Island Issues

Should Fernandina Residents Sue City Hall For Deception?

Should Fernandina Residents Sue City Hall For Deception?

Maybe residents of Fernandina Beach should follow the lead of the folks that filed a class-action lawsuit against Inventure Foods, Inc.?

The Inventure suit claims the company is deceiving consumers because it sells  “onion ring snacks” that don’t contain any onions, only trace amounts of onion powder.

A typical day at Fernandina Beach City Hall.

Why don’t Fernandina Beach residents file a similar suit, proclaiming that the people currently occupying city hall are deceiving them by governing without any intelligence, only trace amounts of mental acumen. Onion powder would be a step up.

The most recent example of the city’s diminutive analytical capability was displayed recently at a City Commission session by City Attorney Tammi Bach who, when defending excessive city fees, stated that the staff works really hard, and they have no excess money in their coffers so they must be charging the correct amount (or really should be charging more). Think about that for a minute.

Local Common Sense founder Jack Knocke alerted his group to this verbal babble in an email declaring: “How is that for estimating actual staff cost? ‘I work really hard, and I don’t have any money left so the fees must be close to correct'”.

I’m not making this stuff up. Mr. Knocke alerted folks to it in the video link to the City Commission meeting:  https://fernandinabeachfl.new.swagit.com/videos/139917 . See the time frame 1 hour 22 minute mark in the video where Commissioner David Sturges brought up planning fees.

As a reminder here are a few other examples of how officials with the collective intellectual skills of a yam govern at city hall and why the city is such a mess:

It’s been obvious for years that the city’s Building Department’s practices are in violation of the Florida building code and that city government charges permit fees well in excess of reasonable administrative costs and more than double, in many cases, of those in the county.

Even the traditionally dormant and impotent local Chamber of Commerce was aroused from its years-long slumber to protest this travesty. Under pressure, the city Building Department head quit. “OK”, you’re thinking, “then everything turned out fine.” NO, Of COURSE it didn’t turn out fine.  The city continues to charge fees far exceeding those across the street in Nassau County without explanation. Nothing changed. Fernandina residents are still prohibited from going across the street to shop in the cheaper county store. Go to a City Commission meeting and ask why. Their explanation will make your eyes cross.

Fernandina Beach Human Resources hiring priorities.

Why is the city such a wreck? Let’s start with Mayor Mike Lednovich, a dunderhead Marxist with all the charm of a canker sore, who relocated here from California and has publicly declared he would like to see a cap on how much money people earn and wants to boot the iconic statue of David Yulee off his downtown perch. He lavished praise on the now-departed building department head in a letter to the editor of the News Leader, implying that charging residents excessive fees was just fine with him and he thought the former building head was doing a Cracker Jack job. His stand on the noise ordinance is side-splittingly hilarious unless you’re a musician or own a musical venue.

Marxist Mike’s a guy who loves handing out his business card that proclaims “Mayor” on it since it tops the one he previously used that said “consultant”, another term for unemployed. He also gladly accepts the health care benefits the tax payers cough up for him in this part-time job while other part-time city employees aren’t so fortunate.

I once again spotted Mayor Marxist Mike downtown the other day and even before I could speak he spouted: “Goodbye Dave!” indicating he wasn’t receptive to talking to me. He declared he was out enjoying an evening with his wife in an attempt to deflect any questions that I had no intention of asking. He then proudly handed me his “Mayor” business card.

Then there’s the blowhard bully, Commissioner Chip Ross, whose arrogant tactics, lack of compassion, and pompous attitude are permeating almost every aspect of city government and negatively impacting a wide swath of locals.

Fernandina Beach Commissioner Chip Ross’s legacy.

Before arriving here Ross filed an avalanche of lawsuits in his Maryland residence that made newspaper headlines and local businesses there say cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend. Once he landed here he didn’t slow down. He’s sued the city he represents, a local couple with a special needs son, and is currently harassing the Port with a suit. He has yet to explain why he, and not the city, is suing one of the community’s key economic engines. Is he suing on behalf of the city? Does the city condone his suit?  Do they condemn it? What’s it all about?

