Not long after four of the five Palm Coast City Council members were sworn in for their new terms and took–or re-took–their seats this morning, council member Eddie Branquinho told councilman Ed Danko that as long as Danko wouldn’t apologize for calling him corrupt during the election campaign, Branquinho would call Danko “councilman corrupt.” And did so, several times.
Danko called Branquinho “Councilman Full of Crap.” Several times.
Mayor Milissa Holland looked stunned and taken entirely off guard. City Attorney Bill Reischmann looked pained, and at one point intervened to remind the panel of its own rules of decorum. City Manager Matt Morton buried himself in a laptop.
A minute after the meeting adjourned, Branquinho, still on the dais, repeatedly yelled at Danko to “get away from me!” The sheriff’s commander and liaison with the city had to trod toward the men to ensure the clash wouldn’t escalate.
So began the new era on the Palm Coast City Council.
The swearing-in of elected officials is almost always a happy occasion, no matter how abrasive the campaign that may have preceded it. Family members, children, friends turn out, decked out, cameras at the ready, applause for all.
Not today. The ceremonial segment was barely a footnote. The meeting of the council was tense from the start, cell phone cameras brandished and videos rolling like weapons from several members in the audience used to doing the same at defiantly confrontational demonstrations. It had nothing to do with Danko or Branquinho. It was the same group that calls itself the “Liberty Coalition” and that several weeks ago disrupted a County Commission meeting for refusing to wear masks. Its members were doing so again this morning. Mayor Milissa Holland cautioned them they’d be asked to leave if they didn’t mask up in compliance with city regulation, then asked Cmdr. Williams or staff members to escort them out when they refused.
Some left, some appeared to comply, and some of the coalition members addressed the council. As they had at the commission, they again peddled false, discredited and dangerous claims along the lines of masks being a choice not an echo, and that the city had to return to normal, “not a new normal,” as one of them put it.
The disinformation was characteristic of anti-maskers: Candace Stevens, a Palm Coast resident for five years, urged the council to “get back to normal, let’s start off the new year, let’s get Christmas.” As evidence, Stevens said: “We have a governor in North Dakota, she’s a female, she never even closed her state, there’s not people dropping dead there. Everything is fine. They didn’t close their economy.” In fact, North Dakota, which has a male governor (Doug Burgum, a Republican), as of now has not just the nation’s but the world’s leading covid-19 rate of infection. South Dakota has a female governor (Republican Kristi Noem), and is second only to North Dakota in infections in the nation. People are, in fact, “dropping dead” in both North and South Dakota, which are currently the leading and second-leading states with the highest seven-day-average death rates in the nation.
The speakers done, they again doffed the masks and were asked to leave. They did, first taking their huff to the hallway adjoining the council chamber, where they meddled with staff members, then just outside the building, where they simmered a little more before dissipating.
It was still a regular business meeting with the usual agenda items. The swearing-in segment wasn’t until the end of the agenda. So the council went through its various items, made new appointments to the Code Enforcement Board–among them Jon Netts, the former mayor and council member many times over who today was ending his latest stint on the council after being appointed to fill the seat Jack Howell resigned halfway through his term.
Then came the ceremonies. Holland was first, followed by Danko, who wore his Trump mask and carried a family bible, then Victor Barbosa, who, black-masked, took the oath with his father at his side, then Nick Klufas, who won a second term. Alan Lowe, whom Holland defeated, sat in the audience two rows back, also in a scarlet Trump mask. There was applause every time but nothing like it was four years ago, when the chamber seemed far less riven than it was today, more by factions than distancing.
The first order of business for the newly constituted council was the nomination of vice mayor. Branquinho got it, taking over for Klufas. Committee assignments were then parceled out before it was time for the customary welcome speeches, the thanks, the congratulations, the pledges to be the best council member that could possibly be.
