Archive for the ‘politics’ Category

Bacon is well-smoked by readers

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Stephen Bacon of DeBary has about a snowball’s chance in Hades of taking John Mica’s seat in the House of Representatives, I reckon. He lacks the experience, the political know-how and acumen for it, as well as the funding. Some of the readers have been tearing him up in their comments on the story posted yesterday.

Some of Bacon’s ideas aren’t so far out. Setting term limits for senators and representatives, for example, has had a lot of support over the years. Currently, each rep in the House serves a two-year term. Senators are elected for six years. To implement Bacon’s idea, of four and eight-year caps, Senate terms would have to be reduced from six to four years, with one reelection before the clock runs out.

Caps of two six-year terms for the Senate and three two-year terms for the House of Representatives might be better. It takes a year or so just to learn the ropes.

There are a lot of long-termers (lifers?) in Washington now. Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia was first elected in 1958, and stakes claim to being the longest serving member of Congress in the country’s history. The House contains critters that have been there for more than 50 years. That seems a bit excessive, and does provide lots of opportunity for wheeling and dealing and graft.

Mica, in his ninth term, is pretty-well entrenched in Congress. He was first elected in 1992.

Not only Bacon, but Democratic contenders or anyone else who runs against Mica is looking at the barrel-end of defeat, however, unless there’s some major scandal between now and Election Day. Mica’s done pretty well for his district, and his office seems responsive to the concerns of residents in the 7th District.

Bacon’s idea of a sliding-scale-payment schedule for medical services isn’t whacky. It’s what some public-health clinics do already. I’m hoping some health-care coverage reform that will actually help the Average Joe will make it into law. We’ll see.

What Bacon may do for West Volusians is to get them thinking about and codifying what it is they want from Congress. Hopefully, Mica and the other members of Congress will be listening.

Posted in politics | No Comments »

Farmton: The saga continues

Monday, March 1st, 2010

I’ve heard about it from quite a few folks in Deltona: The lobbying is on, hot and heavy.

After the School Board dropped its squawk, Deltona was out there alone as the sole objector to the massive development plan. It would put another city on top of Deltona.

Roads and increased traffic and environmental are all part of the objection the city lodged with the Volusia Growth Management Commission. We suspect water and utility questions may have added fuel to the fire.

Now, Deltona watchers are wondering how long it will take city commisisoners to cave, under the persuasive ministrations of Glenn Storch and Ty Harris, who are meeting  with (or “tag-teaming,” Deltona-watchers are calling it)  each commissioner separately,  in their lobbying efforts.

Deputy City Manager Dave Denny and Planning and Developmment Director Chris Bowley are still firm in their opposition to the Farmton development plan. The word is, Acting City Attorney Skip Fowler has been lobbying pro-Farmton.

Posted in development, environment, out and about, politics | 1 Comment »

County Council “blockheads” egg on Farmton opposition

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Not that the environmental groups weren’t concerned already. But as The Beacon editorial pointed, now they’re downright mad.

Joe Jaynes, former County Council member, told the County Council why they should vote no, and like other speakers at the Feb. 18 Farmton hearing, was insulted for his concerns.

It’s smart growth, County  Chair Frank Bruno said.

Jaynes responded in a e-mail, “Smart growth? Oh yes…the type of “smart” that means to feel a sharp, stinging pain or to suffer keenly from wounds! This type of “smart” growth is the kind that will leave every resident and taxpayer of Volusia County smarting from the stinging pain and wounds of untold environmental impacts and increased taxes to support the most atrocious example of corporate greed and urban sprawl yet seen in Florida. The cloak of “smart” growth must be seen for what it is, the kind that hurts and causes pain, leaving the corporate land owners, bankers and lawyers laughing all the way to the bank with their pockets full of money, having fooled the politicians and public with a clever package of fancy footwork and terminology. They can cloak urban sprawl and environmental destruction with the term “smart”….but some of us can see “the emperor has no clothes on!” 23,000 new homes, 69,000 new residents, millions of square feet of commercial space, no infrastructure, no roads, no schools, in the middle of nowhere? Smart? More like crazy smart. Here, take a dose of this “smart growth”….Ouch…that hurts!”

