Since 2002. Published Tuesdays and Fridays
Letters to the Editor with pictures
Has anyone ever seen a white vulture? I saw this guy this week. |
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| [No More Water Nazis] The federal government is no longer funding six sanctuary law enforcement officers and took out of service about a half dozen vessels, including the $2 million Peter Gladding law enforcement vessel that used to patrol the most remote and environmentally sensitive areas of the sanctuary. |
 [“Conspiracy Man”] Conspiracy Man is 100% right about chemtrails being sprayed. But not for global warming. I am unsure why the spraying, but a “cooling cloud cover” sure isn’t it. If you ever lived up north in the winter or read about Venus, you know that cloud cover holds heat in. A chemtrail haze does not shade you much, it just buggers a clear blue sky.I watched a nearby, low flying plane that was spraying chemtrails one day SE of Big Pine. I had very powerful huge binoculars that I grabbed out of the house, and could clearly see heavy spray clouds coming from the tail of the plane, and no condensation trail at all from the wing mounted jet engines. This was a big plane, like a big passenger Boeing, but I noticed no windows or airline markings. There was a spray jet on each wing that sprayed a small quantity stream that then mixed with the big spray behind the plane in kind of a swirling effect. This plane was way too low to have produced a condensation trail (contrail). Contrails disperse not long after forming, but chemtrails linger and spread out usually like cotton candy cloud cover haze. One day as I was showing a skeptical lady from Tennessee why she was looking at a chemtrail instead of a contrail, the plane started interrupting the spray to produce a dashed line across the sky which is impossible with a contrail.I have seen chemtrails sprayed at night by moonlight. How does that shade the earth from the sun? A nighttime chemtrail was the first time that I saw a “black line”. The plane was not following it as usually described, but was running a parallel course, and it extended far in front of the plane. The black line was darker than the clear night sky, and there would be nothing to cast a shadow upon. I have no explanation for a black line and have not read any that makes any sense. Only once, I saw a very straight black line projected across a sunny Marathon sky that a chemtrail plane was apparently following. It did not last very long under our observation (maybe 1 minute), but my skeptic fishing buddy also saw it and had no explanation. I have not even seen a photo of a black line like I saw. It was like a laser beam, but not. This black line was like the opposite of a visible laser beam. It was a beam that seemed to consume all light in its path. It is eerie to see and eerie to contemplate.There is a lot going on that we are not being told. Why not? |
Is it legal to shoot out the flood lights on a neighbors house if the bastard leaves them on all night screwing up your sleep? |
| [Workers Comp] Not everyone has figured out that Workers Comp does not exist so much to protect the worker as to benefit the insurance providers that benefited the lawmakers, and protect the employer. If you have a WC claim, the insurance company will move swiftly to minimize their losses. Insurance companies exist to collect premiums, not to pay claims, so ignore the BS marketing on TV that would have you believe otherwise. The insurance people will quickly want you to sign medical record history access permissions and make written statements. These are well trained professionals circling, and your well-being is not only a very low priority; you are a financial threat Tread very carefully! Everything is a trap. I have a friend whose life was totaled by an injury at work in the Keys and the subsequent handling of his claim by the WC company and their mercenary doctors. He is permanently disabled now, in great pain dally, and getting zero benefits from WC. The injury did not seem so awful at the time of occurrence. If you are hurt, get advice from an attorney specializing in WC claims right away. Make your calls of inquiry now so you can move quickly with his number in easy reach. Don’t sign anything without his/her okay, and don’t say much either. Tell the WC or HR people “Call my lawyer, and he will tell me what I need to do. No offense, but I really cannot trust you to have my interests foremost.” I was also screwed over by WC and an incompetent or paid-off doctor. (he was probably both incompetent and on the take). I got lucky and eventually healed- no thanks to him and his misdiagnosis which is now part of my permanent medical record. The system is rigged to maneuver you into a bad position and limit your benefit. Don’t play their game with them telling you how to play it and what moves to make. They are paid to make sure you lose. Yes, you have rights, but you will probably lose them because you do not know all the rules and tricks. Don’t take the chance |
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 [FTR] Kudos and a huge tip of the FTR fedora to our Deer Ed for providing a forum for Steve Smith, candidate for the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board, to plead his case. Smith is a 20-year incumbent, but yet again is a candidate for the FKMCB. Mr. Smith made a fascinating plea for yet another 4-year ride. Mr. Smith’s photo on the Coconut Telegraph should be captioned ”Poster Boy for Term Limits.”
