I wrote here about the deceptive way the county presented information to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). That’s not the only item of interest in the report. FDEP also touched on affordability in a tangential way. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an affordability formula, which I adapted to use in my response to FDEP’s report. Continue reading
Financial Squeeze – Affordability
Behold The Scandal Sheet
I added a new page to the blog, the Scandal Sheet. This is where I collect stories of Keys officials gone bad. It will be an ongoing effort. There’s always something new crawling out of the woodwork, unfortunately.
Posted in Blog housekeeping
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Surprise, Surprise – Key West Canvassing Board Caves
An unsurprising result from the Key West canvassing board. They ruled unanimously to count Bob Dean’s vote. As evidence that he actually lives in Key West, Mr. Dean produced his driver’s license and his voter registration card. He apparently changed the address on his driver’s license two weeks ago. Cara Higgins was there and ran through the pile of evidence that contradicts Mr. Dean’s claim. Dean’s attorney, Michael Halpern, was silent. Continue reading
Posted in Bubba System, Elections, FKAA, Key West
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I Contacted the Governor
I went ahead and emailed Gov. Scott on the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) situation. I figure I may as well register my concerns. What’s the worst that can happen? Continue reading
Posted in Bubba System, Conflict of Interest, FKAA, State government
Tagged Conflict of Interest, Florida Keys, Rick Scott
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Swap Agreement – Hearing Date Set
As of right now, the only hope Key Largo taxpayers have of achieving wastewater funding equity is the anemic swap agreement. Under this agreement, the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District (District) trades state funding it has in hand for county money paid out interest-free over some number of years. The agreement contains no guarantee of equity for the taxpayers. There is no back-up plan if adequate state funding should fail to materialize – a likely scenario. The District is putting the financial fate of its ratepayers into the hands of the county, a risky move. The county has proven itself unreliable, and was very reluctant to enter into this agreement at all. It would be foolish not to be concerned. Continue reading
An Old Man Voted! So What?
The Blue Paper, my new favorite newspaper, printed some very exciting news. Bob Dean voted in a Key West election on Monday. Why should we care?
We should care because Bob Dean is the Chairman of a secretive utility that is responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in public money. Your money. The board members are not accountable to the public they serve. They are appointed by the governor. The recent controversy over Bob Dean forces us to ask the question: does the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority (FKAA) follow its own rules? Do they follow anyone’s rules? Continue reading
Posted in Bubba System, FKAA, Key West
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Financial Squeeze – Four Penny Tax
Key Largo is small community of about 13,500 year-round residents. The taxpayers of this tiny community are being asked to come up with $87.3 million to pay for the sewer project. Each household will pay over $6200 just to build it. That number does not include ongoing operating costs or the cost to tie-in. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), through its grossly unfair funding policies, has imposed what amounts to a $1700 penalty on every household in Key Largo. They’ve offered no rational explanation. As far as I can tell, Key Largo taxpayers are being penalized simply for being Key Largo taxpayers. The BOCC does it simply because they can get away with it. Continue reading
Monkey Math – Piled Higher and Deeper
Another phony report? Really?
Here’s another entry in the “Monkey Math” series. This is where I document Monroe County’s fundamentally dishonest way of covering up its grossly inequitable approach to the wastewater funding issue.
We’ve seen Monroe County drag the federal government into its shameless attempts to divert needed funding away from its own taxpayers. It should come as no surprise that the county has dragged the state into it as well. Here is a report prepared by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP): Keys Wastewater Report_Revised Final Draft_10 10 13.
If you look at Figure 13 on page 22, you’ll notice something very strange. Continue reading
Monkey Math – Revenue Wrap-Up
Please leave the math alone.
Looking at the wastewater projects makes one thing very clear, for Key Largo there is no upside to remaining unincorporated. The county simply takes Key Largo’s tax money and squanders it elsewhere. In effect, Key Largo’s tax money enables waste and subsidizes taxpayers who are often much better off financially. It just doesn’t make sense. Key Largo would be far better off under local control. The two special districts have proven that when Key Largo citizens are in charge, an equal (or better) level of service is provided at a much lower cost. There is no way the county could afford the Cudjoe Regional project as-is without Key Largo’s over-contribution. If Key Largo were to incorporate it would take $3.5 million of infrastructure sales tax money with it. Over $2 million of that would come directly out of the county’s pockets. The rest would come from the other municipalities. And that’s just one revenue source. There are many others.
The Blue Paper Has Video
Check out the Blue Paper for video of the Florida Keys Aqueduct (FKAA) Meeting on Friday. District 1 Commissioner, Cara Higgins, laid out her case very effectively. The evidence that Dean does not live in the district he represents is overwhelming. Dean is certainly not going to win on the facts, and he certainly will not win in the court of public opinion. So, if he wants to hang on to that seat, what can he do? Here are a few of the strategies employed. Continue reading
Posted in Bubba System, FKAA, Media, Monroe County
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The Real Poop 