Chris Ragucci, CEO of Worldwide Terminals that runs the port, doesn’t pull any punches. He bluntly used this forum the past couple of weeks to outline in detail his thoughts about Ross, the city, the port’s governing commission, the mayor, and the port’s economic benefit to the community. He didn’t hold back. The folks at the city have yet to respond to Mr. Ragucci.

The free-spending City Manager Dale Martin’s bungling with the marina, the golf course, taxes, conservation issues, noise ordinances, eminent domain, and more are legendary.

Common Sense and the Chamber are having trouble keeping up with the chaos in city government. These civil servants would promote artificial hemorrhoids if they thought they could raise money for a new city hall, more vehicles, another park, or any other boondoggle at tax payer expense.

Meanwhile residents, homeowners, builders, contractors, architects, businesses, and more continue to be fleeced by what is clearly an abuse of the city officials authority, stupidity, and illegal price gouging.

As Mr. Knocke said in his note to the City Commission and City Manager when questioning the city’s fee structure and Ms. Bach’s comment: “It looks like this was just political theater.  Why is the City Attorney making the case? Where is the Comptroller or City Manager? No real analysis. No real action to reduce fees. Commissioners, please set expectations, ask questions, challenge things that do not look right. Ask local experts to weigh in before you rubber stamp another bad policy.”

Reason, common sense and intellectual thought are all strangers at city hall.

Where the hell are the City Commissioners other than Bully Blowhard Ross and Marxist Mike? Why don’t we ever hear from them?

***

Liars, Lies & More Liars Lying: To read my latest national column on Biz Pac Review click on the following link https://www.bizpacreview.com/2021/09/28/dave-scott-lying-an-essential-tool-for-biden-dems-1141261/

***

Kudos To South Carolina Voters: They elect no-nonsense officials to govern their state including outspoken conservative Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott and five Republican House members including Joe Wilson and Nancy Mace. The only blight on the state’s record is lefty Democrat Congressman Jim Clyburn, whose support in the Democrat primaries probably put Dopey Joe in the White House.

The Palmetto State’s governor, Republican Henry McMaster, is a vocal conservative who calls ‘em as he sees ‘em.  During Joe Biden’s announced mandated vaccinations Thursday, September 9, some of the fiercest pushback came from the feisty governor.

“The American Dream has turned into a nightmare under President Biden and the radical Democrats,” he tweeted. “They have declared war against capitalism, thumbed their noses at the Constitution, and empowered our enemies abroad.”

“Rest assured, we will fight them to the gates of hell to protect the liberty and livelihood of every South Carolinian,” the governor added.

What’s not to like about this guy?

***

With Friends Like This You Don’t Need…. Remember when Joe Biden went to Europe to remind America s allies there that America is back, and they had a friend in the White House? Well, that hasn’t turned out very well for them has it?

France, America’s oldest ally, recalled its ambassador for the first time in history, a move that in most cases preludes a declaration of war. Since it’s France that probably won’t happen. But they wanted to make a point of how unhappy they are with dopey ‘ole Joe for yanking an Australian submarine deal out from under them without advance warning.

Some friend Biden turned out to be adding another international embarrassment to his growing list of screw ups.

***

Woke Justice:  Enrique Tarrio (37) was sentenced Monday, August 23, to five months in jail for burning a Black Lives Matter flag last December that belonged to a black church in Washington, D.C. while Sirhan, a Muslim who assassinated Senator Robert Kennedy in 1968 was recommended for parole August 27.  Sirhan’s fate is now in the hands of far-left California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom.

On Monday, August 24, Capitol Police officially cleared Michael Byrd, the black officer who shot and killed unarmed Ashlie Babbitt, of any wrongdoing. The department concluded that shooting 5’2″ military veteran Babbitt, 35, who was trying to climb through the broken window of a door that leads into an anteroom near the House chamber, was justified because the officer acted within protocols and policy, thereby avoiding any disciplinary proceedings or criminal charges. Apparently black police officers can shoot and kill unarmed white people without any repercussions.

Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter and Antifa members, who looted and burned private and public buildings, and assaulted bystanders and police officers in Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle, New York, etc., served no time and weren’t fined. They received bail money raised by then future U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and moved on to their next targeted city.

Democrats overall are always trying to portray various groups — blacks, Latinos, Asians, homosexuals, transgenders, women — as victims of the white majority. By pushing fallacies like white supremacy being a danger to America, they’re actually creating the very racism they’re pretending to be trying to eradicate.

As Alice said on her journey through Wonderland: “It would be so nice if something made sense for a change.”

***

Wait! What? The warden at a Wisconsin jail is demanding that the staff stop describing the incarcerated as “inmates” and, instead, to refer to them as “residents” or – brace yourself – “those who are in our care.” As west coast pundit Burt Prelutsky says: “I fully expect a name change is in the offing for the prison itself, along the lines of “The Blue Bird Nursery School” or “The Nursing Home for the Terminally Misunderstood.”

***

Another Reason To Avoid Washington State: School administrators told students at Eastlake High in Sammamish, Washington, that they could not wear red, white, and blue, to a sporting event on 9/11. They were told that while the school acknowledged “the sacrifice and values that the flag represents,” their spokeswoman added: “But I think the school just did not want to unintentionally cause offense to some who see it differently.”

Please identify those who see it differently you stupid schmucks so the kids can avoid them, and the appropriate authorities can put them on the terrorist watch list.

***

Going Low With Joe: Thanks to Joe Biden’s bungled, shambolic surrender in Afghanistan the prestige of the U.S is now at its lowest level since Iran’s humiliation of a weak, indecisive, and ineffective Jimmy Carter in 1979.

The failed chaotic evacuation of Americans, allies, and Afghan translators, etc. resulted in tens of thousands of unvetted Afghans now residing in America, and hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of those that worked for the U.S. left stranded and now being hunted by Taliban, Al Qaeda, and ISIS terrorists.

In the end what Biden managed to secure was a situation that leaves Americans less safe in America; less respected abroad and stained with dishonor for his broken promises; the deaths of innocent children; shaken allies and an American president who looks impotent and foolish on the world stage.

Biden abandoned his responsibility as U.S. Commander in Chief, the Afghans he promised to protect, Americans left behind, our allies and the U.S. military. It’ll take decades to  recover from this shameful debacle that took place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.

Eight months into the Biden reign we’ve surrendered a country to terrorists, imported more than two million illegals for the taxpayers to support, increased inflation at a rate unparalleled in years, armed our enemies, left our citizens to be held hostage by terrorists, killed at least ten innocent men, women, and children, managed to get Americans snarling at each other, and lied to Americans every time Biden, Harris, Psaki, or other minions open their mouths.

 ***

Asleep At The Woke Wheel: I’ve never understood why any company would risk alienating a massive number of its potential and current customers by getting embroiled in a controversial political issue. Isn’t a commercial company’s major objective to generate profits by offering products and services and a welcoming, friendly impression and not to offend anyone willing to fork over cash for their stuff?

For example, what was going through the heads of those mindless twits that run Subway when they decided it would be a good idea to hire the national anthem kneeling nitwit soccer player Megan Rapinoe as the face of their sandwich company in TV ads? Even their franchisees were dumbfounded. Consumers have told them they can take their sandwiches and stuff them they aren’t buying the company’s baloney.

The two clueless CEOs of Atlanta-based Coca Cola and Delta Airlines were outspoken in their support by Major League Baseball’s idiot Commissioner to yank the All-Star game out of Atlanta and move it to Denver because of Georgia’s new voting law which makes it harder to  cheat.

Their boneheaded actions now make it harder for their sales people to peddle their goods to a weary public. It also cost the Atlanta business community, which includes hundreds of black-owned companies, some $100 million.

The tables may be turning on these bungling bozos who apparently got their MBAs in a Cracker Jacks box.

