Seeing her credibility diminish over the past five years, as Voltz drifted from right-wing to centrist/moderate positions, she knew her days on the County Commission were numbered. And what better opportunity than to use her name recognition in a race where the current contenders are not well-known.

As an added bonus, if she wins, she’ll more than double her salary. Her county commission job brings in less than $60,000/year and the current pay scale for the property appraiser’s office is almost $140,000.

As one commenter on Florida Today’s forum wrote:

Its not too hard to figure out Mrs. Voltz’s self serving agenda. Run for another office she is completely incapable of handling and more than double her pay!

Experience:
Arrow Electronics, 1979 – 1982, Operations Manager
Palm Bay City Council 1990 – 1993
Cornerstone Restaurant, Owner, 1987 – 1989
Holmes Regional Medical Center, R.N.1992 - 1994
Campaign Manager, Dave Weldon for Congress, 1994
Trico Home Health, Case Manager, 1994 – 1996
Brevard County Commissioner, D5, 1996 – 2000
Circles of Care, Community Liaison, R.N. at Harbor Pines
Brevard County Commissioner, D3, Currently

That’s a troubling job history when you consider the duties of the property appraiser’s office. According to the county’s property appraiser website:

The Property Appraiser’s primary job is to prepare an annual tax roll (assessment roll) which complies with Constitutional and specific State mandated standards in order that it will be approved each year by the Florida Department of Revenue. This is a very serious matter because the rejection of a county’s tax roll leads to many problems for the School Board, local governments, the taxpayers and the Property Appraiser.

To maintain an approvable tax roll, the Property Appraiser must estimate the current market value of all real and tangible property based upon data from real estate sales transactions and other current market data. This is done pursuant to the requirements of specific State laws. The tax roll is audited annually by the Florida Department of Revenue to ensure compliance.

The job description also explains at length that the property appraiser does not have the power to reduce property taxes:

As a result of some misconceptions, it is first important to explain what the Appraiser’s job does not involve. The Property Appraiser cannot lower your taxes because tax rates and tax levies are determined by the various taxing authorities which have discretion in those matters, such as the County Commission, School Board, Cities, etc. The Property Appraiser cannot reduce property values when the market supports the current level of assessment required by the Florida Department of Revenue. Even if market trends indicated a lower value, and the Property Appraiser was able to reduce the value assessed accordingly, the taxing authorities are authorized by State law to raise tax rates to get the same revenue they had the prior year without calling it a tax increase (Section 200.065, F.S. and Florida Administrative Code 12D-17.0035). So, the bottom line is the Property Appraiser does not have the authority to lower taxes and a lowering of value assessed would not ensure lower taxes even if justified from the market.

But, let me venture that it won’t be long before Voltz begins making hints and innuendos that she’ll bring “integrity” to the office - and not bother to explain to voters that she’ll have no more power than other county appraisers to reduce their property taxes. She’ll also be betting politically that the first few years of the recently passed Amendment One will reduce scrutiny into her role. So, while it is possible that a nurse could perform these duties with proper training and oversight, it hardly seems the time to subject our county (or really any county in Florida) to such a social experiment - at the potential risk to hundreds of thousands of county property owners.

It’s also troubling when you consider that the previously declared candidates seem far and away more qualified to hold the position just based on job titles alone: Steve Burdett, the current Brevard County Finance Director, and Robert VanVolkenburgh, an assistant state attorney and a management consultant for Deloitte & Touche. Mr. VanVolkenburgh was also previously a bank operations officer for the old Barnett Bank.

Voltz originally used local Christian groups and churches to support her when she first ran for county office - and still leans on some of that support today. Using the shoulders of congressman Dave Weldon in 1994 (whose campaign she helped manage), Voltz successfully convinced Brevard conservatives that she was a Newt Gingrich/Dave Weldon conservative and broke into county politics in 1996 with a narrow 1 percent win over radical liberal Diana Figueroa.

Though Ms. Voltz has since moved far from her political roots, the average conservative in Brevard still tends to think of her fondly - even though an even precursory glance at her record demonstrates her shift toward the left. Voltz will be counting on that conservative support to win the property appraiser’s office.

Florida Today summarized her comments on her centrist move: “She said her second term on the commission has been more effective since she became more open to opposing opinions and compromise.” By which she means, it became more effective for her because she didn’t have to expend much energy. Fighting for tough issues is a lot of hard work. But it becomes a lot easier when you compromise with your enemies.

Of course, the appraiser’s office isn’t as politically-charged as other public offices, which is largely why Voltz has targeted it. She’ll be able to keep her centrist views, avoid giving an account to her past supporters, and be able to leave her county commission seat with grace - rather than in a future election loss. Oh, and she’ll more than double her salary. One wonders if she would have targeted Ford’s office if his present salary was comparable to hers. Of course, Voltz would deny that, so let’s just go ahead and deny it for her here to save her the trouble. But, we’d all still think it and she can’t do much about that.

