By Ed Slavin
The Oak Ridger, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Monday, May 29, 2000
Guest Column: Persistence may pay off for sick workers
On this day in American history (May 17): In 1946, President Harry Truman seized control of America's railroads.
In 1954, the United States Supreme Court ordered American schools desegregated, in Brown v. Board of Education.
In 1973, the U.S. Senate began its Watergate investigation.
In 1983, in response to a November 1982 Appalachian Observer newspaper declassification request, the DOE Oak Ridge Operations office admitted it "lost," emitted and dumped 2.4 million pounds of mercury in Oak Ridge.
The DOE ORO telephone call came at about noon on our weekly deadline day, requesting I send someone to DOE HQ in Oak Ridge to pick up a FOIA response.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Some said that I was "crazy" and "out to destroy Oak Ridge" for seeking this information, and that no one would care. They were wrong. Others in Oak Ridge shared information confidentially, and encouraged me to seek the truth.
DOE now admits that there were 4.2 million pounds of mercury "lost."
Since 1983, DOE has spent some $4.5 billion on "cleanup" in Oak Ridge, with no end in sight. DOE and its allies euchred ATSDR into changing the cleanup standard for mercury, and serious problems remain as a result.
On May 17, 1983, few of us envisioned just how widespread DOE and contractor misconduct had been, or the vast numbers of people affected by it. While I predicted "a potential environmental health disaster" in AO editorials, and was churlishly chided by DOE for "alarmist language," the simple truth is that I did not then imagine just how big that DOE "environmental health disaster" might become.
Seventeen years later, our leaders need the steely determination of Harry Truman, Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall and Sam Ervin.
Seventeen years later, that 26-year-old Appalachian Observer newspaper editor is a public interest lawyer representing whistleblowers and other DOE victims. He is still hated by DOE Oak Ridge managers. He is still seeking the truth. I am now honored to have my views shared by DOE's victims -- workers and residents from across the country, with an apology by the Secretary of Energy and bipartisan compensation legislation supported by editorial writers and Congressmen. This is a very special day, with meaningful legislation possible, if not this year, then next year.
The lesson of history: Never give up. Individual efforts can change history.
See, e.g., Jimmy Breslin's book on Watergate, "How the Good Guys Finally Won."
In tribute to all of the DOE/AEC victims whose sacrifice made victory in the Cold War possible, Congress should pass full and fair compensation legislation for all of DOE's Cold War radiation and toxicant victims, whether babies with genetic damage, Downwinders/residents, plant workers, Atomic Veterans or Gulf War veterans.
Our struggle is righteous and it can and should be won. The bill should not be limited only to plant workers, but should include family members and residents poisoned by DOE or suffering genetic abnormalities.
Rep. Zach Wamp pressed the need for compensating residents at the April 12 press conference held by Secretary Richardson, televised by C-SPAN: Secretary Richardson only frowned at these words.
In my humble opinion, if Congress has to kill a bad bill now to pass a good bill later, then so be it. DOE should not control compensation of its own victims, or pick and choose which victims it will compensate. This is a blatant conflict of interest.
Longtime Oak Ridge lawyer Gene Joyce made excellent suggestions on enacting compensation legislation in his column, and I salute him.
If hindsight is 20/20, it is only reasonable that DOE should not be allowed to rush things so as to make the nuclear weapons compensation bill a joke, covering only a few people, holding out cash over their heads and then dashing peoples' hopes and prayers in the details. What do you think?
For more information online, visit www.downwinders.org/victims.html
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
AKERMAN SENTERIFITT LAWYER WILLIAM PENCE CONTINUES WASTING CITY MONEY, FIGHTING DISCLOSURES ABOUT ILLEGAL DUMPING, HOLDING ALL-WHITE MEETING
That's the condescending WILLIAM PENCE in the funny hat, attending a fancy-pants masqued ball several years ago (our City Attorney RONALD BROWN), gets his tickets for free.