Conservationist and Soil & Water person Michelle Moen took the council members to task, writing them:

February 22, 2010

Re: Miami Corporation Farmton Local Plan Large-Scale Comprehensive Plan Amendment

Greetings Volusia County Council,

I am a landowner and resident of Volusia County. Please enter my comments into the public record.

From the February 18, 2010 county staff report:

On October 15, 2009, the County Council voted six to one to transmit the Farmton Local Plan amendment to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for compliance review and the Volusia County Growth Management Commission (VGMC) for a consistency determination.

County Ord. Sec. 90-78.  Comprehensive plan amendments.
(a)   After September 30, 2007, all local governments who desire to adopt a comprehensive plan amendment shall, in accordance with this article, include a finding of school adequacy provided by the applicant prior to transmittal of said amendment to the VGMC and the department.

Proposed amendment FG 6.2:  At the time of adoption of the Farmton Local Plan, the Interlocal Agreement for Public School Facility Planning (ILA) recognizes that there is no school capacity.

The Volusia County Council unlawfully transmitted the amendments to VGMC .

Moen’s arguments could have interesting implications.

In a more forceful manner, she wrote:

Dear friends,

We, the taxpayers of Volusia County, have been ripped off by our government.
Corporate Greed  will feed in Volusia for decades!

Approx. 30,000 new homes
80,000-100,000 new residents
4.7 million square feet of commercial

On Thursday, February 18, our elected Volusia County Council betrayed us. They did not lead but followed the direction of Corporate Greed.   They were not courageous  but knelt before Avarice.   They partnered with deceit and abandoned the public good.

BROKEN PROMISES

Councilwoman Joie Alexander
Councilwoman Pat Northey
Chairman Frank Bruno
Councilman Josh Wagner
Councilman Jack Hayman

When they needed our votes, they all promised protection of our essential Natural Resource Management Area (NRMA) from  urban growth.

But on Thursday, February 18, they all drooled and quivered in anticipation of fulfilling Miami Corporation’s profit plan to destroy 15,000 acres with a direct hit and the rest of it with the pollution and cars of 100,000 new residents.

THE CRIMES THE LIES  THE FOOLS
AND THE DANGER!

Crime: Negligent waste of tax dollars

Our Director of Growth Resource Management, Gregg Stubbs, stood before our elected Volusia County Council and admitted that county staff had expended 1500 hours  promoting this ludicrous and dangerous project.

And the 1500 hours was just a drop in the bucket of tax dollar waste!

It did not include hundreds of hours of county legal staff!

It did not include the pre-application process lasting another year.

We are losing jobs.  We are losing our homes.  Our schools cry for funds.

AND OUR COUNTY SPENDS OUR MONEY  AND THEIR TIME CATERING TO MIAMI  CORPORATION’S GREED!!

LYING to the people who elected them and  pay their salaries. This is what we have been told for over one year:  If we don’t allow Corporate Greed to build an unincorporated city in the wet woods,  they will build ten acre ranchettes  over the entire 47,000.
But when confronted with the truth by EDGEWATER CITIZENS’ ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH,  (ECARD)  our county legal staff  admitted that ranchettes are an OPTION.

FOOLISHNESS: The taxpayer should be grateful to Corporate Greed.  If it wasn’t for Corporate Greed, we would never be able to buy this land for conservation. Corporate Greed is willing to cut us a deal “Give us a city and we will give you conservation lands – lots of it”

THE TRUTH:   24,323 acres of this land lies within the wetland mitigation bank.  They cannot develop that.  Even if they wanted to take it out of the mitigation bank, it is just too sodden.  That is why it is called a WETLAND mitigation bank. That leaves about 23,000 acres left to develop.  They are legally entitled to 2,300 clustered homes on 23,000 acres. And under our own good law, those 2,300 homes must be clustered or grouped together out of environmentally sensitive areas (like the WETLAND mitigation bank) and near existing infrastructure.

