At goodmoringkeywest.com today is a US Bureau of Land Management rules it owns Wisteria Island – Key West post.

 

Meanwhile …

 

 

In The Key West Citizen today:

 

Porter, union OK extra-pay deal
Supplemental money is less, but still there for teachers with more duties
BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com
Superintendent Mark Porter and the teachers union bargaining team Thursday signed a one-page contract agreeing on supplemental pay for teachers who take on extra work, including coaching sports, tutoring and directing band.
The agreement, which must still get the School Board’s approval, slices a $1.2 million budget for supplemental pay to about $800,000 and comes up with the $400,000 in cuts that former schools chief Jesus Jara announced earlier this year.
Unlike Jara, though, Porter met with United Teachers of Monroe (UTM) President Holly Hummell-Gorman, along with bargaining unit members Katy Balazs and Patty Tielkemeier, without the district’s hired labor attorney, Robert Norton.
“This really needed an answer,” Porter said of the supplemental pay. “It tends to be neglected. You spend so much time on the big picture that when you get down to this, it tends to get overlooked.”
Porter said he wants to bring the proposed contract to the board at its Tuesday meeting in Tavernier.
While the proposed contract represents merely a small piece of the unresolved batch of issues that led the union to declare an impasse with the district this year — stymied by Norton’s refusal to budge when it came to already-promised teacher raises — Thursday marked a new beginning, Hummell-Gorman said.
For starters, there was no arguing during the few hours of collective bargaining that stretched out from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the School District’s administrative building on Trumbo Road in Key West.
“It is unfortunate that this wasn’t settled before the start of the school year,” Hummell-Gorman said, referring to the union’s clashes with Jara, who had to cut some $13 million from the budget over the two fiscal seasons that he directed.
Porter brought administrators Theresa Axford and Christina McPherson to the district’s side of the bargaining table. The session was beyond polite.
“We are looking forward to building this trust,” said Hummell-Gorman, who became union president a year ago, after the session ended.
Porter said he kept in contact by phone with Norton throughout the day, to ensure the administration stayed on track.
Norton is due in Key West for an administrative hearing over the union’s impasse, set for 9 a.m. Thursday at the Trumbo Road offices. No decision is expected, but the hearing will air out UTM’s complaints that the district unfairly made budget cuts that ignored the negotiated contract.
Jara’s decisions were upheld by the state agency that handles public employee complaints, but the sour relationship with the teachers union haunted him while he served as the governor’s appointed superintendent for almost one year.
Jara cited a contract clause that allowed the cuts if the district was in dire financial straits.
Never cited by Filosa, The Citizen, Jara, Hummel-Gorman, nor any school board member, School District CFO Michael Kinneer told them all during collective bargaining negotiations that the money was not there to fund the ageement they were working out. Also ever cited, Audit & Finance Committee member Larry Murray told Jara’s boss, Superintendent Joe Burke, and the entire school board that he did not see how the collective bargaining agreement was being funded. That was the minefield the confederacy of dunces created, into which Mark Porter came after escaping from a different kind of dunce confederacy minefield in the Minnesota school district where he was Superintendent.
Porter, from Minnesota, was hired by the School Board this year over Jara, who took a top job [Deputy Superintendent] with Orange County (Fla.) Public Schools.
The session ended with Hummell-Gorman and Porter signing the contract on supplemental pay. Most of the day was broken up by one side or the other leaving the room to privately discuss an offer or idea.
Porter started with a proposed 10 percent across-the-board cut on all supplements that had teachers dealing directly with students, but came back at the day’s end with 5 percent.
About $103,000 of the cut was a wash, since it represented positions that hadn’t been filled in a while. Another districtwide extra-pay job was scrapped, for a savings of $18,000.
All junior varsity head coaches will receive a $2,007 supplement for the 2012-13 school year rather than last year’s $3,527.
Teachers who choose to teach a sixth period class rather than take a planning period will not lose a dime of their supplements, a total $141,000, the proposed one-year contract states.

Kudos to Mark Porter and Holley Hummell-Gorman for working it out, instead of shooting it out. Hopefully, they will be able to work out everything else, instead of shooting it out.

========================

On supplemental pay, received this from a lower Keys amigo:

 

Supplemental pay was a big issue when I was on the Radnor Township (Suburban Philadelphia) school board.We always said it seemed high, but never did anything to change it.Of course, we didn’t have the pressures then that they have there now, but probably nowhere near as severe as Monroe County.

On supplemental pay, received this from Larry Murray:

Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:30:14 -0700
From: citizenlarry007@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: school teacher supplemental pay/Wisteria key card
To: keysmyhome@hotmail.com
CC: mark.porter@keysschools.com

Sloan:

 

Supplemental pay in the School District is a scandal. I raised the issue when I was on the Audit and Finance Committee with the then Internal Auditor, Ken Gentile, and was assured that there would be a thorough assessment of all supplements.

 

If you read the list of supplements, you will see that a great many of them are very legitimate. Supplements are paid for extracurricular activities, after school work, to band directors, coaches and others.Clearly, these individuals deserve something for what they do after the school day.

 

However, if you read the list of supplements, you will see a great many that are, at least on the surface, questionable.For example, school secretaries are paid supplements for reasons that go unexplained. Others are paid supplements for having a “credential”. For example, the Assistant Director of Finance is paid an annual supplement of $2,300 for being a licensed CPA in the state of Maryland.Over the years, those supplements have accumulated in excess of $20,000. Why would the District pay someone for a licensure that has no value to the District? I have read the supplemental list, it is as Larry says. I also have read the list of salaries for all employees, and we have heaps of school district employees making a great wage by ordinary working stiff standards, plus supplemental pay, plus benefits. Plenty of those heaps are not teachers, plenty are. I tried to get the School Board and Jesus Jara to cut everyone’s compensation across the board, with the higher-compensated employees chipping in relatively more than the less-compensated, instead of targeting specific teachers for termination. They looked at me like I was nuts.

 

There have been some discussions within the Audit and Finance Committee regarding supplements, but they have not been extensive. One of the questions raised by myself and the AFC is why a supplement is being paid for something that should be part of the basic job description. That is, if a license is necessary to perform your job, why is that not built into the job description?Why is it considered an “extra”?

