Monday, June 06, 2016

BOARD DUCKS SCHOOL BID-RIGGING QUESTIONS




On May 17, 2016, St. Johns County School Board opened sealed bids for construction of Aberdeen K-8 Elementary School -- funny, but there was only one (1) bid.
Nearly three weeks later, the School Board is ducking questions about possible bid rigging.
Upon reading about the one bid, I reported it to the State Attorney General nine days later.
"Character counts" is the mantra of the St. Johns County School Board, ignored by the Board and Chairman PATRICK CANAN, who stubbornly refuses to answer any questions or keep his written texted promises to speak with me about bid rigging.
Enough DUCKING of issues about corporate crime and corruption in St. Johns County.

-----Original Message-----
From: easlavin
To: Patrick.Canan ; joynerj ; Beverly.Slough ; Kelly.Barrera ; Bill.Mignon ; Tommy.Allen Sent: Tue, Jun 7, 2016 8:41 am
Subject: Re: SCHOOL BOARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BID-RIGGING & MANAGEMENT CONCERNS & My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns

Dear Chairman Canan, Dr. Joyner, School Board members and Mr. Upchurch:
1. In the Pentagon Papers case, a new Nixon-Republican judicial appointee, U.S. District Court Judge Murray Gurfein (later an appellate judge) famously wrote, "The security of the Nation is not at the ramparts alone. Security also lies in the value of our free institutions. A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, an ubiquitous press must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know." United States v. N.Y. Times Co., 328 F. Supp. 324, 331 (S.D.N.Y. 1971).

2. The controlling legal authority is Article I, Section 24 of our Florida Constitution, adopted by "We, the People" (3.8 million votes, or 83%) in 1992.

3. I trust you understand our fundamental Right to Know about governmental affairs.  No further evasions or animadversions are desired or required.

4. Please delay no further in responding fully and fairly to my document requests and questions occasioned by only one (1) bid -- at 30% HIGHER COST -- from PERRY-McCALL for construction of Aberdeen K--8 Elementary School.

5. Please answer my questions today.

Thank you.

With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998


-----Original Message-----
From: easlavin
To: Patrick.Canan ; joynerj
Sent: Mon, Jun 6, 2016 4:22 pm
Subject: Re: SCHOOL BOARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BID-RIGGING & MANAGEMENT CONCERNS & My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
Please answer my questions. Now, thank you.
-----Original Message-----
From: easlavin
To: Patrick.Canan
Sent: Mon, Jun 6, 2016 4:18 pm
Subject: Re: SCHOOL BOARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BID-RIGGING & MANAGEMENT CONCERNS & My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
What are you talking about?
-----Original Message-----
From: Patrick Canan
To: easlavin
Sent: Mon, Jun 6, 2016 3:49 pm
Subject: Re: SCHOOL BOARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BID-RIGGING & MANAGEMENT CONCERNS & My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
Dear Mr. Slaven (sic),
I received your most recent emails. I have always (sic) made myself available to the public and you (sic) to discuss pertinent school district issues. However, because of your recent behavior (sic) and unfounded (sic), abusive (sic) and insulting (sic) comments, I am not willing to engage in a dialogue with you. I honor my role as trustee of the citizenry as it relates to our children, but I don’t think my service requires me to endure (sic) and be subjected (sic) to mean-spirited (sic), antagonistic (sic) and false (sic) accusations. I trust (sic) you understand my position.
Patrick CananSent from my iPhone

-----Original Message-----
From: easlavin
To: Patrick.Canan ; Beverly.Slough ; Kelly.Barrera ; Bill.Mignon ; Tommy.Allen
Sent: Mon, Jun 6, 2016 2:38 pm
Subject: Re: SCHOOL BOARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BID-RIGGING & MANAGEMENT CONCERNS & My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns

Please respond today.  Thank you.
-----Original Message-----

From: easlavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: Patrick.Canan <Patrick.Canan@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Beverly.Slough <Beverly.Slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Kelly.Barrera <Kelly.Barrera@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Bill.Mignon <Bill.Mignon@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Tommy.Allen <Tommy.Allen@stjohns.k12.fl.us>
Sent: Wed, Jun 1, 2016 10:23 am
Subject: SCHOOL BOARD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT BID-RIGGING & MANAGEMENT CONCERNS & My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
Dear Chairman Canan:
1. You stated to me last month by text message on May 28, 2016 that you are "always happy" to talk with me and "happy to talk" on May 31, 2016 about my concerns about the School Board's response to receiving only one (1) bid on the Aberdeen K-8 Elementary School, at 30% more than expected.
2. I have not yet heard from you.  Today is June 1, 2016.
Please answer, in an e-mail:
3. When will the St. Johns County School Board vote on rejecting the one bid for Aberdeen K-8 Elementary School from Perry-McCall, opened on May 17, 2016?
4. Who is the St. Johns County School Board's antitrust plaintiff's lawyer?   If none, please initiate a search.
5. What policies exist on reporting possible antitrust violations?  If none, please initiate.
6.  Have there been suspicious responses (or non-responses) to School Board bid invitations in the past?  With what result(s)?  Any antitrust referrals/investigations?
7.  What steps have been taken to obtain a new outside counsel, since the Upchurch firm represents construction contractors?   If none, please initiate a search.
8.  What steps have been taken to obtain a conflicts check before another outside counsel is chosen?  If none, please initiate a conflicts check procedure.
9.  What consideration has been given to hiring a full-time School Board attorney, with substantial cost savings, eliminating conflicts of interest?   If none, please initiate a public policy discussion.
10. When may I view the documents that I requested last month (requests 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203) in-person at the School Board HQ on Orange Street?
Thank you for your prompt response.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998
-----Original Message-----
From: easlavin <easlavin@aol.com>
To: Beverly.Slough <Beverly.Slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Kelly.Barrera <Kelly.Barrera@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Bill.Mignon <Bill.Mignon@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Tommy.Allen <Tommy.Allen@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Patrick.Canan <Patrick.Canan@stjohns.k12.fl.us>
Sent: Tue, May 31, 2016 11:55 am
Subject: Re: My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
Dear Ms. Slough:
1. They were sent to the School Board staff, as you know.  
2. No answer yet.  
3. Kindly read my e-mail, which asks you to take other actions, please.
4. Policy questions are properly addressed to you people.  
5. Please respond.  
6. Thank you for showing -- in writing -- your insouciance and indifference about antitrust violations, as you have before about civil rights violations, when you attempted to hornswoggle the people of St. Johns County in 2011 with a redistricting plan that would have violated the Fifteenth Amendment.  We, the People stopped you.
7. Your maladroit response to bid rigging concerns is underwhelming and hardly inspires trust and confidence in our School Board's willingness to do its job without fear or favor of contractors.
8. Ms. Slough, you have time to be an active Republican partisan but little interest in doing your job on our School Board being a potential antitrust crime victim.
9. Perhaps you might wish to consider resigning from the School Board.
With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
904-377-4998
-----Original Message-----
From: Beverly Slough <Beverly.Slough@stjohns.k12.fl.us>
To: easlavin <easlavin@aol.com>; Kelly D. Barrera <Kelly.Barrera@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Bill Mignon <Bill.Mignon@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Tommy Allen <Tommy.Allen@stjohns.k12.fl.us>; Patrick Canan <Patrick.Canan@stjohns.k12.fl.us>
Sent: Mon, May 30, 2016 10:39 am
Subject: Re: My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
Public records requests should be addressed to Christina.Langston@stjohns.k12.fl.us.
Thank you,
Bev Slough
From: easlavin@aol.com <easlavin@aol.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2016 5:35 PM
To: Kelly D. Barrera; Bill Mignon; Tommy Allen; Beverly Slough; Patrick Canan
Subject: My Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203: St. Johns County Schools Antitrust Concerns
 Dear Chairman Canan and School Board members Slough, Allen, Mignon & Barrera:
1. Please direct our St. Johns County School Board staff to respond to my Open Records Requests Nos. 2016-197,198,199,200,201,202 & 203 of May 27, 2016.
2. Please vote to reject the one bid received for Aberdeen K-8 elementary school, which is reportedly 30% higher than anticipated.
3. Please direct our School Board staff to comply with my request for antitrust referrals to our Florida and U.S. Attorneys General.
4. Kindly direct our School Board staff to make all documents available Tuesday, May 31, 2016.
5. Please place the hiring a new lawyer on a future agenda in the event that Mr. Frank D. Upchurch, III & Co. does not resign. 
6. The conflict of interest inherent in the Upchurch, Bailey & Upchurch law firm representing the Board and private clients, including contractors, requires new counsel.
7. I have spoken with the State Attorney General's Antitrust Division and with FBI, HUD & EPA Senior Special Agent Robert E. Tyndall (Retired): I have sent both AAG Daugherty and Special Agent Tyndall copies of this correspondence.
8. We must proceed with vigor and take prompt action to protect the public interest: "business as usual" is no longer an option in St. Johns County.
Thank you.

With kindest regards, I am,
Sincerely yours,
Ed Slavin
www.edslavin.com
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh.


904-377-4998
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Maybe what he is talking about (Canan) is your misplaced habit of saying the sky is falling before you get the facts or complete an investigation. Hmm..Lets see you ask the State of FL and FBI to investigate Bid rigging before you havd any facts ..proof..to date you still ask for responses from the school board yet you already drew conclusions. That makes no sense...you either have all the facts you need to call for "official investigations) or you don't.

If you do have all the facts then why bother asking the Board for responses?

In reviewing your disbarrment proceedings it seems even your best buddy ( retired chief Judge) remarked that you have a habit of jumping the gun...proceeding with no facts.

You have been held in contempt. You have been fined and you have been scolded in public yet you insist on continuing your childish and self destructive course ...and mind you this insn't me saying this its the states of TN and TX and FL..

You claim to be a Georgetown Grad...I wasn't aware the honorable school turned out such immature scholars ..ones who leep of ledges...you must have been a doozy editor..lets prin this on the front page..the voices in my head tell me so...hahaha..nutso roo you!

7:22 PM

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