Ideas Have Consequences....Keep Asking Questions!

Ideas Have Consequences....

As my Georgetown Political Theory Professor, Jose Sorzano (later Deputy UN under the recently departed UN Ambassador to Jeane Kilpatrick) taught, "ideas have consequences."

I was reminded of that this morning upon reading the kind letter from Senior Special Agent Robert E. Tyndall (Retired) and the column by U.S. Department of Labor Chief Administrative Law Judge Nahum Litt (Retired), and Friday's letter from Hanford, Washington whistleblower Ed Bricker and last Sunday's column by Ms. Judith Seraphin.
We moved to St. Augustine at the end of the 20th century. I was busy trying cases and zealously representing whistleblowers. Meanwhile, Brian told me after a few months, "it's crooked around here." He was right.

I finally attended my first City Commission meeting in April 2005. I was shocked at how St. Augustine citizens were treated by City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS and City Commissioners, the Executive Committee of the clear-cutting overdevelopers in St. Augustine. I asked about abuse of annexations, violations of the Fifteenth Amendment and the Voting Rights Act and refusal to annex West Augustine. In response, City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS threatened me with arrest for "disorderly conduct." Welcome to the City of St. Augustine!

I asked questions then and I ask them to this day, much to the chagrin and annoyance of City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS ex-Mayor GEORGE GARDNER, new Mayor JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR., Vice Mayor DONALD CRICHLOW, ex-Vice Mayor SUSAN BURK and Commissioner ERROL JONES.


In May 2005, I sked about discriminatory treatment of Gay people on Bridge of Lions flag-flying. Commissioners voted against equality, 3-2, on May 23, 2005. Fourteen days later, United States District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. ruled for the St. Augustine Pride Committee -- Equality Florida lawyer Karen Doering's arguments were persuasive and the City's pretexts were not worthy of belief, ordering the Rainbow flags flown on BOL from June 7-13, 2005.

Undeterred, three bigoted Commissioners voted June 13, 2005 to ban all but government flag-flying on our bridge, ending the public forum.

Then four Commissioners voted January 9, 2006 to allow controversial New York ex-lawyer ROBERT MICHAEL GRAUBARD to build a strip mall and condos where there is a 3000-4000 indigenous Indian village, ignoring concerns about archaeology, history, drainage, flooding and clear-cutting (see below).

Then on February 24, 2006, I reported our City's illegal dumping to the federal government, resulting in a proposed FDEP $47,248 fine (not announced until after the 2006 elections)(see below).

A recipient of campaign contribution largesse from controversial clear-cutting overdeveloper ROBERT MICHAEL GRAUBARD,
our St. Augustine soon-to-be-ex-Mayor GEORGE GARDNER attacked me publicly on November 13, 2006, at the last City Commission meeting over which he presided as Mayor, lambasting me for asking (unanswered) questions. (GARDNER will now be just another Commissioner, already announcing he won't run again in two years)(see below).

On November 19, the St. Augustine Record editorial defended me against GARDNER and his attack (see below), intended to chill free speech.

Then two of the Mayor's entourage -- an ex-Bush environmental advisor now implanted by Commission appointment on our PZB, and our City archaeologist's spouse, both attacked me, and Ms. Seraphin defended me.

Now the former CALJ of USDOL (1979-1995), a former federal lawman and a Hanford whistleblower have all three told the truth to power, explaining who I am to those who thought they could "run me out of town" (actual quote from "anonymous" St. Augustine Record "Talk of the Town" website postings, some of which were by City Commissioners, managers and their entourages, earlier this year).

As Senior Special Agent Robert E. Tyndall (Retired) put it best, public officials who attack critics "demand to be investigated."

The idea that you can be a tinpot Napoleon and ride roughshod over peoples rights any longer -- in what St. Augustine Record reporter Peter Guinta described (in Editor & Publisher Magazine) as a "small but cosmopolitan city" -- has consequences.

St. Augustinians are fed up with the self-aggrandizing narcissists who run for City Commissioner and have no ideas, no inspiration and no respect for history, environment or people -- serving only the developers who feed their ca campaign kitties.

Today's NY Times Magazine has an excellent feature on the ideas of 2006, including "sousveillance," the idea that the public is watching government officials. It also discussed the idea that people are more honest when they believe they're being watched (discussed under "Eyes of Honesty, The"). America's Founders sincerely believed both these ideas and they are enshrined in the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Federalist Papers.

City Hall, the eyes of St. Augustine are upon you and we've got you under "sousveillance." Not only is everyone in the City of St. Augustine now paying attention to what once-unaccountable Commissioners are doing, they're watching them on TV (tomorrow night at 5 PM on cable channel 3).

They're talking about them at work the next day. More interesting than football, with real impact on peoples' lives, for good or evil.

In fact, as thousands have done since this blog began in April 2006, "the whole world is watching" the August City Manager and Commissioners of the City of St. Augustine, Florida.

Like former President Bill Clinton, "I still believe in a place called Hope." I believe:

1. Our questions will be answered.

2. Diverse people are united in wanting to Clean Up our City of St. Augustine, Florida.

3. Our environment will be preserved.

4. Clear-cutting by developers can be halted and regulated.

5. Parks will be designated, including a St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore (SANHPS)(see below).

6. Our Nation's Oldest City will be preserved.

7. Our City government will serve "just us folks," or it will be replaced, with as many as twelve City Charter Amendments and reform candidates to choose from.

City Commissioners may lead, follow, or get out of the way.

As Ms. Judith Seraphin says (see below), in words of President Harry S Truman, "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."

As Mr. Tyndall says (below), "The First Amendment is not dead yet."

In the immortal words of Thomas Jefferson, "I have sworn upon the altar of Almighty God enteral hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of [humankind]."

Tomorrow night is another City Commission meeting.

It is a golden opportunity for our new Mayor, JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR., to show us what kind of a leader he intends to be: will he assure everyone "a seat at the table?" (See below). Or is he another person who makes promises, only to forget them?

Tomorrow night's meeting is also yet another opportunity for "we, the people," to ask our leaders questions.

As WOR radio talk show host, North Carolina native and onetime Congressional candidate Barry Farber always ended his New York radio broadcasts (heard in 38 states), "keep asking questions!"