 

When I raised these specific illustrations with the then Internal Auditor [Ken Gentile], I was told that they would be considered as part of an overall reevaluation of the supplemental system. To my knowledge, such an evaluation has never been conducted.Efforts over the summer to obtain a list of supplements for this academic year have been brushed aside. Purportedly, such a list does not exist. I assume that such a list will eventually be published.

 

I am told that teachers do not know what, if any, supplements they will be receiving this year and that it is having a significant impact on morale. The simple fact of the matter is that if a teacher loses a supplement, their overall remuneration is reduced accordingly.That comes on top of furlough days and so on.

 

The sooner Superintendent Mark Porter gets a handle on the supplemental issue, the better everyone will be. It is, as I wrote earlier, a scandal full of pork.

 

Larry

 

Dr. Larry Murray

Fiscal Watchdog and Citizen Advocate

(305) 872-3087

 

When Larry was on the AFC, he and AFC Chairman Stuart Kessler were highly critical at one meeting of the School Board not asking the voters for even more than extension of the .5 mil operations tax, which the voters overwhelmingly passed early this year in a referendum. Everyone on the AFC, Michael Kinneer, Ken Gentile, Jesus Jara, the entire School Board and the teachers union knew extension of the .5 mil operations tax still would leave a $6 million budget deficit. They all knew the school district could not honor the contract with the teachers union.

 

I still say the School Board needs to ask the voters to approve a school operations tax increase early next year. And, yes, Mark Porter needs to cut all fat out of the school district expenses. He’s in charge of doing that. The School Board is in charge of increasing school district revenues.

 

Sloan Bashinsky, Dist. 3 write-in school board candidate

 

keysmyhome@hotmail.com

 

I imagine F.E.B. filing suit could mean it didn’t like how it’s attempts to persuade BLM to rule F.E.B. owns Wisteria Island were not going to suit Roger Bernstein. That, and/or the lawsuit is a tactic to pressure BLM to rule in F.E.B.’s favor, to avoid the expense of litigation over a small man-made island BLM had no clue it owned until Naja Girard of Key West dug up a chain of title indicating B.L.M. did own Wisteria Island. She then presented what she’d found to BLM, who at first blew her off, but later reversed its position and said it looked like she might be right. She looked right to me. The Navy had owned Tank Island. The Navy still owns Demolition Key. How did the Navy not also own Wisteria Island, lying between Tank Island and Demolition Key? Read on.
The Bernstein family and F.E.B. Corp. have paid taxes and managed the island for more than four decades, “without any government assistance,” F.E.B. stated in a prepared statement.
In its statement, F.E.B.called the Bureau of Land Management’s claim to Wisteria Island “unprecedented and an ill-informed decision,” as the property has been owned and maintained by private individuals since 1952, and prior to that, by the state of Florida since 1845.
“It is unclear why the federal government has apparently been researching the ownership of our island for more than a year, but has never bothered to contact us,” Roger Bernstein, president of F.E.B.Corp., said in a prepared statement.”With this alarming attempted land grab, the Bureau of Land Management seems to be ignoring one of the most basic of American constitutionally protected rights — the right of private citizens to own property.”
Well, if Tim O’Hara had spoken with Naja, or with me, he would have heard how BLM got involved.
The Bernstein family purchased the island and surrounding submerged land over 45 years ago, and it is currently held by F.E.B.The company is owned by the Bernstein family and the Walsh family, which owns another island off Key West, the upscale Sunset Key, and the Westin hotel in Key West.
Well, here we have a little more inaccuracy. Naja did a records search and told me it was Roger Bernstein’s father, or maybe it was his grandfather, who loaned David Wolkowsky money, and took Wisteria Island as collateral for the loan. Wolkoswky had bought the island from someone else.When Wolkowsky did not repay the loan, that Bernstein foreclosed the mortgage, and in that way took title to Wisteria Island.
Bernstein and other members of F.E.B.questioned why the federal government recently laid claim to Wisteria Island, as F.E.B. has paid all real estate taxes and assessments levied on the property; filed federal and state income tax returns disclosing its ownership of the island; complied with all state and federal laws and rules relating to ownership of the island; and worked with state and federal governmental agencies in connection with efforts to develop Wisteria Island.F.E.B. has also been the sole party maintaining and preserving Wisteria Island — including the installation of and maintenance of “no trespassing” signs on Wisteria Island, F.E.B. stated in its lawsuit.
Bernstein knows quite well why BLM recently laid claim to Wisteria Island, which why I explained above.Bernstein is a lawyer. I would be surprised to hear he did not know all along that the federal government did not claim to own Wisteria Island. Keep reading.
Over the past five years, F.E.B. has embarked on several plans to redevelop Wisteria Island.Each time, it has been met with public opposition and the plans have fallen through.
Given that Bernstein wanted to turn Wisteria Island into Sunset Key Deux, it is hard for me to imagine he did not do a thorough title search before moving forward with his development efforts. Doubly hard for me to imagine that, given Bernstein’s field marshall for the development is Jim Hendrick, who was the most knowledgeable land use lawyer in the Keys before he was tried and convicted in federal court, and then disbarred.Keep reading.
The Bureau of Land Management issued its ruling in November based on three documents that state the federal government claimed ownership as early as 1845, then reserved it for the Navy’s use in 1924, then gave control of it to U.S. Fish Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1982. There is no evidence that ownership of Wisteria Island was ever transferred from the federal government to the state government, which sold the island to private owners in 1952.
Florida’s Internal Improvement Trust Fund board is the agency that sold the island, according to Lynn Garcia of the Monroe County Property Appraiser’s Office.
While county records show the buyer was Paul E. Sawyer and his wife, Reta Sawyer, other state and federal records reportedly show Sawyer, the Monroe County attorney at the time, was acting as an agent for former state Rep. Bernie C. Papy. The deed says the sales price was $2,769, but the document stamps show it was $6,100, and it is unclear which figure is correct.
Here’s where it gets interesting.Before the sale by the State of Florida to Legislator Papy, the U.S. Navy Dock Master in Washington D.C. wrote a letter to the State of Florida, objecting to the sale of Wisteria Island on ground that the U.S. Government, via the Navy, owned the island by virtue of it never having been deeded to the State of Florida by the U.S. Government, whose title had vested when Spain ceded various territories to the U.S. as part of the Treaty that ended the Spanish-American War. I saw a copy of that letter. Bernstein has to have a copy of that letter.Then, the Florida Attorney General wrote a letter giving his opinion on the Navy’s claim of ownership of Wisteria Island. His opinion was he could not rule out the Navy’s claim of title, but he recommended that the State of Florida could proceed with the sale anyway, using a Trustees Deed to convey title, as long as the private purchaser was fully apprised of the Navy’s claim.I saw a copy of that letter, too, as surely did Roger Bernstein. As I understood from Naja, who had found the two letters, the State of Florida agreed to give Papy his money back, if he ended up losing out to the Navy on who owned Wisteria Island. As an ex-lawyer, I knew, as does Roger Bernstein know, a Trustees Deed is sort of like a Quit Claim Deed, and that Trustees Deed conveyed to Papy only what title, if any, the State of Florida owned. So that is how the Bernstein chain of title to Wisteria Island began, with everyone involved in that original transaction knowing the Navy claimed ownership of Wisteria Island.I see no way Roger Bernstein did not know of this all along. Also as an ex-lawyer, I knew, as does Bernstein know, that adverse possession usually does not lie against the US Government, or against a state or local government for that matter. I knew, as does Bernstein know, that Papy and his successors in title claimed to own Wisteria Island, and paid state taxes on it, did not erase the U.S. Government’s title, if such in fact existed.But then, perhaps, however, there is an obscure loophole if federal law, which would allow adverse possession against the U.S. Government in this peculiar case. Perhaps the U.S. Government lost out when the Navy Dock Master did not pursue in court the Navy’s objection to the State of Florida’s sale of Wisteria Island to Papy. II can imagine BLM might be glad Bernstein filed suit, to give BLM a reason to agree with Bernstein sub rosa, and get it over with. It is not just in Key West and the Keys that such things happen. Keep reading.
On Tuesday, Bureau of Land Management spokesman Bob Gillcash called November’s opinion “preliminary” and the agency is currently conducting another “formal review” to determine ownership.
Gillcash had not seen the lawsuit as of Tuesday and was provided with a copy of it by The Citizen.
Under no imaginable scenario can I see Bernstein did not threaten BLM with a federal lawsuit, and I can imagine someone in BLM smiling and a tacit understanding that would result in BLM tossing in the towel in Bernstein’s favor.
Under the Bureau of Land Management’s preliminary ruling, U.S. Fish Wildlife Service maintains control of the island.Anne Morkill, who manages all Fish Wildlife refuges in the Keys, questioned whether the federal government owned the island and has called for thorough review of the issue.
“I was not convinced then (November) and I’m not convinced now,” Morkill said.
I am not aware that Anne ever attended law school. I am aware that she very definitely was not happy with learning she might have jurisdiction over Wisteria Island, which is remote and would be very hard for her to look after. I can see BLM and USF&W agreeing with her on the inconvenience, and that leading to them tossing in the towel and completing what Papy started, knowing he was buying a pig in a poke, but gambling he would make out real good with that pig and any poking would happen to someone down the line in his chain of title, which is how it turned out on both counts – Papy made out real good and the Bernsteins got the poke.