AKERMAN SENTERFITT has been involved in the continuing coverup of the City of St. Augustine's illegal dumping since 2006. He was present when false statements were mnade to the Florida DEP and U.S. EPA. He pursued the nefarious scheme to send solid waste back to the community of Lincolnville. He talked down to the people of West Augustine and Lincolnville at the Jsnuary 10, 2008 meeting. Now he's negotiated with FDEP, in secret, excluding community activists. He had the nerve (as did our City) to refuse to hold another meeting at the A.M.E. Church in Lincolnville, stiffing the request from the Lincolnville Neighborhood Association to hold Thursday's meeting there. As a result, Thursday's meeting was all-white (except for the city employee who tape-recorded the meeting).
Thursday's meeting was not televised or videotaped. Not one City Commmissioner attended the meeting, although Commissioner ERROL JONES was seen a few minutes latger - was he watching from his office in City Hall, refusing to be associated with the scandal he helped create and continue?
JONES was repeatedly rude to persons asking questions about the illegal dumping.
Then, on November 13, 2007, it was JONES who made the motion to ship the waste back to Lincolnville, where he himself grew up. (Two Commissioners -- Ex-Mayor GEORGE GARDNER and ex-Vice-Mayor SUSAN BURK -- did not attend the November 13, 2007 meeting.
Only because seven citizen activists filed a petition with FDEP was tne notion of shipping illegally dumped solid waste back to Lincolnville rejected.
AKERMAN SENTERFITT lawyer WILLIAM PENCE has personally profited from this stupid, racist idea, which would have depressed Lincolnville property values.
Thursday night, city mouthpiece WILLIAM PENACE was at it again. PENCE had the nerve to call the citizen petition "frivolous." The nerve of this malefactor of great wealth and his corporate law firm.
It is hardly frivolous to defend one's city and community from illegal dumping and Environnmental Racism.
The people won. WILLIAM PENCE, the City of St. Augustine and AKERMAN SENTERFITT lost.
The solid waste is not being shipped back to Lincolnville.
It's going to be removed from the Old City Reservoir.
Yet the racist city government -- the one Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the "most lawless city in America" -- is still trying to do the job on the cheap, refusing to agree to public participation in negotiations, refusding to answer questions about what was dumped and why, keeping tatterdemalion City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS in office, and lying about everything (even falsely claiming to have changed procedures to prevent further environmental violations and claiming to have done a "root cause analysis" when none exists.
WILLIAM PENCE and AkERFMAN SENTERFITT --we see right through you. Your services, such as they are, may no longer be required. Go away.
Meeting Tonight on Illegal Dumping Consent Decree
5 PM at 75 King Street at the City Hall and Lightner Museum, ALcazar Room. The consent decree is inadequate, with Akerman Senterfitt lawyer WILLIAM PENCE wasting our treasure on defending our city's environmental racism. Thursday's meeting was all-white because our Nation's Oldest City again broke its promises to the people of Lincolnville and West Augustine. How embarassing to have a redneck peckerwood like WILLIAM B. HARRISS as the City Manager of a great City. How disgusting are his heyboys, City Attorney RONALD BROWN and Assistant City Manager JOHN REGAN. After deposing solid waste in our Old City Reservoir, REGAN could only make pejorative remarks about those who reproted it -- some in writing (see below). These aracnhid apparatchiks are a stench in the nostrils of a free people.
Landfill plan viewed as 'step in right direction'
Landfill plan viewed as 'step in right direction'
By DOUGLAS JORDAN
Special to The Record
Publication Date: 05/11/08
One of Lincolnville's strongest critics of the city's failed attempt to return landfill waste to her neighborhood sees the city's proposed remedy as a "step in the right direction," but she's not quite ready to embrace it.
"I just need to be comfortable that the solution that the city and the DEP (state Department of Environmental Protection) has come up with is right for Lincolnville and for West St. Augustine," said Judith Seraphin after an information session the city hosted late last week.
At that session, St. Augustine chief of operations John Regan presented the Final Consent Order for Holmes Boulevard and Riberia Street Properties, which he said "should be good news" to the residents of Lincolnville, where the Riberia site is.
The explosive political issue is nearing an end with the city's agreement to move the waste to a landfill in Nassau County.
