Rodney Dangerfield
Like Rodney Dangerfield, American citizens get "no respect" from governments when we exercise our patriotic duty to criticize them. Curled lips and closed minds characterize the disgruntled crew in City Hall.
Here in St. Augustine, liberty is under siege by our all-powerful, unaccountable City Manager, who has little respect for our rights or opinions, as proved by convincing Commissioners to ban art, music and entertainers from St. George Street, helping ruin our historic street, its ecology and economy.
Arrogance! You can cut it with a knife – the air of hostility directed by City managers against every St. Augustine resident who ever made a suggestion, asked a question, or criticized City management.
When our City's management dumped 40,000 cubic yards of solid waste in our Old City Reservoir, our Commissioners didn't ask tough questions. They gave in to the whining of our City Manager, presenting him with an award, while insulting citizens who reported the problem.
When our City and Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) agreed to bring the solid waste back to Lincolnville, our Commissioners would not let any of us speak at their unusual November 13, 2007 morning meeting. Not one Commissioner spoke against the plan. With noses in the air, they quickly adopted Commissioner Errol Jones' motion to dump solid waste in Lincolnville.
When citizens halted the dumping plan, not one city official thanked anyone who helped bring our governments to their senses.
Mayor Joseph Boles and City Manager William Harriss are disrespectful toward the rights of free people to dissent.
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA CITY MANAGER WILLIAM. B. HARRISS -- He Exemplifies the "Arrogance of Power"
Photo credit: J.D. Pleasant
JOSEPH LEROY BOLES, JR., Malfeasant Mayor of St. Augustine Florida
At the July 14th meeting, after several activists (Dr. Dwight Hines, Ms. B.J. Kalaidi, Mr. David Thundershield Queen, Judith Seraphin and me) spoke their minds on City pollution, tree-cutting, developer-coddling, government waste and other issues, Mayor Joseph Boles smirked that this was "the entertainment portion" of the agenda. Our Mayor mocks dissenters. He and our City Manager don't care what we think.
They make ill-advised decisions and are mad as hell whenever they are caught (which is frequently).
J. William Fulbright, author of "The Arrogance of Power"
The late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) called it the "arrogance of power."
From the moment our citizens first walk into City Hall to a City Commission meeting, we're treated as objects. Enough mockery of citizens speaking to our City government.
Too many local officials don't lead -- they mislead. They remind me of the 1986 Common Cause Magazine cartoon, "The Unaccountables," about Iran-Contra scandals -- resembling a movie poster, it says, "They Lied! They Cheated! They Just Plain Forgot!"
Case in point: the City's Chief Operations Officer told Judith and Tony Seraphin on January 10th that there were no problems at St. Augustine's sewage treatment plant (other than illegal dumping). He didn't disclose the leaking pipeline. On July 14, Regan said no e coli had been emitted in the past year. This is pregnant with the admission (established by FDEP records) that there's been a problem with pollutants in city sewage effluent, contaminating our saltwater marsh, (including cyanide, as the City's 2006 letters to FDEP prove).
Our thin-skinned city, state and federal governments let us down on pollution, which could threaten our water, air and land. They never admit errors, caterwauling at criticism. Enough.
America's Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their "sacred honor" to advancing the cause of liberty against the tyrannical King George III.
King George III
We have a right to ask questions and hear truthful answers. We need leaders who respect diversity, cherish liberty and equality and take the time to spend tax dollars wisely.
We need a St. Augustine National Seashore, National Historical Park and National Scenic Coastal Highway. We need to cut wasteful spending and guarantee accountability and transparency.
What do you reckon?
Ed Slavin
www.cleanupcityofstaugustine.blogspot.com
P.O. Box 3084
St. Augustine, FL 32085-3084
904-471-7023
904-471-9918 (fax)
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