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Thank you, enjoy your visit and come back ya' heah.
October 17, 2011
DEAR PAM
We realize that you have limited resources available for pursuing cost reduction projects, so we have decided to help you with draft letters. This will free you up for important things, like dealing with all the serious problems of the police and fire department pensions. Hope this helps you formulate your position to the Mayor.
NOTES
1.BUSINESS AS USUAL---TAX INCREASE UNDER THE TABLE; SECRET NEGOTIATIONS: NO COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: NO OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER BUSINESSES TO OFFER A BID Business as usual in New Smyrna Beach. Take the taxpayer money and lie.
2.PADDLE BOARD LESSONS---FREE, BUT $40 FROM THE CITY
3, THE NEWEST PARK IN NEW SMYRNA BEACH—THE “CHAMBER BUILDING”
We are not kidding. Waste Pro lists it in its contract with the City this building as a park. Free trash pickup at taxpayer expense.
Mayor Barringer:
Waste Pro is my kind of company. Always ready to do a favor for a friend. I deserve credit for designating the Chamber building as a park. And I got my picture in the Team Volusia ad in the News Journal. But don’t worry I am fighting the County tooth and nail to let our local firefighters keep their toys and DirecTV. Can I get a raise now as it costs a lot to live in Ponce Inlet.
PAM
1. COMMISION AGENDA LAST WEEK
How many of the 775 pages did you read? Did you pick up that they designated 80 acres that were residential is now agricultural? How about that they are going ahead with the useless fire station for a another couple of million? How about the $500,000 for Esther Street--$300,000 for a sea wall? Etc., etc. We bet none of the Commissioners read this telephone book.
2. AUDITORS ARE THERE TO RAT OUT MANAGEMENT
The Shadow was dismayed at what appeared to be the City auditor’s apparent willingness to help the City fix the books. They seem to have even accepted a fictitious valuation of the valueless Municipal Golf Course.
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Date: 
10/12/2011, 11:10 AM
10/12/2011, 11:10 AM Name: Geez
Why pick on Henry?
The City of NSB is doing a lot worse than screwing up a webpage.
$3-plus million tax $$ into the City Golf Course, with no return to the taxpayer
Pumped tax $$ money into MDC for Old High School, Boats...no return to the taxpayer.
Chamber gets free rent. No return to taxpayer. SEVAA makes taxpaying property owning citizens tax collectors and then pisses the tax $$ away on salaries and Flagler parties (w/CRA)...no return to taxpayers...
CRA gives tax $$ to promote business on Flagler, but not housing...no return to the taxpayer.
FFs raised what? $500 for breast cancer, while on duty, big deal...their cable tv and trips to Dunkin Donuts cost more...
Anglers, MDC, free boat trailer parking and Boat and Ski are in the way of Crescent development...no return to taxpayer....
And your’ worried about Henry's poor website. Geez.
Date: 10/15/2011, 3:08 PM
10/15/2011, 3:08 PM Name: CRA Funds for "blight"??
Just heard on the radio advertisement for Chili Cook Off ("supported" (paid) for /by CRA). Is this proper use of tax dollars??? I know the CRA has given big bucks to support the bars and their "redecorating" efforts BUT advertising to help support the businesses? I'm pretty sure I don't MY tax dollars paying for advertisement. Thought CRA was to improve "blight" in a neighborhood.
BLOGS: 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. The Shadow does edit for spelling.
BULLETIN: NSB SHADOW publishes new page with editorials and commentary from our friends at NSB-911. Click HERE to go directly to their page. NSB-911 is a group of NSB taxpayers and citizens that have banded together to make the rest of the NSB population knowledgeable about their government's actions and inactions regarding the use of taxpayer money. We look forward to their contributions to the Shadow in the future. See their latest BELOW.
This is double what the City take in the last contract and it is hidden in the “franchise tax.” We know about the Waste Pro $5,000 donation (translated, offset of the City loss of cash for the Balloon Fiasco) and the sponsorship of medals for the Mayor and Pam, but what else did Waste Pro pony up? Whatever the deal, it will cost the taxpayer another $210,000 each year for the next five year, as the City is pocketing the money to offset their alleged “cuts” to the budget and you the taxpayer will not get a reduction in the monthly fee you pay for trash pickup. Instead of $234.000, the city now grabs $442,000. Was inflation more than 100% over the last three years? See ATTACHMENT to read the entire contract and please do not forget to read the Exhibit C, item 30, where the Chamber gets another taxpayer subsidized benefit, free trash pickup.
The negotiation scheme is elegant. Negotiate for a smaller take for Waste Pro, but keep the savings for yourself. The taxpayers are kept the dark (remember this the contract that Gummey ruled did not have to be openly negotiated) that their property tax could have been lowered (e.g., money from the increased franchise tax could have reduced the need for the same amount through property taxes). Of course it could be they are the smartest negotiators and got the money to not raise taxes. The trouble with that is the millions they are spending unnecessarily on “nice to have projects” in the middle of a depression.
