was emptying the trashcan immediately outside the main entrance. 

The knife is described as silver in color with large finger grooves in the handle with the scales missing from the grip.  The very tip of the knife blade is missing/broken off and there are considerable stains on both the blade and handle.” 

At approximately 09:00hrs, October 11, 1995, Investigator Patton attended the autopsy examination which was performed by Dr. Ronald Reeves at the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s office at Halifax Hospital Medical Center. 

Inv. Patton brought the knife recovered from the 7-11 store for comparison. 

According to Dr. Reeves, Scribner died as the result of multiple stab wounds to the upper-rear torso. 

The knife penetrated the victim’s body in a downward direction, with at least one of the thrusts lacerating the aorta resulting in massive internal bleeding and death.   

When examining the knife located at the 7-11 store, Dr. Reeves concluded that the knife is of similar type as that used to inflict the wounds. 

At approximately 10:00hrs, Inv. Aldrich and Inv. R. B., analyzed the in-store video from the 7-11 store.  A close and methodic review of the video reveals that at 22:01hrs on October 9, 1995, two white male subjects entered the store via the main entrance, having approached from the north (International Speedway Boulevard). 

The first subject entered – followed immediately by the second – and the pair walked to the area of a fountain drink dispenser before approaching the clerks’ station. 

The clerk, identified as A. G., can be seen handing one of the subjects two packages of cigarettes, as the first subject is seen exiting the store at a brisk pace drinking from what appears to be a large fountain drink held in his right hand. 

Moments later, the second subject can be seen exiting the store carrying the cigarettes in his left hand. 

After the pair exits, each walked across the front of the store from left to right in a northerly direction.  (According to A. G., neither subject paid for the merchandise taken from the store.)

At 22:08hrs, both subjects are seen walking south from right to left across the front of the store toward a bank of pay telephones located along the southwest wall of the storefront. 

At 22:13hrs, a Checker Cab operated by Mark Scribner is seen arriving at the 7-11 store, entering the parking lot from the north. 

The two subjects are then seen approaching the vehicle from the area of the telephones, with one entering the rear passenger seat, immediately behind the driver, while the other enters and assumes the seat next to the driver in the front seat. 

This segment of the tape concludes with Scribner driving the cab away from the parking lot onto South Peninsula Drive.”

To enhance the visual quality of the video, investigators took the tape to Beach Photo of Daytona Beach, where several still photographs were taken from the original tape and enlarged to show detail. 

The tape was also taken to Media Photo-Graphics at 1625 Ridgewood Avenue, Holly Hill, and additional still photographs were taken and enlarged for definition, using computer video enhancement equipment. 

From these photographs, PIP Printing of Daytona Beach reproduced flyers requesting information on the identity and whereabouts of the subject’s depicted on the video.  These flyers were posted in prominent locations throughout the beachside of Daytona Beach to elicit information relative to this case.”

____________________

The media keeps the public informed of criminal incidents and has a valuable role in the investigative process in generating information and investigative leads from the public. 

During my career, I recognized the importance of developing strong, trusting relationships with members of the local media – some of whom remain lifelong friends.

In this case, the team made critical decisions about what information to release – and what elements to hold-back – as a strategic balance between seeking quality external leads and while keeping secret critical elements only the killer would know. 

Former Daytona Beach News-Journal reporter Brendan Smith, and incredibly talented writer who now serves as a freelance journalist in Washington D.C., did a masterful job of covering this disturbing story from the beginning – and was integral in developing information that led to its successful conclusion.    

Video may help solve cabbie death

By Brendan Smith – The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Police hope a grainy surveillance video will help them catch a pair of men suspected in the stabbing death of a cab driver Monday night. 

The video shows two young white men buying a pack of cigarettes before departing in a cab at 10:13pm Monday from the 7-Eleven convenience store, 301 S. Peninsula Drive.

They were cabdriver Mark Clyde Scribner’s last fare.

Scribner’s body was found at 3:15am Tuesday by Holly Hill Police on a routine patrol behind the Halifax Shopping Center, 231 Riverside Drive.

Scribner, 39, had been stabbed six times in the back and had attempted to flee before collapsing about 120 feet south his can on a service roadway behind the shopping center.  Scribner told the taxicab dispatcher he was taking the men to the shopping center before the dispatcher lost contact with him. 

Police think Scribner was robbed of less than $100.

Scribner moved from motel to motel and had no permanent address.  A native of East Taunton, Mass. He had worked for Checker Cabs for about 18 months. 

Johanna Scribner, the driver’s mother, said in a telephone interview Wednesday from Massachusetts that Scribner was an easygoing man who never got angry. 

Scribner was single and had no children.

“Even if they wanted to rob him, why kill him?” Mrs. Scribner asked.  “I don’t know why anybody would do that because he couldn’t have had too much money.”

“All he ever wanted was to marry somebody and have a family,” she said.  “I always said whoever married him was lucky because he was not a violent one.”

The surveillance video provides general descriptions of the two suspects but needs to be enhanced before facial features will be visible, Sgt. Mark Barker said. 

Cab drivers from cab companies in the Daytona Beach area have called police with tips that are being investigated, Barker said.

Some drivers have also expressed concern for their own safety.  Several cab drivers who were interviewed said partitions should be installed in cabs to protect the driver from violent passengers. 

But some cab company owners said partitions cut off ventilation and make the passenger feel like he’s in a police car instead of a cab. 

“With the heat here in Daytona and when it’s cold here, the partitions are just not user-friendly for the passenger,” said Dale King, Jr. president of Kings Transportation Group, which owns Yellow Cab, Checker Cabs and City Cabs.

King said his company is reviewing the possibility of installing surveillance cameras in cabs or panic buttons that would alert dispatchers and the police that the cab driver was in danger.

King said there had been about five robberies over the past year from the 55 cabs in the Kings Transportation Group. 

Tony Ciulla, owner of Southern Komfort Taxi Company, said he encouraged his drivers to carry weapons to protect themselves. 

But King said his company discourages drivers from carrying weapons because drivers often can’t reach them if a passenger has already pulled a weapon. 

Both suspect’s in Scribner’s murder are described as white males, 18 to 22 years old with blond hair. 

The shorter subject, at about 5 feet 7 inches, was wearing baggy black calf-length shorts, a black t-shirt, a blue bandana, and black high-top basketball shoes. 

The other suspect, at 5 feet 10 inches, was wearing black pants or jeans, a black shirt, and black and white Converse sneakers. 

Anyone with information on the crime or the suspects should call police at 947-4184.

____________________

“On October 12, 1995, at approximately 21:30hrs, a subject identified as M.K. of Holly Hill came to the police department to report the following information:

On Monday, October 9, 1995, at approximately 21:30hrs, he placed a telephone call to a friend, identified as C.N., who resides at 527 Mobile Avenue, Daytona Beach.  At the time of the call, C.N. stated that she was leaving for a short while and asked that he call back later. 

At approximately 00:30hrs, October 10, 1995, M.K. telephoned the residence at 527 Mobile Avenue, and during the call, C.N. advised it would be alright for him to come over to the house. 

M.K. states he put down the telephone to ask his father for a ride to Mobile Avenue, and when he returned to the telephone, a subject identified as Kris Benson was on the line. 

M.K. advised Benson he was going to ride his skateboard over to the Mobile Avenue home and recalled that Benson asked him what route he planned to take.  Benson then advised M.K. he would meet him in the Seabreeze Boulevard area.

M.K. stated he then told his mother he was leaving and rode his skateboard to the area of Seabreeze Boulevard to meet Benson.  As M.K. approached the 300 block of Seabreeze Boulevard, he observed Benson standing on the south side of the street and the pair greeted each other with a handshake.  

According to M.K., he and Benson then skateboarded east on Seabreeze Boulevard to Atlantic Avenue, then south on Atlantic Avenue where they stopped at 527 North Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Hot Grill. 

At the pizzeria, Benson purchased an order of French fries from a large amount of currency carried in his pocket. 

According to M.K., the pair sat inside the restaurant for approximately 30-minutes, eating the French fries and watching television.  After departing Daytona Hot Grill, M.K. recalls he and Benson rode their skateboards south on Atlantic Avenue to Benson’s Mobile Avenue home. 

As the pair passed through the Main Street intersection, M.K. states they were stopped by an unidentified Daytona Beach police officer who advised them to refrain from skating on the sidewalk.

Once at the Mobile Avenue home, Benson entered the residence while M.K. remained outside to smoke a cigarette, and a few moments later, Benson exited the home and asked M.K. to accompany him to the 7-Eleven store on Atlantic Avenue just north of Mobile Avenue. 

After purchasing a pack of cigarettes, Benson and M.K. returned to the residence where they listened to music for a while. 

When others at the home left to go swimming at the beach, M.K. remained at the home in the company of Benson and another juvenile identified as Josh Keith. 

M.K. recalled that at some point Keith came out of a backroom of the home and made mention to Benson of an incident that had occurred earlier that night.  While M.K. cannot recall Keith’s exact comments, he does remember that it caused a harsh reaction from Benson, who ordered Keith to be quiet and not discuss the matter in M.K.’s presence. 

Several moments later, M.K. remembers that Benson changed his mind and stated to Josh Keith, “I guess we can tell him,” then Benson turned to M.K. and said, “If I tell you something, you can’t tell anyone.”

According to M.K., Benson then asked if knew anyone who had killed someone before, then stated, “Well, I killed someone tonight.” 

At first, M.K. stated he did not believe that Benson has committed a murder.  Then, Benson elaborated, stating, “Did you see any lights behind the shopping center?” – meaning on M.K.’s ride over the Seabreeze Bridge earlier in the evening. 

M.K. reports that Benson then said, “The cab and the body are probably still back there.”

According to M.K., he was uncomfortable with what Benson had confessed to him and terminated the conversation.  For a while, M.K. sat in the home and listened to music until the others returned from swimming.

When the group returned to the Mobile Avenue home, M.K. states he and C.N. walked to the beach so she could collect some belongings left behind.  As they walked, the pair began discussing the homicide. 

According to M.K., C.N. asked if he had heard about the incident, and he explained how Benson confessed to the killing earlier.  M.K. recalled that C.N. stated that the act was “fucked up,” and that the cabdriver was just trying to make a living, and Benson had to “screw it up for him.”

M.K. stated he turned to C.N. and told her he did not want to talk about it anymore. 

When the pair returned to the Mobile Avenue home, they entered the house and walked into a backroom where Jason Keith, his brother Josh Keith, a subject identified as K.S., and Benson were gathered. 

When M.K. sat down, he heard Benson say to a subject known only as “Buck” – “What are you doing next Wednesday? – to which “Buck” facetiously replied, “I don’t know what I’m doing tomorrow.”

Then Benson said, “Well, next Wednesday I’m going to have an axe. . .” 

____________________

The City of Holly Hill Police Department has been blessed with a wealth of talent, dedicated public servants who provide quality essential services to the residents.  In 1995, I was fortunate to work with an exceptional group of criminal investigators. 

I will have more about their individual achievements and accomplishments in the epilog. 

Please join me next week for Part III: The Investigation Continues

The great privilege of my life was serving as a police officer in the small community of Holly Hill, located in East Central Florida on the banks of the Halifax River.    

Several months before I retired as Chief of Police on March 28, 2014 – exactly 31-years to the day from when I was hired – the Holly Hill Police Department was undergoing a periodic house-cleaning of archived public records – a purge of stale reports and forms that had exceeded their required retention period and were being removed from storage and destroyed. 

With retirement approaching, it was an emotional time for me. I was watching what amounted to my life’s work being fed into the maw of an industrial shredder, never to be seen again.  A written narrative of a period of municipal history – and one man’s career – lost forever.    

Not that anyone would care about the reconstruction of a fender-bender or the resolution of some long-forgotten tit-for-tat neighborhood dispute.

But, as those yellowed pages were ground into confetti, it raised my wistful sense of nostalgia.      

So, I asked the clerk overseeing the cleanout if she would kindly save anything bearing my name and she thoughtfully obliged – later handing me a bankers box marked, “The Barker Files.”   

I have always wanted to try my hand at writing a detective novel, a police procedural in the genre of Joseph Wambaugh or Charles Willeford – unfortunately, while the experiences and memories remain vivid in my mind’s eye, I lack the authorial talent to get it on paper. . .

Then it hit me.  These great stories have already been written!

While rummaging through a musty corner of my garage, I came upon the Barker Files – waiting patiently for the stories to be told.

I thought some readers of this blog might be interested in reading a few of the more interesting cases I was associated with during my long career in a small Central Florida community.

So, here goes. 

As we pass the 25^th anniversary of the brutal murder of Mark Clyde Scribner – a vicious homicide whose random nature galvanized the Halifax area for four days in October 1995 – I wanted to memorialize Mr. Scribner’s death with an insider’s view of the investigative efforts leading to the shocking conclusion in a series of installments from, The Barker Files. . .

The victim, Mark Scribner, was the only son of Johanna Scribner of East Taunton, Massachusetts, a U.S. Army veteran, and a music graduate of Purdue University who enjoyed composing songs and playing drums, keyboard, and guitar. 

According to family members, Mark enjoyed playing chess and never failed to volunteer with the Salvation Army at Christmastime.   

For some, this may stir bad memories of an indiscriminate tragedy. 

That is not my intent.  

I hope this story proves that, after a quarter century, the victims of violent crime remain forever in the minds and hearts of the men and women who worked so diligently to bring those responsible to justice.

The series you are about to read is true. 

It chronicles, to the best of my recollection, an actual homicide investigation that I supervised from crime scene to courtroom – and represents exhaustive 20-hour days, the persistence of dedicated investigators, support personnel and the outstanding prosecutors who took the case to trial.

Any errors, then or now, are my own.   

