Earlier this week, I ripped News-Journal editor Pat Rice a new bunghole in response to the editorial board’s misinformed, finger-wagging lecture to beach driving advocates on the ongoing ruckus over the Volusia County legal department’s mysterious attempt to crush a long-time historic parade on the old beach racing circuit at Ponce Inlet.

In my view, he deserved it. . .

However, juxtaposed with the hot button beach driving piece was a cogent editorial written by Mr. Rice entitled, “Beachside committee report languishes in silence,” wherein he made the spot-on assessment that more than a year has passed since the gilded Beachside Redevelopment Committee issued suggestions for the revitalization of our core tourist area.

As many will recall, the committee – lead by former Brown & Brown executive Tony Grippa, and populated by everyone who is anyone in the social, business and civic stratosphere of our Halifax area beau monde – was chartered by the Volusia County Council to identify the corrosive issues that have led to the economic stagnation and abject blight that has crippled the beachside and develop strategies for improvement.

I didn’t hold out much hope from the beginning – in fact, I was openly mocked as a fool for dismissing the effort as a sham – but, in reality, if any group of people could make a positive difference in the life of our community, it was this one.

Unfortunately, when it came time to formulate the report that would serve as a blueprint for the resurrection of the beachside and beyond – Volusia County’s Director of Growth & Resource Management, Clay Ervin, took control and proceeded to neuter the committee’s vision with a liberal dose of bureaucratese – crafting the final recommendations in a manner that avoided any possible responsibility and sidestepped all accountability for the elected and appointed officials who provide what passes for oversight in Volusia County government.

When the report was finally issued in 2018, I wrote, “. . .our fervent hope for substantive change has been replaced with another worthless “See, we did something” political insulation report that will collect dust in County Manager Jim Dinneen’s already groaning library of consultant reports, master plans and “recommendations.”

“Perhaps the Grippa Report can bookend the 2011 tourism study wherein the Volusia County Council paid $100,000 to an out-of-state consultant to conduct a review which concluded that our beachside “tourism product” was a serious impediment to attracting visitors and economic development, “…there is no “plan” for who is leading the effort and how these challenges can be improved.”

Clearly, there still isn’t. . .

In his well-thought editorial, Mr. Rice acknowledged that the hard work of the Beachside Redevelopment Committee resulted in a list of “tangible ways” our core beachside could be improved – and given the depth of the problem no one expected change overnight.

But we had a right to expect that something would happen.

Then, like many expensive and time-consuming reports, studies and findings of a hundred other time-buying committees – absolutely nothing happened. . .

According to Mr. Rice:

“It takes time to remedy the decades of neglect and problems that have allowed the beachside to become decrepit and crime ridden. Raggedy rental housing doesn’t improve overnight. Shops and restaurants don’t just sprout up because people wish for them. Everyone gets that.

But there is such a thing as not trying hard enough. There is such a thing as flying too below the public’s radar. There is such a thing as not banging the drum loudly.”

Indeed.

Perhaps now that the News-Journal has formally called them out, our ‘powers that be’ will realize that some of us are still paying attention out here in the political wilderness – waiting patiently for action on the findings of serious people with serious ideas for reanimating the corpse of a once vibrant tourist destination.

 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Volusia County District Schools Interim Superintendent Tim Egnor instinctively uses a weird anaphora when describing official acts and omissions at district schools: “. . .more or less.”

The phrase means “approximately,” an inexact answer that is used to express vagueness or uncertainty – something more or less true, but not completely factual – an imprecise assessment.

In terms we can all understand, in the wake of a third internal investigation into academic misconduct at Mainland High School (which was conducted by the same Office of Professional Standards that pursued the first two inquiries) student’s and staff of Volusia County Schools are more or less victims of an organizational protection racket. . .

Using the “nobuddy knows nuttin’” defense, senior administrators circled the wagons and convinced district “investigators” that no one had a clue what was going on at Mainland, even as hundreds of students were given a fake Advanced Placement test in a cruel ruse that became known as the “placebo exam” fiasco, along with credible allegations that former principal Cheryl Salerno manufactured passing grades for student athletes out of whole cloth.

The district also examined what Area Superintendent Susan Freeman, whose area of responsibility included Mainland, knew and when she knew it.

According to an excellent report by the News-Journal’s intrepid Education reporter Cassidy Alexander, “In August, Freeman told investigators she did not know that Salerno was listed to teach a course, and she did not know that two teachers at the school, one of whom is her son, were working as counselors without certification.”

Apparently, Superintendent Freeman stood behind the “Not my job, man” defense when asked if she reviewed the master schedule to determine if educators were certified to present subject’s they were responsible for teaching.

Freeman reportedly claimed that vetting teacher certifications was the responsibility of Human Resources.

Of course, when asked, the district’s former Chief of Human Resources Dana Paige-Pender (who just last week was anointed Director of Human Resources for all of Volusia County government) said, “. . .she didn’t know about the out-of-field teachers or uncertified counselors at the school until the summer’s investigation. She recalled asking Salerno directly if the two employees in question were working as counselors, and Salerno denied it.”

Hell, even Amy Hall, director of student and government relations – which “supports” school counselor programs – claimed it was not her responsibility to ensure counselors were certified at that time – and she couldn’t even tell investigators who served as a counselor before the current school year.

Apparently, the actual administration of Volusia County Schools wasn’t in any senior administrator’s job description. . .

Somebody must have known what was going on, right?

I mean, in an organization with a budget approaching $1 Billion in public funds and responsibility for the education of some 63,000 students – someone must have been responsible for, I dunno, having a vague idea how the whole shebang was being operated?

Well, it appears everyone who is anyone in the Ivory Tower of Power at Volusia County Schools seems to agree that former chief academic officer, Teresa Marcks – who, along with Ms. Salerno, received a blunt reprimand and a comfortable retirement for her role in the “placebo exam” scandal – was the sole source of the horrific corruption, dysfunction and cover-up of gross academic misconduct at Mainland High School. . .

My ass.

But we’ll never know for sure.

You see, district “investigators” did not interview Teresa Marcks or Cheryl Salerno – and I would be curious to know if they bothered to interrogate the one person who should have all the answers – former Superintendent Tom Russell – who also retired to escape the flames, then fled our horribly crippled district with a sack full of severance money – and now practices his odd brand of “leadership” at Flagler-Palm Coast High School.

However, Mr. Egnor assures us things are “more or less” typical at Mainland High School now that it’s under new management – so we can take comfort in that. . .

But what about the rest of the district? 

Following a hat trick of self-serving probes – the last of which, by Egnor’s own admission, was “to clear the names of people that I felt had done nothing wrong but were being lambasted” – that produced squat in terms of substantive information or personal accountability – how can we be sure another shit storm isn’t on the horizon?

How can we be certain more children won’t be victimized by fake exams, reverse-cheating or unqualified teachers and counselors?

The fact is, we can’t – because the same hands remain on the switch. . .

Now that Volusia County District Schools have investigated themselves three times without any determination of culpability – those of us who pay the bills are expected to merely accept the findings that no one in a position of responsibility was aware of the corruption, maladministration and utter dysfunction that has resulted in the complete destruction of Mainland High School’s academic reputation and the public’s trust.

That’s unacceptable.

No.  That’s unconscionable.

I’m just spit-balling here, but it is remotely possible these highly compensated senior administrators are more interested in protecting their own career track than ensuring the integrity of the system?

And where in the hell is the Florida Department of Education when we need them most? 

My God.

In my view, it is time for the Volusia County School Board – those we have elected to serve the best interests of students, staff and taxpayers – to get their hands dirty, cut the top off this rotten gourd, and allow our new superintendent to recruit a credible staff of senior administrators who won’t look the other way or develop a convenient memory when it comes time to accept accountability and protect the sanctity of our children’s education.

 

 

 

 

 

Since my earliest days The Daytona Beach News-Journal has been my newspaper of record.

I learned to read and digest the news of the day sitting with my father as he perused the Daytona Beach Morning and Evening Journal – something that became a bonding point for father and son – and taught me to think critically and form my own opinions on the issues that shape our lives and communities.

Through the years, the paper’s editorial stance has periodically swung – neither always in alignment with my views nor continually opposed – but it has consistently given me a thought-provoking focal point to consider the questions of the day.

Unfortunately, I fear the editorial board’s recent finger-wagging lecture to beach driving advocates in the still unfolding aftermath of the Volusia County legal department’s decision to unilaterally stop a two-hour historic race car parade on a short section of the beach in Ponce Inlet has exposed a critical bias that many of us would have preferred to ignore – something that has illuminated a growing fear that long-time readers have secretly harbored for some time now.

