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[FTR on Vacation Rentals] Some of our local politicos and politico wannabes are doing a lot of jawboning about “work force housing” or “affordable housing.” It seems to be the catch phrase of the times in the Keys.
We live on Big Pine Key. There are nearly 0 tourism draws between Marathon and Key West. The only real draw is Looe Key. There are damn few motel or resort rooms between Marathon and Key West. But there are long tons of vacation rentals available. Long tons of out of county landlords who own homes who are hot to supplement their incomes by renting out their homes in residential neighborhoods to tourists. The reality is that by permitting short term/vacation rentals our county government is subsidizing those out of county landlords. Yep! The landlords would rather rent for lots of high dollar short-term deals than rent their properties for long-term reasonable rents. It’s all about the dollars. Our local real estate hotshots support short-term rentals because they make big dollar commissions. The real estate bigwigs are some of the biggest contributors to our County Commissioners. Check it out for yourself on the Monroe County Supervisor of Elections website. Look at the last election in District 2, Big Pine Key, parts of Marathon, west to Big Coppit Key. And you, the working people between BPK and Key West, simply can’t afford the rents because you have been priced out of the market by our County Commissioners. There’s an election of County Commissioners coming up soon. I suggest that you A: Register to vote. Otherwise you have no say whatsoever in your future (hopefully you’ll register Republican). And B: Ask each candidate for BOCC where they stand on vacation rentals. |
Why not just ban assault guns and when people are upset about it, send them “thoughts and prayers.”
Because if “thoughts and prayers“ are good enough for people who’ve lost their families, then it’s good enough for people who’ve lost their guns. |
Oh, how I love the VA! I may be derelict, homeless, long hair and beard, But they take care of me like I’m not even weird. Oh how I love the VA! The guys I meet there are all my bros. And God knows we’ve all been through the throes. But, oh, how I love the VA! If I’d known back then, how good they’d treat me now, maybe back then, I wouldn’t have caused such a row. But, oh, how I love the VA! My Dad died here and I probably will too, But I thank God Almighty that for a little while, anyway, I got to spend some time with the few. Oh, I thank god for the VA! |
[Pain Relief] A new study tested that approach on patients with broken bones and sprains and found pain relievers sold as Tylenol and Motrin worked as well as opioids at reducing severe pain (but not as much fun). |
[Mold or Mildew] I realize why I have been so sick lately. Hurricane Irma came and blew water into my room from a poor installation of a dish by AT&T. They didn’t seal the hole and water seeped through and soaked my rug in that corner. So yeah, you guessed it, it’s been months since the hurricane and mold formed. Mold can form in just 48 hours.
The guy who came to help me lift my rug is an electrician and friend of my dad’s and said it would take much longer for mold to grow, and told me to relax and that it isn’t mold but mildew. isn’t that the same thing? Mildew early stages of aspergillus? My room smells like mildew now. I sprayed concrobium over that entire corner and I burned sage in my room to purify the air, plus I have an air purifier with ozone running. I don’t know what more to do. I also cut out the sponge padding under the rug that was saturated with water and threw it away. I have a fan on the floor so I can dry my rug. It’s the best I can do. Any advice is appreciated. |
If Jesus was a Californian. |
[Debris] The people who are complaining about the trash on the roads didn’t have much debris in the first place and don’t understand what it’s like to have to remove tons of dead trees from their property and get it out to the road. They seem to think we can just make it vanish overnight. |
How about the county fogs the entire Keys for bugs and lizards and other unwanted creatures? |
[Killing for Allah] ISIS marked a progression from al Qaeda not only in the professionalization of jihad but also in its theorization, to a narrowed vision in which the Muslim who most deserves the name is a killing Muslim—a Muslim killing not just infidels, not just apostates, not just Shiites, but killing any Muslim who isn’t also killing. This vision was delineated most chillingly by the late Palestinian theorist of jihad Abdullah Azzam. “Honor and respect cannot be established except on a foundation of cripples and corpses,” he wrote. “Every Muslim on Earth bears the responsibility of abandoning jihad and the sin of abandoning the gun.” |
This little critter was running around in the driveway at night. I was able to walk right up to it without scaring it. I thought it an odd occurrence. |
I wish I could stop judging people in W/D by their food choices. |
My wife demanded a surf and turf dinner for her birthday. So, I took her to McDonalds for a Filet O’ Fish sandwich and a Big Mac. That’s when the fight started. |
United Way of the Florida Keys is excited to announce Leah Stockton will take the role of President and CEO of United Way of the Florida Keys. Stockton replaces Kate Bauer-Jones, who resigned after suffering Hurricane Irma-related damage to her home. |
[Tourism Good for Economy] I bought a house in Ramrod Key years ago and I rent it out. I am hoping to retire in 2 years and move to Florida permanently. I have a property manager who maintains the property along with a landscaping company every week and pest control. We take very good care of our property and as soon as we were allowed back into the Keys after Irma I spent 5 days cleaning up the property. I was back last week to work on house and it looks almost like it did pre-Irma.
