The Daytona Post - Daytona Beach News and Opinions

Grandson of NASCAR Bill France gets off

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:35:00 +0000

NASCAR Family's pull gets a local judge to dismiss criminal case of drug possession and DUI on a technicality

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Last October, 44-year-old J.C. France, son of Grand-Am founder Jim France and grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France, was stopped by Daytona Beach police after he was observed in a 2007 Lamborghini racing on a public road against his half-brother Russell Van Richmond. According to police reports J.C. France was found with a bag of cocaine and was charged with drug possession and driving under the influence.

France was nabbed in Holly Hill just past midnight that October 7th, 2009. He had failed to stop for an officer, with lights and siren blasting from his patrol car. When finally stopped in Holly Hill, France was reported with a "flushed face, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech". With great difficulty France got out of his vehicle and failed the field sobriety test. When the officer searched his pockets, he found a plastic bag containing cocaine.

The other France racing on the public streets was also stopped and arrested soon after while driving a 2003 Porsche. When the officer asked Richmond to step out of the Porsche to conduct a DUI investigation, he objected and told the officer "Oh no, you are not. Do you know who I am?". When the officer kept trying to get Richmond's cooperation he shot back loudly "I am a France" and "We own this city", obviously making reference to the well known control on public officials that the NASCAR Frances have enjoyed for years. Richmond is the son of one of Jim France's ex wives and housemate of J.C. France in a million-dollar mansion.

Richmond added to police Captain Steve Szabo, who was standing nearby, "Do you know who I am? - You are done". The police report said Richmond told Szabo. "I am gonna have your job". This is the biggest mistake ever. You are so done in Daytona."

The officer searched Richmond's pants and also found a plastic bag containing cocaine. Attached to Richmond's keys was a capsule containing a tablet marked "Watson 932", the imprint code for hydrodocone, also a controlled substance. According to reports, Richmond's last words to police were "Oh, shit" when they found the tablet of hydrocodone.

Our favorite quote, though, was from an unidentified woman in Richmond's Porsche who told police he was "going so fast, I put my seatbelt on." We're pretty sure you should wear a seatbelt anytime you go out for a drive with a coked out, drunk person.

Richmond, 41, was charged with possession of cocaine, DUI, possession of hydrocodone and threat by corruption of a public official.

Both men were out of jail the next day after paying bail.

He was driving so fast I put my seat belt on

Woman riding the front seat with Russell Richmond

I am a France. Do you know what that means?
We Own This City!

Russel Richmond, son of one of Jim France's former wives and housemate of J.C. France, also arrested

Fast Forward to Today. Another Travesty of Justice perpetrated in Daytona Beach...

The family's influence was put to work with a legal team and their vast local influence. The charges evaporated like smoke this week when local Circuit Judge Patrick Kennedy dismissed all charges.

The Frances' attorney alleged that the stop was unlawful because, when the officer finally was able to stop France, he was in Holly Hill and not Daytona Beach. A little stretch of Mason Avenue from Beach Street to Ridgewood is in Holly Hill, while the surrounding area is Daytona Beach...

The judge agreed and suppressed the extensive damming evidence. And without the evidence, the charges went away... The judge's order was dated March 29, and the charges were dismissed the next day.

Some people lead a charmed life, that's all I can say
Police Chief Mike Chitwood

This is not the first time a France gets off easily after breaking state laws. In 2006 NASCAR CEO Brian France admitted to officers he had been drinking the night an eye witness followed him to his condominium after she observed him driving erratically and at "very reckless speed" on U.S. 1.

But because police never interviewed France until he was inside his residence, they could not arrest him for DUI, an internal affairs investigation revealed.

France was alleged to also have crashed into a parked car and a tree before driving off into his marina point Condo's underground parking.

The glossed-over internal investigation was instigated as a request by the state attorney to determine whether officers gave France special treatment the night they went to his Marina Pointe residence. Driving intoxicated in Florida is an automatic visit in jail for most of us, but not for political patrons in Daytona Beach.

It also seems that the NASCAR standards do not apply to NASCAR's royal family members. On May 5th, 2009 NASCAR suspended Jeremy Mayfield for taking banned substances. Mayfield filed a lawsuit alleging he had a false positive as a result of taking legal prescription drugs (See Mayfield lawsuit below) and the court agreed lifting the suspension on 7/1/2009. Upon NASCAR's motion, a federal appeals court reversed Mayfield's injunction on July 24, 2009. In justifying the suspension, NASCAR said the positive tests indicated methamphetamine use. Mayfield claimed they have been false positives, reacting to his use of a prescription medication for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). After the suspension, The driving team that Mayfield owned has collapsed, sponsorship money has dried up and his career is in shambles. His suspension continues to this day.

France, who was temporarily suspended after his own drug bust, got reinstated immediately after the judge's ruling. It matters not that he was under the influence, breaking a number of laws that placed innocent citizens in deadly peril. The technicality of suppressed evidence somehow, to his family's NASCAR, means that those things he did were just a dream... never happened.

Mayfield.v.NASCAR

At one point in history illegal street racing was viewed as a nuisance similar to children driving loud dirt bikes after sneaking into private property. The damage was limited to a few knee scrapes and it was quickly remedied by a stern warning from the parents...however, these children have grown into adulthood, the open field has become the streets of the city and the parents are absent. It is estimated that over 1,000 deaths a year are caused by irresponsible street racing.

Combine this reckless conduct against the innocent public at large with drugs and alcohol and we have today's Daytona Beach: dangerous streets and lack of laws against those that break them for as long as they wield influence.

The real travesty is not really the France's family using their influence to protect their own. That's what families do.
The travesty is the massive corruption in Daytona Beach that allows this to happen.

More of NASCAR's dual standards:

J.C. France Proves NASCAR's Drug Tolerance Standards Are A Lot More About Image Than About Protecting The Sport

J. C. France, member of NASCAR's royal family, charged with DUI, cocaine possession

J.C. France arrested for DUI and Cocaine!

Street Racing Deaths Are on the Rise, But Tradition Is Thriving

Daytona Beach: Florida's Rape Capital

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:32:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH - The city long besieged by widespread corruption has earned a new dubious title: "Florida's Rape Capital". A very disturbing trend of rapes of teens and young women in plain daylight in public buildings turned what was to be a pleasant vacation on the beach for college kids into living nightmares for them and their parents.

Daytona Beach Police reported that rapes in the City have increased a whopping 100% from last year during this Spring Break.

The sad part is that many girls and women who are assaulted, not just during spring break, but at other times during the year, do not come forward to report the crime deciding it's not worth the effort due to the overall prosecutorial apathy that permeates the famously corrupt town or they may be just too embarrassed to come forward.

One rape allegedly occurred in a men's washroom at newly finished Ocean Center on Sunday. The attack at the event center run by local officials occurred just after 4 p.m. as crowds milled about the facility during the 24th annual Spring Break Nationals, a mobile electronics trade show.

The City of Daytona Beach leaders had just inaugurated a much criticized multi-million dollar expansion of the Exhibition Hall ostensibly advertised to attract businesses to the area. Planned demand never materialized due to the reluctance of companies willing to associate their business events with Daytona Beach.

Rapes are happening everywhere but concentrate on Daytona's beachside; Two reports came from the Desert Inn, including one from a 14-year-old girl. A woman reported being attacked on the beach at the ocean deck. In another report, a man was caught raping an unconscious girl in a hallway of the upscale Plaza hotel.

According to the Daytona Beach News Journal, More Spring Break-related rapes have occurred than initially tallied by police, quoting a rape crisis official who added that she encouraged victims of such assaults to report attacks to rape counselors, even if they don't want to go to law enforcement.

The newspaper reported that word of that many sexual assaults in such a short time span has already graced national headlines and, earlier this week, angered several Daytona Beach residents at a City Commission meeting. A handful of residents bemoaned that media reports of the sexual attacks are giving the city a bad rap.

"All of last year we had a total of 41 sexual assaults. Here we have SIX in ONE WEEK!"

"It doesn't matter what they believe or don't believe" (referring to local police officers, criticized for lack of sensitivity towards victims)

"They should take the report and let the detectives sort out the rest of the story."

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood.

The City of Daytona Beach has been besieged by an unprecedented wave of political corruption. Plagued with ineptitude, cronyism and undue influence to the service of a handful of multimillionaire special interests widely known as "The Five families" or "The Daytona Capos". The city's finances have been literally depleted after funneling millions of dollars to fund everything from hobbies and indulgences of commissioner's political supporters to the overpriced purchases of properties from themselves, cronies and friends.