For months, loyal subscribers to The Daytona Beach News-Journal have watched in shocked silence as our hometown newspaper has dissolved into a jerry-built regional product.

We have stood horrified as the newsroom was decimated by cutbacks and layoffs – while senior reporters and editors have been swallowed up by the News-Journal’s parent, Gatehouse Media – and shook our heads in silence as the editorial page slowly transitions to a cut-and-paste from other markets ginned-up with an vague local connection.

As our local news dwindled to a trickle, regular readers have looked on as editor Pat Rice appeared in increasingly tight social alliance with those the paper has anointed our ‘Rich & Powerful.’

Photographs regularly appear in the online edition of Mr. Rice rubbing shoulders at ostentatious galas with our high and mighty oligarchical overseers who repeatedly corrupt each election cycle with astronomical campaign contributions from a host of personal and corporate entities that make a mockery of campaign finance rules – and backslapping with the same tired and wholly co-opted politicians they repeatedly return to office.

Look, I won’t presume to Tell Mr. Rice who he should associate with – but the optics suck – especially when his social circle comprises a ‘who’s who’ of the ‘movers and shakers’ who repeatedly access public funds to reduce overhead on private projects and should be the focus of his news organization.

I like Pat Rice.  He is an inherently good man, and although our opinions on the issues may differ, I appreciate how he tries hard to remain competitive in an increasingly desperate print news market.

During good times and bad, I have been a staunch supporter of The Daytona Beach News-Journal – I still am – and have repeatedly gone to the mat with those who disparage the outstanding reportage and in-depth investigative journalism that has brought us clear insight into the many local issues that have become so detrimental to our lives and livelihood.

But Sunday’s editorial, “In Volusia beach driving battle, stop depicting allies as foes,” took a more offensive tone – one that besmirched the hard work and dedication of beach driving advocates while championing the self-serving efforts of those money-grubbing insiders who seek to turn our public beach into a semi-private marketing tool for speculative developers.

It was hurtful.  It was uninformed.  It was wrong.

And, for many of us who have spent our lives here – it was personal.

In my view, for decades, uber-wealthy political insiders like His Majesty Hyatt Brown and his coterie of brown-nosing lickspittles have used the clout of various civic organizations, secret societies and their lopsided studies to support their gilded idea that the World’s Most Famous Beach – which was literally founded on our century-old heritage of beach driving – will always be nothing more than a honky-tonk shithole unless and until we acquiesce to their selfish idea that a traffic free beach is the panacea for our civic and social ills.

So, in the mid-1990’s, amid declining occupancy and average daily room rates in beachfront hotels, Volusia County removed cars from a one mile stretch of beach between International Speedway Boulevard and Seabreeze on the promise it would revitalize our core tourist area.

It didn’t.

Now, among declining occupancy and average daily room rates, our ‘powers that be’ stand suspiciously idle as the continued economic strangulation of our core tourist area continues.

And the war on beach driving by those with the ability to purchase political representation – from Let Volusia Vote to the Hard Rock Daytona debacle – continues unabated.

Anyone who thinks County Attorney Dan Eckert and his staff have been “fighting and fighting and fighting” to preserve beach driving is delusional – or has simply stopped paying attention to local issues.

As an example, if you take the time to compare Volusia County’s federal Incidental Take Permit – which allows beach driving while protecting sea turtles and wildlife – with St. Johns County’s, for instance, it becomes immediately clear that those who the News-Journal touts as “allies” have used their misshapen, hand-crafted permit like a weapon for years – even as those bought-and-paid-for chattel on the Volusia County Council gave more of our heritage away to over-hyped theme hotels and here-today-gone-tomorrow developers who never seem to make good on their promises.

Perhaps the News-Journal’s editorial board should read its own reporting. There’s a good reason many Volusia County residents no longer trust their government – or those handmaidens of the “Rich & Powerful” in the county’s legal department. . .

According to the News-Journal’s condescending editorial:

“Always, always, always: Volusia County is depicted as the enemy. That’s just wrong. If beach activists don’t forge a working partnership with the county team that’s been defending beach driving, or at least stop lobbing accusations and leaning on County Council members to rein in their “bureaucrats,” beach driving will be endangered by needless and misinformed strife.”

That hyper-dramatic horseshit doesn’t wash – not when the United States Fish & Wildlife Service – the very federal agency that issues and oversees Volusia’s Incidental Take Permit – have publicly announced it supports the special event.

And, for the past eight years, so did Volusia County government. . .

A shocking revelation that was completely contrary to what we – and our elected officials – had previously been told by County Attorney Eckert.

In my view, the crude demise of the Historic North Turn Legends Beach Parade exposed the depth to which our weaponized county attorney, and those wealthy insiders he serves, will go to maintain their iron-fisted control as a means to pursue their ultimate goal of removing beach driving in the name of the Almighty Dollar.

Time and again – from beach driving to Amendment 10 and a hundred points in between – Volusia County government has proven where its true loyalty lies.

And it is not with those of us who pay the bills and are expected to suffer in silence as the wants and whims of the few consistently outweigh the needs of many.

Now, it appears The Daytona Beach News-Journal has exposed its own not-so-subliminal bias as well. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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           Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company

The Halifax area isn’t known for our dedication to historic preservation – especially once the “Rich & Powerful” get dollar signs in their eyes. . .

That was the fate of the 121-year-old First Baptist Church in downtown Daytona Beach.

Last Sunday, parishioners said goodbye to the sanctuary, many singing hymns through tears and using markers to scrawl notes and messages memorializing times gone by – a eulogy to a holy place that has met their spiritual needs for generations.

In coming weeks, First Baptist will meet the same fate as the nearby First United Methodist Church on Bay Street, whose beautiful mosaic mural of Jesus ascending unceremoniously fell to the wrecking ball last year.

The destruction of these historic churches was made necessary by Consolidated-Tomoka Land Company’s mysterious “Project Delta” which, we’re told, will bring a grocery store, 300 more “luxury” apartments, a 400 car parking garage and mixed use space in support of His Majesty Hyatt Brown’s “game changing” glass-and-steel headquarters building.

(Project Delta?  Why does every public/private partnership in Volusia County have to read like a Tom Clancy novel?)

Look, I’m not an overly religious sort – just another wayward lamb lost in the wilderness – but there was a time when churches and synagogues formed the foundational bedrock of a community.

A beacon of faith during difficult times, a place that marked the important milestones of our lives – weddings, baptisms, funerals – always serving as a spiritual lighthouse for those in need.

But not anymore.

We’ve “grown” past all that.  The profit motives of our ‘movers & shakers’ prevail over everything else now – physical, spiritual or historical.

I’m not an expert, but couldn’t Sir John Albright and his crack staff of civic visionaries at Consolidated-Tomoka find a way to incorporate the spiritual needs of a community in their top secret/compartmented plans for the rest of us?

No money in it? 

Off the tax rolls? 

Whatever. . .

Look, Mr. Albright is free to do what he wants on the property his company purchased – and the First Baptist congregation is moving to new digs on Tomoka Farms Road soon.

I get it.

But what happened to the idea of comprehensive planning and community involvement?

There was a time when building a ‘new’ downtown involved a plan to determine contemporary and emerging needs, identify issues, state goals, evaluate alternatives and involve civic organizations, merchants and ordinary citizens in the process – rather than classifying the project behind some weird cryptonym. . .

This is where we make our home, so we all have a vested interest.

Why the Secret Squirrel bullshit?

Our community’s historic places in downtown Daytona and beyond are being bought up and torn down in the name of “progress,” and according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s editorial board, we should be happy about it.

“A dynamic, flourishing downtown will always include some pangs of loss — but also, a surge of optimism that a once-bustling part of the city will soon see green shoots of resurrection, including the glossy new headquarters of Brown & Brown Insurance taking rapid form just a few blocks away. It’s a fitting next chapter for the church properties, and a welcome sign of hope and optimism for Daytona Beach — one fueled, not by government, but by private investors’ faith in the potential at the heart of the city.”

A fitting next chapter?

God help us. . .

Angel               Volusia County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler

Look, I admit it.

I give Councilwoman Billie Wheeler and her colleagues on the dais of power in DeLand a lot of grief.

Most of it deserved. . .