The issue started when community activists learned that the city had taken waste from an old landfill on Riberia Street in Lincolnville and dumped it into a pit off Holmes Boulevard. When the state DEP learned of this, it fined the city and ordered it to clean up that site.
The city then planned to return the landfill waste to the Riberia Street site after cleaning it up. That proposal called for topping it off with clean topsoil and making it a bird-watching site. Neighbors and others objected and after a series of public meetings, the city came up with the Nassau County solution.
The meeting last week was to give citizens an update, which included a lot of technical information from the DEP.
Dwight Hines, a retired college professor who is now a political activist in St. Augustine, questioned the validity of the data.
"These are misleading numbers," Hines said. "Therefore, the results are not accurate."
Hines also he wondered if the city may have already secretly dumped some of the material in other locations.
Mike Fitzsimmons, DEP Northeast District Waste Program administrator, said that regardless of the numbers, all of the material will be removed to Nassau County under the plan.
Another Lincolnville resident, Missy Hall, expressed some suspicion about the plan.
"It's not that it's not good news," she said. "I just want to make sure the city follows through with it. Lincolnville very often has been neglected by the city."
During the question-and-answer portion of the meeting, Hall asked each representative of the DEP to stand up and explain their role.
"If it's such good news, then why did it take seven or eight people from the DEP to deliver it?" she said. "I'm skeptical that it's been resolved. It doesn't seem to me to be as simple as the city would like us to believe. There is a lot of technical information involved in this."
As for Seraphin, she doing more research to understand the technical issues better.
"I'm asking questions and getting answers, but I haven't gotten satisfactory answers to some of those questions," she said. "When I get those answers, I'll decide if I'm comfortable with this."
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/051108/news_051108_035.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
By DOUGLAS JORDAN
Special to The Record
Publication Date: 05/11/08
One of Lincolnville's strongest critics of the city's failed attempt to return landfill waste to her neighborhood sees the city's proposed remedy as a "step in the right direction," but she's not quite ready to embrace it.
"I just need to be comfortable that the solution that the city and the DEP (state Department of Environmental Protection) has come up with is right for Lincolnville and for West St. Augustine," said Judith Seraphin after an information session the city hosted late last week.
At that session, St. Augustine chief of operations John Regan presented the Final Consent Order for Holmes Boulevard and Riberia Street Properties, which he said "should be good news" to the residents of Lincolnville, where the Riberia site is.
The explosive political issue is nearing an end with the city's agreement to move the waste to a landfill in Nassau County.
The issue started when community activists learned that the city had taken waste from an old landfill on Riberia Street in Lincolnville and dumped it into a pit off Holmes Boulevard. When the state DEP learned of this, it fined the city and ordered it to clean up that site.
The city then planned to return the landfill waste to the Riberia Street site after cleaning it up. That proposal called for topping it off with clean topsoil and making it a bird-watching site. Neighbors and others objected and after a series of public meetings, the city came up with the Nassau County solution.
The meeting last week was to give citizens an update, which included a lot of technical information from the DEP.
Dwight Hines, a retired college professor who is now a political activist in St. Augustine, questioned the validity of the data.
"These are misleading numbers," Hines said. "Therefore, the results are not accurate."
Hines also he wondered if the city may have already secretly dumped some of the material in other locations.
Mike Fitzsimmons, DEP Northeast District Waste Program administrator, said that regardless of the numbers, all of the material will be removed to Nassau County under the plan.
Another Lincolnville resident, Missy Hall, expressed some suspicion about the plan.
"It's not that it's not good news," she said. "I just want to make sure the city follows through with it. Lincolnville very often has been neglected by the city."
During the question-and-answer portion of the meeting, Hall asked each representative of the DEP to stand up and explain their role.
"If it's such good news, then why did it take seven or eight people from the DEP to deliver it?" she said. "I'm skeptical that it's been resolved. It doesn't seem to me to be as simple as the city would like us to believe. There is a lot of technical information involved in this."
As for Seraphin, she doing more research to understand the technical issues better.
"I'm asking questions and getting answers, but I haven't gotten satisfactory answers to some of those questions," she said. "When I get those answers, I'll decide if I'm comfortable with this."
