Sheriff Staly very considerately gave me a call the morning after the end of the world to ask if I needed a Baker Act. It was close, I told him, but I wasn’t quite there yet, and that authentic champagne I bought in case Harris won isn’t going to drink itself.
It’s not like I didn’t see it coming. Five days before the election I predicted the outcome down to the electoral vote count, which is proving nauseatingly accurate. It’s like when you’re at a dying beloved’s bedside. You know exactly what’s about to go down. It’s no less shocking when it does. The finality doesn’t spare you the stages of grief in an inescapable loop that looks to be at least four years long.
At least we have experience. The scars and scabs from this once and future performer’s first four years are still oozing, so this is more like a return to Gomorrah. I still have the demolition to report, and thankfully my jazzy beloved’s bluest eyes and that new laminate I need in FlaglerLive’s office are enough to pull me from the ledge.
Besides, the outcome of local elections will affect us at least as much as anything that happens nationally. With that in mind it’s worth taking stock of our local political landscape post-apocalypse, because it’s a whole lot better than Gomorrah and, ironically, almost entirely Republican.
You can start with our five constitutional officers–the supervisor of elections, the clerk of court, the sheriff, the tax collector and the property appraiser–none of whom faced an election, none of whom needed to: if all politicians followed their lead, Flagler County would be the Disney America theme park Disney thankfully never got to build near Manassas battlefield in Virginia 30 years ago.
Curiously, to me the two other biggest winners are also two politicians who were not in the election.
The biggest winner on the Palm Coast City Council is not Mike Norris. It’s not either of the two others who won seats. It is Theresa Pontieri. It is her Council now. Norris will learn quickly that if she is not the de facto mayor, she is at least what remains of the dam between chaos and continuity, at least when she’s not dynamiting the dam with moratorium-branded TNT. She sometimes rushes ideas to the dais before they’ve been stress-tested. Careful: that’s what sunk Mayor David Alfin.
The council has never been so poor in institutional memory. Pontieri’s two years will have to do, but she’s a quick study, she can analyze and synthesize masses of turgid government documents into comprehensible everyday prose for us to understand, and she knows the stellar value of the city administration. She’ll be its biggest champion. The administration will need it (Norris is already worrisomely chasing after employee lists from HR), at least until a new manager is appointed. Depending on whose imprint the appointment will bear, we can only hope that Gomorrah won’t be Palm Coast’s sister city after that.
The other big winner is Derek Barrs, the former Florida Highway Patrol chief who lost his bid for a school board seat then won it back through the DeSantis express. I would not have wanted Barrs in place of Janie Ruddy, who defeated him and will take the place of Colleen Conklin. Ruddy may not have experience on the board, but she has more knowledge of the district and of education than all the other board members combined. She is as close to a Conklin 2.0 as we could have hoped for. The board needs its Conklin, whose balls of steel and high-road grace will be missed just a tad less with Ruddy in place.
That said, since someone had to replace Sally Hunt on the School Board–and what a blessing that was even for us heathens–and the political reality made a hard-right pick inevitable, DeSantis’s choice is nearly ideal. Barrs will immediately give the board majority what it has lacked for the last two years, if not four: an sense of command and professionalism that Will Furry simply could not pull off (though he’s getting better).
Barrs is conservative but doesn’t strike me as a dogmatist. He seems to me impatient with ideological shenanigans. In that sense, the Barrs frame of reference may be less DeSantis than those constitutional officers I mentioned earlier. If that’s the case, the School Board will be a much duller place, to everyone’s advantage, starting with Superintendent LaShakia Moore, who’s had to carry this board’s dignity too long. He can now sit back and focus on running the district instead of arbitrating an asylum.
At the county commission, we now have two women–Leann Pennington and Pam Richardson– who between them liberated the county from its most corrosive political showboats. The commission lost two good men in Dave Sullivan and Donald O’Brien, but it keeps getting more productive under the leadership of Andy Dance. Kim Carney, the former Flagler Beach city commissioner, will introduce an element of insurgency, just as she did in Flagler Beach, but every local board needs its insurgent as long as it doesn’t get incendiary in the Danko-Mullins mode.
Finally, three cheers for Jules Kwiatkowski who, nearing 90, managed yet again to win re-election for the fifth time to the East Flagler Mosquito Control District. For the second time he beat the disbelieving Perry Mitrano, who chairs the Republican Executive Committee but still can’t lick a Democrat older than the Social Security Act. Jules (last names aren’t worth the trouble after 80) is now one of just three Democrats out of 34 elected seats in the county, not counting fiefs like Grand Haven or our little Monaco known as Marineland. Jane Mealy in Flagler Beach–also a child of the FDR years–and Ruddy, who could be Jules’s great-grandchild, are the others. Not that it matters. Flagler may be redder than blood, but in many respects it’s not so much a one-party county as a post-party county. The ideologues, those disturbed and disturbing bores, are the true minority.
