I found this document on the Clerk of Court’s website. Apparently, Carruthers and an associate owe over $133,ooo to the Internal Revenue Service. Wow!
Key West Hometown PAC – Candidate Q&A
I finally got around to viewing the Key West Hometown PAC’s second candidate forum, which was held on August 8. I actually sent the PAC some questions I would really like answered. They declined, saying they only take questions from members. Fair enough. I’m not quite sure I want to be a member at this point though. Here’s a link to that email exchange, in case you’re interested.
Of course, I’m especially concerned about the race for Clerk of Court. This office is so very important. The qualifications and character of the office-holder make a big difference. There are three candidates running for the office. Amy Heavilin, the incumbent, and Kevin Madok will face off in the Republican primary on August 30. The winner will run against Democrat Ron Saunders in November’s general election. Continue reading
Posted in Clerk of Court, Elections
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Kolhage – Financial Disclosure
Update: Not sure which Dan/Danny/Daniel Kolhage is involved in the businesses discussed in the last paragraph. There’s more than one apparently. In any case, there are still some unexplained holes in county commissioner Danny Kolhage’s financial disclosure forms. Undisclosed involvement in side businesses might have explained some of that. This is an important issue.
Kolhage claims to be a supporter of financial restraint. Despite the occasional grandstanding, Kolhage is one of the leading proponents of reckless spending on the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). His voting record makes that abundantly clear. Spending and debt has sky-rocketed on Kolhage’s watch, with his full and enthusiastic support. Voters pay more attention to Kolhage’s empty words than they do his actions. Unfortunately, they are paying through the nose for that mistake. Kolhage may simply be foolish with taxpayer money or it could be something far more troubling. I think we owe it to ourselves to find out. Continue reading
Posted in BOCC, Bubba System
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What About the Ratepayers?
The Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District (District) is fighting over the staffing plan. Commissioner Andy Tobin has long expressed concerns over staffing issues and a lack of transparency. Rather than seeing to it that these matters are addressed constructively, Commissioner Steve Gibbs has attempted to make this a personal issue – siding with staff and denigrating his colleague for simply asking questions. That seems to be the way of things these days.
The latest argument is about Rob Bulkiewicz, who is set to be promoted and given a sizable pay increase according to press reports. I’d rather not get into the details of this particular situation, but the latest blow-up provides an opportunity to discuss what’s really important: the ratepayers.
Here, briefly, are my concerns. Continue reading
Posted in KLWTD
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Thoughtful Letter About the Sin Tax
I saw a letter in the Citizen (keysnews.com) supporting the “sin tax” today. It was written in response to an earlier editorial, which was skeptical about the “sin tax”.
Let me start by saying it’s only right and proper to look after the less fortunate in our communities. From that perspective I have no issue with the concept of the “sin tax”. But context is everything. Continue reading
Posted in Human Services, Taxes
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The Land Scarcity Chess Board – Part 1
There’s a finite amount of land in the Florida Keys. Very little of that can be developed. And there aren’t enough available permits to go around even for what can be developed. Real estate is in high demand. At the same time, the workforce is struggling to hang on. Pressure is intense. Competition is intense. Politics are intense, especially in the secretive, cut-throat political world of the Keys.
Well-meaning people focus on different aspects of the land-scarcity issue: keeping housing affordable for the locals, preserving habitat, controlling growth, protecting property rights, preserving quality of life. While these issues are debated, the politicians will do what suits them. And that rarely has anything to do with what is best for the Keys community. Citizens have to be vigilant unless they want to see their tax dollars and their ROGO’s poof away into the sky.
Hometown Key West – First Candidate Forum – District 5
The Hometown Key West PAC ran their first question and answer session of the campaign season on July 25. They already had a “meet the candidates” event, which I wrote about here. I’m focusing on two races in particular: District 5 County Commissioner and Clerk of Court. These are the biggies for me. The candidates for Clerk of Court did not appear at this forum so it’s just District 5 today.
District 5 has not had a real voice on the county commission for ten years. And that has hurt the community. Badly. Key Largo citizens unjustifiably pay more for their sewer system than their neighbors in the other unincorporated areas, and Sylvia Murphy could not care less. Because of the swap agreement that situation may finally be partially resolved. But it’s taken far too long and it’s still far from certain. Continue reading
Posted in BOCC, Clerk of Court, Elections, Single-member Districts
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Neugent Facing Sanctions for Ethics Violations
Wow! Incredible news from the Blue Paper. The Florida Commission on Ethics (Commission) found county commissioner, George Neugent, violated ethics laws. It’s not incredible to me that Neugent would violate ethics laws. It’s incredible that he actually might face consequences for it.
I’ve said it before. I believe that Neugent is the “least bad” of all the county commissioners. It’s not saying much. Sadly. But he, unlike any of the others at least played lip service to the notion of wastewater funding equity.
I think the county, Neugent included, was certainly up to no good with the handling of the Stand Up for Animals (SUFA) situation. But none of those charges stuck. In the county’s press release, Neugent accepts responsibility for some “sloppy paperwork”. But what is the nature of that sloppy paperwork? Continue reading
Posted in Animal Shelter, BOCC, Bubba System, Monroe County
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FKAA $3 Million Contract for Toppino
Posted yesterday on www.bigpinekey.com: The Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) board is getting ready to award a $3 million contract to one of their own, Richard Toppino. Toppino, as has been discussed exhaustively on this blog, is a FKAA board member with a high potential for conflicts of interest. His family business, Charley Toppino & Sons, has done millions of dollars worth of business with the FKAA over the years – a fact that the FKAA has repeatedly tried to hide.
Toppino was appointed to the FKAA board in December 2015. He first abstention occurred in February 2016. (See Item DUO-4.) In May 2016, the FKAA scrapped a project because Toppino failed to submit paperwork related to a conflict in a timely manner. (The FKAA blamed “administrative staff” for that one.) Two months later, here we are again. Will Toppino have his ducks in a row this time? Even if he does, this situation is still a problem. Here’s what the law has to say about frequent, recurring conflicts of interest (F.S. 112.313(7)a.). Continue reading
Posted in Conflict of Interest, FKAA
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BOCC: Budget Silliness
I watched the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) budget meeting online. It’s torture, but it’s helpful if you really want to know what’s going on with Monroe County government. As usual they go into excruciating detail about certain aspects of the budget and gloss over others. They mine for meaningless statistics in order to give the illusion of good performance, while completely ignoring enormous failures.
Here’s some interesting stuff I picked up.
12:06 – Comm. Kolhage got a case of the vapors because there’s a typo in the CAFR. Heaven forbid! This is the same Comm. Kolhage, who, while serving as Clerk, failed to get juror payments out on time three years in a row. The same Comm. Kolhage who, while serving as Clerk, neglected to pay sales tax and was penalized by the state. Oh, the irony. By all means, freak out over a typo. That apparently is a huge problem, but the budget overruns on every project they touch aren’t even worth a mention. Continue reading
Posted in BOCC, Budget
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The Real Poop 