It is not a “feel-good” story with a contrived happy ending – and if you are easily disturbed by the graphic reality of violent crime, I suggest you stop reading now. 

Some names have been changed or omitted. 

REPORT OF INVESTIGATION

Homicide – 95-10-4247

Detective Sergeant Mark D. Barker

“On October 10, 1995, at approximately 03:18hrs, while on patrol near the south terminus of the Halifax Shopping Center, 231 Riverside Drive, Corporal Richard Klein located the body of a subject, later positively identified as Mark Clyde Scribner, lying in a driving lane at the rear of the complex. 

Corporal Klein stopped his patrol vehicle approximately 25-feet south of Scribner’s location and illuminated the area with the vehicle’s headlights.  After making a radio transmission to Holly Hill Communications, Klein exited the vehicle and approached the body on foot. . .”

____________________

As a police detective, whenever the phone rings after midnight it typically means you are going to work, just like the old homicide investigator’s joke says:

“Our day begins when yours ends.” 

During the early morning hours of October 10, 1995, my wife Patti picked up the bedside telephone and sleepily placed it on my chest. 

On the other end, a stoic telecommunicator advised that the on-duty supervisor had located a body behind the former Halifax Shopping Center, which was located on the grounds of what is now a luxury apartment complex in Holly Hill, Florida – a community of 12,000 people which borders the Daytona Beach Resort Area.    

Corporal Richard Klein came to Florida from New Jersey late in life, leaving a successful business to move south and pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a cop. 

I have liked Richard from the first day I met him. 

His mannerisms always reminded me of the great Jack Lemmon – and he possessed those natural people skills and a deep empathy that served him well in the police service. To his credit, Richard is both incredibly smart and gifted with a unique sense of humor that never failed to break the tension – he could both give, and take, a joke with equal enthusiasm – and I rarely saw him without a smile.   

Like many of the officers and investigators in this story, Richard has long since retired, and is now living comfortably in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

At his retirement party, Richard said to me in his own inimitable way, “I’m proud of myself.  When I started this job I didn’t smoke, drink or cuss – after all these years – I still don’t smoke. . .”   

On that awful night in October 1995, Richard Klein was the on-duty uniformed patrol shift supervisor.

____________________

“As Corporal Klein approached, he observed what appeared to be a large area of blood pooling around the victim’s body.  Upon closer examination, Klein observed what appeared to be several cuts or tears in the victim’s dark t-shirt having the appearance of stab/puncture wounds, with some blood visible on the exposed skin beneath. 

Several feet east of the body, Corporal Klein observed what appeared to be blood pooled on the asphalt drive near an area of standing water, along with a pair of eyeglasses located immediately next to another area of what appeared to be blood several yards northeast of the body. 

After failing to detect any signs of life, Corporal Klein requested emergency medical assistance and directed that the on-call detective respond to the scene. 

The victim was pronounced dead by EVAC paramedics at 03:30hrs.

At approximately 03:40hrs, this investigator arrived on-scene and began a preliminary investigation. 

My initial observation of the crime scene found a 1985 Dodge Diplomat, marked as Checker Cab #63, parked at an angle in the driving lane approximately 242’ north of where the victim’s body was located. 

In an effort to preserve physical evidence and protect the integrity of the scene, I ordered Corporal Klein to establish perimeter security, including an entry/exit log, with whatever assistance he deemed necessary, and directed paramedics from the Holly Hill Fire Department and EVAC Ambulance to leave the crime scene and recorded their exit on the crime scene log. 

Additional assistance was requested from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Crime Scene Unit in Orlando, and Volusia County Medical Examiner, Dr. Ronald Reeves, was notified. 

After ensuring the integrity of the crime scene, I began an initial assessment. 

Due to the hour, the immediate surroundings were illuminated by security lighting alone.

The pavement upon which the body was resting was wet due to intermittent rain earlier in the evening.  The ambient temperature was approximately 75-degrees and the sky mostly cloudy with high relative humidity.

This Investigator did not observe any foot/tire tracks in the immediate area, other than those identified from Corporal Klein’s patrol vehicle, the Holly Hill Fire Department apparatus, and the responding ambulance. 

The victim’s body was that of a white male, approximately 40 years of age, clad in a dark, short sleeved shirt with dark pants and white athletic shoes. 

The victim appeared to have a full head of thick dark hair, with a full dark beard covering the face. 

Around the waist was what appeared to be a nylon zippered pouch.  A close visual examination found the pouch’s compartment to be open. 

The body was positioned facedown, with the feet oriented in a northerly direction and the head oriented to the south, with the arms and hands held close under the torso. 

A large concentration of blood was noted on the victim’s body, pooling under the upper body and head, with two areas of what appeared to be vomitus observed – one under the victim’s face – the other on the pavement behind the victim’s head, indicative of the victim having laid on his back before rolling to the right. 

The vomitus was white in color and contained an unidentified semi-digested substance. 

Approximately 23’ northwest of the victim’s body was a pair of tinted prescription eyeglasses positioned immediately next to a small pool of what appears to be blood, with numerous drops of blood forming an irregular pattern leading from the eyeglasses to the victim’s point of rest. 

A close examination of the victim’s posterior torso found multiple cuts in the victim’s shirt, each consistent with stab/puncture wounds.  Through these openings in the shirt, this Investigator observed several puncture-type wounds and blood visible on the exposed skin. 

Additionally, a large laceration was observed on the victim’s scalp at the rear of the head. 

After visually examining the body, this Investigator proceeded to the nearby taxicab, which was parked at an unusual angle behind the shopping center, approximately 242’ north of the victim’s body.

The vehicle was a 1985 Dodge four-door sedan, yellow in color, with distinctive markings denoting a Checker Cab (Unit #63).  All four doors were closed.

Through the windows, I observed what appeared to be blood spatter and casting on and around the interior of the driver’s door, to include the window and front bench seat. 

Several pieces of paper could be seen scattered about the front seat, including what appeared to be the driver’s log sheet.  The items were laying on top of the visible blood droplets on the seat, indicative of having been placed there after the initial event. 

The door to the glove compartment was hanging downward in the open position. 

On the floor, directly in front of the driver’s seat, was a plastic bag containing unknown items and a plastic milk container. 

In a foam rubber scabbard affixed to the driver’s door was a large, heavy-bladed knife.  

On the exterior of the vehicle, this Investigator observed what appeared to be blood draining downward from the bottom of the door jam.  The vehicle’s headlight switch was in the fully extended “On” position, the gear shift lever was in the “Drive” position, and the ignition switch turned to the “Off” position. 

At approximately 05:20hrs, FDLE Crime Scene Technician Al Horne arrived on-scene. 

Upon completion of Horne’s forensic processing and photographs, Volusia County Medical Examiner Dr. Ronald Reeves – with the assistance of Inv. M. S. – conducted a cursory physical examination of the victim’s body. 

Upon turning the body over, the victim was found to be clutching a small crystal amulet in the left hand which hung from the neck by a black cord. 

Between the victim’s legs was a small piece of paper that appeared to be a gasoline receipt, which had presumably fallen or been removed from the open nylon waist pouch. 

The victim’s shoes, waist pouch and the nearby eyeglasses were collected and taken into evidence by Horne. 

Upon completion of the crime scene processing and physical examination of the body, Holly Hill Police Chief J. P. Finn escorted R. C., the owner/operator of Checker Cab Co. into the scene to positively identify the victim.

Mr. C. immediately recognized the body as his driver, Mark Clyde Scribner. . .”

____________________

Chief J. P. “Pat” Finn had a great influence in my life. 

In 1982, the City of Port Orange Police Department sponsored me to Basic Law Enforcement Recruit Training at Daytona Beach Community College – also known as “Rookie School.”

There were no job openings available in Port Orange when I graduated, so, in March 1983, after a battery of civil service tests, background investigations and interviews, Chief Finn hired me as a Holly Hill police officer.

I was 22 years old. . .

Through the years, I learned a lot from Chief Finn – an old school cop, with a rough exterior, but a true heart of gold – he guided the early part of my career, helping me navigate the humps and bumps all young officers experience, always pushing me toward positions of increasing responsibility.    

He taught the importance of character, honor, and perseverance to success in the police service – how to survive a small town physically and politically, and he allowed me to learn from my many personal and professional mistakes – which showed that it’s okay to take chances and consider alternative strategies, safe in the knowledge honest errors are not always fatal.

In October 1995, Pat Finn placed a great deal of trust in me to lead the Scribner homicide investigation – knowing full well that, as Chief of Police, the ultimate responsibility for my success or failure rested solely with him. 

After all these years, Chief Finn and I remain in touch – often reminiscing on days gone by and ruminating on current events – and, yes, I still respectfully refer to him as “Chief.” 

Well deserved.

As you will see, this case stunned many in the Halifax area in the fall of ’95 – and changed the lives and perspective of those who worked it. 

While it was not a particularly difficult crime to solve – for reasons that will become apparent – it took an emotional toll on everyone involved.    

In fact, the terrible details of this case remain bright and intense in my memory 25-years on, and whenever I see one of those quartz amulets, I immediately return to that damp and bloody crime scene in my mind. . .

Please join me next week for Part II – The Investigation Begins

Hi, kids!

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

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

Asshole           Palm Coast Mayor Milissa Holland & Challenger Alan Lowe

The Palm Coast mayoral race is a shit-show of epic proportion.

A true dilemma.   

There – I said what everyone else is thinking.  You’re welcome.  

In my view, the City of Palm Coast is failing at the seams – a City Hall in shambles, as besieged City Manager Matt Morton is allowed to crash about, butchering the careers of long-time civil servants, some of whom dared call foul on Mayor Holland’s dual function as elected official/sales person for Palm Coast tech firm, Coastal Cloud – roles which seem to have occasionally intertwined to the advantage of everyone but the citizens of Palm Coast. 

According to reports, “Coastal Cloud has a unique arrangement with the city to provide some digital services. The company is also Holland’s daytime employer.”

Many fear it runs far deeper than that. 

In June, as part of an excellent exposé by former Daytona Beach News-Journal reporter Matt Bruce, we learned that two former Palm Coast employees have been interviewed by the FBI, apparently as part of a larger investigation into Mayor Holland’s “connection with Coastal Cloud.”

At the time, former City Manager Jim Landon confirmed that he was interviewed by two FBI agents one year ago regarding “…the relationship between Coastal Cloud, Holland and the city.”

It is apparent to anyone paying attention that this goes beyond election year gossip and allegations. . .

On Wednesday, the News-Journal reported that some 80% of donations to Mayor Holland’s campaign account – over $40,000 – originated from outside Flagler County, including a cumulative total of $11,000 from eleven different Political Action Committees – with $10,000 from “…businesses owned by politically connected Daytona Beach developer Mori Hosseini.”

Wow.

As if things could not get worse, this week we also learned that Mayor Holland saw fit to wallow in the mud and play the worst form of dirty politics when she ran a horrible advertisement against her uber-weird opponent, Alan Lowe, essentially accusing him of being a thief – while callously besmirching the character and reputation of an innocent third party. 

According to a News-Journal report, “The theft claim in the ad was for a minor complaint against Lowe 28 years ago, and Lowe said he was not even aware of it. It never reached the court system, and Lowe was never charged or arrested.”

But what rightfully angered many was the fact Mayor Holland’s malicious attack featured clear racial overtones when her campaign positioned a photograph of Mr. Lowe in the company of an unidentified person of color, which glaringly implied the subject was somehow complicit in the allegations against Mr. Lowe.

According to reports, the photograph was taken when Mr. Lowe was on the island of Dominica supporting relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017.  

“She used a photo of me with a person of color in her racist political TV ad and directly implied this man, because he is Black, is a criminal,” Lowe said in the video. “Nothing could be further from the truth. This man has a name. It is Philip and he is a survivor of Hurricane Maria.”

Naturally, Philip was reportedly “shocked” by Mayor Holland’s obtuse insinuation – and her wholesale destruction of the innocent man’s reputation for political gain. 

Things turned even uglier when it was revealed that Holland’s campaign apparently used a Panama-based website (?) to launch attacks against Lowe – which included the unsubstantiated theft charge and some dry manure about a mortgage foreclosure from over 20-years ago.

Look, we have seen some whale-shit level tactics used by various local campaigns this season – but Mayor Holland’s blatant hit piece smacks of gross racial stereotyping – and it should not be tolerated by her constituents, colleagues, or supporters.

I realize our state’s ethics apparatus has become the neutered lacquey of sitting politicians, but doesn’t the Florida Elections Commission monitor this low rent, anti-democratic misrepresentation?    

In my view, Mayor Holland has repeatedly crossed a very bright line – both in the mercenary use of her elected position – and in stooping to new lows by engaging in despicable racial profiling as a means of disparaging her political opponent.

It gets worse. . .

A lot worse.

Now, we learn that Holland’s opponent, Alan Lowe, may well be a dyed-in-the-wool kook.

In a disturbing article by Brian McMillan writing in the Palm Coast Observer, we learned that Mr. Lowe has never voted in a presidential election – and, in 1993, he renounced his Unites States citizenship “…as part of a spiritual awakening.”

You read that right. . .

“With the election less than three weeks away, anonymous emails were received by the Observer with several documents attached that appeared to be stamped and recorded by the Flagler County clerk of courts in 1993. The documents, signed by Lowe, say that his name is now legally “Alan S. Lowe Ambassador for Christ,” rather than just Alan Lowe.”

Say what?

According to the report, Lowe said he never registered to vote until this year because “I just never had any interest.”

In turn, Lowe claims his oddball renunciation of his citizenship was due to a “spiritual awakening” during a “deep study” of the bible (?) – but to anyone paying attention – it looked like for a period of his life, Lowe embraced the strange sovereign citizen movement in a big way. . .

