PATRICK "DUCKS" CANAN DUCKS ANTITRUST QUESTIONS

Our St. Johns County School Board Chairman, wealthy local plaintiff's personal injury and criminal defense lawyer PATRICK THOMAS CANAN, has earned a new nickname: PATRICK "DUCKS" CANAN, for his insipid, llogical and insolent means of ducking antitrust policy questions arising from there being only one (1) bid for ABERDEEN K-8 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, from PERRY-McCALL CONSTRUCTION.


Left to right; Andrew Morgan, ex-Commissioner ERROL JONES and defense attorney PATRICK THOMAS CANAN, Esq. during JONES' jury trial.
(SAR)

-----Original Message-----
From: easlavin
To: Patrick.Canan ; joynerj ; Beverly.Slough ; Kelly.Barrera ; Bill.Mignon ; Tommy.Allen ; fdupchurch
Sent: Wed, Jun 8, 2016 11:42 am
Subject: SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION ANTITRUST: SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR CANAN'S MALADROIT RESPONSE TO FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTED ACTIVITY

Dear Chairman Canan:

A. On May 27, 2016, I left two telephone messages for you.  You never called back.B. On May 28, 2016, I sent you text messages, and you replied you were "happy" to talk with me and would be "happy" to talk to me on May 31, 2016.  You never did.

C. On May 28, 2016, you called me, twice.  I returned your calls and you then angrily threatened me with a "restraining order" -- this empty threat was in blatant retaliation for First Amendment protected activity.

D. On June 6, 2016, you sent me an abusive, emotional, falsehood-ridden e-mail, stating inter alia:

"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 Canan

Sent from my iPhone

E. You did not respond to my replies, in which I stated (below):

I. What are you talking about?  

II. Please answer my questions.  Now, thank you.

III. 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.

F.  You, the School Board and staff have answered none of my questions, although the St. Augustine Record has a gauzy story on the elementary school construction project in quo, but documents and answers are not forthcoming.

G. Please answer my questions of June 1, 2016 today:

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?

H.  You have repeatedly broken promises to get back to me on issues, including  Superintendent Joyner's endorsement of Sheriff Shoar, which you explained to me had forgot to inquire about before your nine-day vacation to the British Virgin Islands, where you keep one of your sailboats.  Now, you emit angry falsehoods.  Enough.  Please cease and desist from unresponsive, emotional, unconstitutional, retaliatory, flippant, false and manipulative responses to First Amendment protected activity.  I do not cower to power or intimidation, Mr. Canan, and I wear your scorn as a badge of honor.

Thank you.

With kindest regards, I am,

Sincerely yours,

Ed Slavin

www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com

www.edslavin.com

904-377-4998