How unappealing

The editorial in today's St. Augustine Record reminds us all of how much we miss Margo Pope, who would ofen write several editorials a day. Now, the Record delivers five shallow editorials per week, shorter, and less substantive than when Ms. Pope had the job, which the Record advertised last year as a 20 hour per week gig (currently held by its former editor and current fishing columnist, Mr. Janes Sutton).

Today's editorial took no position on the proposed 7-Eleven at May Street and San Marco Avenue. Half the editorial is based on an otherwise unreported ex parte conversation with 7-ELEVEN franchisee's lawyer, JAMES WHITEHOUSE of ST. JOHNS LEGAL GROUP.

It sure sounds like Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 7-Eleven's lawyer "pissed in [Jim Sutton's] ear and told him it was rain" (to use a colorful East Tennessee colloquial expression that I first read in 1977 in a letter sent by a constituent to my then-boss, U.S. Senator James R. Sasser).

7-ELEVEN demands to put twelve gasoline pumps with flammable gasoline deliveries next to Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, two historic neighborhoods (Nelmar Terrace adn Fulerwood) and the City's entry corridor and evacuation route
for residents of South Ponte Vedra and Vilano Beach.

PUBLIX trucks already clog that intersection delivering to its store in Vilano Beach. The intersection is already overloaded. St. Augustine does not need a twelve-pump gasoline station there, and 7-ELEVEN is foolhardy and arrogant to permit its franchisee to ropose it for one more minute. Significantly, 7-ELEVEN's executives did not answer correspondence from our City Manager, John Patrick Regan, P.E.

The May Street and San Marco Avenue location for a 7-ELEVEN gasoline station is a non-starter. We can stop it, and we will.

7-ELEVEN is a Japanese multinational corporation. Contact the Japansee Embassy and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy (JFK's daughter) and tell them what you think.

The prospective 7-ELEVEN franchisee's local lawyers include DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT, JR. (current City Attorney for the City of St. Augustine Beach and also General Counsel for the St. Augustine Airport Authority).

DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT is the son and namesake of the former Commanding General of the Florida National Guard, whose retirement party included plans for a Stealth aircraft flyover, until I reported him to the Defense Department Inspector General.

Attorney DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT represents both developers AND the City of St. Augustine Beach, which has a 7-ELEVEN franchise, recently constructed on SR A1A south of SR 312.

Conflict of interest? You betcha.

DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT's 7-ELEVEN employment is yet another appearance of impropriety and conflict of interest for BURNETT and his ST. JOHNS LEGAL GROUP.

DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT (Florida Bar Number should never have been hired as City of St. Augustine Beach City Attorney.

The 7-ELEVEN franchisee's other lawyer is JAMES WHITEHOUSE, former Assstant city Attorney and former Assistant couty Attorney. WHITEHOUSE is now with BURNETT's firm, ST. JOHNS LEGAL GROUP.

There's nothing currently illegal or especially unseemly about WHITEHOUSE practcing before the City of St. Augustine, his former employer. Mr. WHITEHOUSE is a skilled and articulate advocate, which is more than can be said about Mr. BURNETT; I was appalled at DOUGLAS NELSON's BURNETT's taking money for a bumbling, inarticulate, hot air presentation in front of the City of St. Augustine City Commission on behalf of AEROBALLOON, owned by young business people wanting to put a commercial hot air balloon business on U.S. 1. During his brief presentation, interrupted by an audible conference with his clients, BURNETT said "umm" or "uhh" some 51 times.

BURNETT needs someone with WHITEHOUSE's skills.

Who owns the 7-ELEVEN franchisee? Do they include foreign nationals? This is important, because this is an election year, and the people have a Right to Know.

GEORGE MORRIS McCLURE was 7-ELEVEN's lawyer. He held a community meeting, where our questions were unanswered, including any expertise on traffic or safety. McCLURE died last year. Evidenty the new influence-peddler du jour is now DOUGLAS BURNETT, JR., McCLURE's former protege.

At least GEORGE MORRIS McCLURE only played for one team: developers. Like GEOFFREY DOBSON, BURNETT works for both government agencies and developers.

Like the late GEORGE MORRISS McCLURE, DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT was longtime a supporter of embattled Sheriff DAVID B. SHOAR. Mr. BURNETT wrote an endorsement letter for SHOAR in 2004 (the only time SHOAR ever faced an actual election). In return, DOUGLAS NELSON BURNETT got both his government jobs through recommendations from controversial former St. Augustine City Manager WILLIAM BRUCE HARRISS.

WILIAM BRUCE HARRIS now works for Sheriff SHOAR, and HARRISS serves with SHOAR on the Florida Criminal Justice Stands and Trainng Commission, to which he was illegally appointed by Fifth Amendment Governor RICHARD SCOTT as the supposed public representative on the 19-member FCJSTC.