Honestly.  I don’t make this shit up, folks.

You can read all about it here: https://tinyurl.com/y65o7rjg – or take an even deeper dive at FlaglerLive here: https://flaglerlive.com/158097/alan-lowe-sovereign-citizen/

Now that he’s hip-deep in the Palm Coast mayoral race, Mr. Lowe attempts to shuck off this abject nuttiness, and assuage the fears of nervous voters, by chalking the whole thing up to a “temporary mindset?” 

Right. . .

Talk about a Morton’s Fork, wrapped in a dilemma, inside a Hobson’s Choice. . .

My God.  This is what passes for political alternatives in a major Central Florida city in 2020?

We’re doomed.  

Good luck, Palm Coast.  You’re gonna need it. . .

Angel               City of Ormond Beach

This week, 100 Ormond Beach ‘movers & shakers’ donned their finery and gathered at the swank Oceanside Golf and Country Club to hear a video message from Mayor Bill Partington talk about “navigating new horizons” (whatever that means) during the State of the City Address.

I wasn’t there. 

And neither were you. 

Because all the tickets were purchased by the event’s “sponsors” in advance.   

I’m told Commissioner Troy Kent yammered about a Federal Aviation Administration grant to fund improvements to an airport taxiway (something like five people in the world give two-shits about) – while Rob Littleton galvanized the crowd with talk of a wastewater project on North US-1. . . 

I’m just being petty.  I’m sure ol’ T-roy, Rob and the rest of the Funky Bunch said much more than that – but, after a while, it all sounds like hauteur gibberish to me. . .   

According to reports, the final elected official to virtually address the crowd was Commissioner Susan Persis, who sent an encouraging message about the revitalization of Ormond’s historic downtown and improvements made to Cassen Park.

I know some of you will disagree with me on this – to each their own – but I believe the City of Ormond Beach is on target with planned improvements to the Cassen Park bait shop and restroom complex. 

Recently, the Ormond Beach City Commission agreed to fund the design of new riverfront amenities that will incorporate an improved bait house and restroom facility, along with a covered pavilion to provide “a sense of place, opening/providing visual views, enhancing the walking experience, and providing access to the water.”

Whether or not you agree with the construction of the new floating docks on the southwest side of the Granada Bridge – which was paid for with a combination of Community Redevelopment Funds and grant money – clearly the marina is becoming a popular attraction for area boaters and will factor prominently in the continuing transformation of Ormond Beach’s thriving downtown. 

As Jerry Janaro, a member of the Ormond Beach Mainstreet Board of Directors recently said in an op/ed for the Observer:

“It is hard to believe that a beautiful community like ours with a great river flowing through its center has taken so long to develop a plan that will allow thousands of boaters access to all our downtown has to offer. The dock at Cassen Park is a first-class facility that will be bringing vitality to our downtown for years to come.”

I agree. 

In my view, the extraordinary vision of downtown developer Bill Jones – who, with an eye toward creative historic preservation, has taken what was a languishing stretch of tired storefronts and nondescript buildings and transformed it into something remarkable – has set the tone for great things to come.  

It is important that city officials assist this private investment when and where they can – not with handouts and giveaways – but by providing improved public amenities to invigorate the waterfront focal point, help build a sense of place, and improve walkability and access in Ormond’s historic downtown.

I believe that visionary revitalization and inspired entrepreneurship – coupled with symbiotic public investment – is the key to civic improvement. 

Can it be risky?  You bet. 

But from what I have seen in vibrant communities that have invested smartly in revitalizing traditional downtowns – the risk is well worth the reward. 

Asshole           County of Volusia

I wrote about this earlier in the week, but it bears repeating.

On Sunday, Halifax area residents were treated to another excellent exposé by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, this time pointing out the seasonal occupation of beachside parks by homeless persons – and all that brings for area residents and visitors when the great unwashed hoards return. . .

A tableau of public urination/defecation, splash pads turned rudimentary washing machines, exposed bathing in beach showers, sleeping in pavilions, fouling picnic amenities, aggressive panhandling, open drug use, hypodermic needles littering the ground, raging alcoholism, and mental illness laid bare in our core tourist area.

Make no mistake – this is not a ‘policing problem’ – and no one has done more to alleviate the problem where the rubber meets the road than Chief Craig Capri.

If we’ve learned anything, it is that a community cannot ‘arrest’ or humiliate its way out of this intractable social issue, because homeless persons have a right to be – just like the rest of us – and many simply want a safe low barrier alternative to the mean streets, something we don’t offer in East Volusia. 

In my view, Chief Capri and his staff have done a masterful job reducing the horrific visuals and impact in our core tourist area and beyond.

The Daytona Beach Police Department has been on the cutting edge of innovative solutions, including championing last year’s panhandling ordinance that saw roving bands of professional medicants removed from every intersection in the area virtually overnight.

That’s what happens when law enforcement has the tools to do their job.

Astonishingly, we now learn that after battling the nuisance crime and public sanitation problems inherent to the interface of homeless camps and our core tourist area, “up until about a week ago,” Volusia County had failed to post rules in beachfront county parks – a necessary and commonsense measure that would allow Daytona Beach police officers to enforce specific prohibitions.

My God. . .     

I guess county officials were preoccupied posting No Parking signs in upscale beachfront neighborhoods and increasing fines for Volusia County residents to show how responsive Dishonest Deb Denys is to her well-heeled political benefactors, eh?

According to the News-Journal, Daytona Beach City Commissioner Quanita May asked the valid question – with the Volusia County Beach Safety headquarters located immediately next door to the county-owned park – “why the situation hasn’t been dealt with sooner.” 

Commissioner May is right to question this mess. 

This is inexcusable.

Sadly, Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler claims she has been getting complaints from residents for “a few months,” and has passed citizen concerns to county staff “every day.”

So why hasn’t anything of substance been accomplished?

I’m asking. 

Because, when I was playing government – if my department failed to address the legitimate concerns of a sitting elected official – my ass would have been slow roasted, thin-sliced, and served up with braised carrots and a fine Beaujolais. . .    

That is why this latest blunder has many asking exactly which Rip Van Winkle in the executive suite at Volusia County Beach Safety Department Councilwoman Wheeler plans to hold accountable for ignoring her? 

In my view, County Manager George “The Wreck” Recktenwald has an obligation to serve the elected officials with equal enthusiasm – and ensure that the department heads are fulfilling their obligation to the public they exist to serve.

When Councilwoman Wheeler states in the newspaper that she has been forwarding complaints of unsafe and unsanitary conditions at a county-run park on a daily basis for “months” – that is a serious problem – and one that should not be ignored by our highly compensated County Manager. 

I know he’s a nice guy – and I know nobody on the dais wants to hear it – but the fact is, when it comes to the operational elements of county government the buck stops with Mr. Recktenwald. 

At least it should.

If Ms. Wheeler is too timid, or weak-minded, to formally address the issue and stand up for her long-suffering constituents – perhaps she no longer deserves a seat at the table?   

This is unacceptable, folks.    

Frankly, with her election just two-weeks away, Ms. Wheeler should be screaming from the rooftop of the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building – while she still has a voice relative to the discussion. . .

When will those who receive public funds to serve in the public interest in Volusia County’s Ivory Tower of Power be held accountable for their acts and omissions – like failing to simply post a list of enforceable rules in county-run parks before residents and visitors are set upon and our publicly owned amenities ruined?

Quote of the Week

“To the developers and their friends who are without doubt howling about this grotesque assault on their profit margins, I say the following: No one is forcing developers to develop in Daytona Beach. If they can find greener pastures elsewhere, please go. If they are unwilling to invest in the well-being of our entire city, why should we subsidize their profit?”

–Civic Activist Anne Ruby, guest columnist, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Developers should back affordable housing,” Sunday, October 11, 2020

And Another Thing!

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired.

Which means I have become surly, brooding – given to jabbering and raving – with a steady diet of Irish whiskey and unfiltered cigarettes.

My friends keep their distance, and our neighbors are getting nervous. 

When they lean over the fence and ask my wife, “What’s going on over there?” Patti just makes the sign of the cuckoo and whispers, “It’s the election season – my husband’s not right in his head.”

And there are still two-weeks to go. . .   

We have reached that point in the election cycle where information overload – also known as infobesity or infoxication – results in many uninformed voters having problems making important decisions.

In his best selling 1970 book Future Shock, Alvin Toffler said:

“Information overload occurs when the amount of input to a system exceeds its processing capacity. Decision makers have fairly limited cognitive processing capacity. Consequently, when information overload occurs, it is likely that a reduction in decision quality will occur.”

Maybe that is what some incumbent politicians are counting on?

For instance, in the highly contested Volusia County Chair race, Dishonest Deb Denys has redundant, around-the-clock, attack advertisements running on television and radio – backed by dishonest glossy mailers – contemptable hit pieces which employ mischaracterizations, deception, and outright lies, all cleverly designed to sully the character and capabilities of her able opponent, Jeff “Plan B” Brower.

It is wrong.  It is dirty.  And it has become the accepted modus operandi of desperate candidates and their shameless shit-slinging operatives in this foul year 2020. 

As a result, many low-information voters are led to believe they are doing the right thing in returning a perennial politician to the dais of power – a craven lapdog whose personal arrogance, ignorance of the serious issues facing Volusia families, and total submission to political profiteers who stand at the nexus of public funds and private advantage – who has done little more than protect the status quo that has kept Volusia County the laughing stock of Central Florida for decades. 

For years I have railed against this pay-to-play system where a return on investment beats the needs and wants of long-suffering Volusia County residents every time – and a well-heeled clique routinely controls the outcome of our local elections – the commonweal be damned. 

Don’t take my word for it.   

Read the readily available campaign finance reports, consider the interesting make-up of the highbrow “Host Committees” sponsoring Denys fundraisers, then ask yourself why a few well-fixed real estate developers, phony powerbrokers, government contractors, sitting elected officials, and parasitic insiders would donate nearly $200,000 to Dishonest Deb’s campaign account – with another $49,500 coming from just eight donors to a shadowy Political Action Committee absurdly known as Volusia Citizens for Good Governance?

Really? 

To determine the outcome of a county chair race?    

Do you honestly think these people have your family’s best interests at heart?

My ass.

Earlier this week, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood took to social media and reiterated that he has not endorsed anyone in the County Chair race, then clarified Mr. Brower’s stance on public safety:

“In all my conversations with Jeff Brower, he’s made it clear that he believes law enforcement and other core public safety functions of government are not up for “defunding.” He and I agree that adequate funding for law enforcement is part of the foundation of a prosperous Volusia County.

In this political season, lies, exaggerations and misinformation are everywhere. These are just a couple of examples involving people I know personally. Don’t believe everything you see on a mailer or in a TV ad. Do your research and vote for the candidate who you believe will do the most good.”

In my view, Ms. Denys should be ashamed of herself.

Unfortunately, she seems to lack the basic human qualities of conscience, principles, and integrity. . .   

Tragically, the obscene nature of what now passes for political contests in Volusia County (and elsewhere for that matter) all but ensures the spoils go to whomever can stoop the lowest, hit the hardest, and operate most comfortably in this blood-soaked slit-trench where nothing is considered immoral, unethical, or unfair. 

My God.

Despite the fact the deck has been stacked against We, The Little People – with staggered terms and other pernicious protections designed to ensure the status quo survives at all cost – I believe we can protect our interests and bring positive change through the ultimate power of the ballot box.

It is time Volusia County voters begin the process of exercising our will – and replace this detestable oligarchy that has, by strategic design, ensured that the selfish wants of those political puppeteers who deftly manipulate the rods and cables of county government always outweigh the needs of those who are expected to pay the bills and suffer in silence. 

Let’s return a sense of sanity and restore the public trust in our county government.

This one’s important.

Please vote Jeff Brower for Volusia County Chair. 

Angels & Assholes will be on hiatus next week as we take a short pause before the final push to election day – A&A will return on Friday, October 30^th! 

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

On Sunday, Halifax area residents were treated to another excellent exposé by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, this time pointing out the seasonal occupation of beachside parks by homeless persons – and all that comes for area residents and visitors when the great unwashed hoards return. . .

A tableau of public urination/defecation, splash pads turned rudimentary washing machines, exposed bathing in beach showers, sleeping in pavilions, fouling picnic amenities, aggressive panhandling, open drug use, hypodermic needles littering the ground, raging alcoholism, and mental illness laid bare in our core tourist area.

Make no mistake – this is not a ‘policing problem’ – a situation that would go away if the rules were enforced with greater vigor – and no one has done more to alleviate the problem where the rubber meets the road than Chief Craig Capri.

If we’ve learned anything, it is that a community cannot ‘arrest’ or humiliate its way out of this intractable social issue, because homeless persons have a right to be – just like the rest of us – and many simply want a safe low barrier alternative to the mean streets. 

Unlike our elected officials, Chief Capri doesn’t have the luxury of sitting around discussing the theoretical aspects of the “homeless problem” – because he must deal with the gritty reality of the issue every day – and he has done a masterful job reducing the horrific visuals and impact in our core tourist area and beyond. 

The Daytona Beach Police Department has been on the cutting edge of innovative solutions, including championing last years panhandling ordinance that saw roving bands of professional medicants removed from every intersection in the area virtually overnight.

Clearly, it helps if law enforcement has the basic tools to do their job.

Now, we learn that, after battling the nuisance crime and public sanitation problems inherent to the interface of homeless camps and our core tourist area, “up until about a week ago,” Volusia County failed to post park rules in beachfront county parks – a sensible measure that would allow Daytona Beach police officers to enforce specific prohibitions. 

My God. . .      

I guess county officials were preoccupied posting No Parking signs in upscale beachfront neighborhoods and increasing fines for Volusia County residents to show how responsive Dishonest Deb Denys is to her well-heeled political benefactors, eh?

