Madok’s Resume Lie

Posted on September 25, 2016 by M_Blank

long-25529_1280I was recently reminded of something that happened when Kevin Madok ran for Clerk of Court in 2012**.  Madok’s opponent, Matt Gardi, pointed out that Madok wasn’t actually a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), though he did use that designation on his resume.  I didn’t pay it much mind at the time, bigger fish to fry.  But it sure is relevant now.

Madok used the letters “CPA” after his name when he applied for the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) position at the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District (KLWTD).  Other than that the resume doesn’t mention that credential.  You can’t put the letters “CPA” after your name if you are not, in fact, a CPA.  It’s illegal.  Madok, formerly a CPA in California, certainly would have known that. Continue reading →

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Monroe County Mishandling Public Records Requests – Again

Posted on September 24, 2016 by M_Blank

New Monroe County Logo2I’m very curious about the county’s refusal to fund emergency vehicle purchases for the Key Largo area.  I’d like more information about that.  It’s a serious issue involving public safety.  So on September 10, I submitted a public records request.  I heard nothing, and so I repeated the request five days later.  Still nothing, and so I sent a third request – thirteen days after my initial email.  County attorney, Bob Shillinger, responded immediately to my third request by pretending that my earlier requests probably went unanswered because nobody is monitoring the Office of Management and Budget email account.  He made a reference to Tina Boan’s motorcycle accident in his response.  Ick.  Using such an unfortunate incident to excuse the county’s failure is just…gross.  Besides, my first email was sent about nine days before the accident even happened.  The second was sent four days before. Continue reading →

Posted in BOCC, Bubba System, Clerk of Court, Fire and Ambulance, Monroe County, Public Records | 2 Comments

If we pay for a building do we get to keep it?

Posted on September 15, 2016 by M_Blank

stupid-1245103__340More animal control weirdness.  The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) agreed to use $1.5 million of taxpayer money to pay for a new animal shelter in Stock Island, but it doesn’t sound like this facility is going to belong to the taxpayers.

Apparently, the county already donated the land for the new facility to the Florida Keys Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (FKSPCA).  Is it even legal for a government to give away public land to a private entity?  I’d love to know the circumstances behind this donation.  Who will actually own the building the taxpayers are being forced to contribute to?  What happens if the county and the FKSPCA part ways?  I don’t see anything about it in FKSPCA’s agreement with the county. Continue reading →

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Character Assassination by Hysterical Overreaction?

Posted on September 14, 2016 by M_Blank

caution

Update:  I tightened this up a little bit.  Clarified that the inflammatory language came from Shillinger’s letter, not from the press release.  The Citizen’s newest article says they made a public records request and Shillinger replied promptly.  Has the county really turned over a new leaf or do they only willingly answer public records requests they like?  I’ll let you know.  I resubmitted a public records request from last week that they ignored.  It was about emergency vehicles.

Anyone who pays attention to Keys news has already heard about the hullabaloo over at the Clerk’s office.  To summarize:

  • The county issued a press release claiming that Clerk of Court, Amy Heavilin was “deleting public records” and did not renew an “important contract”.
  • The KeyNoter/Reporter/flkeysnews.com printed a story using the press release and some inflammatory comments made by county officials as the only source of information.  They’ve since updated it to mention that the State Attorney will be looking into the matter.
  • There’s also a story in Citizen/keysnews.com.  They seem to have done a bit more research.  The article is more balanced with a non-hysterical tone.  They also made an attempt to get the other side of the story.

Buried toward the end of the updated story from the KeyNoter – after the alarming headline, after the mention of “criminal activity”, is this quote apparently from Bob Shillinger: Continue reading →

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Strange Story About Clerk’s Office

Posted on September 12, 2016 by M_Blank

road-sign-63983_1280Update:  Here’s an article from keysnews.com that contains a bit more information.  An attorney contracted by the clerk’s office, said Shillinger’s letter was based on misunderstandings and incomplete information.  Well, I’ve never known the county to have their facts straight so I don’t know why this situation would be any different.  I hope the press will eventually get to the bottom of this and provide clarity.