But this week, Ms. Wheeler stood tall in her defense of thousands of her long-suffering constituents who gather each year for the Historic North Turn Legends Beach Parade – a grassroots event honoring the storied history of NASCAR’s old beach circuit – and the daring drivers who paved the way for contemporary stock car racing and the growth of the Halifax area.

In many ways, the parade represents the very roots of our community.

Like many things here on Florida’s Fun Coast, the beach driving aspect of the event apparently doesn’t comport with the wants and whims of oligarchical insiders who have fought the tradition for years. . .

So, earlier this year, our weaponized County Attorney Dan “Cujo” Eckert – who has made a cottage industry suing taxpayers with our own money – unilaterally denied a permit for the event in 2020, citing a violation of Volusia’s federally mandated Incidental Take Permit, which allows our century-old heritage of beach driving while protecting sea turtles and other wildlife.

Even after the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, which issues and administers the permit, publicly said they support the special event – Ol’ Dan wouldn’t take ‘Yes’ for an answer – fighting tooth-and-nail with the help of his deputy, Jamie Seaman, to make sure the incredibly popular parade won’t roll next Speed Weeks.

Earlier this week, Mr. Eckert issued a long-winded memorandum to the Volusia County Council essentially warning that they do not have the authority to permit the parade – painting our elected officials into a very tight corner with the oppositional legal mumbo-jumbo Dan has become famous for.

You see, when it comes to fighting beach driving advocates, Cujo Eckert attacks like a rabid badger – but when his skills are needed to support any and all efforts to keep vehicles off the beach – he’s the best lawyer real estate developers, political insiders and out-of-state meddlers never paid for.

For instance, Mr. Eckert spent yesterday in Tallahassee arguing before an appeals court to overturn the will of voters in the ongoing Amendment 10 fiasco. . .

The stakes are high.

In my view, many of these same “Rich & Powerful” forces that have vigorously opposed beach driving have engaged in the ongoing economic strangulation of our core tourist areas as a cruel punishment for our fight to protect beach access – a drastic means of saying, “See, we were right and you were wrong – now, give up and let us capitalize on our “vision,” you peons. . .”

That’s why I was so incredibly proud of Ms. Wheeler’s efforts to ferret out the truth, rather than accept the same tired threats that Mr. Eckert and his staff have used so effectively for years.

To her credit, Councilwoman Wheeler asked the hard questions – like why, after eight years, the county is suddenly so vehemently opposed to what she called an “economic booster” without any legal objection from Mr. Eckert?

She also asked why previous councils offered unanimous votes to approve the event without any hint of concern from the legal department?

Of course, the “system” immediately circled the wagons, with Deputy County Manager Seamans all but calling Ms. Wheeler a liar – claiming that the previous votes were merely to permit alcohol at the event, not to approve the beach parade. . .

(So, they voted to allow alcohol at an event that wasn’t permitted?  Weird. . .)

Thus began the county’s patented process of marginalizing and discrediting anyone who steps out of line and dares champion the needs of their constituents against the iron will of Volusia County government.

In keeping with her craven tradition of having a politically expedient way out of any issue – the always arrogant Councilwoman Deb Denys requested that county staff also compile an accounting of how much Volusia County spends on the annual event – claiming she wants “all the information” on the council’s October 15 agenda.

You don’t need me to tell you how this is going to go. . .

Still, I appreciate Ms. Wheeler’s strength of character and willingness to fight for her constituents under such withering criticism from our politically unaccountable lawyers and staff.

Thank you for the effort.  That takes guts.

Asshole           Volusia County School District

This week, after yet another five-alarm foul-up, the Volusia County School District was suggested for this auspicious title by an observant Barker’s View reader.

I wholeheartedly agree. . .

Given a budget approaching $1 Billion – and the dangerous times in which we live – one would think that Volusia County Schools would have both the means and motivation to live up to their sacred obligation to protect our precious children from harm.

Like many of you, I have young family members who attend district schools, so imagine my utter horror when I learned of two high profile security breaches last week.

The first involved a 13-year old student at Galaxy Middle School in Deltona who was arrested after he apparently threatened to shoot up the school, something that was reported by a parent, not school officials.

Then, an intoxicated intruder with an “extensive criminal record” armed with a knife road a bicycle onto the campus at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange – completely unchallenged – then meandered into an occupied classroom and took a seat.

Jesus.

The district’s initial response to a shocked media was ham-handed, at best. . .

Speaking to the News-Journal’s Education reporter Cassidy Alexander, Interim Superintendent Tim Egnor said, “To convert (campuses) into minimum security prisons, which is the reality of this situation, it involves a whole level of thinking that is very different than what we’re used to.  It is very hard to prevent with 100% certainty unless you just had a ring of security people hand-in-hand around the entire 10 acres.”

On Wednesday, the Interim Superintendent polished the turd during a press conference, announcing that the district is once again investigating itself, and yammering about “retraining,” “physical changes,” “no rush to judgement,” “can’t comment on possible discipline,” blah, blah, blah.

But when he claimed these incidents were the result of “overthinking” I shot a healthy sip of my noontime highball through my nose. . .ugh.

Look, this district-wide lackadaisical approach to our children’s safety is nothing new.

Last summer, after four public records requests to district officials, I was finally able to review the qualifications of those who had been appointed to oversee the state mandated Guardian program at that time.

In turn, I discovered that two of the three individuals identified as safety and security specialists couldn’t statutorily qualify for the position they were charged with managing. . .

I sounded the klaxon, but nothing changed.

Look, I may be just a shut-in with internet access – certainly not a self-styled school safety and security expert like our district’s staff of posers – but I happen to know that credibility is paramount to achieving the internal and external buy-in required for effective security planning.

In my view, it’s time for the Volusia County School Board to pull their heads out of their ass – hold someone responsible for these glaring security lapses – then find a professional security director who actually knows something about “building and managing” an effective safety and security program for the thousands of students and staff who deserve better.

This is urgent.

Look, Interim Superintendent Egnor is a good guy.  He stepped up to fill an important role during a difficult time and his long legacy of service will not be stained by this shit-train of issues that has crippled Volusia County Schools and destroyed the public’s trust.

But this level of incompetence by senior staff members who have accepted the awesome responsibility of securing our schools simply cannot stand.

I implore Mr. Egnor to talk to current and former campus advisers, Guardians and other line personnel charged with security responsibilities.  If they trust the Interim Superintendent – perhaps they will tell him the same stories they have told me and others.

Believe me – it’s a wake-up call.

Given the serious events of last week, the Volusia County School Board shouldn’t wait until a new superintendent is seated to begin a top-to-bottom review of the district’s clearly ineffectual security protocols – then jettison any senior administrator whose abject  incompetence failed Volusia County students and staff.

Angel               Daytona Beach Police Department

I spent a considerable part of my law enforcement career involved in the investigation of narcotics crimes – specialized work that requires an officer to master a wide range of disciplines – to include physical and electronic surveillance techniques, the ability to think quickly and change direction with little notice, effectively developing and managing confidential sources, maintaining operational security for long periods of time, even the art of safely working undercover.

It can be very tedious and demanding work, requiring a great deal of patience and perseverance to build often complex criminal cases against drug distribution networks that work very hard to keep law enforcement from connecting A to B.

Kudos to the Daytona Beach Police Department for their highly successful “Operation Clean Streets” – a five-month dedicated effort targeting street-level drug dealers that ultimately identified some 41 suspects.

I know firsthand the operational tempo and logistics required for an operation of this length – and I also the know the incredible gratitude residents feel when their neighborhood is liberated from the oppression of drug dealing and related nuisance crimes that destroy their quality of life.

According to reports, seven stolen firearms were recovered, along with nearly $3,500.00 in cash, 21 grams of cocaine, 305 grams of marijuana, 8 grams of heroin, 21 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 30 grams of ecstasy.

Thank you to Chief Craig Capri and his intrepid officers and staff on a job well done!

Quote of the Week

“If Florida really wants the best and brightest to enter teaching and stay in the profession, lawmakers need to improve pay as well as the treatment of teachers.”

–The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Drop bonuses and increase wages,” as adapted from a Gainesville Sun editorial, Wednesday, October 2, 2019

With Governor Ron DeSantis pushing for a much-needed across-the-board pay increase for Florida’s beleaguered teachers, perhaps he could take a minute from his busy schedule cutting ribbons, slapping backs and collecting campaign funds to examine the abysmal treatment of Volusia County students and staff?

Trust me, our district schools need outside intervention.  Now.