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/051108/news_051108_035.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
The First Amendment, In Its Majest, Protects the Right to Write Wrongheaded, Uninformed Editorials, like the One Below From the St. Augustine Record
Like dye in the stream, the name of "Patricia Greer" appears in the editorial below.
How revealing. On Friday, the St. Augustine Record was informed that Peter Guinta wrote a one-sided, uninformed article on mosquito control, even getting the name of the General Manager of the Mosquito Control District wrong, while failing to report that every single public speaker supported leaving mosquito control as an independent public health agency charged with important public environmental health responsibilities.
The Record did not correct its errors -- it compounded them -- with an editorial quoting Chairwoman Jeanne Moeller as having said something she didn't say, which was not in Guinta's story, while referring to the fictitious person of "Patricia Greer."
It's Priscilla Green. It's Chairwoman Moeller. And it's high time the Record appreciated their accomplishments, instead of being a bullet in the gun of County Commission Chair Tom Manuel, who was allegedly provocative and rude to AMCD off-camera, waving bye-bye to Green and saying (about the 60th Anniversary cake), "that's your last cake." St. Augustine Record reporter Peter Guinta and its editorial writers have only empowered a bully, instead of covering the news without fear or favor. Enough flummery, dupery and nincompoopery from the Wreckord..
How revealing. On Friday, the St. Augustine Record was informed that Peter Guinta wrote a one-sided, uninformed article on mosquito control, even getting the name of the General Manager of the Mosquito Control District wrong, while failing to report that every single public speaker supported leaving mosquito control as an independent public health agency charged with important public environmental health responsibilities.
The Record did not correct its errors -- it compounded them -- with an editorial quoting Chairwoman Jeanne Moeller as having said something she didn't say, which was not in Guinta's story, while referring to the fictitious person of "Patricia Greer."
It's Priscilla Green. It's Chairwoman Moeller. And it's high time the Record appreciated their accomplishments, instead of being a bullet in the gun of County Commission Chair Tom Manuel, who was allegedly provocative and rude to AMCD off-camera, waving bye-bye to Green and saying (about the 60th Anniversary cake), "that's your last cake." St. Augustine Record reporter Peter Guinta and its editorial writers have only empowered a bully, instead of covering the news without fear or favor. Enough flummery, dupery and nincompoopery from the Wreckord..
Editorial: Mosquito board scrutiny necessary
Editorial: Mosquito board scrutiny necessary
Publication Date: 05/11/08
It was disappointing to see the St. Johns County Commission reject a straw ballot on whether mosquito control belongs under county government. On Thursday, the commission's 3-2 split rejected a non-binding vote in the Aug. 26 primary election.
About 10 days ago, the County Commission also rejected a proposed straw ballot on the fate of the St. Augustine Airport Authority. The Airport Authority is on track to get off the tax rolls by 2010 but Commission Chairman Tom Manuel has questioned its continued operation as an independent agency. The Airport Authority's fate has been tested before on a straw ballot. Voters have said it should remain independent.
But the Mosquito Control District has made no commitment to stop collecting taxes and has amassed $4.7 million in reserves, some set aside for future projects. As far as we can tell, there has not been a straw ballot before on its fate.
Manuel also proposed the mosquito district straw ballot because he's concerned that duplication costs more, especially in office operations such as personnel and purchasing. He, too, questioned the district's budget last year of $3.3 million when the budget of Miami-Dade County was only $3.23 million for mosquito control.
Commissioner Jim Bryant proposed that the commission reject the mosquito straw ballot. He said the commission should not try to take over another elected board unless there is a large outcry from the citizens. He said he has not heard that outcry.
As an FYI, a letter Thursday to Manuel from Charles H. Bronson, state commissioner of agriculture, said 43 mosquito control operations in Florida are administered by county governments. The remaining 15, including Anastasia Mosquito Control, are independent taxing authorities.
A straw ballot is not binding but how else will county government take the citizens' pulse? Those who appear before the County Commission express emotions more than opinions. There is no way to compare the views of 50 or 100 people in the County Auditorium, many of whom work for the specific independent authority, to the views of 90,000-plus eligible voters countywide.
