And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

– Luke 2:4-14

Amen,  So let it Be!

May peace be with you and those you hold dear.

From the Barker family to yours, Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a happy, healthy and most prosperous 2017!

Mark & Patti

We live in very interesting times.

This morning, we woke to breaking news that Daytona Beach Assistant City Manager Gary Shimun is the subject of a criminal investigation after he allegedly responded to an “escort” ad on one of those tawdry on-line sex-for-hire sites.

Preliminary reports indicate that Shimun contacted an undercover Sheriff’s deputy and sent her a series of salacious text messages, ultimately arranging a meeting to do the dirty deed.

Apparently, Shimun went so far as to meet with the deputy and display cash, before getting wise and coming to the stark realization that life, as he knew it, had just changed forever.

Two days later, Shimun submitted a letter of resignation to City Manager Jim Chisholm wherein he states, “…I have decided to take some time and re-evaluate my commitment to the profession and to take some time to just be of service to myself.  As you most assuredly understand, our line of work is very stressful, and sometimes it makes sense to just step away for a while.” 

 Wait a minute.  Isn’t servicing himself what got him in this mess in the first place?

(Bada-Bing!  I’m here all week, folks.  Try the veal!) 

Sorry.  It was a cheap shot, but someone had to say it.

Look, I’m not judging Mr. Shimun’s personal weaknesses, “stress level,” or peccadilloes; and if he wants to bang hookers while serving in a high-profile position, well, he undoubtedly knew the ramifications.

On a serious note, these things are never pretty – during my career I worked or commanded hundreds of vice suppression operations – several of which resulted in the arrest of public figures or people I knew personally.

Stopping sexual exploitation and human trafficking is noble – and difficult – work, and these operations are key to effective enforcement.   I applaud the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety for their commendable efforts.

Perhaps from this personal tragedy the City of Daytona Beach can find someone to fill Mr. Shimun’s key community development role who will have a more positive effect on the challenges facing struggling areas of the city than he did.

Sad, really.

Now, let’s get to today’s rant, shall we?

During three-decades in government service, I learned a few things:

You can’t buy institutional knowledge of your water distribution system, any situation involving dogs, children or the elderly better have your undivided attention, and the restriction of public participation during open meetings is the first sign of an elected body in crisis.

This phenomenon takes several forms – requiring participants to sign-in or complete a form, moving “public participation” to the end of the meeting, turning off the video live feed, or just cutting speakers off in mid-sentence as Deltona Mayor John Masiarczyk recently did.

Regardless of the method employed, the message remains the same: “Zip it, John Q!  We don’t give a damn what you vassals have to say.”

To say that Deltona is a community in crisis is like saying the DeBary city council has a slight problem with situational ethics.

In recent months, Deltona has become terribly – and perhaps irreparably – fractured over a series of gaffes by City Manager Jane Shang, and her hired gun, City Attorney Becky Vose.

The rift became public when Commissioner Brian Soukup stood in the best interests of his constituents and asked pointed questions regarding Shang’s promotion of Deputy Fire Chief William Swisher.

Interestingly, Swisher’s promotion included a lucrative mid-career payout of accrued leave totaling some $93,000.00.

During the dust-up, Soukup openly accused Shang of lying by omission, claiming the bonus was higher than he had originally been told.

I have previously discussed the incredible power – and responsibility – that the City Manager holds in municipal government.  Under most charters, the chief executive has near carte blanche authority to hire, fire and administrate the day-to-day operations of the government.

However, the city manager has a duty to speak the truth to the elected body and ensure that pertinent information is provided equally to all council members.  The debate and adoption of reasonable public policy demands that each decision-maker have uniform facts upon which to form an educated opinion.

When that process breaks down, allegations of favoritism and bias can move with the ferocity of a wildfire, resulting in distrust and a toxic atmosphere at City Hall.

Trust me.  I’ve seen it happen.

Shang was appointed by the city commission in April of last year, and recently received the “City Manager of the Year” award by the Volusia League of Cities (a useless frat that ensures our elected and appointed government officials receive all the self-congratulatory awards and accolades they believe they deserve.)