All in all, we’re in a lot better place than Gomorrah. So keep that Baker Act unit on stand by Sheriff, but while I may not be able to drink that champagne to Harris for now, I’ll drink to Flagler.
Pierre Tristam is the editor of FlaglerLive. Reach him by email here. A version of this piece airs on WNZF.
Duane says
It’s funny how, even after the majority have voted in support of “anything”, you have the ability to insult everyone for their vote.
So when you say get out and vote, you mean get out and vote for who you want and screw everyone else. Perhaps this should be a conservative media rather then the BS it is.
Celia Pugliese says
Good editorial Pierre. I am glad Baker Act no needed but the champagne celebration for Flagler much better venue to sooth the shock.
Your guess was right…Maybe next time the DNC will give a fair chance of POTUS to current Senator and Astronaut Mr. Mark Kelly. I believe if so he would have won and for many valid and humanly realistic reasons in his personal life and in space. As for myself I venerate and admire their steel “co…urage” and credentials, so I consider them (boys and girls) to be our modern Columbus, discovering other worlds sustainability for human life. Any of them would make an excellent Commander in Chief after have viewed us kind of so insignificant, from space.
Celia Pugliese says
Congratulations to Jules K. he made history once more! I saw him all smiles and very confident at the Tiger Bay Meet & Greet, to do his work right and keep those pesky mosquitos off our district! I do not call often at all, but when did they have always responded. TY.
Kat says
Pierre, I am grateful to have you in our community.
Stephen says
Bravo, Pierre. You managed to be informative and upbeat about our local ecosystem even as our nation plunges into treacherous water.
Thank you.
Pogo says
@Save some grape juice
… to celebrate the Trump Resort and Spa coming to beaches from Flagler to Gaza: every room is a honeymoon suite for the righteous, and conversion therapy and closets for those designated else wise.
Yes, sir. A new day is here.
Michael John says
I’m not a party member as they are both corrupted by money and neither represent my ideals. Presidential Elections for me is limited to the choice of the lessor of two evils.
I’m an old codger saddened by the political shape of my country.
$$$$$ & gerrymandering has taken the power away from the people and put in the hands of political parties. They decide who candidates are. We now have a President elect who is a convicted felon. Growing up I pledged allegiance every morning in school, one of the lines in the pledge was “equal justice for all”.
I think we need to do some soul searching because obviously that is a lie. ☮️
Leann Pennington says
I am happy to see the summary of Barrs. I believe the county will genuinely find that he’s a solid choice and will be pragmatic and disciplined in the role.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Pierre,s like Obama, telling folks who to vote for…. Who died and made him the emporor of the misguided and the dumb. You see how well they listened to OBAMA!!!!!
Whiplash says
Excellent analysis and non-partisan!!
Happy Endings says
Now that an overwhelming majority has spoken as to what this country needs Pierre can go back to a local news information outlet and let the politics stay out of it ?
Or will it be 4 more years of misleading information slanted in the minority direction ?
KEEP IT LOCAL NEWS AS YOU SHOULD
The country is now on the right track again
Pierre Tristam says
We do not do Newspeak. That, of course, is why the likes of you and Dennis keep coming back. Thank you for the loyalty, and our rent-free location in your mind, though you might want to think about tidying up some of the clutter.
KK says
Final words “I’ll drink to Flagler”, and hey you two who apparently won are slinging your anger about. Bravo! We certainly need another four years of that!
Sherry says
@happy. . . The majority of the voters in the United States just voted for a “Tice Impeached”, “Convicted Felon” who has been found Guilty in a couple of “Courts of Law” for “Fraud/AKA Criminal Lying” and “Sexual Abuse/Rape”. . . just how sick and twisted is it that some who seriously lack any moral fiber, intelligence and judgement actually say our country is on the right track?
Just who are you to shout that Flaglerlive should be limited to local news? Don’t like the national/political reporting? Why not just dive right back into the propaganda of Fox/Newsmax/Joe Rogan where you obviously left your humanity and thinking ability? Hopefully you all will get exactly what you asked for. . . “It’s On You”!
Jane Gentile Youd says
The saddest part of our LOCAL election is OUR loss of not having Adam Morley as our new State Representative. When he was born here in FLAGLER ( not just arrived from New Jersey).. when Florida was a ‘blue’ state. Adam has worked ( and will continue) as a citizen to improve our lives by getting involved in many important civic issues as well as trying to protect our environment.
The Red candidate was elected purely based on party label. What is his platform? Does any one who voted for him care? Does he have a map of Flagler County? Aw – He is RED and nothing else matters around here does it?
I am very proud to judge our local elected officials by who they ARE and not what party they to Why? Because our local issues HAVE NO PARTY. Adam didn’t lose his election to be our new State Rep in my opinion.
