At Anastasia Mosquito Control Commission of St. Johns County (AMCD) meetings, there's a notebook on the podium with the agenda packet and handouts.
Except at the last two meetings, when the "staff" decided it would be cute and play fast and loose with the public's right to know. There were some handouts at the last meeting that were not shared with the public until after they were discussed, while the "staff" hoarded copies on their desk.
Stiff-necked, hostile, ex-military officer PRISCILLA GREENE, the Assistant Director of AMCD, decided to place the board book materials on the Internet, with AMCD attorney Doug Wyckoff archly saying there was no legal requirement to have an agenda book available to the public. Before the meeting last night, I had to borrow one of the Commissioner's books before the meeting to know what's going on.
Looking on during our pre-meeting discussion was a St. Johns County Sheriff's Deputy in full-on gray SWAT drag, one of many fashion designer uniforms our fashion-conscious SHeriff DAVID SHOAR purchases for "his" troops.
The deputy told the Record's reporter he was there to keep an eye on Commissioner John Sundeman and community activist Ed Slavin. (See story above).
So much for illegal surveillance and chilling First Amendment protected activity.
Also looking on were two St. Augustine Record reporters, a photographer, and the News Editor. They got to see first-hand the flimsy excuses offered by GREENE for her display of mendacity in eliminating the public's board book.
Chair Janice Bequette was aghast at the staff's perfidy. The public has a right to know what's going on in meetings, and to see the agenda book. It's our book. It's our board. It's our money.
Whereupon, upon convening, Commissioners voted to make two board books available for the public and the press in the future.
Not one Commissioner tried to defend GREENE's being a cognitive miser with our board books.
There's a lesson here: petty tyrants in government who think they can discourage reporters and citizens with tacky displays of animosity are wrong. It's never worked. Since the 1970s, not once has a government official's snootiness or nastiness deterred anyone I know (whether reporters or activists) from investigating government agencies and making their views none. Not once. The harrumphery and nastiness emitted by the Richard Nixon clones of the world actually encourages reporters and activists to dig deeper.
As subtle as a roach crawling across a white carpet, GREENE's display of adolescent pique at public participation and public questioning took the form of her requesting (at the behest of Commissioner RONALD RADFORD, a/k/a "COLONEL RONNIE RADFORD") to have a Sheriff's deputy at the meeting. Neither the staff nor the "COLONEL" consulted with the Chair before their feckless display of fashionable fascism, aimed at Commissioner Sundeman (and me).
"COLONEL" RADFORD follows in the despicable footsteps of disgraced former AMCD Chair BARBARA BOSANKO (spouse of controversial former County Attorney DAN BOSANKO). It was BARBARA BOSANKO who in 2007 called the Sheriff's deputies on Don Girvan, a former Army Captain who was speaking against the helicopter.
The helicopter contract was canceled in part due to BOSANKO's call (and subsequent videotaped Sunshine violation with another Commissioner and the Board's then-lawyer). You should have seen the young SHeriff's deputy come in and ask the Commissioners at the 2007y meeting, "what's going on here" and "who's in charge here," as he demanded that I go out in the hall with him. (I declined).
Matters being discussed at AMCD last night included a $6 million building, alleged misconduct by the District's counsel and director, and arsenic contamination of soil and groundwater at the Ponte Vedra mosquito control station.
During last night's the meeting, I publicly and proudly praised AMCD for its having become the first governmental agency in Northeast Florida to ban anti-Gay discrimination. As I said, it is the first, but it won't be the last. I actually nominated AMCD for a "bouquet" from Folio Weekly, which actually sends real bouqets for its weekly honors.
It was the first time in over ten years living here that I ever nominated anyone or any organization for either a "brickbat" or a "bouquet" from Folio. (The bouquet arrived at AMCD without a card, and the staff was without a clue for a week, not knowing who sent it or why, and apparently not reading Folio, which circulates 150,000 copies in Northeast Florida).
Clueless, reckless and feckless, PRISCILLA GREENE needs more than what could become up to a $150,000/year public relations contract (up for discussion next year).
PRISCILLA GREENE needs to learn manners.
PRISCILLA GREENE needs to learn some class.
PRISCILLA GREENE needs to stop wearing her emotions on her sleeve.
PRISCILLA GREENE needs to stop showing her a--.
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