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. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
RONALD DION DESANTIS (2012; Photo credit: Flagler Live: http://flaglerlive.com/wp-content/uploads/ron-desantis2.jpg)
Freshman Republican U.S. Representative, RONALD DION DESANTIS (R-Ponte Vedra), is the darling of the Koch Brothers, The Tea Party, Faux FOX News and the money-losing, Moonie-owned Washington Times. On February 12, 2013, Rep. DeSantis published a screechy column in the Washington Times, a right-wing rag founded by the Rev. Moon, demanding that President Obama sound "humble" in his State of the Union Address.
DeSantis insulted the 53% of the American people who voted for President Obama, stating that his "re-election was built not on championing his first term achievements, but on spending millions of dollars assassinating the character of his Republican opponent and perfecting a campaign effort that maximized turnout among low-information voters. Mr. Obama won in spite of his first term agenda, not because of it." READ MORE DRIVEL HERE: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/12/obama-ought-express-some-humility-his-state-union/#ixzz2KvZPFcUG
What "character assassination?" Obama's campaign defined Romney's lack of character.
"Low-information voters," indeed. What do you say about racists who watch FOX NEWS?
What a slur -- he means poor people and minorities.
They know more about suffering and the economy than this guy.
RONALD DION DESANTIS sounds like an elitist Ivy League energumen -- pouting at progress.
Rep. DESANTIS sounds like a fungible Republican reprobate, shedding more heat than light.
Rep. DESANTIS is a snooty graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.
At age 35, what has DESANTIS accomplished in life?
Whom has DESANTIS helped, besides the Koch Brothers and their ilk?
At age 35, what has RONALD DION DESANTIS ever done in terms of pro bono legal work?
He was a corporate and military attorney.
Does DESANTIS sound like a rapid-rabid-response robot paid for by the Koch Brothers?
What would James Madison say? Is DESANTIS all about slogans, or public service? What do you reckon?
Rep. DESANTIS, at age 35, should act his age and not his shoe size.
Rep. DESANTIS must follow his own "advice" and cultivate a lot more "humility."
Rep. DESANTIS must appreciate that he is the Congressman from Florida's Sixth Congressional District, not the Congressman from the people who agree with him.
SOURCE:
In 1970, Senator Roman Hruska (R-Neb.), defended G. Harold Carswell, Nixon's ill-fated nominee for the Supreme Court. Hruska said mediocre people had a right to representation by confirming Carswell, whom he conceded would be a mediocre Supreme Court justice.
From Wikipedia:
"Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people
and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they,
and a little chance? We can't have all Brandeises, Frankfurters and Cardozos."[1]
Picking a new City Commissioner was not on last night's agenda. The vacancy was not even expected to exist until February 18, the date Commissioner WILLIAM LEARY had announced earlier this month.
But then outgoing Commissioner WILLIAM LEARY offered to make things easier for his colleagues by resigning seven days early, enabling his colleagues to pick a successor last night, when the matter was not even on the agenda.
LEARY's colleagues appreciated the favor.
Earlier, St. Augustine Mayor Joseph L. Boles, Jr. expressed to desire vote in DONALD CRICHLOW before -- and without -- public comment. "I've been lobbied enough," he said All four of his colleagues refused to go along with Boles.
Then, after LEARY resigned and after public comment, the other three remaining commissioners joined Boles in the coronation of controversial ex-Commissioner DONALD CRICHLOW, a man who has shown marked racial insensitivity and anti-Gay outbursts, while mocking those of us who stopped an illegal four-commissioner trip to Spain as "enemies of the city."
Richard Milhous Nixon's ghost is back. See below.
Our Florida Sunshine law does not expressly forbid what Commissioners did last night -- duking in DONALD CRICHLOW when the vote was not on the agenda. Commissioners can add items to agendas. It happens all the time.
However, the State Attorney General has opined that "In the spirit of the Sunshine law, the city commission should be sensitive to the community's concerns that it be allowed advance notice, and therefore, meaningful participation on controversial issues coming before the commission." AGO 03-53. Full text here:
Watch to see if CRICHLOW still lobbies PZB and HARB for his architectural clients, and brings clients to the City Commissioners' office to impress them.
During CRICHLOW's prior Commission service (2002-2008), PZB and HARB meeting minutes actually refer to "Commisioner
CRICHLOW" -- this is a blatant conflict of interest, corrupt and unseemly,
although not prohibited by Florida's weak ethics laws, according to Florida's incurious Ethics
Commission, which never asked CRICHLOW for a copy of his contracts in quo.
How intimidating to PZB and HARB members to have a City Commissioner -- member of the Board that hears appeals from PZB and HARB -- show up and represent architectural clients.
Former city commissioner chosen unanimously to fill seat until 2014
The St. Augustine City Commission spent half an hour Monday night
presenting departing City Commissioner Bill Leary with two special
souvenirs, leading several standing ovations, and listening as Leary
thanked former colleagues, all department heads and city staff.
Then the commission spent five minutes deciding his replacement.
They unanimously appointed former Commissioner Don Crichlow, an
architect who served on the commission from 2002 to 2010, to fill
Leary’s seat until 2014.
No other candidates were considered, or even mentioned.
After the vote, a recess was announced and many in the audience
streamed outside to express shock and dismay at the decision that
appeared to lack any consideration of the dozen other candidates who had
submitted their names to City Manager John Regan in good faith.
“They could have at least talked about some of the others,” one woman said.
That sentiment was echoed by Judith Seraphin of Lincolnville, who
after the meeting said: “By not having a discussion on the other
candidates, they did a disservice (to the city). It looked very planned.
I expected this meeting to be hot and heavy.”
The Rev. Ron Rauls had earlier said candidate Deltra Long was
“qualified and has been extremely interested in this community all her
life.”
Seraphin had also touted Long as someone who is “well-known for her
work on the board of directors for Habitat For Humanity and Betty
Griffin House, the large percentage of votes she received in the past
election, her law degree and her work on the Planning and Zoning Board
for years, many as chairwoman.”
Long ran for Commissioner Errol Jones’ vacant seat in 2012 but was beaten by architect Roxanne Horvath.
Seraphin said: “I’m not asking (the commission) to support Deltra
Long because she’s an African-American. I’m asking you to support her
because she’s the right person in the right place at the right time.”
The decision might have been put off until Feb. 25 if Leary had not
made a surprise announcement: He was willing to resign immediately
rather than wait until Feb. 18. This way, he explained, there’d be an
empty seat for the board to fill.
“I want to make it easy for you to act,” Leary said. “I’m grateful
that so many highly qualified people expressed interest in the vacancy.
It’s a difficult choice, and I’m glad I don’t have to make it.”
After the board and audience gave Leary his kudos, he and his wife left.
At that point, Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline immediately limited the
number candidates who were eligible for appointment by saying she only
wanted candidates with experience but didn’t want to appoint someone who
would become an incumbent in 2014, when that seat becomes open.
“I want someone who will not run,” she said.
That left Crichlow, former Mayor Len Weeks and former Commissioner
Bill Lennon as the only candidates who met those qualifications.
Weeks and Lennon are late-comers on the list.
But Mayor Joe Boles said the board wasn’t bound to any list and that
there was “no defined procedure” on choosing a new commissioner. “It’s
really up to the commission.”
