Your toxic postings on this site are all the 'proof' anyone needs.
Just as I thought.... you don't like what I have to say so, you (like about 10 or 15 others) calling themselves the City Corruption Cleanup Crew have to make it appear I am spreading lies, rumors and innuendos with
NO proof that I have done any of those things.
Admittedly, the truth is not always pleasant and in politics it is or certainly can be toxic (as you call it) but that doesn't make it any less true.
Want some more truth bombs?
The group calling itself "C4ward" has launched a smear campaign against the City Council (Bob Campbell excluded because that's their buddy) saying they "lack the qualifications". That's a lie!
Truth is every member of the City Council "qualified" through the Supervisor of Elections office to run for their elected positions. The qualifications are:
- The candidate is a registered voter.
- The candidate is qualified to run for and hold the office being sought.
- The candidate has not qualified for any other office in the state that runs for the same term as the office sought.
- The candidate has resigned from any other public office whose term would run at the same time as the office being sought.
- The assessment fee has been paid.
- If running with a political party, the candidate has not been a registered member of any other political party for 365 days before the beginning of the qualifying period.
Obviously you do not need a Political Science degree from Harvard to run and none of the City Council has alleged or submitted that they possess such a degree. They are Citizens just like the rest of us who want to make a difference in their Communities and have chosen to put themselves in the line of fire and make tough decisions (that aren't always popular) to move this City forward and have been thwarted at every turn by a few folks who have held this City hostage for eons and have always had a council that would go along with their every desire. Things are a "changin" and its not working for them as it always has in the past and they don't like it!!
The group has called into question the Council's competence and are asking for a recall election.
Fact is, Florida is one of 12 states that requires specific reason for a recall and there are 7 allowable grounds. They are:
1.) malfeasance
2.) misfeasance
3.) neglect of duty
4.) drunkenness
5.) incompetence
6.) permanent inability to perform official duties
7.) conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude.
Just because the Council refuses to do the bidding of a "few" does NOT make them guilty of any of those things. On the other side of the coin, Danny Lucas was assuredly guilty of transgressions, especially misfeasance (the wrongful exercise of lawful authority) malfeasance (wrongdoing, especially by a public official) and incompetence (inability to do something successfully) and those issues have previously been listed in this thread. No one wants to talk about those things though because its always easier to kill the messenger than it is to address the issues. Mr. Lucas was NOT part of the Grand Jury investigation but had he been there may well have been a whole different outcome to the report that they "found no criminal wrongdoing". The Grand Jury was NOT charged with looking for criminal wrongdoing.
That group has tossed about words like "corruption" (dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery) and ironically Danny Lucas was fired because he allowed himself to be led down a path where he found himself doing "favors" for a select few (again those issues have been pointed out at the top of this thread) and he paid a heavy price for ignoring the ordinances/laws of the City and the laws of the State of Florida!!
In discussing a recall election that group has assured the 75 some odd people (excluding themselves) who attended the meeting at ARC they do in fact have the money to force a recall.That is questionable at best!! I believe Diane Pickett actually has the money to force a recall but I also think/believe (my opinion) that her mouth has written a check her A$$ can not pay for. There is simply not enough time remaining before the elections (111 days according to that group) to get this on the ballot to force a recall. Talk is cheap, in fact its FREE!
Speaking of the meeting at the ARC building... its also my opinion (and that of several others) that ARC committed political suicide by holding that meeting in that building. The ARC receives TAXPAYER DOLLARS from the County (City residents pay county taxes as well) and it is a conflict of interest for them to have held that meeting there. Don't bite the hand who feeds you ARC because just as the County gives the money, they can take it away!!!! The County does NOT want to become embroiled in City politics and well they shouldn't!! In the video link posted below the ARC admits they used the opportunity to have that meeting there as a fundraiser raising over $350.00 dollars.
I have been told (yes, you may call that a rumor) that Erin Glenn with the Mainstreet project was asked to and has resigned her position with the Mainstreet Project. I'm told the Director (Jay Evans) recognized the political fallout of one of his board members associating with a MOB who is calling for the resignations of all Council members who voted to fire Danny Lucas or face a recall election, was not the thing to do and seriously jeopardized the projects efforts to obtain anymore funding from the City. Well duh...I'm glad someone saw the folly in that.
The group talked about the $221 thousand dollars the City lost in sales tax revenues because the Mayor failed to get letters he received from the Sate to council nine (9) times. When someone in the audience pointed out the public records absolutely positively identified the culprit the comment was brushed off with, we'll look into that.
The discussion from that group about the BP money that's unaccounted for is a misnomer. The money should have been placed in a special account, for future use which one of the supporters of that group actually suggested when he was a Council member. That didn't happen because the finance department manager wasn't doing his job. The money was simply dumped into the general account and spent and no one bothered to tell the Council the money was gone.
The problem really occurred at the State level because the State did not implement safeguards to track how that money was spent. The first BP monies issued were a joke! Fraud, waste and abuse was rampant! The State Atty. Bill Eddins actually looked into whether or not the money had been misspent (I agree that it should not have gone into the general fund) and according to the Grand Jury Report there was no wrongdoing on the part of the City Council!!
In ending this post Mr. Douglass, let me assure you that I agree with many of the issues the Citizens of Defuniak Springs have raised (including that MOB's issues) but where we diverge is in the delivery! Making spectacles of yourselves with brooms and dust pans is NOT my idea of healthy discourse nor is the venom and vitriol that has been spewed at our elected officials for months (by a select few including members of that MOB) who simply can not push the Council into doing their bidding. As I said before and will say again, the stranglehold that some folks have had over this City for eons is coming to a close. If the object of their political involvement is to make a laughing stock out of the City of Defuniak then their protestations about how much they "love their City" while making a mockery of it, just goes to show whose really trying destroy it. You have helped in that regard with your quack cartoons, in my opinion.
Let me also thank you Mr. Douglass for enabling me to get the thread you created back on track and off of me. You don't have to agree with me and you have made it abundantly clear that you don't. I'm ok with that too but you have NO RIGHT to accuse me of lying, spreading rumors/innuendos or half truths (you are liable for what you say also) when my comments are generally pulled from PUBLIC RECORDS with documentation, from actually attending public meetings and witnessing first hand what happens in those meetings. as well as my understanding of what transpired at them. When was the last time you attended a Council meeting Mr. Douglass? I don't recall ever seeing you at one. Have we met? If not, introduce yourself at the next council meeting.