Audio: Eddie Branquinho and Ed Danko
Not this time. Danko had a motion on his mind. He wanted to reverse the city’s decision not to have an in-person Christmas-tree-lighting ceremony this week. “It’s certainly a welcoming break from all that we’ve been through,” he read from notes, citing promising developments with a vaccine ahead and the possibility of a return to normal. He said the tree-lighting lifts spirits and inspires, “however, at present, this is planned as a video, virtual event on YouTube that excludes the public’s participation. Well, I’ve got to be honest, that’s not going to lift any spirits or inspire anybody. You’d be better off staying home, watching a Hallmark movie. This is an outside event. We can follow CDC guidelines. We can social distance outside and we can wear masks like we’re doing inside.” He then made the motion to instruct city employees to open the event to the public.
Holland reminded him that the motion had to be added to the agenda. He turned that into a motion. Barbosa provided his very first seconded. It never got to a vote. Klufas recalled that last year’s event had drawn some 1,000 “jam-packed” people, and that a large gathering of the sort wouldn’t be wise. (The city has also cancelled its annual Starlight Christmas parade.)
Then Branquinho spoke, calling it irresponsible, and very quickly launched into his first salvos against Danko. It was clear he’d kept it bottled up for a while. “Up to now, everything is based on responsibility,” he said. “We don’t allow–there’s one written rule, I was going to talk about it later, that we do here, one written rule: we don’t bring politics”–he stabbed the dais loudly twice–“here. We leave politics outside. What we do is for the better, for the safety, for the safety of the people of Palm Coast. That’s why we’re wearing these masks. And believe me: I hate it. But you know what, for your safety, for your safety, for your sake and for my sake, I wear it. But that’s something I’m going to talk about a little later, and I think what we’re doing is not to hurt people, it’s not to kill the spirit of Christmas, it’s for their sake, for those kids that go out there that could actually get this darn virus that was basically imposed upon us, ok? that I’d do anything that I can to save one life.”
Branquinho described the “soldiers” fighting to save lives, “and I’ll be darned if I’m going to be against saving one life myself,” he said, “and that’s the reason why I’m doing what I’m doing. That’s why I’m so passionate about it. All we do is bitch about this friggin’ mask. My son, God rest his soul, wore it 12 hours a day in that hospital, to save lives. He never bitched once, never once complained, that’s why I’m so emotional, that’s why I live this from the bottom of my heart. And when someone tells me we could do this, we could bring 1,000 people here, that’s no danger, sorry. Be responsible. That’s all I’m asking.” Branquinho’s young son died earlier this year from complications of a medical procedure.
“Well, I think I am being responsible,” Danko said.
“No you’re not!” Branquinho snapped.
“Yes I am, and I don’t appreciate you raising your voice to me,” Danko said.
“No, it’s my emotion. It’s my emotion.”
“Keep your emotion in check,” Danko said, continuing to make his case for a public tree-lighting, which was scheduled for Wednesday. He said perhaps the city could organize the event the way it has previous, ticketed events where attendance was controlled. But when Morton spoke of a city staff already stretched–and with more staffers in quarantine or in the hospital than at any point since the beginning of the pandemic–Danko backed off his proposal and withdrew his motion.
A few congratulatory words were exchanged, Barbosa proposed a couple of breaks to give businesses more visibility, though those would be code matters that would have to be approved by ordinance.
Then came Round 2. Or 3, counting back to the beginning of the meeting. Branquinho again turned to Danko, who had been seated immediately to his left, which may change after today: the two are likely to be separated.
“One of the things you said in your campaign, sir, is that you’re going to do away with corruption in city hall. I’m part of city hall. You put me under the same umbrella. The only thing I have that I pride is my name, my family name. I had my first pair of shoes when I was 7 years old, sir, the only thing I have is my name. Now, due to the fact that you called me corrupt, until you either apologize to me personally, right here, or find out where did I get involved in any corruption, I will refer to you as Councilman Corrupt. I will not use your name.”
“I’ve never referred to you as corrupt. Get your facts correct, Eddie.”
“Excuse me. Excuse me. I’m talking,” Branquinho said.
“No, excuse me. You’re accusing me of doing something. I never singled you out. I singled you out?”
“No, but you put me under the same umbrella, and until the day you apologize to me personally right here, or prove that I’m corrupt, because I was part of city hall–”
“I never called you corrupt, Eddie.”
“You will be called Councilman Corrupt by me.”