This pillaging of public funds has left no moneys to pay for public safety, schools, social and youth programs or repairs to a dilapidated infrastructure. Just this last Spring over 1,600 Daytona Beach homes were substantially damaged as a result of flooding due to inadequate stormwater management infrastructure and downright negligence by the city. Thousands of families were left homeless and photos of children walking in raw sewage circulated nationwide. It has long been known that Daytona's chronic problems are not a police matter but a fundamental breakdown of its society into anarchy as a result of in-your-face corruption and impunity.

The RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network) has a 24/7 crisis hotline to answer your questions.
Rape victims can call the Sexual Assault Recovery Team hot line for help at 386-258-7273, or 888-956-7273. People with information can call Daytona Beach police at 386-671-5100 and ask for a sex crimes detective, or call Crime Stoppers, 888-277-TIPS (8477).

More information

Spring Break rapes on rise - Daytona Beach News Journal Coverage
Florida sees rash of spring-break rapes - Universal Press Report
Rapes reported at Daytona Spring Break - WFTV Report
Why the Spring Break Rape Total in Daytona Beach will keep rising - TrueSlant

Convicted Felon given Cab License by the City of Daytona Beach Robs Barber

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:59:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Adding to the alarming crime wave that has enveloped this formerly bustling beach town, a convicted felon, allowed to drive a cab by officials from the City of Daytona Beach, has robbed the owner of a barbershop on Main Street as he was closing his store.

Better known as the most corrupt city in Florida, where retaliatory code enforcement actions, gifts of city funds to political cronies and disregard of state criminal laws when dealing with wealthy political patrons are daily occurrences, this new development in Daytona Beach has attracted national attention for its audacity.

Daytona Beach police arrested cab driver Michael Olensky, 41 after he robbed Main Street Barbershop owner Arnold Branton, 60. According to the owner of the cab company, Olensky had a permit issued by the city of Daytona Beach which allowed him to drive a cab. The city code requires a background check before issuing city permits of this type and specifically prohibits the granting of cab licenses to convicted felons. Questions abound as to the officials in City Management which allowed the permit be issued to Olensky.

Olensky has a lengthy criminal history that includes a stint in prison for grand theft auto, also had an active warrant for violation of probation stemming from an aggravated battery case. He is also alleged to be a habitual drug user.

Police Chief, Mike Chitwood was fuming that a felon and drug user was allowed to drive a cab. When interviewed by WESH TV he commented about the dangers local residents are exposed, especially women leaving the local bars at night that often take cabs home.

If Olensky fell through the cracks, it's a Disgrace.

[A felon with a cab license] could have picked up anybody and robbed them, or worse... and we'd have a tragedy.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood

Watch the WESH TV Report http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-PFw53BmeA

Daytona Beach is besieged by widespread corruption in its City Commission and City Management to the service of a few multimillionaire special interests. City Government has been described as having fallen into a state of "Organized Crime under Color of Law".

A sign of the state of mismanagement and fiscal abuse is that despite having one of the highest per capita budgets and tax rates in Florida, Daytona Beach is among the poorest, most crime ridden and least developed cities in the country. Over $500 million dollars have been dissipated over the past few years, often right into the hands of the special interests that control the City Commission (See: Where is the money, Mayor Ritchey?). This waste has deprived the city of funds needed for education, job generation, public projects and crime control. Daytona Beach has failed several state financial audits but no state or Federal criminal investigation has been announced to date, a testament to the vast influence the local special interests wield.

No Sunshine in Daytona Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Florida governor seeks corruption inquiry

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:56:00 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, FL - In an unprecedented move, prompted by a federal investigation and subsequent prosecution of several corrupt public officials, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has asked the Florida Supreme Court to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate political corruption. Crist cited an apparent "culture of corruption" in Florida.

Crist indicated that he decided on this action based on "an unsettling string of crime, and unconscionable violations of the public trust by public officials"

The grand jury of 18 citizens will be meeting in secret for one year during which time it has wide latitude and authority to indict public officials and make recommendations for changes in state law.

Today, we take a stand to root out public corruption

Florida Governor Charlie Crist

Closer to Crist's home, Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom, R-Destin, stepped down from his post amid a scandal involving a Republican fundraiser.

This month, Broward County Commissioner Josephus Eggelletion and school board member Beverly Gallagher were arrested, as was fundraiser and Hollywood eye doctor Alan Mendelsohn, who served on Crist's gubernatorial transition team.

These cases, however, were investigated and prosecuted by Federal prosecutors and not the state attorney. There were complaints that the governor was laggard in initiating this much needed grand jury inquiry. State Attorneys in Florida are elected officials and often criticized for ignoring corruption cases where their campaign financiers, friends or associates are affected.

Federal authorities have more far-reaching tools to combat corruption, including the federal "honest services" law that requires public officials to act in their constituents' best interest.

Crist's office has not yet indicated whether the grand jury will also look into the various criminal complaints filed but that have not yet been acted upon against Daytona Beach public officials.

Among these complaints is the city purchase of the personal residence of Daytona Beach Commissioner, Rick Shiver for over twice its just value. The home was suddenly demolished under orders by the City Commission and without public scrutiny. This inexplicable move by the Commission and City Management was taken amid multiple citizens complaints for lack of transparency and apparent abuse of powers to provide financial benefit to one of their own at the expense of taxpayers.

Other complaints include the unbudgeted funding of personal hobbies and indulgences of local multimillionaires which also happen to be key political supporters and friends of the same elected officials making the gifts. Other uninvestigated actions uncovered by residents include the purchase of grossly overvalued property from campaign contributors and friends (such as City of Daytona Beach buys small 20-foot strip of land from campaign financer for $320,955 ).

In all, several hundred million dollars have been dissipated from Daytona Beach mostly into the hands of a handful of local multimillionaire special interests that exert control over the City Commission during this last wave of local government corruption. The formerly bustling beach town has fallen into a state of anarchy, poverty, crime and overall despair.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that Florida leaders have known for years that state public-corruption laws lack teeth. In 1999, then-Gov. Jeb Bush created a task force that recommended a broader definition of public corruption and a stiffer, 15-year maximum sentence for bribery. Even with Bush pushing the idea, a watered-down version didn't pass until 2003.

Daytona Beach Crime Map

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:25:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Local residents are too aware of the high level of crime they are exposed to every day in this formerly bustling beach town.

Thanks to widespread corruption in City Hall, Daytona Beach is in a de facto state of anarchy. Here in this live map see where and what type of crimes are being committed today in your city.

The map, of course, only includes reported crimes. Many crimes, especially civil rights violations, abuse of power cases, property takings, selective code enforcement and others go unreported for fear of retaliation by public officials.

Daytona Beach City Manager Jim Chisholm accused of breaking the law by Mayor Glenn Ritchey

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 02:17:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The state of anarchy, corruption and financial waste at City Hall has been publicly unraveling fast with the latest complaints, now by none other than Mayor Ritchey.

In a letter sent last Monday as a result of public pressure, Mayor Ritchey formally questioned City Manager Jim Chisholm about the circumvention of the City Commission and the City Attorney by Chisholm about several legal and financial matters.

Ritchey demanded an explanation for unapproved expenditures and the hiring of yet another attorney, Robert Abraham as legal counsel for the Daytona Pier (note the misspelling in Mayor Ritchey's letter... he called it "legal council" proving that even Mayors can make spelling mistakes).

Ritchey wants to know how much Chisholm spent in this case - estimates range between $300,000 and $400,000 - and why. The City of Daytona Beach already had five attorneys and a large legal staff on the payroll, an inordinate number considering its population. The City is often involved in litigation for abuses of power and routinely loses or settles those cases.

Commissioner Shiela Mckay often questions about Chisholm and his overt defiance and lack of response to her requests. She has questioned actions and grants of public funds to benefit political supporters of fellow Commissioners and despite her opposition to many spending measures often pushed by Chisholm and private parties she is often outvoted by the rest of the City Commission.

We're left out in the cold, and if you ask questions you're put off limits and staff won't talk to you.

It's so hard to get information since Jim started.

Staff is afraid to speak to me because they're afraid for their jobs.

It's just too much to brush under the rug, I can't distinguish rumors from fact at this point. I'd like to hear from the mayor and city manager what's going on.

Commissioner Shiela McKay-Vaughan

While Chisholm is widely despised by residents and feared by city employees terrified to lose their jobs at any of his whims (see Plum Jobs in Daytona Beach), he is strongly supported by the special interests that have benefited greatly by the widespread corruption in the city he serves. The News Journal newspaper calls these special interests "bigwigs", others call them the "Daytona Capos" or "The Five Families" or "The Apostles".

He also enjoys strong support from some commissioners which also have, not coincidentally, benefited with their Quid Pro Quo relationship with that group of multimillionaires.