According to the News-Journal, Daytona Beach City Commissioner Quanita May is questioning why – with the Volusia County Beach Safety headquarters located immediately next door to the county-owned park – “why the situation hasn’t been dealt with sooner.”  

Commissioner May is right. This oversight is inexcusable.

Now, Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler claims she has been getting complaints from residents for “a few months,” and has passed citizen concerns to county staff “every day.” 

So why hasn’t anything of substance been accomplished for months? 

And exactly which Rip Van Winkle in the executive suite at Volusia County Beach Safety will Councilwoman Wheeler hold accountable for dropping the ball?  

Frankly, with her election just two-weeks away, Ms. Wheeler should be screaming from the rooftop of the Thomas C. Kelly Administration Building – while she still has a voice relative to the discussion. . . 

Exactly where does the buck stop in Volusia County?

Whatever.

Years ago, when it came time for our elected officials in the City of Daytona Beach and the County of Volusia to find a collective solution to a countywide problem – the Volusia County Council abdicated all responsibility beyond throwing our money around – leaving the Daytona Beach City Commission to take the lead. 

While other communities, like the City of DeLand, saw a problem and developed an innovative homegrown solution to provide services, shelter and options – the Daytona Beach City Commission exacerbated a full-blown crisis with an astronomically expensive self-improvement seminar masquerading as a “shelter” that serves only those who operate it. 

To say the First Step Shelter has been a shit-show of epic proportions is an understatement – and the chronology of this civic disaster serves as a tragic blueprint for how not to establish, operate and administrate a homeless shelter.

Shockingly, a homeless person interviewed for the News-Journal article (who claims to have been arrested some 205 times) said of the First Step “program,” “It’s like a jail,” he said of the shelter, which offers assistance with everything from getting a job to moving into permanent housing. “I would never recommend it to anyone.”

Wow. . .

In fact, for most of this year, the population of the First Step Shelter has been less than the number of people hired to run it – and, after months of inactivity, only recently did administrators get around to developing a quarantine system that will allow intake to resume. 

Of course, First Step director, Dr. Victoria Fahlberg, throws the blame on an inability to access rapid COVID-19 testing, so, instead of adapting, the “shelter” simply stopped providing services to homeless persons.

That is one way to address the problem, I guess. . .

Conversely, The Bridge – which serves West Volusia – recently opened its doors and accepted its first residential client on September 21. 

It is everything the First Step Shelter is not.

According to reports, the $2.1 million facility is operated by The Neighborhood Center, an established community non-profit committed to reducing homelessness in West Volusia.

In addition to giving DeLand police a compassionate place to relocate homeless persons (rather than trying in vain to get them accepted at the First Step Shelter in the hinterlands off US-92) The Bridge also provides nutritious come-as-you-are meals, health screenings, service referrals, and, if wanted, a transitional housing program leading to a more permanent solution. 

Now, residents are referring to The Bridge as “an answer to prayer,” which is a far cry from the First Step’s widening reputation as a gulag. 

Unfortunately, the News-Journal’s outstanding deep-dives into the social, civic and economic issues that plague the Halifax area often fall on deaf ears in the council chambers, chambers of commerce, and boardrooms of East Volusia – places where these startling revelations should have the most impact.

When will enough-be-enough? 

When will those who receive public funds to serve in the public interest in Volusia County’s Ivory Tower of Power be held accountable for their acts and omissions – like failing to simply post a list of enforceable rules in county-run parks before residents and visitors are set upon and our publicly-owned amenities ruined? 

News Alert: There is an election next month. 

It is something long-suffering Volusia County residents might want to pay attention to.

___________________________________________

Please join Barker’s View this afternoon on GovStuff Live! with Big John beginning at 4:00pm. We will be taking your calls and discussing the issues of the day on the “fastest two-hours in radio!”

Please tune-in locally at WELE The Cat – 1380am – or on the Worldwide Web at http://www.govstuff.org (Listen Live button).

Today, our guest will be Joan Anthony, candidate for Seventh Judicial Circuit Judge!

Hi, kids!

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

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

Angel               Nancy and Lowell Lohman

“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand.”

–F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Rich Boy, 1926

I have known a few in my life who base the very worth of their existence on the accumulation of money. 

Those who ignore all moral and ethical imperatives in furtherance of keeping and building wealth – as Keynes said, “The love of money as a possession — as distinguished from the love of money as a means to the enjoyments and realities of life. . .” 

This includes denying family members – a constant suspicion of “friends” – and a compulsive hoarding of assets and cash, spending only that which expands their own sense of self-importance or span of control. 

In private, these people tend to be dull and uninspired – even meanspirited – with any sense of happiness or personal contentment pushed aside by “wealth paranoia” that misleads them into believing everyone is seeking to take advantage. 

How terribly sad. 

Fortunately, there are others who find great purpose and enjoyment in giving to causes greater than their own self-interests – no strings attached – using their hard-earned wealth as a means to better the lives of their less fortunate neighbors, fund humanitarian initiatives, improve our quality of life, seek answers to community problems, and make a better world. 

The Halifax area is blessed to have a precious few successful families who exemplify the term philanthropy – “the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes,” – who spend in a way that reflects their personal and civic values.  

Few have been more generous with their time and money than Nancy and Lowell Lohman. 

According to a report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the Lohman’s recently gifted Halifax Health with an initial $1 million installment on a $4 million endowment, to be donated over the next six years, “…establishing Lohman Diabetes Center of Excellence at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach. It is conceived as a one-stop resource center for diabetes patients seeking access to world-class endocrinologists, on-site lab work, educational and lifestyle coaching, the Lohmans said.”

It has been reported that Mr. Lohman, 75, an incredibly successful entrepreneur with a variety of business interests, has suffered from Type I diabetes for over a half-century. 

The new Center of Excellence will be based at Halifax Health’s Professional Building on Clyde Morris Boulevard, which will now be appropriately renamed the Lohman Building.

The Lohman’s generous support of Halifax Health’s efforts to research and treat diabetes is just part of their comprehensive effort to improve our quality of life in the Halifax area.  

In total, the Lohman family has donated more than $6 million to local charities, which includes $1.6 million to the Halifax Humane Society, $1 million to the Council on Aging, and $2.5 million to the Museum of Arts & Sciences.

Thank you, Mr. & Mrs. Lohman. 

You enhance and improve our lives through your generosity. 

We’re glad you passed our way. 

Asshole           Dirty Politicians and Those Who Enable Them

Admittedly, I have not always been kind to Volusia County District 4 Councilwoman Heather Post – but I will not apologize for criticizing my elected representative when I felt her positions on the issues of the day were wrongheaded. 

I don’t play favorites, and, when an elected official needs to be taken to the woodshed, I oblige them in this space, pointing out,  as Roosevelt said, “…how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better,” an unabashed critic of those who hold great power, without fear or favor. 

Even when we disagree, I have always respected Ms. Post – and that is why I will cast my ballot for her in November.   

From the day she took office – Ms. Post has worked hard for her constituents – fighting tooth-and-nail to avoid lock-step obedience to the status quo. 

And she has endured withering criticism from her “colleagues” for her sense of independence.

No matter how hard our doddering fool of a lame duck County Chair, Ed Kelley, and his maladroit protégé, Dishonest Deb Denys, have worked to pigeonhole Ms. Post – to pound her square peg of originality into the round hole of traditionalism and submission – she threw off the traces of conformity and made her own way. 

Not always gracefully – as the political tag team of Kelley and Denys have made great sport of repeatedly shutting down Ms. Post from the dais – publicly dismissing her suggestions, torpedoing her attempts to serve on outside boards, malicious bullying, cruel embarrassment, while telegraphing their personal disdain with eye-rolling smirks and exaggerated histrionics. 

Her opponent, the enigmatic newcomer Barbara Bonarrigo (whose campaign strategy apparently consists of being photographed with rich people and rubbing elbows with B-list politicians, while having zero grasp of the issues) has seen her run miraculously bankrolled by all the usual Big Money donors (?)   

And persistent rumors say she was hand-selected by Chairman Kelley and his cronies in Volusia’s Ivory Tower of Power. . .  

According to a News-Journal report:

“Of the $70,430 Bonarrigo raised in campaign donations as of Thursday (September 29), $36,000 came in the form of $1,000 individual donations. $10,000 of which came from the address associated with ICI Homes and developer and businessman Mori Hosseini. Bonarrigo also received at least $11,000 from addresses associated with Hyatt Brown and P&S Paving.”

I guess maintaining “business as usual” is incredibly important to many of our areas ‘movers & shakers,’ eh? 

Now, Ms. Bonarrigo is suggesting to anyone who will listen that Councilwoman Post is “ineffective” – clearly playing on the groundwork so artfully set by Old Ed over the past four years.

Nothing wrong with that. 

Calling out your opponent’s efficacy is what politicians are supposed to do.

But it quickly became apparent that Ms. Bonarrigo’s supporters were not satisfied with merely attacking Ms. Post’s political record. . . 

Following the recent shit-show of a Presidential Debate, a mysterious text was sent to many Volusia County voters under Ms. Post’s name, praising President Trump’s performance.

The problem is – Ms. Post did not send, nor authorize, the shadowy communication. 

The message essentially linked Post’s campaign to the hyper-partisan and extremely divisive presidential race, forcing her to deny the message, which no doubt left her at odds with both Republicans and Democrats alike during a non-partisan race. 

In my view, that is a greasy tactic that stinks of whale-shit level politics.

But Ms. Post is not alone. 

Add to that a creepy hit piece currently making the rounds against local attorney and current Circuit Judge candidate Joan Anthony – a slimy stain authorized by her opponent, St. Augustine attorney Dan Hilbert – which dredged up an unfortunate chapter in Ms. Anthony’s life from over 20-years ago, and you begin to see how this local election season has quickly become a political abattoir. 

Perhaps most unnerving was last week’s shocking revelation that County Chair candidate Dishonest Deb Denys formed a Political Action Committee one day after she was trounced in the primary. 

The PAC, deceitfully named Volusia Citizens for Good Governance – was formed with Eric Robinson, an out-of-town political hitman who calls himself “The Prince of Darkness” – which sent a wholly untrue glossy mailer to Volusia voters painting her credible opponent, Jeff “Plan B” Brower, as having pledged to cut funding for public safety. 

That’s a bald-faced lie. 

Now, Dishonest Deb has commissioned a demonstrably false television advertisement that reinforces the falsehood about Mr. Brower’s stance on public safety funding – then claims she has received the coveted endorsement of Sheriff Michael Chitwood – something the Sheriff has publicly denied.

My God.  How low will Ms. Denys stoop? 

Unfortunately, I think we can expect more of the same from Dishonest Deb and her political hit team before it’s all over.

In my view, whenever an incumbent politician resorts to these base forms of calumny to disparage and marginalize their opponent, it demonstrates a sad desperation, something easily recognizable to smart voters.

It is just one reason why Jeff Brower mopped the floor with Dishonest Deb on her own turf earlier this week when he handily won the Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce straw poll – garnering 61.36% of the vote to Debs dismal 38.64%. 

Nobody said politics was an easy game – but fraudulent misrepresentation is something different.

By any metric, political contests have become a blood sport, and that continues to have a chilling effect on any reasonable person who might consider a run for public office.   

Rightfully so. 

In my view, if we want good candidates – independent, grassroots servant-leaders who may not have all the answers but are willing to look beyond their political benefactors for advice – then we must vote them into office!

That begins when Volusia County voters reject the despicable lies and no-holds-barred machinations of a perennial politician grasping desperately for another bite at the apple.  

Angel               Florida Department of Transportation

For years, the East ISB gateway has served as a painful panorama for residents and visitors alike, a shameful landscape of all that’s wrong with our beleaguered beachside. 

Two years ago, I entered a gentleman’s wager with an old friend of mine – someone I have known since we were Boy Scouts together – who is an influential voice in civic issues throughout the Halifax area.

Unfortunately, he is also a strong proponent of the tired ‘party line’ that supports panacea projects and sings the mantra, “Good times are here again.  Again.” 

That’s okay.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.    

I bet my friend that the East ISB corridor would look the same in a year as it did then – a blighted shithole that exudes the down-at-the-heels feel that is slowly killing the Worlds Most Famous Beach as a tourist destination, destroying property values, and driving away entrepreneurial investment.

He disagreed.   

My buddy was of the opinion that things would be markedly different on the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” no doubt hanging his hopes on a July 2018 Regional Chamber of Commerce “Eggs and Issues” breakfast, during which Chamber President and CEO Nancy Keefer shared a glittery video showing what was just around the corner for East ISB:

“I think you’re going to see some pretty major changes starting now and moving forward if they can get some of the ordinances adopted that are going to make a big difference in this area,” Keefer said.”

One year later – he unfriended me on Facebook and I have not spoken to the man since. . .

Oh, well. 

This week, there was reason for optimism that at least one East ISB bugaboo may soon be resolved.

Kudos to the Florida Department of Transportation for hosting the long-anticipated public meeting to receive input on the future of the East International Speedway Boulevard and A-1-A intersection. 

According to a report by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in the News-Journal, residents used the forum to make it perfectly clear to FDOT – once and (hopefully) for all – that we do not want a roundabout creating hell and havoc at this important intersection. 

“Absolutely, positively no to roundabouts,” said Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County.”

I’m with Bob.

Anyone paying attention – including veteran traffic engineers like Maryam Ghyabi, who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for an enhanced signalized intersection – can tell you that putting a massive loop-de-loop at Volusia County’s busiest beach approach is ludicrous.

Of course, not everyone has the future of the Daytona Beach Resort Area at heart. 

According to the News-Journal report:

“Bob Lloyd, this year’s board chairman for the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber supports the road project either with a roundabout or an alternative idea to create an improved signalized intersection with extra right turn lanes.