Mr. Smith tells us that he has been your good and faithful servant for those many, many years and that he has tried his damnedest to spend all of your tax dollars. He complains that a majority of the board has, all too often, overridden him and forced them to cut taxes, cut expenses, cut salaries, cut benefits, and otherwise protect your money from being spent on anything but killing mosquitoes. Shame on that nasty majority for saving your money. How dare they! The reduction in spending must not have degraded their ability to kill skeeters, because if it had, Mr. Smith sure would have complained about it. He didn’t even mention it. Mr. Smith tells us that the soon to be built Big Coppit Skeeter Taj Mahal will be money well and wisely spent. I disagree, and I think you will too. Initially it was to cost about $2 million. The initial plan was good governance. The facility was to be but a single work building (think of an office and maintenance facility). It was to have a few work carrels in a squad room, a couple of small offices and a briefing room. Why only that? Because nearly every person who would be assigned to that facility would be a field worker. That, Deer Friends, was a good idea and a proper use of your bucks. While you’re thinking about that, please recall that it was only a few years ago that we built a really expensive, really big, state of the art, facility in Marathon. It cost us about $9 million, that’s $9 million of your tax dollars. Back then Mr. Smith told us that it was vital that we build it so that we could “centralize” the FKMCB operations. His pitch was that centralization would improve efficiency. He was right. The Marathon facility has dandy executive offices and admin offices — many of which are now empty because they aren’t needed. The Marathon facility has work spaces, and yes, it even has several labs and room to expand. That’s important because Mr. Smith claims that there is a need for yet another lab at Big Coppit. He’s wrong.
Hopefully you’re now wondering why? Why is this is happening? It is to scratch the itch of a few long time staffers who live in Key West? These unhappy employees simply don’t want to drive to Marathon to work. They threatened to quit if they have to drive to Marathon to work. Smith, Commissioner Shaw, and Commissioner Jill Cranney Gage (who also wants another term), all voted to scratch the itch of those few employees. The vote was 3 to build the Skeeter Taj Mahal. The other 2 commissioners voted against it. Candidates Smith and Cranney-Gage are eager to spend more than twice the original estimate to make a few staffers happy, but won’t kill one bug. This foolish spending will increase your FKMCB taxes by a whopping, jaw dropping 45%.
Mr. Smith takes good care of Mr. Smith. The cost to you? About $14,000,000 in long term liability. Just for now, let’s forget about Mr. Smith’s bowing to the real estate people and dithering on the use of GMO in combating ZIKA … Like hell I will! How could anyone forget that? Every single day there are more and more ZIKA cases reported. In Miami just a couple of days ago, CBS 4 reported that the CDC was telling us that the aerial spraying of the ZIKA infected area was at best, “hit or miss”. Residents are up in arms because the pesticide in use is reported to be killing gazillions of other beneficial bugs and is reported to be a carcinogen. The economy of the infected area is in shambles. Now there is a locally acquired case of ZIKA in Miami Beach. And still, Smith and the FKMCB dither about the use of GMO to combat ZIKA. Deer Friends, Monroe county does not deserve to have yet another 4 years of Steve Smith. We deserve better than Smith and Cranney-Gage |
Keys Electric wants to give the City of KW their old diesel generator buildings on Fort Street, but the City doesn’t know if it wants them. Why not give them to mosquito control so they don’t have to build a Big Coppitt mega structure? Their 43 employees from Key West won’t have to leave the island. Plenty of room for storage and their fleet which was the original purpose of the new building. Sounds like win for City, a win for Mosquito Control and the biggest winner is us taxpayers who will only have to foot the bill for renovations on the historic building. |