Perhaps the only real solution, which no one wants, is a Category 5 hurricane, which which wipes the slate clean. Maybe that would get the local elected officials’ and Tallahassee’s attention. Maybe that would cause them to stop pretending the hurricane evacuation model is about saving lives, when what it’s really about is shortening the theoretical evacuation schedule as much as possible, to allow more development and put more lives at risk.

If you think I’m joking, think again. We in the Keys know the hurricane evacuation model is controlled by developers, chambers of commerce, Realtors and their elected officials.

Sloan Bashinsky

keysmyhome@hotmail.com

An angel of the Lord spares Isaac

As what we in the Florida Keys all hoped was tropical storm or small hurricane Isaac headed our way, as I did not dream of having to evacuate, received this from Nashville J yesterday:

Steve and I both really like this pic:

From Wikipedia:

A politician, political leader, or political figure (from Greekpolis“) is someone who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, inheritance, coup d’état, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest, divine right, or other means.Politics is not limited to governance through public office. Political offices may also be held in corporations, and other entities that are governed by self-defined political processes

People who are politically active, especially in party politics. A person holding or seeking political office whether elected or appointed, whether professionally or otherwise. Positions range from Homeowner associations[1] and block watches[2][to executive, legislative and judicial offices of state and national governments.[3]Some law enforcement officers, such as sheriffs, are considered to be politicians.

Politician can be a term used in a derogatory manner to belittle a statesman.[4]

Darn, all along I had been thinking a politician was kissin’ kin to snake oil salesmen, hornswagglers, hoodwinkers, con men, etc.

From bigpinekey.com’s Coconut Telegraph yesterday:

[Politicians] Why do we display an attitude of respect and agreement when a politician is interviewed? I notice that the same questions asked of a politician always get the same answer which is totally bullshit and an outright lie. And then after he or she is voted in they do nothing they say they are going to do. I think we should treat politicians like a Judge Judy treats a criminal.

Speak for yourself re displaying an attitude of respect and agreement when a politician is interviewed. I treat politicians as guilty until they prove beyond reasonable doubt that they aren’t.

Likewise, this email from Larry Murray to our school board chairman:

Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:30:41 -0700
From: citizenlarry007@yahoo.com
Subject: Not So Quick
To: robin.smith-martin@keysschools.com; ron.martinsb@keysschools.com; duncan.mathewson@keysschools.com; John.Dick@KeysSchools.com; andy@fishandy.com
CC: portermj@comcast.net; keysmyhome@hotmail.com; mhowell@keysnews.com; matt@mattgardi.com; johnlguerra@gmail.com; gfilosa@keysnews.com; skinney@keynoter.com; news@us1radio.com; rd.boettger@gmail.com

John:

I listened to your expressions of glee during your interview today on Morning Magazine. You had difficulty containing your pleasure that a County government scandal has taken the School District off the front page. It was as if you were saying that there is nothing scandalous afoot in the District. My advice is not to be so quick to assume that the District is scandal free.