I read the Coconut Telegraph from time to time and every time I do I see negative comments about visitors and renters in the Keys. You do realize that your economy depends on tourists and renters. Who do you think are the people eating out, renting boats, booking scuba diving trips and shopping in your stores. When I was there last week I heard many businesses saying they were feeling the brunt of no visitors to the Keys since Irma. You might want to think about that. |
[Volcano] Lusi has been erupting mud for over eleven years. Video |
[Debris] Is anyone coming back to remove the debris that was left in little torch? The huge clamshell equipment left half of it and told me smaller equipment would get the remainder. That was a week ago. Who has cognizance over that? FEMA? |
[Mold] I haven’t had my house tested yet. I’m sure it’s killing me slowly. I know I have mold issues in multiple areas. The most recent and strongest I’ve yet to find the source. I’ve went under the house and ripped open the insulation to check for plumbing leaks. The siding and roof are pretty bad around the area as well. Last year at the other end of our trailer a pipe burst and ran for at least 2 weeks before we realized it. Ever since the unknown area that has a very strong smell. I’ve been feeling strange. Like I feel like I’m going mental. I feel like I’m hungover all day. I’m so shaky inside and out, headaches, nauseous, light-headed, dizzy, I can’t think straight, I’m so tired my vision seems to be going at a fast rate. It’s not blurry but feels numb and fuzzy. Like someone is pushing the back of my eye where the center feels hazy. They are blood shot every morning when I wake up. Are these symptoms of toxic mold? |
Is Fast Eddie really the worm from Dune? |
[Trash] My neighbors are dumping their trash and weeds on an empty lot next to my house. Do I report them or just live with rats and bugs that will sure as hell start invading our neighborhood? When is the County going to do a real clean up of our roads? Seems they quit already. Time to vote in people that really give a shit about the Keys! |
[Orchids] The orchid family has the largest number of species of any flowering plant and has existed for over 120 million years. There are more species of orchid than all species of mammals and birds combined. Audio |
[Astronaut Dead] Former Apollo 12 astronaut Richard Gordon, one of a dozen men who flew around the moon but didn’t land there, has died, NASA said. He was 88.
Richard “Dick” F. Gordon Jr. was a test pilot chosen in NASA’s third group of astronauts in 1963. He flew on Gemini 11 in 1966, walking in space twice. During Apollo 12 in November 1969, Gordon circled the moon in the command module while Alan Bean and Charles Conrad landed and walked on the lunar surface. |
[Hates the People of the Keys] Guess what? Snow and ice are a million times better than living among the degenerates of the Keys who slither around other peoples’ homes and call code enforcement about a fence. Or a home improvement without a permit. Lying. Cheating. Stealing. Jealousy. Alcoholism. Drug addiction. Most will happily take a little snow instead of what happens down there in your reeflessness parasitedise hell hole. Over-fishing, shark fining, lionfish, iguanas, pythons, water monitors, white fly, screw worm infection, bedbugs, mosquitos, no-see-ums, toxic mold, unethical business people in every sector, dishonest and corrupt people in positions of authority. We don’t have to deal with your ugly bubbas, Sloan or hear that awful New York / Jersey accent. We have good stores and restaurants and people leave others the funk alone. We also have homes over 1000 square feet and don’t pay high taxes to live around filthy dirt bags and out-of-state felons. Irma was your karma and when you demonic bitches rebuild and everything is back to normal, another hurricane will hit you again. Because you deserve it for pooping on the people of parasitedise!!! Guess what? Many cannot wait to see that rotten state underwater. Just don’t move to our town because we have snow and ice. |
[Monks to Offer Prayers for Keys Residents] The Drepung Gomang Monastery Monks will be offering up prayers for the Fla. Keys. They will perform a Chod Healing Ceremony on Tuesday Nov. 7th from 7-8 p.m. And a Medicine Buddha Healing Prayer on Sat. Nov. 11th from 4-5 p.m. |
Being a Vet means you lived thru it and you’ll carry with you the rest of your life. Being a Vet means that the non-Vets you meet will never relate to where you’ve been or what your soul has been thru. Being a Vet means that as much as you try to put it behind you, from time to time, it still comes out just like sweat. Being a Vet means you did the most bizarre things in the strangest places with the best people in the world. Being a Vet means that you’ll never forget those you knew so well and served with who didn’t make it to Veteran status because being a Veteran means that you lived thru it and you will always carry it with you. Carry it proudly! |
W/D weekly ad for Big Pine Key store. Link |
[Mold] I don’t think it’s a virus because I’ve had it on and off for weeks now. We left our house on Sunday after the ceiling fell in and we discovered widespread mold. But I’ve suspected it was there already, and weeks after Irma we started finding water damage and mold. |
[Mobil Homes and Irma] Are you as confused as I am about the rebuilding of Irma damaged mobile homes in Big Pine? My mobile home is on the Avenues and lost part of its roof and screen room in addition to the water damage inside from the storm surge. I called up a licensed roofing contractor to do the repairs and when he tried to obtain a permit the permit was denied by the Building Department and he was told that he should keep away from the mobile homes and further that the County had not decided what to do with the mobile homes. My two next door neighbors both were denied permits to do the needed repairs to their mobile homes as well.
I have heard that mobile homes can be repaired if no more than 50% was destroyed by the storm. Today I was told by a neighbor that Monroe County has lowered that to 25%. What is going on? Is this true? Is it all just gossip? I know the denial of permits to my neighbors to be true, but I need some answers!! On Tuesday, November 14 the County Commission will be meeting at the Harvey Government Center, 1200 Truman Avenue, Key West. The meeting begins at 9:00am, but at 3:00pm Public Hearings are to be held to address roof rebuilding issues, but hopefully more general rebuilding issues as well. I would like to encourage everyone with questions to be in attendance at the 3:00pm Public Hearings. If you would like to speak to an issue you must fill out a blue card that is available at the door, which means that we should plan on being in attendance by 2:30pm. I know of no other meeting where our concerns can be voiced and addressed, so this very important and a concerted effort should be made by all of us to be there and to be heard. I’m tired of waiting. My blue tarp will just last so long. I own my mobile home and the land it sits on. I should be able to make the necessary repairs, and you should be able to as well. I hope to see you at the meeting. I’ve not submitted an article to you before, but I’m beyond angry at what I see happening in the Avenues. Thanks in advance for posting this and for all the good work you do. |
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