| Frank’s Grill in the Old Town Square Mall in Marathon (Gulfside on US1 about 114th St) has excellent food. Somebody posted it as a suggestion for those disgusted with crap food, and I think it got confused as being a crap food place. No way! And if you want fresh local seafood, nobody does a cook-your-catch better, reasonably priced, too. His lobster, and especially crab bisques, are beyond superb. |
WPBT Channel 2’s Art Loft featuring Coconuts’ Ukulele Band. The Uke Band part starts at 11:13. Video |
| [Friday Joke] At one point during a game, the coach called one of his 9-year-old baseball players aside And asked, “Do you understand what co-operation is? What a team is?” “Yes, coach”, replied the little boy. ” Do you understand that what matters is whether we win or lose together as a team?”The little boy nodded in the affirmative. “So,” the coach continued, “I’m sure you know, when an out is called, you shouldn’t argue, curse, attack the umpire, or call him an asshole. Do you understand all that?” Again, the little boy nodded in the affirmative. The coach continued, “And when I take you out of the game so that another boy gets a chance to play, it’s not a dumb ass decision or that the coach is a shithead, is it?” “No, coach.” “Good”, said the coach. “Now go over there and explain all that to your grandmother |
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| NSA’s use of software flaws to hack foreign targets posed risks to cybersecurity. To penetrate the computers of foreign targets, the National Security Agency relies on software flaws that have gone undetected in the pipes of the Internet. For years, security experts have pressed the agency to disclose these bugs so they can be fixed, but the agency hackers have often been reluctant. Link |
 A celebration of life for Floyd Wells aka the Battery Man will be held on Saturday, August 20 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Florida Keys Country Club’s Harbor. View Cafe. 4000 Sombrero Blvd Marathon. Those who knew him will miss his smile and Christmas cookies. He will be missed. |
| [Bibles in Schools] In 1963 a third of schools in the US had to change their rules on Bible reading after a Supreme Court decision. It all began when a teenager refused to read the Bible in class. Audio |
Remotes. The grandparents edition. |
| [Health Insurance] I was comparing regular Medicare to the substitute policies from regular health insurance companies available in the Keys. The especially disturbing thing was that the national policies do not provide nationwide coverage (that’s hidden in the fine print). I think it’s better to have limited coverage than no coverage at all if you are traveling up north or out west and have an accident or health issue. Dozens of health insurance coverages (or a fine for having none) is one piss-poor excuse for universal health care. It should be easy to get attention when needed without wiping out life savings, and easy for the provider to get paid, but neither exists. I would not doubt that the administration, medical treatment provider paperwork, government oversight, and health plan promotion costs & commissions might easily double the US medical cost of the actual treatment. I was astonished at the difference between what my senior, hospitalized friend’s treatment providers charged and what Medicare allowed & paid (and that the doctors and hospitals accepted happily). I see a solution to US health care woes that big business would not like. |
Don’t worry about GMO mosquitoes. With the best and brightest brains in the world developing them, nothing could ever go wrong. And who are we to question Fonzi? |
| [“Conspiracy Man”] I posit that conspiracy paranoia is in direct proportion to affluence. I know 4 conspiracy people and neither of them have a pot to piss in. Two live in trailers, one in his SUV and the other in a shack. |
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| [Navy Closes Harbor] The Key West City Commission tackled several contentious issues during a lengthy meeting Tuesday night at Old City Hall. Board members voted 4-1 in favor of exploring legal action against the Navy over the closure of Truman harbor. City Attorney Shawn Smith will seek a second opinion from a law firm specializing in land use concerning the statute of limitations for legal action and if the city has legal avenues to regain access to the harbor, which the Navy closed to the public in 2013.