FOOLISHNESS:  County Council: “The taxpayers will never be able to buy the land!” Well, the  fools we elected  made sure of that. Thanks to them, they have increased the value of this land beyond comprehension for the benefit of Corporate Greed.

MORE FOOLISHNESS:
WATER
ROADS
SCHOOLS

THIS IS WHAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS HAS TO SAY:
. .   no additional infrastructure is planned to serve the proposed development through the Capital Improvements Element, the Future Transportation Map and the ten year water supply plan of the County and/or potable water and sewer providers.
Furthermore, the size of the development areas, their sprawling configuration across one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the county, their fragmentation of the natural environment, the lack of meaningful and predictable development controls to achieve the desired urban form, and the lack of planning for public facilities, result in the amendment not meeting the requirements of Ch. 2008-191, Section 2, Laws of Florida

County Response: There are no capital improvements necessary for the Farmton Local Plan

Seriously, that is their response.  I am not joking.

This is  a plan that is not planned.  It can be condensed into the following statement:

“We will figure it all out later”

DANGER TAXPAYER! DANGER!
Our elected county council has set a treacherous path for us. Not only have they wasted our money and will waste so very much more they have set a Precedent for other bordering landowners to follow.  Landowners who salivated in anticipation, represented by the same attorney who represents Corporate Greed.  They know, and our elected know, that once this door is open, there will be more new unincorporated cities for us to build.

LURKING DANGER. While  Corporate Greed will begin building Phase I ASAP, the major new city would not begin until 2060 –  OR when the market revives - bank on that date getting revised!!!

MORE DANGER!   This property is dangerously low lying. Over half of it is in the floodplain.  By destroying it, our elected is placing us all in harm’s way!

WHAT CAN I DO?

Send money. This is the most immediate and best action you can take. This will be a court case.  Without money, we have already lost.

If you have already donated, donate more.

Ask your friends and family to donate to:
ECARD
465 Wildwood Drive
New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168

Good luck Volusia!
Michele

Tags: ,
Posted in development, environment, politics | No Comments »

Living in a college town; meeting Max Cleland

Friday, February 12th, 2010

One of the reasons I like living in DeLand is because it’s a college (or univeristy) town. Such towns always have plenty to offer in art, lectures, music, theater and the like. And college towns usually have places to go relax and eat inexpensively.

I lived in Charlottesville, Va., for several years. That’s home to the Univeristy of Virginia. My neighbor was a grad student in the theater program, so I always knew what was coming up, and saw a lot of quality shows — from Agamemnon to Blithe Spirit.

The amount of talent here, at Stetson University, is phenomenal. I’ve seen two outstanding shows in just the past weeks. One, a collection of Broadway music featuring Stetson students, and the Heart for Haiti fundraiser, featuring both students and faculty.

Watch The Beacon’s Calendar section for upcoming performances. Here’s what’s coming in the next week or two:

Feb. 12 – TONIGHT! — University Symphonic Band concert, Bobby Adams, conductor, 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Hall

Feb. 19-21 – Puccini Operas: “Suor Angelica” and “Gianni Schicchi,” two one-act operas by Giacomo Puccini; featuring Stetson Opera Theater, Russell Franks, director, Anthony Hose, university orchestra conductor, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 and 20, and 3 p.m. Feb. 21, DeLand High School Auditorium, 800 N. Hill Ave. $10 general public, $8 senior citizens and area students.

Feb. 23 – Faculty recital featuring Stephen Robinson, guitar, 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Hall.

Feb. 24 – Jazz Ensemble recital, George West, conductor, 7:30 p.m., Stetson Room of the Carlton Union Building, 131 E. Minnesota Ave.

Stetson gets some of the most interesting thinkers and doers in the country visiting its campus.

Most recently, I got the chance to meet former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia. He’s a Stetson alum, who returned to campus for a book-signing.

Me and Max:

Cleland is also a Vietnam vet who got his legs and one arm shredded by a grenade blast. The Silver Star and Bronze Star winner came home, where he faced amputation of both legs above the knee, and he also lost his right forearm, at the age of 25. He went through a long night of the soul during a painful recovery.