Clearly, the Florida Department of Education is content to sit on its thumb while the district is rocked by one catastrophic scandal after another – to include an active investigation by the United States Department of Justice over the district’s treatment of disabled children.

Never mind the “placebo exam” fiasco which destroyed the trust of an entire class of students – or the startling revelation that Mainland High School’s former principal manufactured passing grades for student-athletes – in my view, the shocking “security lapses” last week at Spruce Creek and Galaxy Middle deserve immediate intervention by state and federal authorities.

Look, if Volusia County Schools refuse to learn from the atrocity at Parkland and elsewhere, then an outside agency in a position to properly secure the lives of vulnerable students and staff simply must step in and take control.

Unfortunately, “retraining” and introspective audits only work in organizations that value professional standards and embrace the concept of accountability and responsibility.

Perhaps it’s time to relieve the jackleg frauds who masquerade as “safety and security specialists” in the highest echelons of Volusia County Schools and replace them with real experts who possess the personal and professional discipline to give this awesome responsibility the serious attention it deserves.

In my view, funding for raises and benefit increases is certainly necessary to attract and retain qualified teachers throughout the Sunshine State – but effectively securing the lives of our children and district staff is priceless – and immediately necessary.

And Another Thing!

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Ponce’s Law, a grassroots effort born of the ghastly beating death of a Labrador puppy in 2017.

This week, we also learned that the piece of human excrement who was charged with this heinous crime plans to enter a plea to felony animal cruelty in the near future.  The suspect, Travis Archer, 46, faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000.00 fine on the third-degree felony when he is ultimately sentenced by Judge Sandra Upchurch.

Last year – thanks to the hard work of Debbie Taylor-Darino and her group of animal rights activists at Justice For Ponce –  State Representative Tom Leek of Ormond Beach introduced legislation which increases the sentencing score for persons convicted of animal cruelty, bringing this abominable breed of scum closer to the prison term they so richly deserve.

The law also allows a judge to prohibit anyone convicted of animal abuse from ever owning a pet again.

Unfortunately, Ponce’s Law won’t apply to Travis Archer. . .

Earlier this week, the Justice For Ponce organization took to the streets in front of the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach – just as they have done for the past two years – demanding punishment for Archer and calling attention to the prevention and prosecution of animal abuse.

Here’s extending our hearty congratulations to Ms. Darino and her brave activists at Justice For Ponce on successfully enhancing penalties for those monsters among us who would abuse innocent animals.

God’s work.

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

 

 

 

Given a budget approaching $1 Billion – and the dangerous times in which we live – one would think Volusia County Schools would have both the means and motivation to live up to their sacred obligation to protect our precious children.

Like many of you, I have young family members who attend district schools, so imagine my utter horror when I learned of two high profile security breaches this week.

The first involved a 13-year old student at Galaxy Middle School in Deltona who was arrested after he threatened to shoot up the school while on campus – something that was reported by a parent – not school officials.

Then, an armed and intoxicated intruder with an “extensive criminal record” walked onto the campus at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange – completely unchallenged – before entering an occupied classroom.

According to reports, “Officials said the teacher activated his emergency button located inside the classroom which said to send assistance there immediately.  The school was not put on lockdown and there was no code red call made.  A spokesman with the school district said at least some security protocol was not followed.”

Perhaps most disturbing was Interim Superintendent Tim Egnor’s cavalier response after some 2,500 students and staff at Spruce Creek had a very close call.

Speaking to the News-Journal’s Education reporter Cassidy Alexander, Egnor said, “To convert (campuses) into minimum security prisons, which is the reality of this situation, it involves a whole level of thinking that is very different than what we’re used to.  It is very hard to prevent with 100% certainty unless you just had a ring of security people hand-in-hand around the entire 10 acres.”

“There is a certain futility to the notion if you think any place could be 100% safe.”

He later described the personal and systemic failures that permitted an armed drunk free access to the campus as, “. . .just a comedy of errors. . .”

According to Mr. Egnor, we can take comfort in knowing the district is going to “learn” from its mistakes.

Bullshit.

That type of organizational growth only occurs where professional standards and the concept of responsibility and accountability actually mean something. . .

Look, this lackadaisical approach to our children’s safety is nothing new.

Last summer, after four public records requests to district officials, I was finally able to review the qualifications of those who had been appointed to oversee the state mandated Guardian program at the time.

Two of the three couldn’t qualify for the position they were charged with managing. . .

I sounded the klaxon, but nothing changed.

In my view, the credibility and vigilance of administrators is paramount to achieving the internal and external buy-in required for effective security planning, so I asked for the names and qualifications of those appointed by then Superintendent Tom Russell to provide for the safety and security of students and staff members.

Last July, I received the following information from Greg Aiken, the district’s Chief Operating Officer, which read, in part:

“I have 22.5 years of military experience and 15 years in the School District where 14 of those years has been building and managing the safety and security program for the district.  I am a certified FEMA and TEEX Adjunct Instructor  for the past 10 years teaching all facets of emergency management all over the US.” 

“We have identified three (3) employees that will have the duties as the School Safety Specialist to ensure we have back-ups when the others are on vacation or out sick.”

When I finally received the public records, I found that one of our school security experts began his career as a Band Director and most recently served as an ESE supervisor and assistant principle at schools in the district.

It is my understanding that this individual is no longer responsible for school security.

The bulk of the other “security specialist’s” law enforcement experience was limited to serving as an administrative secretary at the FBI’s New York field office. . .

According to her LinkedIn page – she remains the district’s Safety and Security Specialist.

Frankly, I don’t know who in the hierarchy at the district’s Ivory Tower of Power is actually responsible for our children’s safety today – do you?

In my view, it’s time for the Volusia County School Board to pull their heads out of their ass – hold someone personally responsible for these glaring security lapses – then find a professional security director who actually knows something about “building and managing” an effective safety and security program for the thousands of students and staff who deserve better.

Sheriff Mike Chitwood was right, “He could’ve had a gun.  He could’ve had a grenade.  He could’ve had anything.  After all we’ve gone through … all the training, the guardians, technology, it just goes to show it’s only as good as the people you put in place to follow it.”

In fact, a true security expert recently opined to me that the security failures at Spruce Creek and Galaxy Middle read like an excerpt from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission report.

That’s frightening.

If, after 14-years of building and managing the safety and security program for the district, Mr. Aiken’s wholly inadequate protocols still permit an armed intruder to saunter onto a school campus and take up residence in an occupied classroom – while active threats go unreported to law enforcement – perhaps it’s time to reevaluate the district’s priorities and the effectiveness of certain senior administrators. . .

Superintendent Egnor should know that you can’t “retrain” a sense of urgency, situational awareness and attention to detail into people who already hold the awesome responsibility for safety and security – they either have it, or they don’t.

Given the serious events of last week, those ultimately responsible for our children’s safety – the Volusia County School Board – shouldn’t wait until a new superintendent is seated to begin a top-to-bottom review of the district’s clearly ineffectual security program.

In the preface to their comprehensive report to the Governor on the atrocity at Parkland, the Public Safety Commission wrote:

“Accountability starts at the top of every organization, and all leaders have an obligation to ensure not only that the law is followed, but that effective policies and best practices are implemented.  Even after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and the implementation of new Florida law requiring certain safety measures, there remains non-compliance and a lack of urgency to enact basic safety principles in Florida’s K-12 schools. All stakeholders—school districts, law enforcement, mental health providers, city and county governments, funding entities, etc. — should embrace the opportunity to change and make Florida schools the safest in the nation.  There must be a sense of urgency—and there is not, across-the-board—in enhancing school safety.”

Sound familiar?

The idiom “The tail wagging the dog” describes a situation where an insignificant part of the whole – a person or group involved in something important – has too much influence and consistently reverses the dynamics of power.

The tenets behind this expression have been the governing factor in Volusia County politics for years.

A system that permits uber-wealthy insiders to control public policy by purchasing the rights to malleable politicians through massive campaign contributions – giving sway to individuals and industries who long-ago discovered the profit potential in underwriting private projects with public funds.

Regardless of the pursuit, it seems the wants and whims of those who can still afford political representation always outweigh the needs of those of us who pay the bills.

Then, when we ‘little people’ have the temerity to question the why of things, or take the initiative to develop successful events that benefit the community and contribute to the local economy, invariably, outside forces apply pressure to just the right part of Volusia County’s massive bureaucracy and We, The People are told to sit down and shut up.

Like an abusive suzerain, the ensuing heavy-handed governmental intrusion in our lives destroys our sense of place, crushes the volunteer spirit and undermines the intrinsic social benefits of community-based events.