The statute of limitations for legal action is either four or six years. City attorneys have indicated it is six, but Commissioner Richard Payne wants a second opinion because the four-year limit would expire on Feb. 25, 2017 |
 [The Pope’s Henchman] The Vatican. The master of the sacred palace was always a Dominican. Because of their fervor, Dominicans were punningly known as domini canes (hounds of the Lord), and over the centuries the popes had used them for unpleasant tasks such as collecting monetary levies and staffing the Inquisition. One of the order’s more notorious members was Tomas de Torquemada, who burned more than 2,000 heretics at the stake after the Inquisition was revived in Spain in 1483. The Dominicans actually abandoned manual labor for this other work. |
| Truthiness is a real word, defined as the truth level of a statement or the quality of stating what one wishes to be true instead of what is actually true. Say what? If it isn’t actually true, it hasn’t got “truthiness”, it’s got fantasy or deception. Are you paying attention, FKAA? How about you, politician? |
For sale: Corvette tail lights – in good condition. I’ve got nothing else to say, except don’t text while driving! |
| [Friday Joke] A blonde lady motorist was about two hours from San Diego when she was flagged down by a man whose truck had broken down. The man walked up to the car and asked, “Are you going to San Diego?” “Sure,” answered the blonde, “do you need a lift?” “Not for me. I’ll be spending the next three hours fixing my truck. My problem is I’ve got two chimpanzees in the back that have to be taken to the San Diego Zoo. They’re a bit stressed already so I don’t want to keep them on the road all day. Could you possibly take them to the zoo for me? I’ll give you $100 for your trouble” “I’d be happy to,” said the blonde. So the two chimpanzees were ushered into the back seat of the blonde’s car and carefully strapped into their seat belts, and off they went. Five hours later, the truck driver was driving through the heart of San Diego when suddenly he was horrified! There was the blonde walking down the street, holding hands with the two chimps, much to the amusement of a big crowd. With a screech of brakes he pulled off the road and ran over to the blonde. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, “I gave you $100 to take these chimpanzees to the zoo!” “Yes, I know you did,” said the blonde. “But we had money left over so now we’re going to Sea World.” |
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| Where can we volunteer for the GMO mosquito treatment? I’ll host them in my yard, I’ll build a frankeskeeter Taj Mahal to host them too! Seriously, this is such a no brainer. Do you want toxic chemicals sprayed on you or a release of seedless watermelons in your neighborhood? I’ll take the genetically modified watermelon equivalent – that’s what seedless watermelons are and I bet they sell a lot of them on Key Haven already. So stop panicking over the GMO insects. When we get our science and decisions from a tourism executive, we’re in big trouble. I’ll stick with the scientists and government analysis. They’re never perfect, but nothing is ever perfect, and it’s much more accurate than uninformed talking heads |
 [Orchid Society] The August Garden Tour will be at Kitty Somerville’s, 23087 Bluegill Ln, Cudjoe Key, MM23 On Sunday, August 21, 11:00 to 2:00. Kitty is also a member of the Garden Club and she and her husband are avid gardeners. She does the orchids and he does the garden. Although she will have a few orchids in bloom, summer is a slow time for orchids, so it will be nice to see a beautiful garden in bloom. When they bought their house in 1998 there was nothing on the 1/4 acre lot but the house. Kitty has photos of “before and after” to share and will have a computer slide show of her orchid blooms from the past 2 years.
Directions: Coming from Key West, you turn left just after Square Grouper, MM23, onto Cutthroat Dr. Take the 2nd right onto Bluegill Ln and Kitty’s house is the last one on the left. Coming from Big Pine Key, make the 1st right on Cudjoe Key & proceed as above. Parking along the street is okay. If you get lost call Kitty’s cell at 305-304-4882. Orchid Society Newsletter for August is now at: Full Menu > Ongoing Events |
| [“Big boat, big ego”] Years ago when I worked at Burdines in Marathon. I told my fellow workers that “Donzi” boat was Italian for small penis. Well, the crew said my translation was questionable, but my appraisal of the situation was spot on. |
What you do doing small talk. |
| Hey Conspiracy Guy, try to wrap your head around this. Even if all the 9/11, chemtrail and other assorted pseudoscience you revel in is true, I don’t care. Maybe because I give to charity, I’m marginally successful with a beautiful wife, decent health and the wherewithal to make sure I have access to joy, artificial and real. And I’m not the only one who doesn’t care about NWO, The Illuminati and The Bilderbergs. So what if they run things? Who else should. Me? You? Right. I plan to retire soon, and drink and smoke until I croak. Let them try to stop me by seeding the atmosphere or whatever. The only thing I care less about is the British Royal Family. |
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| [“Conspiracy Man”] “Stratospheric sulfate injections” I’m still not sure why the Conspiracy Man thinks there’s some great conspiracy with chemtrails. They cited stratospheric sulphate injections, but that’s a science that’s being explored to address global warming not any great conspiracy.