He agreed with Sikes-Kline on the “must-not-run” limitation and
actually limited it further by saying he wanted someone with “no
learning curve, someone who will not run and someone who did not lose an
election.”
Sikes-Kline “liked Crichlow because I don’t think he has an agenda. He’s solid as a rock.”
Commissioner Leanna Freeman remained silent.
Horvath said Crichlow is “fair and thorough. I think it should be the public to decide who is will (serve) in 2014.”
People shook their heads in disbelief after the vote.
Editor: My husband Tony and I were first horrified to read the
hateful remarks about us and other residents, that was printed in
Friday's paper.
"Obstructionists?"
"Enemies of the city?"
"Vendetta?"
We're now amused by these ugly words (8/20), by outgoing City
Commissioner Donald Crichlow. He's evidently angry because 18 diverse
St. Augustine residents (through able counsel) requested documents from
the city and First America Foundation, Inc. (I hope you read the article
in Folio Weekly, Aug. 16).
Tony and I fell in love with this city and in 2005, we moved here. My
life is busy enough, with my business and my church, but I have to
speak out when I see injustice.
Who is Crichlow to insult us for asking questions? Crichlow is a lame
duck. Does Crichlow "need" to fly to Spain, especially since he claims
that dropping out would "save him a lot of work." "I'm not going to
miss having to do that. From 9 a.m. in the morning, to 11 p.m. at night,
you're either at dinners, receptions, parades or church. It's tiring
and stressful." (St. Augustine Record story, 8/20)
Why would anyone want to go again on this trip if it is so stressful?
Crichlow abused the public trust, using "fear and smear" hatred against residents for expecting an open, frugal government.
All of us are thrilled to be on Crichlow's "enemies list." Those on
Richard Nixon's "Enemies List" always wore it as a "badge of honor.
We are proud of all the residents who won civil rights and First
Amendment victories -- African-American "foot-soldiers," gays, artists
and entertainers -- victories for everyone and our right to live in
peace and harmony, free from fear.
Today, I am proud of our neighbors, friends and fellow city residents
-- "we, the people" stood up for our constitutional rights. Maybe it's a
new day.
DONALD CRICHLOW WAS THE ARCHITECT OF THE PROPOSED "BISHOP's BUILDING" ABOVE, UNANIMOUSLY DEFEATED 4-0 BY HIS CITY COMMISSION COLLEAGUES IN 2009, WHICH WOULD HAVE RUINED DOWNTOWN VIEWS OF FLAGLER COLLEGE AND OUR CATHEDRAL BASILICA
I was troubled to read that there may be a move afoot to appoint former St. Augustine Commissioner DONALD CRICHLOW to Commission, and that Commissioners are suggesting that one must have been a former Commissioner. Prior Commission service is not a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ).
Why require that the Commission appoint a "has been?"
No illegal "has been" requirement should limit the diversity of the Commissioner chosen to complete William L. Leary's term. Our former City Commissioners either retired by choice or by the peoples' choice in elections. DONALD CRICHLOW retired, supporting William Leary (so did I).
But DONALD CRICHLOW does not get to "take his seat back" because Leary is moving to California, as if CRICHLOW were some Republican lord of all he surveys, with a "right of reverter" in "his seat.".
Requiring appointment or annointment of a former City Commissioner makes one the chosen one more likely to be prejudiced against Gays (three then-Commissioners voted twice against the Rainbow flags in 2005, causing the City to lose money on attorney fees for the City's and the Gay Pride group's counsel in a successful First Amendment case, which resulted in Rainbow flags flying on our Bridge of Lions in honor of Gay Pride, June 8-13, 2005). It is likely that at least two of those former Commissioners would likely vote the same way again on Rainbow flags (DONALD CRICHLOW and GEORGE GARDNER); a third, ERROL JONES, made the motion to add "sexual orientation" into the Fair Housing ordinance, but he is not a candidate for his old job, for which he got about 14% of the vote in the August Primary.
We have made a lot of progress here. We don't want to go backward by choosing CRICHLOW.
Looking at the "recruiting pattern" of the City Commission, most recent members were members or Chairs of the Planning and Zoning Board (PZB). Good judgment on planning and zoning matters is essential to important job of the City Commissioner, who must sit in quasi-judicial hearings and render just decisions, or get the City sued. PZB membership would be a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) and would embrace about half the candidates who have or are likely to express interest, including DELTRA LONG, JOHN VALDES, GRANT MISTERLY, STEVEN SCHUYLER and DONALD CRICHLOW.
The notion of appointing our former City Manager's golfing buddy -- DONALD CRICHLOW -- shows a lack of imagination.
As an architect and deeply conflicted City Commissioner,
CRICHLOW represented his own architectural clients before
Commission-appointed PZB and Historic Architectural Review Board, and state ethics officials allowed him to get away with it. (How
intimidating to citizen board members!). When CRICHLOW's projects were before the Commission, he sometimes failed to recuse himself, and sometimes failed to get up out of his seat and leave the room. Finally, after ethics complaints, CRICHLOW learned how to recuse himself and leave the room. Appoint him again and he will do it to us again, using his Commissioner's job as a way of getting work for developers, thereby embarrassing all of us and putting our colonial history at risk.
CRICHLOW misused his architectural talents and his public office. Working for speculator and t-shirt store owner Danny Schecter and zoning lawyer George McClure, DONALD CRICHLOW designed and
tried to inflict his ugly “Bishop's Building” on both his city
and his own church (Cathedral Parish), ultimately resulting in
Diocese of St. Augustine buying eastern half of Bank of America
parking lot, thereby preventing further future threats to our city's
downtown historical grandeur. Thank God. Our community's views were heard and heeded, but not by CRICHLOW, who claims ancestry going back to 1599 in our town.
DONALD CRICHLOW is a Gay-hating bigot. CRICHLOW's errant anti-Gay remarks to Folio Weekly
and his two (2) votes against Rainbow flags in 2005 render him out of step
with our times and utterly unqualified to lead our City. So do his views on racial reconciliation and civil rights.
CRICHLOW thinks of citizen activists as
“enemies” and “obstructionists” with a “vendetta,”
telling colleagues “don't engage them.”
In August 2010, the City halted plans
to send four Commissioners to Spain “to conduct business,” which
would have been a violation of Article I, Section 24 of the Florida
Constitution and our Florida Sunshine Law. Eighteen local residents
(including me) suceeeded without filing a lawsuit (we were
represented by Holland & Knight, which made Open Records requests
and was planning to sue the City of St. Augustine over Sunshine
violations. In response, DONALD CRICHLOW called us “enemies,”
with the St. Augustine Record article stating CRICHLOW had cancelled
plans to go on the trip:
Those of us on CRICHLOW's "enemies list" were proud to be there, like everyone listed on Richard Nixon's enemies list. See Judith Seraphin's response to CRICHLOW's insults, here.
DONALD CRICHLOW is capable of saying equally inane things about almost any subject, including persecution of artists and entertainers for painting and signing and illegal dumping of solid waste in our Old City Reservoir. With likely visits by the King and Queen of Spain, the President of the United States (and a perhaps a future Pope on the horizon), we don't need DONALD CRICHLOW embarrassing our City ever again.