“You will be called Councilman Full of Crap as far as I’m concerned.”
So it went, back and forth as the two men debated semantics and Danko rehashed “concerns in this community about what’s been happening right here” before Reischmann, the long-time city attorney, who looked and sounded pained by what he was having to say, intervened to note that council rules and procedures require speakers, council members included, to be recognized by the mayor before they speak. Branquinho got the floor and repeated his statement to Danko.
“Well,” Danko said, “the only thing I have is my name too, so I don’t appreciate you abusing it, Number 1. But if you want to call me Councilman Corrupt, you can do it until the sun comes up on Santa Monica Boulevard, for all I care. I will refer to you as Councilman Full of Crap, OK?” He said he’d never singled Branquinho out, “and for you to single me out is obnoxious. So, Councilman Full of Crap, knock yourself out.”
“Thank you very much, Councilman Corrupt,” Branquinho said.
“You are welcome, Councilman Full of Crap.”
By then in a thinned out chamber heads had bowed, jaws had dropped, eyes were beyond rolling. When Barbosa entreated the members to look past the election–“It’s time to move on, people were elected, I think we need to work together in a professional way”–he got a smatter of applause.
Holland, who had actually been the focus of the bitterest and most unsubstantiated slanders of the local election cycle–and has had her moments of indignation from the dais and doubt about go on beyond it–spoke as if from the Sea of Tranquility this time. “A lot happens during election season, obviously, and I believe in the process. I believe in the residents’ right to choose who they would like to see represented. I have great respect for the results. I really do look forward to working with both Council member Danko, Council member Barbosa. I think they’re both going to bring about some ideas and concepts that are beneficial to our community as a whole, and I agree. I look forward to moving on, moving forward, and I look forward to having a great collaboration up here that will offer residents everything they’re looking for in their government. So thank you both for stepping up, and thank you both for serving your community, and congratulations again, Council member Klufas for the second term. I really appreciate everyone who’s also come out today and participated in this process. So thank you.”
Perhaps lost in the din were the markers the council members were setting down: Branquinho made it clear whose side he was on in what is starting out as a deeply divided council, and it’s not on the side of the newly elected members. Holland, her characteristic self-assurance as if restored after a few months’ rattle, implicitly spoke the language of consensus and conciliation from the center–two qualities to which Danko, for all his public bluster, is not entirely foreign, when the stimulus of public lights dim.
But Netts, who has been on the council for almost 16 of its 21 years, and on the city’s code enforcement board the rest of the time, , seeing it all, had seen something new and grim today. “I’ve never seen that kind of behavior,” Netts said. “The problem is, it takes two to tango.”
Branquinho just then walked off the dais and fist-bumped Netts. “Try to keep it chill, OK?” Netts told him.
The former mayor said the incident hurt. “It does, because it demeans the office, it diminishes the ability of the office to function productively. You can disagree without being disagreeable.”
James M. Mejuto says
Is there a single democrat in that whole bunch of DEPLORABLES ? !
They’re all REPUBLICANS including the Mayor . . . am I not right ?
However, their deplorable actions during a committee-public meeting is testament
to the pathetic and inactive Palm Coast democrat party.
Robjr says
The joker with the trump 2020 mask says it all.
Frances says
I agree. Employees are testing positive for Covid and are working closely with others. Then being told to come to work without quarantine. Plus being told they only have to wear mask for 3 days.
MWrst says
Danko previously worked for CNN and became a Republican when convenient. Never voted Republican before this year
Fiscal says
All of them do that!
Ralph Lightfoot says
James, how would you fix the local Democratic Party? Democrats are out-numbered by 12,000 voters and outvoted by 5.4%. Would you run for office given these numbers?
Steve says
WOW Yet another FPCCC Drama Queen episode, the never ending ongoing turmoil train just keeps rolling down the line. If that was the Happy Occasion one can sure enough bet nothing will get done, again.
marh101 says
This is what you wanted voters, LIVE WITH IT.
E. Hoffa says
Taxpayers demand that ‘Councilman Corrupt’ and ‘Councilman Full of Crap’ STOP their ‘Baby Talk’ and get to WORK or RESIGN!
