Friday, June 13, 2014

"A few old soreheads"

Nine years ago, I went to my first City of St. Augustine City COmmission meeting and was threatened with arrest for disorderly conduct for speaking out against injustice -- 15th Amendment violations involving refusal to annex the African-American community of West Augustine. The threatener was our then-City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS, a/k/a "WILL HARASS."

He's retired now, taking $108,000 plus a year in retirement benefits, plus a salary from the Sheriff, who kept his word and hired his old mentor. The Sheriff, DAVID BERNARD SHOAR, was publicly exposed in The New York Times November 24, 2014 -- with 14,000 words, graphics, video and an hour-long PBS Frontline story -- for the coverup of the shooting of a deputy's girlfriend. See links above.

The Sheriff and his political machine continue resisting information requests, and have done so for years. They ignore information requests or attempt to charge outlandish fees. We laugh at them. We wear their scorn as a badge of honor. They have worn out their welcomes.

They and HARRIS a/k/a "WILL HARASS" remind me of the website of the City of Stanton, Texas, which says it is home to "3000 friendly people, and a few old soreheads." http://www.cityofstantontx.com

It's another beautiful day in a beautiful place and "we won't let a few old soreheads" steal our joy. Work tirelessly for justice in our time, in our town.

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