We've come a long way since DONALD CRICHLOW left. Dodgy developers are less likely to get their way. Commission meetings are conducted on a higher intellectual level -- policy not provincialism.
Upon reflection, I sincerely hope that our Commissioners will agree that the likelihood of CRICHLOW at this stage in his life ever changing his deeply-held views (a/k/a "deep-seated prejudices") are highly improbable – the Latin term for his chances would be “de
micromis” (microscopic, which is even a smaller chance than de
minimis).
My expectation is that former PZB Chair DELTRA LONG will be
appointed the the next member of our St. Augustine Commission, later this month, to take
the place of the irreplaceable, irreplaceable William Leary. DELTRA LONG is a former PZB Chair and a community and
African-American leader respected by all – as a student, she
was one of the students who courageously helped desegregate St. Augustine High School. White former classmates who once harassed her now love her and hug her. She is a
likely unifying figure with legal education, longtime community
involvement, savvy and compassion. She barely missed being in the
top two candidates in the August Primary (some 12 votes). She
reportedly declined to take a position against the proposed eighteen-pump
7-Eleven gasoline station on May Street (it would have disqualified
her from voting in any quasi-judicial hearing on the issue). That lost her votes in Nelmar Terrace and Fullerwood, because she didn't explain the recusal possibility. Also, a number of misguided African-Americans voted not for her but for then-commissioner Errol Jones (who came
in fourth), out of sympathy, empathy or possible perceptions that Jones had been
treated unfairly by SAPD and the Courts. (I don't particularly believe he was treated unfairly -- his behaviors had gone unchecked for years when HARRISS was City Manager and had Jones' vote in his pocket on all things, including illegal dumping and Environmental Racism.)
Selecting DELTRA LONG will restore racial diversity
to the St. Augustine Commission in time for the 50th
anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act is celebrated here next year.
She is most likely to succeed, build community and exceed our expectations.
Selecting DONALD CRICHLOW would be a backward step.
Yes we can!
"THEY'VE HAD THEIR TURN -- NOW ITS OUR TURN" (That's DONALD CRICHLOW ON THE RIGHT AND CONTROVERSIAL FORMER CITY MANAGER WILLIAM B. HARRISS ON LEFT)
"Tired of all this rights stuff," indeed! Harrumph!
It’s a new day. The Record editorial about the Picasso exhibit is
right about our growing sophistication here, which includes renewed
respect for human rights, historic preservation and our environment.
On Feb. 4, City of St. Augustine Beach Commissioners voted
unanimously to “eliminate discrimination in housing” outlawing
discrimination in housing and related lending, adding “sexual
orientation” (heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality) and
“gender identity” to “race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, place of
birth, handicap, familial status, national origin” as protected classes.
The ordinance closely resembles one unanimously adopted by the City of
St. Augustine in 2012, but added “gender identity.”
Commissioner Undine Pawlowski’s motion to enact the Fair Housing law
was seconded by Commissioner Andrea Samuel, and passed unanimously 4-0,
supported by Mayor S. Gary Snodgrass and Vice Mayor Richard O’Brien.
(Commissioner Brud Helhoski was away on business, but he and all other
commissioners voted for the ordinance on first reading in January).
What’s next? St. Augustine Beach is drafting an employment
nondiscrimination ordinance.
This is the third unanimous vote by a local government since 2009 for
Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual equality. Anastasia Mosquito Control
District was first At least one constitutional officer, Sheriff David
Shoar, forbids sexual orientation discrimination in employment.
Four St. Johns County government entities outlaw sexual orientation
discrimination. One of them went a step further, opposing
anti-transgendered discrimination. Four government entities – 17 elected
officials – are on record against invidious anti-Gay discrimination.
Thanks to the Cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach, the
Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, and Sheriff
David Shoar, our community is a beacon of hope for equality and
tolerance in Northeast Florida.
That’s four more government entities than in Jacksonville and Duval
County. Its City Council voted to reject GLBT rights protections in its
Human Rights ordinance in 2012, against Transgendered people (the vote
was 17-2) and against Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people (10-9). This
rejection followed months of histrionic debate and pressure from
misguided misanthropes.
Equality is self-evident, a fundamental American value. Our local
boards spent less time talking about it than people in Jacksonville
spent clearing their throats. Four government entities -- and 17 leaders
-- prove we are becoming a more sophisticated and progressive
community. We refuse to be governed by fear or ignorance (or fear of
ignorance). We refuse to allow haters to divide us or inflict their
prejudices on us, our laws and our governments.
We have joined the many other Florida and American cities, counties
and 21 states that have legislated equality for GLBT people. The tide
of history is on our side.
As President George Washington wrote the Newport, R.I., Hebrew
congregation in 1790 in defense of his liberal policies of religious
tolerance: “Happily, the government of the United States gives to
bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance and, requires only
that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good
citizens.”
Whenever creative people and their enterprises look to relocate, they
look for tolerance. Few creative people, whether youthful start-ups or
Fortune 500 managers, will find Jacksonville tolerant. But thanks to
unanimous courage of 17 elected leaders, more creative people and their
enterprises will find tolerance here, in St. Augustine and St. Augustine
Beach.
Our hearts are open and we are open for business, including GLBT tourism, a $50 billion/year business. It takes a village.
Let flying Rainbow flags be symbolic of our growing sophistication,
diversity and tolerance – welcoming more than five million visitors a
year.
■ Community activist Ed Slavin has lived n St. Augustine since 1999.
HONOR ROLL : Thanks of a
Grateful St. Augustine Community to Seventeen (17) of Our Local
Elected Officials --- Four (4) Government Entities – For Enacting
Rules and Laws Requiring Nondiscrimination on the Basis of “Sexual
Orientation” (“Heterosexuality, Homosexuality or Bisexuality”)
Since 2009
1. Anastasia Mosquito
Control Commmission of St. Johns County (2009)
(Employment)
(Unanimous Vote)
Jeanne Moeller, Chair
Janice Bequette
John Sundeman
Vivian Browning
Ron Radford
2. St. Augustine City
Commission (2012)
(Fair Housing)
(Three Unanimous Votes,
in August, November and December 2012)
Mayor Joseph L. Boles, Jr.
Leanna Freeman, then Vice
Mayor
Nancy Sikes-Kline, now Vice Mayor William Leary (since resigned, later replaced by Donald Crichlow)
Errol Jones (made first
motion August 28 after I spoke at Fair Housing workshop)
Roxanne Horvath (voted on
final passage December 10)
3. St. Augustine Beach
Ciy Comission (2013)
(Fair Housing,
Including “Gender Identity” as Well as “Sexual Orientation”)
City of St. Augustine Beach Ordinance 2013-1, the Fair Housing Orinance, passed unanimously last night, February 4th.
Ordinance sponsor Undine Pawlowski moved after public comment to amend the proposed ordinance to include "gender identity," thereby protecting Transgendered people as a protected class.
The ordinance forbids housing and related lending discrimination, adding it to "sexual orientation" (heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality) to other protected classes (race, sex, color religion, creed, national origin, disability). St. Augustine Beach adopted essentially the same ordinance adopted by the City of St. Augustine on December 10, 2012.