There is some good news in all this for Brevard County conservatives who think the county commissioners have grown egos bigger than our humble county can support (or should support). Quite possibly, Voltz will lose her campaign to become property appraiser, and having given up her seat on the commission to run, she’ll be gone there, too. Now might be an excellent time for a strong conservative to run for Voltz’s old seat.

I have a vivid recollection of the gut shot given to New York City and the rest of America on that clear morning in Manhattan. Living in Orlando, I kept my school-aged children home for two days. I genuinely worried about what might happen next.

Most of America remained glued to the television, watching as New York mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, helped the city that bore the brunt of the storm and sprang into action at its plight. Watching his confidence in the face of terror gave solace to many who had never imagined such an attack.

The embodiment of resistance in the face of fear brought Mayor Giuliani not only fame, but reportedly hundreds of millions of dollars through Giuliani Partners, his lobbying firm, and about $100,000 in speaking fees per speech.

When I heard “America’s Mayor” was visiting our county, I went to the Florida Institute of Technology hanger at Melbourne International Airport to get of glimpse of the man and the myth. Whether thought of as a shameless opportunist or a legitimate hero, he is surely destined to occupy a place in history.

More interestingly, Rudy’s risky strategy of running a minimalist campaign until hitting the Sunshine State–reportedly in order to save money, but also concurrent with the revelation of several embarrassing scandals–has kept him out of the campaign limelight. The Brevard visit may give telling signs on the future of his presidential run.

I approached the crowd of about 150 people on a balmy afternoon at the airport and noticed an odd mix.

I first observed a large security contingent of about 20 flanking the crowd. Most were heavyset, intimidating men all wearing dark glasses and suits. Their appearance and demeanor came across loud and clear to any would-be terrorist, “I have no problem with water boarding. Try me.”

Then I saw that some of the most vocal of the crowd were carrying signs for Republican hopeful Ron Paul.

Among the supporters was local resident James M. Ray.

“I’m out here to show my support for the only candidate that speaks for the things I believe in,” Ray said. “I’m for the Republican party now, but I was with the Libertarian Party originally. I last voted for Ron Paul in 1988. I‘m going to stab myself for how politically ineffective I‘ve been.”

Paul’s supporters seemed to be connected by a common bond that begins and ends on the personal side of the Internet. They all said they believed internet bloggers over the mainstream press.

The left-leaning “Brevard Patriots for Peace” also had a small contingent at the rally.

Sharan Miller from Melbourne Beach and Vicki Impoco, the current director of the group, said they attended the event to protest the loss of civil liberties U.S. citizens have been stripped of under the current Republican administration.

As time dragged on in the heat and humidity from the expected 12:45 p.m. scheduled start for the rally (later attributed to a bomb scare which kept Rudy hunkered down in FIT offices), I continued to mingle with the crowd.

There seemed to be a multitude of curvy, attractive college-aged girls swirling throughout the throng gathered. I decided to find out the source of what I began to think of as the “Rudy’s Cuties” phenomenon.

So I questioned one 22-year-old Jennifer Newman, a marketing major who had been bussed to Melbourne with a group of other mainly female students from the University of Central Florida. The Rudy rally promised curricular credit for a government class.

Newman, clad in a white “Rudy for President” t-shirt and carrying a campaign sign, said that in addition to the credits, she was there because she supported Rudy’s economic history.

“I’m here to support Rudy Giuliani, the next president of the United states. I love him. He is a fiscal conservative who is tuned into the dangers terrorism poses to this country,” Newman said. “He has also managed one of the largest cities in the world and he has the experience the country needs. He‘s shown that he‘s the man for any job.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what her response would be to the fact that Rudy’s campaign funds are dangerously low–so much so that a number of his top officials are reportedly foregoing their paychecks for January. Before I could ask, Newman had flitted away.

I next met another blonde-haired, buxom young handler for the Rudy campaign.

“I got called to work (for the Giuliani campaign) after my parents had gone to a fund-raiser,” the aide said. “I said okay because I thought it might be a good experience. It’s still early on so we’ll see.”

Overall, if people were for Rudy they seemed to be from out-of-town, part of some organized effort to artificially inflate the Brevard crowd. It seemed to me that most of the local faces were behind signs touting issues or supporting other candidates in the presidential race.

Finally, Amara Birman, Mayor Giuliani’s Florida political coordinator appeared to announce Rudy’s emergence from the hanger. He was flanked by local groupies Brevard County Commissioner Jackie Colon and Melbourne City Councilman John Thomas who smilingly chatted with the mayor seemingly eager for political attention.

“Are you ready to meet the next president of the United States?” Birman asked the crowd. She began encouraging the crowd to chant “Rudy.” If only this were Notre Dame and Sean Aston was nearby.

Some chanting did erupt for a few moments, then it dwindled and stopped. Clearly, the imported supporters couldn’t carry the whole crowd.

After the noise died, Birman seemed first perplexed, then displeased.

“Is this how you want to greet the next President of the United States?” she asked.