He battled depression and pain, then went on to serve in the Georgia Senate and U.S. Senate. He’s also worked in a number of posts serving veterans. After expressing regret over his earlier support of the War in Iraq and disapproval of the Bush administration, Cleland was labeled “unpatriotic” by his opponents. The jab still hurts.

Cleland is an intelligent, savvy, engaging and charming man. It’s easy to understand how he was elected.

In his book, Heart of a Patriot: How I Found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove, Cleland talks frankly about his climb out of depression, dealing with post-traumatic stress, and the highs and lows of public service.

He said surviving Karl Rove was the toughest of the list.

Last year, President Barack Obama appointed Cleland secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Cleland is still dedicated to serving veterans.

Here’s some more info from Stetson:

In 2007, Cleland donated his personal memorabilia from Vietnam and political life to Stetson. The university’s duPont-Ball Library holds in its Archives thousands of items from his government offices and campaigns, plaques, awards, DVDs, CDs, letters from U.S. presidents and prominent government officials, and nearly 5,000 photos, many of them autographed. The collection can be viewed online at the Stetson library’s Max Cleland Collection Web site.
Cleland’s political career included two terms in the Georgia State Senate (1971-1975) and four years as head of the U.S. Veterans Administration under President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981). He was Georgia Secretary of State from 1982 to 1996 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2003. He also served on the 9-11 Commission that explored the terrorist attacks on the United States.

For some reason, I won’t be surprised if Cleland doesn’t run for office again.

At any rate, he’s one of those amazing people you never forget.

Posted in out and about, politics | No Comments »

Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh outdo themselves in demented comments

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

It sounds like dementia. It’s cynical grandstanding, and pandering to the worst element, most likely.

As most American read the news and watched the images coming from Haiti in horror, and as thousands of people with good hearts rushed to volunteer or donate to relief efforts, typical-but-sickening responses came from Rush Limbaugh and Pat Robertson.

For Limbaugh, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake represented only an opportunity for President Barack Obama to build his base of support from “light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country.”

Limbaugh apparently saw no need to send help to the devastated country. He noted, “We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax.”

Way to go, Limbaugh. You’ve shown once more that you’re an opinionated bigot, without one drop of compassion or mecy flowing through your veins. You’re all about nastiness and attempts to score points with the rabid right. Then laugh all the way to the bank, of course.

Limbaugh defenders say his comments were taken out of context, though nobody seems to be buying that. Fine, then. Let Limbaugh publicly donate a big chunk of his own personal money to relief efforts, and make a PSA apologizing and asking people to donate to one of the relief organizations. Then I’ll believe he didn’t mean it the way it was.

See some relief organizations listed right here at The Beacon.

My biggest beef is with Robertson, since he likes to portray himself as a man of the cloth.

Robertson blamed the death and devastation on a curse the people of Haiti brought on themselves. It was because, he said, they made a pact with the devil years ago, to get free of French rule.

“They said, ‘we will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal,’” Robertson claimed, on a recording of his CBN show.

While Robertson may claim special status as a “good Christian” who’ll likely get beamed up during the Rapture while the rest of us slobs get tortured here on Earth, he should think again.

It’s convenient and politically helpful to blame the victim, when the victim is someone who can’t do you any good, but who needs your help.

If it’s “God’s punishment,” why, that makes it easy to turn away. After all, who wants to get in God’s way?

But, someone who calls himself a Christian should read the Bible. It tells us rain falls on the just and unjust, and good people can suffer, while the wicked prosper.

The Gospel of Matthew 9:35-38 tells us:

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

So, when Jesus sees a multitude of sick, tired, hurt people, he responds with compassion. He sends his disciples into the field to help them and teach them. There’s nothing about how they brought it on themselves.

Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:11-13).

So, Mr. Robertson, I ask you: Where’s your love? Where’s your compassion?

Even in the Old Testament, we learn more of God’s compassion than his wrath. In the Book of Isaiah, God says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”

He is not forgetting the people of Haiti.

Perhaps compassion should be the word of the day.

Perhaps if Limbaugh and Robertson were dropped into one of the most devastated areas of Haiti — one where there is no food, no clean water, no medicines, no shelter — and left there for a few weeks, perhaps then, they would learn a little compassion.