Commissioner Undine Pawlowski's motion was seconded by Commissioner Andrea Samuels, and passed unanimously 4-0, also supported by Mayor S. Gary Snodgrass and Vice Mayor Richard O'Brien. (Commissioner Brud Helhoski away on business, but he and all other commissioners voted for the ordinance on first reading on January 7, 2013).
At last night's St. Augustine Beach City Commission meeting, no one opposed the ordinance. While one of three public hearing speakers questioned the need for the ordinance, thinking federal laws might already apply, no one spoke in opposition to it. (There were no anti-Gay "preachers" of the Westboro Baptist Church variety emitting inflammatory invectives, like the man whom Mayor Joseph L. Boles directed to be ejected at the December 10, 2012 St. Augustine City Commission meeting. See below.)
This is the third unanimous vote in St. Johns County since 2009 of a governmental body opposing invidious discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. At least one constitutional officer, St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar, forbids sexual orientation discrimination by administrative order.
There are now four (4) St. Johns County government entities that forbid anti-GLB discrimination. One of them went a step further, opposing anti-T discrimination.
That's four more jurisdictions than in Jacksonville and Duval County, Florida.
Jacksonville (and Duval County) is a mighty strange place, even by Florida standards -- our northern neighbor's City Council that voted to reject GLBT rights protections in its Human Rights ordinance on August 15, 2012, .once voting against protecting Transgendered people (17-2) and then once against Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people (10-9). This legislative outcome took months of histrionic debate. As I told Folio Weekly last year, after St. Augustine Commissioners unanimously voted to direct drafting of an ordinance August 28 -- St. Augustinians spent less time talking about it "than people in Jacksonville clearing their throats."
Thanks to the Cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach, the Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County, and St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar, our St. Augustine community is a beacon of hope for equality and tolerance in Northeast Florida.
We have joined the many other Florida and American cities, counties and states that have legislated equality for GLBT people. The tide of history is on our side.
Whenever creative people and their enterprises look to relocate, they
look for tolerance. Few creative people will now look in Jacksonville. Thanks to the
courage of our elected officials, creative people and their enterprises
will now look here in St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach.
Let's ask St. Johns County to be next to legislate GLBT equality.
It takes a village. Quo vobis videtor (what do you reckon?)
It's beginning to feel a lot like Springtime here.
Tomorrow, the City of St. Augustine Beach will vote for the second time on Ordinance 2013-1, Fair Housing, passed last month unanimously on first reading.
The proposed St. Augustine Beach Fair Housing ordinance 2013-1 is identical to City of St. Augustine Fair Housing Ordinance 2012-15 (adopted unanimously on three separate roll call votes from August 28, 2012 through December 10, 2012). The protected classes are "race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, place of birth, handicap, national origin or sexual orientation," with the legislative purpose to "eliminate discrimination in housing."
If enacted, St. Augustine Beach will join three (3) other local government entities --the City of St. Augustine, which also bans sexual orientation discrimination in housing, as well as the St. Johns County Sheriff's Department and Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County. which both ban government employment discrimination against Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual people.
I am proud to live here and we are all proud to know that our local officials thus far unanimously support equality and legislate against discrimination --- even when subjected to crudity, rudeness threats, insults and Lashon hara (see below). The non-discrimination votes in both our cities (2012 and 2013), and in our Mosquito Control District (2007) were all unanimous, 5-0 and bipartisan -- every single one.
Thus, this is not Jacksonville, Florida where bigots defeated GLBT rights protections in August 2012. We have learned from our history. We stand up for peoples' rights here, and we take care of our own.
It is reported that the local hate website operator has moved from St. Johns County. Pray for his tortured soul. Forgive him.
This latest civic improvement news comes amidst the hate website operator and avatars sewing much sturm und drang and hatred over St. Augustine's Picasso exhibit and Visitor Information Center improvements, progress, sophistication and our new Fair Housing sexual orientation non-discrimination law.
My late mentor, KKK infiltrator Stetson Kennedy, reported on KKK literature for educational purposes, as emetic as it was (and is). To see how much progress St. Augustinians have really made over oppression here, I followed his example, reading "The Anonymice" haters' latest mewling. Prepare for a shock: there is bad spelling, bad taste and bad-tempered ignorance involved..
Over on the local hate website, there are a number of harsh comments attributed to"The Preacherman," They are dated on December 12, 2012 (two days after our City amended the Fair Housing Act to ban sexual orientation discrimination). They irascibly and reflexively attack Gays and Lesbians, Civil Rights, African-Americans and our City elected leaders and laweyrs. "The Preacherman" derides the 40th ACCORD (civil rights group) Christmas Party and hates on Rainbow Flags, saying that St. Augustine is now Florida's "queer capitol (sic)" due to the decision to ban sexual orientation discrimination. Elsewhere "The Preacherman" says of the City 450th logo, "Might as well put a queer rainbow around it too. joe boles and his gay cohorts voted to make st. augustine the new sodom. st. augustine’s city
leaders and lawyers are a pathetic waste."
"The Preacherman" sounds very much like that aggressive angry energumen who twice yelled out at the December 10, 2012 City Commission meeting without being recognized, whom Mayor Boles finally asked be ejected after calling the Commissioners "reprobates" and saying they were "fired" after the 5-0 vote ("Will someone please escort that idiot out of the room?").
In fact, "The Preacherman" outs himself elsewhere on the same hate website, where he states, inter alia: "I attended this meeting and spoke agin it. joe boles wants st. augustine
to be the new sodom and Gomorrah. All the ungodly commishes also gave
their effeminate cry for the queers. BTW, SODOMY is still a crime in the
state of Florida. Fl law 800.2 states that sodomy is an unnatural and
lascivious act punishable up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. so joe
boles and his limp wrist devils voted to enact an ordinance that breaks
fl law. Even their lawyer stated it wouldn’t hold water (sic). I think joe
blows and his fellowship would be more comfortable in san fagcisco (sic)..
Of course, everyone knows the Supreme Court declared sodomy laws unconstitutional in 2003.
Mayor Boles was right about this guy -- he is an "idiot."
"Quo vobis videtor?" ("How does it appear to you?," Latin for "What do you reckon?")
The "Preacherman" does not like his neighbors.
"The Preacherman" has baggage -- an entire airport baggage claim area full of baggage, it would appear.
"The Preacherman" has issues.
"The Preacherman" has issues with Gays and African-Americans living here in St. Augustine. He sounds like the kind of guy who would enlist children to carry anti-Gay signs on Gay Pride Day, picket the January 20, 2009 Obama Inauguration festivities in our Slave Market Square, and steal other peoples' Obama signs in the dark of night.
Forgive him. We wear his scorn as a badge of honor.
But the "Preacherman" has options.
The late advice columnist known as "Dear Abby" (the late Pauline Phillips a/k/a Abigail Van Buren) had a way with words. Dear Abby once responded to a racist homophobe whose San Francisco neighborhood now had interracial parties and possible Gay and Lesbian people, "Nob Hill Residents" complained, asking Dear Abby how to improve the neighborhood. Dear Abby responded, "Dear Nob Hill Residents: You could move."
Another
beautiful day in a beautiful place.
The St. Augustine Record last Sunday praised St. Augustine's "growing sophistication," as shown by our Picasso exhibit and other indicia of local progress.