In mid-May, I raised an issue with the Superintendent and the Board concerning whether or not the Internal Auditor cum Chief of Staff cum Finance Director had misled the District regarding his credentials. As you know, the issue at hand is whether or not Ken Gentile is a licensed CPA in the state of Florida as he claimed in his application.

My understanding is that Dirk Smiths conducted some sort of investigation on behalf of the Board since Mr. Gentile was hired by the Board and continues as its employee. The results of that investigation or any other inquiry by the Board has not been made public.The matter drags on and on.

Here it is, late August, three months later and the issue has not been resolved, at least publicly. It appears to me that the Board is executing its traditional “do nothing”, “kick the can” policy in the hope that everyone will forget.

I can assure you that I have not forgotten the matter. I believe the issue is extremely important and deserving of resolution and will continue to monitor it until there is a conclusion.

Larry

Dr. Larry Murray

Fiscal Watchdog and Citizen Advocate

(305) 872-3087

I replied to ALL

And where is the final report on the Sunny Booker insubordination charges investigation, which is far older than the Ken Gentile inquiry? A report Ken told me maybe 4 months ago needed to be wrapped up, after he told me it had been turned over to Richard Collins to handle. Ken told me Richard had been having medical problems.

When I read of Richard’s passing in The Citizen maybe 10 days ago, the report said he had retired last January, which was some months before I made the Public Records Request (Freedom of Information Act) request for the Sunny Booker investigation results.

And where is the information re heads that rolled, according to what you said on US 1 Radio, John? – which I also requested by FOIA, and was told by Jesus Ara in an email it had been assigned to someone else. Then, I was told by that someone else that it had been assigned to yet someone else, who would let me know what it was going to cost me to tell me, basically, what Jesus and you, John, knew off the top of you heads.

I believe it might be a crime not to honor FOIA/Public Records Requests.

Now that Jesus is gone, I’m amending that PRR to ask you directly, John, what heads rolled as per what you said on US 1 Radio? Please provide their names and job positions, and whether or not they were let go, or reassigned.

And again, I am asking for the final report on the Sunny Booker investigation. Since Jesus Jara has moved on, and since Mark Porter was not here then all of that went down, I’m making this request to you, John, as Chairman of the School Board.

Thank you,

Sloan Bashinsky

Larry replied to me only:

Go get ‘em tiger!!!!Please continue your FOIA requests until you get an answer. I will assist in any way I can.

Then, Larry replied to ALL:

Sloan:

I also found interesting the comment in Richard Collins’ obituary that he had resigned his School Board position in January. I do not recall any announcement at the time. Nor, do I recall any discussion of replacing him.

Apparently, Dirk Smits had replaced Collins and was not substituting for him during Collins’ illness. Was there a particular reason for keeping Collins’ retirement secret?

For reasons that I have never understood, the School District, now the School Board, has been loath to make personnel announcements. For example, I assume that the District has hired new teachers and others for this school year. Why not issue a simple press release identifying new personnel and welcoming them to the community?Similarly, I understand that there is a new Director of Adult Education and there was no announcement thereof. Will there be announcements with the appointments of the new IT Director and Purchasing Agent?

Larry

I replied to ALL:

Darn, if I can answer your questions, Larry. Can Dirk represent the School Board and the School District?Is there a conflict of interest? I ask because I don’t know.

Larry’s letter to the editor in The Key West Citizen today:

District is still flunking financial management

At its last meeting, the Monroe County School Board was presented with a report, Schedule of Investments.It seems the district has an investment portfolio in excess of $21 million.However, the funds are so poorly invested that there was a loss of $7,785 for the month!

How is that possible? Over a year ago, the district signed an agreement with First State Bank whereby the bank agreed to pay in excess of 1 percent on any investments. Were that done, the district would accrue income in the neighborhood of $250,000 annually or over $20,000 monthly. Instead there is a loss.

Similarly, at the same meeting, the board received an estimate approaching $1 million to repair concrete spalling in the roof beams of May Sands School.

That facility also needs additional roof repairs and recovering, along with who knows what else.

Is it prudent to invest such large sums in a building that may have already exhausted its useful life?Where was the planning to phase out the building and/or replace it?

Up and down the Keys, the opening of the school year was accompanied by several air-conditioning failures.Why?

The public was assured during the campaign for the .5 mil referendum for operations that the capital account was flush. If that is the case, why were repairs or replacements not done over the summer?

Why would the facilities director tell the board that he has a list of needed repairs in all schools that far exceeds his budget?

I believe that the students and taxpayers deserve better.

Larry Murray

Big Pine Key

From Nashville J re parts of yesterday’s post:

Sloan:

So we have two County Commissioners who are not sure they can fire Gastesi. So you can be in possession of stolen goods, bought at a discount that should have set off every red light in Key West! Really? If they can not fire both of them – they might as well shut the county down because everything in the county is going to be stolen within the next year. JMO

Glad your getting all checked out and most everything appears to be in good shape. Also glad that while you will not be able to TALK, you will still be able to write your blog each and everyday – otherwise – how we all keep up.

J

I replied:

Morning, J.

These days I’m a bit more into how I will keep up, selfish me.

I think the law is, they have to know, or reasonably should know, they are in possession of stolen goods and with such knowing they do not return the goods. I think Gastesi and other county employees returned the stolen goods when the shit hit the public fan. I heard the County sent out a notice about the phones and told any employees possessing same to return them. I heard a few employees laid low, then got caught with said stolen goods. Don’t know where that stands.

Florida Keys sitcoms better entertainment than most of what I see on TV.

You didn’t like my 4 questions to my school board opponents?

Sloan

J replied:

Certainly four good questions and I would vote for all of them expect #2. I might vote for it depending on what options the school gave instead of the sugary drinks and at what price are they going to sell them. Are they gonna sell bottled water for $1.50 a bottle so they can still make the same amount of $$$$ from the machines?Will they sell whole milk in the machines? or only 2pc milk? Is the tap water fit to drink? Do they serve sweet tea? Regular tea?