A wilted elderly couple behind me responded, “We would probably be more enthusiastic if we hadn’t had to wait out here in the hot sun for an hour and a half.”

Birman instructed her staff to leave the airport premises and to tell supporters that the site of an economic policy speech, originally scheduled to be stumped in Melbourne at a secure Harris Corp. facility, had been changed to the FIT hanger.

How much of the instructed exodus of the staff and the rerouting of the campaign event had to do with the reported “bomb threat”, I don’t know.

One thing is for sure, political agendas will always be argued. But, in politics, platforms are usually less important than perception.

What the visit of “America’s Mayor” revealed to me was that his support in Brevard, and possibly the rest of the state, seems to be, at best, tepid.

Rudy’s big plans to pick up steam by making a firm stand in Florida might go the way of the Alamo, and that’s good news for candidates McCain, Huckabee and Romney.

The announcement by CBS president Gary Kitchens comes as the company launches Seniors Love Coupons and Tourists Love Coupons, marketed to area seniors and visitors, respectively. Each of the coupon menus will have an initial run of 25,000 copies.

“We live in an environmentally sensitive and diverse region of Florida and feel it is our obligation to do what we can to lessen the impact on our natural resources, especially as we grow and produce more publications and copies for our clients and customer”, said Kitchens. “By printing on recycled paper and using soy-based inks we acknowledge our responsibility to our advertisers and our community to be good stewards of our environment.”

What started as an effort to support local beachside businesses that were affected by the closure of State Road A1A following September 11, 2001, CBS’s flagship publication, the Val-U Directory has expanded from the original Beach Val-U Directory, serving Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, to include separate publications serving specific markets including Merritt Island, the city of Rockledge, and the Suntree/Viera area. Seniors Love Coupons and Tourists Love Coupons complement the Val-U directories and will be distributed to the markets for which they are named. Each of the publications is also available online at www.valudirectory.com.

After being open only three weeks, I heard a loud roaring from a motorcycle pulling up to the studio. I assumed the large-framed tough-looking man was headed toward the counseling center next to my studio. To my surprise, he entered through my yoga doors. He can’t be here for yoga, I thought. Had I done something illegal that I needed a scare?

Lenny stood 6′3″ tall with a large athletic frame. He was an ex-football player with a broad chest and shoulders, and large, muscular arms that were about the size of my waist. With one slight push, this man could probably knock me over. He had a strong confident presence that made you feel like he was in control - except when he was in a yoga studio for the first time. He was the perfect example of a strong, tough “manly man”, not my impression of a yoga student. The students I had taught in the past were more like light and graceful ballet dancers.

From his many questions before class began, I knew he was skeptical and nervous about this “yoga thing”. His doctor had suggested it to avoid back surgery. Still, I gave him credit for actually being willling to try it.

He chose a spot in the back, and as I began class, I saw him look leary, anxious and a bit confused as his feet squished into the mat. As we stretched and twisted from one pose to another, the look on his face said, “You want me to do what with my leg? Are you crazy?” At times, I had to work to keep a straight face as he had no idea what challenging position was to come next. To put it gently, the yoga did not come easy for him.

He struggled through his first class. The mat was drenched with sweat. His body moved in directions he never knew was possible. As I watched him, I absolutely knew that he had potential, but was not sure if he thought that. His comment at the end of class was that it wasn’t easy. He was humbled from the yoga class. I have no idea what he did at football practice, but I knew it was nothing like this.

He thanked me for the class, and I thought I would never see him return. However, since then, Lenny has attended class three or four times each week. He has dropped 26 pounds, and feels confident that the yoga is the answer instead of back surgery.

Each and every day that Lenny returns, I watch him drop his ego at the door, and become more flexible, confident. I am so proud of him for not giving up on something challenging for him. Sometimes, it seems that people only choose to do things that are easy for them. Or something familiar. Or something they are comfortable with. Lenny, a bounty hunter and occasional cage fighter, stepped out of his comfort zone with a positive attitude and is now mastering yoga.

As an instructor for the past 20 years, I notice that many people are intimidated about yoga for lots of  reasons. I feel they should try it first and then compile their own opinion, just like Lenny did.

Lenny is an inspiration to me. He tried something new, he had fears and intimidations just like all of us, but he faced them and is now enjoying the many benefits of yoga. With the new year upon us, isn’t this the kind of inspiration and motivation we could all use?

If a 46-year old Harley biker with no previous yoga experience can do it, then anyone can. Lenny has helped me to remember never to give up and to work hard. It is in our greatest challenges that we discover our greatest gifts.

These are reactions from various commissioners upon learning that there is a serious question of fraud in regards to the appraisals. What little concern they exhibit seems highly contrived.

Jackie Colon: And also, with all due respect to that Committee that has those eyes, I think I would feel more comfortable still, with Land Development and Holly, who’s got 30 years of experience in the industry, because I do not consider myself – I’d be a fish out of water when it comes to those kinds of discussions. That discussion will be held for another day, because those are the kinds of things that we all have to be very clear. I am very supportive of the fact that we have been able to identify a piece of property with that much land; and the connectivity is what’s exciting, because it’s not just being able to look at that. So, I know personally…I’m very supportive of it. That discussion you’re hearing about appraisals, that’s coming back….. don’t want to muddy the waters, very concerned, very concerned, in regards to how we’re doing these kinds of appraisals.