Shang’s tenure has not been without controversy – and her gross mismanagement of several high-profile and extremely controversial issues has left the city in turmoil.

Most recently, City Attorney Vose took it upon herself to physically remove the hard drive from her city-issued computer and take it home with her.

Why?  Well, we don’t have the complete answer to that – or what she may or may not be trying to hide.

What we do know is that in a ham-handed attempt at CYA, Vose compounded her problems by independently spending public funds to engage outside counsel who opined (naturally) that the possible private manipulation of a public computer storage device was perfectly above board.

When the Information Technology Manager, Steven Narvaez – you know, the guy that is personally responsible for the integrity of Deltona’s database – realized that Vose had compromised system security, he notified his boss, who, in turn, contacted Shang.

That’s when things went south for the IT guy.

When Shang received a copy of Narvaez’ email detailing Vose’s digital shenanigans, suddenly Narvaez transformed from a technology manager to a disgruntled shitheel who should have been unceremoniously fired months ago.

Unfortunately, (for her), Shang has apparently been unable to produce any significant record of internal discipline or other solid evidence demonstrating a pattern of misconduct by Narvaez.

Naturally, this has prompted even more questions from members of the commission – and the public.

Now, rather than simply ventilating the issue in public, Mayor Masiarczyk wants to fundamentally change the way in which the City Commission operates.

If there is a bright spot in all of this, Deltona residents have true advocates in Commissioner Soukup, and newly elected member, Christopher Alcantara.

These two public servants are courageously changing an entrenched system of cronyism and outside influence in Deltona’s political process; while seeking hard answers to uncomfortable questions surrounding irregularities with city contracts and processes that I have no doubt we will hear much more about in the new year.

I agree with Mayor Masiarczyk, it is past time to change the utter dysfunction that has invaded Deltona government like an infectious plague.

I’m just not sure effectively gagging your constituents is the best way to do that.

By affecting positive change in the city’s senior management ranks – and allowing open and honest public participation in finding solutions to long-term problems – the community can begin the important process of rebuilding public trust in local government.

 

Someone needs to say what everyone else is thinking.

The City of Daytona Beach is grossly overreacting to potential threats against the elected elite by installing magnetometers, ballistic glass and other physical barriers to separate commissioners from those they serve.

They claim the measures are still under consideration; however, the metal detectors have been purchased and the staff trained on their use.

Trust me.  Daytona Beach City Hall is about to go on lock-down.

Have there been specific threats?  No.

Acts of violence?  An imminent public safety concern during public meetings?  No.

Has there been growing public sentiment, meeting-after-meeting, that the city’s administration and elected officials are acting contrary to the will of their constituents?

Vocal evidence that citizens are awakening to the fact that the city is effectively ruled by a few self-serving politicians and their uber-wealthy campaign financiers?

Absolutely.

Look, there are reasonable and effective solutions to the difficult issue of securing public meetings.  Effective measures that provide sensible levels of protection, while respecting the all-important democratic elements of access and free speech.

Nobody wants to make security decisions in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy – I understand that.

Most government agencies have had contingency plans in place for years – and if the City of Daytona Beach doesn’t – why the hell not?

Perhaps an unobtrusive solution isn’t the motive here?

Perhaps the city commission has heard enough of our angry cries for change and would prefer to make it so onerous to enter and petition our government for redress of grievances that we simply give up and go away?

As usual, there are more questions than answers.

According to Commissioner Rob Gilliland, “It has never been as angry as it has been with a small group of people who have made very negative comments,” he said.

People are weird that way, Rob.  They feel like they’re getting the shaft, and the next thing you know, they go all “negative comment” on your ass.

Why is it that government officials never seem to understand that when they have an angry mob berating them from the podium, perhaps it’s time to listen and change tack?  

 These wild-eyed villagers with the metaphorical flaming pitchforks are their constituents – you know, the mass of unwashed citizens who took the time to listen to the campaign rhetoric and cast their vote – an act consecrated in the blood of those who fought for our freedom.

