At Monday night's st. Augustine Beach Commission meeing, Commissioners squelched an effort by City staff, including Police Chief Robert Hardwick, to purchase a $125,000 telephone system without sealed competitive bidding, without an RFP, without an RFQ, and without even a spreadsheet or staff presentation. Instead, the staff had a salesman make a pitch, which wasn't even on the agenda.
This stinks.
The most fundamental public policy in America is competition. The public fisc must be protected.
I fully agree with the purchasing expert, Mr. Robert Koehler, who said it was wrong.
SAB Commissioners rightfully delayed the scheme.
Chief Hardwick bears watching -- last year he wrote Sheriff DAVID B. SHOAR and said, in haec verba, "I love you."
It seems like Hardwick would like to imitate smarmy Sheriff SHOAR's approach to governance. Hardwick is too intelligent for that. So, knock it off!
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!
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