Saturday, May 25, 2013

IN HAEC VERBA: Letter to St. Johns County Visitors and Convention Bureau Executive Director Richard Goldman re: SJC VCB's Violation of Open Records and Sunshine Laws

Dear Mr. Goldman:
1. Your desire to talk to me, expressed in your message, is appreciated. I can meet you today. What time would be good for you?
2. Meanwhile, my May 20, 2013 and later Open Records requests are non-negotiable: VCB must comply with Open Records, Sunshine, Antitrust, Civil Rights and Fair Housing laws, from this day forward.   Failing that, a Florida court will order compliance, and payment of reasonable attorney fees [to remedy Open Records violations].
3. Kindly remember the ill-fated, misbegotten, money-wasting former "First America Foundation" and related violations of the Sunshine and Open Records laws by the City of St. Augustine, including a proposed trip to Spain by four out of five Commissioners. Eighteen of us were represented pro bono by Holland & Knight. The violations swiftly ended. We did not even have to file a lawsuit. The First America Foundation was dissolved. The experience of our City of St. Augustine and the First America Foundation -- a government contractor just like VCB -- demonstrates the meritless nature of your "defenses" to providing Open Records. You are barking up the wrong tree, Mr. Goldman, e.g., with such non sequitur statements that you don't work in a county-owned building The technical terms for your cavils and quibbles with Open Records jurisdiction are "malarkey" and "chutzpa."
4. Kindly contemplate the following excerpt from the Florida Attorney General's Manual on our Sunshine laws:  (snip -- see next blog entry for full text of excerpt)  
5. As Robert Kennedy once wrote Senator James O. Eastland in 1967, "repent now, there's still time."
6. I expect document production to commence by 11 AM on May 30, 2013. Herein faileth not.
7. Please govern yourself accordingly.
Thank you.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
Box 3084
St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084
904-377-4998

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