Nice letters (below) from Dorothy
Israel and Pierre and Shirley Thompson on St. Augustine. Note the pitiful Philadelphia Inquirer coverage, lacking in attention to
African-American history, gently and briefly skewered by Dr. Israel.
See below.
Down on St. George Street, a few
misguided haters are parading with their hate Obama gear, gone mad
because our country stands for civil rights, including “our Gay and
Lesbian brothers and sisters,” as President Obama said in his
Second Inaugural Address.
A few misguided misanthropic nativists seethe
with hatred, like the 1840s Know-Nothing Party.
Over on the local hate websites, our local Know-Nothings are yammering about their hatreds du jour -- our Picasso exhibit, the 450th, about how
75% of the population of St. Augustine is “liberal” and we need
a “conservative” appointed by our City Commissioners to replace
William Leary, who is resigning to move to California near his daughter.
What do they mean by "conservative?" They favor massive spending on military and law enforcement, without checks and balances. They like no-bid contracts when they and their kiretsu members are on the receiving end. They race-bait shamelessly. They are not real "conservatives."
These are not people whom the late William F. Buckley, Jr. would hang out with -- he denounced racists and the John Birch Society as kookoo (the same ilk that called President Eisenhower a Communist is now calling President Obama a Communist, fueled then as now by money from the infamous oil-rich Koch family).
In the spirit of the Koch Brothers, the local hate website blasts Leary and other City Commissioners, questioning both their integrity and
lack of dedication to white supremacy (e.g., our “traditions”).
The angry lone hate website operator, cadging for advertising dollars, has even advocated a "boycott" of the St. Augustine Record.
The hate website – operated by the
longtime PR chair for the local St. Johns County Republican Party – demands that
Republicans push a candidate on City Commission for a nonpartisan
office. But City Commissioners don't run as Republicans or Democrats and
should not be appealed to appoint a person because of primal fear of
donkeys, elephants, African-Americans or other illegal
considerations.
The hate website is neither vox
populi nor a “news “ operation, by any stretch of the
imagination – but a few stray advertisers are apparently fooled,
including one for Myrtle Beach, S.C and its highrises, eerily
described as “60 miles of pristine beaches.” (Think any critters
survive in the shadow of high rises?).
The hate website operator hates the
fact that our City just voted to honor African-American civil rights
pioneer, Dr. Robert S. Hayling, D.D.S., with his second city award –
the La Florida Award, the City's highest honor.
The hate website operator and his
associates have previously disrespected Rev. Andrew Young and bitterly opposed his
monument, deriding St. Augustine's significance in Civil Rights history, while casting aspersions about the Foot Soldiers Civil
Rights monument. Our former City Manager tried to say that only "Spanish colonial" history could be honored in the Slave Market Square, when there are Confederate and other war memorials there. Forgive them.
This hate website operator and a couple local mossbacks hate the
fact that more Hispanic and African-American tourists are visiting,
and this is no longer a whites-only tourist town.
An avatar on the hate website who calls
itself “Preacherman” states: “shame on them all for voting to
make st. augustine SODOM, which is btw, a felony by Florida statue
(sic),” proceeding to spread vague rumors about an elected official. This hate website operator and his funders dared call others in our community "Shameful," simply for speaking their minds in public fora. Forgive them.
The "Preacherman" sounds not unlike one of the kooks who spoke in opposition to City of St. Augustine Ordinance 2012-15, which adds "sexual orientation to our Fair Housing Ordinance." It was adopted by three unanimous 5-0 votes, commencing August 28, 2012 and ending December 10, 2012.
This hate website operator attacks our
reform City government for promoting diversity and Civil Rights tourism and for honoring Dr. Robert Hayling and Rev. Andrew Young.
This hate website operator attacks the vast majority of our
city residents for being 75% “liberal.” See West Wing video
(below).
We are "liberal" in St Augustine, and we're proud of it.
As FDR said of the 0.01%, we "welcome their hatred.”
During 2005-2010, this hate website
operator attacked those who criticized the old City government for
pollution, making pointless personal attacks on people who had the
facts and the law on our side. We were right and the haters were
wrong.
This hate website operator began operations at Christmas Eve 2006, acting on behalf of a "downtown merchant" or local businessman, first attacking the homeless and then
soon moving on to other targets. On Christmas Eve 2007, the hate website operator wrote about how a lady who had cancer should die a "horrible painful death" (she did, eventually).
The hate website operator and his "Anonymice" buddies busied themselves as the former City Manager's heyboys, viciously lambasting Environmental Justice advocates and
defending our City's illegal dumping in the Old City Reservoir. The Old Guard's lapdog then defended spending $300,000 on dodgy legal and engineering work aimed at
moving 2000 truckloads of contaminated solid waste back to
Lincolnville (where it was illegally dumped and removed in the first
place, dumped in our Old City Reservoir). That plan was killed. We
were right and the haters were wrong.
That polluting former City Manager is gone –
gone for nearly three years. There has been great progress since
then.
The John Birch Society, Tea Party and KKK are unhappy. They
want others to be unhappy, too. That is their "business plan" -- making people unhappy -- read their writings! They go to St. George Street for the express purpose of offending people. Ignoring these dybbuks is best.
The hate website operator carries banner ads for the St. Augustine Tea Party, and has a history of giving webspace to homophobes and racists to rant with cant.
This hate website operator often tries to divide our community. He seems to be against progress, against
reconciliation and evidently longs for the bad 'ole days when segregationists ran the show.
The hate website operator made it his mission in life to defeat J.
Kenneth Bryan, former County Commission Chairman, with four years of
unmitigated racism and ranting cant emanating from several hate websites
-- a retired Justice Department manager, Bryan was the second
African-American County Commissioner in St. Johns County history,
targeted by foreign-funded "developers" for defeat because he asked
questions and refused to rubber-stamp dodgy and destructive projects
that would turn our county into an unreasonable facsimile of South
Florida.
This hate website operator loved it
when good 'ole boys ran the government. Why? Our City and County gave
his family uniform business no-bid contracts for embroidery and lots of exotic purchases,
including pith helmets and cardigan sweaters. Tens of thousands of dollars of no-bid contracts. Gone but not forgetten.
This hate website operator blames his failing business on liberals or progressives.
This hate website operator is now
torqued off that our City spent money to bring a Picasso exhibit
here, first of many temporary historic and art exhibits in our
Visitor Information Center. Sure beats no-bid contracts for embroidery, pith helmets and cardigan sweaters.
This hate website operator is
especially miffed at the diverse guest list for the Picasso opening –
calling them “Blue Bloods.” This same website operator and his
avatars have for years mocked “newbies” and “Yankees” who come
“uninvited,” and try to tell us “how to run our town,” always
suggesting that dissenters either leave town or be run out of town,
no matter how justified their criticism (e.g., illegal dumping, Sunshine violations, police misconduct). "Uninvited," indeed. Harrumph. As if one had to have an engraved invitation to be active in governmental affairs.
Now the shoe is on the other foot,
perhaps.
Now the hate website operator whines
when he is “uninvited,” along with local John Birch Society, Tea
Party and KKK supporters (Philistines are generally no friends of art anyway).
This is our town, and our time, and the John Birch Society and KKK no longer elect City Commissioners in St. Augustine, as they did fifty years ago.