These are the very people who participated in our nation’s most sacred process, and elevated the elected members from the rank of common citizen to high office.

Our one request?  Put the collective needs of the community above your own, and serve honorably in the public interest.  

 Is that too much to ask?  Apparently.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Daytona Beach city commissioners are mere handmaidens of City Manager Jim Chisholm’s dysfunctional administration.  In the complete absence of leadership from Mayor Derrick Henry – or anyone else on the commission – the bumbling starts, stops and missteps are too frequent, and too similar, for smart people to not make the connection that the tail is wagging the dog.

Take the on-going public social punishment of our homeless population by city administrators.

Let’s face it, the city’s strategy to remove last winter’s homeless encampment from the county administration building on Beach Street ultimately took the form of a bizarre game of musical chairs.

We watched as the destitute were shuffled from the relative security of the Salvation Army, to subsidized rooms in Ridgewood Avenue motels, to social and religious support organization.

Finally, when the music stopped, those unfortunate souls who were left without a viable chair were unceremoniously dumped on a vacant piece of public land near Clyde Morris Boulevard and the Bellevue Extension.

(You know, right across the street from the property the Volusia County Council just sold to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for half – that’s right, half – it’s appraised value.  But I digress. . . or do I?)

The amenities:  A water spigot and two portable toilets.

The caveat:  The homeless are permitted to use the “safe zone” only between sunset and sunrise.

Now, from his warm office in a locked-down high-security area of Daytona Beach City Hall, City Attorney Bob Jagger put his feet up on his desk and handed down the edict that persons using the “safe zone” are not permitted to erect tents – you know, primitive shelter from the elements.

When area homeless advocate Mike Pastore began collecting funds for military-style tents and enlisting other support groups to assist with basic services at the city-designated safe zone, the city attorney’s office put aside their important work writing lucrative real estate contracts which would have us paying $826,000 for parcels worth a fraction of that, and launched into action, citing dubious liability concerns and ordinances prohibiting camping in public ‘parks.’

Hell, even Daytona’s “Community Relations Manager” (?) L. Ronald Durham originally gave the go-ahead – as any compassionate public official would – then did his best crawfish routine following a “brief meeting” with Mr. Chisholm.

How humiliating must that have been for someone who is quickly becoming the face of the homeless problem in Daytona Beach?

I guess Rev. Durham exceeded the limits of his authority.  Whatever that is.

But L. Ron quickly got on-board – once he was told what his official position on the matter would be – and explained to the community that, “We do not want to encourage a tent city.”

I guess an annual salary of $75,000 in public funds – plus full government employee benefits – will engender that kind of flexibility.

Even the hapless Mayor Henry weighed in, saying tents were “not the direction I’d like to head in as a city.”

Whatever that means.

Exactly what direction would you like to see the city take, Mr. Mayor?

Trust me.  The citizens of Daytona Beach would love to know what your plans are – because, I can assure you, another term of utter stagnation is unacceptable.

When you add the tragic mishandling of the homeless issue to the myriad other problems facing the long-suffering citizens of this community, you get a better understanding of why people are outraged by the ineffective bureaucracy that has become Daytona Beach government.

Instead of listening to the very real concerns of their constituents, Mr. Chisholm and company play games – turning off the video feed during public participation and marginalizing citizen concerns as self-aggrandizing rants.

Perhaps the most illuminating comment on the matter came from the great legal mind of City Attorney Jagger, who said, while he’s not aware of any security threat which would require the use of metal detectors, in his view the city is “fully within its rights to put up the machines.”

“Entry is still voluntary,” he said.  “People can choose not to enter.”

Still think the political elite want your participation in their government?

“Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system of regular government.”

— Jeremy Bentham

It is no secret that Florida’s government agencies have a serious spending problem.

We know it.  And they know it.  So why try to hide it?

History tells us that no good comes when unsupervised government employees – and their friends – are permitted unfettered access to the public trough.

