June 29th, 2009
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1. AYATOOLAH SALLY
The Ayatollah reappointed Steve Dennis to his fifth term on the Community Development Board. The LINK is all of the applications. Ayatollah Sally stated that she did not even want to hear any of them other than Steve Dennis and refused to recognize one of the candidates who wished to speak in her own behalf. Maybe the Mayor will get his vote, but we bet there are a fair number of people who will vote against her because of her uncalled for imperial attitude and total disrespectful attitude to the other applicants.
2. TAKE THE GARBAGE PLANT
TO THE GARBAGE
There are two huge garbage dumps within fifteen miles of New Smyrna Beach, one west and one north. Would someone from the Utilities Commission tell the taxpayers why this turkey garbage facility they are discussing, which seems to have no merit, if built should not be built at a garbage dump and the electricity transmitted to the city?
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(Edited for grammar and punctuation)
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6/21/2009, 10:09 am
Defrag
Hometown news has reported yet another plan to save the NSB Muni golf corse. The new plan seems to be the old plan that was scrapped as LOOSER. Touted by Ms Lindley as the saving grace that will put the course back into the black. The problem with her endorsement is that she, along with the rest of the usual duffer board suspects, have grown the Muni into deeper caverns of debt than ever before. Too few golfers and too many expenditures are still the problem. Remember the petition to keep John Yancey as the $85,000 a year man? Remember the $3.5 million investment? Remember the new restrooms, fence, sign and all the other improvements to put the course back in the black? How can anyone, especially the media, think the Golf Board has any answer to take the Muni off the taxpayers backs? Our golf friendly commissioners still have not taken the obvious path to privatize the Muni. Tax payers will never recover the general fund money because there is a never ending source of bleeding tax payers to support this folly. When will the carnage stop? Your vote this fall for anyone but an incumbent may be the answer. Call Salley, Jack and Jim to task to rid the raiders of our hard earned tax money. The commission will not learn, the voters have to teach them.
6/21/2009, 10:45 am
C Capt
Shadow home page letter by K Cooley represents the best support that can be written without any fact and supple judgement colored by being married to a Saint. Just because Cooley is honest does not mean he has leadership qualities. Nor does revenge seem to be an issue. The decisions made by Cooley is his record. His decisions appear to be no different than the former director. Under his leadership has the MDC come close to supporting itself? When questioned about the $84,000 paid from the general fund at a commission meeting did Cooley provide an accounting of all funds? How has his kayak program made money or is it a way for cheap rides on the river for a few? According to one city official the kayaks belong to Park and Rec and are managed by the MDC. The real question is whom is benefitting from tax money, grant or otherwise. Given to the MDC. Kathy, quite frankly, your letter is similar to the rants on this web site. Lacking merit, substance or any factual attributes. The MDC hand out policy continues today. Where did the MDC get the manpower to build oyster nets this week? Looks like Stimulus Money. I question if the manpower has been directed by the acting city manager? What is the Obama stimulus money doing for the city through the MDC? Perhaps it would be better to elect a non-cosmos next time. One could make a case for the city, county and state elected officials to consort to place city offices in the old high school and give the MDC yet another hand out. The voter can make this all go away. As for my own message to Kathy, I have no feeling toward your husband pro or con. I am sure in these hard times there are better things to spend hard earned money on than oyster nets, Tiki huts, kayak sheds. If tax payers want to continue to support the MDC let them do so by private contributions, in no way connected to the city general funds. I suspect this will never happen as it is easier to stick the MDC hand into the NSB General Fund.
6/23/2009, 11:22 am
Mackay's promises = failures
1.) Uphold the vision of the comp plan - specifically open government and sound financial management. FAILED. Routinely the Mayor fails to answer questions, flat out ignores citizen requests for information, and does so blatantly. Furthermore, her unyielding support for the unions and lack of hesitation for firing the city professionals demonstrates her failure in her first promise, as outlined by her website.
2.) Cautious, sustainable growth - FAILED. Sally supported both the monstrosity next to the railroad and the Hampton Inn on Flagler Avenue. She is ignoring her second campaign promise.
3.) Maintain New Smyrna Beach character - FAILED. Mayor Mackay is doing everything in her power to destroy what is good about NSB. The most glaring example is again, the Hampton Inn on Flagler.
4.) Advocate for Neighborhoods - FAILED. Mayor Mackay ignores any and all neighborhood voices. She makes decisions as if she were the Prime Minister of NSB.
