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December 19, 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.CHEAP GOLF COURSES---REAL CHEAP
A golf course just sold in Daytona Beach for $1.5 million. Want a good laugh.
The auditor for New Smyrna Beach valued the New Smyrna Beach Municipal Golf Course at $2,75 million even though the County tax appraiser values the property at only about $700,000. This is a joke, but as part of an “enterprise” project it can be carried as an asset on the books. It sounds about the same fraud in carrying $4 million of a non-performing “bond” as a reserve. By the way, where in the budget is the other million not made a part of the so-called golf course enterprise zone.
2.CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL AND JOHN STOSSEL
The Shadow nominates him for Chairman of the NSB CRA. Or How About John Stossel. Either one would come in ask why we are giving this money away on foolishness or to our friends.
Mayor Barringer:
I want credit for the deal with the Homebuilders. As part of the deal we “dropped” the fire marshal slot, thus eliminating an employee they detested, and agreed to a system of fire marshal contract activity they think they can control. We did not have to move much money to the permit office, Where is my raise? Oh, by the way, be careful of new construction if it is combustible. For all I know, the contractor and fire inspector may be friends. Remember, I live but pay no taxes in Ponce Inlet along with Deb; you remember Deb, our friend from the SVAA.
PAM
1.IT’S THE BEACH STUPID: WE HAVE A BEACH THAT IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD
What we do is subsidize a golf course. And on the golf course we subsidize an Italian restaurant. You figure. The golf course is City property. No taxes. Use the money to advertise the beach.
How about starting to help tourists drive to the beach by just changing the sign on U.S. South that tells you to go to the beach by taking a left on Canal. The Shadow does not remember seeing a sign on Canal that tells you where to turn for the beach.
And everyone knows it is not a direct route. Besides if it was out there to help Canal Street it is hurting 3rd Ave, which by the way is also in the “blighted CRA district.” So we suggest the merchants on 3rd SUE the City for sales lost.
2.THE LOOP DOES NOT START AT THE WATER
Look at the map under tab “North Causeway”. My, my. It is the CRA district. The “loop” starts on Myrtle Street. The Shadow could not find a waterfront restaurant on Myrtle. Help!
Thanks for Stopping By and You Are Visitor Number:
121911-
The Shadow Runs Best Under Internet Explorer.
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.
about switching personnel costs to the airport? The full cost of the Director and her new assistant. Where is the auditor? Is the Federal Aviation Authority aware that she is taking this?
Ching a ching- ---------------------------------$358,000c. Phantom employee at the Sports Complex.
Ching a ching------------------------------------$ 50,000d. Three P@R employees on the CRA payroll.
Ching a ching----------------------------------$120,000e. Assistant City Attorney paid out of unbudgeted police funds or gross overcharges for mundane work.
Ching a ching----------------------------------$100,000These charges alone give her a million extra tax dollars annually. This money just plops into her hands as general funds.
These are probably just the tip of the iceberg. Her ability to use the budget process to dissemble is probably better than any body’s ability to uncover how she increases taxes under the table. Except for an independent auditor, and we now have our doubts as to how independent an auditor the City has if it is willing to dissemble over the golf course loss. It is because of her games that obvious savings like limiting take home cars, charging a fair rent for City facilities (starting with the Anglers Club and moving on to the city owned dock used for free by the MDC while they unfairly compete against retail businesses in the city), and other low hanging fruit have not been addressed. This is the slush money that let her overspend on her obscenely overpaid lawyer (you remember him, Mr. Gummey, whose contract was approved by Hathaway and Plaskett), buy off employees, and do favors for friends.
2. NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS
We “unwittingly” looked up the Community Reorganization Authority (oops the Community Redevelopment Agency) and found it has only seven appointed members, three of whom seem to have problems. It is beyond a stretch to accept at face value that the business of a small town engineer had grown so much that he did not have the time to be one of the gate keepers for giving taxpayer money away. Well we are willing to believe a lot of stories, but giving up one of the most powerful money slots to funnel money to your friends because of a claimed increase of business in a depression does stretch the imagination.