The hate website operator raised $250,000 for our incumbent Republican Sheriff. But the hate site operator failed at politics. The hate website operator ran (and lost)
for City Commission by a landslide in 2008. Several of his wealthy friends or handlers ran
(and lost) for City Commission by landslides on multiple occasions. People don't want them in office. They don't trust them. They don't think they care about people like us. There's a reason for that perception -- they are other-directed, developer driven, hick hacks.
The hate site operator and his handful of overbearing cultists remind me of the old joke about the insect reclining on the log
floating down a river, about to pass beneath a bridge, yelling up to
the bridge tender to raise the bridge because he's so big. These are small people, with petty, selfish, perceptions. And as Bill Clinton said in his Second
Inaugural, “Nothing big was ever accomplished by being small."
Commissioner William Leary is asirrepressible as he is irreplaceable – think this through, please.
City Commissioners, please try to choose someone as intelligent and
ethical and environmentally conscious as Bill Leary, imbued with
independence and kindness and patience, someone willing to listen and learn.
May I suggest three suitable names: Deltra Long or J. Kenneth Bryan or John Valdes?
St. Augustine wears the hate website
operator's "scorn as a badge of honor". Hatred belongs in history's
dustbins, as our 2008 and 2012 elections proved. Hatred is repugnant to our American values.
As Mayor Joseph L. Boles, Jr. says, "St. Augustine was America's first diverse city and our most diverse city."
St. Augustine will continue to make
progress – haters' approval is neither desired nor
required.
As Bill Clinton said in his Second Inaugural Address, "Let us remember the timeless wisdom of Cardinal Bernardin, when facing the end of his own life. He said, "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time, on acrimony and division.'" We agree.
It takes a village.
We're proud to be “liberal” in this liberal democracy –
starting with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, through present times, “liberals”
made this country great – winning the rights of women and
African-Americans to vote, safeguarding worker rights, civil rights
and environmental rights.
See the West Wing video, below, on what it means to be a "liberal" a/k/a "progressive" (versus "conservatives," who opposed "all those things.")
This old city has a wealth of little-seen but intriguing sights.
ROBERTA SANDLER
The most notable graves in the St. Augustine National Cemetery,
topped by three stone pyramids, are those of soldiers ambushed by
Seminole Indians in 1835.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - If you think you've "been there, done that," you probably haven't.
Visitors to America's oldest permanent European settlement (founded
in 1565) may unknowingly bypass the Old City's lesser-known historical
attractions. During 2013, Florida celebrates its quincentennial, making
these overlooked attractions a must see to appreciate 500 years of
history, architecture, and culture that began with Ponce de Leon's
arrival in Florida in 1513. A spy in petticoats. The Spanish Colonial-style
Segui-Kirby Smith House dates to the 1700s, when it was occupied by
Bernardo Segui, a baker and Spanish militia official. Edmund Kirby
Smith, the last Confederate general to surrender, was born in the house
in 1824.
In the garden, there are bronze statues of Gen. Smith and Alexander
Darnes, a slave born in the house in 1840 who was owned by Smith's
mother, Frances. In 1880, Darnes became Florida's second black
physician.
During the Civil War, Frances Smith entertained Union officers in the
house. Whatever strategic information she gleaned from her unsuspecting
guests she secretly conveyed to the Confederates. In 1863, the federal
government ousted her from St. Augustine.
The house is not open for tours, but it is headquarters of the St.
Augustine Historical Society Research Library, which is publicly
accessible. A prince among men. A collection of period-decorated
houses and other buildings nestled among garden courtyards makes up the
Dow Museum of Historic Houses. Especially notable is the Prince Murat
House, a circa-1791 pink cottage occupied by Prince Achille Murat, a
nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The eccentric Murat, a militiaman, judge, and plantation owner, was
known to dine on owls and buzzards and to bathe while fully clothed. He
moved to Tallahassee, where he wooed George Washington's
great-grandniece Catherine Willis Gray, reportedly by sipping champagne
from her slipper, and married her. Murat was elected mayor of
Tallahassee in 1825. See the pyramids. St. Augustine National Cemetery
sits on land once owned by a Franciscan monastery. Burials date to the
1830s. Among them is the grave of Margaret Worth, widow of Maj. Gen.
William Jenkins Worth, a hero of the Second Seminole War and the
Mexican-American War. (Fort Worth, Texas; Lake Worth, Fla.; and Palm
Beach's Worth Avenue are named for him.)
Margaret Worth's house in St. Augustine is now a restaurant, O.C. White's.
The cemetery's most notable graves, topped by three 8-foot-tall stone
pyramids and a marble obelisk, are those of Maj. Francis Dade and his
soldiers, who were ambushed by Seminole Indians in December 1835. The
attack, known as the Dade Massacre, fueled the Second Seminole War.
(Miami-Dade County, Fla.; Dade City, Fla.; and Dade County, Mo., are
named for the major.) Greek splendor. Visitors obliviously bypass St.
Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine on pedestrian-only St. George
Street, yet the chapel within is exquisite. The dome and walls are
adorned with stunning Byzantine-style frescoes accented with 22-karat
gold leaf. The frescoes depict scenes of Christ and many apostles and
saints.
The shrine, named for St. Photios, twice the ecumenical patriarch of
Constantinople during the ninth century, features exhibits about the
first colony of Greek people to come to America, in 1768 (Florida's
British period), and the injustices they endured as part of Florida's
ill-fated New Smyrna (Beach) settlement. Many of these indentured souls
ran off to St. Augustine, where Gov. Patrick Tonyn granted them
permanent refuge. The other fort. Visitors flock to St. Augustine's
famous fort, Castillo de San Marcos, but the Old City's other stone fort
gets little attention. In 1740, realizing that St. Augustine's southern
entrance was vulnerable to enemy attacks, Spain ordered the
construction of Fort Matanzas, complete with gun deck and 30-foot tower
on two acres of dry ground on remote Rattlesnake Island.
Having no fresh water, the fort's soldiers relied on rainwater
collected in cisterns, and on food arriving by monthly supply boat. Now
called Fort Matanzas National Monument, it is operated by the National
Park Service, which transports visitors by ferry from the mainland
visitor center for guided tours and occasional cannon- and musket-firing
demonstrations. A house of faith; a house of women; a parrot heiress.
Dating to 1691, the Father Miguel O'Reilly House Museum documents the
five-century traditions of Catholicism in St. Augustine and celebrates
the priest who lived in this six-room stone house beginning in 1784. The
building, operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ximenez-Fatio House was built in 1798 for local merchant Andres
Ximenez. Now owned by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of
America, the property is a National Historic Landmark depicting its use,
from 1830 to 1875, as a boardinghouse successively owned by three
women, the last of whom was business-savvy and well-educated Louisa
Fatio. Those were rare attributes for a woman of her era.
The Peña-Peck House, dating to 1750, was home to royal treasurer Juan
Esteban de Peña and is one of St. Augustine's finest surviving First
Spanish Period stone houses. In 1784 (the beginning of Florida's Second
Spanish Period), Gov. Tonyn closed out the affairs of the British
government in North America (south of Canada) from this house.