Debra brigan says
This is who the county voted in? This is what you get when you vote based on party affiliation! You get immature, unprofessional children playing “government”! I am embarrassed that they were elected. I am ashamed of them and ashamed that no one stopped them! They should be removed from office because they ate not mature enough to govern a sandbox.
blondee says
Acting like high schoolers 🙄
KC says
High schoolers behave better than Danko does.
jim dana says
Are you kidding me???? Haven’t we had enough of this behavior from adults? We have been here for 5 years and this is getting worse and worse. Grow up and govern.
Concerned Citizen says
@ Both Councilmen
Regardless of circumstances the behavior you both exhibited while conducting City busniess is apalling and uncalled for. It wasted time on our dime and other busniess could have been handled. Instead you chose to have a pissing match and nothing got accomplished. So now you BOTH owe the City Of Palm Coast and Flagler County an apology.
@ Mayor Holland
I recently watched this type of behavior go on at my job. Both parties recieved progressive discipline. And when things weren’t resolved both were finally let go. I understand things run a bit differently on this level. But please don’t let this go unchallenged. We the constiuents are tired of watching you people run rough shod over us like we don’t matter. Control your Employees and elected officials.
Sad that we have 4 years of this to put up with. But you get what you vote for.
Nicole G says
The ONLY reason Danko got in office was because he pushed a lot of “if you vote for me I can do this” lies he can’t change or dot he stuff what he was saying. He is a council maybe he didn’t read the description on his dos and I can not do. Just sad.
peter s wentworth says
Well at least two of them (Klufas and Holland) seem pretty stable. The rest of them appear to be basket cases! – I may actually start attending meetings just to enjoy the free sh1t-sh0w!
Enough says
What’s with the Trump masks ? I guess Palm Coast being impartial and apolitical is a joke! He lost!!(Thank God) Get over it, unless you’re as corrupt as your EX-President is!! And Danko carrying a Bible? Is he looking for a photo shoot in front of a church too? Typical Republican immaturity and ignorance. I guess this city is going nowhere (again)!!
Embarrassed Resident says
Danko still wearing Trump attire says it all (thank God he at least ditched the MAGA Hat) The fact that he ran on the platform of supporting everything Trump did spoke volumes and I personally campaigned against him. Well, people who voted for him, you get what you voted for. I’m ashamed of this childish group, they don’t deserve public office. I agree with Concerned Citizen, these 2 men should be disciplined, wish we could fire both of them.
Percy's mother says
This is better than watching a horror movie on TV. But it is a horror nonetheless.
Is there a concession stand that provides candy, popcorn, hot dogs and soft drinks outside the Council chambers? Just like at the movies?
Then we have the idiots in the audience who continue to demonstrate and disrupt because they don’t want to wear masks.
As I wrote numerous times during the election process, Danko was run out of Dare County and forced to resign from the Dare County Republican Executive Committee for threatening a future constituent (in Danko’s mind) when he was running for county commission. He ended up in Palm Coast 18 months later and immediately began running for office here. There have also been issues with Barbosa (and father), not to mention the fraud Maria Barbosa who claims to have a State of Florida license to practice in the mental health arena (but does not) and call herself a PhD (but isn’t).
For the next FOUR LONG YEARS, I will continue to say over and over to the idiots who voted for Danko and Barbosa, “TOLD YOU SO”.
PC Demo says
Wow, it didn’t take a lot of research to see Danko only cared about the worst President in history over the people of Palm Coast…that alone was enough to never vote for him. But I didn’t know about his sordid past!! People of Palm Coast do you actually research who you give votes to? This man threatened people who disagreed with him, then he came here and perpetuated hate with his anti-(fill in the blank for anyone/anything that didn’t fit his limited viewpoint). So engaging in name calling is the tip of the iceberg. Is there any way to get him to resign again?