We lost, everyone lost – not Adam..
I am waiting for some nasty comments from people who have no guts to use their real names. I can see it coming. Oh yeah – I did vote for Trump.
Amazon Chapman says
Jules Kawitowski should have resigned after the mismanagement of the Mosquito Control District in 2017.
His leadership along with the other two Commissioners at the time caused an audit and found that they didn’t follow any procedures properly for voting on funding the District needs.
He was rewarded for bad service to the citizens of Flagler County.
Local double taxpayer says
It’s ” Liberty and justice for all”. Sheesh! You left people over exaggerate everything and make up whatever you want! It says nowhere in the pledge of allegiance equal justice for all. The word equal is not even in it.
Sigh says
This coming from the crowd that Still hadn’t accepted that they lost in 2020? That’s rich.
Tired of it says
You reap what you sow. Four more years of lies and broken promises. Beccause old angry white men learned nothing from a soaring national debt, lies about a non existing health care plan, insults to veterans, gsys, women, blacks, transgenders and plain hate.
Palm coast vet says
The people of Germany in 1933 thought that to.
Then things when to shit.
Just a thought.
Deborah Coffey says
Get back to us in…maybe April…after you all get exactly what you voted for! Just don’t come looking for sympathy.
Deborah Coffey says
Why are you on here? Certainly you can find local news outlets that will fit your mold exactly. You’ve obviously been well trained by them already.
Sherry says
@ Michael John. . . I agree, I grew up with Superman saying “Truth, Justice and the American Way”. . . well, that has now officially blown to hell! Soul searching. . . hopefully that includes finding the millions of lost moral compasses and independent thinking abilities.
Local double taxpayer says
There is no equal in the pledge of allegiance. You can’t just make up stuff people like you will just start believing it
Thomas Bibo says
Pierre,
Is it possible for you to send me some of whatever it is you and the far left in this country are taking. I just want to feel that chemical imbalance that you are all living with, just once in my life. What a pathetic way to go through life. Misery , and absolutely no joy.
Really? says
Have you seen him sleep through the meetings? Have you forgotten the budget mess his board created years ago? Celia, you puzzle me. Stop listening to Dennis McDonald. You hate for no good reasons.
Pierre Tristam says
For a moment there before I found the missing l in Styx’s bogs I thought Ted Bilbo was back from the dead, though his literacy skills were never in question.
Sherry says
@dtp. . . Well let’s see. . . “Equal Justice Under Law” is on the entrance to the Supreme Court building. Also, the constitution says: No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
Simply because it doesn’t say “equal justice” in the pledge of allegiance does not negate the essence of Michael John’s comment. “Equal Justice” it seems is not part of the maga way since ole trump will likely get away with all his “convicted criminal” acts because the “maga mindless cult” put a “Convicte Felon” and “Sexual Abuser” in the white house again!
Sherry says
@thomas. . . please tell us all precisely why we should feel “Joy” when a “mindless cult” just elected a treasonous “Convicted Felon”, “Sexual Abuser”, pathological lier to be President of our country? Kamala Harris represents Joy, while donald trump represents hate.
Our joy will return! There will soon be a time when trump again fails. Hopefully then, some of our fellow citizens will regain their moral values and independent thinking abilities.
Sherry says
@dennis. . . spoken like a true racist! BTW. . . while I know you actually hate facts. . . President Obama is ranked as one of our best Presidents ever. . . while trump is ranked one of the worst.
Gerald Jacobs says
Flagler live now is the time for you guys to eat your CROW lol.
FlaPharmTech says
You are delusional. Go crawl under a semi truck, you traitor to America.
Local says
Who did Trump sexually assault and r?ape
Jake From State Farm says
Pierre can you share with you readers when you actually new that the Democrat nominee had NO chance of beating a twice impeached, convicted felon?
The dude says
This IS America.
The dude says
Well… then you’re an unprincipled fool too then.
Whathehck? says
“You hate for no good reasons”. Where did Celia expose hate? Don’t project yourself in others.
Sherry says
@local. . . Please get educated. . . Oh right, you would not have seen the “Truth” on Fox. Take a good read, if you can:
E. Jean Carroll v. Donald J. Trump is the name of two related lawsuits by author E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump, who served as the 45th president of the United States. The two suits resulted in a total of $88.3 million in damages awarded to Carroll; both cases are under appeal. Both cases were related to Carroll’s accusation from mid-2019 (while Trump was in office) that he sexually assaulted her in late 1995 or early 1996. Trump denied the allegations, prompting Carroll to sue him for defamation in November 2019 (a.k.a. Carroll I).