5.) Promote and Support Business - FAILED. The Marine Discovery Center is the only business Mayor Mackay is supporting.
6.) Open Government - FAILED. FAILED. FAILED. Mayor Mackay seems to think she has executive privilege. She does not.
7.) Fiscal Responsibility - FAILED. She spends money like a drunken sailor. Giving away the farm for nothing in return.
0 for 7 Sally,
why should we return you to office?
NOTES
1.BABE JAMES CENTER
CLOSED ON WEEKENDS
The Babe James Center LINK was built primarily with Federal money for the purpose of a teen center. So Parks and Recreation keeps it closed on weekends. Now that is good thinking. Why not close the skate board facility on weekends to be consistent? No reason in the world to keep one open and the other closed. So keep both closed. Or better yet, close both all the time to save the City money and fire a couple of Parks and Recreation Department employees.
2. THE SECRET FIRE
DEPARTMENT NEGOTIATIONS
We told you last week that the County Fire Department, operating possibly on its own, was in cahoots with the Cities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater and Port Orange. These fire departments do not want real consolidation but are interested in an arrangement which keeps the current control of fire departments in their own hands. Small towns pay big wages to bloated fire departments which are all top heavy with redundant management. The plan they did in secret would have perpetuated this model.
Moreover, we are convinced that the County did not mind this plan being shot down by irate citizens who were kept in the dark. The County Council, after it voted to reject the secret “plan”, then voted to go ahead and reduce fire department staff and try to streamline operations. The Shadow urges the County to be even more aggressive, including possibly closing stations but only after serious and public studies of workloads, insurance, and risk. The issues are not just superficial workload numbers and getting rid of personnel to lower costs. For example, Silver Sands and Bethune Beach pay the highest fire district costs we believe, and may insist on service that is otherwise too costly for the risk associated with the almost non-existent real fire and medical calls from the Silver Sands Station. The citizens may think they are entitled to have a little used station remain open because they are paying for it. This should be an open discussion.
The Shadow devoted space and time to make the public aware of how underhanded and secretive the process was. Even if the merits of the issues favored the proposal, whatever it was, it should have been trashed as totally awful public policy and an affront to open government .
DEAR KHALID
As we have stated in the past, we realize that the City Manager is limited in the resources available to him for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help him out and provide draft letters for his review. As we have said this will free him up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions.
TO: MAYOR MACKAY
From: From: Khalid Reishdat
I smell a rat. The County let us negotiate for four months in secret over a cushy deal where we could take over a couple of County fire stations. The County personnel attended I think most of the meetings. They then released a part of the plan several days before the County Council meeting to the SHADOW which cried foul because of the secrecy. Then the County scuttled the plan because the taxpayers complained about the secrecy and the fact that the full plan was still hidden.
We figured from the beginning that we could leverage the deal into an almost half a million dollar windfall, but the County “let” the taxpayers scuttle it. I think the County Manager always intended to frustrate our effort to protect the local union and get cash on the side. I do not know where to go from here but I do know the County made our people look bad. Worse they are making the case for only needing two to a shift and people will want us to explain why we insist on three to a shift since it cannot be shown to add to public safety. Tell me what to do now.
Khalid
THE GOLF COURSE GIVEAWAY: TAX PAYER RIP OFF AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN
Nobody was here so they put on the agenda two weeks ago a proposal by the Golf Advisory Committee to offer again the worst giveaway possible of City money to golfers. It was unanimously approved. For each single member under this plan they will give away 215 additional opportunities to play golf at prime tee times for almost the same fee as currently charged for the current 150 times promotional play package. Not that that program in place this year is not a give way, but the reinstated fee schedule for a family will again provide 730 times to play golf for $1800. That is less than three dollars for each tee time. Memberships with unlimited play and no limitations on tee times is what they voted to reinstitute. It resulted in 2008 in a $517,000 subsidy to the golf course reduced by maybe $100,000 in reduced payroll going in to 2010. Look at the 2009 budget. See LINK [golf stats from Bledsoe] for the first six months and eight month accounting statements. We see losses everywhere, but the Finance Department says it was only $63,000 for the first six months. We do not think so. It looks like fancy bookkeeping.