I gotta know what is gonna replace it AND whether there is “free” cups of ice available? Or just free ice so if I bring a drink from home that I can have it cold with my meal. I really like Arnold Palmers but I expect I would run up against the sugar police.

J

I replied:

Those drinks and snacks I generally named are destructive to human beings because of the processed sugar and/or caffeine, which are potent metabolic drugs. The other factory made chemicals ain’t too life supportive either.

Either kind of milk would be okay.

I would not sell bottled water in the vending machines, nor in the lunch room. The tap water in drinking fountains is potable – it’s what I drink ongoing.

Ooops!!! Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

Heard not all that long ago that a school board member didn’t want to tamper with the vending machines because they were profitable to the schools. As you keep saying, follow the money.

Am looking forward to hearing my 2 opponents’ answers to my 4 questions. Didn’t look to me there was any wiggle room when I wrote them, but you wiggled a bit.

Kids’ palates today are so mutated from what Mother Nature gave them when they were born, it’s a wonder they don’t start sprouting extra limbs, wings, tails …

J replied:

Destructive? Just need a little moderation and within reason when consuming ANYTHING.

Everything has WIGGLE room . In a former life, was updating changes to a Constitution/ By-Laws with association lawyer. I told him several areas that I would like it spelled out in black and white about a certain thing – he would just look at me and say that we don’t want it black and white – we want it where we can interpret it anyway we damn well please if and when a problem comes along. I still wanted it in black and white but the Board sided with the lawyer. So, everything was always shades of grey depending on what the Board wanted to do – not what should have been done. Kinda like the deal they tried to pull with putting the change to purchasing property on the ballot and not addressing the annexation.

I can probably wiggle around the other three questions to but don’t want to because I like them the way they are.

J

I replied:

Agreed on just need a little moderation and within reason in consuming soft drinks, sugar snacks and food generally … utter lack of both (moderation within reason) when I was a kid … Let the kids get their buzzes on after school, at home …

Lawyers represent a different kind of brain disorder, but sometimes they give pretty good advice, time tends to be the judge of all of that …

=================

Having spent about the same amount of time in politics as I spent being a lawyer, I prefer lawyers to politicians. I prefer statesmen to lawyers.

From Tim Gratz yesterday, replaying my questions to my opponents John Welsh and Ed Davidson, as per John Hammerstrom’s request:

1. If elected, will you push for the State Attorney to intervene in serious school bullying and/or hazing cases, applying state criminal law to offenders?

2. If elected, will you push for the removal of all soft drinks, energy drinks, coffee, tea and sugar snacks from school vending machines and school kitchen meals?

3. If elected, will you push for banning tobacco products from school grounds and suspension of students caught violating said ban, and expulsion of students caught again violating said ban?

4. If elected, will you push for law enforcement doing random monthly sniffer dog tours of the middle and high schools, and expulsion and State Attorney prosecution of all students caught possessing illegal drugs, including alcoholic beverages?

Great questions, Sloan.I’d pledge my vote but recently it seems everyone I’ve voted for loses so maybe I should vote for one of your opponents!

I also really like county going to charter so many races can be made non-partisan.

Best

Tim

Tim used to be a lawyer and a politician, at the same time. During the 2010 county commission race, he published several times in The Key West Citizen (he wrote articles for Solares Hill) that I was racially prejudiced against Hispanic people. If anything, I’m racially prejudiced against white people. Certainly, I’m racially prejudiced against politicians.

I look forward to hearing John Welsh and Ed Davidson answer those four questions.

My answers are YES, YES, YES, YES.

About zero odds the Keys will vote to be a charter county. The people of the Keys are as addicted to local partisan local elections and the closed primary games, as most kids today, and adults, are addicted what’s in school vending machines.

To fill in some blanks, Tim Gratz was Danny Coll’s campaign manager in 2010. Danny sought to unseat George Nugent in the Republican primary. A few days before the filing deadline, I filed as an Independent candidate in that race, which closed that primary race to Democrats and Independents.

I caught serious hell for that, even though I had told Danny and lots of people for months that I figured the angels were going to have me enter that race as an Independent candidate.

George got 55 percent in the Republican primary, Danny got 45 percent. I felt that was astoundingly close, given George’s entrenched incumbent position and close ties with Keys Republicans, especially the Goodman family.

I became convinced, still am, if I had not entered that race and closed the Republican primary, Democrats and Independents, who far outnumbered Republicans, would have elected Danny Coll.

In the general election, George beat me 3-1. He never believed Danny would have won if I had not entered that race. Tim Gratz saw what was coming down, though. He was in politics before he was born.

Danny is Cuban-American. He probably got every Hispanic vote cast in the Keys. If Tim had laid off of accusing me of being racially prejudiced against Hispanics and a shill for George Nugent, which forced George to step in and defend himself and me in a letter to the editor in the Citizen, which let everyone know who was backing Danny, Keys Hispanics, which got a lot of Republicans’ attention, Danny might have beaten George anyway in the Republican primary. And then Danny would have beaten me in the general election, and would be your County Commissioner for the Lower Keys.

If I were racially prejudiced against Hispanic people, I would not be backing first-timer Yvette Mira-Talbott against 5-term Anglo incumbent politician Andy Griffiths in the Dist. 2 school board race. That Yvette is Cuban-American also is in her favor.

Yvette

Cuban-Americans in the Keys need representation on the School Board, they need a Spanish-speaking person on the School Board, and the Keys need a woman on the School Board with deep roots in the Keys, who knows the Key West schools, having attended them herself and having had her children attend them, and who has worked at Key West High School, and who has extensive business experience – all which is Yvette.

I still say every Keys student should be bi-lingual in English and Spanish by the 7th grade.Bi-lingual, because of the large Hispanic population in the Keys, and because of the Keys proximity to Cuba and to Miami, which is a suburb of Havana, and because Espanol-speaking people are all over America and are rapidly growing in numbers.

Charles “Sonny” McCoy was Cuban-American. El hablas Espanol. An architect, Sonny was Mayor of Key West for five terms, and then he was on the County Commission for several terms, and was County Mayor a time or two. He designed buildings and parks in Key West and in the Caribbean. He once slalomed behind a runabout non-stop from Key West to Havana.

Hello? Anybody home?

