The Florida Times-Union
July 23, 2007
Guest column: News story on mosquito control agency omitted some key facts
By John Sundeman
This is in response to a Times-Union news story on Saturday, July 14, "Mosquito control district battles insects, themselves."
The article is misleading journalism. It is misleading to the 125,000 registered voters of St. Johns County and to Times-Union readers.
Significant events that occurred at the Anastasia Mosquito Control District meetings of July 10 and July 12 were omitted that, when disclosed, show a 180-degree turn of events.
First, it was not disclosed that when Chairman Barbara Bosanko called the sheriff on July 10 to remove citizens exercising their constitutional right to speak, the deputy who responded did an onsite investigation and removed no one.
Reason: no grounds for calling the sheriff in the first place.
Second, the reporter failed to disclose what I believed to be the real reason that Bosanko called the sheriff - to keep a highly embarrassing issue from being disclosed on public TV.
Don Girvan, a retired U.S. Army colonel and veteran pilot, disclosed that the Mosquito Control District could have purchased a helicopter, made specifically for mosquito control, for $350,000 instead of the one purchased for $1.8 million - a $1,450,000 savings!
Prior to Girvan's attempt to speak, he had issued a "written memo" to the commissioners disclosing the huge savings. In an attempt to keep this disclosure from the public, Commissioner Linda Wampler attempted to stop Girvan from continuing.
She knew if he were to "spill the beans" it would further humiliate Mosquito Commissioners Bosanko, Linda Wampler and Emily Hummel - all supporters of the district's $1.8 million six-passenger-seat, luxury helicopter, to be used for treating swamps.
This helicopter is designed to carry executives for passenger transportation.
Commissioners Jeanne Moeller and I were against this helicopter purchase. This luxury helicopter purchase has made the Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County a laughingstock throughout the state of Florida.
Third, and a most serious omission by the Times-Union reporter - the "red meat" of the July 12 meeting: County Commissioner Thomas Manuel's appearance.
About two months earlier, Bosanko asked Manuel to appear before the Anastasia Mosquito Control Board to threaten to abolish the independent Mosquito Control District.
Most obvious question: Why would an elected Mosquito Control Board member solicit Manuel to abolish the Mosquito Control District?
Answer: Bosanko voted both to purchase the $1.8 million dollar luxury helicopter and a $1.2 million piece of property from a friend of former Mosquito Commissioner Mary Tarver Willis.
Both purchases have received critical press from the Times-Union and St. Augustine Record. Both purchases have outraged the public.
The Anastasia Mosquito Control District is sinking due to the votes of Bosanko, Hummel and Wampler.
If Bosanko could get a takeover of the Mosquito Control District by St. Johns County, it would get her and her cohorts off the hook for the direction in which they are leading the taxpayers of the Mosquito Control District.
What was Manuel's "real motivation" for attending the meeting to recommend abolishment of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District?
The small $3 million budget of the Mosquito Control District is "peanuts" in comparison to the $500 million budget of the county.
It is interesting to note that Manuel brought along St. Johns County Commission Chairman Ben Rich and Ken Bryant, an unsuccessful candidate for county commission.
The public should be able to trust the Times- Union to accurately and truthfully report in full the occurrences at public meetings.
John Sundeman is commissioner, Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County.
This story can be found on Jacksonville.com at http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/072307/opl_185901607.shtml.
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