It’s exciting, she says, that they’ve been able to identify this piece of land, and she’s “very supportive” of that fact, but she’s concerned about the appraisals.

Helen Voltz: Yes, thanks for bringing this up, Scott. I just now got it, I haven’t had a chance to go through it yet, but certainly, the things that you talked about I think are very important, and while I think this may be a good purchase, I’m not so sure that I’m ready to make a decision, because I was in full support of it – I’m probably going to support it eventually – but, I think the fact that we all know that appraisals are not scientific, I mean, we know that. The Program is scientific, and so, we have to match the two of those up, but some of the things that Scott brought up, I feel like I was blindsided today in that, you know, not knowing some of the things, because I certainly – I mean there’s a lot of information here reading the appraisals without something that I chose to do – I assume staff is going to be looking at that.

She just found about the appraisals, but she’s probably going to support it anyway. But she doesn’t read appraisals because she “assumes” staff is looking at those. On a $25 million purchase? How do you show up for a meeting and get “blindsided” when the reports were available for her prior review? Laziness? Incompetence?

Despite the vote to delay the purchase based on the evidence of forged appraisals, the county voted to make the purchase two weeks later.

Worse, your time is probably wasted on commenting on regular articles, since they are pulled from the website after several weeks. While the comments seem to stay in the forum, they are hardly much use after the story is gone.

Many newspapers around the country, including the New York Times, are waking up to the fact that hiding (or deleting) old content only serves to hurt themselves. While admittedly many of the stories on a newspaper are tied heavily to the moment, the benefit of keeping content forever is what makes a website, over time, become more useful to more people. Florida Today is slowly catching on, but we’ll see if they ever really make the leap to true social internet news reporting.

Now, Critical Miami is reporting on the Miami Herald’s decision to abandon ordinary blog commenting. They want to go to a moderated system, or even full-registration like Florida Today. Apparently, no one at either of these papers understands how to moderate comments normally. I’ve been a registered user at the Herald’s site for many years. They’ve changed their registration system three times, none for the better. If you view too many articles at their website, you’ll have to register to view more (or erase your cookies, change your IP address, or wait a few days). I have no problem with it, but it serves no real purpose for the website. What the Miami Herald doesn’t seem to get, along with so many other newspapers, is that you can’t control your content if you want to be successful on the internet.

The media’s failure to fully grasp the way the internet works (in this click-happy society) has only served to given rise to hyperlocal blogs like CriticalMiami, Tampa’s Sticks of Fire, and even our little Brevard Outlook. You’d think as editor of Brevard Outlook, I’d be happy about Big Media’s mishaps. I’m not. True community is working together and fostering open discussion with as few barriers as possible. I’d love to see Florida Today implement trackbacks, open comments, and a more search-engine friendly site. It benefits all Brevardians if they do so. And it will also benefit Florida Today. But considering how long it took for the few positive changes they have made, I’m not hopeful of much improvement before the decade is out.

Hint: Yes, the giant orange box truck in the side yard covered with weeds is in fact, a code violation. Now, get off the computer and go talk to your neighbor like a good citizen, instead of snooping on them over the internet.

Now, Florida Today seems to have found a new low. They created a database of campus incidents for schools around Brevard. Yes, if you are really bored, you could go pour through the various incidents that have happened at each public school.

Or you could take the hint that the very fact that such a database now exists, might be all the more reason to start considering some alternate form of education rather than public schools.

Sadly, Florida Today just uses the information to drive traffic to their website. Looking at the kind of data, for the general public, is the equivalent of rubber-necking, another reason why Florida Today seems bent on publishing as many photos of car accidents as possible.

Florida Today misses a few points. First, with rare exception, your children go to the public school that is convenient to your home. You can’t cherry-pick one public school over another, and as this database shows, why would you want to? Once you are in Vietnam, it hardly matters if you are in a DMZ or enemy-controlled territory. Don’t let Florida Today lull you into believing that being informed by this data can make you a better parent. It can’t.

So, stop googling your neighbors, checking on their code violations, and looking up tobacco incidents at Suntree Elementary (there have been none according to Florida Today) and get out in the community and be present. Go to school board meetings if you care about the public school system. That’s where the real crimes are committed each month.

The SBA is fully controlled by State Government. It has a Board consisting of the Governor and two Cabinet officials, and is tasked with managing a large investment pool of dollars from local governments. When comments were made describing the SBA as an investment fund like any other, the point that the State mandates how local government shall invest was lost. While the State could very well leave local governments somewhat short on their principle, they would likewise need to be prepared for the flurry of lawsuits coming from the State’s inability to invest as promised.