It looks like Marie is totally screwed up

Commissioner Rob Gilliland comments about City Attorney Marie Hartman

The Daytona Pier case itself is one of the latest sources of corruption complaints against the City Commission due to it essentially gifting $1.3 million dollars to leaseholder Diland Corporation after ostensibly defaulting on obligations of its lease. Diland is, again not coincidentally, a long time political supporter and campaign financier of various members of the City Commission through its principal, Mr. Jerry Fincke and his friends. The old Daytona axiom of "pay to play" often comes to mind when we see these machinations.

Mayor Ritchey along with City Commissioners Cassandra Reynolds, Robert Gilliland and Rick Shiver - all beneficiaries of funding from Fincke and friends - strongly supported the payment and outvoted opposition from Commissioner Mackay-Vaughan. There are also allegations of intermixed business connections between some of these public officials and business associates and friends of Fincke. Also these Commissioners in the past obtained free club memberships and other benefits which were the focus of a state investigation. The state investigation found that they improperly received gifts from special interests but no penalties or criminal prosecution resulted.

Below is the now famous letter from Mayor Ritchey to City Manager Chisholm, accusing the City Manager of violating the City Charter and intentionally circumventing the City Commission and the City Attorney in various expenditures and decision making.

Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey's Letter to City Manager James Chisholm

The city charter specifically says, "The office of the city attorney shall be the sole legal counsel of the city unless other arrangements are requested by the city manager and approved by the city commission."

Further, Florida Statutes provide that no public official can use his office to benefit himself or third parties.

MISUSE OF PUBLIC POSITION.--No public officer, employee of an agency, or local government attorney shall corruptly use or attempt to use his or her official position or any property or resource which may be within his or her trust, or perform his or her official duties, to secure a special privilege, benefit, or exemption for himself, herself, or others.

Fla. Stat. § 112.313(6)

Another issue surrounds a state review of the city's comprehensive plan amendment. The state Department of Community Affairs determined the city was not in compliance with state law on the amendment, and sent a letter to City Hall Aug. 14. At least some city commissioners were not made aware of the letter, and the city attorney was not made aware of it until the planning director forwarded an email to her about it two weeks later, city records show.

The city also failed multiple audits by the state in the accounting of CRA funds. The past few years the City Commission has gifted several million dollars of taxpayer funds to fund the personal hobbies and indulgences of local influential patrons. Most notably the funding of the failed News Journal Center, the Lively Arts Center and even an unbudgeted controversial gift of $500,000 at the demand of local multimillionaire and key campaign financier, Hyatt Brown (of publicly traded Brown and Brown Insurance NYSE:BRO) to fund his passion in the arts: the otherwise insolvent Florida International Festival.

CRA funds are intended to be used to improve infrastructure and blighted areas in Daytona Beach ...taxes paid by poor people will be used to help subsidize an event that wealthier people attend.

Why should we pay for the hobbies of these millionaires and their cronies?
Local Citizens
Names withheld to protect against retaliation by local public officials

Brown's company has enjoyed a long time incumbency as exclusive provider of insurance services to the City of Daytona Beach despite a large number of other insurance brokers in the area. Inexplicably, his company also receives fees for consulting services in the selection of insurance provider to the City (the equivalent to paying a fox to advise who to let in the hen house...).

Daytona Beach has been besieged by an unprecedented wave of local government corruption that has thrown this formerly bustling beach town into anarchy, poverty, crime and despair. Over half a billion dollars of taxpayer funds have been wasted or diverted into the hands of a handful of local multimillionaire special interests that exert control over the City Commission. No Federal or state criminal investigations have been announced to date.

Daytona Beach Uses Taxpayers Funds to Pay for Settlement in Abuse of Power Case

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:26:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - A nice sunny day on the beach park and a movie with her 3-year-old son and her young cousin were the preamble of a nightmare to local 26-year-old Joy Millings. That day, May 14th, 2008 will forever be remembered by the young lady and her child as they were touched personally by Daytona Beach's moral decay and public officials' abuse of powers at their worst.

To a Daytona Beach Cop looking for an easy mark and raise revenue, Ms. Millings was an ideal target. Typically, women with a young child represent no danger and hardly ever contest wronged citations. It is well known that it is just too costly in loss time off work to fight a wrongful citation, and with the threat that the fine might even be set much higher if one goes to court, most elect just to pay rather than defend their case no matter their innocence. If they do defend and win, they lose anyway as they recover nothing, no damages can be assessed against the police officer or the city issuing the wronged citation. It's a very lucrative system and in these depressionary times, with the city looking for additional revenue sources, a very nice system indeed.

Millings was driving on Clark Street, just shy of the intersection with South Street, when Officer Justin Dunne said he noticed her license-plate light was burned out. Millings was pulled over right as she was reaching the front of her cousin's home. Dunne asked for her registration, proof of insurance and driver's license. She gave him the first two, but she told the officer her purse was in the trunk, and her license was in the purse. After ignoring her pleas, Dunne then proceeded to ask her to sign a citation for failing to produce a driver's license.

Millings said she kept telling him her license was in the trunk, and she asked him to call a supervisor. Dunne refused and responded that "the sergeant would be mad because he woke him up,".

Police Chief Chitwood later said that this was a false statement as there are always sergeants or lieutenants "very much awake" at the department day and night.

Other officers arrived on the scene and one of them even allowed Millings' cousin to retrieve the license and give it to Dunne. Still, Millings wound up being handcuffed and transported to jail. None of the other officers interceded for Ms. Millings at the obvious abuse of powers.

After a terrifying night in jail, the next morning she had to post $250 bail to get out and paid another $106 to retrieve her 1990 Honda, which had been locked up overnight at Daytona Wrecker Service.

What the Daytona cops had not counted on was that this nice innocent lady had enough of an education to realize her constitutional civil rights had just been violated. She retained an attorney and took on the City.

She hired Attorney Sam Masters who commented there never would have been a traffic stop if it all took place in a different neighborhood and the person behind the wheel was "a pretty blonde." instead of a black lady.

They stopped a woman who has a completely clear record. She comes from a good family. She was yanked out of the car right in front of her 3-year-old.
Attorney Sam Masters

It was an easy case, the city acted quickly in issuing an apology and settling the case for $50,000.

The gist is we were wrong
Police Chief Mike Chitwood

Most lawyers in the area are terrified at taking on the City. Due to sure to come retribution to their businesses at the hands of cronies of the Daytona Capos, or to see their future cases lost at the hands of dirty judges, most elect to stay away from cases that deal with the massive corruption that has infected Daytona Beach.

The City is lucky, however, that the local attorney settled so quick for just $50,000. A sharp South Florida personal injury attorney on a jury trial could easily have gotten Five Million and more.

Power at the hands of the unqualified: a recipe for disaster

Poor training, little formal education, and self-aggrandizement ideas due to the power they wield lead these police officers to deem "lack of respect" as a capital offense. When Ms. Millings declined to sign the clearly unjust citation, it became more than that in the cop's mind, it became a personal affront and it was too late to change his mind and admit his error, he proceeded arresting the innocent lady and sparked a chain of events that will cost the City of Daytona Beach $50,000 to settle plus an incalculable amount in continuing bad publicity and further mistrust of its public officials.

The officer's conduct was outrageous and highlights the abuses of power that have made this city famous nationwide. He should have been fired on the spot by Chief Chitwood, no excuses. Instead, Chitwood suspended the officer for two days... Officer Dunne continues to this day on the Daytona Beach Police payroll.

Local cops are well known for playing cover for each other. This brings additional focus on the recent incident where two Volusia County Beach Patrolmen had sex with an underage child, were duly recognized and accused by the child, they acknowledged having sex with the child, yet they remain unprosecuted. It is widely believed that the State Attorney's office swept the case under the rug, presumably bending to pressure from the police union which played a key part in his election.

If this is the case - and we sincerely hope it is not - State Attorney Larizza's much hoped for anti-corruption drive was all hot air to get elected and nothing else.

The Real Losers: Daytona Beach Taxpayers

Other than Ms. Millings, the real losers are, once again, Daytona Beach Taxpayers. They are the ones that City Management decided should pay for Dunne's abuse of powers. The $50,000 settlement comes out of the city's funds.

Officer Tilly must pay this amount, not the taxpayers. He broke the law by abusing his powers. His decision to break the law was personal and the evidence shows he did it "to teach a lesson" to someone and whom he saw as a challenge to his authority. It mattered not that the person was innocent, but that his sense of self-worth was infringed upon and for that he abused his power as a police officer. He must reimburse the city just as anyone else must reimburse the city when destroying public property.

We will not hold our breath waiting, however, after wasting half a billion dollars of taxpayers hard earned moneys, who cares about another fifty grand... Definitely not City Manager Jim Chisholm nor the Daytona Beach City Commission.

When money runs short they just raise taxes a little more.

A disturbing trend...