But what also surprised us most was the CRA making the City Commission tell Sally and her crew that the day of artists being over subsidized for their hobby was over, at least until after the first of the year when the CRA board wants to take up the subject of redoing the rules just for good old Sally and her artist friends from out of town. Or maybe the Commission will give Sally’s friends money since they do not seem to care how bad they look or have to bend the rules. If you accept the story book telling by a cub reporter of a local paper, the CRA had no problem with the proposal, just “ we will not vote to do it.” Now is this craven or not? Great idea, but we will not go on record. You, you City Commissioners, you pay out the extra cash these hobbyists want.
Mayor Barringer and Commissioner Reiker claim to be Republicans. To be a Republican everywhere but in New Smyrna Beach seems to require being a fiscal conservative. Commissioner Hathaway speaks of fiscal restraint, but the Shadow can think of nothing consistent with fiscal restraint in subsidizing yet another phalanx of artists who do not care to pay for their hobby.The fact is they are not satisfied with just a fat subsidy, they want more. Please tell the CRA, Sally, and her flacks that the City Commissioners see no reason to take up another scheme for taxpayers to be stuck with another long time obligation to support yet another group of hobbyists. You already have one with Images that was supposed to be self-substainig.
We are not even amused with the idea that a bunch of ner-do-well artists in a building on Canal will somehow rejuvenate the street traffic. That is almost as much a sure thing as the phony “Waterfront Loop” restaurant propaganda being spewed by Tony Otte. If you want street traffic, put them in the middle of the parking lot at WalMart. Hey Sally, are your hobbyist friends going to agree to paint at night, or is that reserved for the wine swigging and old movie night?
3. The SVAA REVISITED
Attached is a letter the Shadow wrote to Council Chairman Bruno, with copies to all County Council members, about the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority.
Read the letter by clicking this LINK.
Calls at the end of the week from Ms. Carni, about providing the material, were cordial and hopefully productive.
The goal of the Shadow, starting two years ago, was to stop the waste of SVAA money, the worst being the block grants to businesses on Canal and Flagler, the State Fair, the Chamber of Commerce. and the Balloon Fiasco. Neither the State nor County will abolish the bed tax (remember the State gets a big cut off the top), so the goal was to stop it from being wasted. We believe that we have succeeded in stopping wholesale waste. We think we will succeed in making this tax fund work for the benefit of the taxpayers, the accomodators.
We are still working at it and will keep you posted.
1. MAN IS SHE SMART! SHE IS A SNEAKY TAX EXPERT
New Beach City Manager, Pam Brancaccio, should receive the Florida League of City Award (derisively known to some as the League of City Whores) for sneaky taxes.
a. We told you over the last few months how she stuck it to you on the trash pickup franchise tax. She added $210,000 to your hidden taxes. Added to the actual cost of picking up your trash is a “franchise” tax---money collected by Waste Pro from you for using City Roads and paid directly to the City.
“Franchise Fee”, HUH! It is a City tax.
Ching a ching----------------------------------$442,000b. Now, back charges to the airport for services. What services? Gummey at $500
a hour? Extra police protection because the police station is at the airport? How
THE CITY OF NSB AND PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS
As most of our readers know, the SHADOW makes a lot of public records requests to all levels of government. With the exception of the City of New Smyrna Beach, those requests are generally responded to promptly and with care. Sometimes we have to notify people higher up the food chain that those controlling the records are not responding in a timely manner, but even with the recent problems with the SVAA, the County Attorney and County Chair stepped up to the plate and ensured those requests were complied with. But New Smyrna Beach appears to march to a different drummer and despite our repeated requests to the City Clerk, Johnny Bledsoe, these requests are ignored and dragged out over weeks in some cases.
