So ex-Commissioner Susan Burk hates public criticism. (See her 2/24/09 letter in the St. Augustine Record, below). No surprise. What did Burk ever do to rein in the government of our Oldest City, which brandishes mismanagement and:
1. Arrests artists and musicians, whom tourists enjoy?
2. Wastes money, junketing again to Spain in April with our money, with Burk taking previous junkets to NYC, Colombia and Germany (examining German parking garages)?
3. Saying it's "too expensive," refuses to web-post agenda-related documents as other governments do?
4. Refuses to fax/E-mail public records?
5. Renews Florida Power & Light's franchise (30 years) without adequate research/investigation/discussion of public power alternatives?
6. Awards 15-year Comcast cable-franchise, without answering widespread concerns, deleting applicability of cable ordinance provisions?
7. Awards ex-Mayor George Gardner $1250/month no-bid contract for "newsletter?"
8. Votes to let Checker Cab use meters within City limits, with taxicab customers forbidden to speak?
9. Votes to let Robert Michael Graubard destroy a 3000-4000 year old indigenous Native American village (Red House Bluff), while forgiving Graubard's $15,000 year tree-killing fine?
10. Dumps solid waste in our Old City Reservoir (fined $31,000)?
11. Heaps hatred on those who reported illegal dumping?
12. Fought fiercely against state orders to place solid waste in landfills?
13. Dumps sewage effluent in our saltwater marshes, never telling citizens for years (while City Manager "polled" Commissioners about it, violating Sunshine laws)?
14. Discriminates against low-income and African-American communities with environmental racism (illegal solid waste and sewage effluent dumping, bad roads, no sidewalks and bad/nonexistent sanitary/storm sewers)?
15. Welcomes motorcyclists (with free parking)?
16. Builds a (largely unused) $25 million White Elephant Parking Garage?
17. Spends $50 million a year (350 full-time employees) for 13,000 residents?
18. Refuses to post/advertise job vacancies (result: little diversity, no African-American managers)?
19. Hires an $83,000/year manager without job description?
20. Tolerates all-white employment in St. George Street stores leasing government property?
21. Refuses to discuss/support the environmentally-friendly solution of a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Highway?
22. Votes to deny rights to fly Rainbow Flags on our Bridge of Lions for Gay Pride (while allowing other groups to do so for their events linked to history), which a federal judge found violated the First Amendment? The City's response: banning all but government-fly-flying.
23. Refuses to discuss a Living Wage Ordinance?
24. Snarls at citizens for asking questions while abusing police powers, interrupting and insulting speakers, threatening arrests, focusing hate stares, rearranging schedules and shuffling speaker cards (among other tricks)?
Enough. Citizen-activists were unfairly attacked by 2/24/09 Record letter from ex-Commissioner Susan Burk, who missed 25% of Commission meetings. Disgruntled Burk whined about the "group" of "rude" people who tell only "lies" at City Commission meetings. Burk "doth protest too much!"
Burk is Graubard's ex-girlfriend. She shows "prejudice," a "hostile or aversive attitude" toward people "based on perceived membership in a group." (Allport, "The Nature of Prejudice," 1954).
Commissioner Burk often appeared angry, bored or disinterested in what citizens were saying, provocatively rolling her eyes and emitting exaggerated looks/sighs, once notoriously displaying a "Flat Stanley" doll that she said was "better-behaved" than public commenters.
Eleven years ago, Burk pushed to hire City Manager William Harriss with no national search, no public comment and no annual performance evaluations. On April 13th, City Manager Harriss celebrates eleven years without one performance evaluation.
Bad management? Dictatorship? Or is Harriss victim of a "group" of "disgruntled residents?" You decide.
Our Founders trusted the people. Our Bill of Rights protect us from all governmental bullies, including mere City Commissioners and Mayors.
Elect real leaders -- not angry authoritarians with bad attitudes. Yes we can!
Ed Slavin (B.S.F.S. Georgetown University, J.D. Memphis State University, former law clerk to U.S. Department of Labor Chief Administrative Law Judge Nahum Litt and Legal Counsel for Constitutional Rights of the Government Accountability Project is a St. Augustine citizen-activist who has lived in Florida since 1995. He has worked with local residents to elect reformers; to expose and reverse purchase of no-bid luxury $1.8 million Bell Long Ranger Jet helicopter for the Mosquito Control District (winning a refund of the deposit); and to celebrate the Obama Inauguration in the Slave Market Square (he drafted the City's Proclamation and suggested the location). Ed also worked with local citizens to win victories over unaccountable City government officials violating citizens' free speech and environmental rights (e.g., Bridge of Lions Rainbow Flags and Old City Reservoir dumping).
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Letter: Respect is a two-way street
Susan Burk
Former St. Augustine City Commissioner, St. Augustine
Publication Date: 02/24/09
Editor: St. Augustine City Commissioners and staff deserve respect at meetings. As Aretha sings, "sock it to me," she is not referring to the manner in which certain citizens should address the commission. It was quite annoying to sit in a seat as commissioner for more than a decade and take the abuse and insults repeatedly hurled at the commission table from a few disgruntled citizens and non St. Augustine citizens who demand respect but do not give it.
This small group of citizens and non-citizens appear regularly at meetings wasting everyone's time making the same false statements and insults which they have repeated over and over and over at previous meetings.
Somehow they must imagine the repetition will make it true or will get attention. Unfortunately this tactic has the opposite effect.
After hearing the same people repeat the same things it is only human nature to tune them out. This is sad because on occasion they may have something worth saying and it won't be heard.
Elected officials knowingly put themselves out there as targets for abuse. It comes with the territory and I thank every one of them for doing so.
What kept me going was that the few rude and ill-mannered speakers are far outweighed by wonderful and truly concerned citizens who make up this incredible city.
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