palmcoaster says
First of all why is councilman Danko wearing that Trump mask..? He is supposed to represent in his councilman investiture us all and with that mask he does not represent many of us that didn’t vote Trump! Lets keep the Feds politicking off our local government…we have enough ramblings and hard feelings Mr. Danko for you to ignite more! I am glad I didn’t attend this meeting as I suspected something like took place would and also those antimaskers risking us all. We have enough local issues to take care and resolve to be rallying for Trump in our city council meetings too. Didn’t you attend and had enough Trump rallies yet that now from your councilman podium want to impose in all of us city residents allover again your Trump support?. The Fed election is over! You should take example from the Mayor that didn’t need (to win reelection) and didn’t Thank God, attend any of all those TRUMP rallies you attended. Maybe we should also start attending the meetings with our winner Biden signs too? Then the next event will be fights in the city hall parking area after or before the meetings between opposite supporters? C’mon Mr. Danko wear your councilman investiture for Gods sake.
Denise Diamond says
We are talking about a man who went on a web site and posted that he would buy a plane ticket for any Democrats that wanted to leave the country once trump was re elected but it had one and it would be coach ( he implied since if you voted for we voted for Biden we are not very smart). Then when he is called out on it say Democrats have no sense of humor. The man who bashed our town government as being completely corrupt. It does not surprise me one bit he would wear that hat. Obviously any other point of does not matter to him.
The Voice Of Reason says
Mini trump behavior. The republican party has become a smoldering dumpster fire that is a dismal shell of it’s former self. A true national disgrace. Mayor Holland, thank you for your professionalism, you’re a glimmer of hope in a cesspool of a rapidly dying political party.
Jeff Sica says
The childish name calling and pissing contest aside (maybe they should have gone outside to see which one was ignorant enough to piss into the wind?), I have one question for Danko and the rest of the anti-mask Covid deniers: Where and when did you get your medical degrees?!?!? To think that a majority of medical professionals NATIONWIDE(!) have banded together to conspire against soon-to-be former president Trump is absolutely ludicrous. They take an oath, too. Not unlike the one Trump took almost 4yrs ago (and since has violated numerous times…history will prove). It is the most simple way to err on the side of caution, something most of us should have learned early on in life. At this stage, I highly doubt any of you will change your minds, short of the virus decimating someone in your own family or close circle. As a lapsed Catholic, yet still Christian, I hope will all my heart it doesn’t come to that for any of you. I only wish you valued the lives of your fellow Palm Coasters as much the unborn children of complete strangers you advocate wildly for. You can’t have it both ways, as much as you try, lest you be labeled a hypocrite. It’s kind of like supporting Trump, while carrying a Bible…
Percy's mother says
The health of the electorate (the whole) is only as good as the health of the individuals who make up the electorate (individually to make up the whole).
The mental, emotional, intellectual and physical health of the electorate, which is made up of every individual, is subpar at best. I see a society in complete decline, and the results of every election only serve to reinforce that opinion.
As a licensed (a real license) healthcare professional, I’m an observer of human beings. What I see when I’m out and about in traffic, on the rare foray into social media postings, and in stores like Publix . . . is an extremely ill society as a whole and individually.
In general, 99.9% of the electorate (population) appears overweight, out of shape, barely cognizant of what’s going on around them, have glazed over eyes, don’t appear to be “all there”, have gray off-color skin, have edematous extremities, poor skin tone, appear to be plodding, plodding, plodding along dosed up on pharmaceutical medications, and are barely able to put together a coherent thought, sentence or any sort of respectful behavior towards other members of society. I won’t go into the mental health issues, anger, disruptive behavior and utter disrespect for humans, animals and nature.
Given all the above, is it any surprise the electorate votes in the types of clowns we have in this city, county, state and nationally?
We have a society and an electorate in decline and unfortunately the 99.9% will prevail.
Concerned Citizen says
Thanks for lumping all of us into one catagory. I guess you must have triple PHD’s in Physcology and other medical fields. Puts my dual degrees and life experience to shame.
I wear a mask at all times when out. Work outside in the fresh air and exercise. At 51 I think I’m doing pretty well. I’m a 3 times deployed combat veteran. Iraq and Afghanistan. So I still constantly observe my surroundings. And especially keep an eye on my six. As a former LEO and retired Fire Fighter I never sit with my back towards a door. The actual term for that is situational awareness.