The SHADOW believes this is the not the result of Mr. Bledsoe's choice, but rather a restriction on information by the City Manager, Ms. Brangaccio. How do we know this? Because we have received information that verify's a document we requested exists, while Mr. Bledsoe claims he is still looking for it. Since it is apparent that he generates his requests through Ms. Brangaccio, the SHADOW is convinced the bottleneck is at her desk.
The SHADOW is serious about public information requests and knows the law. The SHADOW had to initiate litigation before in this arena against the City and the results were not favorable to the City. Despite paying our city legal eagle an outrageous annual salary and benefits, the City was ordered to cough up the records and pay our legal costs. Given Mr. Gummey's advice that time, she may well want to get a second opinion on her and the City's current behavior regarding these requests. We will keep our readers posted on this issue in future editions.
NORMAN’S CORNER
ITS’ ME AGAIN CHAIRMAN BRUNO
Now I am really confused. According to Tony Boy, the Waterfront Loop starts on Myrtle Ave and we have a potential audience in Maitland, FL. I am not sure I can ride my bike that far to find the restaurants.
I did check out the new City parking lot where the firehouse was and guess the City Code does not apply to the City. What a mess that was.
But then I hear the hotel construction has started again, so I left my seat on the porch at Flagler Tavern (you remember, where I can't see any water) and hustled over there. Saw a short guy with a video camera interviewing some worker through a fence. He must be the guy Holly and Tony warned me about. Looked inside and saw little or no evidence of any construction. Strange as I thought it was underway. after all of the hurry on the part of the CRA and City Commission. Maybe the Mayor could help out here.
Again, just give me a call if I can help.
NSB Norman Normal -
P.S. I hear there is a new SoNapa Grill going up in Maitland but I can't see how they can make anyone think it is part of the Waterfront Loop. But then Tony told me not to worry, Holly is taking care of that.
Attention Pat Rice, Editor, Daytona Beach News Journal: You and the NJ recently did a powder puff piece on the Waterfront Loop in NSB, but it failed to note at the end of this alleged piece of “news” that the NJ received advertising money at the same time for Christmas on Canal. Even Fox News notes where its money comes from. The Shadow thinks your failure here is not a good sign for independent journalism.
NJ Cub Reporter Mark Johnson does another powder puff article on the CC meeting, but talks about the parking problem on Columbus Ave, when the real story was about the CRA ethics issues, which he wrote on the following day and the NJ made that one hard to find. Another example of advertising winning out over the news. Hope they did not slip on the "soap flakes" on Flagler,; maybe we should call it "soap suds" reporting. Pat, We are still looking forward to some real reporting by real investigative reporters on the antics down here in New Smyrna Beach.
Apparently Mr. Rice chooses not to listen to our comments regarding the lack of investigative reporting being done by the News Journal in New Smyrna Beach. we find that strange since the CRA story, among others, cry's out for some "professional investigative journalism." Instead, all we get is a powder puff story, that never asked the important questions, about the lack of progress on construction of the Canaveral National Park Visitor Center. We guess maybe they were too busy counting their advertising revenue from the City, the CRA, and SVAA.
We will just keep reminding him...........
UPDATE: Looks like Mr. Rice is reading our page and sent his cub reporter Mark I. Johnson out to do a story on the CRA problem of transparency and possible graft. Too bad all Johnson did was list the times when Board Members abstained. He then complicated the problem by mentioning that Doug Hodson never filed any conflicts. Most reporters would have had a red light come on and ask why. But apparently not our Mr. Johnson.
We will keep Pat informed and help out with the Reporter 101 class if asked.