As for climate change, I don’t think that’s a conspiracy at all, it’s pretty proven science. The only ones countering that science are two scientists with their credentials from their opposition to the consequences of smoking (yup, the bozo’s who swore up and down that smoking isn’t bad for you). If they’re the source you’re using, prepare to be disappointed with the facts. I think the only ones left denying climate change are either demonstrating their lack of intelligence or preparing to deny gravity too because they “imagine” a boulder should fall faster than a pebble. The ability of stratospheric sulfate aerosols to create a global dimming effect has made them a possible candidate for use in solar radiation management climate engineering projects to limit the effect and impact of climate change due to rising levels of greenhouse gases. Delivery of precursor sulfide gases such as sulfuric acid, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) orsulfur dioxide (SO2) by artillery, aircraft and balloons has been proposed. It presently appears that this proposed method could counter most climatic changes, take effect rapidly, have very low direct implementation costs, and be reversible in its direct climatic effects. |
 [Savage Africans Attack Explorer] John Hanning Speke discovered the source of the Nile in 1858 and wrote about it: Here I appended my guns and sword, whilst my revolver-pistol and dirk were placed within my belt by day, or under my pillow by night. I made the whole guard sleep with their arms in rear of the camp, where it was most likely any attack might be coming. So confident were we in the security of our camp, that we did not take the precaution of standing sentry.
Shortly after sundown, as we were all sitting in our usual way, on an extempore olivan in front of the tents, drinking coffee, telling stories, and enjoying the cool sea. At the usual hour we all turned in to sleep, and silence reigned throughout the camp. A little after midnight, probably at one or two A.M., there suddenly arose a furious noise, as though the world were coming to end: there was a terrible rush and hurry, then came sticks and stones, flying as thick as hail, followed by a rapid discharge of firearms, and my tent shook as if it would come down. I bounced out of bed, with pistol and dirk in hand, and ran across to the central tent to know what was the matter, and if we were to have any shooting. Lieutenant Burton, who was occupied in trying to load his revolver, cried, “Be sharp, and arm to defend the camp.” This I immediately did, stepping out in front of his tent; but though I saw many dusky forms before me, it was too dark to discern whether they were friend or foe. Whilst standing, in hesitation how to act, stones kept whizzing over and around me, and I received a blow with one in the inside of my knee, which nearly knocked my leg from under me; it came from the left, where I had not been looking. I then ran under lee of the fly of the tent to take a better survey, and, by stooping low, could perceive the heads of some men peeping like monkeys over the boxes. Lieutenant Burton now said, “Don’t step back, or they will think we are retiring.” Chagrined by this rebuke at my management in fighting, and imagining by the remark I was expected to defend the camp, I stepped boldly to the front, and fired at close quarters into the body of one robber, but my gun got jammed by the trigger-guard. In a fit of desperation, I was raising the revolver to hit the man in the face with it, when I suddenly found my legs powerless to support me, and I was falling, grasping for support, and gasping for breath, I did not then know why, though afterwards I discovered it was caused by the shock of a heavy blow on the lungs. In another instant I was on the ground with a dozen Somali on the top of me. The man I had endeavoured to shoot wrenched the pistol out of my hand, and the way the scoundrel handled me sent a creeping shudder all over me. The man I had last endeavoured to kill was evidently the captain of the gang; he now made me rise, and, holding the other end of the rope to which my hands were attached, led me round to the rear of the camp, taking great precaution not to bring me in contact with many men at once, fearing lest they might take the law into their own hands, and despatch me against his will and authority. We arrived on the interior or rear side of the camp, men kept flocking round me, and showed a hasty anxiety to stab their spears into me; all, doubtless, were anxious for the kill. The leader gave the rope to another savage and went with others to tend to another matter. Whilst they were away, three fine-looking men came, with some of our soldiers’ sabres; and one, standing over me, threatened, with ferocious determination in his countenance, to cut me in two. Twice he lifted his sword above his head, and brought it down with violence to within