Consumers Research, an educational nonprofit, launched a national ad campaign highlighting the hypocrisy of Coke, Nike and others that are sucking up to the woke crowd. Television ads won’t bring their stupidity to a screeching halt, but it may prompt consumers to think twice before purchasing their products and prompt shareholders to speak up. They’ll learn that conservative consumers aren’t woke but wide awake.

At a recent neighborhood gathering a couple of my neighbors without prompting announced that they no longer allow Coke products in their homes, and I suspect there are many more nationwide that are acquiring a taste for Pepsi and avoiding the woke skies of Delta like the plague. Pun intended.

***

Hey, OPEC, “Fill ‘er Up!” Joe Biden has asked that the OPEC nations pump more oil in order to lower the price of the stuff at the same time that he has done everything in his power to destroy America’s energy industries. After decades of pandering to the Arabs, Trump made America energy independent. With a stroke of his pen, Biden put us back on our knees begging our Arab enemies to do us a favor.

In the sacred name of climate change, Biden has even threatened to jail oil executives.

Right after Biden shut down our own Keystone XL oil pipeline he greenlighted the completion of Putin’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany.

It’s almost like somebody over there has the negatives or Hunter’s laptop.

***

Table For Two, No Covid Please: Someone sent me the following vaccination card scenario that I found intriguing:

A couple walk into a restaurant. The maître d’ greets them and asks to see their vaccination cards.

After showing him their vaccination passports, the man asks who their server will be.

“I believe Brad will be serving you this evening.”

“Great. I’d like to see Brad’s vaccination card. Also, could you provide proof that Brad is not a carrier of HIV, Hepatitis A or B, Herpes, or any other communicable disease?”

“Well, uh, I….”

“Also my wife and I would not wish to be waited on by someone who is on or uses recreational drugs. Now if you could provide us with Brad’s most recent tox screen, that would be great.  We’ll be at the bar.”

27 Comments

Coleman Langshaw - 03. Oct, 2021 -

Once again, David Yulee was a Traitor to the UNITED States. We can put his statue next to the one of Benedict Arnold…oh wait, we don’t have statutes of traitors…or do we???

And Chris Ragucci, CEO of Worldwide Terminals, is just a mascot of the self-serving Port Authority Commissioners (sans Miriam Hill, of course). His words are Tinkers Damn for our City and his blatant disregard and disrespect of the requirements of such things like the Sunshine Law prove his true identity. Commissioner Ross is one of the few who is doing anything for our benefit regarding the next of snakes spitting on the City and lining their own pockets.

Dave, you need to get on the Port Authority’s or Worldwide’s payroll as their lead PR man…or is that already a fait accompli?

Oscar M - 03. Oct, 2021 -

Your views are disappointing (especailly about Ross and Hill).

Dave, I am a minority and relatively new to the area and have become a semi-regular reader of your “blog”. Your “blog” is too conservative and right-leaning for me so I will be careful not to be drawn into any political discourse and stick strictly to the facts.

First, I am stunned how Chip Ross holds any elected office in the 21st century. I confirmed what you stated: before arriving here, Ross did indeed file an avalanche of lawsuits in Maryland that made newspaper headlines and local businesses did say it cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend. Those are just facts.

Similarly, once he came here, you again correctly point out that he sued the city he represents, a local couple with a special needs son (despicable), and is currently harassing the Port with a lawsuit, continuous public records requests, and constant negative articles in the News Leader. The News Leader cannot, or will not, be objective and just report the truth since I understand he has unrestricted access to this publication. They essentially allow him to write any story he wants!

I would note that since my time here, I have never seen a single critical story about him in that publication. The consistently ignore the fact that Ross was arrested in Maryland for disorderly conduct, trespassing, disturbing the peace and intoxicated endangerment. In case folks have forgotten, the details are as follows:

“Dr. Ross began made verbal threats and would have assaulted the bar owner if he had not jumped away from Dr. Ross on two different times…He told him to ‘get f—ed’ and he was going to get “him”….Dr. Ross became outraged and started yelling very loudly, ‘you’re throwing me out because I’m gay’….Throughout the time Dr. Ross was escorted off site he continually used foul language, calling the bar owner a mother f—er, c—k sucker, and he would get him, and he was f—ing with the wrong person. Dr. Ross asked the manager if his girlfriend had AIDS, and said the bar owner’s wife probably does, etc., and called him a racist bigot.”