After seven years of local leaders discussing the project, Lloyd said the Chamber is mostly interested in seeing some sort of improvements being completed as soon as possible.

“We hope it can come to a speedy conclusion for the businesses who have suffered,” said Lloyd, who’s also the executive vice president and general counsel for Brown & Brown Insurance.”

My God. 

Can’t anyone make a decision in this town?

Look, it’s no secret that Mr. Lloyd’s boss – King J. Hyatt Brown – is no fan of beach driving, the one unique local amenity that has historically set Daytona Beach apart from other coastal destinations and helped draw millions of visitors for over a century. 

It is also no secret that King Hyatt sits at the top of the current list of those who have spread enough hard cash around to directly influence public policy.

In 2015, after passing the initial ordinances that ultimately removed beach driving from the strand behind the Desert Inn/Westin/Hard Rock property, Mr. Brown stood before his hired hands on the Volusia County Council, patted their pointy heads, and said, “It is a positive step. It is one that we will never regret, and it is a step that in the future we will look back and say, ‘Good job you all.’”

My ass.

In my view, King Hyatt’s fervent desire to kill beach driving and access for We, The Little People, played a major role in why the City of Daytona Beach originally supported the roundabout – a disastrous plan which will result in massive gridlock as residents and visitors approach the most-used beach access point in Volusia County. 

Can you think of a better way to kill vehicular beach access at East ISB?

That said, given the wishy-washy direction given to FDOT by heavy hitters like the Daytona Beach City Commission and Regional Chamber of Commerce, I am not convinced the goofy roundabout is completely off the table.

Time will tell.   

Now, it is important to let your voice be heard. 

Please submit comments on the East ISB corridor to FDOT Project Manager Kathleen Enot by calling her at (386) 943-5149 or emailing her at kathleen.enot@dot.state.fl.us. Or mail your suggestions to 719 S. Woodland Boulevard MS 542, DeLand, Florida, 32720.

Quote of the Week

“(Pat) Northey, who has endorsed Denys in the high-profile, tense race for county chair, said she didn’t “have anything to add” regarding the Denys campaign advertisement, but she does recall running her own attack ad in 2014.

She said she regretted the decision as soon as she let the mailer go out.

“I felt dirty,” said Northey, who lost her 2014 run. “I said I would never do that again. Never do it again, no matter how much I thought that it needed to be done.”

–Former Volusia County Councilwoman Pat Northey, as quoted in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Volusia chair race heats up: Attack ads surface as race winds down,” Tuesday, October 6, 2020

And Another Thing!

Who is looking out for us?

The City of Daytona Beach? 

The County of Volusia?   

This week, many of us learned in a social media post from the intrepid civic activist, Paul Zimmerman, president of Florida’s premiere beach driving and access advocacy, Sons of the Beach, that unpermitted work had begun on a “contra lane” at the Protogroup’s massive on-again-off-again hotel-condominium project at A-1-A and Oakridge Boulevard.

The “valet lane” – which will allow exclusive access to the twin-tower’s multilevel parking garage on the west side of A-1-A – essentially routes traffic against three lanes of one-way traffic at the busy intersection – was originally permitted in 2017 as part of a development agreement between Protogroup and the City of Daytona Beach. 

Something most area residents were not aware of until last summer. 

The permit was valid for one year – and was not renewed. . .

Apparently, Protogroup subscribes to the “ask for forgiveness, not permission” (especially when it transfers the cost and inconvenience to the public) school of real estate development, because, in spite of the fact the FDOT permit had long-since expired, work has begun in earnest – tearing up a pubic sidewalk, closing a public roadway, pouring concrete for an elevated traffic barrier, etc. 

Fortunately, the prohibited work has now caught the attention of regional Florida Department of Transportation officials who last week issued a stop work order to Protogroup. 

According to a report in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“It is imperative that you cease and desist from any construction activity within the Florida Department of Transportation right-of-way unless and until a Driveway Connection Permit is applied for and approved,” said Ron Meade, FDOT DeLand operations engineer wrote in an Oct. 1 letter to Alexey Lysich, president of Protogroup, the Palm Coast-based developer of the project.”

Despite FDOT’s belated saber-rattling – now that Protogroup has been given 21-days to reapply for a new permit – anyone want to wager a guess whether we are getting a contra lane on Oakridge? 

Yeah.  Me neither. . .

Disturbingly, it was also reported that no one from Protogroup is answering the phone.  Again. 

So, keep panicking, people.  You have good reason this time around. . .

To his credit, Paul Zimmerman stood firm in his commitment to preserving what is left of our quality of life:

“Is there any governmental body or individual in either Daytona Beach or Volusia County that is going to rein in this developer who has repeatedly violated agreements and time frames?” Zimmerman wrote. “Allowing a developer to continually ignore agreements invites future difficulties. Please someone stand up and call this developer to account.”

In a phone interview, Zimmerman also extended that call for action to FDOT officials.

“It’s FDOT’s road and certainly they have contractors who have equipment to scoop that concrete up and send the bill to the developer,” Zimmerman said. “Why doesn’t that happen, if there was no permit to do this work?  At some point, they need to enforce their rules.”

Amen. 

Thanks for looking out for us, Paul. 

Because no one who should seems to give a Tinker’s dam about us – so long as they can keep holding their breath, hoping-against-hope that – somehow, someway – this towering atrocity gets completed sometime within the next decade – and we aren’t left with the equivalent of the “I-4 eyesore” hulking over our challenged core tourist area. . . 

I know what you’re thinking, “Hey, Barker, our elected and appointed officials have been neutered by this half-finished monstrosity! What are they gonna do about it at this point?  That’s the equivalent of civic hostage holding!” 

Tough shit, John Q. 

Welcome to another “panacea project” that didn’t work out quite like our ‘powers that be’ expected. 

We’re on our own, folks.  You watch my back and I’ll watch yours. . .    

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

On August 4, 2020, the Volusia County Council directed staff to “review” parking fines.

Actually, it was brought up by Councilwoman/Candidate Deb Denys during her droning comments at the end of the meeting. According to Deb, beachside residents in South New Smyrna Beach were tired of people parking on their street when visiting the beach.

Of course, Old Ed Kelley was all over it. . .

So, this week the County Attorney’s office – working under the cloak of “Thriving Communities,” “Economic & Financial Vitality,” (for who?), and “Excellence in Government,” used Ms. Denys’ request to cobble together a completely revised parking ordinance which more than doubled parking fines countywide. 

Wow.

I suddenly got the queasy feeling the whole damn thing had been choreographed in advance. . . 

At Tuesday’s County Council meeting, Bill Redman, a lone homeowner who is apparently tired of beach-goers parking in front of his Bethune Beach home addressed the Council, and, suddenly, we had an all-out crisis on our hands. . . 

“The county has increased the number of ‘No Parking’ signs down through there, but it doesn’t seem to matter.  They’ll park there anyway because the statement is the fine is so small, they don’t care.”

Did I mention that Mr. Redman is a long-time government solid waste contract administrator and  consultant who, with his wife Jean, recently served as members of the “Host Committee” for an October 1st fundraiser in support of Deb Denys of Volusia County Chair? 

That’s in addition to the $1,000 donation Redman Consulting Group paid to Ms. Denys’ campaign on April 16, 2020. . . 

In my view, in keeping with her desire to kiss the sizeable backsides of her wealthy NSB base – or prove her willingness to bend over backwards for anyone willing to stuff cash into her campaign account – Ms. Denys did what she does best and crowed in her cartoonish “the house is afire” urgency, “We have a real issue here.  I’m going to recommend a $50 fine.”

According to Dishonest Deb’s heavy-handed mimicry of Mr. Redman, it is easier for someone to pay the current $15.00 parking fine than it is to purchase a beach access pass for $20.00. . .

Why is that?

However, when Councilwoman Heather Post tried her best to discuss the possibility of lowering the cost of beach access passes for Volusia County residents and increasing it for out-of-county visitors – our doddering fool of a lame duck County Chair, Ed Kelley, rudely shut her down – nonsensically scolding Ms. Post that her question wasn’t relative to the discussion.

Just as he did on August 4 when Ms. Post tried to seek a common sense solution to the parking/beach access problem.

In fact, Chairman Kelley went so far as to quash Ms. Post’s attempt to receive information from county staff on beach access fees – further hamstringing her ability to even discuss the issue outside some do-nothing “workshop.”   

My God. 

In typical fashion – while Dishonest Deb preened for the camera, and Old Ed gazed to the heavens, mouth agape, as though Deb’s screeching was coming from the burning bush – Councilwoman Post was essentially told to sit down and shut up while the important people discussed business.

Fortunately, Deb’s politically motivated push to punish Volusia County residents with a $50 fine at a time when a trip to the beach is all many can afford, died for lack of a second. . . 

Eventually, the majority – with Ms. Post casting the lone dissenting vote – more than doubled the cost of parking fines in Volusia County from $15.00 to $35.00 – with a shameless money-grubbing supplemental fine of $10.00, ostensibly to fund school crossing guards.

Say what?

During a global pandemic – with government-imposed mandates crushing small businesses, leaving thousands unemployed, suffering a broken unemployment system, and standing in breadlines for sustenance – what does $45.00 mean to working families in Volusia County right now? 

It means gasoline for the car, co-pays for a doctor visit for a disabled child, school lunches, the difference between nutritious food and cheaper alternatives, paying the electric bill, a seniors medication, diapers, milk, clothes, and keeping the water on, etc.

Considering that Volusia County has all but fenced off and eliminated beachside parking in places like Ormond-by-the-Sea – that can get expensive for anyone who runs afoul of this new county ordinance. 

Now, I am not suggesting that Volusia County authorities turn a blind eye toward parking violations – especially handicapped parking ordinances – and we all know how annoying it can be having some noisy family park their Vista Cruiser outside our beachfront cottage – but the timing seems wrong on this one.

Or maybe it is the perfect time if you happen to be running for Volusia County Chair and need to appear “responsive” and “effectual”?

Look, Deb’s churlish political grandstanding aside, with so many of our neighbors hurting – desperately seeking inexpensive and safe diversions for their families – perhaps we could have found a way to work cooperatively to accommodate nontraditional off-beach parking while limiting the inconvenience to those enjoying their beach homes? 

This increase isn’t just appliable to Flagler Avenue or Bethune Beach – it now extends countywide – and, despite Old Ed’s feeble-minded obstruction – the time is ripe to begin a discussion on lowering or eliminating the exorbitant fees for daily and annual beach access passes for Volusia County residents – and reversing the piss-poor beach management strategies that have gotten us all into this intractable mess.   

In my view, this latest overreach proves that Dishonest Deb Denys could give two-shits about your family or mine during this difficult time – so long as she can drum up another reason to play to her uber-wealthy base at election time.

It is time to show this arrogant blowhard the door. 

Please vote Jeff Brower for Volusia County Chair. 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Hi, kids!

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

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

Asshole           Volusia Citizens for Good Governance

Wait a minute, Barker. Over the line!

Why are you disparaging a homespun group of citizens that are obviously committed to returning quality governance to the cesspool of Volusia County politics?

Because Volusia Citizens for Good Governance is not the down-home grassroots effort County Chair candidate and perennial politician Dishonest Deb Denys would have us believe.

That’s why.

In fact, it is a greasy Political Action Committee formed in the bowels of an out-of-town political hitman’s office just one day after Dishonest Deb was beaten like a gong by her opponent – Jeff “Plan B” Brower – in the August primary. 

You read that right. 

You probably received a carefully cloaked glossy mailer earlier this week from Volusia Citizens for Good Governance insinuating that Jeff Brower wants to cut funding for law enforcement – which is a bald-faced lie – demonstrably so, since Mr. Brower enjoys the support and endorsement of both the Volusia Deputies Association and Volusia Professional Firefighters Association.  

The fact is, Mr. Brower said, if elected, he would propose a 5% budget reduction – excluding funding for public safety.

Did I mention that the Political Action Committee lists Deb Denys as its Chairperson and Eric Robinson as Treasurer?

For the uninitiated, Mr. Robinson is a Venice, Florida-based accountant and political operative who likes to call himself “The Prince of Darkness” for his role as the ‘money man’ behind scores of Florida political campaigns.

As Sarasota Magazine said of Mr. Robinson in a 2017 piece, “Several of those campaigns tarred opponents in mailers with false accusations and hid the names of donors, often land developers and other wealthy businessmen, behind patriotic-sounding, made-up groups such as “Stand for Veterans” and “Working Together for Florida.”

Sound familiar?

Did I mention that Mr. Robinson is currently being investigated for “potential election criminal misconduct,” in a Sarasota City Commission race?

Because he is. . .

A quick check of open campaign finance records for Volusia Citizens for Good Governance finds that some of our uber-wealthy insiders are neck-deep in what some refer to as the “dark money” swamp. 

According to the Florida Department of Elections, Dishonest Deb’s Volusia Citizens for Good Governance received $1,000 from King J. Hyatt Brown – and $2,000 from his wife, CiCi Brown – with contractor P$S Paving handing over a whopping $10,000 to Ms. Denys’ PAC.

There are other interesting members of our civic and economic elite listed as well, but you get the drift. . .

In Florida, no limit exists on the amount that can be contributed to a political committee, so it’s all perfectly legal.

But why?

With over $180,000 in Denys groaning campaign coffer, why would area insiders pour thousands more into a PAC?

The deceitful mailer, paid for by Deb’s personal PAC, screams:

“Jeff Brower – Cutting Law Enforcements Budget”

“No Matter the Consequences!”

“Wannabe politician Jeff Brower and his radical followers want to cut the law enforcement budget, leaving our community unsafe and vulnerable.”

Radical?

I’ve been called worse by better.

