DAYTONA BEACH -- Ray Davies, lead singer of the Kinks, perfectly coined the sentiments of voters in the wake of Watergate with his phrase: "Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep, and we're tired of hearing promises that we know they'll never keep."
Nothing could be truer for the voters of Volusia County who bought into the promises of three Republicans -- Jason Davis, Pat Patterson and Deb Denys -- that got them elected in November, only to betray that sacred trust nine months later.
The Republican Party under the leadership of Stan Escudero with a strong assist from his successor in 2013, Tony Ledbetter, and countless others who made personal sacrifices to see these three elected last November to the County Council, now have to deal with the ugly reality of voter betrayal.
Davis and Patterson voted with the Democratic majority for an $11 million increase in spending for the general fund, including $4.16 million in county raises at a time when everyday folks are struggling just to put food on the table and pay the electric bill.
And while Denys should be applauded for voting against the tax increase, it means little since she offered no substantive cuts -- not a single one -- of her own from the dais to help get the budget reduced before it went to a vote Thursday, even after party elders put together several viable options.
But the real transgression for Denys?
Headline Surfer photo / Attorney Glenn Storch (shown with glasses) sits with client David Swentor, a developer of the $16 million Hampton Inn, at a New Smyrna Beaxch City Commission meeting two years ago. The hotel on Flagler was where Deb Denys held a fundraiser Wednesday. The Hampton Inn is operated by general manager Tony Stagbni, a member of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority. Storch is a Denys campaign supporter.
She sold out to special interests, like her chamber pals and powerful insiders like high-profile Democratic-leaning developer-attorney Glenn Storch.
And even worse, she's picked up the sword for corrupt New Smyrna Beach Mayor Adam Barringer and a whole host of others in greater New Smyrna Beach, who for years feasted on the CRA and advertising authority monies through an intricate network led by the likes of Robert Lott, the former kingpin of Flagler Avenue. Among them is another of her inner circle advisors, Kenneth Bohannon, former chamber presidemt and attorney, who represented Lott in some of his legal matters.
And while Denys has been especially critical of her GOP colleague, Davis, for agreeing to sit in on an advertising proposal made by Headline Surfer before then-interim Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority Director Renee Tallevast in July that led to a lawful marketing agreement, and on Thursday calling for SVAA Chairman Palmer Wilson's head, how apropos is it now that that Denys herself held a political fundraiser at of all places the New Smyrna Beach Hampton Inn. How coincidental it is, that the general manager of the Hampton Inn, Tony Stagni, serves on the SVAA board that Wilson chairs.
Wait, it gets worse. Denys accepted a $300 campaign check from Wilson who showed up at her fundraiser -- only to be as he put it, "snubbed" and not understanding why.
Wait, it gets worse. Denys accepted a $300 campaign check from Wilson who showed up at her fundraiser -- only to be as he put it, "snubbed" and not understanding why.
After all, Denys was so supportive of him just a month ago during two consecutive meetings -- the first six weeks ago when Council member Joshuas Wagner led a 4-3 vote to oust Wilson after the first two of a dozen Daytona Beach News-Journal stories on Headline Surfer's contract, and again showing the love when Wilson appeared in person two weeks later and was unanimously voted back onto the SVAA.
While on the surface as Denys explained herself the very next day after her political fundraiser, she's simply bringing forward to her colleagues that Wilson manipulated his way into getting the chairmanship back in a 4-3 vote that wasn't on the agenda (it came up under new business) and one of the votes came from a member by telephone, It should be noted the SVAA member was present for the duration of the meeting by phonne, but at one point, she was cut off cut off and tthe secretary was able to get her bsck. This will be detailed in an upcoming story which calls into question Denys' veracity.
Wagner wasn't buying her story Thursday. And At-Large Council member Joyce Cusack of DeLand, was adamant that since Wilson's re-appointment last month was hers, she wanted to meet with him on Tuesday and so Denys was forced to back down for now.