Sloan Bashinsky

keysmyhome@hotmail.com

New schools superintendent Mark Porter ran a really tight, well-organized school board meeting yesterday evening at Marathon High School. School board members present were Andy Griffiths, Ron Martin and Robin-Smith Martin. Mark impressed me throughout the maybe all-time world record short school board meeting, which adjourned at 6:30 p.m., one and one-half hours total.

I drove up not having anything on my mind to say, and I passed saying anything during citizen comments. However, when the meeting moved into being a budget workshop and citizens were given another chance to speak, and a chance to ask questions, I went to the designated spot and asked the three school board members if they were considering seeking an operations tax increase for next year?

 

I swan, all three heads seemed to be nodding, yes. I said they were thinking of an operations tax increase next year? Griffiths and Smith-Martin shook their heads, no. I said I asked because it looked to me they had nodded their heads, yes.

 

I was pretty sure Ron Martin was for an operations tax, since he had proposed one a school board meeting early this year, which sent board member John Dick into apolexy. Was glad John wasn’t there last night, so I could get a spontaneous read on the other three board members.They nodded their heads, yes, probably not realizing it.

 

I wasn’t finished, however.

 

I said they had obligations to teachers they could not pay, thanks to agreeing to a contract they could not afford, after being told they could not afford the contract. Then, after realizing they could not afford the contract, they did the necessary legal stuff to get out of it.

 

I said fortunately, or unfortunately, Mr. Porter was not here for that, but it needed to be dealt with because it had created a great deal of unhappiness. I said they talk about doing for the teachers and the children, and a school operations tax increase next year will be for them.

 

The look on Porter’s face left me thinking he got the point. He’s a lawyer. He’s negotiated with teacher unions before. He knows you don’t make a contract, then break it, and not cause seriously bad teacher-school board/district relations.

 

I told Holley Hummell-Gorman, the union rep, to be sure when the union and Porter meet to talk about the problems caused by the school board before Porter arrived, to lobby for a school operations tax increase being put on the ballot next year. I said there is no other way to solve the rift between the school board (sons of bitches) and the teachers.

 

I realized all of that was why I drove up there for the meeting, thinking I didn’t have anything to say.

 

Yvette

 

After the meeting adjourned, I went over to speak with Dist. 2 school board candidate Yvette Mira-Talbott, who had been sitting beside Dist. 3 school board candidate John Welsh. Dist. 3 candidate Ed Davidson had sat in his usual place across the way.

 

I asked Yvette if she had her file out sharpening her fangs and nails? She smiled. I asked if she was related to George Mira, aka The Matador of Miami Hurricanes fame? Yvette said George is her uncle, he had no daughters and she became his daughter. He comes down to Key West every week and goes around with her to help her with her campaign.

 

Key West’s own sho nuff’ kick-ass good quarterback

 

Yvette is Andy Griffiths’ opponent in the November 4 run-off. John Welsh and Ed Davidson are going head to head in the Dist. 3 race, with me tagging along as a write-in candidate.

 

Moving laterally …

Lisa Druckemiller

From the State Attorney via The Key West Citizen today:

State Atty’s iPhone report released

Says Druckemiller’s sons also sold stolen county items, lists other buyers

BY TIMOTHY O’HARA Citizen Staff

tohara@keysnews.com

A Monroe County State Attorney’s Office investigation report states a former county director was not the only one in her family who sold stolen county-owned iPads and iPhones.

County officials on Tuesday released the report, which illuminated the investigation into the criminal case against former County Technical Services Director Lisa Druckemiller.

The report details multiple interviews with her fellow county employees who purchased the reportedly stolen iPads and iPhones.Druckemiller “committed no less than sixteen counts of theft and twenty-eight counts of dealing in stolen property,” according to a report by State Attorney’s Office investigator Chris Weber.

The report also gave a synopsis of the investigators’ interviews with Druckemiller’s two sons, Brendon and Ryan Druckemiller.

In his “conclusion narrative,” Weber states that both Druckemiller’s two sons sold the stolen equipment, despite knowing it “was not obtained through legitimate channels.”

The report states Brandon Druckemiller sold “two pieces of equipment” with the “foreknowledge the equipment was not obtained through legitimate channels and he did not purchase the equipment online as he claimed,” Weber wrote.

Ryan Druckemiller advertised “one piece of equipment” on Facebook and sold it with the “foreknowledge that the equipment was not obtained through legitimate channels,” Weber wrote.

Neither were charged by a local grand jury that investigated the case. The grand jury charged Lisa Druckemiller with felony scheming to defraud and dealing in stolen property.

“Is it suspicious? Yes,” Assistant State Attorney Mark Wilson said Tuesday of the sons. “Is it enough to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt? I’m not sure it is.”

Druckemiller’s “two sons did not know that the equipment belonged to Monroe County notwithstanding the assertion in the report to the contrary,” Lisa Druckemiller’s attorney, Robert Cintron, said Tuesday.

The report “is chock full of factual inaccuracies.” Cintron said. “That’s their (state attorney’s) version of the evidence and documents. It’s not a sworn document.”

Cintron has requested “these types of reports” from the State Attorney’s Office and not been provided them, he said.

Druckemiller told investigators that County Administrator Roman Gastesi approached her about purchasing two iPhones and placed “two $100 dollar bills on her desk and said ‘I want iPhones for my kids. Make it happen.’”

Gastesi denied the allegation, saying, “It is absolutely false and ridiculous.”

“She has changed her story so many times and lied,” Gastesi said. “She is definitely trying to deflect guilt.”

Gastesi purchased five iPhones and an ipad from Druckemiller. He did not know they were stolen, he has said from the beginning of the investigation.

The report further details which county employees and Guardian Ad Litem employees purchased iPhones from Druckemiller.

The report states that Gastesi, fellow technical services employee Hank Kokenzie and County Commissioner Heather Carruthers were not the only government employees to purchase equipment through Druckemiller.

County Budget Director Tina Boan purchased two iPhones.County wastewater projects administrator Liz Wood purchased a iPhone from Druckemiller. Guardian Ad Litem Director Alexsa Leto purchased two phones and Guardian Ad Litem employees Tom Hampton and Lacy Caballero purchased an iPhone each from Druckemiller, the report states. All told investigators they purchased the phones not knowing they were stolen.