But it seems like Ms. Denys is getting desperate. 

Is this really because Mr. Brower had the temerity to suggest a $40 million reduction in a Volusia County budget now approaching $1 Billion on Ms. Denys’ watch – a proposal that came with a clear mandate that the reductions not come from public safety – or is something more sinister at play?

Folks, if this doesn’t stink of quid pro quo politics – a pay to play system that all but ignores anyone without the financial wherewithal to buy a chip in the game – then it damn sure has a whiff of the shit about it. 

There is a reason Dishonest Deb long-ago sold her political soul in a Faustian bargain she hoped would elevate her beyond even her wildest self-absorbed dreams.  

And it has absolutely nothing to do with representing the interests of the citizens of Volusia County. . .

In my view, this race has become a despicable example of just how pernicious crony capitalism through the corruption of our campaign finance system can be when uber-wealthy individuals and their corporate entities repeatedly secure a political return from local office holders.

In fact, it represents a legal return on investment in a system that permits a privileged few to develop financial relationships with potential and current office holders, then obtain direct access to the public trough in the form of preferential tax breaks, infrastructure, incentives, and even direct subsidies for their private projects.

In my view, in exchange for the all-important financial resources and political clout local candidates receive as an anointing from Volusia’s “Rich & Powerful,” our elected officials are expected to perform their role like the bought-and-paid-for chattel they are, whenever an issue directly involving the self-interests and profit motives of their campaign benefactors presents itself before the dais of power.

The result is a slow erosion of the public’s trust in the legitimacy of their own government as they watch transactional politics descend into little more than a Turkish bazaar. 

I encourage everyone to review readily available campaign finance reports and draw your own conclusion as to why a two-term incumbent council member turned candidate would be gifted over $180,030 – plus another $24,500 from just seven donors to a Political Action Committee formed and operated by the very same candidate who receives the largesse?

I’m asking – because this backdoor bullshit looks slimy as hell to me.

Please vote Jeff Brower for Volusia County Chair. 

Asshole           Protogroup Hotel-Condominium

The one thing you can count on here on Florida’s fabled Fun Coast is that history will always repeat itself – because our exalted ‘powers that be’ never seem to learn much from it. 

Almost two years ago I wrote:

“On Wednesday, we learned that Protogroup – now d/b/a PDA Trading Inc. – owned by Alexey Lysich and his father, Petr, has hired a new general contractor – Gryffin Construction Corporation.

Even with a new contractor selected, given the questions that remain about on-going lawsuits, past performance claims and other issues – we now have no confidence that the same thing won’t happen again a few days, weeks or months from now.

And that could have a devastating impact on a core tourist area clinging to life by what’s left of its fingernails. . .”

In October 2018, the project’s general contractor, W. B. Yates, fled the site claiming they had not been paid for months – something Mr. Lysich denied and was later “settled out of court.”  

Now, it is being reported that Gryffin Construction Corporation, who picked up the project following Yates’ abrupt departure, is throwing in the towel for reasons that remain, well, muddy.

And residents are, once again, getting nervous.

In the 2018 piece on this constantly evolving Debacle on the Beach, I mused:

“The original plan called for the convention center and condominiums to be open for business by the fall of 2015, but, like most ambitious projects here on the Fun Coast – from Rock-n-Roll hotels to homeless shelters – months dragged into years and, well, here we are. . .

It was – as our ‘Rich & Powerful’ like to say – the latest, greatest “Game Changer” – the panacea project that would save us rubes from ourselves and cure every ill we face from crippling economic blight to head lice.

Of course, former Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey got in on the act and took personal credit for bringing the project to life after he single-handedly negotiated the deal with Mr. Lysich through the aid of a Russian translator. . .

At the time, we read that Mr. Lysich and his family sunk a ton of their own money into the project – which I found most admirable. 

After all, most developers would have just thrown some money around the right political campaigns and reaped the largesse of their elected hired hands.

Hell, if Mr. Lysich had played his cards right, I’ll bet Volusia County and the City of Daytona Beach would have thrown enough money at him to more than cover his overhead and reduce his personal liability in the project to a few rubles.

But not Protogroup.

Apparently, they wanted to finance their development the old-fashioned way:  By borrowing the money from uber-wealthy foreign nationals seeking resident alien status in the United States. . .

Protogroup was said to be seeking investors under the EB-5 visa program, which some described as “murky, loosely regulated, and prone to abuse.”

Then, the News-Journal revealed some disturbing information that an Alexey Lysich of St. Petersburg, Russia may have been involved with an off-shore bank account in the Seychelles – a practice which is perfectly legal in some countries.

Unfortunately – and I know this is incredibly hard to believe – off-shore banking is sometimes used by unscrupulous people and businesses as a mechanism to launder money, hide assets and avoid the payment of U.S. taxes. . .

But none of that worried our ‘powers that be’ because our collective fears were assuaged when Mr. Lysich said that “…he doesn’t think it’s him, and that it could be anyone because, “it’s a leak.”

He had no further comment about it.

He also said his family has no connection with the Russian government or contact with President Vladimir Putin.”

“Money is money. It’s U.S. dollars that I pay to the general contractor,” he said.”

Except, according to Protogroup’s general contractor, W.G. Yates Construction – they haven’t been paid by Mr. Lysich’s company in over three-months. . .

Well, money being money and all, last week the City of Daytona Beach saw fit to slap a Stop Work Order on the project – effectively putting the brakes on the spires that now sit like a whistling ghost tower – a gray monolithic monument to everything that’s wrong with our struggling core tourist area.

For a few anxious days, Fun Coasters were riveted by headlines such as “Stalled $192 million project causes worry,” as we sat in the shadow of the dull gray skeleton of the half-finished project.

Even our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, felt the need to insinuate himself into the discussion (?) by doing what our elected county officials do best – taking sides in matters that don’t concern them.

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Old Ed said, “. . .he placed his faith in the statements by Protogroup’s Lysich that contractors had been paid, that a new, yet-to-be-named contractor was in the area and that new permits would be issued soon.”

“I have no reason to doubt that,” Kelley said. “I’d rather be optimistic about it than to say that it’s gloom and doom. I don’t believe they would have gone this far, put this much effort into the project, just to stop right now. Who are you going to believe? If they were paid in advance why would there be outstanding invoices? One of them is misstating something.”

Because – even if only two entities on earth know the facts – as a sitting member of the Volusia County Council, Old Ed Kelley is genetically programmed to immediately side with the “developer du jour” in all matters large and small.

That’s what passes for effective leadership here, folks.”

Wow.

Don’t take my word for it, ask yourself – What’s changed?

In an October 2018 piece in The Daytona Beach News-Journal by reporter Jim Abbott, the former chairman of the tragically castrated Beachside Redevelopment Committee, Tony Grippa, 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 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.”

Dosvedanya, Gryffin Construction.  We hardly knew ye.

NEXT!

Angel               Daytona Beach City Commission

Congratulations to the Daytona Beach City Commission for getting an early start on replacing outgoing City Manager Jim Chisholm.

Many thought that the “process” would consist of little more than asking J. Hyatt Brown which toady he wants to fill the seat – but it appears the elected officials are willing to put some effort, and money, into the search – even if just to camouflage the rubberstamp by influential insiders. 

And you can bet your sweet bippy our social, civic and economic elite will have their say. . .  

The stakes could not be higher.    

Just six months before Mr. Chisholm takes up the rocking chair, this week Daytona Beach officials began looking for the right headhunter to deliver a list of prospective managers for review – tentatively agreeing to use the services of Georgia-based Slavin Management Consultants. 

Trust me.  There is little an elective body will do that is more important than vetting and selecting a new chief executive – because the wrong choice can have life-altering consequences for the community – real damage that can take years of expensive rebuilding to correct.

My hope is that grassroots civic activists – like Florida’s premiere beach driving and access advocacy, Sons of the Beach – will demand that an independent citizen committee be formed and allowed to participate in the selection process in a meaningful way.

That should include a delegation that will travel to the finalists’ previous communities to meet with residents, businessowners, unions, government employees, and hear the recollections and recommendations of those who lived under their management.  

Now is the time for the Daytona Beach City Commission to reverse the power dynamic and more clearly define who works for whom.       

In my view, Mr. Chisholm – who will be Daytona Beach’s longest tenured manager when he steps down in March – epitomizes the concept of raw political power. 

You do not have to like it – I don’t either – but this is what true authority looks like: The ability to influence the decisions and actions of others to reach a goal. 

In my view, the tradeoff for the extraordinary political protection Chisholm has enjoyed for years was often lockstep conformity to the whims of King J. Hyatt Brown – or prominent real estate developers who were granted the go-ahead to blanket the western edge of the city (read: our aquifer recharge areas) with “theme” communities and ghastly shopping centers. 

To begin the long goodbye, former Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey – who I like to describe as the “managing partner” of our tightknit consortium of Halifax area powerbrokers – was recently quoted in the News-Journal singing Mr. Chisholm’s praises:

“He’s been one of the best city managers I’ve ever heard of or been acquainted with in this area. It’s going to be hard to find someone who has the passion, dedication and knowledge he did,” said Ritchey, who considers Chisholm one of his best friends. “No matter how many projects were going on, he seemed to be on top of it.”

Ritchey said Chisholm did a lot behind the scenes to position Daytona Beach for the improvements over the past decade and “made a mark on this community.”

That is true. 

To a point.   

Look, I hate to be the proverbial turd in the punchbowl – but I am going to postpone the beatification of Jim Chisholm just a bit longer.

Clearly, Mayor Ritchey is one of those myopic ‘movers & shakers’ who look at the sprawl west of I-95 – and the proliferation of strip centers and outlet malls just off Boomtown Boulevard in “New Daytona” – as the be-all-end-all for the revitalization of the Halifax area – while totally ignoring the blight, dilapidation and destitution of what the News-Journal calls the “tarnished jewel” of our beleaguered beachside.

That omnipresent seaside decrepitude just steps in any direction from the plaza that bears Mayor Ritchey’s name. . . 

In my view, the one great failure of Mr. Chisholm’s administration – and the Daytona Beach City Commission – will forever remain their refusal to even acknowledge the malignant blight that has cast a pall over this once vibrant beachside community.

I’m not sure all the faux beach communities and sprawling “lifestyle” developments in the world can erase the indelible mark left by their unwritten policy of strategic rot as a means of lowering property values for ultimate acquisition by all the right last names.    

Recently, a dear friend of mine from ‘up north’ – a first-time visitor to our area – gazed out the window as we drove through the core tourist area on A-1-A and quietly asked, “This shithole is the World Famous Daytona Beach?”

To which I sheepishly responded, “Yeah, well, we’re getting a Buc-ee’s you know?  That’s a 120 gas pumps you judgmental asshole. . .”

That is the kind of brand loyalty the Convention and Visitors Bureau cannot buy.

It is also why Daytona Beach’s next city manager should have the inspiration, vision, and experience to fundamentally change this challenged community, restore “livability” to our beachside, downtown, and midtown – and craft an environment that entices visitors and investment while supporting current residents and businesses – rather than someone who will merely ensure their political survival by kowtowing to the wants of uber-wealthy insiders with a profit motive.  

Quote of the Week

“So those of you that are listening or who may have planned to be here, the second meeting will not be held tonight.  We can’t move it tonight due to a technical issue.”

–Our Doddering Fool of a Lame Duck County Chair, Ed Kelley, spinning a five-alarm foul-up by senior staff as a “technical issue,” during what passed for a Volusia County Council meeting, Tuesday, September 29, 2020

According to reports, the reason the final meeting setting Volusia County’s annual budget has been delayed until October 6 – six days after the county’s fiscal year begins – is due to an “error” in a legal advertisement which summarized the county’s budget which ran in The Daytona Beach News-Journal last week. 

To their credit, the News-Journal reported that it sent county staffers a draft of the ad for review, which was signed off and approved prior to publication. 

Technical issue, my ass.

What Chairman Kelley failed to grasp during his horrendous political career is that quibbling the facts – or outright lying to his constituents – destroys the public trust, creates animosity, and leaves those of us who pay the bills feeling we must constantly untangle the true from a lie. 

More important, who in the Ivory Tower of Power is being held responsible for making short shrift of proofing the statutorily required (and expensive) legal advertisement detailing the county’s final budget for taxpayers? 

County Attorney Mike Dyer?

County Manager George “Wreck” Recketnwald? 

Yeah, right.   

After all this time, Old Ed – nor his protégé and heir to the throne, Dishonest Deb Denys – never understood that when an elected member of the Volusia County Council blatantly lies about small things – people logically assume he or she is hiding and mischaracterizing more important issues.    

That is the anthesis of good government and speaks to why Volusia County residents have become so cynical and detached from the process. 

And Another Thing!

As you can probably tell from these fustian screeds, I am not an educated man.

I like to quip that the only thing that kept me out of college was high school. 

Except, that’s not a joke. . .

As a lifelong experiential learner – the most expensive education one can receive – I learned early not to touch a hot stove twice, and the importance of reading the political tealeaves when anticipating trouble in the cloistered halls of a municipal government. 

My only other talent is the ability to smell bullshit like a bloodhound. 

From the vantagepoint of over three-decades in public service – I sense the City of Palm Coast is in grave political peril.

Incredibly, just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, the foul-smelling Seventh Circle of Hell that is Palm Coast City Hall keeps laying bare the depth of dysfunction and Machiavellian intrigue that naturally result when those who accept public funds to serve in the public interest forget who they work for – and ignore their sacred oath.

And it is clear to anyone paying attention that embattled City Manager Matt Morton is playing a dangerous (and potentially expensive) game of internal politics – or worse. 

Earlier this week, we learned in The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s explosive exposé on the machinations in Palm Coast that former Compliance Manager Jay Maher – a courageous whistleblower who sounded the klaxon for anyone willing to listen – retired on September 22 after 18-years of service to the citizens of Palm Coast.

