BLOGS (Edited for spelling by the Shadow)

Date:  4/8/2011, 10:32 am
Name:       2-704

I don't know what you should do. History shows mooches and bad actors rule in NSB. Adam and Judy were elected to make changes and have just helped circle wagons. New Shamber Director met with many who told her to take care of members not city but - she is now another city-slacker. SVAA is tapped for foolishness like fake historical tourism, balloon fest or surf contest and fails to audit room nights on purpose. CRA - we don't even need to go there!

What is sad this short-sighted and greedy approach is destructive. Morons on Canal drove of new business center by tracks on US1 and invested time and effort on whistle stop train station. This crap goes on forever - they should be whistling past the graveyard NSB has become.

Date:  3/31/2011, 2:27 pm
Name:       Wading in 2

The basic premise of any taxation system is not to affect the underlying asset. If we paid 100% of our income in tax there would be no incentive to work at all. Thus the tax would impact behavior. There is a tipping point where this occurs and it happens at about 35% in the case of income tax, about 10% in the case of sales tax and around 1.3% in the case of property tax. In tax jargon this is called the Laffer Curve tipping Point.

Here in Volusia County, we are well above the 1.3% threshold with the second highest millage rate in Florida as detailed in Derek Catrons' excellent article about five months ago. California stumbled into the exact range where they would benefit the most in terms of stable revenue streams and increasing property value when they passed Prop 13 in 1978 which limited property tax to 1% of assessed value. If the Gann Amendment hadn't been stripped by the education lobby in 1989 Prop 13 could have prevented the meltdown we see in Calif today. The Gann Amendment was the precursor to the Colorado Tabor Amendment limiting the growth of government to the CPI plus growth. Public service unions hate these type of restrictions on the flow of spending as we discovered here when we narrowly failed to get the Tax and Budget Review Commission to adopt a Tabor for Florida in 2008. Public service unions lobbied against it furiously as did the education lobby.

Taxpayers antipathy toward property tax is based on the fact it is ransom paid at the point of a gun as opposed to sales tax which is purely voluntary or income tax which, at least has a mitigating factor of progressivity. The loss of a high end sale of residential or commercial property because of high taxes causes a devastating ripple effect through a local economy. Conversely, a whole host of services are called into action when a high end property does transact.

Getting back to your request for comment about the impact of the Hospital Tax, it adds about 12% to the property tax bill of the average Volusia County resident . County Appraiser, Morgan Gilreath acknowledged in a radio address on WNDB about four months ago that the millage rates in Volusia would be competitive with other counties if not for the Hospital taxes. Property tax is not essential to providing indigent care as is often claimed by Halifax. 85% of all the acute care hospitals in Florida provide indigent care with no direct property tax subsidy. It is an outmoded and inefficient tax levied by an unaccountable appointed Board with built in conflicts of interest since they combine their Hospital and Taxing District Boards. Gov. Scott is doing the right thing by reviewing these anachronisms from the burdens facing taxpayers. He has appointed the former Chairman of Florida Tax Watch, Dominic Calabro , to head the commission. Volusia Tax Reform supports his efforts.

Date:  3/31/2011, 9:48 am
Name:       hey 579

I feel your pain BUT - Most small business people are home owners so they do get some tax breaks. I agree with you 100% SOH has pushed tax burden to small business and add the second home owners. Our visitors are treated like sheep made to fleece. The real problem is spending. VTR is a good start if the RINO committee can be overpowered. At least they are up and trying. People getting handouts like Pam, Judy, Adam. Boob and Sam the Shamber sock puppet need to be outnumbered or we lose. / AGAIN

SHADOW NOTE: This blog came in during the recent budget battle in Congress.

Date:  4/8/2011, 4:35 pm
Name:       Pancho Vasquillo

Hey... how can we get the NSB government to shut down ?
1. CHEAPER GAS FOR NEW SMYRNA BEACH

Today is planned for opening day at the new Murphy gas station and drive through convenience shop on SR 44 on the out-lot at Home Depot. Not cheap gas, but the likelihood is that it will be cheaper than the current prices available in Mayberry. Their stated goal on their website is "to be a low cost provider to the communities we serve." 

From a corporate standpoint, being located in El Dorado, Arkansas, they established the El Dorado fund, setting aside $50 million, so that any graduate of the El Dorado school system could go college, with all of their tuition and fees paid up to the current maximum of the highest Arkansas state college or university. Not bad for an oil company. While not formally affiliated with Wal-Mart, there is usually a Murphy gas station near most Wal-Mart super stores. The Wal-Mart being constructed  on I-95 is projected to open in December.

2. A RAUCUS DEBATE

The Shadow has extended its wings to include more information from different sources. Just like the cartoons which the Shadow prints, we generally agree with the underlying premise expressed but do not necessarily endorse all of the statements or where agreement with the article might lead one.  The main purpose is to put the idea on the table. Just like the articles themselves are commentary, so are many of the views of others.

3. THE  CITY EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS

The only group left out of the negotiations for the City employee contracts is the public. Worse, unlike Port Orange which is still negotiating the 2008 fire department contract, New Smyrna Beach gave the union a three year free ride at our expense. No matter how they crow about the concessions they might get in 2011, the feckless bunch that represents us has not done its job for three years and we are left with the huge unfunded tax bill.
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Visitor on this Site This Week  (Nearly 1300 hits last week. Thank you, enjoy your visit and come back ya' heah.
April 11, 2011
DEAR PAM

We realize that many City officials have limited resources available for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help them and provide draft letters for review.  This will free them up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions.
THE SHADOW CONTINUES TO PRESS THE UTILITIES COMMISSION TO COMPLY WITH THE SUNSHINE LAW AND PROVIDE THE W2 INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT AS STORED ON THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEM IN PAYROLL SOFTWARE WRITTEN BY MICROSOFT. IT IS THE SAME FORMAT AS SUPPLIED BY THE CITY AND BY GOVERNOR SCOTT'S OFFICE WHO PUBLISHED THE SAME TYPE DATA ON THE STATE WEBSITE. WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ON THE RESULTS.
NOTES

1. FLOURESCENT LIGHT BULB DISPOSAL---NADA

Wikipedia and other web sources say you can throw away fluorescent bulbs in the trash. The analysis says that there is so little mercury that it does matter. Volusia County says no. In Volusia County you can legitimately dispose of fluorescent bulbs only by taking them either to the dump on Rt. 44 near De Land or the Tomoka Landfill. You would think that there would be collection points all over the County or that there would be special collection days. You would think.