Anastasia Mosquito Control is 60 years old. Some decisions the past two years have been questionable such as the possible purchase of a $1.8 million helicopter, later cancelled. Another controversy was the $1.25 million worth of land purchased without an appraisal. Jeanne Moeller, mosquito board chairwoman, said Friday this turned out to be a good deal, because the land is worth a lot more now and the district donated seven of those 25 acres to the county for a new Emergency Operations Center near the Agricultural Center. However, we do not think land should be purchased by public boards without an appraisal.
New general manager Patricia Greer said meetings have been civil of late. But, this board cannot forget the rudeness of some current members and some of their predecessors when the public has questioned the spending of tax dollars.
A year ago, the mosquito board voted 3-2 to explore merging with the county. To our knowledge, those meetings have not taken place. Why not? They should, just so the public can better understand mosquito control's operation and the possible ways to reduce the tax dollars used for it.
A periodic public examination of an independent taxing authority via a straw ballot is long overdue for Anastasia Mosquito Control District. Now is the time to go forward. The November ballot, by the way, still has some openings on it.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/051108/opinions_051108_083.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Publication Date: 05/11/08
It was disappointing to see the St. Johns County Commission reject a straw ballot on whether mosquito control belongs under county government. On Thursday, the commission's 3-2 split rejected a non-binding vote in the Aug. 26 primary election.
About 10 days ago, the County Commission also rejected a proposed straw ballot on the fate of the St. Augustine Airport Authority. The Airport Authority is on track to get off the tax rolls by 2010 but Commission Chairman Tom Manuel has questioned its continued operation as an independent agency. The Airport Authority's fate has been tested before on a straw ballot. Voters have said it should remain independent.
But the Mosquito Control District has made no commitment to stop collecting taxes and has amassed $4.7 million in reserves, some set aside for future projects. As far as we can tell, there has not been a straw ballot before on its fate.
Manuel also proposed the mosquito district straw ballot because he's concerned that duplication costs more, especially in office operations such as personnel and purchasing. He, too, questioned the district's budget last year of $3.3 million when the budget of Miami-Dade County was only $3.23 million for mosquito control.
Commissioner Jim Bryant proposed that the commission reject the mosquito straw ballot. He said the commission should not try to take over another elected board unless there is a large outcry from the citizens. He said he has not heard that outcry.
As an FYI, a letter Thursday to Manuel from Charles H. Bronson, state commissioner of agriculture, said 43 mosquito control operations in Florida are administered by county governments. The remaining 15, including Anastasia Mosquito Control, are independent taxing authorities.
A straw ballot is not binding but how else will county government take the citizens' pulse? Those who appear before the County Commission express emotions more than opinions. There is no way to compare the views of 50 or 100 people in the County Auditorium, many of whom work for the specific independent authority, to the views of 90,000-plus eligible voters countywide.
Anastasia Mosquito Control is 60 years old. Some decisions the past two years have been questionable such as the possible purchase of a $1.8 million helicopter, later cancelled. Another controversy was the $1.25 million worth of land purchased without an appraisal. Jeanne Moeller, mosquito board chairwoman, said Friday this turned out to be a good deal, because the land is worth a lot more now and the district donated seven of those 25 acres to the county for a new Emergency Operations Center near the Agricultural Center. However, we do not think land should be purchased by public boards without an appraisal.
New general manager Patricia Greer said meetings have been civil of late. But, this board cannot forget the rudeness of some current members and some of their predecessors when the public has questioned the spending of tax dollars.
A year ago, the mosquito board voted 3-2 to explore merging with the county. To our knowledge, those meetings have not taken place. Why not? They should, just so the public can better understand mosquito control's operation and the possible ways to reduce the tax dollars used for it.
A periodic public examination of an independent taxing authority via a straw ballot is long overdue for Anastasia Mosquito Control District. Now is the time to go forward. The November ballot, by the way, still has some openings on it.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/051108/opinions_051108_083.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Peter Guinta Is One Sloppy, Negligent One-sided Reporter
Peter Guinta Is One Sloppy, Negligent One-sided Reporter who couldn't write a fair and balanced story on Mosquito Control, leaving out AMCD Chairwoaman Jeanne Moeeller, an open active Democrat who chairs AMCD, and even getting wrong the name of AMCD General Manager Priscillla Green (Guinta wrote it as Priscilla Greer).
