DAYONA BEACH, Fla. -- "Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."
So eloquently true were the words of Abraham Lincoln.
It's too bad the message is lost on the Volusia County government in all its regal corruptness.
Take today, for example, when the county plays host to the local state lawmakers at the county government offices in DeLand: Citizens will not be allowed to speak when the county and state lawmakers get together at high noon on the first floor of the county administration building in DeLand.
Since this is standard operating procedure of the government of County Manager Jim Dinneen, it's likely no more than than perhaps a handful of citizens will take the time from work or their daily routine and show up.
The county makes clear its disdain and contempt for the voice of its citizens in capital letters, no less on agenda item 31: "NO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION DURING THIS WORKSHOP."
Not only that, the county doesn't even bother to list who the state lawmakers are by name. For the record, they are as follows:
• State Sen. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange (dis. 8);
• State Sen.Travis Hutson, R-Altamonte Springs (dis. 6); State Sen. David Simmons, R-St. Augustine (dis. 10);
• State Rep. Dwayne Taylor, D-Daytona Beach (dis. 26).
State Rep. David Santiago, R-Deltona (dis. 27) ;
And how ironic it is that Taylor is the "chair" of the Volusia delegation in Tallahassee. And being that Taylor is term limited in his current seat, he has nowhere to go but down in the 2016 elections, challenging Volusia County Chair Jason Davis for his seat. After all, it' another four year towards a state pension.
Taylor could challenge Hukill, but she has a strong Republican base. Taylor could also run for Congress, but Republican Sandy Adams of New Smyrna Beach, a former congresswoman, is the favorite to win, once she dispatches fellow Republican Adam Barringer, the former New Smyrna mayor trying to keep a lid on the fact that during each of his final two years as mayor, he raised taxes while not paying his own until confronted by HeadlineSurfer.com on video.
More than likely it will be the county's paid state lobbyist that will take the lead in the workshop: Gray-Robinson.