In 1837 (Florida's Territorial Period), Dr. Seth Peck arrived from
Connecticut and bought the house. It is filled with valuable
19th-century antiques. Peck's spinster granddaughter Anna bequeathed the
house to the city of St. Augustine. And she took care to provide for
her foul-mouthed pet parrot, Polly, proving that St. Augustine's history
is amusing as well as amazing.
Editor: A friend sent me an article that appeared in the Philadelphia
Inquirer on Jan. 13, 2013 by Roberta Sandler entitled In St.
Augustine’s Shadows, “This old city has a wealth of little-seen but
intriguing sights.”
I was pleased to read the attention our city received and the places
of interest suggested for tourist to visit. However, significant sites
in the African-American community were shockingly omitted. A few include
The Fort Mose Historical Society, the First Free Black Settlement in
America, the Foot Soldiers Monument, in memory of the heroes in the
Civil Rights struggle; Ambassador Andrew Young’s footprints in the Plaza
de la Constitucion or the fingerprints of Dr. Martin Luther King that
are displayed at the Excelsior Museum and Cultural Center. These are
intriguing and essential places for tourist to visit.
I just cannot understand how important history in the Black community
could be omitted. I hope our Chamber of Commerce and other
organizations that deal with publicity and history will continue to
inform cities and include the tremendous contributions of African
Americans and our place in American history.
Editor: What a thrilling January in our Oldest City. Here are some of the highlights:
* Flagler College’s celebration of the opening of the Ponce de Leon Hotel some 125 years ago with exhibits, lectures and tours;
* Fascinating, entertaining lectures presented in our Flagler
College’s newly renovated Lewis Auditorium regarding Pedro Menendez,
Henry Flagler and Fountain of Youth’s presentation of Juan Ponce de
Leon’s presence in our city;
* The City’s fabulous opening of the Picasso exhibit beautifully
presented in our Visitors Information Center; It was well lit,
artistically arranged and included interesting details of his life as an
artist -- just awesome.
* To top off this wonderful January EMMA brings one of the finest
orchestra’s we have ever witnessed, The China National Symphony
presenting Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in all its glory and the handsome
piano prodigy Wu Muye, voted best Chinese musician in 1998 and many more
honors who created standing ovations between each movement of
Tchaikovsky’s Piano concerto No. 1 in B-Flat minor, Op. 23. The entire
evening topped any EMMA concert we have ever had the privilege to enjoy.
Wish all of you had been present.
Thank you, St. Augustine. We are so proud and honored to live in this beautiful, wonderful, cultural mecca.
St. Augustine Mayor Joseph L. Boles, Jr. last night raised a trial balloon, proposing that both Charlotte Street and Spanish Street be made pedestrian-only, at least during certain times of the day. The discussion came toward the end of the City Commission meeting, amid a discussion of the recently sunset Parking and Traffic Committee.
Spanish Street and Charlotte Streets are part of the Historic District in our Nation's Oldest European-founded City.
What a great idea!
St. George Street was made pedestrian-only when Kenneth Beeson was Mayor. Adding Charlotte and Spanish Streets to the list of pedestrian-only streets will make our town a better place to live. It will increase Heritage Tourism, encouraging more historic and environmental tourists to visit -- they spend twice as long and twice as much as other tourists, according to the 2004 report of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It will help create jobs, grow our economy, and help pave the way for the St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore.
2 recipients for La Florida Award
In a decision that was anything but unanimous, the St. Augustine City
Commission decided Monday night that two men will receive the La
Florida Award.
While all five commissioners were in agreement that Herbert L.
“Herbie” Wiles and Dr. Robert B. Hayling were worthy of recognition,
there was fiery debate on the issue of them both being recipients this
year.
The normal protocol is for the La Florida Award to be shared by no
more than eight living members at any time. And each recipient must be
voted in unanimously.
However, two commissioners brought nominations forward, making it
impossible for either Wiles or Hayling to get unanimous choices.
That left the commission with the option of changing the rules in
some way or having no immediate replacement for the late Jerry Kass.
What to do about the impasse resulted in debate.
Commissioner Leanna Freeman and Vice Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline were the most vocal for each respective side.
Sikes-Kline, who nominated Hayling, first introduced the plan of expanding the award to 10 living recipients.
“Changing the number is the expedient way to honor both of these honorable men,” Commissioner Bill Leary said.
Commissioner Roxanne Horvath recommended that the number be altered
to nine, which seemed to mollify Sikes-Kline and Leary. Leary had
nominated Wiles.
Freeman didn’t like either expansion. She also found it unnecessary
because Hayling had already been honored with the de Aviles Award and
hasn’t lived here for almost five decades.
“I absolutely don’t support changing it,” Freeman said. “My feeling is we should have a moratorium on this now.”
Freeman said it was the commission’s job to make difficult decisions
rather than just change the rules when it suited them. She said there
was nothing wrong with the La Florida Award slot being vacant until a
choice was made.
“You’re changing the rules for political convenience,” Freeman said.
Sikes-Kline countered: “That is cynical.”
Freeman asked the commission if she had brought forth a nomination of her own, would they further expand the award.
Her objections were not shared by the rest of the commission, however.
After adopting a resolution that would allow for the expansion of La
Florida Award recipients to nine living members and that their selection
be based on a simple majority, the commission voted to allow both Wiles
and Hayling to receive the award.
Voting for Wiles was unanimous, but Freeman voted against Hayling
because of the objections she had already voiced about the awards
changes.
Mayor Joe Boles said the entire process of choosing the La Florida
Award was flawed and suggested a moratorium on future awards until the
commission can come up with a more appropriate system.
“We made this problem ourselves; we’ll fix it ourselves,” he said.
Boles also stressed to the public that the commission’s bickering
over the award process should not tarnish the honor for Hayling and
Wiles.
“We are delighted they will be La Florida Award winners,” he said.
Prior to the actual vote, Leary gave an emotional account of his
decision to nominate Wiles for the award. Leary said he’d had a long
conversation with Kass not long before he died. He said it inspired him
to find someone worthy to replace Kass as a La Florida Award winner.
And to prove just how gracious Wiles is, Leary said, the longtime
philanthropist even asked to be withdrawn from consideration if it was
going to cause a fight.
Instead, a compromise was struck, and Wiles and Hayling can both enjoy the city’s highest honor.
“He (Wiles) is everything this award was intended to be,” Leary said.
It's another beautiful day in a beautiful place, and St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement leader Dr. Robert Hayling, D.D.S., is up for consideration for the La Florida award by the City of St. Augustine tonight. President Barack Obama has been re-elected and re-inaugurated. In the most eloquent Inaugural Address in decades, a week ago, President Obama spoke out for environmental protection, action on Climate Change and safeguarding the rights of our "Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters." On December 10th, our City of St. Augustine amended its Fair Housing Ordinance to protect GLBT people, rejecting lies from hate-preachers (arguments that won the day in Jacksonville City Council back in August). (The City of St. Augustine Beach passed a similar ordinance on first reading and will finalize it next month.)
The Koch Brothers and their ilk spent billions trying to pervert our democracy. They lost. Meanwhile, a few Fox and Koch misled soreheads cast aspersions (or asparagus). Count their misspellings, illogic and pejoratives (as on a datil pepper vendor's uninformed and supercilious sign, above, stating inter alia "MOUCHERS," "UNIFORMED" and "SOCIOLOGIST").