You are fooling yourself if you believe that the popular vote matters anymore. The electoral college is an antiqauted system that should be abolished. Look at past election history to see how it decided elections.
Your holier than thou comment was just as offensive as you claim to be offended by this so called poor society you have to interact with.
I volunteer in our community and try to make a difference. Even with a busy work and school schedule. What are you out there doing? Besides judging all of us?
Casual observer says
That Candace Stevens is sharp as a tack, huh?
Wow says
The Trump effect. What a bunch of babies. Sickening.
Sad State of Affairs says
We finally get though the Shit Show also known as the Palm Coast election.
Now we have to watch our elected officials bring their inauguration into a name call event.
Well said Mayor Holland !
If you boys can’t play together in the sandbox together, take your bucket and go home. You are both grounded until further notice.
Embarrassing
Peggy Travers says
I agree. They are behaving like spoiled little children.
Theater 7, to the right *tears ticket* says
This sounds like a Tim Burton film.. nightmare before Christmas.. only I think our Mayor is pretty good, and so is klufas, the rest of the crew (the greenies need a little time to really earn a ranking I think, but not too sure) are true, non-leadership at its best: they’re representation of the ill-informed; they’re complete kooks. They are an embarrassment to this City. I almost want to go to one of these movies..I mean meetings… wait can I buy season 1 on DVD?
tulip says
I think the mayor needs to make it a rule that no masks should be worn when city council is session that a advertise a political candidate for anything whether it be Dem Rep or Ind. It shows disrespect and ignorance. However, I would expect nothing less from Danko along with Mullins on the board of commissioners. If Danko wants to be taken seriously, then he should at least act the part and pretend to be a gentleman.
After reading about it on Flagler Live, and went and watched the meeting on You Tube. If it wasn’t so childish and in bad taste, it would’ve been funny.
Only Me says
What is wrong with your elected officials? How embarrassing you all are and you just started. What’s with the political masks???? You were elected by the people for the people not to stand up with your political mask for Trump who lost this election, what is your problem Danko? Council Members, as well as the Mayor, should wear a mask with Palm Coast on it, not their personal political preferences first and foremost. Who are you on the committee for?????? Promoting aTrump mask after the fact truly is a big turn off.
Can we hear what you are doing to help our town, our citizens during a national crisis of a deadly virus lost jobs and businesses or are you not capable of showing the public that??????
GROW UP.
Happening now says
Do they all belong o the same club?
Dennis C Rathsam says
No body listened to me when I stated here “Throw all the bumbs out and start fresh. But no , U ya’ll know better… Now U got what U asked for……..Hang on to your hats boys, its gonna be a hellava 4 years…..
GMAC says
You elect clowns and you get a circus. Sadly the rest of us have to live with it. For now.
Scott Masteller says
What happened to the Republican party.? It used to be a conservative yet principled party. Voted for many Republicans in my home state of PA. This crew in Florida is a disgrace. Like Ross said most couldn’t handle the third shift at DQ. What a bunch of jamokes.
The Voice Of Reason says
Agreed. The severe rise of hyper partisanship started with President Clinton. It has gone downhill since. Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, and the introduction of the internet into the average American home contributed. The political system is broken. Moderation and renewed partisanship is the only hope short of the fall of both major parties. A new party of young fresh leadership is needed. Strict term limits for congress. Career politicians FORCED out. Separation of church and state strengthened along with penalties for racist acts increased.
Roy Longo says
It’s funny you say this all started with Clinton. It didn’t start until Obama when the republican party started the Tea Party movement. Clinton was the last president to work with both sides of the isle for the greater good of the country and also the last president who balanced the budget. He just had no morals.
The Voice Of Reason says
Clinton repeatedly outsmarted and outmaneuvered the republican leadership. He was slick. That said, the politics of personal destruction commenced during his term. Trump and his failing party are a national disgrace. Election loss and Covid bungling denial are tearing our country apart. Quarter million dead. Easily the worst in the world. Trump has zero leadership ability. He’s a leader of a brainwashed cult.
The Voice Of Reason says
Trumpism is a festering cancer on America.
Inquiring Mind says
@flaglerlive, please give us a run down of the Flagler4Trump Club and Ed Danko’s and other candidates’ affiliation with it.