Guinta's story, below, also contains a base canard about AMCD meetings, which he generally views with contempt, arriving late, leaving for breaks, then leaving early. Guinta's story, below never mentions the $1.8 million helicopter, the causus belli of AMCD's struggle.
Guinta's story is like a fractured fairy tale, failing to notice that the people of St. Johns County, in their righteous wrath, overcame the $1.8 million on-bid helicopter through the persistence of Commissioner John Sundeman, Commissioner Jeanne Moeller, and a host of citizen activists.
Peter Guinta is beneath contempt -- his bosses at Morris Communications let him do it again and again and again -- still not correcting even the name of Priscilla Green (also reported as Priscilla Greer in an editorial yesterday).
The St. Augustine Record was improving.
Guinta's story, below, also contains a base canard about AMCD meetings, which he generally views with contempt, arriving late, leaving for breaks, then leaving early. Guinta's story, below never mentions the $1.8 million helicopter, the causus belli of AMCD's struggle.
Guinta's story is like a fractured fairy tale, failing to notice that the people of St. Johns County, in their righteous wrath, overcame the $1.8 million on-bid helicopter through the persistence of Commissioner John Sundeman, Commissioner Jeanne Moeller, and a host of citizen activists.
Peter Guinta is beneath contempt -- his bosses at Morris Communications let him do it again and again and again -- still not correcting even the name of Priscilla Green (also reported as Priscilla Greer in an editorial yesterday).
The St. Augustine Record was improving.
No vote on Mosquito District
No vote on Mosquito District
County commission decides against taking over board
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/09/08
Anastasia Mosquito Control District's board members, employees and supporters on Thursday asked St. Johns County commissioners not to put the district's fate before the public in a non-binding referendum.
Commissioner Jim Bryant agreed and his motion not to support a straw vote passed in a split vote.
Bryant said the commission shouldn't be trying to absorb an elected board.
"The people in the mosquito control district will un-elect their commissioners when they want to," Bryant said.
His motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Cyndi Stevenson, who said the county already "had plenty on its plate" at the moment. "We need to go forward and work with other local governments," she added.
But Commission Chairman Tom Manuel said he was asked by two district board members to explore the county taking over mosquito control operations. In making his argument for a referendum, Manuel said the district was a service agency, not a revenue-generating agency.
"In seven years, the district collected $21 million in taxes," Manuel said. "Last year, it collected $3.3 million. They now have $4.7 million in reserves. This is a prime example of uncontrolled bureaucracy."
Miami-Dade County, with 2.5 million people and six times the area of St. Johns County, has a budget of $3.2 million for mosquito control while Anastasia's had a budget last year of $3.3 million, he said.
"This district has far exceeded the authority given to them by the statutes," he said. "The job is simple: To kill mosquitoes."
He wanted to explore absorbing the district into county operations for efficiency and economy.
However, John Sundeman, a mosquito board member, admitted there had been "humps and bumps" in the district's performance over the last few years, "but that's not a reason to come in an take over a public health organization."
He accused Manuel of wanting to consolidate all the governments in St. Johns County, including St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach, and he said there have been no studies showing a need for consolidation.
"We're not to be played politics with," Sundeman said. "It's a political stunt."
The appeals to save the district included one from Vivian Browning of Vilano Beach, who has announced she is running for a seat now occupied by Emily Hummel, a 16-year veteran board member who is retiring.
"This is moving too fast. It needs to be done (only) after many more meetings," Browning said, adding with a laugh, "The only reason Florida was settled was air conditioning and mosquito control."
Annette Cappella, a district supporter, asked the commission why this was initiated.
"The board has shown that it is really coming together. It's operating very well. There have been problems and dissension, but it's (now) operating very well."