Posted in faith, politics | No Comments »

DeLand does it right

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Monday evening, I covered the DeLand City Commission meeting. It was a little off my usual beat.

Let me tell you, the civility, courtesy and professionalism I saw were a breath of fresh air. Maybe some of the local city councils/commissions could take a field trip to DeLand on a first or third Monday, and see how it should be done.

Commissioners were businesslike at DeLand. They made pretty short work of a long agenda. Personal agendas didn’t rule. Even when they disagreed, they were civil.

Hats off to Mayor Bob Apgar and Commissioners Willie Bright, Leigh Matusick, Phil Martin and Charles Paiva, and City Manager Michael Pleus and Assistant City Manager Dale Arrington.

Of course, this doesn’t mean they get free passes for the future. I’ll be ready to poke a stick when they make wrong decisions. The panhandling ordinance was a good decision.

I can be a soft touch. But, as one who likes to sit at Abbey with friends and sip my Diet Cokes, I’ve seen the increase in panhandling, with the attendant made-up stories, demands for money, bad attitude when it isn’t forthcoming, and employees concerned for their own safety and the peace of their establishment. I’ve also been approached in city parking lots when I was getting in or out of my car and vulnerable to crime.

Good job, City Commission.

Now, you need to get to work on (and with local churches and service organizations) to provide services to the homeless. We desperately need a homeless shelter in or near DeLand. Even a few social workers assisting the homeless would be good. The Agape Clubhouse can’t do it all.

***

Here, DeLand City Manager Michael Pleus rolls up his sleeves, dons an apron, serves pancakes and gives an occasional hug during the Veterans Day pancake breakfast at Mainstreet Grill. And the proceeds went to a good cause. Thanks to Susan Macon for the photo:

Michael Pleus, Pat

Pleus puts the "serve" in service

Tags: ,
Posted in out and about, politics | Comments Off

Politics within politics

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

DeLand’s own gubernatorial candidate Michael Arth is fighting the good fight to get his party’s nomination. He’s run into the true party system at work.

In our two-party system, the sad truth is each party’s candidate is anointed by party honchos before the public even gets a look at them. The deals are made, the backing is promised.

Try to run as a third party candidate, and good luck to ya. In only rare instances has a third party candidate won major elections.

So, it’s generally the party machine that decides in advance. When you go to the polls, you have a choice between two hand-picked candidates. That’s why there’s often little real difference between them. They’ve been picked to pick up as many votes as possible, at least according to the computations of party flacks, and to do the will of the party bosses.

That’s how we get weird tickets like McCain-Palin. McCain had the Repub blessing already, and talking middle-of-the-road Republican, while claiming mavericky status. Those in charge figured Palin would tow the line, and would look good enough to pick up some of the younger right-wing votes McCain might miss.

We got the odd Obama-Biden ticket in the same way – balancing the ticket. Obama, the African-American “liberal” and Biden, the middle-of-the-road Joe Middle White America, to soothe those frightened by Obama.

The point is, regardless of party, it’s the party cheeses who choose the candidates.

It was a tossup between Obama and Clinton. I kinda think Obama got the nod because the party cheeses weren’t really thrilled with a woman – especially Hillary. (It worked out well, however.)

Not that I’m picking on the Democrats — I am one. But I still carry a little grudge about the way the national party treated Florida during the primaries last election year.

Anyway. So, now, outsider Arth is up against the state-party machinery. The Democrats have already anointed Alex Sink, barring some big scandal from materializing.

In today’s press release, Arth stated, “… the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) has ‘paid for and authorized’ prominent and numerous fundraising ads and banners on its official website” favoring Florida Democrat Party Chair Karen Thurman’s candidate, Alex Sink.

“The advertisements were paid for with money raised from Florida Democrats to support Democratic candidates. To spend these funds to support candidates more than a year before the Primary Election is to deny these Democrats any say in how their money is spent and to dilute their choice in the Primary,” Arth said.

We’ll see how he fares.

Posted in politics | 5 Comments »