I do not know the SBA’s Chief Administrator, Mr. Coleman Stipanovich, but I do know of Mr. Mac Stipanovich, a very high powered lobbyist in Tallahassee for decades. Maybe the same names are coincidence, maybe not, but I surely hope there is staff on Board capable of independently managing multi-billion dollar portfolios.

Given how the State plans to distribute the assets, releasing funds as local governments demonstrate need, clearly it is their decision is to liquidate the fund. If one must explain why they are making withdrawals, then the investments are not truly short term and liquid. This means local governments will no longer place their funds in the SBA.  This is not ‘punishing’ the state, or ‘getting even’, but the same actions any of us would take if every time we went to withdraw money at our bank we had to tell the teller why.

Evidently, the State cannot be trusted to set up short term liquid investments which supposedly met the legal requirements of the Legislature for how local governments must invest their funds. Rules are in place to try to ensure local governments cannot invest in high risk investments, such as the former derivatives scandal. We already had lowered out exposure to mortgages and liquidated that a while back completely.

The State sets the rules for investment, the State creates a fund which they claim meets the rules they set for investments, and then they get involved over their head in instruments they may not even understand.

Brevard County has plenty of money to operate and will get back our principal still remaining, but it is highly doubtful we will place any money back into the SBA. As outlined by the Florida Clerks Association memo penned by Mr. Inzer from Leon County, the trust of a low risk, low yield, liquid investment has been broached.

On a much bigger picture, if this is how the State has invested the funds from local governments, how have they invested their own operating and retirement funds? Perhaps rather than being critical of depositors simply trying to get their deposits back, our State Representative should investigate how the State has invested its own operating funds and retirement funds.

Anyway, do not look for a lot of financial assistance for local governments or new spending from the State for a few years. With sales tax down, doc stamps plummeting, and now investment pools set to drop a billion or two, the State will be too busy plugging holes in its own budget.

By the way, Florida will not be the only fund hammered on the SubPrime dive. Watch for many State and Local governments, as well as private pension funds, to drop precipitously. Florida funds were solvent. Thus, their exposure to the higher risk, higher yield funds has not seemed to be devastating. Just as the case with the derivatives fiasco 15 years ago, though, you can bet many funds that were upside down and bleeding chose to invest for the higher yields to be able to maintain the payouts, risk be damned. The State of Florida was not supposed to be involved in these. But you can imagine if a State government is invested where it had been prohibited, many other fund managers, facing no such restrictions, are starting to look around for new jobs as their underfunded and overpromised retirement funds hit the rocks.

211 Brevard never once publicly indicated to the various city and county governments that support it that those monies would be used to refer abortions to clinics outside the county.

I wrote to the director of 211 Brevard, Ms. Elizabeth “Libby” Donoghue, to see if she was aware that 211 Brevard was, in essence, giving free advertising to an abortion clinic in Orlando. She responded thus:

Like the local telephone book, internet, 4-1-1 or a community library, 2-1-1 is a non-partisan, non-idealistic and non-judgmental information source for many governmental, faith-based and community based health and human services. Our mission is to connect people to governmental, health or human services that are available to people in Brevard County. For the most part, these are services located in the county. In some instances, services are not located here but are available and of interest to local residents – these may be located in adjacent counties or may be internet-based services (e.g., online support groups).

Our 2-1-1 specialists generally provide abortion referrals as the result of a direct request (e.g., ‘may I have the number to…”), never as a recommendation. You may also have noted that our database contains information on abortion alternatives. Of more than 45,000 referrals made to nearly 1,200 programs last year, 45 were made to WomanCare and over 200 to programs listed as abortion alternatives.

Ms. Donoghue’s numbers were quite misleading. I wasn’t sure if she was trying to persuade me that the impact of such referrals is “minimal” by referring to the 45 telephone referrals to WomanCare last year, but if you ask me, that is 45 too many. That is 45 absolutely free, government-supported (and thus, taxpayer funded) referrals that a “for-profit” business was able to get out of 211 Brevard last year.

Aside from the obvious moral dilemmas placed on any pro-life staff (i.e. that they could be guilty of helping 45 babies to die), there is also the more obvious contrast of, again, a business that made approximately $500 per referral (a total of $22,000+) in one year - paid for by the money of Brevard taxpayers.

I pointed out to Ms. Donoghue the long and extremely controversial history of government money being used to fund or refer patients for abortions. Federal money, in particular, has, for many years, oscillated back and forth whenever it was shown that taxpayer money was used for this purpose. Even when money has been sent to supposedly “multi-service family planning clinics” (such as the kind run by Planned Parenthood), it has caused great stirs and controversy. Simply put, no matter your personal beliefs, the simple fact is that over one-half of the population is “pro-life” (or “anti-abortion”) and does not want their personal money going to fund such things.

What Ms. Donoghue failed to mention here was that out of 1,584 “programs” in the 211 Brevard database, that WomanCare was viewed online at the website 133 times, making it the 15th most popular online visit on your website. In other words, it was in the top one percentile of all programs viewed online. While I don’t believe all that web traffic resulted in direct referrals (as did the telephone calls), there’s no doubt that it is a popular destination for visitors on the 211 Brevard website. 1,568 other programs were viewed LESS than WomanCare. That is stunning.

