Wednesday, October 15, 2015

(Emo is a style of rock music characterized by melodic musicianship and expressive, often confessional, lyrics. It originated in the mid-1980s hardcore punk movement of Washington, D.C., where it was known as “emotional hardcore” or “emocore” and pioneered by bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace. As the style was echoed by contemporary American punk rock bands, its sound and meaning shifted and changed, blending with pop punk and indie rock and encapsulated in the early 1990s by groups such as Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate. By the mid-1990s numerous emo acts emerged from the Midwestern and Central United States, and several independent record labels began to specialize in the style.)

I get that religious views of Muslims are different than those of Christians, but there’s a lot of whacky Christian beliefs that are a matter of record, but not enforced or evolved (we used to support slavery, for Pete’s sake!) I suspect a lot of Muslim Sharia falls in the same category. All I’m pointing out is to stop trying to define 1.6 billion people as one entity. I too, really don’t like the countries where women are not given equal rights, where governments are defined by religious affiliation, etc. That will change in time, as history has shown. Isolation is not a successful strategy and modern countries are much more tolerant (but not perfect – look at the US and Ferguson as an example)

Of course, there’s an outside chance that you’re wrong too (hate to burst your bubble), but when companies liquidate stock, that doesn’t mean they’re making a profit. I’ve been part of write-downs in many of millions of dollars just to get rid of stale stock

If one more person in that chain of circumstance falls ill, Rick Perry will have to ring-fence Dallas faster than you can say Guadalupe Hidalgo and then we’ll be off to the quarantine races in America. It will be interesting to see who’s shorting the airline stocks a few hours from now. I’ve got to pass through Dulles airport tomorrow myself, and then two more foreign hubs after that, and return to freakin’ Newark International at the end of the week when a full blown Ebola panic may be underway.

Placing and maintaining the commercial pumps adds another 191 grinder pump stations that FKAA will not be able to keep operable in an extended power outage. It is highly inequitable that the businesses that have paid the most sewer assessment and have package plants will have no help at all, just extra expenses and the maintenance bills along with the full sewer bill. Thirty-seven businesses “will be able to connect with a simple gravity connection” (in Kevin Wilson’s words). ALL of the businesses should be able to connect with “a simple gravity connection! Just like ALL of the residences should be able to connect with a simple gravity connection- even if it is to a pump or vacuum pit in the road right of way.

Why doesn’t FKAA put in real lift stations with normal pumps that are properly listed per OSHA, NFPA, and NEC regulations and connect multiple buildings to the lift station by gravity? Why don’t they do the same for package plant owners? Why don’t they do the same for residential properties? Was the Venture Out community intentionally left off the list of package plants that will get no financial aid to connect because they no longer have to connect? Or was the County hoping nobody would notice? Venture Out residents got hit for $4500 assessment each but also have to pay to continue to maintain their gravity collection system, unlike Key Haven, Hawks Cay, Shark Key, and soon the Navy.

You might notice that for one unidentified business, it is proposed to supply a $100,000 lift station like would serve an entire neighborhood on gravity! Who owns that highly favored business? The Agenda item claims that $2 million was already reserved to help some businesses with connection costs. The additional properties are not eligible for assistance per the meeting minutes between FKAA and DEP in Ft. Myers in October. Here are quoted excerpts:
1. The majority of connections to non-residential properties are exempt from FDEP permitting provided FKAA installs, maintains and operates a simplex grinder pump stations (sic) within easements on the given properties.
2. The exemption to non-residential property requires a simplex station to a single building. The property owner can make a single connection from the building to the simplex station. The FKAA will not design nor provide collection system connections from multiple buildings under the CRWS construction program.
3. Larger commercial systems, especially those with existing package treatment plants and collection systems, will be required to obtain FDEP permits and provide their own engineering and construction to connection (sic) to the FKAA collection system.
4. Commercial and industrial businesses connecting to FKAA’s alternative system with a simplex grinder pump station do not need DEP review regardless of the quality of the wastewater. … if the commercial/industrial business is large and complex with multiple buildings such that they need their own internal collection system, then that situation should be referred to DEP for a permitting determination.
5. Commercial gravity connections are also exempt, with a minimum lateral size of 6” to connect to the gravity main.
The meeting ended with discussion about the overall status of the Cudjoe Regional Wastewater project and about the public’s interest with collection system types and operation. FDEP mentioned that Charlotte County has been successfully using LPS for collection for several years, and provided FKAA with contact information for possible customer interest and support.