Since 2012, a grassroots group of racing historians have organized, staffed and managed the Historic North Turn Legends Parade – an annual event during Speed Weeks celebrating the storied past of auto racing on the old beach course that was used prior to the advent of Daytona International Speedway.

The one-of-a-kind exhibition of vintage race cars on the sand creates a spectacular visual for the hundreds of spectators from around the world who gather in Ponce Inlet for the event.

Inexplicably, earlier this year, our weaponized County Attorney, Dan “Cujo” Eckert, unilaterally decided that the Legend’s Parade would not be permitted in 2020.

In July, Eckert sent a letter to the parade’s sponsors, Walt and Rhonda Glasnak, claiming that Volusia County had allowed the event by “mistake,” and that permitting vehicles on that section of the beach constituted a violation of the county’s Incidental Take Permit (ITP) issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designed to protect sea turtle nests.

There was little ambiguity in the risk involved. . .

According to Mr. Eckert, permitting the parade could have the catastrophic effect of jeopardizing beach driving on the precious few miles that are still open to vehicles:

“The ITP must be renewed in 2030.  It would be ironic if an event whose purpose in part is to celebrate the history of racing on the beach factored in the ultimate demise of all vehicular access on the beach.”   

As it turns out, Mr. Eckert’s statement was complete horseshit.

Worse, it appears he knew it at the time. . .

I guess Ol’ Dan hadn’t banked on the fact that the intrepid Glasnak’s would ask for outside help from parade supporter and United States Congressman Bill Posey, who represents Florida’s 8^th District in Brevard County.

A subsequent investigation by Representative Posey’s staff directly contradicted Mr. Eckert’s “explanation,” and proved conclusively that the United States Fish & Wildlife Service has essentially ceded decision-making authority for special event beach access to Volusia County.

In fact, the Fish & Wildlife Service reported it has supported allowing the parade each February – which is held outside turtle nesting season in compliance with the county’s federally mandated Habitat Conservation Program.

Not taking ‘yes’ for an answer, in a bizarre twist, Deputy County Attorney Jamie Seaman aggressively challenged the findings of the very federal agency who issued the permit – now claiming the parade violates state law governing vehicles on coastal beaches?

When Mr. Eckert’s shenanigans were publicly exposed by Representative Posey’s inquiry – several sitting Volusia County council members felt they had been intentionally duped.

Because they were. . .

Last week, Paul Zimmerman, president of Florida’s premiere beach driving and access advocacy, Sons of the Beach, met with Jennifer Winters, Volusia County’s Protected Species Specialist, who administers the Incidental Take Permit and Habitat Conservation Program.

According to Ms. Winters, in 21-years there have been no adult sea turtles killed on Volusia County beaches – none – and the remaining “take” is so negligible that county officials have received just one minor concern from the USFWS over the life of the permit.

In fact, according to Ms. Winters, the permit has been amended multiple times and the county has never been found out of compliance.

(I mean, if allowing the Hard Rock Daytona – with its 410-feet of traffic free beach – to detonate a professional fireworks display on the beach for its invitation only grand soiree for politicians and their benefactors on the first evening of turtle nesting season isn’t a violation, I doubt a well-managed two-hour parade poses a hazard. . .)

Despite the facts, Dan Eckert and his staff have wielded the Incidental Take Permit like a club.

Why would a publicly compensated attorney consistently misinterpret the federal permit to restrict beach access and intimidate citizens, bureaucrats and elected officials for years?    

In my view, Ol’ Dan is merely facilitating the objectives of those who truly control public policy in Volusia County.

Just like always. . .

For decades, uber-wealthy political insiders, to include His Majesty Hyatt Brown – under a variety of civic guises and political insulation façades – have vehemently opposed beach driving, believing that allowing speculative property developers to use “traffic free” beaches as a cheap marketing tool should take precedence over our heritage of public access.

From our oligarchical overlords and their professional flatterers on the dais of power – to the useless convention/visitors/tourism gurus and the marketing hacks they pay to tell them exactly what they want to hear – the entire “system” continues to push the goal of those with the financial wherewithal to control their environment: The effective privatization of our beaches.

To permit the Legend’s Parade in 2020 is to publicly admit that 21-years of scare tactics and legal bullying was all smoke-and-mirrors – a cheap Sword of Damocles hanging precariously over the heads of residents – a damnable lie which has been trotted out so many times that we have come to believe the hype.

Now that Mr. Eckert has been caught out, “county staff” would have us believe that he is somehow kowtowing to Shirley Reynolds – who filed the original federal lawsuit which resulted in the Incidental Take Permit and Habitat Conservation Plan over two decades ago – and is once again stirring the pot all the way from her home in Colorado. . .

Say what? 

It seems “Cujo” turns into a toothless lapdog when he’s up against anyone other than his own constituents. . .

According to The Daytona Beach News-Journal, “Shirley Reynolds, a long-time New Smyrna Beach resident who now lives in Colorado, told The News-Journal that she would be “outraged, but not at all surprised” if the County Council elects to go against its attorneys views and allow the racing Legends parade to continue in an area of the beach where cars are not supposed to be.”

Of course, the “news” that Ms. Reynolds has once again stuck her nose into the issue gave our doddering fool of a County Chair, Ed Kelley, the perfect excuse to flip-flop and support Dan Eckert’s manipulation of the facts over the concerns of his constituents. . .

No offense – but who gives a shit what Shirley Reynolds thinks?

She had a bite at the apple – now, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service has spoken.

Dammit.

The Volusia County Council will have yet another opportunity to prove to their long-suffering constituents who really sets public policy when they take up the fate of this incredibly popular parade later today.

Will the tail once again wag the dog? 

Time will tell. . .

 

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           Saw Palmetto Pirates

It’s that time of the year. . .

Last week, I was invited to go fishing at a spot so remote that you really have to know where you’re going to get there.

The circuitous route to the wilderness pond requires that you traverse washboard dirt roads, fire trails and a series of overgrown one lane wilderness paths that take you deep in the heart of the south Flagler County swamps.

Trust me.  It’s out in the sticks.

Those who spend time in the woods understand that fences and gates are to be respected – only crossed with the express permission of the property owner.

Violations of those rules can result in serious confrontations and criminal prosecution.

I was surprised to find that these idyllic backwoods were being patrolled by noisy out-of-state pick-up trucks filled with rough men in search of saw palmetto berries – a species that the State of Florida has listed as a “commercially exploited plant” – due to its demand as a natural remedy for enlarged prostate.

The vehicles I saw were openly trespassing on private property – I assume searching for areas that had yet to be picked – totally disregarding the rules – which require both a permit from the Department of Agriculture and written permission of the landowner.

The exploitation isn’t limited to rural areas.

Saw palmetto pirates can be found trespassing on private property in subdivisions, backyards,  public parks, along interstate highways – anywhere they can find access to the profitable berries.

Kudos to the Volusia County and Flagler County Sheriff’s Offices for the recent arrest of several suspects who allegedly disregarded regulations governing the harvest of Saw Palmetto berries.

Thank you for your efforts to curb the exploitation of this important natural resource that also serves as a food source for black bears and other wildlife – and for protecting the private property of landowners throughout Volusia and Flagler Counties.

 Angel              Daytona State College

 My one great regret is not pursuing higher education.

Throughout my youth I struggled academically – probably the result of what would today be diagnosed as “learning disabilities” – a condition aggravated by old-fashioned laziness.

Back when teachers hand-wrote telling notes on the back of report cards to summarize a student’s performance during the grading period – mine read, “Needs to apply himself” (whatever that means) or “Easily distracted daydreamer.”

As a result, I struggled through my life and career with a serious inferiority complex – always feeling less than friends and colleagues with advanced degrees.

For instance, when I was appointed Chief of Police, it was based upon my experience and past performance, not formal education – a mustang of sorts.

As a result, I rarely participated in formal group discussions with my “peers” from other agencies, avoided leadership positions in professional associations and was always self-conscious of the fact I hadn’t earned the requisite academic credentials for a seat at the table.

Without the fundamentals, it meant that I had to work twice as hard, yet, I always made the feeble excuse that I didn’t have the time or it was too expensive to pursue a degree.

Now, in my dotage, I’m afraid that ship has sailed. . .

So, I have stumbled down the path like the uncultivated bumpkin I am, doomed to the most expensive education there is – a lifetime of experiential learning and its grudging release from ignorance.