Going back to 211 Brevard’s referrals which Ms. Donoghue seem to minimize, the reality is that even with “only” 45 referrals to WomanCare, they were still the 169th most popular referral out of that same 1,584 “programs”, placing it in the 11th percentile of telephone referrals - right next to the Melbourne Public Library and the above the Better Business Bureau of Central Florida. In other words, WomanCare’s referral rate by 211 Brevard is clearly significant when compared to the other organizations, most of whom are legitimate not-for-profit entities and government services.

I further cautioned Ms. Donoghue on the danger of tarnishing the otherwise good name of 211 Brevard by dipping its toes into the abortion industry.

1) You indicate here that 211 Brevard is really nothing more than a yellow pages book. Of course, the county, state, and federal money spent on the 211 program is clearly not intended to replicate the functionality of the more than abundent sources of information already available such as phone books or Google.

If that were so, I’d surely like my business to be listed in 211 Brevard - at taxpayer expense - and listed on the internet website. I’m sure most business owners would like the same.

But the intent of the program is to act as a sort of crisis help line for those who are in need: families without food or a place to stay, those feeling suicidal, abused women, etc.

Having referrals that go to a full-fledged for-profit abortion clinic is nothing more than a straightforward business referral.

In fact, considering that there are no open abortion clinics in Brevard, it is a bit suspect why 211 Brevard would just have “one” listed. I’m curious what the reaction of the other nearby clinics in Fort Pierce and Daytona Beach would think, not to mention the many other abortion clinics in Orlando, if they knew that government money in Brevard was being used to funnel business to one isolated clinic. I’m certainly not suggesting that be done (being pro-life), but having some first-hand experience in dealing with these abortion clinics, I can assure you that there is no more competitive industry in America. Once they learn of this, you’ll be inundated and my “pro-life” concern will seem like a mere ripple in the raging storm.

I trust you see my point here: Once the government begins referring business to “for profit” entities, a huge whole is ripped into the fabric of the fine line between “government services” and outright competition.

2) Abortion, while “legal”, is an elective surgery. When you take away the rhetoric from both sides about the “killing of a human life” or a “woman’s choice”, it is not too different from plastic surgery.

Again, we have an example of government money being used to funnel business to one particular business.

Surely, we can agree that the 211 Brevard operators are not licensed counselors and should show no partiality to a person’s situation. Thus, I find it highly questionable that they would take on the liability of referring a woman to a for-profit business whose only function is to administer abortion procedures. These women, who are in a “crisis pregnancy” should be instead referred to a licensed counseling center or a center which focuses, without regard to profit, on women in such situations. They should not be given the name of an abortion clinic and told that they have been “helped” by the government.

3) You mention the referrals to “abortion alternatives”. The sad reality is that “crisis pregnancy centers” are often forced to sometimes market themselves as “abortion alternatives” by either fiat from those that run these types of directories, or by the simple lack of knowledge in the public sphere. In other words, some directories (such as certain telephone books) require it, refusing to place them more appropriately under “Crisis Pregnancy Counseling Centers”. More often, market conditions force crisis pregnancy centers to do it because some people wouldn’t know to look under the words “crisis” or “pregnancy” in a phone book or directory.

You might imagine a concerned parent trying to get quality information for their pregnant teenage daughter. Knowing that an abortion clinic is, by its very nature, going to be biased toward true alternatives (not to mention complicit in turning a blind-eye when it comes to required reporting of certain laws (such as statutory rape), the parent opens a phone book to look for help. Naturally, they check the “abortion” section first in their stress, so many CPC’s are, by way of trying to help, forced to advertise in the field of “abortion alternatives”.

Thus, while you seem to applaud 211 Brevard’s 4:1 ratio of referrals to “abortion alternatives” over and above “abortion clinics”, I don’t find that amusing. As I previously stated, the situation is rather dire when you have 211 Brevard employees, using taxpayer funding, to directly refer patients, without proper understanding (and/or concern) for that person’s overall well-being, to a full-fledged abortion clinic for the termination of their pregnancy.

The point I’m trying to make is that no one should be referring women in crisis pregnancies to abortion clinics without them having heard of all the options and without their personal situation being discussed with trained counselors. It isn’t a matter of whether they should get the “abortion alternative” or the “abortion”. It’s a matter that they should be referred to a caring non-profit center where they can receive truthful and complete information before they make a decision to have an abortion. Should they then seek to still do so, there are plenty of ways for them to find the information necessary to do so - they surely should not be assisted by government-funded programs that were setup as a “lifeline” for those in dire need without resources.

Ms. Donoghue’s response to all of this was rather brief:

The 2-1-1 Board has considered your concerns. It is satisfied with the agency’s policy for determining what programs will be included in the database & will not be making any changes.