Weber’s report also makes brief mention of how Druckemiller racked up nearly $20,000 in charges on Deputy County Administrator Debbie Frederick’s credit card. Druckemiller purchased an iPhone for Frederick legitimately through the Apple computer company; that phone was not a stolen county-owned phone. Frederick later confronted Druckemiller about the charges, and Druckemiller agreed to make payments to Frederick.

The payments stopped after Druckemiller was confronted about the stolen iPads and iPhones and quit the county, Frederick said.

The State Attorney’s Office will release another grand jury report Thursday, which will list recommendations to the County Commission including possible disciplinary actions for the employees who purchased equipment and what the county should have done to prevent the theft.

The county is considering bringing in an outside investigator to go through the grand jury report and make recommendations on discipline, county officials said.

Druckemiller’s attorneys are currently in discussions with the State Attorney’s Office on a possible plea deal, Cintron has said. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.

=========================

I’ve heard Drukemiller and her family are multi-generation conchs. I’ve heard the whole clan are like what this article describes. Maybe they are somehow related to Harry Bethel’s tribe.

I’m wondering if Robert Cintron, whom I know pretty well, he practices law with conch attorney Hugh Morgan, and used to practice law with Jim Hendrick, both of whom I also know pretty well, is trying to talk Mark Wilson and Dennis Ward into giving Drukemiller a conch plea deal – wrist slap – instead of a regular plea deal – prison time?

I imagine if Cintron can’t get Drukemiller a conch plea deal, he will drag the case out until Cathy Vogel or Mark Kohl are installed. I have heard they both had a reputation when Kohl was State Attorney and Vogel was one of his felony prosecutors, of making conch plea deals with conchs – or not even prosecuting conchs.

Am also having trouble keeping a straight face over Roman Gastesi and other county employees claiming they had no clue the devices they bought from Duckemiller were hot goods. They thought Druckemiller was like a Mary Kay rep?

For further comic relief:

The other day I published a slam of Democrat State Attorney primary winner Cathy Vogel, sent by this email address below, claiming a “SonOfTheBeaches” handle. Here is some of what passed between him and me since then. I told the angels last night that I wanted to bust SOB today, but it was their call.

 From: NewsSource007@aol.com
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:05:08 -0400
Subject: Re: Ward vs. “Bubba” Vogel (CONFIDENTIAL)
To: keysmyhome@hotmail.com

Sloan, amigo,

Please don’t publish my e-mail address so that everybody in the “Conch Mafia” or “Conchanostra” can harrass me. As an apparent internet journalist, you will never maintain “Confidential Sources” that way.

THAT is why I gave you “SonOfTheBeaches.” Or you could, “Call me ISHMAEL.” I didn’t know your web newspaper existed because I don’t live in the Keys anymore. Found it by accident looking up the KeysSAO election results. THERE IS MORE egregious activity that I didn’t report to you. Like how about probation for road rage aggravated battery on a moving motorcycle with an automobile?

I would be interested in hearing from you about your beef with Dennis after you supported him in 2008. It seems that in 2008 you recognized the problem with Emperor Kohl — yet, in 2012, you didn’t recognize that with Vogel you will get more of the same. I recall a joke that the admiral told at supper in the movie, “Master and Commander.” Sometimes you have to choose between the lesser of two WEAVELS.”

Then SOB sent this:

CONFIDENTIAL

Sloan,

That question intrigued me . . . because Kohl has collected no money (to speak of). After the primary, the answer seems clear — particularly because of the accusation that he and Vogel were working in concert. The answer seems to be that, by Kohl throwing himself into the election, Kohl deprived thousands of Keys voters (Republicans) of the right to vote in a REAL election — not the farce that November will be. So, the master Q seems to be who to vote for? Possibly Kohl, so that he can be beaten again in 2016. Otherwise, the Keys is stuck with Conch Kathy (Vogel) in perpetuity. After all, part of Vogel’s “experience” is that she worked in one of the most ineffective crime fighting offices in the USA. Where murder and drug crime were and remain rampant. Under Janet Reno. At least the drug crime is.Imagine TWO to FOUR days jail for dealing in cocaine? Unheard of in North Florida, where the drug problem is a problem but not near as bad as in South Florida. They send them to prison in North Florida. Janet Reno’s incompetent handling of WACO and RUBY RIDGE will not be forgotten . . . by those who know there should have been a different decision. Reno was out of her league.

Thanks for the confidentiality.

I replied sequentially, and combined the replies for this post:

I put bulls-eyes on my front and on my back every day.

Your email address gives nothing away about who you are.You gave that away by identifying yourself as a felony prosecutor in the Upper Keys under Mark Kohl’s regime, and you described a prosecution up there, which you said Cathy Vogel tried to tamper for someone outside the State Attorney office. Hard to imagine Cathy doesn’t know who you are, if she read that post containing your email. Hard to imagine someone in her camp didn’t alert Cathy to that post, if she did not read it on her own.

I wrote extensively about my beef with Dennis Ward in scattered posts at goodmorningfloridakeys.com, starting with Robert Krutko climbing my ass maybe late last fall, perhaps later. It was painful writing about Dennis in that way, we were quite good friends. But as the months passed, and more things happened, I no longer could support him. I don’t feel up to writing it all again, but will do so if the angels command it.

Don’t ass-u-me anything about me, except there is no way to predict what I’m going to do, say or write next. I don’t like Vogel for State Attorney. I don’t like Kohl for State Attorney. I don’t back, or vote for, the lesser of evils.

My sense is, Mark Kohl would like to be State Attorney again. It just now occurs to me, now that it is all over the Keys who got Vogel elected, the Key West conchs, it would not surprise me if – boomerangkarmarama!!! – the non-Key West conch Republicans, Democrats and Independents gang up on the Key West conchs and put Mark back in office.

In which case, any ammo you have on Vogel might be really relevant. ?

SOB replied:

Sloan, amigo,

Here is the reality you seem to resist. (#1) You and I are on the SAME team. We r brothers in the battle for TRUTH. (#2) As wonderful as you and your type of people are, some of the more “bull-headed” of you DO NOT recognize THAT very simple truth (absent the grace of God). [Do your research on GALILEO and the Catholic church].