Whenever a young person asks for advice, I invariably tell them to pursue a college degree, master a trade – or, if all else fails – get a job in government, claw your way to middle-management, and hang on by your fingernails until you vest. . .

Fortunately, the Halifax area is blessed with some of the finest institutions of higher education in the world – a diversity of technical training, research and liberal arts tracks that consistently rank among the best anywhere.

From the high-flying Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to the prestigious Stetson University and Bethune-Cookman – new students and mid-career professional have local access to a wide variety of quality programs to suit their unique educational needs.

This week we learned that the editors of the Bachelor’s Degree Center, a site that helps degree-seeking students “find the best educational program most suited to their financial, educational, and personal situation,” recently ranked Daytona State College’s bachelor of science in engineering technology as the most “affordable online program in the nation.”

In addition, DSC’s online transition program for registered nurses with associate degrees seeking to earn a Bachelor of Science in nursing has been recognized as the most reasonably priced as well!

Wow! 

Given the exorbitant cost of tuition and other fees that can lead to crippling student debt that hamstring many young students before their lives and careers truly begin, it’s refreshing to known that we have superior programs at competitive prices right here in the Halifax area.

Kudos to Daytona State College for placing higher education and the lifelong opportunities it provides within financial reach of everyone.      

Asshole           First Step Shelter Board

 When considering the plight of the First Step Shelter Board, I am of the opinion that it is physically impossible for ostensibly bright and successful individuals with extensive business and political experience to step in large piles of shit with such frightening regularity – then get down and wallow in it in such a public way – time and time and time again. . .

It simply defies logic. . .

Yet, that has been the unfortunate legacy of the First Step board – the horribly abused and much maligned issue of the Daytona Beach City Commission – who are now the sole caretakers of this sordid mess.

On Tuesday – with taxpayers still reeling from the news that the shelter’s completion date has been pushed back an unconscionable fourth time – board members inexplicably cloaked the process of selecting the shelter’s executive director from public view – adding to the sense of utter chaos and confusion that has destroyed the public’s faith in the project and all but ensured an end to municipal funding sources and private donations.

After conducting private interviews with six short list candidates “out of the public eye,” three finalists emerged from the mysterious process to compete for the leadership role worth $48,000 to $60,000 in public funds annually.

Now, after creating the wholly unnecessary skepticism and speculation that naturally comes when public entities intentionally sidestep Florida’s Sunshine Law, some members are mewing and cooing about the public’s perception of this backroom chicanery.

According to a quote attributed to board member Chase Tramont by Eileen Zaffiro-Kean in The Daytona Beach News-Journal:

“I didn’t think it was anything inappropriate in spite of how some of that has been portrayed,” said Tramont, a Port Orange City Council member. “I have great understanding, though, for the desire to do it all out in public. I think its bad optics that we have done it this way, but there’s no ill will toward it. I’m fully behind how we did it.”

It’s not just “bad optics” – it openly flaunts the letter and spirit of the law – and there was absolutely no need for any of it!

Even Ormond Beach City Commissioner Dwight Selby, who (for reasons known only to him) continues to ‘serve’ on this cheap rubber stamp committee, realized how damaging a backroom selection process would be to the public’s fragile trust in the struggling homeless assistance center.

“If we were to make a final decision tonight, the public would not have an opportunity to weigh in on that,” said Selby.

Unfortunately – for everyone involved, to include the three finalists – nobody with any degree of self-respect cares to “weigh in” at this point.

The damage is done.

You see, the process has been forever marred, tainted by the toxic stench of secrecy wafting from behind firmly closed doors, where the public who funds this expensive experiment were clearly not welcome.

But why?  

As sitting elected officials, both Tramont and Selby understand better than most the importance of openness – conducting the people’s business in the public eye – especially when decisions regarding the future leadership of our horribly challenged shelter are made.

Let’s face it, this entire farce transcends “bad optics” and raises serious questions about the ultimate viability and management of this much needed social service – and the utter dysfunction that dominates our local system of governance at every level.

If the First Step Shelter is to regain the public trust and move beyond the horrific gaffs and mismanagement of the past, what remains of the politically accountable segment of the board must begin to demonstrate strong leadership, and stand firm to the highest principles of our participatory democracy – truth, transparency and inclusiveness.

Asshole           City of Daytona Beach Economic Development

One valuable lesson I learned over three decades in public service is that you can’t have more than one “high profile” issue going at a time.

You can have a bad day – even a major mistake – but when you get too many plates spinning at once, people begin to notice, and that doesn’t bode well for a senior bureaucrat’s longevity.

In government, dealing with multiple highly publicized problems at one time requires that the organization spend a lot of political energy to spin internal and external opinion and protect the status quo, least the dysfunction become apparent.

Unfortunately, the City of Daytona Beach is experiencing the embarrassing results of what happens when senior staff members allow more than one wheel to come off the cart at a time.

From the ongoing nightmare that is the First Step Shelter – to concerns over drastic changes to the downtown streetscape, the secret negotiations for the wholesale development of City Island and the serious traffic and congestion concerns on Boomtown Boulevard and beyond, etc. – Daytona Beach officials are getting further behind the proverbial eight ball every day.

Earlier this week, the intrepid Eileen Zaffiro-Kean, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal, reported that a $60 million oceanfront hotel project which would have connected to the challenged Daytona Beach Boardwalk has fallen “off the radar.” 

“Some feared the plan to build a nearly 300-room Marriott hotel just south of Main Street had the life choked out of it by an impasse between top city staff and the private developer trying to make it happen.”

Not good. . .

For years, many have openly wondered why Daytona Beach Redevelopment Director Reed Berger has been allowed to virtually ignore the pressing needs of the tarnished beachside – now marked by the potential loss of a synergistic hotel/entertainment complex near the city’s struggling core tourist area.

For years, entrepreneurial investors have lamented the byzantine bureaucratic roadblocks to opening small businesses in Daytona Beach – that cannot continue – not if we hope to pull ourselves out of this fetid quagmire that is ruining “the brand” and slowly destroying our tourism industry.

In my view, it took The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s excellent investigative series on beachside blight to bring substantive attention to the deplorable condition and open corruption that doomed our core tourist areas for decades – and I have joined the many in the Halifax area who are openly cheering the City’s new code enforcement initiatives – but its high time that those in the city’s economic development apparatus, who accept public funds to serve in the public interest, be held accountable for their abysmal inaction.

Frankly, it’s high time elected officials determine exactly which “top city staff” stand as a perennial impediment to the community’s economic progress.

We simply cannot move forward with the same tired ideas, lack of organizational enthusiasm and bureaucratic impediments that continue to dash transformational projects, discourage investment and allow economic stagnation to continue on our imperiled beachside and beyond.

Quote of the Week

“. . .at the Sept. 18 Daytona Beach City Commission meeting, Commissioner Quanita May victoriously confirmed with City Attorney Bob Jagger that a magistrate can impose fines of up to $15,000/day for homeowners who operate what the city deems “illegal” vacation rentals. (She originally made this request at the Aug. 7 City Commission meeting). All that is needed is to demonstrate these rentals cause “irreparable harm” to the community.

Do I understand this correctly?

The city has to “consider” whether or not to fine a large construction company that has repeatedly failed to meet its obligations to build an important community resource (First Step Shelter).  At the same time, the city could fine a citizen immediately, at five times the rate that may possibly be imposed on APM, for hosting a tourist in his home.

The only irreparable harm being done here is to the hard-working, tax-paying citizens who are exercising their constitutionally protected property rights.”

–Mary Synk, Daytona Beach, pointing out the disparate treatment of short-term rental owners by the City of Daytona Beach and Volusia County, writing in The Daytona Beach News-Journal Letters to the Editor, “Daytona pursues skewed penalties,” September 23, 2019

As I’ve said before, when it comes to the issue of short-term vacation rentals, local governments must retain the right to enact common-sense rules to alleviate nuisance issues and ensure the health, safety and quality of life for all residents – and a means to ensure short-term rentals pay applicable taxes is a given – but property owners should be permitted to market their properties in an open and responsible way without oppressive government regulation.

The use of draconian fines that can crush a property owner under the iron boot of a compromised municipal and county government is not fair – and it’s not healthy to our local economy.

To learn more, please go to www.SAVEDaytona.org

There you will find a link to a petition requesting reasonably regulated short-term rentals in Daytona Beach.  Take time to educate yourself.

Even if you disagree with the concept of short-term rentals – I think you will agree that the Halifax Area Advertising Authority’s push for excessively harsh government intrusion in the marketplace is wrong.