If Fernandina wants to be a beacon of inclusion and equality, how can we allow our politicians like Ross get away with such blatant racist and homophobic behavior? We are worried about a statue when we should be instead rooting out racist people in Fernandina?

As you stated in your “blog” he is suing the Port, which, as you say, is one of the community’s key economic engines. What’s the reason for this, or is this simply another Tiki Bar incident like the one Maryland? During my research I found out he uses this woman, Miriam Hill, as one of his disciples to attack the Port too. She sits on the OHPA Board and is actively working to keep idling trucks on City streets instead of in the Port which is baffling. Seems to be obstruction just because Ross wants it to be so.

Equally important, Hill was involved in the Jacksonville Electric Authority scandal where individuals from the JEA tried to scam the taxpayers of Jacksonville out of millions of dollars. Based on this alone, she should not be trusted or allowed to sit on any public board or hold any elected office.

These are the type of people that get elected down here? How? This is disgraceful. Fernandina deserves better than these two corrupt individuals.

Oscar M

Bill W - 03. Oct, 2021 -

Classic white racist supporting a racist homophobic commissioner but clears his conscience by advocating to take down a statue

Phil Murphy - 03. Oct, 2021 -

Wait I’m confused… is this communist China???

What is your concern with what a private company makes or doesn’t?

Also I looked these “financials”… they’re lining their pockets with 7mm in losses???

What a fxxxxxg government owned clown

Samuel - 03. Oct, 2021 -

And where is the $5mm in federal government grants that was allocated to Fernandina ? Did Ross or Marxist Mike steal this already ? They are both racists.

Bill W - 03. Oct, 2021 -

Lol not unsurprising for a guy who cant even finish UMass Amherst and puts on his profile he’s got 90 credits and no degree in Comm and Visual Arts from University of North Florida hahaha

Phil Murphy - 03. Oct, 2021 -

Wait this guy didn’t even graduate college!?!? What do you even do with a Visual Arts degree??

Whats a fait accompli? Is that Spanish? Italian?

No wonder Chip is able to pull the wool over his eyes and defraud him and the other citizens of Fernandina out of 5mm in COVID relief monies.

Or maybe since he works at the Marina makes him an accomplice in the defrauding as I’m sure some of the money is going towards that

Chris Ragucci - 04. Oct, 2021 -

The comments of this aging marina profiteer are so uninformed as to be laughable. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am no ones mascot, certainaly not OHPA’s, nor does OHPA think of me as such – far from it. Also, how dare he question my love for the City of Fernandina, after I moved here with my family and made my permanent residence approx. 10 minutes from the Port.
What’s really outrageous, however is Mr. Langshaw’s hypocrisy. When I learned that the inept City of FB gov’t was about to spend over $100,000 in unneccessary logistics costs by shipping the large concrete floating dock sections to be used to rebuild our marina up from JaxPort by ocean-going barge, I called City Manager Dale Martin and urged him to instruct the contractor to deliver them by truck to the Port, from where they could be floated over to the marina directly in the water, without the need to use a barge. Further in my conversation with Mr. Martin, I indicated that we would use the Port’s cranes to lift the sections (15,000 to 20,000 lbs a piece, off the trucks onto the dock, and then when convenient for the contractor, we would lift them again into the water. I told Mr. Martin that we would be do this work at cost to benefit the City and its tax-payers, but that he needed to insure that the City, and not the contractor received the savings.
Next, out of the woodwork comes Coleman Langshaw, at the time unkown to me, seeking to get in on the action. He claimed that he was one of the long-time City fathers in Fernandina and that I needed to take care of him. It turned out that he had managed to wrangle a small portion of the contract to deliver the concrete floating docks from the main contractor, who won it via competitive bidding, and he wanted the same treatment. Of course we complied with his request. In retrospect, my guess is that he weaseled his way into the action through some corrupt bargain with the corrupt Commissioner Ross.
The morale of the story – no good deed goes unpunished. I must confess that one of the most disappointing things about my new hometown City that I love, besides the fact that TRUTH does not matter in the public discouse around here, is that in Fernandina, NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.

