What we’re doing right now is, that we have at least a three voice on the county commission that will represent the people of St. Johns County.

We expect to, whether I’m elected or not, to take control of the county, as far as being representatives of the county, and being able to really do some good things for the county so that people can actually see where their taxpayer’s dollars are going.

“What we’re doing right now is …” Who the hell is WE!

“We expect to, whether I’m elected or not, to take control of the county …” The warning couldn’t have been more clear — it came from the culprit’s own mouth! Were we sleeping?

Who voted for Tom Manuel based on his record, or his reputation, or his successful business history?

Probably not many who would admit it — since Manuel has finally told the truth about accepting $60,000 (that we know about) in bribes from a local land developer.

During a press conference in 2006, Former Sheriff Neil J. Perry, Former Chief of Police George Thornton, Former ATF Agent Gene Farnell and Former Sheriff Francis M. O’Loughlin warned the public about Manuel’s past before he was elected.

The truth is that Manuel wasn’t elected – everyone was buying in to the “throw the bums out” propaganda being circulated by Ben Rich, Tom Manuel, Ron Sanchez and Ken Bryan. Bruce Maguire was the target of their ouster.

Manuel’s scheme to control St. Johns County for himself and his minions was clear to some and referred to in statements made by others, including Ken Bryan.

Did the conversation go something like:
“Ken, you be a good boy and run as a Democrat. Ron is going to run as a Republican. We’ll split the vote and ONE of you will get Karen Stern out of there. Then, with that jackass Rich on board, one way or the other, we’ll have our three votes – all that money will be ours!”

County Commissioner Ken Bryan claims to have moved to St. Augustine to retire; collecting a nice government pension.

But, from the time he got here just a few years ago, he started morphing into a retired man on a mission to be some kind of kid again — taking risks and pushing limits; including the limits of his own welcome.

A little late to be having a mid-life crisis, don’t you think?

Not only does he take risks with his personal safety, he takes risks in his political career. In what some have called a “fluff piece” in a Ponte Vedra tabloid, Bryan tells off the party who gave him the shot at political office that he craved.

Bryan is quoted as saying that he was joining others who were going to “take over the county” and in the recent article he says he really didn’t want to be a politician. Huh?

Ken Bryan has spent too much time inside the beltway. He has the political, government double-speak down to a science. The Republicans in St. Johns County are not so foolish as to take his veiled insults with a grain of salt. He better be enrolling a BUNCH of Democrats as St. Johns County voters before his re-election rolls around.

Oh. Put on a helmet Ken and buckle up that chin-strap. You might be in for a bumpy ride.

Brookes, who was misidentified by The Record as “Ralph Brooks” in an April 22, 2009 article by Peter Guinta, shows up at a county commission meeting representing “South Anastasia Community Association” in opposition of a commercial construction project just off Interstate 95 that would bring 450 permanent jobs to the economically depressed southwest quadrant of St. Johns County.

After receiving approval from Planning and Zoning, this “shovel ready” project is stalled. The Southwest Commerce Park project would employ construction workers to build its 460,000 square feet of light industrial and warehouse space, create new employment opportunities after the 83 acre project is built and has been backed by a $100 million investment from its owner.

The reason we find ourselves looking to cut essential government services to balance our county budget is that we don’t have the money to pay for them. The reason we don’t is the fact that St. Johns County has such a poor reputation for not being business friendly.

Of course Brookes has no investment here.

At that meeting, Commissioner Mark Miner said, “We need more businesses here. I have no problem with this project at all. I don’t see how this is going to destroy the environment.”

But that didn’t stop Brookes’ fellow Siera Clubber Bill Hamilton from shamefully spinning the tale of an environmental holocaust if construction of this project is moved forward.

The owner was granted a deferment until October for a decision on his application; a deferment that was granted over the objection of one, lone county commissioner – Joseph “Ken” Bryan.

Most recently, Brookes has not only appeared before the St. Augustine city commission – he has filed an unexpected motion to intervene in the negotiations to put an end to the $9 million lawsuit hanging over the heads of city taxpayers.

Who is out-of-town lawyer Brookes representing in that case? Why, none other that sitting County Commissioner Joseph “Ken” Bryan and his Sierra Club associate, Bill Hamilton.

Is Bryan using his position to advance The Sierra Club agenda? Has he compromised his position on the Board of Commissioners; offering his vote in exchange for promoting his own political career by supporting the anti-business, anti-employment organization who wraps every healthy, quality of life issue in a shroud of imagined environmental consequences?

Has Brookes become the new mouthpiece of the wealthy and privileged hypocrites who use every luxury for themselves — luxuries that they would deny to others in the future?

What’s wrong, Mr. Brookes? Not enough ambulances to chase in Cape Coral? Absolutely shameful.

It is shameful that a sitting county commissioner would, without invitation, stick his big fat nose into the ongoing negotiations of a lawsuit against all the taxpayers of the city at a time when a solution that would put an end to this litigation was at hand.

It is even more shameful and hypocritical that the carpetbagging commissioner, himself, lives in a private, gated community with boat slips that extend into the same Intracoastal Waterway that he would deprive the future residents of Fish Island.

Thank goodness Mayor Joe Boles isn’t swayed by the few, privileged, loudmouth, Sierra Clubers like Bryan and his cronies Bill Hamilton and Joseph J. Lopinto, Jr.; who don’t live in the city limits and who will not have to suffer the consequences of paying for the antics of their lawyer, Ralf Brookes.