THERE BACK…RANDY COVINGTON’S CREW OF “MOSQUITOTEERS”
During the general election in the fall 2012, Randy Covington and his “BAND OF MOSQUITOTEERS” attempted to take over control of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District and relinquish control of the AMCD to the St. Johns County Commissioners along with the $3,800,000.00 which the district holds for emergency reserves and contingencies.
One severe hurricane would wipe this reserve out in several weeks as the district waged battle against mosquito larvae which would blossom due to double the increase in size of our water mass, both standing and moving, as a result of the storm and its surge which would produce flooding.
As Lance Thate so aptly wrote in “Town Crier” on October 28, 2012: “Randy is a political operative in the style of Richard Nixon. Does the term ‘dirty tricks’ come to mind? In our opinion, Edward Randolph Covington, AKA Randy Covington, is not interested in mosquito control but to ‘control’ the Anastasia Mosquito Control Board with his two REC friends. There have been attempts to gobble up this INDEPENDENT mosquito authority, in the past, and to meld it into the bloated County government.”
Presently, October 2014, Covington’s two friends are “DUKE” MARA and ED GEORGE, both candidates for Anastasia Mosquito Control District commission seats. Sounds like a couple of hooligans out of a whodunit.
On Wednesday evening, at the candidates’ forum held at the St. Johns County Administration Auditorium, “DUKE” MARA kept repeating “how confused he was” concerning the events and planning surrounding the increase in millage for one year to facilitate the construction of the new AMCD Research and Operations Facility. He also became confused when he could not add the figures for the segments of the construction ($3,600,000.00), including the building materials, equipment and furnishings ($400,000.00), the impact fee ($125,000.00), the tax savings on the purchase of building materials (-$61,000.00 Savings) and the 10% override ($575,000.00). All which equaled 4.6 million dollars. CORY “DUKE” MARA kept coming up with a total of 5 million dollars, over and over again.
“DUKE MARA” should not feel all alone in his confusion…his friends Jim Sutton and Kathy Nelson from the St. Augustine Record could not get this straight either, even when their reporters brought the facts and figures back to them. So don’t feel you are left all alone in that dark closet “DUKE.”
How can we trust “DUKE” MARA to be a commissioner and oversee the budget of a couple of million dollars a year when it is obvious he cannot add or subtract?
By the way, “DUKE” MARA also has a problem following a conversation. It was obvious he could not understand Commissioner Moeller’s concise explanation of the process, planning and practical applications applied to the construction of the new AMCD Research and Operations Facility. He just couldn’t get it no matter how hard he tried, even when AMCD Commissioner Brandhorst explained it to him.
When “DUKE” MARA was asked by the panel what qualified him to be an AMCD commissioner he responded. He is a Catholic. He has four children. He is a Republican. He is a fiscal conservative. He is a graduate of Flagler College. He is a GIS Analyst. He is a volunteer. He is endorsed by the St. Augustine Record, He is endorsed by the Historic City News, He is…He is…He is…He is… But, he gave no substantial qualifications he possessed to be able to take on the responsibility of an AMCD commissioner. He only attended two AMCD meetings in September 2014, however, he left early both times and was not there from gavel to gavel, you know, start to finish.
The second “MOSQUITOTEER,” ED GEORGE, presented nothing substantial in the way of qualification, especially qualifying his knowledge of mosquitos and the process of controlling them. He did offer several times that he was a Professional Engineer. However, his descriptions of his construction experience led me to believe it had to do more with the taking and analysis of core samples of the soil, dirt and gravel. I have great appreciation for his profession, but there is much more to Mosquitos than dirt and gravel. Similar to “DUKE,” ED feels there needs to be more planning and testing. If these two candidates would have researched more diligently, they would have discovered that planning and studies have been going on long before these sitting commissioners ever got to the table.
WE ARE TALKING THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY MEN…DON’T YOU GET IT?
I KNOW THE ST. JOHNS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DON’T GET IT, ALL THEY CAN DO IS SMELL THE “RESERVE MONEY.”
SJC Commissioners never contacted AMCD when I warned them in June 2014 of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in the Americas. The cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach responded within 24 hours requesting assistance and training in procedures to protect their employees against Chikungunya virus (CHIKV).
“MOSQUITOTEERS” DUKE MARA AND ED GEORGE ARE TEAMING UP WITH SJC COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND COUNTY MANAGER WANCHICK AND HIS ASSISTANT JERRY CAMERON TO CHASE THE MONEY IN RESERVE AT AMCD, AS YOU ALL SIT BACK AND SAY THE HECK WITH THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF OUR CITIZENS AND EMPLOYEES. WE NOW EXPECT NO MORE THAN THAT FROM ALL OF YOU.
FLEETING THOUGHT: MARA, INSTEAD OF RENAMING AMCD, RENAME ST. AUGUSTINE RECORD – “THE MOSQUITO WHACKER”