Samuel - 04. Oct, 2021 -

That is just typical of the corrupt rich white rcists in Fernandina. Langshaw is a fraud, working in concert with the racist Ross and Hill. Disgusting hypocracy.

Oscar M - 06. Oct, 2021 -

Despite being new to the area, I believe Florida has some very stringent Publlic Records disclosure laws that can illuminate any transgressions from the thoroughly corrupt City Commissioner Ross, Miriam Hill and now this “long-time City Father” of Fernandina. It is appropriate to expose all the corruption and racism (which there is) prevelent in this area.

It is disappointing that this can occur in such a pristine area, but not surprising. I am also shocked that the only company that employs minorities is the port. That to me is the very definition of racism and we must remove all public officials who have allowed this to happen. We can start with Ross.

Harvey Slentz - 02. Oct, 2021 -

A friend observed that Vice President Kamala Harris does not take seriously her assigned job of fixing the Southern Border Debacle.

My friend also says Harris doesn’t have any significant responsibilities other than standing behind and to the right of the president.

“Let’s see”, says my friend, “…only one real responsibility, and she doesn’t do that. Her other role is to stand slightly behind and to the side of President Biden, and to look professional and nice but not say much … I’ve got it! She is his TROPHY Vice President!”

But is it a First Place Trophy?

Citizens for Change - 02. Oct, 2021 -

There is no leadership amongst our current crop of Commissioners. Three of
them take significant compensation at taxpayer expense and fail to do their job.

Mr. Lednovich has repeatedly demonstrated his lack of leadership, preferring to pontificate, badger and bully, instead. The honorific “Mayor” is more important than doing the people’s work-$15,000 a year for health insurance?

Mr. Kreger talks on and on, offering no real solutions-never a simple declarative statement.

Mr. Bean, whose bark has no bite, seems guided by “how the wind is blowing”, leaving us wondering what his principles really are. His every vote is a political calculation-do we need that?

Mr. Sturges rarely contributes to the discussion, and when he does warbles and apologizes, again offering confusion, not leadership-promised he would keep taxes low but raised them instead.

Dr. Ross loves to create chaos and believes in high taxes for all. His day in the sun will also pass, giving citizens another chance to get it right.

Now Ms. Minshew, who says she will spend a year to “listen and learn”, wants to take a second shot. Her past unsuccessful campaign was long on philosophy, short on action. Leaders lead.

The election in November, 2022, is the time to replace Mr. Lednovich and Mr. Kreger with real leaders. Are they out there somewhere-we badly need them.

Calvin Wiley - 03. Oct, 2021 -

A Californian running the City’s finances into the ground???

What do these voters expect???

There’s an expression “Don’t California my Texas”. Unfortunately Fernandina has allowed Baltimore and Californian tax and spend Democrats into the halls of power and we’ve seen the results.

Even a free 5mm from the Federal Government and they want to raise taxes!??! WHEN DOES IT END???

Oscar M - 03. Oct, 2021 -

I am very intrigued by all these comments.

Ross (who is a racist), Lednovich, Hill, are all apparently part of the same crowd of corrupt politicians who live off the backs of hard-working MINORITY workers. They all (especially Ross and Hill) they disparage and exploit minorities for their own political agenda. I had hoped Fernandina was above all of this, but I was unfortunately mistaken.

CoCoNUT haRRy - 02. Oct, 2021 -

I’ve switched to consciously buying Pepsi products instead of Coke – it may not make any difference to the big woke Coke, but it matters to me.

Bob - 01. Oct, 2021 -

Wait. The City Commissioners get benefits such as health care?