According to The News Journal, Over four of the past five fiscal years, the city's annual tallies for all settlements ranged from $325,000 to $373,000. During the fiscal year that ran from Oct. 1, 2006, to Sept. 30, 2007, a total of nearly $637,000 in settlements was paid out. For all but one of the past five years, police department-related settlements accounted for $215,000 to $267,000 of those payouts. In the October 2005 to September 2006 fiscal year, police-related settlements tallied just $63,000.

All funded by Daytona Beach Taxpayers...

The Most delicious of all privileges – spending other people’s money
John Randolph
Early 19th Century Member of Congress

The Paradox of Plenty: From the revenue boom to bankruptcy... Where is the money, Mayor Ritchey?

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:58:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - During the period 2000-2007 Daytona Beach received an enormous increase in resource availability as a result of real estate property tax windfalls and tax increases.

The current dramatic slowdown in growth is paradoxical since Daytona Beach should have been posed for prosperity. Its income rose at a far higher rate than the demand for services. In any efficient corporation, this wonderful situation would have created a surplus for investment in improving the quality of life of its stakeholders as well as a cushion for a rainy day.

Instead, a legacy of benefiting only the politically-connected elite at the expense of the taxpayers continued and drained the windfalls.

These policies have led to corruption and cronyism, which have, in turn, hindered growth-enhancing investment, promoted the fleeing of talent to other cities and further buried Daytona Beach into a sandpit of mediocrity.

Inefficient Public Investment... The pillaging of a city

The most severe costs of the corruption and more general rent-seeking are not necessarily the costs of bribes but the perpetual protection of inefficient capitalists by the city. If the city can ensure that emerging capitalists are efficient, it does not matter significantly for economic dynamism if bureaucrats and politicians make some illegal money in the process.

The real peril is when inefficient capitalists succeed in bribing and influencing the city to capture resources. When this happens, the cost to the local economy is much greater than the resources wasted in lobbying and corruption. The costs of subsidies permanently captured by influential industries that refuse or fail to grow up are likely to far outweigh the economic costs of bribery and corruption.

For this reason, clientelenism in the form of material benefits provided by a public official in exchange for political support and loyalty on the part of a client is so damaging. Such support can take the form of campaign financing, campaigning with the client's sphere of influence, utilizing corporate shells and affiliates to fund campaigns beyond the legal limits, indirect benefits such as use of private jets, free tickets and privileged treatment for special events, loans, free club memberships, free dinners and entertainment, access to privileged information and ultimately voting for the corrupt official.

This breeds dysfunctional rent-seeking, cronyism and corruption; and an increase in dynamic inefficiency of the economy. The case of Daytona Beach is a perfect real life example.

Another peril is the deterrent for honest businesses to invest or thrive in this atmosphere. If new businesses in any way compete either directly or for the sharing of resources against the public official's clients, they are faced with artificial obstacles, unreasonable zoning restrictions, selective zoning enforcement, usurious fees and even the abuse of police powers as retaliatory measures to keep their bounds.

The political repression based by government action which grossly discriminates against persons or organizations viewed as presenting a fundamental challenge to existing power relationships or key governmental policies has been a key element impeding prosperity in the city of Daytona Beach.

In Daytona Beach, the patronage has taken many corrupt forms. These include giveaways of public assets, the purchase of the client's goods, real properties or services, unjustified tax exemptions, below-market leases of public lands, selective zoning enforcement of their client's enemies' properties while overlooking the client's own violations, the utilization of police powers as retaliatory measures, employment opportunities in the public sector (hiring cronies regardless of skills), bond-funded giveaway incentives, untransparent granting of contracts and rezonings, and so on.

It is well known that Daytona Beach did not manage the sudden inflows efficiently, but...

Where's the money?

We can't ask City Manager, Jim Chisholm - he does not answer to anyone and openly stares down a submissive City Commission.

We can't ask the City Commission - they'll plead the Fifth due to their intimate involvement.

We can’t even ask the City’s Chief Financial Officer, Ricardo Kisner... he abruptly decided it was time to flee... and took a job elsewhere last year. (See Kisner unwelcomed in Glenview and Manager Defends Glenview’s New Finance Chief )

So, we ask Mayor Ritchey: Where did the money go?

The need for drastic changes

In Daytona Beach, profound structural changes are urgently needed to alleviate problems caused by the highly concentrated, oligopolistic speedway-and-cronies-driven structure, low overall productivity growth and significant obstacles to free commerce and investment that have been cultivated over many years of government mismanagement and downright corruption.

The criminal prosecution of corrupt public officials is essential to gain back the trust of its citizenry. The State must intervene, Daytona Beach deserves a bright future.

Additional Reading:

You Can Stop Corruption in Daytona Beach - Join the Floodthelines Campaign

Corruption is killing Daytona Beach! When will it STOP?

Daytona Beach Job Woes Worsen

The News Journal coverage about the abusive salary practices of Daytona Beach public officials

VOLUSIA COUNTY RESIDENTS HAVE SOLUTION TO ECONOMIC CRISIS

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:36:00 +0000

FairTax Rally & Tea Party Offers Public Officials a Single Solution

Daytona Beach, FL - On Wednesday, July 1, 2009 5pm-7pm, hundreds of people from all over Volusia County will rally at Daytona Beach City Hall (301 S. Ridgewood Ave.) with a solution to the economic crisis. The FairTax Act (HR 25, S 296) is nonpartisan legislation. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities. In the first year of FairTax, GDP will increase by an estimated 10%.

The FairTax is the most independently researched (not a brainchild of a politician) tax reform in US history. The FairTax is the single solution to:

• the current economic crisis
• the rising unemployment rate
• fleeing corporations
• wasteful government spending
• failing small businesses
• the untaxed underground economy
• trillions of off-shore money
• the lack of transparency in taxation

“Our public officials think that printing money and raising taxes will stimulate the American economy; history proves this technique untrue. By enacting FairTax, an estimated $13 trillion in off-shore money will return to the United States and our business climate will attract companies to create jobs here,” says Kristina Bouterse, volunteer coordinator for FairTax in East Volusia County. “On Wednesday, we will rally with a solution to our economic crisis. Now is the time to pass FairTax and truly stimulate the economy.”

Rally participants request that public officials cosponsor the bill, talk about FairTax with other politicians and help bring America back to its roots. Otherwise, they will find leaders who have the interest of America at the heart of their service. Speakers include Kristina Bouterse, Zsolt Kovacs, political refugee; Crazy Eddie Colosimo, Bikers for First Amendment Rights; Jason Davis, Gulf War Veteran; and Doug Kosarek, Wake Up Daytona! and LowerTaxesNow.org.

For more information on FairTax or to schedule an interview, contact Kristina Bouterse directly. 386-986-7215 or Kristina@WingZoneDB.com. Visit www.FairTax.org.

July 1, 2009
FairTax Rally & Tea Party
Full Agenda - time approximated

• 4:50 – “FairTax is Coming” plays on repeat
• 5:05 – Kristina introduces Jim Dearborn
o Jim Dearborn leads pledge of Allegiance
o Play “Proud to be an American”
• 5:10ish – Kristina Bouterse does FairTax talk
o Play “FairTax is Coming”
• 5:20 – Kevin Niceley hypes up crowd
o start chant
o introduce yourself to your neighbor – why are you here?
• 5:25 – Kristina introduces Zsolt
• 5:25 – Zsolt Kovaks
o play “America the Beautiful”
• 5:40 – Kristina introduces Crazy Eddie
• 5:40 – Crazy Eddie
o play “2nd American Revolution”
o more Crazy Eddie
o play “Red White & Blue” Lynyrd Skynyrd
• 6:00 – play Taxation Trivia
o Kevin: invite 10 people up to the front to play the game. Get a question right, win a FairTax bumper sticker (questions coming)
• 6:10 – Kristina introduces Jason Davis
• 6:10 – Jason Davis
o play “Times, they are a Changing”
• 6:20 – Kristina offers open mic
• 6:30 – Kristina introduces Doug Kosarek
• 6:30 – Doug Kosarek
o play “FairTax is Coming”
• 6:45 – Kristina presents march around the block led by Susan Hall

You Can Stop Corruption in Daytona Beach - Join the Floodthelines Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:56:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Over the recent past years, the City of Daytona Beach has suffered a systemic breakdown of the public trust as a result of rampant abuses by public officials to the service of a handful of wealthy political patrons. This unprecedented corruption has driven the city into a moral and economic breakdown. Help is needed, and immediate attention from State and Federal authorities is required to break up the good 'ol boy network grip on corrupt public officials.

Capone would have drooled over the power that today's "capos" have over the local politicians in Daytona Beach; a product of good ol' boy networks, campaign contributions and undue influences that propel unqualified individuals with a nasty predisposition for corruption into power. Their patrons exert total and absolute control over a city as if it was their private ranch and much to the detriment of its citizens.