The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the John Birch Society once ran St. Augustine and rioted here, in our lifetimes, railing against equality, throwing bricks, with "Don't Tread on Me" signs brandished by KKK members in the Slave Market.
Today their ilk doesn't even get party invitations here any longer, much to their chagrin. A local hate site laments the coming of the "Picasso Art and Arena" exhibit at our Visitor Information Center, ululating about not being invited to an art opening party).
There's still much work to be done to make our town a better place. Our federal 450th Commission is moribund, and needs to get to work on legacy projects, like the St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore. www.staugustgreen.com
And down on St. George Street, it is still illegal to sing, paint, draw or entertain -- holdover "Jim Crow" law from a prior City Manager. Yet, despite the arrests of people for signing and painting, a small group of pestiferous hate group members routinely infest our sidewalks with threatening, provocative signs about gun control and with hate-Obama signs (one says "Obama is a Communist" and another says "Obama is 666."). We wear the hater's scorn as a badge of honor. They belong to history's ashbins. How 1964 of them! (These are the same misguided people who oppose the St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore, calling supporters "Communists and Nazis," comparing us to "Hitler, Goebbels and Stalin," opposed equality for all in St. Augustine's Fair Housing ordinance -- while worshiping weapons of mass destruction, which have killed so many Americans).
Their pestilential presence has First Amendment benefits for all of us, and for our future as a City.
St. George Street is now a First Amendment Forum again, thanks to the Tea Party's continuing presence -- it cannot be denied to artists, musicians and entertainers any longer. City policemen sit and watch the Tea Party's hateful behavior and allow it -- therefore, the City cannot enforce its Philistine anti-music, anti-art and anti-busker ordinances any longer.
Tonight's City Commission meeting will address vendors, but it needs to address more -- public rights to Free Speech, nondiscrimination and Equal Protection -- starting with amending our City of St. Augustine Ordinance 1-08 and ending illegal artist, musician and entertainer arrests. We want our buskers back. The First Amendment and human decency compel that result.
What do you reckon?
Photo credits: Ed Slavin (above); St. Augustine Record (two below); and Examiner (last one below).
The proposed sale of CURRENT MEDIA LLC to Al-Jazeera, controlled by the government of Qatar, raises serious policy questions about foreign government control of U.S. medial properties. To the Current TV Press Office
Good morning:
1. What FCC, SEC or other regulatory approval is required for the sale of Current TV to Al- Jazeera?
2. May I please have Al Gore's E-mail address, or will you please forward this E-mail to him?
3. I testified before then Rep. Al Gore's House Science and Technology Committee investigations subcommittee on July 11, 1983 re: Oak Ridge Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant mercury pollution (biggest mercury pollution event in world history, which was a classified national security secret made public after our Appalachian Observer newspaper requested that DOE declassify its documents on pollution). At my request to Al's staffer (Steve Owens),
Al swore in all the witnesses: that was the first time that had ever
occurred in the history of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. Thirty
years of environmental cleanups followed in eleven states with DOE
sites, at a cost of more than $200 billion, with completion projected by 2043 -- sixty (60) years after our FOIA requests and Al Gore's hearing first exposed pandemic pollution by our Nation's nuclear weapons plant contractors. I was proud to be a part of it ab initio and to have been the "crowbar" (in the words of then-DOE Oak Ridge Manager Joe Ben LaGrone) -- the "crowbar" who persuaded DOE to release the truth about Oak Ridge mercury pollution.
4. Thus, Al Gore is one of my heroes. Al Gore is a national treasure. But I think the proposed Al= Jazeera sale is a big mistake and I would like to share my views with Al Gore directly. Elihu Root said the best advice one can often give the officers of a corporation is "You're damned fools and you should stop." Please stop this Al-Jazeera deal now. 5. Qatar is a foreign power -- do we want U.S. journalistic properties being bought up by foreign governments and organizations that they fund or control, directly or indirectly? I vote no. Chinese and Russian government-funded news channels are looking for U.S. cable TV homes. I vote no. 6. Enough mindless corporate media greed has been seen in my lifetime -- please don't sell out! 7. Will you please ask Al Gore whether he has an open mind on the subject of foreign governmental control of our media? Upon agonizing re-appraisal, does Al Gore believe this Al-Jazeera deal is in the best interests of the people of the United States of America? Thank you. With kindest regards, I am, Sincerely yours, Ed Ed Slavinwww.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.comwww.staugustgreen.com Box 3084 St. Augustine, Florida 32085-3084904-377-4998
St. Augustine activist Jennie Hamilton Skillman was the kind of person who makes this a great place. I first met her on successive Saturdays in 2005, picketing with J. Ken Bryan (later a County Commissioner) the ASHLAND/APAC asphalt plant on SR 207, a plant that in 1998 St. Johns County's inept government allowed to be located in a residential neighborhood.
It takes a village. Ms. Skillman helped to make this a better place.
My deep empathy and condolences to Ms. Skillman's son, Aubrey, and to her entire family.
RONALD DION DESANTIS (2012; Photo credit: Flagler Live: http://flaglerlive.com/wp-content/uploads/ron-desantis2.jpg)
Freshman Republican U.S. Representative, RONALD DION DESANTIS (R-Ponte Vedra), is the darling of the Koch Brothers, The Tea Party, Faux FOX News and the money-losing, Moonie-owned Washington Times. On February 12, 2013, Rep. DeSantis published a screechy column in the Washington Times, a right-wing rag founded by the Rev. Moon, demanding that President Obama sound "humble" in his State of the Union Address.
DeSantis insulted the 53% of the American people who voted for President Obama, stating that his "re-election was built not on championing his first term achievements, but on spending millions of dollars assassinating the character of his Republican opponent and perfecting a campaign effort that maximized turnout among low-information voters. Mr. Obama won in spite of his first term agenda, not because of it." READ MORE DRIVEL HERE: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/12/obama-ought-express-some-humility-his-state-union/#ixzz2KvZPFcUG
What "character assassination?" Obama's campaign defined Romney's lack of character.
"Low-information voters," indeed. What do you say about racists who watch FOX NEWS?
What a slur -- he means poor people and minorities.
They know more about suffering and the economy than this guy.
RONALD DION DESANTIS sounds like an elitist Ivy League energumen -- pouting at progress.
Rep. DESANTIS sounds like a fungible Republican reprobate, shedding more heat than light.
Rep. DESANTIS is a snooty graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School.
At age 35, what has DESANTIS accomplished in life?
Whom has DESANTIS helped, besides the Koch Brothers and their ilk?
At age 35, what has RONALD DION DESANTIS ever done in terms of pro bono legal work?
He was a corporate and military attorney.
Does DESANTIS sound like a rapid-rabid-response robot paid for by the Koch Brothers?
What would James Madison say? Is DESANTIS all about slogans, or public service? What do you reckon?
Rep. DESANTIS, at age 35, should act his age and not his shoe size.
Rep. DESANTIS must follow his own "advice" and cultivate a lot more "humility."
Rep. DESANTIS must appreciate that he is the Congressman from Florida's Sixth Congressional District, not the Congressman from the people who agree with him.
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