Calvin Wiley - 03. Oct, 2021 -

They have to since they’ve never had real jobs!!!

Also why do they even get paid? What happened to the concept of “COMMUNITY SERVICE”

Samuel - 04. Oct, 2021 -

Racists like Ross and Hill just suck the blood from the working people, especially minorities and people of color. Ross and Hill and their inept racist followers talk of “inclusion” while behind the curtain they do everything they can to steal from us.

How many minorities are in government? Or are on any of these ridiculous elected racist boards” None. But criminals like Ross and Hill are. How much money did Hill steal from the taxpayers at JEA? How much time did Ross spend in jail in Maryland for his racist rant when (WHILE DRUNK) screaming at that the owners wife at some Tiki Bar he wanted closed that she”had AIDS”?

And why did he want it closed? No reason, except he bought a house too close to the bar. The same EXACT reason he hates the Port. AND WHERE IS THE $5mm grant from the federal government? Ross probably stole it. With the help of Hill and the marxist mayor.

Ross and Hill and racist scum.

Neil Borum - 01. Oct, 2021 -

2022 can’t get here fast enough to turn the Democrats out of the House.
On the local level….the “mayor” needs to go back to being a “consultant”
…like in California.

And Hey Dave have you seen the cute little “Lighthouse” in the Golf Course parking lot? Still a head-scratcher just what it is supposed to do.

Robert P Allison - 01. Oct, 2021 -

You keep getting better Dave – another great post – keep up the good work and truthful journalism!
A quality that sadly is in short supply these days,
See you at the bar:)

Marlene Chapman - 01. Oct, 2021 -

Dave, you ask so much from our city “leaders”! You expect truth, honesty and transparency. Do you really think that will ever happen when there’s no way to get accountability? Sad but true!

Bill Shaffer - 01. Oct, 2021 -

“Collective intellectual skills of a yam…”

Best line of the year.

So far.

Give us more, Mister Dave.

R.Troxel - 01. Oct, 2021 -

okay RGreat read as usual Dave.However your
inclusion of Sen.Lindsey
Graham as a staunch
conservative is an stretch.
A fact not many are aware
of is he has voted FOR many
Biden nominees to govt.agencies no matter how
radical they are.His reasoning,
he wants to be relevant?
Not sure what that means?

Janice K - 02. Oct, 2021 -

Agreed! Lindsay Grahamnasty blows with the political winds. I thought he was truly on board with conservatives during the Trump presidency, but he proved me wrong again. ?

Patrick J. Keogh - 01. Oct, 2021 -

Dave:

Shakedown City has been forever thus. In this Wednesday’s News Leader Joe Gerrity, former city manager and mayor, commended John “Pay to Play” Mandrik for his service to the city. Pay to Play is the guy who in two trials over three years was found to have charged illegal impact fees to local utility customers resulting in court-ordered refunds of $3.5M to citizens who were shook down. That didn’t matter to “Good Deal” Joe Gerrity who agreed to pay the public utility $30M for a water utility that the FL Public Service Commission had valued at $18M. Why would Good Deal Joe do something that stupid? So Shakedown City could annex county residents wanting access to the public water and sewer system. The current city managers are simply following in a long, lustrous and predatory tradition of civic shakedowns.

Vince Cavallo - 01. Oct, 2021 -

Pat, don’t overlook those county customers of FPU at the time of the purchase who immediately saw a 25% surcharge on their water bills. That continues to this day. Shades of the movies of the old west where the ranchers damned up the water supply to drive out the farmers. In this case it was a move to force them to ask to be annexed into the city. Developers since that date have been forced to annex to the city because if they do not, they will not be allowed access to the City utility. Almost rises to extortion.

One other aspect of this purchase often overlooked is FPU as a public company paid taxes on its income and because it was a public concern its rates were set by the state PUC. As a municipally owned utility, there is no oversight on rates. Since it has net income, the income IMO is like an unseen tax.

Gina Calogero - 01. Oct, 2021 -

As usual right on point Keep telling it like it is.