DAYTONA BEACH -- Promoter turned magazine publisher Manuel Bornia who promised us Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna and Carrie Underwood two years ago at the Ocean Center for what was dubbed the American Music Festival, only to be slammed by media across the country for what many described as a hoax later produced one-hit wonder Usher (Yeah!) and acts long in the tooth like Huey Lewis & the News and Tony Bennett.
The revamped line-up concert was complete disaster, which this media outlet and others labeled, "The American Music Festival Fiasco," not only because the concert was a bust, but because several million was fronted by then-Daytona State College President Kent Sharples for Bornia and the Community Cultural Foundation.
The fallout? Sharples was canned, though he received $1.5 million. The college, still, was left holding the bag for more than a million bucks.
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Fast forward to this week and here was Bornia, publisher of his slick hard-to-find "Floridian View Magazine" at it again: This time convincing the Daytona Area Chamber of Commerce and its sister chambers throughout Volusia County into holding a candidates debate. It was initially scheduled for Tuesday, then re-scheduled for Thursday and now cancelled altogether.
And of all places to hold this big debate? The Ocean Center!
As usual, messages left for Bornia today went unanswered.
Here is a July 30 press release from the chamber announcing the debate that Headline Surfer and hundreds of other Daytona Area Chamber of Commerce members received:
"Floridian View Magazine and the Chamber of Commerce Alliance are proud to present a political forum unlike any other that has been presented in our community before. The local races that matter, questions from the most influential local media and every regional chamber coming together to ensure that the business community is properly represented. Join us as we produce this ground breaking series of debates featuring the candidates and the races that will be making big changes to our community in the coming years. As we bring this unique forum to life, we look forward to your participation and hope that you will inform your colleagues and supporters to attend. Be there as we question the candidates, candidly."
Candidly? More on that shortly.
This was the promised line-up of races: "US Representative, Florida State Senate, Volusia County Chairman and Mayor of Daytona Beach."
Besides the Daytona chamber, the others announced to co-sponsor were the Holly Hill Chamber, Ormond Beach Chamber, Southeast Volusia Chamber, DeLand Area Chamber and Port Orange Chamber.
Bornia's production was billed as "The Only Community Debate | Prime Time; through 45-minute moderated debates from 5 to 9 p.m., members of the local media will present each candidate with a series of questions."
And here's the description for the location: "The Ocean Center | Daytona Beach; the centerpiece venue for Volusia County, this event will be the first political debate to be hosted at the region's flagship convention space. The actual event will take place in The Atlantic Room ballroom and is free to the public to attend."
Now back to the press release's, "Be there as we question the candidates, candidly." Candidly? Really? The first questions out of my mouth to the candidates would have been: "Of all places to hold this debate, we're here at the Ocean Center? Site of the American Musical Festival Fiasco?"
Several high-ranking Daytona chamber executives are rightfully embarrassed by Bornia's latest charade. So far, nothing has gone out from the chamber alerting its membership nor from the Daytona Beach News-Journal about the canceled debate.
While Daytona chamber officials were tongue-tied on how to explain this embarrassing partnership with Bornia, Jim Cameron, the government relations head for the chamber put it bluntly, "It's above my pay grade."
Bornia's Floridian View partnership with the chamber at the Ocean Center was to be the so-called final debate leading into the Aug. 14 primary. The News-Journal held a series of debates over a week's time and Headline Surfer held a daylong marathon series of debates in eight races.
Contacted this morning, County Chair Frank Bruno said he wasn't surprised by the news involving Bornia. And County Council member Josh Wagner made a point of saying he split from Bornia a year ago, but has advertised his campaign with his magazine as well as with the News-Journal and Headline Surfer.
Wagner said he was alerted to the cancellation by the chamber's Cameron, but as for Bornia's latest fiasco, he responded, "I don't have any answers." Wagner had placed an ad in Bornia'a magazine as he had with the daily newspaper and this internet newspaper.
Carl Persis, too, said he was mystified by the debate collapse and Bornia's publication.
"I'm still waiting for my ad to appear," Persis said, of an advertisement that, he too, placed with Floridian View, in addition to his ad with Headline Surfer.
Persis is in a three-way battle with power attorney Ted Doran and Gulf War vet Jason Davis to succeed Bruno as county chair.
The county chair debate videotaped by the News-Journal has been published. Headline Surfer will publish its debate for this race later in the week to give primary voters a final glimpse of the three candidates.
What Bornia does next is anyone's guess.