When a rich guy gets appointed to a temporary County Commission seat, we're all supposed to bow down and kiss his keister, I reckon. That's the attitude demonstrated by the St. Augustine Wreckord editorial (below) and the Republican vulgarians at Plazabum.com.
Interesting how none of them has used the "C" word to describe Mays, whose Questionaire for Gubernatorial Appointments says he moved to Ponte Vedra in 2005.
Calling Ken Bryan a "carpetbagger," calling Judith Seraphin a "carpetbagger," Republican rodomontade was ceaseless.
For the record, both Judith Seraphin and Ken Bryan have lived here longer than Mays.
But when Republican lickspittles prevaricate, they never let facts get in their way.
It is notable that the letter-writers who urged Governor Crist to appoint Mays agree upon at least one thing -- Mays is a "lifelong Republican." What a trite trope. How revealing of the pushy Republican people that used it to describe Mays.
Now, how can that be? Did Mays at birth proclaim his Repubicanism? How was Mays condemned to a life of Republicanism at birth, before his first words? Did he have 666 on his forehead? Did his parents proclaim, "hotsy totsy, another Nazi?"
So KAREN STERN, WASTE MANAGEMENT, former Sheriff NEIL PERRY and current Sheriff DAVID SHOAR got their way, as did the St. Johns County Republican Committee, whose letter said that Mays was the only person who met all their "criteria."
Inquiring minds want to know -- exactly what are those "criteria" and what critters devised them?
Mays did not provide a resume or curriculum vita -- just handwritten answers on a cursory Governor's office questionnaire, in which the 41-year-old millionaire brags of his "Extensive Business (sic), legal & civic background and experience including significant work relating to finance and strategic planning." Well that's clear as mud.
Mays' questionnaire answers were sworn under penalty of perjury.
While claiming to have never lobbied the government, Mays admittedly obtained zoning favors (a Planned Unit Development) approved by St. Johns County Commissioners.
Mays claims to be a "Board Member" of the Ponte Vedra Coalition and the St. Johns Civic Roundtable.
Former County Commissioner Ben Rich told it like it was -- he called St. Johns County's corrupt developers "worse than any carpetbagger." Tree-killing, wetland-destroying "developers" now have one of their own on our St. Johns County Commission.
This should be an exciting time. Mays met privately with at least one St. Johns County Commissioner on his first day on the job, a Sunshine violation. Not one word in the Wreckord on that, eh?
Shriekingly shallow coverage of Mays' appointment by the St. Augustine Record -- and an editorial mash note adding to the 17 on file in the Governor's office -- lead to the question of the Record's biases. Too often, the Record has mocked people for having only moved here recently. When endorsing a Port and Waterway Commission candidate several years ago, The Wrecord noted his opponent had lived here only eight years and the Wreckord wasn't sure if he would stay!
But if your name is Phillip Mays and you're a friend of the Governor (who stays at your house in Ponte Vedra), the Wreckord gives you no scrutiny and a free pass. Pity the people who buy the Wreckord expecting news -- there's hardly any these days because there are so many issues that Republicans don't want covered (but want covered up). The St. Augustine Wreckord may be the only newspaper in America without a front page banner headline upon Barack Obama's historic election. How embarassing to those of us living in St. Augustine and St. Johns County -- the story was buried inside -- how hopelessly provincial the Wreckord is becoming (again), after making strides in 2005-2007.
Expect more indictments. Or in the immortal words of Bette Davis, "fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night."
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