Apparently DEP does not realize that Charlotte County rejected grinder pumps and instead uses STEP (septic tank effluent pumping) which is a truly low pressure system with the lowest risk to the environment and lowest cost to the property owner next to vacuum. It is also far cheaper to install than a grinder pump pressure sewer. The STEP pumps are about 10% of the grinder pump price and can share a typical 120volt outdoor circuit. Sensibly implemented, you still have sewer service with STEP when the power goes out – your effluent simply reverts to using your existing drainfield. You also save over $1,000 on septic tank abandonment. The collection system could still be converted to STEP and use much of the already installed piping. This is still an option that would withdraw most of the litigation complaints and result in much, much less environmental risk, maintenance cost, and citizen abuse. The only reason I can think of to stubbornly cling to EOne grinder pumps must be the suspected under table sales commissions.

Wild cats from house cats is becoming a problem. Seems that the old hang-a-sleigh-bell-on-their-collar is too much trouble to protect our wild life. Maybe if you stuck it up….never mind!

My compliments to Mr. Cousineau from “Coconut Telegraph Land” for taking the time to post in the Coconut Telegraph. His posting presents more questions than answers. Unfortunately, Mr. Cousineau did not tell us his position on expanding the new Big Coppitt facility so as to house a couple of fiscal personnel so that they will be spared the drive to the new operations and administration facility in Marathon. We know that Mr. Goodman sees this as a massive waste of your tax dollars. We know that Mr. Goodman is working to right this wrong. We know that this issue is of concern to many voters.

Mr. Cousineau failed to tell us of his position on term limits for the board. Mr. Goodman has long been an advocate and champion for term limits, and if re-elected will once again attempt to implement term limits on the board. We know that this issue is of concern to many voters.

Mr. Cousineau did tell us that he intends to learn the job while on the job by attending expensive “conferences”. Mr. Cousineau tells us that his background is in “communications,” and/or as an English teacher. That is interesting, but none of it prepares him for the very complex and technical issues that board members must ponder. Mr. Goodman has an education and multi decade background and history in chemistry, chemical applications, and management. He is fully up to date on the latest technical data from technical publications and web sources. That doesn’t cost us a penny.

Mr. Cousineau told us that, if elected, he will focus on FKMCD matters. Curiously, he wrote: “I am not simply running for Mosquito Control because I thought I would lose to George Neugent in a primary; I am actually fully engaged and interested in Mosquito Control.” Perhaps Mr. Cousineau should be reminded that he is a Democrat and Mr. Neugent in a Republican, a primary contest between the two would be impossible.

Mr. Cousineau’s posting suggested that there was some chicanery in the donation of funds from the Republican Executive Committee to Mr. Goodman. He wrote: “Now compare that to the incumbent, who received four thousand dollars from the Florida Keys’ Republican Committee (from donors who are unknown and outside the Sunshine Law) upon announcing his desire to run. Tell me who has more political gain in this regard?”  It would be expected that Mr. Cousineau should know that the Sun Shine Law has nothing whatsoever to do with election laws or the reporting of political contributions.

Certainly Mr. Cousineau is aware that Republican and Democrat Executive Committee financial reports are also on the Supervisor of Elections website. Every contribution made and spent by either Party is fully reported, as are all in-kind contributions. It should be noted that an important purpose of local political clubs is to raise money for political candidates who they believe will be competent public servants. Indeed, it would have been perfectly proper for the local Democrat Executive Committee to make a donation to Mr. Cousineau had they chosen to do so.

Mr. Cousineau told us that he has precious little knowledge of the operations of FKMCD. Rather, he proposes “learning on the job.” He has not told us that he has any knowledge whatsoever of the costs concomitant with mosquito control in the Keys. Nor did he suggest any cost cutting measures. Indeed, he tells us he intends to spend even more money by “learning on the job.” Mr. Goodman has a sterling record on the FKMCD Board of Commissioners for cutting expenditures and saving money.

Mr. Cousineau must not be aware that FKMCD has just lost a huge and long standing contract with the Navy. A contract that had been in place for many years and was an important revenue stream for FKMCD. The loss of that contract will result in a $600k shortfall in the budget. Certainly if Mr. Cousineau knew of the loss and its impact he would have mentioned it and suggested remedies. But he didn’t. He is silent on this grave problem.

Smith opposes term limits, we can expect that Cousineau will follow Smith. Goodman is a firm and committed advocate for term limits.

Another of Cousineau’s supporters is the previous Director of FKMCD, Fussell. During his tenure, spending grew beyond all reason. He opposed term limits, and opposed cutting the salaries of the Board members. We can safely assume that Fussell and Cousineau share beliefs.

During Goodman’s tenure, board members’ salaries have been cut; the Director’s salary has been slashed from in excess of $180k to about $130k; FKMCD’s work force has been reduced by about a quarter.

Deer Friends, if you want efficient and cost effective delivery of mosquito control, I urge you to vote for Phil Goodman, District 2. I also urge you to vote for Tom McDonald, the candidate in FKMC District 5. McDonald is a fiscal hawk, and a CPA. He and Goodman will represent your interests and make damned sure that you get the most efficient and effective mosquito control here in Monroe County at the lowest cost possible. That’s my opinion