Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Get the facts straight before casting stones

The recent Citizen editorial lambasting the Bahama Conch Community Land Trust (BCCLT) director was way off base. I read it waiting to see if there were new revelations, but found only the same tired old talking points.

For example, the editorial repeats The Citizen's mischaracterization of the "return" of the state grant as if the state were penalizing the BCCLT. In fact, the BCCLT worked very hard with potential house owners to qualify them for that grant, but despite heroic efforts were not able to help them meet the state's requirements. So the BCCLT dropped the request themselves. This was no different than any grant that other organizations in Key West unsuccessfully apply for. No penalty was involved.

And there was no "conflict of interest" -- the deputy director's son had every right to apply for inclusion in that grant. There had been a question about whether he could personally do renovation work covered by the grant, but that issue had been resolved. Please do your homework before trying to interpret hazy statements by state bureaucrats and using them to cast bogus aspersions on people who do more good for this community than 99 percent of the rest of us would ever think about doing.

There is no denying the fact that the BCCLT's record-keeping way back at the turn of the century could have been better. Back then, the director you lambaste was juggling dozens of properties and projects virtually by herself for a pittance, relying on hired accountants to keep track of finances. When Wheeler was hired several years later to look into past finances, he himself included that "double charge" on the list that the city owed the BCCLT. But he then asked the very CPA (who had done BCCLT's yearly audits) to verify those charges. That CPA confirmed them! Then the city neglected to verify the charges before paying them! Now, despite screwups by the CPA and the city, only the BCCLT is being castigated. Is this fair?

Wheeler was a great guy who unfortunately placed too much trust in external auditors. He did great work. But unfortunately, like many businesses these days, the BCCLT can no longer afford two directors. But we do now have a great in-house accountant/manager, and an awesome director still doing great work despite the unfair treatment by lots of armchair quarterbacks. And a board keeping a close eye on all this.

The BCCLT has a comprehensive plan for the Truman Waterfront that impresses all who take the time to understand it. Obviously The Citizen Editorial Board has not made that effort. The plan is a good one, and will meet all of the requirements that the Navy and the city require. Holding up the lease based on hazy misconceptions will kill the plan.

The BCCLT doesn't need another director; it needs support from the city. It's amazing that so many who obviously know so little are willing to cast stones at those who do such good. No good deed goes unpunished.

David Lybrand

BCCLT board member

Key West

Mitigation fees are monumental scam

Last month I wrote a letter to Jeanette Hobbs, manager of Keys Environmental Restoration Fund in Marathon, who handles millions of taxpayers' dollars gathered from mitigation fees generated from permits from the county and other government agencies.

Recently, I received a $34,849 mitigation fee imposed on me by the [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers] permitting office in Miami, and thought it to be a bit excessive.

Being the Paul Caruso of the property rights crowd, I wanted to send out letters to the other Audubon/Corps extortion victims to find out what they thought about their mitigation fee amounts.

So in a certified public request letter to Hobbs I asked her for all the names and addresses of all permit applicants she has received monies from. Shortly, a return letter from Mrs. Hobbs indicated that she was not going to give them to me, and that all future correspondence to her must be channeled through her Audubon Society attorney in New York. ...

... These folks from the Audubon and the Army Corps have really missed their calling in life; they should unite with those folks from Nigeria that send e-mails to your inbox, or follow in the footsteps of Bernie Madoff to further scam innocent victims.

Ladies and gentlemen of our fair county, it would appear these folks have got one of the best scams I've seen in years, and Mrs. Hobbs should be commended for her tireless devotion to guarding the proverbial hen house.

Salvador Gutierrez Jr.

Key Largo