In November 2022, Carroll filed her second suit against Trump (a.k.a. Carroll II), renewing her claim of defamation and adding a claim of battery under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law allowing sexual-assault victims to file civil suits beyond expired statutes of limitations. This suit went to trial in April 2023. Evidence included testimony from two friends Carroll spoke to after the incident, a photograph of Carroll with Trump in 1987,[a][b] testimony from two women who had separately accused Trump of sexual assault, footage from the Trump Access Hollywood tape and his October 2022 deposition.[c] A jury verdict in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, and ordered him to pay US$5 million in damages. Trump appealed and made an unsuccessful counterclaim.
Regarding the accusation of rape, the judge gave to the jury “the narrow, technical meaning of that term” under New York law as it existed at that time, which defined rape as forcible penetration with the penis, as Carroll had specifically alleged.[11] The jury rejected her rape claim, but found Trump liable for a lesser degree of sexual abuse than rape.[12] In July 2023, Judge Kaplan clarified that the jury had found that Trump had raped Carroll according to the common definition of the word.[d][e] In August 2023, Kaplan dismissed a countersuit and wrote that Carroll’s accusation of “rape” is “substantially true”.[11]
In September 2023, Kaplan issued a partial summary judgment regarding Carroll I, finding Trump liable for defamation via his 2019 statements. The jury verdict from the January 2024 trial was $83.3 million in additional damages. To appeal, Trump secured a bond for this amount plus 10 percent.
Sherry says
@gerald. . . hate filled “Gloating”. . . it’s just so maga mindless cult, and just so “you”. My, my, my. . . aren’t you just so very proud to have voted for a twice impeached “Convicted Felon” who was found guilty of “Sexual Assault”?! Your family must really admire your intelligence, and moral character. . . what a fine example you’ve created for our civilization! NOT!!!
Local double taxpayer says
And do you think Hunter will go to prison? NOPE…
Sherry says
@dtp. . . What in the hell does “Hunter” Biden have to do with “anything”?
If the children of Presidents should be part of the conversation, how about trump’s? This is just the tip of the iceberg, nepotism on the tax payers’ dime :
Even before his father was elected President, Donald Trump Jr. was a focus of controversy for his decision to take part in an infamous meeting with a Russian lawyer in Trump Tower, which Donald Trump later admitted was intended to help the campaign get dirt on Hillary Clinton. It is illegal for campaigns to accept help from a foreign government or from foreign nationals. Special counsel Robert Mueller later investigated that meeting, and wrote in his report on his investigation that “the government would unlikely be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the June 9 meeting participants had general knowledge that their conduct was unlawful.”
Eric Trump
Eric Trump served alongside his brother as a Trump Organization executive while his father was in office and while both men sometimes attended campaign and official events. As allegations about Hunter Biden swirled in 2019, Eric Trump said his family “got out of all international business.” That wasn’t true, however. The same year, he issued a celebratory tweet for a “new phase of development” at a Trump property in Scotland.
Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump served as an adviser to the president during her father’s administration and had a West Wing office. Yet she continued to own her own clothing brand for a year and a half while serving in the White House before shutting it down in 2018. The company depended on a foreign workforce, with production done in countries like China and Indonesia.
That decision came after she received several trademarks for businesses in China around the same time her father said he was working to help protect jobs at a Chinese telecommunications company. Experts told the New York Times in 2018 that the timing did not seem to be unusual, but suggested that her famous name may have benefitted her in the process.
Jared Kushner
Like his wife, Ivanka, Jared Kushner also served as a senior adviser to Donald Trump during his presidency. Trump’s son-in-law was deeply involved in the administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East, befriending the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and attempting to broker peace in the region.
But Kushner was also involved in business deals in the region during this period. In 2017, his family’s real estate company got $30 million from Menora Mivtachim, one of Israel’s largest financial institutions. It was just one of the deals the company made with connections to the region. The same year, Kushner’s sister promoted her family’s New Jersey building while in Beijing, touting special investment visas to Chinese potential investors.
The next summer, Brookfield Asset Management made a deal to pay 99 years of rent on a Manhattan skyscraper that Kushner’s family’s real estate company owned. One of Brookfield’s investors was the Qatar Investment Authority. The company said Qatar did not know about the deal before it was made public. Kushner’s family had previously sought a deal on the building with a Chinese firm.
Kushner’s business in the Middle East continued after the Trump presidency. Soon after he departed the White House, a fund led by the Saudi crown prince invested $2 billion in Kushner’s private equity firm, while funds in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar invested hundreds of millions of dollars. Another company partly owned by Kushner received Saudi funds as well. The deals have drawn criticism for, at minimum, creating the appearance of Kushner receiving potential payback for his efforts while in the White House.
Like Donald Trump Jr., Kushner’s meetings with Russian contacts before the election also came under scrutiny. In addition to participating in the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Trump Jr., Kushner also spoke multiple times to the Russian ambassador to the United States during and after the 2016 presidential campaign.