Thursday, July 23, 2015

TDC GRANT PANEL MEETING IS NEITHER TELEVISED NOR LIVE-STREAMED (WHY?); EXCLUSION OF GLBT PEOPLE FROM NONDISCRIMINATION CLAUSE (WHY?)



The ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Tourist Development Council's "arts cultural and heritage" grant funding panel is wading through applications this morning.
The meeting is not televised or live-streamed, yet another violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Why?
The panel has a very strong conflict of interest rule, more rigorous than Florida law.
Three cheers.
But the list of protected classes in the nondiscrimination instructions exclude Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) people.
Why?
Our County Commission -- unlike our City of St. Augustine, City of St. Augustine Beach, Mosquito Control District, Sheriff and several other constitutional officers --  is beneath the standard of care and behind the times.  SJCBCC has not yet adopted a GLBT nondiscrimination policy.
Why?
Once again, St. Johns County Administrator MICHAEL WANCHICK and his staff are inept, insincere and afraid of DOUG RUSSO, the KKK and their ilk.  Overpaid MICHAEL WANCHICK and his odd cronies more closely resemble Jacksonville jackasses or South Georgia misanthropes than government officials who are compassionate, just stewards of our government.
Where else would an "arts cultural and heritage" grant program NOT have a nondiscrimination provision respecting GLBT people?
Our Supreme Court respects our rights.
St. Johns County must do so.
Now.
Waiting for County Adminisrator WANCHICK to respond.

UPDATE:  Like talking to a post, like waitng for Godot, WANCHICK never responded.  However, Dr. Michel S. Pawloski, Sci.D., Mr. William Rosenstock and I called out the St. Augustine Beach Civic Association for flummery, dupery, nincompoopery, First Amendment violations and anti-Gay animus (one SABCA officer and co-founder confoundedly called a political opponent a "Lesbian" from behind a SABCA banner at a public event at the Lighthouse -- no class ROBERT SAMUELS is a hater, and SABCA is still receiving lavish county tax funds SABCA does not need).  Overpaid WANCHICK "Communications Manager" apparatchik MICHAEL RYAN, who followed WANCHICK here from Richardson Texas, claimed the session would mysteriously not be shown on the County's Govertnment TV, not even on  tape delay or archived streaming video, claiming not to have a factual or policy reason.  Efforts to reach RYAN and WANCHICK and McCORMACK were unavailing.  Wonder why?  St. Augustine Beach Mayor ANDREA SAMUELS (R-Shonda) is running for the County Commission seat to be vacated by PRISCILLA BENNETT a/k/a "RACHAEL BENNETT" (R-Hutson Companies).

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