Time to Investigate, Prosecute Threats to Environmental Activists

Time to Investigate, Prosecute
Threats to Environmental Activists

In St. Augustine and St. Johns County, government and corporate bullies have threatened environmental activists.

They've done it in the daytime and done it in the nighttime.

They've done it in writing and they've done it in televised meetings.

They've done it in sotto voce and they've done it by raising their voices.

They've done it by employment and business blacklisting.

They've violated federal criminal laws, including the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.

They've done it directly and indirectly.

Our City Commissioners even passed a resolution, 5-0, to seek sanctions and attorney fees against Dr. Dwight Hines, Ph.D., for filing an open records request (after refusing to agree to mediation by the State Attorney General's office), with Mayor-Elect JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, MAYOR GEORGE GARDNER, VICE MAYOR SUSAN BURK, COMMISSIONERS ERROL JONES and DONALD CRICHLOW voting to seek attorney fees to make Dr. HINES "pay the piper." It turns out that our City of St. Augustine lied in state court filings, claiming that requested documents did not exist. Our City has since produced 45 pounds of documents it claimed did not exist.

Our City Planning and Zoning Director, MARK KNIGHT, threatened to fireall of the members of the Street Tree Advisory Committee and abolish the committee if they did not vote to adopt a report he had written for Tree City USA application purposes. (See beloow).

Our former City Attorney, JAMES PATRICK WILSON, even threatened to have Dr. Dwight Hines, Ph.D. and I arrested for making requests for government documents. (See below).

City and county government officials' bullying and threats have only shown their lack of merit in winning approval of 80,000 new homes in this corrupt city and county.

Ideas have consequences -- the idea that greedy corporations get to destroy our environment and intimidate, coerce and restrain protected activity has consequences.

FDEP has found our City's illegal dumping was a "serious" violation and that our City of St. Augustine showed a "lack of good faith," which is to say bad faith.

Congressional investigations of Florida's corruption are inevitable.

Congressman John Dingell (D-Michigan), incoming Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently quoted the Lord High Executioner said in the Mikado, "I've got a little list."

Let's stand up to bullies. State, county and city legislation procured through fraud can be set aside to the wrongdoers. Excessiive congestion can be treated as a public nuisance. Time for a growth moratorium and state and federal grand juries.