The "problems and dissension" she mentioned included past meetings marked with disorder, rudeness and accusations, by both board members and speakers, who would ramble on for as long as they liked, ignoring then-Chairwoman Barbara Bosanko's gavel. Once the sheriff's office was called to restore peace, though no one was expelled or charged.
Since then, the board hired a general manager, Patricia Greer of Jacksonville, and meetings have been civil.
Greer said, "Most of the issues they had are in the past and belong in the past."
Commissioner Ben Rich said trying to disband an elected board would mean "a long and tedious process in Tallahassee," but he added that he still wanted to learn the public's opinion of district performance.
"I went to a few meetings and they were the most dysfunctional meetings I ever attended," he said. "We're going to give (the district's financial) numbers to our staff and that will be brought back for future consideration. I don't understand, you're taking tax money and hoarding it in this way."
Rich and Manuel opposed Bryant's motion. Stevenson and Commissioner Ron Sanchez voted with Bryant.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/050908/news_050908_030.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
County commission decides against taking over board
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/09/08
Anastasia Mosquito Control District's board members, employees and supporters on Thursday asked St. Johns County commissioners not to put the district's fate before the public in a non-binding referendum.
Commissioner Jim Bryant agreed and his motion not to support a straw vote passed in a split vote.
Bryant said the commission shouldn't be trying to absorb an elected board.
"The people in the mosquito control district will un-elect their commissioners when they want to," Bryant said.
His motion was seconded by Vice Chairman Cyndi Stevenson, who said the county already "had plenty on its plate" at the moment. "We need to go forward and work with other local governments," she added.
But Commission Chairman Tom Manuel said he was asked by two district board members to explore the county taking over mosquito control operations. In making his argument for a referendum, Manuel said the district was a service agency, not a revenue-generating agency.
"In seven years, the district collected $21 million in taxes," Manuel said. "Last year, it collected $3.3 million. They now have $4.7 million in reserves. This is a prime example of uncontrolled bureaucracy."
Miami-Dade County, with 2.5 million people and six times the area of St. Johns County, has a budget of $3.2 million for mosquito control while Anastasia's had a budget last year of $3.3 million, he said.
"This district has far exceeded the authority given to them by the statutes," he said. "The job is simple: To kill mosquitoes."
He wanted to explore absorbing the district into county operations for efficiency and economy.
However, John Sundeman, a mosquito board member, admitted there had been "humps and bumps" in the district's performance over the last few years, "but that's not a reason to come in an take over a public health organization."
He accused Manuel of wanting to consolidate all the governments in St. Johns County, including St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach, and he said there have been no studies showing a need for consolidation.
"We're not to be played politics with," Sundeman said. "It's a political stunt."
The appeals to save the district included one from Vivian Browning of Vilano Beach, who has announced she is running for a seat now occupied by Emily Hummel, a 16-year veteran board member who is retiring.
"This is moving too fast. It needs to be done (only) after many more meetings," Browning said, adding with a laugh, "The only reason Florida was settled was air conditioning and mosquito control."
Annette Cappella, a district supporter, asked the commission why this was initiated.
"The board has shown that it is really coming together. It's operating very well. There have been problems and dissension, but it's (now) operating very well."
The "problems and dissension" she mentioned included past meetings marked with disorder, rudeness and accusations, by both board members and speakers, who would ramble on for as long as they liked, ignoring then-Chairwoman Barbara Bosanko's gavel. Once the sheriff's office was called to restore peace, though no one was expelled or charged.
Since then, the board hired a general manager, Patricia Greer of Jacksonville, and meetings have been civil.
Greer said, "Most of the issues they had are in the past and belong in the past."
Commissioner Ben Rich said trying to disband an elected board would mean "a long and tedious process in Tallahassee," but he added that he still wanted to learn the public's opinion of district performance.
"I went to a few meetings and they were the most dysfunctional meetings I ever attended," he said. "We're going to give (the district's financial) numbers to our staff and that will be brought back for future consideration. I don't understand, you're taking tax money and hoarding it in this way."
Rich and Manuel opposed Bryant's motion. Stevenson and Commissioner Ron Sanchez voted with Bryant.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/050908/news_050908_030.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
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