Emperor-elect Vogel may (on her own) figure out who I am; but let me spell it out in the font and language that you understand –

YOU GAVE MY E-MAIL ADDRESS OUT TO WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL THE “CONCH MAFIA” and what I call the “CONCHASNOSTRA.” SO THAT I HAVE BECOME THEIR TARGET FOR FURTHER HARRASSMENT !!!!

There is ABSOLUTELY NO connection between my CONFIDENTIAL e-mail address and the surname that I gave you. I mean, “outing” a confidential source. WHAT KIND OF DUMB-ASSED “JOURNALIST” DOES THAT ???!!!!??? And, when challenged — doesn’t have the balls to say, “I’m sorry, I made a mistake.” Hmmm . . . a megalomaniac like Kohl or Vogel would be an example.

‘Nuff said.

PS — In hindsight … what the H@#& … should I expect from you. The “messenger” has been killed for bringing the “bad news” to the “receiver” for centuries before the time of the “Caesar.”

SOB again to what I wrote about maybe boomerangkarmarama!!! getting Kohl reelected:

gracias, amigo. It is my grrrreat pleasure to make you acquaintance !!!

SOB again:

Sloan, amigo,

Please kindly send me (hopefully you still have it) all of the information that offended you about Dennis. Vogel should have offended you MORE !!!

Your brother for TRUTH,

(ya kno’ . . . a SonOfTheBeaches is just another “S. O.B.!!!” )

SOB again:

Sloan, amigo,

On second “THOT.” In the REAL WORLD . . . thass just NOT going to happen !!!

Kind personal regards from,

Your friendly “SOB.”

My replies sequentially, combined for this post:

Why do you call me amigo?You don’t know me from Adam.

My amigos and amigas down here let the conchs know loud and clear who they are.

The most popular blog down here is the Coconut Telegraph atbigpinekey.com. The owner is a friend of mine. He publishes most of what is submitted, anonymously.However, he has a policy: if you slam someone else, he publishes your email address with your submission.

Galileo knew he would be in hot water if he held forth what he believed. He held forth anyway.

As I told you yesterday, what I wrote about my difficulties with Dennis was scattered in a number of posts to goodmorningfloridakeys.com. Those posts are in the Archives. I don’t know the names or dates of those posts, which I recall began latish last year. I post, then I move on. I told you yesterday it was painful writing about it, and I did not feel up to writing it again, but would do so if the angels commanded it. So far, I have not been commanded to write it again.

In the real world, nobody has a clue what is going to happen.

==============================

So far, nothing further from the SOB, but hope springs eternal.

Sancho Panza threw another tantrum, this one over yesterday’s alien technology – Florida Keys and beyond post. I told the angels yesterday afternoon that it was a good kind of post to put up occasionally, to offer an entirely different perspective from what usually is bandied about by know it alls like SOB, Jerry Wickey of Key West, and Sancho Panza of the Big Apple area:

Weird post this morning, Sloan… are you running a fever?! That guy Jerry… I know many like him… you are not that far removed from him even if you disagree with his armchair fundamentalist dogma (Goats Vs Sheep in the end times)!Both of you, and the rest of the Human race, are looking for “DELIVERANCE” whatever ails you(even guilt) via Holy Scriptures, via Angel’s trumpets, Transcendental Experiences, UFOs/ETs… or even by osmosis from other powerful Human Leaders… and of course let us not forget the worship of the Golden Calf, Wealth, the greatest deliverer of all! He, he, he! Not!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTD1586dDzY

[kinda entertaining video - kinda]

Reading 1, Exodus 32:7-14

7 The Lord then said to Moses, ‘Go down at once, for your people whom you brought here from Egypt have become corrupt.

8 They have quickly left the way which I ordered them to follow. They have cast themselves a metal calf, worshiped and offered sacrifice to it, shouting, “Israel, here is your God who brought you here from Egypt!” ‘

9 The Lord then said to Moses, ‘I know these people; I know how obstinate they are!

10 So leave me now, so that my anger can blaze at them and I can put an end to them! I shall make a great nation out of you instead.’

11 Moses tried to pacify his God. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘why should your anger blaze at your people, whom you have brought out of Egypt by your great power and mighty hand?

12 Why should the Egyptians say, “He brought them out with evil intention, to slaughter them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth?” Give up your burning wrath; relent over this disaster intended for your people.

13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to whom you swore by your very self and made this promise: “I shall make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and this whole country of which I have spoken, I shall give to your descendants, and it will be their heritage for ever.”

14 The Lord then relented over the disaster which he had intended to inflict on his people

=================================

The total childishness of the people is seen in their worship of the golden calf, which they have made from their own gold, but which has assumed a magical status in their eyes. This is our God, they say, because it is visible, material and demands nothing of them except their surplus wealth.The status of wealth in our society today is similar: an icon to which we sacrifice our surplus wealth while ignoring the demands of justice and peace.What bare-faced liars they are, who pretend to value the deaths of young, working class men in Afghanistan, while refusing to forego their bonuses for the sake of their country. Indeed it could be argued that our current financial crisis comes from capering round the golden calf of capital, when we ought to have been attending to matters of real substance, like the scandalously low minimum wage, or even the care of the vast army of wrinklies like me, who are about to burden the health service with our needs!

I replied:

I might always be running a fever.

I don’t know many like Jerry, thankfully.

About the only deliverance I look for is not waking up one morning. Don’t know where you got otherwise re me.

Meanwhile, as I wrote before during your last tantrum, I engage what is in front of me, then I move on to the next thing in front of me.

Be glad you don’t have to deal with angels, demons, etc. ongoing.

Your distemper seems to be increasing.

Sancho replied:

Distemper? For a person whose always touting the feminine side you sure’nough keep on beating that sexist drum!

I think you need a pair of these… sunglasses!

They’ve Arrived !!

I replied:

It’s your distemper.

I never have liked these “swim suits.” They’d be a lot prettier naked or in T-shirts and jeans.

===================

I always liked peaches better with the fuzz still on.

Sloan Bashinsky

keysmyhome@hotmail.com