Libby Donoghue
Executive Director
2-1-1 Brevard Inc.
321.631.9290 ext. 202 tel
321.631.9291 fax

Except that, after my next email, Ms. Donoghue did make a significant change only days after supposedly reviewing. In that email, I had pointed out the flaws in her own reference to the 211 Brevard’s self-created policy:

I’m trying to determine under what part of your own policy permits the use of for-profit abortion facilities. Everyone who has read it seems to feel that it is specifically disallowed by your own policy. Indeed, it does seem confusing that your sole criterion for inclusion (your agency policy) seems to specifically exclude an abortion clinic’s inclusion.

Under Section M of Exclusions, it outlines pretty much what I relayed to you in my first letter, specifically that if you include one, you’ll have to include them all. If you include this abortion clinic (nothing more than a private medical practice (as defined by Florida state law), then you’ll not only have to include all of them that “service Brevard County”. There are about a dozen that would meet that standard. And of course, about 1,000 other private medical services that qualify equally under the law.

As a separate matter, there is a long and protracted history of abortion clinics (and in particular, this one) with skirting and abusing state and federal laws. Unlike a more reputable medical practice, abortion clinics routinely disregard federal and state reporting laws. Thus, under section A and F, such a ‘business’ would be excluded. I don’t expect that you would know that, but it is a significant angle that others will be bringing forth.

There’s quite a few other sections (G and E) that step in the gray area.

I would implore you to carefully consider how you’ll be able to justify publicly your inclusion of WomanCare.

So what did Ms. Donoghue do in response? She removed WomanCare and instead, put in two listings for Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando.

Our policy permits the inclusion of for-profit entities that provide “unique or specifically targeted services, or services that are otherwise scarce or difficult to access.” That said, we have learned that Planned Parenthood offers services in counties contiguous to Brevard. We have added their services to the database in lieu of WomanCare since it is also our policy to refer to not-for-profit services when available. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.

Apparently, she just doesn’t get it. By doing so, 211 Brevard has made a statement that referrals for abortions is going to be, quite officially, one of their core services from now on. Planned Parenthood is the number one provider of abortions in America. 211 Brevard went so far as to place Planned Parenthood above the crisis pregnancy centers under “abortion alternative”. Do you think of Planned Parenthood when trying to look for alternatives for abortion? I’m sure Planned Parenthood is plenty grateful for the free business, along with the network of for-profit abortion clinics they support (for which Planned Parenthood staffers receive kickbacks).

I spoke briefly about this on Bill Mick Live on radio station WMMB this morning. As Matt Reed of Florida Today pointed out, the general immediate perception of 211 Brevard is an organization whose purpose is to refer people to the wide variety of disparate government agencies and non-profits that, particularly due to the large size of Brevard County. People do not think of 211 Brevard as a place where they can get information about crisis pregnancies. 211 Brevard’s contention is that since they also refer to “abortion alternative” agencies that they are taking a balanced approach.

My contention is simple: If 211 Brevard is going to take money from private donors along with city, state, county, and federal money, they should be upfront about the significant percentage of referrals for abortions that they are and will be involved in. On what basis does 211 Brevard justify some of the monies it has received? How much of it obtained under one pretense, was actually used as free advertising for an abortion clinic in Orlando, and now Planned Parenthood?

Here is a list of some of 211 Brevard’s major sources of revenue:

• The federal government’s 2006 fiscal year reports giving 211 Brevard $76,751 under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Emergency Shelter Grants Program”.
• United Way of Brevard donated $175,500 to 211 Brevard for the 2007-08 year. It was United Way’s highest single recipient of funds even beating out the American Red Cross.
• The State of Florida, under the Department of Children and Families, is currently funding a 3-year contract with 211 Brevard worth $315,811 through 2009 for the purpose of information and referral services for mental health services.
• Brevard County’s most recent outlay was $50,000 under two departments: Housing and Emergency Management.
• The City of Melbourne approved $5,000 for 211 Brevard for their 2006-07 budget.

211 Brevard’s definition of a “community resource” is, apparently, abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood. Even though the state certification process does not require or forbid the use of referrals to abortion clinics, even a precursory read of the accreditation standards for 211 providers clearly demonstrates the intent and purpose of the program. When referring to training 211 staff, the accreditation manual states they should receive pre-service training so they should be expected to be skilled at “working with multicultural/ethnic inquirers, older adults, people with disabilities, sexual minorities, and other special populations; and techniques for handling calls from lonely, suicidal, despondent, or angry inquirers or those in crisis.” As expected, these are the very types we would expect to make use of 211 Brevard - not persons seeking abortions.

211 Brevard has already faced the chopping block by the Brevard County Commission this year. It cut $10,200 from its prior-year funding from its budget. Florida Today reported that “Libby Donoghue, executive director of 2-1-1 Brevard, said residents would be kept on hold longer and have less access to online databases if she couldn’t replace the $10,200 lost.”