Take, for instance, the news out of Tallahassee last week when something called “Visit Florida” – yet another tax funded marketing agency which received some $78-million in public funds last year alone – attempted to cover their tracks with a disturbing new trend.

It seems Visit Florida administrators placed a “confidentiality clause” in a contract with the artist Pit Bull – an agreement that paid the performer $1-million in our tax dollars for a series of goofy activities promoting Florida beaches and hotels.

A lawsuit filed by Florida lawmakers found that the ‘proprietary information’ contained in the confidentiality agreement was no more than a breakdown of prices for services performed by the entertainer.

It also found that there were no performance metrics to measure our potential return on investment.

On Friday, another tax-funded private/public state agency – Space Florida – reaffirmed a $1-million-dollar line of credit for an unnamed company operating under the mysterious visage, “Project Ice.”

Typical of agencies in the Scott administration, a recent audit of Space Florida found a need for additional “accountability and efficiency” – and called for further review of the agency’s “unique funding mechanisms.”

The cover-up is always worse than the crime.

Sound familiar?

This summer, I filed a formal public records request with the City of DeBary seeking a copy of a non-disclosure agreement between Roger Van Auker and an “unnamed developer” whose existence has been discussed in hushed tones at several public meetings.

Given the fact that the city’s ‘transit oriented development’ as originally envisioned has been effectively halted with the transfer of the Gemini Springs Annex to the County of Volusia, I was certain that the confidentiality agreement would be considered null and void at this point.

Nope.

I received a missive from DeBary’s Public Records Manager, Eric Frankton, who assured me that – while there was no “secret developer” for the disputed 102-acres (his words, not mine) – the city attorney determined that the agreement remains exempt and I am not entitled to it under Florida’s Public Records law.

Now, I didn’t want argue with Eric – he’s a very sensitive guy – but isn’t the fact that the identity of the land developer is being held confidential the textbook definition of a “secret developer”?

My simple request was followed-up by yet another legal opinion, from yet another DeBary contract attorney, who went into detail regarding why I wouldn’t be receiving the information requested under Florida’s open records law.

Who knows what that cost the good citizens of DeBary.

(And people wonder why the city’s corpse is being picked clean by these vultures?)

At the end of the day, this level of concealment and skulduggery told me all I needed to know:

The City of DeBary is doing business with someone they don’t want you to know about.  Just pay the bills and shut the fuck up, little man.   

They think it keeps us from connecting the dots – but ultimately, it best exposes these shitheels for what they truly are.

Last Thursday, before our new elected representatives could be seated, the Volusia County Council took the first steps to develop a 300-acre parcel of public property at Daytona International Airport – a project that will ultimately cost us tens-of-millions to again benefit a few well-positioned insiders.

Apparently, all we need to start our latest panacea project is a county-funded $400,000 engineering study.

Oh, and $10-million for construction.

To that end, last week the county council requested state funds, putting the development costs on its legislative priorities list for 2017.

In a recent article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal, we learned that this incredible urgency to spend, spend, spend comes from the county’s continuing exuberance over the “imminent arrival” of Embry-Riddle’s research park – the Micaplex – which, to-date, has limited commitments from a handful of incestuous local companies who have absolutely no connection whatsoever to the aerospace industry.

According to Mr. Karl, “There’s momentum, there have already been businesses interested in that property.”

“We’ve had two confidential prospects this year alone.”

Here we go.

In typical fashion, County Manager Jim Dinneen began prepping us with all the subtlety of the night before a colonoscopy with his usual over-the-top enthusiasm for gifting public money to private interests with a profit motive.

“It’s the kind of jobs the state is looking for,” Dinneen said. “We are talking high-tech jobs.”

Not just jobs.  High-tech jobs.

He added, “If you’re late to the party, there ain’t no party.”

I’m not sure what that means.  But I suspect our tax dollars will be the only thing that ultimately gets invited to Little Jimmy’s soiree.

If history has taught me anything, it’s this:

When government tries to rush something past the taxpayer – with dubious claims of ‘jobs’ and ‘strike while the iron is hot’ urgency – we are about to get screwed.