For folks that seem to have nothing better to do, the website they put together is Just. So. Bad. It reads like a meandering series of politically themed madlibs composed by a collective of Trump talking point fetishists.
The site’s embedded videos and links to conspiracy theories are helpful only in providing context for what is otherwise unreadable, poorly formatted, and ill-conceived nonsense. Even more strange, seemingly inside jokes about Mayor Holland are reduced to writing and published online in the Club’s official meeting minutes.
A few questions:
1. What’s the Club’s structure and tax status? (Group of individuals? For profit? Non-profit? PAC?)?
2. What is the source of funds for the Club?
3. Does it make any tax or other business filings?
4. Were any Club funds or services deployed in coordination with or in support of any candidate for local, state, or national office? 5. Did the Club purchase a billboard declaring Flagler County “Trump Country”?
6. Was the billboard or any other Club asset leveraged by any candidate for office?
7. Was the Club (or any candidate with which it coordinated or to which it contributed funds or services) required to make any filings with the FEC in relation to the election? If so, what filings were made?
Separate question:
Is this the real Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko’s Twitter feed (@realeddanko)?
If so, a few concerns:
1. Tweets seem to randomly deploy hashtags without any sense or understanding of their purpose or utility.
2. Champions an endorsement by Oliver North?!
3. Refers to Stacey Abrams as a “bitch”.
4. With respect to allegations against Justice Kavanaugh, asks for an explanation as to why Dr. Christine Ford, “went up the stairs and into a bedroom with 2 drunk high school boys in the first place”.
These tweets are not a private conversation amongst friends. As a member of the Council, he should be held to account for them.
Agkistrodon says
Yeah they are acting like all those violent rioting trump supporters were acting…..right. and still clinging to calling all those who vote unlike you deplorables. But you want to have unity. What an effing joke you all are.
Celia says
By the way one proof that when someone that won the council seat for 16% lied to me while campaigning and needs to be reminded of his luck of winning only by 16%, or maybe will come around and haunt him in 4 years like happened to his relative. I said he lied to me when I asked him point blank on line if he, as I heard, will be lobbying for vehicles with commercial signage to be allowed parking in private residential driveways and he replied to me NO he never said that. Then the only and first thing he asked in his request as seated was to allow commercial vehicles parked on homes. I am so glad that the mayor said is the ordinance and then will have to be changed…A big NO please to council and mayor majority! Mr. Barbosa and company “voce entende”(= you understand) that you moved to Palm Coast , that is not Camdem NJ or Harlem NY? that you moved here probably like us all did because is beautiful and as such why do you want to turn it into a dump then? The rest of us meaning that 84% that didn’t vote for you as well as the Mayor for sure and hopefully one or two councilmen want to preserve the beauty of Palm Coast so please watch what you lobby for and ask the people first and try not to lie again!
Celia says
I have to correct myself. Barbosa won not for 16 % but to over 38%. Anyway should consider very well what he will be voting for as over 40% of us didn’t vote for him. Do not come up with proposals that will undermine the beauty or safety of Palm Coast or the quality of life of over 60% of Palmcoasters. If I were you will try to be smart and don’t let Trumpers lectures obstruct the reality of what most Palmcoasters need so you can get reelected in 24.
James M. Mejuto says
Well, the elections are over and everyone is a Republican in the middle of a pathetic and formless democrat party.
Council meetings must have guidelines addressing masks. There is no reason those who choose no masks should
be allowed into the council meeting. They should be escorted out the door and told not to return. This is a public
health issue.
Why in the world did the meeting allow two contestants to disrupt while the others sat by with no input?
Look! . . . Mayor Holland, a republican and Klufas, a republican did absolutely nothing to make sure idiots like
Danko and Branquinho, both republicans don’t pull a Mullins’ (another republican) act.
We can also blame this horrible democrat party here in Palm Coast that contributed to this republican atmosphere
of hate and intolerance.
John Yankovich says
The best result of fracas is the comments! At least, judging by number of comments, the citizens of Palm Coast are paying attention to council meetings! That is a GOOD result! Regards, Old Coaster
just bob says
Ed Danko…just another Joe Mullins..and we all know how well that has worked out.