2. RIPPED OFF BY YOUR BANK FOR PHONEY FLOOD INSURANCE?

The banks are at it again. They send you a notice that you need flood insurance, even if you do not. And then, regardless of how you complain, they add their own policy at three times the premium. See New York Times article on March 27. They are nothing but thieves. Reasonable flood insurance is available from FEMA; insist on it ,but only if you really need it. Maybe the State Attorney could investigate  whether they are committing fraud. 

3. SE VOLUSIA CHAPTER OF VOLUSIA TAX REFORM NEXT MEETING - Next Meeting 4/14/2011 at 6:30 P.M.

The Shadow is pleased that some citizens have seen the need to organize and begin the process of taking back our City from the politicians that have stolen it. We encourage more to attend the next meeting where committees will be formed to review next actions. The group meets on the second Thursday of the month at the Pine Island Gazebo Clubhouse located across the street from 712 Pine Shores Circle. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM. Contact Debbie at debvishnesky@aol.com for more information.

Directions: Wayne Ave, past City Golf Course, right on Pine Shores Drive, right on Pine Shores Circle, Gazebo on left.

VEHICLE DRIVING RECORDS AND MARITAL ISSUES AS INDICATIVE OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS PROPRIETY

The Shadow has been contemplating publishing the driving records of a couple of the public officials, elected and otherwise. The main question is does an individual’s driving record reflect on how one would consider a candidate for public office, the publisher of a newspaper, a member of the CRA, or a local candle stick maker.

If the Shadow remembers correctly the City essentially fired the past head of the CRA when he was collared in a traffic stop with an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage and was ordered immediately to have a drug test. He resigned, which was anticipated the Shadow believes by the City Manager who essentially ordered the immediate drug test. Now that standard was used for what looked at the time like a single offense. Maybe there were multiple instances but they were not reported.

Now, a non public individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy.  Someone could
Dear Mayor Barringer,

We co-opted the auditor who said we did not screw up on the procedures this year. They were very nice to us and buried the large tax increases in fees, franchises, etc. in the middle of the report. They also buried the 19 point management report which is less than flattering. I intend to send the auditor another case of cognac for also burying that the reserves are way down.

PAM
violate that expectation because publishing driving infractions that are true, while not slander or libel if true, is still nobody’s business. On the other hand, if someone is a “public official”  there is no such expectation of privacy. The issue is only: “Does the information help the public make a better decision in assessing whether the individual meets their standard and should have a voice or role in matters concerning their future?”  
A STATEMENT BY THE SHADOW
The Shadow generally does not edit BLOGS. Very profane comments, even in only first letters,  and attacks accusing anyone of a crime are deleted or reformed even when they are about public officials. Personal attacks upon the publisher that are devoid of content are deleted.  But not always. Not all postings are essays on important subjects. Not all are fully cogent. On the real positive side, there are way more than 100,000 postings over the last few years and many are excellent tip offs as to funny goings on in Mayberry. Many also are excellent essays on relevant topics.  Do our readers a favor and stop attacking the opposing political party as commies or reactionaries.
This issue contains a partial review of the Kilgore Trout’s  graphics that have titillated you over the past several years. Aside from the topical objects that must be commented upon, we have selected some of his best to reprint. As we have found out in New Smyrna Beach, he is a clever fellow who has a fine pen for graphics. So go to Kilgore's own page and enjoy. 
Here are couple to get you started - enjoy.
CONSOLIDATION OF THE 911 CALL SERVICES

Moving closer and closer to full consolidation the County Council unanimously voted a second time to consolidate all 911 emergency calls.  Deltona has agreed (a $1 million dollar savings) for a better integrated service. The RCC-911 now in service in New Smyrna Beach, by virtue of being a stand-alone, creates an undesirable second-hand communications problem , by having to relay information to EVAC or other agencies not on its dispatch system.  Consolidation would not only save money, but would also reduce unneeded dispatch to dispatch communications, which are, unfortunately, prone to errors, and provide a better, more accountable  service. Take for instance, hurricane season, a centralized dispatch would more effectively control and dispatch resources where needed, thus increasing public safety.

Integration will not be easy and the costs will probably change for the worse. See Daytona Beach News Journal  article last Friday for cost breakdown. Not all current employees will be satisfied that they were properly taken care of, as the duplicative staffing will need to be reduced. But the costs on the County budget should be adjusted by a reduction to that paid by the taxpayers in the affected Cities. Of course, in New Smyrna Beach they will figure how not to do that. We should not stand still of such an obvious scam.

THE BERT FISH FIASCO—THE SAGA CONTINUES

Governor Scott has appointed a commission to review the hospital tax districts. The one in New Smyrna Beach is broken. The people who broke it are still here and fixing it is no easy job, nor given their track record in breaking it should be anyway involved. Bert Fish was in financial distress before this all started, and now it is even deeper in the hole because of the recent legal fiasco. Please wish whoever takes over this fractured public service an easy road with a fair wind. 

Comentary continued...