Then, in a meanspirited, reprehensible and patently retaliatory move rarely seen outside government (because administrators do not make decisions with their own money – but they feel free to act out with yours) Morton moved to retroactively terminate Mr. Maher – a whale-shit level revenge tactic that cost Maher some $15,000 in accrued leave. 

Any other municipal employee feel like speaking out about the festering political quagmire inside Palm Coast City Hall?

I didn’t think so. . . 

Incomprehensibly, the Palm Coast City Commission is blissfully content to ignore the massacre happening in front of them. . . 

I thought we had state and federal agencies that enforce provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act, which protects those who work for the government from vengeful acts when they report the possible existence of an activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority or a substantial and specific danger to public health and safety, etc.? 

Perhaps its time for someone – anyone – with the authority to do something about this to get off their ass, tool over to Palm Coast, and have a look-see?

Preferably before the lives and careers of even more public servants are wantonly destroyed in Mr. Morton’s ham-handed bloodletting.

Stay tuned, this is about to get interesting.

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

Here is the tale of the tape just one month from the November general election.

Volusia County Chair Race – Campaign Contributions (as of 9/30/2020):

Jeff “Plan B” Brower:              $60,692.31

Dishonest Deb Denys:             $180,030.00

For a Volusia County Chair race?

It is called Return on Investment – and a classic example of our pay to play system that no longer serves those who cannot afford a chip in the game. . . 

It also buys a lot of glossy mailers, sent to our homes from something called Volusia Citizens for Good Governance, insinuating that Jeff Brower wants to cut funding for law enforcement – which is a bald-faced lie – demonstrably so, since Mr. Brower enjoys the support and endorsement of both the Volusia Deputies Association and Volusia Professional Firefighters Association.   

The fact is, Mr. Brower said, if elected, he would seek a 5% budget reduction – excluding funding for public safety.

Oh, did I mention that Volusia Citizens for Good Governance is a Political Action Committee that lists Deb Denys as its Chairperson and Eric Robinson as Treasurer?

Mr. Robinson is a Venice, Florida accountant and political operative who likes to call himself “The Prince of Darkness” for his role as the ‘money man’ behind scores of Florida political campaigns.

As Sarasota Magazine said of Mr. Robinson in a 2017 piece, “Several of those campaigns tarred opponents in mailers with false accusations and hid the names of donors, often land developers and other wealthy businessmen, behind patriotic-sounding, made-up groups such as “Stand for Veterans” and “Working Together for Florida.”

Did I mention that Mr. Robinson is currently being investigated for “potential election criminal misconduct,” in a Sarasota City Commission race?

Because he is. . .

You can read all about it here: https://tinyurl.com/y7jg9975

Look, Ms. Denys may be getting desperate, but her collusion with an out-of-town political hitman concerns me – and it should scare the hell out of her long-suffering constituents.  

Earlier this week, I wrote a ditty about the unusually contentious nature of the Volusia County Chair contest between Jeff Brower, a gentleman farmer from DeLeon Springs, and incumbent Councilwoman Deb Denys – the “developers darling” and a perennial politician who has had eight-years to stimulate positive change from the dais – yet, did little more than protect the status quo and position herself for another bite at the apple.

On Tuesday, The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Casmira Harrison wrote a thoughtful piece examining the stark differences between Brower and Denys, which included a telling interview which exposed just how uninspired and lethargic Dishonest Deb has become – and exemplified her carefully cultivated ability to contort the facts to obscure her abysmal record. 

For instance, Ms. Denys has no problem accepting some $19,000 from our High Panjandrum of Political Power, Mortenza “Mori” Hosseini – who sits at the pinnacle of Florida powerbrokers – a prolific real estate developer who is actively carpeting large areas of east Volusia County. 

In a revealing July 2020 piece by News-Journal reporter Mark Harper, we got a glimpse of the darker side of the federally backed Payroll Protection Program, something that left many wondering why Ms. Denys would openly accept contributions from a company actively accepting public funds ostensibly to preserve local jobs.

According to Mr. Harper’s excellent report:

“But some businesses associated with other powerful, elite business magnates in Daytona Beach did apply for and receive the loans. These include five businesses affiliated with Mori Hosseini, including ICI Homes Residential Holdings LLC. The businesses borrowed between $3 million and $7.7 million to help protect 354 jobs in real estate, development, golf course and property management.”

In addition, Ms. Harrison’s report indicates Mr. Hosseini’s company received some $20,000 in a federal grant administered by Volusia County for personal protective equipment. . . 

Say what?

Now, I don’t care if Mr. Hosseini – or anyone else – takes advantage of a relief program to ensure continuity of operations and keep hundreds of our neighbors employed if that is the only option available – but when I see some of the very same corporate entities that are being buoyed by PPP loans handing over massive donations to the campaign account of his hand-select candidate for public office – that rubs many in our community wrong.

But not Dishonest Deb. 

According to her response during a joint radio appearance on WNDB’s Marc Bernier Show, she dismissed the fluorescent connection between public funds and private contributions, saying:

“One has nothing to do with the other,” said Denys. “We don’t approve it. It doesn’t go through Council; it goes through staff.”  

Bullshit.  Tell me again who’s minding the store?

The article went on to point out a few of Dishonest Deb’s other illustrious supporters – including our loopy County Chair, Ed Kelley, who over the last four-years has emerged as the befuddled poster boy for piss-poor governance – a discombobulated shill for the same uber-wealthy insiders that shower Ms. Denys campaign with cash as a means of maintaining their lucrative spot at the public trough.   

Perhaps most telling was when the candidates were thrown the softball question, “Name a leader — preferably one here in Volusia County, but it can be anyone — whose leadership style you’d hope to emulate should you be the one voters choose as county chair?”

Now, Ms. Denys could have chosen the inspirational leadership traits of anyone – from Indira Gandhi to Shemp Howard – but she was honestly stumped! 

Dishonest Deb could not formulate an extemporaneous answer to the equivalent of What’s your favorite color?

I think I know why.

After eight-years on the Volusia County Council, being told what to do, and when to do it, Ms. Denys has lost the capacity to think for herself. 

Having been led around with all the grace of an odd-toed ungulate with a ring in its nose by her powerful overseers – clearly, Dishonest Deb has evolved past the point of independent thought – and lost the ability to articulate a cogent and effective leadership strategy – beyond a “patchwork” of how best to facilitate the wants of the Fun Coast Ruling Class.   

In my view, it speaks to how the arrogance of power invariably results in civic detachment, a hubristic brain-crust formed during nearly a decade on the dais of power – with absolutely nothing to show for it – beyond the glaring disconnect between her record, and the needs, wants and dreams of long-suffering Volusia County families who deserve better.  

Please vote Jeff Brower. 

“One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Ol’ Plato knew what he was talking about, eh? 

I don’t know who followed the old man around, scribbling down his rambling tangents on a piece of papyrus – but he had a million of them, like “Love is a serious mental disease,” and “Strange times are these in which we live when old and young are taught falsehoods in school.  And the person that dares to tell the truth is called at once a lunatic and fool.”

Smart guy. 

As relevant today as he was in 300 B.C.

I can tell you from personal experience that it takes some pluck to wade into the political fray here on Florida’s fabled Fun Coast.  Regardless of your role – candidate, incumbent, strategist or ardent supporter – it is not for the faint-hearted.

But it is incredibly important.

Politics at all levels is a dirty business in 2020 – because elections have consequences – and even casual observers are subject to get some on them if they get too close to the edge of the slit-trench.  

Don’t believe me? 

Take a gander at some of the popular social media sites focusing on local political issues and you will get a glimpse of just how serious things can get when citizens feel backed into a corner and our quality of life is on the line. . .  

Even a low-rent blogger like me – a trifling dilettante far removed from the morally and intellectually superior political editorialists and their irrefragable op/ed pieces – frequently gets drug behind the woodshed and beaten like a borrowed mule for having the sassiness to speak my twisted mind on the issues of the day.

Whatever.  Comes with the territory. 

Modern elections are high-stakes battles fought by real professionals – shadowy operatives, “opposition researchers” who can dig up skeletons with the skill and precision of a political paleontologist, “bundlers” who organize and collect campaign contributions, and savvy campaign managers and “road warriors” who keep all the plates spinning – organizing fundraising, polling, advertising, and motivating the true believers down in the trenches.

For reasons known only to my loyal readers, Barker’s View has gained a dedicated following that drives thousands of views each month – a readership that grows daily during election cycles.   

Clearly, that popularity has nothing to do with the quality of the writing, and everything to do with the fact Volusia County voters are starved for an alternative opinion on the issues we collectively face. 

After all, I don’t bring anything new to the table – or offer solutions to the intractable civic, social, and economic problems we face.  

I simply say what many are thinking but cannot express publicly because of the weird nature of our artificial economy – which consists of the same five people passing the same nickel around.

Let’s face it, the Halifax area isn’t exactly a bastion of alternative thought – especially when those opinions contradict the views and motives of a handful of uber-wealthy political puppetmaster’s with a profit motive. 

That’s when things get downright testy – and I am proud to see so many courageously stepping up to finally make their voice heard.   

In local political circles, whenever potential voters gather at a common watering hole to read and share opinions – that equates to influence – and that makes our ‘powers that be’ uncomfortable. 

I get it. 

That is why I put my name on everything I write – and provide a means of allowing my detractors, or those with a differing point of view, to respond and drive a greater discussion of the issues.  

I accept the stones and arrows that naturally fly whenever my goofy commentary hits too close to home, or challenges the carefully crafted narrative, of candidates and incumbents locked in the battle of their political lives.

If you choose not to be that open, I fully understand why, and respect your attempt to maintain privacy while contributing to the debate.     

Because rarely have I seen the contentiousness and brutality of the rhetoric between friends and neighbors surrounding the Volusia County Chair race between Jeff “Plan B” Brower and his incumbent opponent, Councilwoman Deb Denys.   

This one’s important – and I’m not the only one who thinks so. . .

Recently, I have read wild arguments on social media between those who openly support one candidate over another – calling into question the persons mental state or speculating on their true motivations – real Machiavellian scalp-taking – tossing long-standing personal, even familial, relationships on the ash heap over their Brower/Denys allegiance. 

I suppose that is to be expected when the stakes are this high, and, perhaps the sacrifice and bridge burning is worth it.   

I damn sure hope so. . .

The bright side of this political maelstrom is seeing so many good citizens – many of whom have never participated in the political process before – coming out in droves, speaking out on social media, waving signs, joining the discussion of contemporary issues, and fighting hard for the candidate who best represents their hopes, dreams and needs.    

The fervent, no-holds-barred nature of citizen involvement in this year’s local contests should telegraph to all incumbent elected officials just how hungry their constituents are for transparency, meaningful participation, and a return to government of the people, by the people, and for the people in Volusia County. 

Keep the faith. 

And keep working hard for fundamental change in local governance.   

In my view, the positive outcome of these hard-fought local races is that – never again – will our well-heeled political insiders, who purchase influence with massive campaign contributions to hand-select candidates, have unfettered control of our sacred democratic process – now that so many of our friends and neighbors have kicked off the traces, and proven their willingness to sacrifice all they hold dear to speak their mind and actively participate to ensure a bright future for all of us. 

Hi, kids!

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

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

Angel              City of Holly Hill

“I’m so disappointed with the city of Daytona Beach,” Hawes said. “The city has spent millions and millions of dollars on all kinds of crap, and they stonewalled us.”

—Robert Hawes, President, The Veterans Museum and Educational Center, as quoted in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Downtown Daytona war museum finds new home at DAV in Holly Hill,” Sunday, September 20, 2020

It is a tale of two cities. 

One, a quaint riverside community that is enjoying a vibrant renaissance while retaining some of the last vestiges of the affordable “Old Florida” lifestyle.

The City of Holly Hill – the “City with a Heart” – with its canopied streets, parks, outdoor recreation opportunities and traditional neighborhoods – has what other innovative communities are spending heavily to recreate:

A true civic identity and firm connection to its rich local history.   

The other, a world-famous beach destination that, rather than capitalize on the greatest natural amenity on earth, remains a rudderless scow, unable to embrace those unique qualities and seaside character that set it apart – beyond the drudgery of recurring special events – that are quickly losing favor with long-suffering residents and proving unsustainable for local businesses.  

As a result, the City of Daytona Beach has sold its very soul to a handful of self-serving real estate developers and wealthy insiders with a profit motive, who have stacked the political deck and proven, time and again, that their “vision” for the rest of us doesn’t extend far beyond the bottom line of their own bloated bank accounts. 

Many do not realize that the Halifax area has an interesting military history – including hosting a Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps facility in the wartime 1940’s, where some 22,000 women received training – along with Naval Air Station Daytona Beach, where aviators and aircrew received advanced flight training utilizing outlying naval airfields at New Smyrna, Spruce Creek, Ormond Beach and Flagler County.  

For the past several years, a group of committed local veterans have attempted to find a permanent home for an extensive collection of rare militaria, working diligently to convince the City of Daytona Beach to save the City Island Recreation Center – a unique part of our communities wartime history built in 1943 – a historic gem, now located on the new Veterans Memorial Bridge causeway, that has fallen victim to strategic rot – another taxpayer-owned public asset allowed to decay into oblivion by an almost criminal lack of maintenance, repair, and upkeep. 

In the opinion of many, the recreation center would have made the perfect home for The Veterans Museum and Educational Center.

Unfortunately, it is quickly becoming evident that city officials are intent on destroying the World War II era structure in the name of what passes for “progress” here – a fate that became apparent last year when City Commissioner Rob Gilliland callously announced at a public meeting, “It is absolutely not a priority for me to spend $1 million” on the recreation center.  The likelihood of that (building) surviving is not good.”