ATTENTION EDITOR OF THE HOMETOWN NEWS
While on the subject of the decline of journalism we note that with the demise of the Robert Lott's SEV Observer, known by most as the City Cheerleader Newspaper, its' former editor, Robert Burns has slid over to the Hometown Press Release (oops, did it again, Hometown News) and wrote two pieces for Friday's edition. Sadly, both appear to be just a regurgitation of press releases, with some flowery additions. We know this is in the case of the lead article on the front page, the so-called City "visioning session"held at the ACA facility. If one were to believe Mr, Burns' flowerily prose, he was there when the "...morning light flooded into the (ACA)..." Our sources, who were monitoring the event, tell us he arrived around 2 PM and left at 2:30 or so and thus was not there to see the "...morning light...". So much for responsible journalism versus lets just spruce up the press release. But then we don't have responsible journalism from the print media in the area.
We will see if we can help the editor out with some tips on responsible reporting. Maybe the NJ will offer Burns a seat in the Reporter 101 class.
The Shadow Comments on the Decline and Fall of Objective News Reporting
Date: 12/12/2011, 6:40 PM
Name: Flagler is Closed!
On Flagler Ave CRA District, all merchants ( as in merchandise for sale) closed. Bars open, a few eateries and the two surf shops. I thought merchants needed advertising $ for slow times? Heck, it's the 12-days of Christmas and not a store is open at 6:30 pm.
This Flagler Merchants CRA SVAA grants thing is a sweet scam! There is no shame in NSB.
Going to Bealls and the Pavilion now!
Date: 12/15/2011, 12:13 PM
Name: To 517 Hathaway Lover Number:
Stop drinking the kool-aid. Hathaway is no more a responsible legislator than a horses' ass. He has given away more tax money to his friends than you surely have paid. He is an Angler supporter, signed Gummey's excessive contract, as well as Hagoods. Voted to give the current City Manager more than she is worth, and gives the MDC whatever they want including replacement motors for a water taxi that should have been shut down (but he voted to just keep spending the money because it was a grant [translation- tax money]).
And finally, he sat on the fire pension board for years and did absolutely nothing to fix the fiasco there with the lack of contributions, overpaid retirements and unfunded liability. He also continues to vote for every union contract that comes before him, further bankrupting the City. Then he makes like the people's friend and spends money from the reserves we do not have to make you think he cut the budget. He is joke all the way around and represents no growth, period. He is no more of a fiscal conservative than a horse's ass.
He will do nothing but feather his own retirement and take care of his buddies (translate Anglers) but with a bigger tax base to do it with. He is the last person we need on the County Council. And I do not support the other candidates either. We need fresh blood, not locals, to fix our problems, not more of the same crap.
Date: 12/15/2011, 8:57 PM
Name: Jim is the best candidate
Jim will be the first to tell you that he is only one vote on the city commission. He's been in every possible situation and is the best candidate for the job. The alternatives are laughable. Ellen Darden? Justin Kennedy? Come on.
Gummey's contract was a little absurd - but they were paying that much to the Doran group.
Fire Pension board has 2 firefighter members and 2 city commissioners plus one member picked by the board. The deck is stacked against the city anyhow! Can't really blame him for this.
He voted for the City Manager (which was a vote of confidence, the salary had already been approved by 3 of the 5).
How do you figure he is an anglers supporter? Because he didn't want to run down the Supreme Court case rabbit hole? That's being sensible.
He NEVER voted for the MDC and hated the water taxi - ask him yourself. Thought it was a waste of money If those are your only attacks on the man after 20 years, that's pretty good in my book. He's the best candidate, bar none.
SHADOW RESPONDS: GUMMEY'S CONTRACT WAS "A LITTLE ABSURB." WE AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS BLOGGER THAT YOU MUST BE DRINKING KOOL-AIDE IF YOU THINK GUMEY'S ABSURB CONTRACT RELECTS ANY RESPECT FOR THE TAXPAYER.
Date: 12/12/2011, 5:47 PM
Name: 513
What do the taxpayers get back when these businesses fail - it is like loaning money to people to buy homes that can't afford them - now we are blowing other people's tax dollars on businesses that don't have THEIR OWN money to start a business or THEIR OWN money to STAY in business