Where is the Chamber of Commerce? The Shadow always assumed that tax increases hurt the business community. Not here. After all they are getting a free ride by the City on rent and now trash pickup. And the Sock Puppet just keeps right on being a sock puppet.
3. CONSOLIDATING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Shadow was astonished to read a Daytona New Journal editorial endorsing consolidating the fire departments in Volusia County. They are only 5 years late. But late is better than not showing up ever. In that opinion piece they said:
“Taxpayers should hope it's the dawn of a new era of more rational and efficient delivery of key local services.”
The Shadow speculates that the subtle threats of loss of legal notices by the local cities, was not sufficient to stop the News Journal editorial. The Shadow continues to endorse consolidation and at the earliest opportunity. And the City continues to fight this so the boys can continue to play with their toys.
3.THE ANGLERS CLUB – THE PROBLEM REMAINS AND THE BOY MAYOR DOES NOTHING ABOUT IT.
The Shadow would be amused by several entries on the BLOG on the Anglers Club if they had the least bit of legitimacy. They do not. The legal opinion by Mr. Glass is very well written; ask any lawyer including the Anglers. He specifically stated the lease was invalid. It was Sally who determined not to sue to set it aside. Barringer is a member of this discriminating bunch, and Reiker was bought by them. Both stated throughout their campaigns that they would address and resolve the issue. Neither one has kept their word and the Anglers remain firmly entrenched in their $25.00 per year lease for a taxpayer owned multi-million dollar property.
But what many of the naysayers fail to recognize is that under the current $25 a year lease, the Anglers are responsible for all legal expenses for both sides in any dispute or litigation. It would not cost the City a dime to sue this bunch of grifters.
Before they figured out that they had bought the Commission, they indirectly put out an offer of $115,000 a year lease, then reduced to $85,0000 a year. Not one Commissioner gave a darn about the taxpayer in any of their “hearing”. Blogers are right. The cancer is the Commission, led by the Mayor.
And to those who say that Gummey declared the lease valid, they are totally wrong. At no time did Gummey provide any written opinion that stated the lease was valid. In fact he walked all around the issue in the limited and unsupported opinion he did present to the Commission. Further Bill Koleszar confronted Gummey on this subject in an open Commission meeting and Gummey refused to state the lease was not valid and the Commission refused to ask him directly. Until someone can produce a Gummey written opinion to the contrary we stand by our position that he never wrote any such document and that the well written and documented, Glass opinion trumps the argument.
4. FRIENDS OF FLORIDA DEATH ROW PRISIONERS
In 2010 the Friends of Canaveral received a $9000 grant from the CRA to advertise for a group of painters to paint landscapes and sell them to tourists---all profits to go to the charity. The rationale for this grant was that it would increase tourism on Flagler. This is the same rationale that supports the pub crawls. No analysis was ever made as to whether any increased traffic was generated, but the claim is made anecdotally that more people might have been on Flagler. O.K., double down. This year the CRA granted $15,000 to the same organization. (Source: CRA agenda for August 3, 2011) Whatever was anecdotal analysis must have been very persuasive.
The Friends of Canaveral are certainly a decent group and do some excellent work to support the Canaveral National Seashore Park, managed by the National park Service, at the end of A1A. But Flagler Ave is not in the park or even near the park and their grant is a gift of taxpayer money; and the claim that it provides significant help to the CRA district is a shallow sham unsupported by any legitimate analysis. The money generated does not even subsidize the merchants on Flagler. And to make it even more crazy, the artists will have little trouble painting the National Park while sitting on Flagler, even if that ever takes place.
The Shadow also assumes that it is not even whether the charity is good, only that advertising an event on Flagler generates extra traffic. We were thinking that Friends of Florida Death Row Inmates or Florida Friends of Stopping New Smyrna Beach Spending would be big traffic generators and should also be eligible for CRA money should they apply. We are open for other suggestions. Since the Shadow generates a lot of attention to the antics of the Flagler merchants, maybe the Shadow should apply for some of that CRA money?
5. THE CITY CONTINUES ITS NON-TRANSPARENT FORM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The Shadow continues to receive little in the way of compliance with its requests for information from the City Clerk, Mr. Bledsoe. But we believe it not to be completely his fault as he must get his information through the City Manager, Ms. Brangaccio and that , we believe, is where the bottleneck lies. For you see the information we request here at the Shadow is not generally favorable to the City as it is usually related to some deal of that is not in the taxpayer's best interests. However we are not surprised at this behavior as the Barringer administration has taken, on several fronts, the position that they do not need the input of everyday citizens and that people should not have a say in the operations of their government. Examples of this behavior are the elimination of public input on specific issues before the Commission, a direct assault on the democratic process that enables the public the ability to take issue with their spending and special interest group focus. In addition, they, led again by Ms. Brangaccio, have abused the intent of the consent agenda, by placing issues that demand public comment on this non commentable agenda, thus prohibiting any public comment. So you see, we seem to have a pattern of contempt for the opinion of the taxpayer, coupled with an apparent stifling of their ability to get information, to which they are entitled by the Florida Sunshine law.