Their control extends to the institutions that are tasked with the checks and balances to protect the public, and as a result they act with impunity.

They have reaped untold riches by getting their captive public officials plunder the public trust and finance everything from overpriced sales of real estate, privileged zoning deals, selective retaliatory zoning actions against their enemies, virtual immunity against criminal state laws, and, most galling, the funding of their personal pet projects and private indulgences. All courtesy of the taxpayers, which are unknowingly funding the largesse and who now must bear a gigantic burden that will take generations to pay off.

The worst kind of organized crime is organized crime under Color of Law.
The Daytona Post

Please contact Governor Charlie Crist and urge him to instigate a corruption investigation of Daytona Beach City Government.

Phone:(850) 488-7146 [Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time]
Fax: (850) 487-0801

email to: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

or Mail to:

Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

Sample of What to say:

Honorable Governor Crist:

Daytona Beach has been besieged by an unprecedented wave of local government corruption that has thrown this formerly bustling beach town into anarchy, poverty, crime and despair.

Under near absolute control of a few multimillionaire special interests, corrupt officials have literally raped and pillaged a formerly bustling beach city into the poster boy of Florida Corruption. In no other place is the "Good 'ol Boy Gang-of -Thugs" mode of government more evident and acts with more impunity.

Their control extends to the institutions that are tasked with the checks and balances to protect the public, and as a result they act with impunity with the knowledge of having literal immunity in front of the law no matter the malfeasance.

They have reaped untold riches by getting their captive public officials plunder the public trust and finance everything from overpriced sales of real estate, privileged zoning deals, selective retaliatory zoning actions against their enemies, virtual immunity against criminal state laws, constitutional violations of property and personal civil rights and, most galling, the funding of their personal pet projects and private indulgences

As a result, in Daytona Beach, corruption has reached a level that is overt and in-your-face yet it remains uninvestigated and unpunished.

Your urgent intervention is needed.

Crime and Punishment or... Crime WITHOUT Punishment?

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:21:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - History is replete with cases of criminals that get caught and receive their just punishment. Other malfeasors, whose conscience tortures them, end up turning themselves in for their punishment. There is a third group: those without conscience, the true sociopaths that actually believe they are above the law and above the rights of other citizens.

One of the most well known examples of the second kind is the story of Raskolnikov, the fictional protagonist of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Raskolnikov is a young and handsome ex-student of law living in extreme poverty in St Petersburg. Despite his very humble origins, he considers himself to belong to a superior caste of people. Emotionally and financially stressed, he is also socially inept and neurotic about small things, such as crowded spaces. Raskolnikov fluctuates between extremes of altruism and apathy.

Raskolnikov believed that people were divided into the "ordinary" and the "extraordinary": the ordinary are the common rabble, the extraordinary (notably Napoleon) must not follow the moral codes that affect the ordinary since they are meant to be great men.

An extraordinary man would not need to think twice about his actions. Raskolnikov believes himself to be one of these extraordinary men and as such he considers it acceptable to even commit murder if it helps his utopian world. He murders an elderly pawnbroker whom he considered an inconvenient parasite to the greater good of society.

Soon after committing his crime, Raskolnikov's conscience and sense of guilt become and unbearable torture. He turns himself in to justice as he began to realize that he was not a superior being at all but just one more of that group of people he held in contempt.

The last group of criminals represents the most extraordinary danger to society. This group is composed of those that commit crimes and abuses without a sense of guilt. These are convinced and act as if they were superhuman that transcend moral and legal limits.

Dostoevsky Brilliant psychological observations depict the need of criminals and psychopaths to believe they are smarter than ordinary mortals ... that they are above certain things. So when the house of cards start tumbling - the sense of inferiority is enraging - way more than it would be to a regular person who knows he is NOT a "superman intellect".

Very far from the Russian steppes, in Daytona Beach, a small group of men and women have turned their regime into a veritable gang of thugs under Color of Law. Under near absolute control by a few multimillionaire special interests, they have literally raped and pillaged a formerly bustling beach city into the poster boy of Florida Corruption. In no other place is the "Good 'ol Boy" Gang-of -Thugs' mode of government more evident and acts with more impunity.

Their influence is palpable with the local corrupt politicians and, thanks to the magic of Quid Pro Quo campaign contributions and undue influence, infects the very institutions responsible for the checks and balances. In the Daytona Beach model of government, the "watchdogs" are controlled by the thugs.

Raskolnikov turned himself to justice without being denounced; a striking difference from the megalomaniacs ruling this poor city, convinced that their actions in favor of their patrons bear no moral or legal obligations to the people they serve.

Thus they continue to plunder the public trust, grant gifts to their patrons, deprive the local youth of educational and job opportunities, utilize retaliatory code enforcement to control their enemies, selectively enforce the laws (Where else can multimillionaire capos openly operate vehicles while drunk and without fear of being prosecuted under Florida's strict DUI laws? Where else can multimillionaire capos obtain private property without paying for it? Where else can multimillionaire capos get their corrupt public officials abuse their zoning powers to take property away from its lawful owners?).

They waste the taxpayers' hard-earned dollars, cause the flight of local businesses and talent to more politically-sanitized locales, destroy jobs and, in the end sink the city into further despair.

Sooner or later, these actions will attract Federal attention and then, but only then, will Daytona Beach have a chance.

Daytona Beach City Government Swine Flu Crisis...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Daytona Tax Day Tea Party Put the Fear on Corrupt Politicians

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:43:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - There's certainly strength in numbers and local officials have at hand a rising force to beckon. Joining over 1,500 similar events held around the country, the Daytona Beach - Deland Tax Tea Party drew a large demonstration of local citizens weary of abuse at the hands of corrupt, inept and wasteful politicians.

We're on a very slippery slope. It scares me half to death, you just can't stay home and be a potted plant anymore. The spending this government is doing is ludicrous.
Senior Citizen and Local Protester

While we are firing teachers and our children's education suffer because Volusia County has no money, and Daytona Beach's youth roam the streets on an unprecedented crime wave due to lack of jobs or educational or social programs, these corrupt politicians never had any qualms about gifting millions of dollars to fund the indulgences of the local millionaires - Look at the waste of ECHO funding on pet projects, the multimillion-dollar International Speedway Subsidies or the News Journal Monument to nothingness...
Local Teacher

Note - Names withheld to protect against retaliation by local public officials

The large contingent of citizens included doctors, teachers, nurses, engineers, carpenters, policemen and common folks, joined with the common goal to reign in government waste.

The local area of Daytona Beach has been hit especially hard during this economic depression due to the widespread corruption in City Hall and the overt favoritism of public funds spending on pet projects and private hobbies of multimillionaire patrons. This waste created a financial vacuum that syphoned funds away from public projects, social programs, education, job creation and fighting crime.

WFTV Video:

Daytona Beach Area Tax Day Tea Party

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:27:00 +0000

Tomorrow is April 15 -- Tax Day -- the day on which tax returns are due to the federal and state governments from taxpayers across the nation. And if you're like most of us, you've been spending these past few nights that you should have been spending with your family and loved ones, filling out paperwork for the government.

Tomorrow we will send our hard-earned tax dollars to the government knowing that over the past 10 weeks we have witnessed the single largest expansion of government and debt in our nation's history.

Tomorrow thousands of Florida taxpayers all across our state will stand together in more than 200 rallies organized by individuals to celebrate this expansion of government and wasteful spending as part of a national movement known as the Tax Day Tea Party.

To help you find a party location near you, the Marco Rubio campaign has put all of the Florida locations on to a Google map at http://MarcoRubio.com that is easy to navigate. You can also find an event near you by visiting: http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/florida/

The Tax Day Tea Party is a national collaborative grassroots effort organized by Smart Girl Politics, Top Conservatives on Twitter, the DontGo Movement and many other online groups/coalitions.

The Tea Party protests, in their current form, began in early 2009 when Rick Santelli, the On Air Editor for CNBC, set out on a rant to expose the bankrupt agenda of the White House Administration and Congress. Specifically, the flawed “Stimulus Bill” and pork filled budget.

During Rick’s rant (see video below), he called for a “Chicago tea Party” where advocates of the free-market system could join in a protest against out of control government spending.

A few days later, grassroots activists and average Joe Americans began organizing what would soon become the Nationwide Chicago Tea Party effort.

On February 27th, an estimated 30,000 Americans took to the street in 40+ cities accross the country in the first nationwide “Tea Party” protest.

Organizers of the February 27th events pledged to continue on with an even bigger and better protest to follow the first. With April 15th being “Tax Day”, it was decided to schedule the second round of Tea Party protests to ride alongside the tax deadline.

And with that, the “Tax Day Tea Party”, the second round of the Nationwide Tea Party protests, moved into reality.