While that claim is highly questionable, it does raise the question of why an agency that claims to be running tight on funds would spend its resources on referring women to abortion clinics and services, instead of the pressing needs it was designed to do. According to Ms. Donoghue, people who need real help may have to wait on hold longer. One reason, we now know, is that their staff is giving out referrals for abortions when they could be assisting people to get to the right government agency. It’s unclear what she meant by people having “less access” to online databases. In fact, it is a state mandate that an online database must be available at all times in order for 211 Brevard to be accredited.

In July 2007, Ms. Donoghue went to the Brevard County Commission at their budget workshop to push for continued funding of 211 Brevard, she extolled how 211 Brevard was saving the county money by taking away unnecessary calls from 9-1-1 and other county agencies. The minutes of that meeting demonstrate that her public “spin” on 211 Brevard is anything but organization assisting the abortion industry. Note her emphasis on hurricane assistance and 9-1-1 support:

Libby Donoghue stated in 2000 and 2001, the Board of County Commissioners, working with other organizations in the community, helped make Brevard County the first County in Florida, and the seventh in the United States, to offer 211 service to its citizens; the 211 service means crisis intervention and information about important community services; and referral to those services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She noted since that time, 211 Brevard has had a contract through the Housing and Human Services Department for $50,000 and that amount has not increased in the years since 2001. She advised in 2004, 211 Brevard answered almost as many calls in September of that year as it has answered in the last year related to Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne; the after-action report from Emergency Management noted the availability of a service like 211 meant those calls were diverted from 911 and Emergency Management officials, allowing them to focus on their primary public safety tasks; and based on that, 211 Brevard also has a contract with Emergency Management for $51,000. She advised the cost of the two contracts means that for 19 cents for every resident of Brevard County annually, they have access 24 hours a day to information about where to get those services. She noted when 211 Brevard became aware the actions of the Legislature were going to impact local funding, it began looking at what it could do to manage with cuts it anticipated to be between 10 and 30 percent; which is what she was hearing at the time; however, both of the contracts have been considered for elimination; and she wants to make sure the Board understands how critical those dollars are to the organization. She stated one of 211 Brevard’s other funders sent a letter to County Manager Peggy Busacca that compared 211 to the seat of a three-legged stool; if one of the legs are shortened, then there will be a wobbly, but functional stool; but if one leg is cut off, the stool is not going to function; and that is a very apt analogy for the situation 211 Brevard is in. She stated 211 Brevard recognizes the Board has terrible decisions to make, and it stands ready to share in those cuts with the other organizations in the community; but it hopes the Board will maintain some of the funding which is very critical to the operation.

Question for consideration:

• Are various governments and charitable organizations that support or work with 211 Brevard aware that 211 Brevard is now supporting direct referrals to abortion clinics and abortion providers like Planned Parenthood?
• Should 211 Brevard even be dipping its toe into the ugly business of abortion - and if so, is that jeopardizing its primary mission to give out information to people in crisis situations?
• Should counselors and staff be compelled to assist people locate abortion services if they have a moral objection to it?
• When the high rate of referrals to abortion clinics is considered, is 211 Brevard commingling funds from sources that have given money under the belief and pretense that the monies were being used for more laudable purposes?
• Should any referrals be given to groups or organizations outside Brevard County when money is collected in Brevard?
• What qualifies abortion as a “community resource” but not other elective surgeries, such as root canal and face lifts? Far more people have need of a root canal than an abortion, and yet businesses that specialize in root canals and face lifts can’t get a free listing on 211 Brevard’s website.

Update: Audio Interview with Radio Station WMMB-AM 1240/1350 AM below.

His wife, Kimarie, helps raise the children and homeschools.

During the day, Dave works full-time for a non-profit ministry run by his father-in-law, Pastor Geoff Donnan, called Reformation Christian Ministries. The business is on the same property where Dave and his family live so Dave is only ten feet from work at any given time.

To supplement his family’s income, Dave took a night-stock job at Home Depot two years ago where he spends about 20 hours each week moving and stocking heavy supplies.

So, it was little surprise when he decided last year to open up a lumber and milling business in his spare time. Even though his friends and family weren’t sure how much spare time he had, they knew Dave had a knack for wedging small amounts of time into massively productive ventures. That could be due to Dave’s eight years on submarines in the U.S. Navy. Such men learn to make use of very little.

Dave joined with several other local men and women to form a committee to help him plan his business venture, including investigating prices, determining local needs, and planning on preserving resources. Most importantly, the banded together to obtain a crucial piece of equipment - the mill itself. They also came up with the name of his business “Good Stewards Custom Lumber” and started a website to describe their services. Being Christians, Dave and his partners felt that taking care of the earth and its precious resources was an integral part of their desire to make their business a success.

Dave officially opened for business three months ago and business has been picking up. As the word has gotten out, people have contacted him for all sorts of jobs - tree clearing, saw milling, and bulk purchase of different types of lumber. Dave and his friends have also been creating custom furniture and beams.

Eventually, the Card family hope that the lumber business will help Dave have more time at home with his children.

Good Stewards Custom Lumber serves Brevard and Indian River counties.