It had dawned on the elected worthies that the choice was either significantly reducing the deficit at the facility, on the one hand, or, on the other, satisfying the golfers who believe that they should continue to receive this great New Smyrna Beach giveaway to a handful of voters. Other than a superficial statements by the Golf Advisory Committee, there are no numbers or studies that would permit a reasonable determination as to what is needed to reduce the looming deficit. It appears that under the fee schedule now in place they are charging only $5 for each additional tee times for those who have played out their promotional purchase. The new schedule clearly provides that for $1800 a household membership permits unlimited play whereas under the old schedule you could only play 150 times for the same fee and then had to pay $5 for each additional play.
We simply do not see how this change could possibly create more revenue. Neither do we believe would any Commissioner that took 4th grade math. What seems clear is that this deal will give unlimited play for no additional revenue---the right for an individual member to play 215 (a family another 600 or so) additional times at the choicest tee times for the same price today for a membership and 150 plays on the promotional now being sold. Your money, their cheap golf. They approved it in the dark with no backup financial data. They want these subsidized golfers to vote for them and it looks like the extra price is about $1,000 to $2,000 for each. READ MORE
The three Commissioners who fired the last City Manager without cause two weeks before they were to evaluate his performance are at it again. Tonight night they plan a social meeting and then probably tomorrow night will hire the new City Manager from a list of five finalists that they have interviewed. Now each of these applicants must be aware that Commissioner Plaskett believes in space aliens and witches, that Richenberg did not graduate high school , and that the Mayor can not produce any college diploma, much less her alleged college diploma from Oxford University.
From the Shadow’s perspective, no one who was not desperate for a job, any job, would apply for this position even given the needlessly high pay they are offering. Human beings need self respect and working here for these three Commissioners will not bolster any self respect. Here all they have to do to draw a pay check is understand they are not to address any of the issues concerning pay, pensions, or benefits of the City employees. Oh, we forgot, they also can not touch any of the badly run businesses or reform any of the bloated department staff like the 23 employees at the municipal golf course. So it really does not matter who they select. It will be most likely be a loser looking for a big pay check and an understanding that real issues confronting the City will not be addressed. Eeny, meeny, miny,moe, a children’s counting song now signifying it does not matter who is picked. LINK
The Shadow believes that this whole experience brought to us by the three City Commissioners who fired the old City Manager without cause is like watching a bad grade B-minus movie with a flashing neon light outside a seedy second floor hotel room. Add to the thin plot that two of the three Commissioners who engineered this fiasco are up for reelection and that one of them railed against giving any City employee a fat salary or a golden parachute. Unless they hire one of the three who can commute, the costs for filling this position will be even higher.
Looking at the five finalists can give you heartburn, but we gave it the good old college try. It looks like all of them were either fired or forced out of a position within the last several years. Remember, if either Richenberg and/or Mackay lose their seats in the election in November, the new City Manager may have a really short tenure.
WHERE IS THE CHAMBER (Southeast Volusia County Chamber of Commerce) NOW THAT THE MAYOR IS TRYING TO BUST THE CHOPS OF THE AIRPORT TO BUY A FEW VOTES?
“Steve Dennis, executive director of the New Smyrna Beach/Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, said the airport is essential to the community. "An airport such as New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport is an incredible resource for the community. It can be a magnet for business and industry and a convenience for residents seeking commercial, charter or recreational flights. We are fortunate to have such an airport and have a City Commission that recognizes its value as a community resource and an economic development tool." [Volusia County Department of Economic Development news release a few years ago. ]
We now have a City Commission which is trying to hobble the Airport. All for a few votes of people who moved to a nuisance and then complain about it.
Where is Steve Dennis today? Trying to make “nice, nice” to the City and not talking about protecting businesses. Chamber Not For Commerce.
Candidate for Zone I
An announced candidate for the New Smyrna Beach Zone I seat on the City Commission is Judith Reiker. She is a graduate of Penn State and has a Masters Degree from Georgia State. She is a successful business woman.
What a breath of fresh air.
She would understand the huge problem of government employee pay, pensions, and benefits. Her statement in her website is a careful exposition of fiscal responsibility, which means, we assume, that she will tackle these issues. http://www.voteforjudynsb.com
TOLLEY ON A RANT
Is this the same Tolley who comes to the City Commission meetings ? What do you think Mr. Tolley wants Rodi to buy now? We believe a garbage plant that needs 80 to 100 trucks of garbage delivered each day to Venetian Bay.
