John Finotti
Historic City News Facebook visitor

I would like to inform your local readers that the world-famous “Light the World” Mobile Giving Machine will arrive in St Augustine tomorrow morning, Friday, November 25th.

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Merrill Paul Roland, Esq.
St Augustine, FL

Dear Historic City News and readers:

I have asked Chairman Dean and the members of the St Johns County Commission to place on hold the issuance of a $13 million Special Obligation Revenue Note to finance a non-competitive purchase contract for the replacement of radios used in the interoperable public safety radio system from Motorola Solutions, Inc. at what I believe is an inflated price.

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Ed Slavin
St Augustine, FL

Dear Historic City News and readers:

I have asked Chairman Dean and Commissioners Arnold, Keating, and Whitehurst on the St Johns County Board of Commissioners to delete Item 26, “Infrastructure Sales Tax Advisory Committee” from the November 15, 2022, Consent Agenda.

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Tom Martin
St Augustine, FL

Thanks, Michael, for your editorial in Historic City News, “Vote NO to one-cent sales surtax“.  That wording states exactly what the promoters who drafted the surtax referendum want voters to think — however, there is a big difference between “one cent” and “one percent”.

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Michael Gold, Founding Editor
HISTORIC CITY NEWS, St Augustine FL

When you cast your ballot for the General Election in St Johns County, whether by mail, during Early Voting which started today, or on Election Day at your home precinct on November 8, 2022, in addition to a mixed bag of candidates running for municipal, county, regional, state and national offices, as part of a countywide precinct referendum, you will be asked to vote “for” or “against” a one-cent sales surtax.

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Roy Alaimo, Concerned St Johns County Resident
Chairman, St Johns County Republican Party

I am writing you today to express my support for Jennifer Collins, who is running for St Johns County School Board, District 3.  Jennifer Collins is a longtime resident of St Johns County and has been endorsed by Governor Ron DeSantis.

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Over the past 22 years, Historic City News has published the recommendations of our volunteer Editorial Review Board, this being the 11th election year.  Aided in part by research completed by our staff reporter, Lou Anthony, the Board faced some interesting contests for their consideration this year. 

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Michael Gold, Retired Editor
HISTORIC CITY NEWS

I worked as a volunteer in my first local political campaign in 1974.  Against all odds, we got one of the small handful of St Johns County Republicans (that included me) elected to the St Augustine city commission.  Since then, I have been hired to consult and campaign for candidates for municipal, county, regional, and state political offices.  Although there is always plenty of fire brought by the candidates and their supporters, the flames almost always provide more heat than illumination.

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Missi Davis
St Johns County, FL

When someone makes the choice to run for office, they are supposed to be the voice of their constituents. They are not supposed to be doing it for personal gain, favors, or backdoor deals. Each candidate is supposed to run their own race, on their own merit, not latch on to another candidate to drag them across the finish line.

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Kim J Kendall
St Johns, FL

Dear Historic City News subscribers:

St Johns County Commissioner Sarah Arnold had protestors at her home a few days ago.  This is horribly disturbing. Commissioner Arnold has done nothing except serving our County.  She is a wife, a mother of 4 small children, a tireless volunteer, and my friend.

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Lance Thate
St Johns County
Special to Historic City News

On June 13, 2022, the Republican Club of Greater St Augustine held its monthly meeting at Cucina Giovanni Restaurant on SR-16, St Johns County, Florida. The featured speaker was Shawn Morrison, Chairman of the St Augustine Tea Party. This is the second time a Tea Party Chairman has addressed the Republican Club. The earlier event occurred on August 14, 2015, when I was Chairman.

The St Augustine Tea Party has been on the right side of Conservative politics in St Johns County since its inception in 2010. Since 2015, the leadership of the Republican Club has been divided between two elected Republican Executive Committee members. Each has been the President and the Vice-President of the Club over the years.

Currently, Peter Royal is the President and Marty Miller is the Vice-President. Both men were once members and frequent attendees at St Augustine Tea Party meetings. Both had participated in Town Crier activities. Both men withdrew from the St Augustine Tea Party when they acquired leadership positions in the Republican Club. They each allied with “establishment” enemies of the St Augustine Tea Party who held membership in the Republican Executive Committee.

The moment Club President Peter Royal handed the microphone to the St Augustine Tea Party Chairman, The St Augustine Tea Party was in control of the meeting. It was like watching an old faded black and white film representing the Republicans, with Grassroots Patriots blazing on the screen in bright living colors. So it is when the living meets the dead.

Chairman Morrison read the complete text of Section 847.0133, Florida Statutes, as it relates to minors and obscenity. Morrison explained that 7 books have been identified as obscene in St Johns County school libraries. The total number of books may be as high as 50. Morrison reported that at the School Board meeting held on May 24th, the members were forced to hear passages from the books that contained obscenity.

The School Board’s reaction was to refuse to remove the books from the school libraries. Instead, they removed the Patriots informing them of this outrageous reality. Their removal was accomplished by using St Johns County sheriff’s deputies, under the direction of Commander Scott Beaver.

In the hallway outside the School Board meeting, Commander Beaver was confronted by Chairman Morrison who explained that a crime is committed when one knowingly transmits obscenity to a minor. In front of numerous witnesses, Beaver promised to investigate the situation and get back to the Patriots. Beaver has failed to respond to those involved, to this date.

The goal of the Patriots present was to make sure that the School Board was informed of the law. The Sheriff’s Department, now complicit, is also on notice. To knowingly provide minors with obscene material is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each offense.

“Now you have been informed and failure to take action would make you complicit or at least supportive of their behavior,” Morrison said, speaking to the Republican Club members present. “You need to call the School Board members and you need to call the Sheriff’s Office, demanding enforcement of the law.”

Chairman Morrison challenged Club President, Peter Royal, to introduce a resolution to the Republican Executive Committee removing support for any School Board member who votes to keep the obscene books. After three failed attempts to get Royal to act, the Club President finally said, “Put that in the form of a motion”.

Morrison fired back a most coherent motion. Royal, sensing the mood of the crowd, made the second on the motion. A voice vote, without discussion, passed the motion in less than a minute. This is how important the issue is to “WE THE PEOPLE”.

The Republican Party no longer stands for anything related to its namesake. America is a republic! A republic is based on the concept of equal justice under the law. The American middle class is under attack by the Democrat Party and Republicans have bought into the lie that America is a democracy.  They have become a “ME TOO” party that really stands for nothing and as a result, does nothing. Both parties serve the same masters, central banks and international corporations.

The Town Criers have witnessed the disillusionment of middle-class Republicans on the streets of St Augustine, Florida since 2012.   This disenchantment is why the Republican Club has gone from hundreds to its current number, of around 50 members, according to the Club’s membership Chairman. It is only logical that a social club run by the Republican Party members would take a hit. Who celebrates with people you no longer trust?

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The opinions and remarks of the writer of this column are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Historic City News, its advertisers, employees, or others producing this publication.