Royally.

In this new era of state and local government secrecy, you are expected to take the foxes word for the security of the hen house.

Again, Jim Dinneen sets the rules – and our elected officials roll over and piss on themselves like a nervous cur.

Hold on, kids – 2017 is shaping up to be quite a year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like water, anger and frustration cannot be compressed.

These forces are incredibly strong, but when properly focused – like in hydraulic systems – negative emotions can be used to affect positive change.  However, if allowed to reach critical pressures, these feelings will eventually cause irreparable damage to your health and mental stability.

These corrosive feelings begin when you discover entrenched issues that have a direct impact on your family, your livelihood, and the greater community – yet, you feel helpless to intervene.

In Volusia County, this feeling of vulnerability is becoming more prevalent as taxpayers realize that our core needs are being ignored in favor of the wants of an influential few.

People are awakening to the fact we are ruled by a bastardized system that rewards mediocrity and fiscal irresponsibility, so long as the right people are allowed open access to the public teat.

Please understand, the ‘system’ is specifically designed for self-protection and perpetuation.

Like a cancer cell, county government rapidly adapts to threats to the status quo.  That process includes marginalizing opposition, suppressing dissent, and rewarding incompetent enablers all while feeding voraciously on its long-suffering host.

If you read Barker’s View, you are obviously a thinking person.

I’m not blowing smoke up your ass.

People who reason critically and view the world around them with an analytic eye tend to read and evaluate differing points-of-view – including alternative opinions that are counter to official political posturing.

If you do this regularly, the exercise reveals that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Last week saw the final goodbyes of Volusia County Chairman Jason Davis and council members Doug Daniels and Josh Wagner.

Look, I didn’t always agree with Mr. Daniel’s politics – and he pissed me off more than once during the beach driving wars – but I always felt his heart was pure and I believe he worked hard in the public interest.

Plus, he has that snarky sense of humor I like.  He never took himself too seriously.

In keeping with the professionalism he demonstrated during his tenure, Mr. Daniels did not attend the ‘Theater of the Absurd’ that was this council’s final meeting.

Too bad Wagner and Davis didn’t show the same class.

After distributing various parting gifts – and playing a self-aggrandized ‘video montage’ prepared (no doubt) at our expense by county staff – Mr. Wagner breached the decorum of the council chambers and confirmed his narcissistic “look at me” obsession when he brought out a guitar and forced his family to join him in a butchered version the Billy Joel standard “We didn’t start the fire.”

Weird.

Seriously.  It was weird.

Don’t take my word for it, go watch it on YouTube – just know that it’s a minute-and-a-half of your life you’ll never get back.

If there is a positive – Josh Wagner, the poster boy for term limits and perhaps the most openly crooked politician to ever grace the local stage – is out-of-office.  I hope he enjoys his new beachfront home as much as I enjoy the fact he no longer directs public funds.

Unfortunately, two bright spots in county government – Sheriff Ben Johnson and Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath – are also departing after many years of exemplary service to the citizens of Volusia County.  I’m truly sorry that the public send-off for these good and faithful public servants was lumped in with the likes of Josh Wagner and that cartoon character, Jason Davis.

It didn’t seem right to me.

I hope that their families and respective organizations hold more intimate retirement commemorations for Sheriff Johnson and Mr. Gilreath.  Their service deserves better.

After Wagner’s over-the-top, maggot-gagging hoopla was complete, the sitting members of the council “evaluated” the respective performance of County Manager Jim Dinneen and County Attorney Dan Eckert.

In their last sloppy “Fuck you” to the good citizens of Volusia County – perhaps the most dysfunctional and ineffective county council ever to convene – voted to give Dinneen and Eckert 3% pay raises.

Obscene.

This brings ‘Mean Little’ Jimmy Dinneen’s total compensation package to approximately $375,000 annually.

You read that right.  $375,000.00.

