The Labor Day Massacre of 2014 in St. Augustine, Florida

Labor Day, 2014 began ominously just after 4 AM, when our city's Paul Revere, former Mayor George Gardner, put out that word that our historic streets are in danger -- a construction permit was allegedly issued by the City of St. Augustine on Friday, August 29, 2014. Shortly thereafter, City officials skulked out of town to Spain, with staff in tow.

In fact, the permit has not been issued, YET. It may be issued this week.

In honor of city PR tsar PAUL WILLIAMSON and Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR., let this day be known as "The Labor Day Massacre" of people's rights to safe historic streets in St. Augustine, Florida.

It reminds me of RICHARD MILHOUS NIXON creepily and sneakily firing special prosecutor Archibald Cox and the resignations of Elliott Richardson and William Ruckleshaus as Attorneys General and Acting Attorney General on the "Saturday night massacre."

The permit was alleged to have been granted just before a holiday weekend, in hopes no one would noticed.

Thanks to former Mayor Gardner, we've noticed. Thank you, George! As USA Today reported in 2009:

Though the tactic of intentionally dumping some news at off-times persists, it doesn't always work, said Myers and Lanny Davis, a crisis management attorney in Washington and former special counsel to Clinton.

"If it's a really bad story it will have its own legs and you're probably not accomplishing all that much," Davis said. "Sometimes all you're accomplishing is irritating reporters."

Davis points to a famous episode involving President Richard Nixon as an example of weekend timing failing to minimize impact. In an incident known as the "Saturday night massacre," Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox was fired on Nixon's orders on a Saturday night in 1973, hours after Cox held a news conference to defy him. The Justice Department's top two officials resigned rather than be the ones to dismiss Cox.

"It didn't exactly help Nixon to do it on a Saturday night," Davis said. "Only, he gave us all a memorable historic expression. The 'Wednesday night massacre' doesn't sound as good as the 'Saturday night massacre.'"

What do you reckon?