New Smyrna Beach Utilities Commission Minutes:
REGULAR UC HELD 10-20-08 PAGE 11
(9) Possible Other Business – Time for Commissioners (cont.):
“Mr. Bob Tolley, 803 Fairway, addressed the Commission and stated well I think I can go directly to point because I'm not worried about the same legal issues as some of you are and possibly some of the City Commissioners are. I emphatically state that we still have a corruption problem in the City of New Smyrna Beach; corruption with a capital "C". It hasn't stopped, it's abated, but it hasn't stopped. I can tell you emphatically, and I think the evidence will bear me out, there is at least one sitting City Commissioner, as well as three members of the staff that sit up on this dais on any given night, have led a concerted effort to undermine Mr. Rodi since the day he got here, impacting this man's family, in ways that we can only imagine. They have done everything that they could to impede, slow down, derail, whatever term you want to use, this utility from carrying out its business. With special emphasis on the 800 acres west of 1-95, which when you see all the evidence and gather it, is what this is all about. This goes back to the previous administration here, the Turano days, the Vaden days, just keep connecting the dots, you'll see where it all goes. Am I standing up here worried about what I'm saying to any of you, no way. I refer to them as the four "J's" that are involved with this, and when you think about who the four "J's" are, you'll get it. And they're there, there is a big push from those, not sitting at this dais, to impose their will on people that do sit at that dais, to do everything they can to get rid of that man, scare his family off, sell this utility, close the doors, and do whatever they can. Corruption, capital "C", Mr. Johnson (DB News Journal reporter), capital "C", nothing's changed, different day, different players. I heard Mr. Rodi ask you before, to consider something, and I want to say this in the nicest way possible, if you don't do it, I'll do it, but I wanted the lead to come from our officials. I believe that there are Federal statutes that have been violated here, and that's why 1 believe your General Manager wants to go outside. Mr. Preston is a nice guy but he works here, he lives here, and you know how your business can be impacted when you raise up against certain folks, and you know that power play is very evident today, it's still alive and well. What happened the other night was scripted, Commissioner Zeller you were there, this had nothing to do with the easement, not a thing to do with an easement; that was a joke. You saw Mr. Gummey's anger, did you not, I saw it, Mr. Rodi saw it, even Attorney Preston said how scared he was, well not scared, surprised. Mr. Gummey was off the wall, why, it was a simple easement issue and it could have been settled with a phone call between the two attorneys. Why, wall maybe you need to talk with some of the players in the audience that were maybe generating some of the pressure on the City Attorney, and some of the staff.
Mr. Tolley stated let me tell you what I'm going to do, I'm going to wait until you guys decide what you're going to do, but I hope you support the General Manager. This man has played hell since he's gotten here, his family has suffered, and this utility still continues to suffer. Now I've requested to appear on the agenda for the 28th, I'm going to tell you straight up what I'm going to ask for, the immediate resignation or termination of the City Attorney, the City Manager, and Mr. Mark Rakowski. They want to fight and get into the pissing contest, no problem, we can play that game, but I think when you correlate all the facts of what's continuing to go on here, with the continual corruption, we're never going to be able to move forward as a City until we take some definitive action.
Mr. Tolley stated you know when I was a kid growing up, I weighed 116 pounds, had a size 26 waist; you wouldn't believe it today. And I was the runt and every day, not every day, a couple times a week, I'd always get beat up. And then one day I remembered what the handle on top of the garbage lid was for, and if any of you saw the Godfather with Sonny Corleone, that was me but I was a little runt. And after you knocked a couple of people's teeth out and you got their attention, you know what, the bullying stopped. That's what we have here, you've got a bunch of bullies who think they can do whatever they want in this City because they're the good ole boys, and they'll just hurt whoever gets in their way and with their agenda. And like any bully, you've just got to beat them back, and by supporting your General Manager's request to seek outside counsel, with specialty in Federal Statutes, you get to fight back on the bully and maybe one day down the road we can stop this corruption issue. Thank you. ”
Corruption is in the eye of a vendor it seems who wants to sell a bad, inadequate, improperly sized lemon of a generating plan without any accountability to the tax payers who will have to pay for it over the next 40 or 50 years. On top of that he wants to stick on a piece of land next to two of the most expensive housing developments on the West side of town. A good deal of what he says at Commission meetings about fiscal responsibility is excellent, but this rant shows he is off-the-wall and we do not see how he can command any respect when he calls them corrupt for challenging his highly questionable projects.