D. Francis says
As an NPA voter, I have supported, donated to, and voted for candidates from both major parties. I am absolutely livid that Mr. Danko or any other sitting Council member would be allowed to wear a blatantly political mask in the conduct of an officially called City Council meeting.
City of Palm Coast Charter
Art. VII. – Elections
(2) Nonpartisan elections. All elections for City elective office shall be conducted on a nonpartisan basis without any designation of political party affiliation.
NONPARTISAN BASIS WITHOUT ANY DESIGNATION OF POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION!!!!!!
In my assessment of the Palm Coast City Charter, Article VII(2), this means NO Council member should be wearing any hat, shirt, mask, jewelry, pins, ties, or underwear for that matter, which promotes a particular party or candidate, while performing their official duties as a Council Member.
Grow up. Act professional. Start giving a little effort to SERVING your constituents or face recall. Disgusting.
EVA says
Could not agree more!! How low class can you be? Seriously embarrassing for this community, and should be stopped immediately!
Denise Henry says
I read the story like everyone else who is commenting. Let me get this straight…Councilman Branquinho started on newly-elected Councilman Danko, but most of these comments make it seem the other way around. I believe Branquinho is still grieving for his son to lash out as he did and it would have been best for Danko to just stay quiet. Mt deepest sympathies go out to him. Everyone knows election campaigns and their rhetoric can get “ugly.” It is nothing personal and Branquinho should not have taken it personally. After all, I think we know without the campaign naming names what was meant by it. Comments on here about our President is very sad because no matter who actually wins the election once all is said and done, Trump is still our President until January 20, 2021. The lack of respect in this country has eroded many years ago, but the last four years, it has reached a whole new level. What are elections? There are opponents vying for elected seats and they make their appeal to the voters, but once the winner is certified and sworn into office then everyone should work together and find compromised solution for the good of the city, county, state or country. Only one time did I ever see that on a national level in the last 40 years and it occurred for approximately one week after the 9-11 attacks. Please let’s be civil.
A. J. says
Vote repubs you get what you vote for. Perhaps the Dems will vote next time. The repubs are a bad party. People just do not see it.
James M. Mejuto says
There is a current flowing through this entire country enabling a corrupt, wannabe dictator. This wouldn’t be
the first attempt to gather an enormous force, completely enveloping a major political party. Its goal is to
completely negate the Constitution and its founding fathers.
A tyrant whose purpose in life is to tear down the walls of democracy, fabricating lies regarding our most
cherished institution . . . the electoral process, all in the name of Free Enterprise.
Profits and power is the symbol of this well-worn philosophy.
FDR faced it head-on and destroyed its image, the whole country could see.
C’mon man! says
Put these two clowns in a ring and let them duke it out. We can promote it all over the county and hold it in that useless area called town center where business aren’t happening.
Doug says
Most likely 2 Yanks from nowhere around here who continue to act like children. Go back where you came from.
Doug says
Eddie Brnaquinho is a retired Police Detective from New Jersey. Speaks volumes regarding his public behavior.
Ed Danko is a transplant from NC.
Again, spew your rude comments somewhere else.
Corey Lewandowski’s Palm Coast Cameo? says
According to Ed Danko’s Campaign Treasurer’s Report, the campaign paid $45 to Cameo for a “video” on 1/3/20. No further description of the video was provided in the report.
Cameo is a platform where you can “get personalized messages from your favorite celebrity” in exchange for a fee.
As reported by the Orange County Register, politicians are enlisting Cameo to pay for “endorsements”:
https://www.ocregister.com/2020/02/06/did-that-celebrity-really-endorse-that-candidate-the-video-cant-be-trusted
Corey Lewandowski, whose endorsement Danko touted during his campaign, is active on Cameo. As described in the article, Lewandoswki recorded a video for candidate Greg Raths – a person he’d never met – for…$45.
Lewandoswki introduces himself similarly in the Raths and Danko videos, both of which are available online.
Curious what Danko has said about Lewandoski’s endorsement and how it came about.