an inch or two of my side, and each time withdrew it, as if suddenly repenting of his purpose. I stared him earnestly in the face, but neither flinched nor uttered any noise. They then left me, and went to join the other forty thieves. I conceive this demonstration was made with a view of testing my pluck, and had I cried or implored for mercy, I should inevitably have been killed upon the spot. The last and worst scene in this tragedy was now to be performed. My jailer, who was still holding the string, stepped up close to me, and coolly stabbed me with his spear. I then raised my body a little in defence, when he knocked me down by jabbing his spear violently on my shoulder, almost cutting the jugular arteries. I rose again as he poised his spear, and caught the next prod, which was intended for my heart, on the back of one of my shackled hands; this gouged the flesh up to the bone. The cruel villain now stepped back a pace or two, to get me off my guard, and dashed his spear down to the bone of my left thigh. I seized it violently with both my hands, and would not relinquish the gripe until he drew a shillelah from his girdle, and gave me such a violent blow on my left arm, I thought the bone was broken, and the spear fell helplessly from my hands. Finding his spear too blunt for running me through by a simple jab when standing still, he now dropped the rope-end, walked back a dozen paces, and, rushing on me with savage fury, plunged his spear through the thick part of my right thigh into the ground, passing it between the thigh-bone and large sinew below. With the action of lightning, seeing that death was inevitable if I remained lying there a moment longer, I sprang upon my legs, and gave the miscreant such a sharp back-hander in the face with my double-bound fists that he lost his presence of mind, and gave me a moment’s opportunity to run away; which, by the Lord, I lost no time in doing, taking very good care, by holding my hands on one side, not to allow the dangling rope to trip me up. I was almost naked and quite bare upon the feet, but I ran over the shingly beach towards the sea like wildfire. The man followed me a little way, but, finding I had the foot of him, threw his spear like a javelin, but did not strike me, for I bobbed, and allowed it to pass safely over my head; he then gave up the chase. Still I had at least forty more men to pass through, who were scattered all about the place, looking for what property they could pick up, before I could get safe away. These men, seeing the chase, all tried to cut off my retreat. However, I dodged them all by turns, running fast across them, and bobbing as they threw their spears after me, until I reached the shore, when I had the satisfaction of seeing the last man give up the pursuit and leave me to myself. I was now fast fainting from loss of blood, and sat gently on a mound of sand, picked the knots which bound my hands open with my teeth, and exposed my breast to the genial influences of the refreshing sea-breeze, which at sunrise, as this was, is indescribably pleasant. But what a gloomy prospect was now before me! I was growing weaker every minute; my limbs were beginning to stiffen and the muscles to contract, and I thought there was no help probably nearer than Ain Tarad; what was to be done? Note: Some women Speke had helped earlier saved him. Video |
 
[“Conspiracy Man’s chemtrails”] The US Air Force must have spread chemtrails all over France, Belgium, Holland, and England. They are even on a stamp. |
| What ever happened to Marathon’s Bicycle Joanie Nelson? |
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| [“We need more food”] No. We need less people! |
[You Can’t Find Happiness At The Bottom Of A Beer] Well no kidding. Who’s ever happy when the beer runs out? |
| [“Key West Hospital”] Its profit margin tripled from 7.4 percent to 21.6 percent. Wow. Drexel Univ. will teach you that any company that is making more than 4% of their gross, is either over-charging or stealing or not paying taxes correctly. At 21% that hospital must be doing something right! Or does the Mafia run it |
2016 is the Year of Trash. The Olympics are trash, the government is trash, the election is trash, retail prices are trash, and racial BS is totally trash |
| [Sewers] I heard getting a position on the Mosquito Board is like winning the lottery, you will be set for life. Want to know what this feels like? Speak to the E One grinder pump salesman. |
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| Any body else having problems with Yahoo’s website being super slow? |
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| Habitat for Humanity of Key West and Lower Florida Keys announced that Susan Kent has joined the organization as the program services coordinator. Susan has lived in the keys for 25 years and has an extensive background in both for-profit and non-profit businesses.