Here is the local Event:

City: DeLand / Daytona Beach
When: April 15, 12:00 pm
Where: Deland City Hall
Contact: EMAIL

Other Info: Join us at lunch to “Pull the Pork and Cut The Tax.” Pulled Pork & Tea $5.00. Wave your homemade sign and speak your mind.
Facebook Group: Click Here

Massive Daytona Beach Crime Wave Spurs Sales of Weapons and Ammunition

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:42:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - There is a bright spot in the fast decay of Daytona Beach, at least for some businesses.

The general state of depression and huge unemployment in this long-abused city was compounded by the global financial crisis. In the middle of all the despair that envelopes Daytona Beach, its unprecedented resulting crime wave became a bonanza for gun sales.

Buck Gun Rack, a local gun store has reported record sales as a result of the widespread fear that local residents have been subjected to.

During a recent interview, Forrest Buckwald, owner of Buck's Gun Rack in Daytona Beach, shows the guns people are buying as they worry about the local economy, increased unemployment and crime, and a possible ban on semiautomatic rifle sales.

Sales have almost doubled in the last few months...

First-Time gun buyers are literally pouring through the door everyday...

We are selling almost nothing in the sporting category like hunting and sport shooting... Mostly we are selling things for home defense...

A lot of retired people are very frightened...

Forrest Buckwald
Gun Shop Owner

Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood attributes some increases in crime such as shoplifting and fraud, to the bad economy with "Robberies up a bit".

In all fairness to Chief Chitwood and the Daytona Beach Police Department, the roots of the crime wave lie in the massive unemployment, flight of businesses, lack of opportunities to local youths, and overall despair of the local population, caused by the widespread political corruption that has infected this formerly bustling beach city.

As it has long been known, Daytona's problems are not a local police matter; they are a Federal matter that requires urgent intervention.

"In the long run, families, neighborhoods, and jobs are the keys to reducing crime,"

author Samuel Walker in Sense and Nonsense About Crime and Drugs (1994)

Handicapped Abuse: Daytona Beach Speedway Makes Life Miserable for Disabled Patrons

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:54:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - While it is well known that the Speedway and associated ventures have reaped untold riches thanks to the various subsidies granted by local corrupt officials, a recent complaint exposes their disdain for the elderly, disabled, and otherwise handicapped.

Interestingly, speedway officials willingly take these people's money but fail to address their special needs to make their attendance a pleasant experience.

Here is one letter that caught our attention:

My Day In Hell at the Daytona 500

Note: The following essay was written by a local resident who recently returned from the Daytona 500 stock car race. After attending races there on a regular basis in the 1970s and 80s, he decided to take in one last race in Daytona Beach, Florida. But his body was not up the challenge, and apparently, neither was the planning effort by Daytona International Speedway officials.

Here’s his thoughts on the not-so-pleasant excursion.

Well, friends. I had forebodings about this trip before I left.

And everything went fairly well until the 500 ended and I endured the worst several hours of my life, not counting the passing away of loved ones.

I drove to the track and after circling it several times trying to find a good spot without paying $60 or $40, I decided to park in an offsite lot (Lot 10) which was designated the overflow for handicapped parking. It was about 2 miles from the outskirts track, with the Daytona Beach Airport. In between. But they had a fleet of public school buses to take you to the track.

Once at the outskirts of the track, there were trams that would take you even closer, and then they had a whole bunch of golf carts with handicapped flags on them.
It wasn't too organized. Basically you had to flag one down and see if they would take you closer to your gate. (Remember - the inside of the track is 2.5 miles around, so the outside is at least 3.5 miles around.)

Eventually I was taken pretty close to my gate and still had to walk quite a ways to my seat, but it was worth it. Or so I thought.

Then the race takes place and is called off early at 400 miles or so, because of rain and 250,000 people leave at once. On the way in, the crowd trickled in over a period of 8 to 10 hours. This is an important factor.

It's raining. There are no signs. And reality sets in.

THERE ARE NO GOLF CARTS for people like me. (Mildly handicapped with bad knees .)

No explanation. No help. No signs pointing us to the right place to at least catch a bus back to Lot 10.

Of most of the so-called employees of Daytona International Speedway, most were temps or community service workers who had no idea what to tell us.

No reason given for the absence of the golf carts or trams.

Police officers and sheriff’s deputies were the worst offenders in terms of not offering help or information.

After walking quite a ways and finding an information booth, I was told the pick up spot for buses back to Lot 10 was in the other direction, and that that [indeed], we were on our own.

The number of people needing special rides, out of a crowd of 250,000, is rather large, as you can imagine. I was not alone.

I even tried to give a guy on a golf cart $20 for a ride but he refused for fear of getting in trouble. The few golf carts we saw were being used to transport products, most likely food and booze from suites.

So I sucked up my gumption and started walking in the direction of the buses to go back to Lot 10. I estimate it was 2 miles. And there wall kinds of fences and barriers that were not clear, and sometimes I would have to back track because I found myself fenced in.

It was a living hell. I broke down a couple of times.

A few people were nice but most employees/cops/ etc were non-sympathetic.

Toward the end, I could see the school buses but they were still a quarter to half mile away. I saw some guy in a truck and begged him for a ride closer to the buses and he obliged.

But then, when I got to the buses, there were about 3,000 people in line to get on them. No benches. We had to stand in the rain for another hour. The mob was roughly divided between handicapped and non-handicapped people but there was some mixing of the classes, and no rhyme or reason to how buses were loaded. Tempers were flaring.

There were several people in wheel chairs waiting for buses. The buses were equipped with wheelchair elevators but it took about 3 to 4 minutes per wheel chair and they only took about 3 wheelchairs per bus.

Walking is easier for me than standing. And after an hour of standing in the rain with a mob mentality all around me, I came very close to collapsing. Some guys held me up and by this time I was pretty close to the front of the line and these Samaritans talked a bus-handler into letting me get onto the next bus.

This was at about 9:30 p.m., and I left my seat inside the track at 5:30 p.m.

Even after I got to my car there was a pretty good walk involved but it was made shorter because some people had, rightfully so, torn down a fence that allowed us a more direct route to our cars. Of course, like at any big venue, the parking lot was a nightmare and we sat in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour before getting to the highway.

I feel the need to vent my rage and frustration to the Speedway officials. this is not a NASCAR problem but a Daytona International Speedway issue.

Why were we given golf carts and other modes of transportation BEFORE the race but not after. Why the lack of signage? Why no benches at the bus waiting locations?

Why no coherent plan to handle the thousands of people needing special services.

There was no planning at all. It would have been common sense to announce that people with special needs or help getting to bus pick-up points should stay out of the way or in their seats. Let t he majority of people get to their cars and then the trams and golf carts would have better and easier access to move us around.

The Speedway might as well put up signs:

If you are handicapped or have special needs of any kind,
DO NOT COME TO THE RACE.

If that had been done, I probably would have stayed away.

Maybe a class action suit will get their attention.

Name withheld to protect this innocent person against retaliation by local public officials under Speedway control

Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it ...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:19:00 +0000

While Daytona Beach's own crisis is rooted in political corruption and the undue influence by a few multimillionaire good ol' boys, this cartoon proves metaphorical...

New Hope for Daytona Beach: State Attorney R.J. Larizza Takes Office

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:51:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Ralph Joseph Larizza on Tuesday announced "the healing has begun" as he was sworn in as State Attorney for the 7th Judicial Circuit in Florida. Overwhelming applause in celebration at the start of a new era was the tone of the induction.

Larizza, 50, a former probation officer, prosecutor and most recently private attorney based in St. Augustine, was introduced to hearty applause in the Flagler Auditorium, where he was sworn in by Senior Judge Richard O. Watson.

Long time incumbent John Tanner was booted out of office by angry voters, tired of special interests tainting the office of the State Attorney (See Tanner Booted from State Attorney Job). In a tale fitting for David vs. Goliath, Larizza handily won against Tanner, who was largely financed by the same special interests that have profited immensely as a result of the widespread corruption in Daytona Beach City Hall. See This is killing Daytona Beach! When will it STOP?

Larizza's anti-corruption platform for reform was simply too attractive to the voters to pass.

"I'm privileged to have the opportunity to work with all of you, and to have the opportunity to make our community a better place."

"My promise to you is that we will prosecute those that need to be prosecuted, to the fullest extent. We will be fair. We will be just. We will be accessible.

And, by God, we're gonna do it right."
R.J. Larizza

As reported in The St. Augustine Record, Mose Floyd, a prosecutor in Duval County, will come to St. Augustine to take over the duties of managing attorney.

"He graduated from the Naval Academy at Annapolis and retired from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel after 22 years," Larizza said. "He's currently the director of County Court in Duval County, and we're very pleased to have him on board."

