I Rest My Case, or You Can't Make This Stuff Up; Or Can You?

Letter written in response to Biscayne Times article.  Not sent to them, as they are not likely to publish it.


I'm still not sure what was Erik Bojnansky's point with his article about Biscayne Park and a collection of unconnected issues ("$24K Question," BT 10/2015).  I guess the title and the column inches suggest he wanted mostly to address the log cabin renovation, and the dais that is to be created there.  

Bojnansky cited BP resident Steve Bernard more than he cited anyone else.  He quoted three Commissioners, which I imagine is supposed to mean he spoke to them.  He did not speak to me, and I don't know if he spoke to the other Commissioner, either. But he did speak to Bernard.  Bernard was a Commissioner here some years back.  He no longer attends meetings, and he is not seen at information-gathering and opinion-expounding sessions, but that doesn't seem to prevent him from forming opinions.  And it seems not to prevent Bojnansky from relying heavily on him.

Bernard told Bojnansky, seemingly as a complaint, that the Village is not run by its residents any more.  Now, it is run by a professional manager.  What Bernard seems to have forgotten to mention to Bojnansky is that the change occurred on advice from a Charter Review Committee of Village residents, and that it was Bernard himself who chaired that Committee.  Bernard has never told anyone why he thought professional management was such a good idea, but then he spent the remainder of his time, both on and off the Commission, bucking the managers and lamenting, as he does here, that residents don't run the Village any more..

I was also unclear what to make of the juxtaposition of BP's having gotten a very large grant from the State, for construction of a new administrative building and renovation of the historic log cabin, and Bojnansky's quote of Commissioner Barbara Watts. who thought continued use of plastic folding card tables, covered in blue nylon drape attached with velcro, was good enough for us.  I wonder if we would have gotten that grant from the State if they had known our level of devotion and sophistication, or at least Commissioner Watts'.

Then, there's the matter of that "movable" dais.  Bojnansky quotes BP resident Barbara Kuhl as having thought it would be an advantage to have a dais that could be moved "out of the room."  I hope that's not really what she told Bojnansky.  No one has imagined such a thing.  The dais, unless it's those plastic folding card tables Commissioner Watts likes, will be a very heavy and well-made piece of furniture that isn't going anywhere.  At most, it could be moved toward a wall, but there's no way anyone could move it out of the room.  And there's no place to store it anyway.  This, of course, is assuming anyone would ever have a need to move it, which, according to imaginings of uses other than for Village meetings, would be almost unheard of.

Christina McKenzie, who originally said she didn't want a fixed dais, will be relieved to know that there will be no yoga classes in the log cabin.  They'll take place in the recreation building, as they always have.  And she doesn't want us to "get stuck on tradition?"  That was the whole point of the renovation.  In any case, we're then told she changed her mind.  The message here is what?  Where is Bojnansky going with this?

As for Bojnansky's glancing swipes about outsourcing sanitation, and annexation, we can talk about those alleged "some 300" people who didn't favor outsourcing.  I'll explain to Bojnansky about the petition that was the basis for this conclusion, but maybe his stomach can't take it.

If, as Bojnansky says, "some residents...fear that annexation will actually cost the Village money," does that mean that other residents don't think so?  How many on each side?   Did Bojnansky research the financials at all, or is he just passing along the views of "some" people?

I knew in advance about Bojnansky's article.  I followed from a distance, since he never contacted me.  I was expecting something that was at least questionable, as are so many BT articles.  Bojnansky did not, in that sense, disappoint.  Unless I was looking for something honest, remotely adequate, and balanced.  But the BT doesn't seem to work that way, especially when it comes to BP matters.

Fred Jonas

Commissioner,

Biscayne Park