To add insult to injury, it was her former general election opponent, Jim Hathaway's No. 1 supporter, Mayor Barringer, who led a letter writing campaign against Wilson, Davis and Headline Surfer, along with one-sided reporting in the mayor's favor by the Daytona Beach News-Journal that begin in early August and hasn't stopped since.
Headline Surfer has been portrayed by Barringer as a troublemaker out to destroy New Smyrna Beach.
In reality, all Headline Surfer has been doing is reporting the news -- factual-based reporting of multiple complaints against the mayor being investigated by the Florida Commission on Ethics.
It's a fact that before the election, Barringer was a "blogger" for Headline Surfer even taking the opportunity to write an endorsement for Hathaway that was published. For the record, the 24/7 internet newspaper did make endorsements in most of the contested races, but not this one.
Headline Surfer photo / Mayor Adam Barringer is shown here at a New New Smyrna Beach City Commission meeting with then-Commissioner Jim Hathaway in 2012, weeks before Hathaway lost in the County Council Dist. 3 race to Deb Denys. Barringer would be hit with the first of two state ethics charges for hosting a private retirement party for Hathaway and 45 guests at the mayor's restaurant with a city credit card fronting the bill.
And Barringer used advertising money as a carrot during the election Hathaway, with the mayor claiming that regardless of the outcome between Hathaway and Denys, he would personally see to it that the 24/7 internet newspaper would no longer be purposely excluded as it had been the previous four years.
But then the mayor hosted a retirement party for Hathaway and 45 others at his So Napa Restaurant just days after he Hathaway was handily defeated by Denys.
When Headline Surfer showed up at the party to take photos of Hathaway, City Commissioner Judy Reiker's husband, Guy Mariande, chastised the internet newspaper, saying it was a private party and the media presence was making everyone feel uncomfortable.
The next day, citizen-watchdog Bob Tolley put in a public records request, which revealed a city credit card was used to pay for the dinners.
When Headline Surfer learned of this, Barringer and the city were informed in writing that his blogging was no longer welcomed. Then just a few weeks later, the mayor was angry that a cop wouldn't let him cut across a closed side street in his "Barringer Construction" pick-up truck for the start of the New Smyrna Beach Christmas Parade.
The mayor got out, walked up to the cop, Ralph Hunnefeld, an Iraq combat veteran, sarcastically shook his hand and stated, "Thanks for being a "pr-ck!" He then drove off.
And the ethics complaints were filed against the mayor and City Manager Pam Brangaccio for authorizing the use of the credit card. Hosting Hathaway's party wasn't the first time Barringer had gotten himself into hot water for benefitting financially in his private affairs through the office of mayor.
The year before he was instrumental in getting friend Chad Schilsky appointed to the CRA and then piggybacking on a construction job for Barringer Construction through a grant Schilsky got through the CRA. Despite legal advice from well-paid City Attorney Frank Gummey ($270,000-plus annually), the arrangement was illegal and Schilsky had to forfeit the $20,000 grant.
And last Fall, Barringer was instrumental in getting a $60,000 CRA grant for boyhood friend and Flagler Avenue bar owner Dave Fernandez, who is well known to police.
The mayor also secured a seat on the Planning & Zoning Board last winter for Steve Sather, who admitted in circuit court 20 years earlier to attempted purchase of a large quantity of cocaine with intent to distribute from an undercover cop posing as a drug dealer.
Earlier this summer, Barringer was able to keep Headline Surfer from covering the Volusia League of Cities dinner for which he won the top award for excellence despite the open ethics complaints by barring the media, even though taxpayer money paid for the event.
And despite their past differences, Denys has been privately pitching the Republican Barringer as a candidate in the race for Cusack's at-large seat with fellow Democrat and term-limited Deltona-area Council member Pat Northey, who has already announced her intention to run.
Barringer and Denys have been cushy this year with him serving as the head of the Volusia Council of Governments, a taxpayer-funded organization that Jason Davis has opposed while Denys has open expressed support.