Yes, John Yoo. He is the man who justifies torture. During his 2001 to 2003 tenure in the Office of Legal Counsel as an assistant deputy attorney general, Yoo worked under Jay Bybee in the U.S. Department of Justice. It has bee widely reported Yoo was the author or co-author of the so-called torture memos. These memos provided the Bush White House with the legal advice, read that justification, to use enhanced interrogation techniques.

In one memo John Yoo says:

“The victim must experience intense pain or suffering of the kind that is equivalent to the pain that would be associated with serious physical injury, so severe that death, organ failure, or permanent damage resulting in a loss of significant body function will likely result.”

We agree with Colbert and a legion of other right thinking individuals including  Spanish National Court Judge Baltasar Garzon who is spearheading an investigation of  what is now known as “The Bush Six”. They are William J. Haynes II, then general counsel to the Department of Defense;  Douglas Feith, former undersecretary of defense for policy, John Yoo, Jay Bybee,   David Addington, the chief of staff under former Vice President Dick Cheney and our favorite,  former Attorney General Alberto “The Torturer” Gonzales. Sadly Dick Cheney former Vice President is not included.

Although these six could possibly face criminal charges in Spain
for enabling torture at Guantanamo and elsewher, (we suggest “The Bush Six” take Madrid off the European itinerary); we are not in favor of seeing them imprisoned or tried.  We look forward to see them publicly humiliated, shamed and disgraced for their part in the devastation and disruption of lives around the world.

In that post we encouraged you to contact the representatives who were not present to ask them what their position is on issues of county community concern such as employment, affordable housing, childcare, crime illegal use of drugs and the incarceration of the mentally ill in the county prison facility.

It occurred to us we should give out a few “at-a-boys” to the members of the Volusia County Council  and to the mayors from the cities in Volusia County who took the time to be present at that important assembly on Monday evening.Positive feedback is as important to our legislative leaders as the negative critiques. Everyone likes to know when they’ve done at least one thing right. We must let them when they are doing a good job. Tell them we appreciate them doing their jobs. We appreciate and support them as they represent the interests of the common John or Jane Q. Public, and we want them to continue to perform the job they were “hired”/elected to do the way they promised they’d do it.

We want to give a thank you shout out to Volusia County Chairman Frank Bruno; to the “new kid” on the council Josh Wagner, District 2; Andy Kelly, of District 1 and Carl Persis, who represents District 4.

Elected officials from Daytona Beach, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach and Port Orange deserve a pat on the back for attending a meeting where hundreds of constituents witnessed the mayors make their commitment, along with assurances from the county representatives, to work for the betterment of the community on the issues of greatest concern.

If you are pleased with their performance contact these elected officials to tell them.

We believe if there is an important matter you believe needs attention in the county or your city contacting these representatives could be beneficial. They may be able to help you.

Volusia County Council
Thomas C. Kelly
Administration Center
123 W. Indiana Ave
DeLand, Fl 32720

Frank Bruno, County Council Chairman
386-626-6582

Josh Wagner, District 2
386-239-7745/fax 386-304-5536

Andy Kelly, District 1
386-740-5224

Carl Persis, District 4
386-740-5224/fax 386-676-1389

The City Mayors

Daytona Beach
Mayor Glenn Ritchey
301 S. Ridgewood Ave.
Room 200
Daytona Beach, Fl 32114
386-671-8007/fax 386-671-8015

Deltona
Mayor Dennis Mulder
2345 Providence Boulevard
Deltona, Fl 32725
386-878-8100/fax 386-878-8501

New Smyrna Beach
Mayor Sally MacKay
210 Sams Avenue
New Smyrna Beach, Fl 32168
386-424-2112/fax 386-424-2109

Ormond Beach
Mayro fred Costello
City Hall P.O. Box 277
Ormond Beach, Fl 32175
386-677-0311

Port Orange
Mayor Allen reen
1000 City Center CIrcle
Port Orange, Fl 32129
386-506-5501/fax 386-756-5208

I had the pleasure of being in central Florida during the days leading up to the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama. As you know the day before this momentous occasion was the official federal holiday celebration of the birthday the slain civil rights leader the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who would have been eighty years-old.

I was invited by friends to join members of the Daytona Beach community at a breakfast, march and church service sponsored by the good people of the Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church where Father Phil Egitto is the pastor.We arrived for breakfast in the church social hall around 845 on the morning of January 19. The menu was simple with church ladies assisting by serving the guests coffee, water, breakfast quiche, grits and corned beef hash along with assorted pastries.

Father Egitto blessed the meal with a prayer that not only sounded Baptist in its delivery but gave me the idea he just might deliver a sermon before the meal.

After we went directed to the sanctuary to receive our instructions for the march which would begin at 930AM.

Our Lady of Lourdes offers a beautiful sanctuary of modern design. For this very special occasion on the wall at the front of the church was a painting of a black Jesus with broken chains and shackles on His wrists. The pulpit area was also decorated with boat sails of African patterned cloth symbolic of the ships that brought people from Africa against their will to these shores more than 400 years ago.

While we waited for marching instruction we sang with the church and school choir in an atmosphere that was tinged with excitement, warmth and love. It was a beautiful thing to see and experience. There were blacks and whites, people of goodwill all gathered together at this place of worship.
Continued next post

We also say a hearty congratulations to Tony Goudie the newly elected mayor of Ponce Inlet, Florida. We’re happy our own highlander will be leading the town and its council to maintaining the cozy small town feel of our precious historic location while bringing us into the 21st Century.

We wish much success to our choices of winning candidates.

We dig his energy.  We like the fact he’s young, sensible, enthusiastic, sincere and bright. Most of all we believe he will serve the community well. We wish him success in the upcoming general election.