I encourage everyone to play a little game.  Go on-line and research where Dinneen’s base salary – $241,793 – compares with other public administrators around the nation.

It’s fun.  Go on, give it a try.

Start with the Vice President of the United States ($230,700) and end with the Mayor of New York City ($225,000).

Don’t forget, the national average for a government chief executive is about $190,000.

The very first blog post I brought to this forum appeared January 1, 2016.  It was entitled, “Really?”

In that first crude attempt to bring you my jaundiced opinion on the issues and newsmakers of the day, I wrote in disgust how the Volusia County council ignored reality and gifted Dinneen and Eckert with pay raises.

Now, just one-year later, here we are back at square one.

Really?

In what has become a mere formality, prior to gobbling up his $7,000.00 compounding treat like a trained seal catching a sardine, Mr. Dinneen rattled off a laundry list of rehashed “accomplishments” (interestingly, these were the same dubious ‘achievements’ that every other government or taxpayer funded organization in the county has taken credit for this year).

During the Dinneen/Eckert love-fest, Delusional Deb Deny’s cooed, “We are good hands legally, we are in good hands with management and we are in good shape financially.”

 With the exception, you can’t fund infrastructure repairs and replacement without a tax increase.

With the exception, you can’t find a compassionate solution to the homeless problem.

With the exception, you have a toxic relationship with literally every municipality in the county.

With the exception, you continue to throw massive amounts of public funds at private interests with no expectation of a return on investment.

With the exception, you – oh, the hell with it.  You get the gist.

I guess Deb doesn’t frequent the same parts of Volusia County that I do. . .

After ensuring a very Merry Christmas for Mr. Dinneen, the council turned their generous affection toward County Attorney Dan Eckert, who spent most of the past year suing his own constituents.

Yep.  Dan got 3% – bringing his annual salary to $211,951.00.

Rather than caution Mr. Eckert to stop abusing his authority, drop the extended lawsuits and appeals against grassroots community organizations, or quit serving as a high-paid thug every time the county council feels the need to punish a dissenting voice – our own Pat “Sleepy Time” Patterson took his one opportunity for an honest performance evaluation to suggest Mr. Eckert wear blue jeans on ‘Casual Friday.’

I used to laugh when our elected leadership said shit like that – but I don’t anymore.

In perhaps the best analogy of the day, our goofy comic strip caricature, Jason Davis, showed those assembled in the council chambers his own farewell video:  Fittingly, it was a horse’s ass riding off into the sunset.

And I’m not talking about his mount.

Good riddance – and thanks for nothing.

Stupidity deserves no sympathy.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Marquis de Sade—

Misuse of Public Position

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

Conflicting Employment or Contractual Relationship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And the Commission on Ethics damn well knows that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prosecutors were shocked.

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

He was sentenced to life in prison.

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

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

He retired from the bench in 2003.

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

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

No potential for conflict there, I guess. . .

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

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

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

Really?

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

Long-term business relationship?  I’ll bet.

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

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

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

Yes, I’m sure I remember that.

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

How clean.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bullshit.

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

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

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

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

Not one.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So close, yet so far.

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

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

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

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

Hum. . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

No, dipshit.  The people who work there do.

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

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

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

He’s right.

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

 

  

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

And that was a good thing.

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

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

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

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

It lets them know someone is watching.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And she’s a nice person, too.

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

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

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

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

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

Powerful stuff.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

I had to laugh.

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

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

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

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

Finally! A compassionate resolution to the homeless problem?

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

No.

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

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

Frankly, I couldn’t if I tried.

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

No.  I don’t think so.

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

Why?  Because he can’t be trusted.

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

He’s the poster boy for mediocrity.

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

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

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

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

But I haven’t.

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

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

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

He will not be missed.

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

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

It is what it is.

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

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

Who are these people?

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

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

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

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

And absolutely nothing is going to change.

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

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

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

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

The thieves who prey on us?

Or ours, for tolerating it?

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

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

That doesn’t happen by accident.

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

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

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

Why shouldn’t they?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That claim was later proven to be utter bullshit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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