Luis Bustamante, 39, was named Chief Assistant State Attorney, leaving behind a key position with the Attorney General's Office as Chief Assistant Statewide Prosecutor.

In addition, Noel Griffin, chief of investigations for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in Jacksonville, signed on as Larizza's chief investigator.

"I'm very fortunate, as are the citizens of the 7th Circuit, to have an attorney the caliber of Luis Bustamante and a law enforcement officer the caliber of Noel Griffin willing to serve," Larizza previously said.

Judge Watson made enlightening comments about Larizza's to the position. After losing his father at nine he was brought up by a values-based family; he was able to finance his own education and work his way through various law enforcement and legal prosecutorial jobs into this position.

We wish RJ good luck and hope the political insiders who supported the incumbent will respect the office and the staff and allow them to "protect the innocent and prosecute the offenders to the fullest extent of the law".

Much fear is sensed in Daytona Beach City Hall.

Comments from readers:

You mean he got rid of most of the "Good Ol' Boys" and hired qualified staff. Without the "good Ol' Boys" running the show... [local politicians] are in a world of trouble.

Thank God for the change. Maybe now everyone can get back to doing business. My hopes and prayers are with you [RJ]. I know the right thing will be done now...

About the Florida 7th Judicial Circuit Court...

The Seventh Judicial Circuit is one of 20 in the State Courts System. Because the Seventh Judicial Circuit oversees court matters in a four-county area, the court has judges based at seven courthouse locations throughout the circuit.

Two Circuit judges and one County Court judge hear cases at the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center in Bunnell. Three Circuit judges and two County Court judges hear cases at the Putnam County Courthouse in Palatka. Four Circuit judges and two County Court judges hear cases at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center in St. Augustine. Eighteen Circuit judges and 10 County Court judges hear cases at four courthouse locations in Volusia County. Volusia County courthouse locations include: Volusia County Courthouse, DeLand; Justice Center, Daytona Beach; Courthouse Annex, Daytona Beach; and Courthouse Annex, New Smyrna Beach.

A Daytona Beach Model: America's Most Corrupt Politicians

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:20:00 +0000

In the 1920s and 30s, Al Capone used to have police officers and government officials on his payroll. His influence was large but it had limits and was far from total control of Chicago, a city already famous for corruption.

Capone would have drooled over the power that today's "capos" have over the local politicians in Daytona Beach; a product of good ol' boy networks, campaign contributions and undue influences that propel unqualified individuals with a nasty predisposition for corruption into power. Their patrons exert total and absolute control over a city as if it was their private ranch and much to the detriment of its citizens.

Their control extends to the institutions that are tasked with the checks and balances to protect the public, and as a result they act with impunity.

They have reaped untold riches by getting their captive public officials plunder the public trust and finance everything from overpriced sales of real estate, privileged zoning deals, virtual immunity against local laws, and, most galling, the funding of their personal pet projects and private indulgences. All courtesy of the taxpayers, which are unknowingly funding the largesse and who now must bear a gigantic burden that will take generations to pay off.

In Daytona Beach, the formula is simple as can be gleamed from a recent post:

...Well, it's an easy recipe, a few multimillionaire capos handpick a local politician; normally someone with poor skills, who is unable to find a job in the business world. They look mostly for an ability to follow orders and predisposition for corruption. Then they fund and get him or her elected to the City Commission.

They then wine and dine the corrupt official, give him rides in jets, invite him to parties where the public official would never have been invited otherwise, give jobs to the politician's family and so on...

Then payback starts in the form of lucrative contracts, sweet zoning deals, funding of hobbies, retaliatory measures under color of law against the capo's competitors [and enemies], etc. - all paid for by the taxpayers.

The end result is a city in fast decay, flight of jobs to cleaner locales, crime, unemployment, mistrust, and the homeless left behind aimlessly roam the streets.

Basically you take hope away from the people and they lose the energy to fight back.

The hope is that a docile public, numb, poor, uneducated and deep in despair is unable to make a change.

"Flee from the country where only one holds all the power. It is a country of slaves."
Simon Bolivar

Change might be in the horizon, however. The public has already made its voice be heard by booting State Attorney John Tanner from office. Tanner steadfastly refused to pursue the many criminal complaints against Daytona Beach public officials.

Not surprisingly, the same people that have largely benefited from the corruption in Daytona Beach coincidentally have also largely financed Tanner's political campaigns.

We thought we end the year with a run down of America's most corrupt leaders, the role models of Daytona Beach public officials:

America's Most Corrupt Politicians - Part 1

America's Most Corrupt Politicians - Part 2

Daytona Beach Christmas Wishes...

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:28:00 +0000

Text Message your Crime Tips to Daytona Beach Police

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:10:00 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The City of Daytona Beach reported that, starting next week, sending a crime tip to Daytona Beach's police department will be as easy as voting for your favorite contestant on American Idol.

Residents can relay crime tips by sending a text message. The new service allows tipsters to remain completely anonymous by encrypting personal details.

To provide a tip, simply send a text to CRIMES (27437) and in the body of the text, use the code DBTIPS along with any information.

Detectives hope the popularity of text messaging coupled with guaranteed anonymity will aid in the reporting of non-urgent illegal activity such as unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, drug deals or information about crimes that are being planned in the community or schools.

Police departments in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Scotland Yard and Canada are currently accepting text tips. There is no cost for using this service; although, standard text messaging rates apply.

What is not guaranteed is the follow-through of corruption crime reports against City Commissioners or City Management. As history indicates, they are under de facto immunity by their position in control of the police... Also enjoying de facto immunity are cronies, financers and other friends of the City Commissioners.

The Grinch is alive and well in Daytona Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:06:00 +0000

The City of Daytona Beach, Florida, has banned Santa from walking up and down a street handing out candy canes and dispensing Ho Ho Ho’s to passersby.

According to code enforcement officials, Santa is an "animated sign" which is illegal in Daytona Beach.

The store owner that sponsors the jolly old man has been sent a warning that she will be fined if Santa is still there come Monday morning.

This Santa has been a fixture for many years and only now did the Daytona Beach Code Enforcement decide to put a stop to the jolliness.

Selective Code enforcement has been a fixture of modern Daytona Beach, where influential political patrons routinely engage corrupt elected officials to abuse their powers and keep enemies and competitors under control.

Daytona Beach has been besieged by widespread political corruption in City Hall which has literally drowned this once bustling beach town into a wave of crime, unemployment, homelessness and overall despair.

Owner to Be Fined If Santa Appears Outside Store
WFTV, Friday, November 21, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Starting Monday, a Daytona Beach store owner will be fined if Santa appears outside of her business. So long Santa! The jolly old elf has been banned from a Daytona Beach street.

Daytona Beach code enforcement officials are kicking Santa off a city sidewalk and have sent the store owner who put him there a warning.

"I don't understand why they would do that, I want Santa on the street!" said one resident as she hugged Santa.

The live Santa Claus has been a fixture on Beach Street for several years. He hands out candy canes outside of Sheila LaBosco's store. He bellowed, "Ho, Ho, Ho" but code enforcement said, "No, No, No."

"They came in and said, 'We're gonna cite you for having Santa on the street,'" said

"That's unacceptable," said shopper Leslie Neese. "Santa is part of Christmas and he's been out there for seven years now taking pictures with children."

A city spokesperson said a review of article 18 of the city code considers Santa an animated sign and officials say LaBosco is "exploiting Santa Clause."

City code officials said making an exception for Santa would not be fair to other businesses as officials consider Santa a form of solicitation, just like someone waving a sign.

See the News video

EPILOGUE...

A few days later, but only as a result of press coverage and massive public outcry at the abuse of powers, Daytona Beach City Management relented and allowed Santa to do what he has been doing for many years... Dole out candy to passerby children.

Santa Gets Reprieve, Can Hand Out Candy
WFTV, Monday, November 24, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Santa Claus took on city hall in Daytona Beach and won. The city had threatened to fine a store owner if Santa appeared outside of her business Monday, but now the city appears to be backing away from that threat.

Santa has been a regular feature at Labosko's Jewelry on Beach Street for eight years. He was back in front of the jewelry and pawn shop Monday after the city of Daytona Beach changed its mind over a controversial code enforcement decision.

Friday, the city's code enforcement threatened to cite the owners if Santa stayed out front. They said the jolly old elf was considered an animated sign and the business was exploiting Santa.

The store owners have paid Santa for the past seven years to help draw in business and this was the first time there's been a problem. Sheila Labosko said she's relieved the city changed its mind and blames a neighboring jewelry business up the street for complaining.

"We are fierce competitors here on Beach Street. It's been a real battle," she said. "[Our competitors should] get their own Santa Claus. Get with the show."

Jessup's Jewelers said he didn't call code enforcement, but he does have a problem if Santa starts handing out flyers instead of candy canes, as Labosko did and was cited for last year.