I saw this at flkeysnet.com.  Bob Shillinger, the county attorney who sometimes steps in to hinder public records requests, is accusing Amy Heavilin, Monroe County Clerk of Court, of deleting public records.  How strange.  I’m glad to see he’s warming up to the idea that the public has a right to know.  More likely, he’s putting on a show of being concerned about preserving public information in this particular case. Continue reading →

Posted in Clerk of Court, Media, Monroe County, Public Records | Leave a comment

Moving Past the Odious Sylvia Murphy and Resolving the High Kill Rate

Posted on September 8, 2016 by M_Blank

murphy campaign poster

Update:  Comm. Carruthers has claimed that constituents from other districts will find her door open if their own commissioner disagrees with them on a particular issue.  Therefore, I went ahead and contacted her about the high kill rate.  Can’t wait to hear what she’s going to do to address this horrible problem.

Update 2:  Well, I sent that email to Carruthers over a week ago.  No response.  Shocker!  So much for that open door.  Maybe I’ll send a follow-up.

Let me start by saying that the high kill rate at the Upper Keys animal shelter can be fixed.  Sadly, the political will to do so simply does not exist right now.

The Odious Sylvia Murphy (OSM) has somehow been re-elected.  I’d love to say I’m surprised, but I know Murphy has some strange appeal to the voters.  I’ve observed that fact for many years, but can’t for the life of me understand it.  Never have.  Never will.  Maybe someone would be kind enough to explain it to me.

KeysNews.com claims that the OSM is known for her “brutal honesty”.  Huh?  I don’t know about honest but she certainly is brutal.  When asked to comment on the high kill rate at the Upper Keys animal shelter in 2015, the OSM had this to say:

“I’m perfectly happy with the services at the clinic,” she told the Free Press.

To put this statement into perspective, let’s take a look at a table comparing the kill rates at the three shelters.  These are unadulterated, apples-to-apples numbers obtained from monthly reports submitted by each shelter.  No monkey math from county staff. Continue reading →

Posted in Animal Shelter, BOCC, Bubba System, Monroe County | 2 Comments

Why Carruthers is Like Faulty Wiring

Posted on September 4, 2016 by M_Blank

cable-1508774__340I don’t know the full story yet behind the lien that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) placed on Comm. Heather Carruthers’s primary residence.  Apparently she owes over $133,000.

Strangely enough I found the document while researching the possibility that a guest house that Carruthers once owned, and from which she still derives income, was one of the illegal transient rentals that received amnesty from the City of Key West.  I found no evidence that it was, but I did find the lien.

I believe that taxpayers need to know about the tax lien because officials who are experiencing financial difficulties are more likely to be involved in fraud or corruption.  It’s a classic risk factor.  Think of it like faulty wiring in your house.  If the lights are dimming or flickering or breakers are tripping a lot, you might need to think about rewiring your house to avoid an electrical fire.   Continue reading →

Posted in BOCC, Financial Condition, Monroe County | Leave a comment

Disappearing Comments

Posted on September 2, 2016 by M_Blank

carruthers campaign posterHmmm…it looks like Heather Carruthers has deleted some (all?) of my comments to her posts on her Facebook page.  I guess she doesn’t much care for my question-asking and fact-finding.  My questions regarding the Florida Keys Stewardship seem to be gone.  Only Carruthers’s reply is still there.

Now if this were a personal Facebook page, she would have every right to do that.  In fact, I would consider it a cyber-foul on my part to post comments related to official business on her personal Facebook page.  Especially critical ones.  I would not do that.  That’s intrusive.  However, this particular Facebook page is dedicated to county business.  It is identified as County Commissioner Heather Carruthers’s page.  So I would think related comments and questions would be welcome. Continue reading →

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The Land Scarcity Chess Board – Part 2

Posted on September 2, 2016 by M_Blank

chess-145184_1280Public officials in the Keys have declared the lack of affordable housing a “CRISIS!”.  In their manufactured panic, they have mobilized to throw oodles of taxpayer money at the issue.  Here’s a quick rundown.

Continue reading →

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Election Day Zen

Posted on August 29, 2016 by M_Blank

zen-1515380__340Tomorrow, Monroe County voters will choose their District 5 county commissioner and they will choose which Republican candidate for Clerk of Court goes on to run in the general election.  I’m no longer a Monroe County resident so I don’t get a vote, but I know how important these offices are for the Keys-wide community.  For ten years, I had a look at the inner workings of Monroe County government.  It’s not pretty.  In fact, it’s downright ugly much of the time.

I hope the voters of Monroe County agree and want to see change as much as I do.  But I know the spin machine works relentlessly to spread misinformation, distort the issues and smear critics.  Will enough people be able to see through all that?  We won’t know until late tomorrow.

Life goes on either way, but it sure would be nice for the Keys if it went on in a positive, new direction.

Posted in Clerk of Court, Elections, Monroe County | Leave a comment