- April 24, 2024
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Dear Editor:
Like a spoiled child, at the Sept. 9 County Commission meeting, Joe Mullins again lashed out at fellow commissioners by calling Greg Hansen a “fat son of a b----” while immaturely posing as a boxer ready to fight and then childishly belittling Charlie Ericksen for his lack of mental sharpness.
This isn’t the first time Mr. Mullins has publicly disparaged his fellow commissioners, nor was it the first time he has disrupted commission meetings. At the same Sept. 9 meeting, he refused to wear a mandated mask while endorsing and joining a group of non-mask-wearing protesters, even though the meeting protocol mandated masks.
With this in mind, when fellow commissioners Donald O’Brien and Dave Sullivan were presented with Mr. Mullins’ censure on Sept. 21, rational and objective citizens would think that Mr. Hansen’s and Mr. Ericksen’s fellow commissioners would censure him to restrain his repeated pattern of inappropriate, unprofessional and repugnant behavior. But, no!
O’Brien and Sullivan, in essence, endorsed his belligerent behavior by offering hollow excuses and quoting Biblical scripture on behalf of Mr. Mullins. Commissioner O’Brien even had the impudence to blame Mr. Hansen for antagonizing Mr. Mullins, as if Mr. Mullins wasn’t personally responsible for his vile and emotional outbursts. By holding Mullins harmless, these spineless commissioners are actually enabling his hateful and disparaging behavior instead of curtailing it.
O’Brien and Sullivan lack the courage, fortitude and moral decency to do what is right and just because — like the schoolyard bully who intimidates his classmates — Mullins will not only continue to disparage and disrupt, he will magnify it!
Meanwhile, we have this untethered “loose cannon” administering our local government with weak fellow commissioners, O’Brien and Sullivan, who can’t or won’t make the right decision for the people of Flagler County. Caspar Milquetoast would be proud!
Bill Green
Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: We offered O’Brien, Sullivan and Mullins a chance to respond to Green’s criticism.
Mullins wrote: “As far as I’m concerned, this issue is resolved, and it’s time to get focused on Flagler.”
O’Brien wrote: “I appreciate the opportunity to provide some perspective on Mr. Green’s letter.
“While I agree with what he has written regarding Commissioner Mullins' behavior at a recent commission meeting, I think he has unfairly recapped my position and comments about that behavior during our discussion about a resolution of censure at the meeting. A portion of what I read at the meeting is as follows:
“ ‘Commissioner Mullins, your behavior at our last meeting was embarrassing and hurtful. There are no excuses; you did it, and you should own up to it. The meeting was tainted and undermined. I told you that day man-to-man how I felt about it. We serve on a collegial board of equals. This is not a vessel for national politics; it is results-oriented, close-to-the-people local government. We do things that impact peoples' lives locally. We represent everyone. There is a time for expressing our national political preferences, but when we do not temper that in our local government work ... it detracts from our results. This nonsense and lack of leadership results in a huge distraction and waste of time. A waste of time that citizens write us or contact us with their views and suggestions on your behavior instead of on the important issues facing us.’
“I did not vote for a resolution of censure because, in my opinion, it is a meaningless resolution that has no legal authority or weight with no teeth or enforcement. Flagler County has never had one in 102 years, and I felt that my ‘on the record’ direct criticism was what was warranted.”
Sullivan wrote: “Mr. Green, just as it is with all of us, has the right to express his views as he sees fit. However, the information he has presented in his letter was unclear and biased.
“As I stated publicly on Sept. 21, Commissioner Mullins’ actions and words at the Sept. 9 meeting were unacceptable, especially since they were directed specifically at Commissioners Hansen and Ericksen. As far as the word censure goes, it does not remove a member from their office, so they retain their title, stature, and power to vote.
“Before I spoke at the 21st meeting, Mr. Mullins publicly apologized to the two commissioners and all present for what he had said at the Sept. 9 meeting. I believe my responses at both the Sept. 9. and 21 BOCC meetings were both measured and appropriate, and I stand by both. At this point my problem with your letter is that you have taken a specific incident not involving politics and attempted to turn it into an anti Republican Party talking point, which you intend to damage the party and the Flagler County BOCC organization as a whole.
“As far as my personal courage, fortitude and moral decency go, I do take strong exception to the words in your letter. I've been around a while, and my 28 years of active duty in the U.S. Navy retiring as a captain, 12 years a director for Hughes and Boeing classified space programs, U.S. Navy League national director and finally having the guts to run for Flagler County commissioner once and now just winning a second four-year term, I've faced many much more important and tough decisions than those you mention.
“Don't be a back bencher, Mr. Green. Get of the bench and into the fray. Facebook commentary and other social media dribble do not do much to make Flagler County a better place for all of us. My objective as a county commissioner is to make Flagler County safe, secure, business and family friendly and better overall as we all move into the future.”
Also in letters ...
Dear Editor:
Yard signs don't get votes. You get votes by the merits and service you give to the voters. My 12 years as commissioner and chairman of the East Flagler Mosquito Control District. During my tenure, I have kept the ad valorem tax the lowest it has been since 2013, and it keeps going down. I think I have earned your vote. Remember, mosquitoes don’t bite, they suck.
Jules Kwiatkowski
Palm Coast
Editor’s Note: Kwiatkowski is the incumbent running for Seat 1 of the the East Flagler Mosquito Control District.