Where is Dwayne Taylor?

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:31:00 +0000

Commissioner Dwayne Taylor has been noticeably absent from several important town meetings in Daytona Beach.

His disappearance acts are an eerie repeat of his actions during the primaries months ago, where he failed to appear in public debates to face his opponents.

The strategy paid off at that time thanks to the huge financial advantage he enjoyed over his better qualified opponents. Taylor is substantially financed by special interests in Daytona Beach. The same special interests that have greatly benefited by the widespread corruption in the City Commission.

As a result of this financing he was able to heavily advertise his name in signs and placards that were left littering the streets of Daytona Beach after the voting.

During the years Taylor has been in the Daytona Beach City Commission, several local tycoons and friends have enjoyed lavish contracts with the city, public funding of personal indulgences, overpriced land purchases (such as City of Daytona Beach buys small 20-foot strip of land from campaign financer for $320,955), preferential zoning deals and overall favoritism in the distribution of the taxpayer’s assets.

It is presumed that the local capos have now again given him the proverbial "tap on the shoulder" and ordered him to stay low and avoid embarrassing exposure to serious questions that abound.

It’s a proven strategy that staying quiet and laying low will get you the least into trouble when you have little to say or cannot articulate a credible defense of your actions.

Remember Dan Quayle?

The special interests that fund Taylor know that, which would explain the reason for his disappearance from these important public events where voters can ask questions and gage the capabilities and leadership abilities of the candidates.

Abuse of Power

It seems Taylor also timed his resignation as Daytona Beach Commissioner so that his replacement would be appointed by his friends in the City Commission rather than let voters decide in an election. By having an appointee, the local capos ensure continuity in their control of the officials in the city commission.

When asked to change the effective date of his resignation by a few days so that his successor would be elected by the voters, Taylor refused indicating it was out of his hands.

This obvious abuse of power created a public outcry and the formal submittal of signed complaints by hundreds of residents. These complaints had been largely ignored by the commissioners until recently.

Due to the increasing public pressure and press coverage, including a Daytona Post exposé, the City Commission agreed during a special meeting on October 24th, to hold an election for his replacement.

However, this decision came at dear cost to Daytona Beach citizens as it would also extend the term in power of the current commissioners for another year. This includes some of the officials that are under a cloud of suspicion for abuses of power and who have been the subject of multiple criminal complaints by citizens.

It seems these public officials would rather finish the economic and moral destruction of Daytona Beach than give their power up (See Daytona Beach Job Woes Worsen , Daytona Beach: The moral breakdown of a city mired in corruption. and This is killing Daytona Beach! When will it STOP?)

The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.
James Madison, 1829

Taylor Admits Special Interests Control the Daytona Beach City Commission

During the meeting, Taylor admitted that special interests do have the power to getting people elected over the voice of the "small guy". Mayor Ritchey and, of all people, Commissioner Cassandra Reynolds, shot back in anger at the indiscretion and obvious allegations to the commission's lack of integrity and a public admission that they are controlled by outside forces.

A local citizen commented: "As if the citizens of Daytona Beach didn't already know..."

Also interesting is that Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey himself has been one of Taylor's key financers. According to campaign finance reports (See The People That Finance Dwayne Taylor in Daytona Beach), Mayor Ritchey, members of his family and corporations he controls have given Taylor thousands of dollars. Florida Statutes limit campaign finance contributions to $500, but large financers routinely utilize family members and corporate shells to legally circumvent those limits.

Most puzzling is the fact that many of Taylor's financial backers are registered Republicans, yet Taylor's run is on a Democratic ticket head-on opposite to Republican values.

Undue influence crosses party lines indeed.

Open Questions Abound...

There are many additional disturbing questions that Taylor has failed to address:

His source of income to be able to afford and drive several expensive late-model European imports.

How does he pay for expensive dinners at area eateries and Yacht Club in company of the local millionaires? Taylor, as elected official is prohibited from accepting gifts, even if they come from the political cronies that put him and his fellow commissioners in power.

His connections with mortgage companies such as Ivy & Associates, alleged to be under investigation for predatory lending.

His abysmal record as City Commissioner where he pushed and voted for granting numerous gifts of the public trust to cronies and millionaire friends to fund their personal hobbies and indulgences, granted questionable city contracts and land purchases and consistently voted for measures that have resulted in the waste of over a hundred million dollars of taxpayer’s funds.

The whereabouts of the $20,000 he took from the city’s CRA funds but never repaid

Most distressing, his refusal to abstain from voting on items that personally benefitted him and his friend, Commissioner Rick Shiver. See article: Daytona Public Officials Conflict of Interest: Shiver and Taylor .

Taylor also has not made any formal response to the numerous criminal complaints (See Criminal Complaints against Daytona Beach City Officials) that have been filed against city officials over actions that he personally supported.

I'm not going to defend anything I've done in the past... My work is for the future.

Dwayne Taylor in a recent interview

Maureen Monahan is running against Taylor for the District 27 Florida House of Representatives post on an independent ticket. Her platform is concentrated on a grass roots anti-corruption campaign and she has refused to accept money from special interests which require future favors in return as a condition for their support.

She recently indicated that when walking through Taylor's Daytona Beach Zone 5 district, residents remembered Taylor for contributing to the demise of their beloved YMCA.

In a very surprising move, even the leftist local newspaper is opposing Taylor.

With a nearly perfect track record of endorsing inept and corrupt politicians, and with a long history of abuses of power in its own right, the News Journal has taken an about face in Taylor’s case:

Taylor's record on the City Commission is troubling.

Taylor's track record on the Daytona Beach City Commission shows more divisiveness than leadership, and more ambition than aforethought.

He's shown disdain for civil liberties.

He (Taylor) doesn't appear well-prepared for commission meetings - poor preparation would be a clear liability in the fast-paced, demanding flow of business during legislative sessions.

He's exploited painful issues

Taylor doesn't inspire confidence that he would put the needs of District 27 above political ambitions

Daytona Beach News Journal, Oct 6, 2008

While true, we cannot help but wonder at what Taylor’s transgressions against the NJ's controlling family or their friends must have been to merit such treatment and exposure.

As a result of Dwayne Taylor’s absences from town meetings where he would have faced his opponent, Monahan’s supporters have been toying with the idea of a “Where is Dwayne?” T-shirt.

Indeed, everyone keeps asking: Where’s Dwayne?

Related Article: Dwayne Taylor seeks election for the Florida Legislature despite atrocious record and failures at the Daytona Beach City Commission

First Amendment Victory: Federal Court Suspends Florida’s “Electioneering Communications” Law

noreply@blogger.com (Charlie Cox) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:43:00 +0000

Arlington, Va. - Widely abused by corrupt incumbent public officials to chill the spread of news about acts of malfeasance perpetrated against taxpayers, a much criticized Florida Law has been stricken by a U.S. District Court.

Just in time for Election Day, community groups and educational non-profits across Florida and the nation have been set free to speak about candidates and issues on the Florida ballot thanks to a ruling today by U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle. Noting that “no court has ever upheld such a sweeping regulation of political speech,” Judge Mickle granted a preliminary injunction request to suspend Florida’s “electioneering communications” law while a challenge to the regulation continues.

“This is a tremendous victory for free speech,” said Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Bert Gall. “All Floridians-not just political insiders-can now discuss important political issues before the election without fear of being punished or forced to submit to onerous regulations.”

Earlier this month, the Institute for Justice filed a First Amendment challenge to the law on behalf of the Broward Coalition of Condominiums, Homeowners Associations and Community Organizations, the University of Florida College Libertarians and the National Taxpayers Union, as well as the leaders of each organization.

Under Florida’s “electioneering communications” law, the broadest regulation of political speech in the nation, any group of people that simply mentions a candidate or a ballot issue in a public newsletter or on a website must register with the government and report all of its spending and donors, even those who never intended their gift to go towards political speech. Groups that fail to comply face fines and possible jail time for their speech. Individuals are also subject to burdensome reporting requirements if they spend just $100 of their own money to speak.

In his ruling, Judge Mickle found that the First Amendment challenge to Florida’s sweeping law is likely to succeed. He wrote, “The rights to speak and associate freely regarding issues of public concern are zealously guarded by the First Amendment. Unfettered and unregulated speech is the rule, not the exception. Just because a restriction is labeled as a restriction on campaign finance does not mean that it faces an easier path to constitutionality than a restriction outside that context.”

Today’s ruling frees IJ’s clients and others like them to speak freely in advance of next week’s election. For example, the all-volunteer Broward Coalition can add to its newsletter a page that discusses ballot issues of concern to the community. The UF College Libertarians can advertise a campus event with a local politician and distribute a flier about ballot issues to university students. And the National Taxpayers Union can update its national guide to tax-related ballot measures to include those in Florida.