Susan joins Habitat for Humanity as the organization prepares to begin work on a new development of 10 homes on Big Coppitt Key. Kent comments “I’m excited to start a new challenge and to be working with a team of dedicated people who are working to create a positive impact in our community. Affordable housing is one of the most critical issues in the Florida Keys.” Executive Director, Mark Moss said “I’m confident that Susan’s wealth of experience and knowledge will make her a valuable member of our team, and I view her appointment as an expression of our commitment to providing solutions to the problem of creating affordable housing in our community.” |
 [Political Forum] The Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce hosted a lively forum at Boondocks on Monday, moderated by local media experts Steve Estes and Ezra Marcus, who provided information as to which candidates were running in the primary and which races would be decided in the general election. All candidates running for local elections were invited to share their views and answer questions pertinent to their campaigns. The questions elicited some heated responses, as the candidates targeted their opponents and expressed their opinions on issues like gun control, releasing GM mosquitos and water quality issues.
The LKCC is pleased to host events such as this, to give the public an opportunity to make informed choices during our elections. The Chamber is planning one more forum in October, prior to the Nov. 8th general election. |
| The best way to make America great again is not to vote for any incumbents, especially in Monroe County. Death to the bubba system! |
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| Please pray for Rose on Thursday the 25th. |
It really is storm season and the long range models are predicting a Labor Day storm. Albeit this is 2 weeks away, and a lot can change! |
| [“Square Grouper”] That place is ridiculously priced for blah food. No thank you. Been there, done that once! Mangrove Mama’s is better, but going downhill too. What happened to Sugarloaf Lodge that had a bit better food? That new Italian place at the turn on Cudjoe seems good, but expensive for what you get. Why is everybody so expensive in the Keys? ~RoscoTuchiee@msn.com |
| Submit anything but National Politics to island@bigpinekey.com For National Politics go directly to that page, log in, and post your comment. NATIONAL POLITICS |
Mr. Smith who tells us that he’s being careful with your money, is pushing to build, not one but two buildings on Big Coppit. Two buildings! One a simple working facility like the one in Marathon, and another with spiffy office spaces for mid-level administrative employees replete with a big conference room, a nifty break room, an elevator, a reception area, but not enough parking spaces for staff. This second building will be the Skeeter Taj Mahal. It will be spiffy, nice and expensive. It will cost about $4.5 million. Make that about $6.5 million when you add in the cost of the land. Think about it — all those dollars spent and it won’t kill one single bug. The second proposed building will hold only a few midlevel employees who should be housed in the Marathon facility where the boss, administration, and the base of operations reside. One must wonder what has happened to Mr. Smith’s notion of “centralization to improve economy and efficiency”.
But wait there’s more …Years ago Steve Smith voted to give himself and the Board a huge, incredibly expensive benefit of free health insurance for life. Ultimately the State imposed rules and regulations controlling those benefits. A costly actuarial study was required. That study shone the light on the insane costs to us of the benefit. Just a couple of years ago the Board, including Steve Smith, voted to do away with that benefit. Not to be outdone by the State, Steve Smith voted to grandfather in his own free healthcare benefit along with one other current commissioner, and about 5 ex-board members. This set of privileged persons will receive essentially free health insurance for life paid for by you. New board members will not receive free health insurance for life.