The Shadow will, starting next week, publish a box score on the front page of requests to the City and their status. You can easily find this box score right next to pictures of Mr. Bledsoe and Ms. Brangaccio.
1.SPENDING MILLIONS OF YOUR MONEY
Money is flying out the door. $1.5 million for the needless fire station; $750,000 municipal golf “loan” forgiveness;$500,000 for Esther street; how much for Sally’s newest loss project; unlimited money for consultants when you do not want to do your job.
Then $374,000 for Gummey; $150.000 for Liz Yancey; $100,000 for John Yancey; and do not forget Waste Pro.
They could use every cent to put the electric wires underground. Think about how this money could be better spent, or better yet help you pay your bills.
2. HUGE TAX INCREASE –HIDDEN IN THE SECRETLY NEGOTIATED TRASH REMOVAL CONTRACT IS A 5 YEAR HIDDEN TAX OF $442,000 ANUALLY. THE MONEY GRAB KEEPS ON A ROLLING.
BLOGS
Date: 10/15/2011, 3:08 pm
10/15/2011, 3:08 pmName: CRA Funds for "blight"??
CRA Funds for "blight"??Just heard on the radio advertisement for Chili Cook Off ("supported" (paid) for /by CRA). Is this proper use of tax dollars??? I know the CRA has given big bucks to support the bars and their "redecorating" efforts BUT advertising to help support the businesses? I'm pretty sure I don't MY tax dollars paying for advertisement. Thought CRA was to improve "blight" in a neighborhood.
Date: 10/16/2011, 11:20 am
Name: To; 546
I agree. However, let us go back to the last election. Sally and Adam raised $12o,ooo and change between them to run. Who supported them? Think about that. Also with some 18,000 voters only around 4,500 voted. My numbers may not be right on but they are close. Think about that. Who votes and who puts up the money. Now think about how we can break this pattern.
THE SHADOW COULD NOT AGREE MORE! NOW LETS GO GET IT DONE.
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT NSB-911: THE SHADOW RECEIVED THIS OPINION PIECE FROM OUR FRIENDS AT NSB-911 AND IT IS PRINTED HERE FOR YOUR REVIEW:
NSB-911 Comments on Consent Agendas and Public Safety Pensions
NSB-911, like many others in New Smyrna Beach, is concerned about the absence of transparency of the City Commission and City Government. While the veil of compliance appears in place, the reality is that much of what goes on actually goes on behind closed or otherwise “unannounced doors.” Complicating this issue is that when the issues are finally brought to a vote during the Commission meetings, taxpayers are muzzled and not allowed to comment. directly to the issue. Furthering this sham is the excessive use of the consent agenda to ramrod things through approval with no discussion, apparently supported by both the Commission and the City Manager.
Consent agendas are designed to facilitate approval of routine pending items that are part of the normal course of government business, but which require some level of legislative approval. An example might be the closing of a city street to accommodate a city sponsored event directed at the entirety of the city’s residents. There is no question about the public purpose, but an approval vote is required. Other examples are the routine approval of existing contracts for city purchases such as fuel for city vehicles and service contracts for city equipment. None of these actions would generate much public debate and are considered necessary for the continued and normal operation of the city government.
The City Commission, however, has taken the position of placing anything on the consent agenda which might spark public interest or debate in an apparent effort to prevent such debate. The most recent example of this was the labor contract with the fire union, the IAFF. While the labor negotiations are open to the public, the public has no opportunity to comment at these negotiations, so they are forced to the position of observer not participant. The City’s “shade meetings”, where they plan their approach, are closed to the public. Yet as the Shadow has commented repeatedly, there is probably no secret to the union as to what is discussed as some commissioners tend to lean to the unions’ point of view and take their money for re-election. One can only assume how quickly the message is passed on. So the only party left out of these “shade”” meetings is really the taxpayer.
Add to the mix that the Commission has announced in their annual goals that addressing the problem with these (using the Mayor’s words) “unsustainable” pensions was a high priority, the fact is nothing has been done for the second or third year in a row and they have now merely put it off for another year in the contract. We believe, these pensions, followed by those of the police department, are the single most pressing problem with the City’s fiscal survival in the long run and demand the attention of the City Commission before anything else. The must address these before they waste time on nice-to-have projects like bathrooms in beach parking lots that no one uses or badminton courts on the beach. Fixing the problems of the Sports Complex, while important also, takes back seat to the City taxpayers holding the short end of the stick on the unfunded liability of these pension; an unfunded liability that continues to be under-estimated because of using unattainable rates of return on investments.
The issue is that the City has again hid the problems of the pension and their non-action (one might wonder if campaign contributions play a role here) and the taxpayer remains the odd person out. In summary, transparency is again disrupted by the City Commission and it is time, more than ever, to hold them accountable. Maybe a short group trip up north to Port Orange might clear their cobwebs.