After all, if it can happen to them – it can happen to you. . .

And Another Thing!

I have a cardinal rule here at Barker’s View – I don’t accept advertising dollars or financial “support” from anyone.

Let’s face it, most of my blog posts are hyper-political – one man’s critical opinion on the issues and newsmakers of the day, yadda, yadda – and taking money to hype goods, services or (God forbid) political candidates would, in my view, cheapen the message and give rise to favoritism.

After all, my hypocrisy knows no bounds – and once I got snout-deep in the trough, well, who knows where that would end – so why tempt it, right?

(Besides, my wife claims I have a physiological aversion to making money – which is why she will have to work well into her 80’s to keep us in the lifestyle I’ve become accustomed to. . .) 

So, whenever you see an occasional review in Barker’s View for an enterprise I feel is doing it right – you can take my word for it – safe in the knowledge my recommendation comes from the heart, not someone’s marketing budget.

This week, Simply Gina’s – a long-established Holly Hill eatery – recently moved to impressive new digs at 841 Ridgewood Avenue – and I’m very happy to report the restaurant opened this week to huge crowds!

Look, I couldn’t be happier for Gina and Dan Farmer.  They’re good people who hold firm to high standards and present an exceptional variety of incredibly tasty meals.

For over fifteen-years, Gina’s 6^th Street Deli served the community in a small space just across the street from The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Now, Simply Gina’s is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch from 6:00am to 3:00pm – including dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday – when they remain open until 8:00pm.

Trust me.  If you haven’t been to Simply Gina’s for breakfast – you’re doing it wrong. . .

Kudos to my friend Robin Hanger – a trusted Holly Hill entrepreneur and successful businessman who owns and operates The Car Shop and Best Price Trailers on Ridgewood Avenue – who purchased the former Denny’s building and invested in renovations for the expansion of Simply Gina’s. 

I’m proud to report that Robin is a big part of the renaissance of The City with a Heart!

If you’re looking for a great meal at a fair price – in a true hometown atmosphere where I guarantee you will feel welcome – please give Simply Gina’s a try!

That’s all for me – have a great weekend, friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Cue Rod Serling)

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

At the risk of sounding like a conspiratorial nutjob – what if a simple inquiry into an annual community parade exposed one of the most profound scandals in Volusia County history – evidence that the County Attorney’s Office has run a sophisticated con job on the Volusia County Council and the public for years?

This summer, organizers of the Historic North Turn Legends Beach Parade – an annual event celebrating the history of auto racing on the old beach course that was used in Ponce Inlet until the late 1950’s – were formally advised by Volusia County officials that the popular event would not be permitted in 2020.

But why?

Since 2012, the county has routinely permitted vintage race cars to briefly access the beach section of the course as the low speed parade completes one loop of the former track, creating a spectacular visual for hundreds of spectators who gather for the event during Race Weeks each February.

In July, our weaponized County Attorney, Dan “Cujo” Eckert, sent a letter to the sponsor explaining, in essence, that Volusia County had allowed the event by “mistake,” claiming authoritatively that permitting vehicles on that section of the beach constituted a violation of the county’s Incidental Take Permit (ITP) issued by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service designed to protect sea turtle nests.

According to Mr. Eckert’s correspondence, “The ITP must be renewed in 2030.  It would be ironic if an event whose purpose in part is to celebrate the history of racing on the beach factored in the ultimate demise of all vehicular access on the beach.” 

Jesus.  Strong stuff. . .

Fortunately, it appears Ol’ Cujo’s frightening prognostication was complete horseshit. . .

Last week, long-time organizer and Ponce Inlet resident Rhonda Glasnak received an extremely thorough explanation from United States Congressman Bill Posey, who represents Florida’s 8^th District and describes himself as a supporter, attendee and participant in past Legend’s Parades, detailing his investigation into Volusia County’s odd refusal to permit next year’s event.

According to the report, after Representative Posey made “numerous attempts” to contact County Manager Recktenwald over “several weeks,” he finally directed his staff to reach out to the United States Fish & Wildlife Service to discuss the issue – you know, get it from the horse’s mouth, as it were. . .

According to the USFWS:

“Historically, the Service supported Volusia County’s decision to permit the event as we do not see a conflict with their existing Incidental Take Permit (ITP) and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).  The HCP allows for some vehicular access for special events if approved by the County and with concurrence of the USFWS.  For this event, the Service has concurred with the County’s decision since the event takes place outside of sea turtle nesting season and precautions are taken to minimize adverse impacts.  County staff reached out to Service again this year to discuss their position on the event.  As before, the Service will support the County in whatever decision they make.  Ultimately, the decision on whether to permit the event rest solely with Volusia County, not the Fish and Wildlife Service.”

In other words, so long as Volusia County takes reasonable precautions under the conservation plan, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service could care less if the historic parade rolls on the beach for a few minutes once each year.

That’s certainly a far cry from Mr. Eckert’s gloom and doom legal prophesy. . .

Well, apparently that incredibly soft interpretation by the very federal agency that issued the ITP didn’t satisfy Mr. Eckert – or his militant sidekick – assistant county attorney Jamie Seaman. . .

Then, things got even weirder. . .

On September 18, Representative Posey’s staff took a conference call with Volusia County’s Do-Nothing Director of Governmental Affairs, John Booker, and Attorney Seaman.

Inexplicably, during the call, the County Attorney’s Office openly disagreed with the USFWS regarding the Incidental Take Permit – even going so far as to claim that the parade (which has been allowed for the past eight years) is a violation of Florida law governing vehicular traffic on coastal beaches.

Say what?

You read that right – Jamie Seaman literally argued against the findings of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service – then cited, chapter and verse, how the whole idea was in violation of state law!

According to Representative Posey, “My staff was also told that the County Attorney’s office would stand firm on their stance regarding this issue but did not have final say as the Volusia County Council would ultimately be the elected body making that call, should they wish to address it.”

My God.

Does anyone believe the Volusia County Council would openly disregard the legal recommendation of the County Attorney’s Office on a matter of grave importance to our most important natural and economic resource? 

That’s why the opinions of Mr. Eckert and his staff have such a direct impact on the public policies that effect our lives and livelihoods.    

Once again, Dan Eckert and his raging Hellhounds in the county attorney’s office have unleashed Pandora’s Box – and the questions from concerned constituents are pouring out fast and furious. . .

Why would County Attorney Eckert give demonstrably misleading information to a citizen and our elected officials, then create a fictitious nightmare scenario linking a long-time special event with the potential demise of our tradition of beach driving and access?    

Why would Jamie Seaman – who is intimately familiar with the county’s Incidental Take Permit – vehemently oppose an incredibly favorable interpretation of the ITP by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service which effectively cedes complete decision-making authority for special beach access to Volusia County?

Now, I’m just spit-balling here, but was the County Attorney’s response designed to cover other bullshit ‘legal’ opinions issued over years which shaped beach driving and access policy by misconstruing key provisions of the Incidental Take Permit to further the objectives of speculative developers and government insiders with a profit motive?

I’m asking.

And why won’t our highly compensated “new” County Manager George Recktenwald return telephone calls to a sitting United States Congressman on matters of community concern? 

Councilwoman Billie Wheeler, for one, has worked tirelessly to see the Legends Parade continue in 2020.  Now, it appears it will be up to our elected officials to investigate this matter and determine where the truth lies.

In my view, it’s time Chairman Ed Kelley and our elected representatives on the Volusia County Council finally leave the Twilight Zone, join us here in the “Real World,” and find hard answers to our mounting questions now that Representative Posey has exposed these glaring contradictions.

 

Photo Credit: The Daytona Beach News-Journal

Much of what I post here on Barker’s View is a lighthearted take on our goofy local political climate  – a snarky look at our lives and livelihoods here on Florida’s fabled Fun Coast.

This isn’t one of those.

It’s a generally accepted fact that the murky circumstances surrounding the First Step Shelter debacle stink like ripe Limburger – a series of unprecedented missteps, blunders and bureaucratic sleight-of-hand that has seen the resignation of the shelter’s first executive director – the abrupt departure of two respected local leaders who stepped away from the Board of Directors in open disgust – while others inexplicably hold on, providing tacit approval to this sordid charade.

Now, things have taken an even darker turn. . .

One of the most obvious clues that our elected and appointed representatives no longer have our best interests at heart is when they use publicly compensated attorneys to devise a quasi-legal means to conduct the people’s business in the shadows.