And, so it goes. . .

For the past several years, The Veterans Museum and Educational Center’s vast collection has been kept in a space above a shop on Beach Street while its curators searched for a place of honor at the Daytona Beach “International” Airport or a suitable municipal building.

Unfortunately, both options fell through. 

According to reports, Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry threw the group some proceeds from a local golf tournament – but it wasn’t enough to make a lasting difference.

Things looked grim for these veterans committed to preserving an important part of our history. . .

Now, the museum has joined forces with the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 84 at 605 8^th Street in Holly Hill – a long-time veterans service center that will serve as an appropriate space for this wonderfully eclectic assemblage of our nation’s historical military artifacts – in a community that both honors and values military veterans and their courageous service to our great nation.   

After receiving the cold shoulder from the City of Daytona Beach – who made it evident early on that officials couldn’t care less about the museum and what it represents – curators found a warm welcome waiting in Holly Hill.   

According to an excellent piece by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, Robert Hawes, president of The Veterans Museum and Educational Center, said:

“Hawes said he received a much different reaction from Holly Hill City Manager Joe Forte.

“He said he was humbled we would move into Holly Hill, and he said the city will do everything it can to help,” Hawes said. “What a difference.”

Forte said he was very impressed when he toured the current museum site on Beach Street.

“It was just awe inspiring,” said Forte, whose father was a Korean War veteran. “It almost gives you the chills when you see what they have.”

Forte said having the museum in Holly Hill will add to the city’s cultural offerings, and the city will promote the facility on its Facebook page. Holly Hill doesn’t have the money to help out financially now, but might be able to send funds in the future, Forte said.

“We are very excited to have them here,” the city manager said.”

Wow.  What a difference indeed! 

According to reports, the museum should open at the DAV facility in early November. 

In my view, Holly Hill City Manager Joe Forte is one of our area’s sharpest thinkers – a true leader who looks at the concept of community holistically – placing equal importance on each part of the complex civic equation.

Clearly, Mr. Forte saw relocating the veteran’s museum as a no-brainer – a way to help a worthy organization in need – while contributing to the community’s cultural and artistic life.    

In my experience, Mr. Forte understands the importance of working cooperatively with a committed group of elected officials and residents to develop the city both economically and culturally – with a strong focus on citizen inclusiveness and wellness – which has brought to life innovative projects like the Pictona at Holly Hill sports complex and a variety of beautiful riverside parks and community amenities. 

In my view, this is a shining example of why the City of Holly Hill is the perfect – and most welcoming – location to relocate or start a business.

If you would like to assist The Veterans Museum and Educational Center as it makes the move to its new home, a GoFundMe account has been established here: https://tinyurl.com/y54x9azq . 

Asshole           Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

The “Do as I say, not as I do” hypocrisy at ERAU reached its nadir this week when ten tuition paying students were unceremoniously suspended for the duration of the fall semester for failing to meet the school’s stringent coronavirus precautions at off-campus parties. 

You read that right.

In a shirking release announcing the excessive disciplinary action last Friday, the University had the unmitigated gall to exclaim, “Doing the right thing requires accountability.”

If that is true, perhaps Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler should take a long, introspective look at his two-faces in the mirror – then do the honorable thing and resign. . .

As some of you may remember, in an excellent article in the student newspaper, The Avion, entitled, “Double-Standards: Controversy arises as Embry-Riddle hold first external event,” we learned that in late August our High Panjandrum of Political Power, Mortenza “Mori” Hossieni, as the exalted Chairman of the Board of both ERAU and the University of Florida (?), hosted an elegant soiree at the 177,000 square foot aeronautical athenaeum which bears his name – the Mori Hossieni Student Union.

As telling photographs from the ill-timed evening depicted, the on-campus event was held without any adherence to accepted COVID-19 protocols – no face coverings, no social distancing, not even the common decency of recognized senior leadership setting a personal example for students and staff that the rules apply equally – or they apply to no one.

Frankly, the UF event transcended a reckless disregard for on-campus public health regulations, as it jeopardized Embry-Riddles sacrosanct safety culture, something that is omnipotent in the aviation and aerospace engineering community.

In turn, the student body and alumni were so incensed by the hypocritical arrogance displayed by Chairman Hossieni and his guests that some demonstrated on campus, while others took to social media to express their shock and anger.

I guess suspending ten of their fellow classmates clearly illustrates what can happen to one’s academic career when you piss-off the Big Guy, eh?    

In his pompous, tone-deaf explanation for ruining the scholastic lives of ten students, President Butler totally ignored the dung-covered elephant in the room, and reinforced the clear double-standard that exists on ERAU campuses when he cravenly tutted:

“Navigating the Covid-19 pandemic will be this generation’s Great Depression.  When you look back on this time in your life, you will want to look back with pride, knowing that you faced a daunting challenge head-on. You will want to tell your future employers and your children that you made tough personal sacrifices to serve your country. To everyone in the Embry-Riddle family who has been selflessly doing the right things – thank you. Your strength of character and patriotism will serve you well throughout your lives.” 

Bullshit.

How will you look back on this ethical dilemma, Dr. Butler? 

In my view, this cowardly retribution for typical off-campus behavior sets a shining example of how the arrogance of power allows some to abdicate responsibility for their own actions while ensuring lock-step conformity by those they lord over.

Sound familiar?

Get used to it, kids.

Perhaps this abuse will serve as a better lesson than any professor could teach on how those who demand obedience to the rules – while totally ignoring them in their personal and professional lives – quickly lead once quality organizations into moral bankruptcy and ethical ruin.   

Quote of the Week

“It is a shame I was not contacted for this article, since I have championed water quality issues for the county since 2014. Improving water quality is a long-term challenge. It could take decades to restore our aquatic habitats if we don’t support a coordinated approach.  Water pollution did not occur over night. Therefore, it will take a long-term, multi-pronged strategy to restore our water quality.”

–The Always Arrogant Volusia County Councilwoman Deb Denys, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s letters to the Editor, “Clean water takes commitment, continuity,” Sunday, September 20, 2020

Does Deb’s shameless self-promotion ever end?

I guess News-Journal editor Pat Rice and Company better tighten up, eh? 

How dare they publish an article without Dishonest Deb’s input?

My God.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the not-so-recent phenomenon of egotism in politicians – a problem that reaches epidemic proportions during the election season – when public figures are forced to advance themselves against other strong personalities – apparently by any means necessary.    

But Deb’s smug admonition to a news organization takes the cake. 

Hell, it takes the whole damn bakery. . .

For years, as a perennial politician, Dishonest Deb Denys has cloaked herself as an environmentalist – insinuating herself into “leadership” positions on various do-nothing political insulation committees with impressive sounding names – using the position to take advantage of photo opportunities with goofy oversize checks (for pitifully small amounts) all while our lakes, rivers, springs and the Indian River Lagoon continue to give up the ghost.

Perhaps there is a reason why News-Journal reporter Abigail Mercer did not seek comment from Dishonest Deb for her informative piece, “Officials want to educate West Volusia on septic tank pollution. It’s a daunting task.”

Maybe Ms. Mercer, like everyone else in the region, is tired of having sunshine pumped up their backside by a craven politician trying hard to disguise her abysmal record on environmental protection and almost cult-like support of unchecked sprawl?

Instead, Mercer reached out to Jeff “Plan B” Brower – Dishonest Deb’s capable opponent in the hotly contested Volusia County Chair race – for his educated thoughts on this important matter.  

As everyone knows, Mr. Brower has been front and center on the septic-to-sewer debate from West Volusia, to Ormond-by-the-Sea, and Oak Hill – talking hard facts with residents, listening to their concerns, discussing solutions to nutrient pollution with environmental experts, and begging elected officials to get more information before throwing good money after bad.

“We need to take the politics out of the equation. Conversion of septic systems to sewer should not be done for the benefit of developers in order to make their projects more valuable,” Brower said. “They should also not be skipped when the infrastructure is in place … because they are not politically rewarding. Soil testing should indicate a need for change because of excess nutrients in drain fields with inadequate soils.”

He also spoke out against the current widespread use of biosolids as fertilizer – the product of wastewater treatment plants – calling instead for a high temperature commercial composting plant to handle the material produced in Volusia County. 

Clearly, Jeff Brower understands the importance of obtaining all available information from stakeholders – then developing commonsense initiatives to preserve and protect our sensitive environment from the extraordinary pressures of overdevelopment – something that makes Ms. Denys – and her campaign contributors in the real estate development industry – very nervous.   

In my view, that all-important “trust issue” is becoming increasingly influential this election cycle – and it is painfully clear to anyone paying attention that no one much cares what Dishonest Deb has to say about anything these days. . .

And Another Thing!

Earlier this week, I called out Daytona Beach City Commissioner Quanita May after she launched a personal attack against me during her weekly radio program – issuing a seething “recommendation” that I take my information on the machinations of the municipal government from her directly – rather than analyzing what I see and hear – then expressing my personal opinions in print. 

Yeah, right.

In my view, Ms. May’s rebuke – which included an arrogant diktat that I refer to her exclusively as “Commissioner” (her “elected, official title”) – was a thinly veiled warning – a cheap threat to my sacred constitutionally protected right to free expression, one that allows citizens to challenge the might and power of government without fear of official or personal reprisal.   

At least one civically active member of our area’s economic elite, Mike Panaggio, owner of the successful Daytona Beach-based DME Sports Academy and member of the First Step Shelter Board of Directors, reached out on social media, referring to me as a “discontent,” and dropping a well-intentioned challenge that I meet with Ms. May.

“Give Commissioner May the benefit of the doubt. Meet with her and then write your follow up. We will all wait to see if you meet or not.  As Lao (sic) the outcome.  Who knows maybe something good can come out of this after all.”

No offense, Mr. Panaggio, but I will not be meeting privately with Commissioner May. . . 

First – I do not trust her motivations.  Not many of her constituents I speak with do.    

Second – I do not believe she has anything remotely interesting or original to bring to the conversation, beyond what her uber-wealthy handlers tell her to say.

Finally – I initially thought she was just another clueless elected placeholder, supported by self-serving insiders who needed another marionette warming the Zone 3 seat – now, she just comes off as a nut-job with a God Complex. . .    

A civically active friend of mine told me Ms. May was back at it on Wednesday, seemingly obsessed with the fact I would have the temerity to challenge her omnipotent power or opine on her performance, trashing me and this blogsite on the radio in her bizarre passive-aggressive singsong.    

Creepy.

I don’t like bullying in any form, and Commissioner May’s self-absorbed abuse on the airwaves – where she is the de facto voice of the City of Daytona Beach – strikes many as a heavy-handed attempt by a  powerful public official to force a civically involved citizen to sit-down and shut up – using her full might as an exalted “Commissioner” to marginalize the messenger and cast a chill on our right to hold government accountable.     

That often happens in Halifax area politics when someone gets too close to the truth – our ‘powers that be’ find a dull-witted attack dog looking to impress and turn him or her loose. 

I get it.   

Rather than simply using (or rejecting) my pointed thoughts as a barometer of how others in the community might feel, she chose to provoke a public tempest in a teapot.

So, welcome to the deep end of the cesspool that is political debate in 2020, Ms. May – come on in, the water’s fine. . .   

Mr. Panaggio might be surprised by the number of current and former public officials and members of our “ruling elite” that I have a friendly, productive and on-going dialog with – committed servant-leaders who don’t agree with me on anything – real policymakers and influencers with hard bark who don’t take political criticism personally – smart people who can look beyond their own narrow views and consider an alternative opinion.   

I admit – I don’t have the answers.  After three-decades in public service, I am not sure I ever did. 

That’s okay.  Not my job. . .    

But it is distressingly clear that many of our elected and appointed officials in Volusia County who accept public funds to serve in the public interest – don’t either – yet they will not admit it.    

More disturbingly, they are not willing to thoughtfully analyze the problems using external input – choosing instead to salve their grandiose sense of self with hollow praise, listen to themselves ramble on the radio, or simply attack the messenger – while ensuring their political survival by doing what they think will help keep their well-heeled benefactors dragging on the public teat.    

Whatever. 

My advice for thin-skinned politicians who are easily triggered by barbed criticism – harsh as it may be – is to stay away from social media – which has become an equal opportunity soapbox for anyone wishing to voice their eclectic views and opine on the civic, social and economic issues that we collectively face without fear or filter.    

And they damned sure should not be reading this blog. . .

Here is a free civics lesson for elected officials from the vantagepoint of 31-years in the fray:

Pick your battles.

If something does not directly improve the lives of your constituents, or progress the economic, social, and civic concerns of the community – let it go.

Squabbles with critics and gadflies wastes precious time, and makes you appear petty and weak-minded, unable to accept criticism and use it to your advantage. 

That does not mean one must have a perfect grasp of their emotions – just don’t give in to your base instincts.  It might feel good temporarily – but bickering with your detractors ultimately does nothing to further your political career.

Do not get caught up in formalities – like insisting on being called by your elective title – that just makes you appear like a vainglorious heel to supporters and cynics alike.

Respect is earned – not demanded.

Frankly, most people of real importance realize that hypercritical feebs like me are not worth their time – and they’re right.  Elected officials of any significance spend themselves furthering the hopes, dreams, and needs of those they serve – and, in return – they earn the right to advance their ideas to the next level.      

And, most important, listen to people, even when you disagree with their position, and embrace a diversity of thought and opinion – its both enlightening and liberating – because that is how we learn.   

There.  Take it or leave it. 

Otherwise, Commissioner May would do well to keep ignoring those thin voices in the civic wilderness who try, time and again, to provide critical constructive input, and protect her fragile self-esteem by listening only to those with a profit motive who speak nicely when telling her exactly what they want her to hear.  

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