Given the turmoil that has surrounded this tawdry shit show from the beginning, it is easy to forget that the money the City of Daytona Beach, County of Volusia, and, ultimately, the First Step Shelter Board are charged with stewarding belongs to us – public funds that originated from our pockets – collected from the individual citizen for the betterment and protection of the whole – not just the well-connected few.

The allocation and expenditure of this community treasure places an awesome fiduciary responsibility – a legal and ethical relationship of trust – with those we elect.

I think anyone paying attention will agree that the power grabs, mini-moves and political chicanery between the City of Daytona Beach and its horribly abused child, the First Step Shelter Board, have been a gross waste of time and money that has allowed the homeless assistance center to languish for years and driven the completion price to astronomical heights.

Now, the First Step board has found a way to corrupt and confuse even the relatively straightforward process for selecting the shelter’s next executive director by concocting a ruse to sidestep Florida’s Sunshine Law and interview candidates individually behind closed doors. . .

But why? 

I mean, does anyone really care to listen to some middle-aged not-for-profit middle-manager describe their leadership style? 

It’s the idea of a publicly funded social service embracing inclusiveness, transparency and bringing those of us who ultimately pay the bills into the room.

It’s about building a culture that values community input in the decision-making process from the start.

Right. . .

A total of 122 applicants from around the nation were whittled down to just six locals by volunteer-turned-$5,500-a-month public employee, Jane Bloom, and her partner in a bizarre co-executive director scheme, Leslie Bonner – using mysterious selection criteria known but to God.

(Who’da thunk that all the “high functioning multi-taskers” in the United States live right here in the Deltona–Daytona–Ormond Metropolitan Statistical Area?  Weird, right?)

This afternoon, board members will question the finalists privately, in a weird round robin format “outside the public eye.”

With taxpayers still reeling from the news that the shelter’s completion date has been pushed back an unconscionable fourth time – these witless assholes have cloaked the process of selecting the shelter’s leadership from public view – adding to the sense of utter chaos and confusion that has destroyed the public’s faith in the project and all but ensured an end to municipal funding sources and private donations.

Shocking.

In Florida, the Government in the Sunshine Law contains standards of ethical conduct applicable to all public officers and employees, to include governmental entities, boards and committees which set public policy and steward public funds.

In addition, Florida statutes specifically require that all meetings of state or local governmental boards or commissions be open and accessible to the public unless there is a specific statutory exemption.

And arbitrarily deciding that they don’t want us to listen in isn’t one of them. . . 

These laws allow citizens to bear witness and observe the machinations of our government firsthand – to ensure our elected and appointed representatives are serving our collective interests in a transparent, legal and ethical way.

In my view, Florida’s hard-fought open meeting laws are sacrosanct – and should be celebrated and embraced by sitting public officials as the ne plus ultra of a participatory democracy – not shit on, evaded  and dismissed as a cheap means of political expediency.

Anyone who would participate in this pernicious backroom scam – on either side of the table – has already lost my confidence.  And my vote. . .

In my view, this miscarriage of our sacred governmental principles by what has become a shameless rubber stamp goes a step too far.

Asking a municipal attorney to devise a workaround to state law is beyond just another governmental screw job and transcends the stupid ideations of a horribly compromised political insulation committee.

And this has nothing to do with helping those less fortunate get back on their feet.

No, this is infinitely more sinister – somehow dirtier than before – and, in my view, it speaks to the “systems” pernicious need to be alone when it decides on just the right marionette to administrate this $1.1 million annual cash incinerator in the long term. . .

The fight for survival normally takes one of two forms – vigorous combat and strenuous effort that uses all of one’s resources in a no-holds-barred, tooth and nail fight for life – or the ability to adapt to a changing environment in order to survive.

Unfortunately, over the past decade, the Daytona Beach tourism and hospitality apparatus has done neither – standing lead-footed in almost paralytic inaction as the death spiral of the beachside gained speed and corrosive blight, civic neglect and economic stagnation blanketed our core tourist areas like a shroud.

Rather than demand that economic development officials, and our long-winded tourism gurus (with their malleable marketing analysts), develop a comprehensive vision for breathing life into this once world famous destination – or standing on the chest of elected officials until they turn their fickle attention from Boomtown Boulevard to solving the grave issue of beachside revitalization – local hoteliers have stood idle while their cash cow slowly gave up the ghost.

Now, with occupancy and average daily rates slipping, tourism and lodging officials have joined forces with the do-nothing Halifax Area Advertising Authority to lash out at their self-created enemy – the local short-term rental market – demanding that city and county government use the ultimate power of crippling fines to crush one of the most successful segments of the hospitality industry.

On Wednesday, the HAAA board of directors – whose normal role is to piss away bed tax revenues on nonsensical marketing slogans like “Wide. Open. Fun!” or “Seize the Daytona” and shovel funds to the equally ineffectual Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau – issued a demand that local officials begin enforcing zoning codes against the owners of short-term rental properties.

For Daytona Beach investors who rent their property for less than six-months, that could mean devastating fines of up to $15,000 per day.

In my view, many local hotel/motel operators are part of the problem.

For years they have refused to reinvest in their product, squeezed profits while paying shit wages for scullery work and allowed their facilities and amenities to deteriorate.

While some hoteliers have kept up with the times, many others on Atlantic Avenue and beyond have become little more than fleabags – or stand vacant, rotting monoliths circled in ratty chain-link fencing – which contributes to the seedy sense of hopelessness that continues to plague revitalization efforts.

And don’t get me started on the once famous Daytona Beach Boardwalk. . .

Rather than incorporate innovation and alternatives into area tourism initiatives, the City of Daytona Beach fights these entrepreneurial investors like a rabid badger – still kowtowing to the tired whims of our horribly uninspired tourism and lodging officials.

Given the current economic environment on much of the beachside, it’s time for local government to get the hell out of the marketplace and stop this withering assault on small business.

When investors purchase dilapidated properties and renovate them into a marketable short-term rental – it has a radiating effect in the surrounding area, slows the spread of blight and proves that pride in appearance can be equally contagious.

According to the intrepid Mary Synk, who has worked tirelessly for smart regulations and responsible ownership, these renovations are performed at private expense, without tax abatement or government incentives, and the construction and ongoing maintenance provides jobs, such as landscaping, property management and other trades while increasing sales at local businesses which contributes to the economic health of our community.

Ms. Synk reports that over the past month, the “war against vacation rentals in Daytona Beach has gotten more aggressive than ever before.” 

In May, a judge upheld the City of Daytona Beach’s argument that short-term vacation rentals are only allowed in “tourist zoning districts,” certain community redevelopment areas and established historic districts.

That ruling is currently under appeal.

A free and open marketplace begins with creating a demand – a product or service that consumers want – that creates competition leading to innovation and constant improvement in an environment where fair and equitable regulation and management ensures a level playing field.

I frequently use peer-to-peer rentals whenever I travel.

Let’s face it, if you’ve seen one cookie-cutter chain hotel room – you’ve seen them all. . .

I like the experience – feeling part of the community, meeting new people and experiencing an unfamiliar place like a “local.”

Because of the personal nature of staying in someone’s home – I always strive to be a good guest and leave the property better than I found it.

Most people do.

If properly regulated, managed and taxed fairly – I believe the peer-to-peer vacation market can play an important role in the revitalization of our lagging tourism economy.

In my view, that begins when government, and their friends in the hotel/motel industry, stop the strong-arm tactics and permit a level playing field.

To put it in perspective, Ms. Synk recently noted that the City of Daytona Beach – which has failed to impose the $3,000 per day fine on the contractor for the repeatedly delayed First Step Shelter – is perfectly willing to impose a crushing $15,000 per day fine on any citizen who “illegally” rents space to a tourist.

What gives?

As I’ve said before, local governments must retain the right to enact common-sense rules to alleviate nuisance issues and ensure the health, safety and quality of life for all residents – and a means to ensure short-term rentals pay applicable taxes is a given – but property owners should be permitted to market their properties in an open and responsible way without oppressive government regulation.

The use of draconian fines that can crush a property owner under the iron boot of a compromised municipal and county government is not fair – and it’s not healthy to our local economy.

To learn more, please go to www.SAVEDaytona.org

There you will find a link to a petition requesting reasonably regulated short-term rentals in Daytona Beach.  Take time to educate yourself.

Even if you disagree with the concept of short-term rentals – I think you will agree that the Halifax Area Advertising Authority’s push for excessively harsh government intrusion in the marketplace is wrong.