This one is a few days late due to 5 days incarceration in the high security Mariners Hospital. I was treated

for pneumonia and nicotine starvation. The nurses were stern, but sweet and professional. My worst

experience was the night gown which was put on backwards and I dreamed I was being transferred to Key

West

BEHIND THE BLACK ROBE: There is a growing dissatisfaction with the judicial system throughout the

nation. The percentage of the GNP consumed by the judiciary will soon dwarf that of all other services,

including National Defense Every municipality, county seat, and state capitols have judicial infrastructure at a cost in the trillions of $, paid for by the taxpayers-thee and me. Each year budgets grow to support bloated, obscene, and unnecessary legal services

The Monroe County budget proposed for 03 is over $900.000, $600,000 more is allocated to the various

departments. Everyone gets to play, even Public Works is allocated $25,000 so they won't feel left out.

County and City governments across this great nation are forced to cut social programs, law enforcement

line items, while treating the legal budget as sacrosanct. Legal services is an overhead expense and should be

treated as such. The BOCC should make a concerted effort to curtail litigation. Mediation should ordered

as a first step toward reconciliation or compromise where there is a legal conflict. Yes, the lawyers will

scream like a wounded piscus ant, but sobeit. The judges could be asked to rush things along in court cases

involving the county. Losers in frivolous law suits could be ordered to pay through the nose. After all the

BOCC just recently committed over $8,000,000 of our infrastructure money to build a palace for the judges

and their double-dipping court reporters.

***

HOW ATTORNEYS FEED ON OUR MONEY: A business on Key Largo, an adult video outlet, went

through drill to become licensed. All of the do's and don't's were met. The business was finally licensed not

so much because of the planning commission, but in spite of it. Since licensing no children have disappeared, and no sexual assaults have been reported, as was predicted by certain window peeping men and their headache mates.

Now then after over a year of operation the planning commission has written laws that place additional

requirements on this type business. Requirements that would be impossible to meet. This was done with an

attorney present and apparently ruling that the new laws, laws that would lead to the closing of a properly

licensed business and the forfeiture of investment, was legal.

This action was, no doubt, met with squeals of glee by the legal fraternity, and a great big thank you to the

county attorney. If this plan is, after the final appeal, declared unconstitutional, as it must, the planning

commission attorney should be disbarred and forced to pay a portion of the legal bill. Additionally, county

commissioners who sign off on the change to the ordinance should be charged with a criminal conspiracy.

They should be jailed and fined to the sum of the cost of the litigation.

If the recommendations of the planning commission are overturned the members who voted for the change

should be removed from the PC and never allowed to serve on a government activity.

All of this may seem harsh but the flow of our resources to the judicial must be stopped. Civil and criminal

procedures should be written to be understandable by laymen.

Over the past 50 years the speed of government take-over by the judicial has accelerated. Members of the

various state bar associations have been declared members of the judicial and thereby not subject to

regulation or supervision by the legislature. They indirectly rule by edict of one court or another. Laws are

written by lawyers, interpreted by lawyers, and enforced by the courts. They rule the whole complex of

political institutions, laws, and customs through which the function of governing is carried out.

This is a greater threat to our republic than international terrorism, than to the invasion of the drug cartels. It is, in fact, the epitome of terrorism. A letter with a law firm return address, must strike fear in the heart of

the most honest addressee. This must signal a transfer of funds to some lawyer or other. Terrorism at its

best.

***

HOORAY FOR THE JEWS! In a brilliant F-16 precision strike that killed Salah Shehadeh, the top

commander of Hamas' military wing, Izzadine el-Qassam ,and some 14 of his quasi-military supporters. This

is reported to include a 14 year old daughter, who, no doubt was fitted for suicide work. Hooray! Hooray!

President of The Enron States of America quickly condemned the act. He might be humming a different

tune if these Moslem killers had been routinely slaying his Mexican pals down in Crawford, Texas.

George W. Bush is a protector of those who robbed the common man of his and her retirement dreams. To add insult to injury he adds a generous tax break to those corporations who have, and are raping the

American public. Both the republicans and democrats are making much to do about jailing thieving

corporate managers. And this may come to pass but there is no great drive to restore the retirement funds

bilked from our ageing citizens. Billions of this loot will find its way into the coffers of the defense

lawyersâ¤"what happens when the lawyers have all the money? I guess they will have to start suing each

other.

***

BEWARE! THE KEY LARGO WASTEWATER TREATMENT DISTRICT: Beware is said because this

District will be administered by a 5 member board to be elected in November in the general election. There

are 14 candidates for the 5 seats. The 5 who receive the most votes will be seated. Because of the wide

powers delegated this board it is imperative that the top 5 selected are the best qualified. Follows are some of the powers.

"The purpose of the district shall be to perform such acts as shall be necessary for the sound planning,

acquisition, development, operation, and maintenance of a wastewater management system within the district,

including all business facilities necessary and incidental thereto. The district shall have exclusive jurisdiction

over the acquisition, development, operation, and management of a wastewater management system in and

for the district boundaries."

"To plan, develop, purchase or otherwise acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, extend, enlarge, equip,

repair, maintain, and operate any wastewater management system and facilities within the territorial limits of

the district."

"To acquire by grant, loan, purchase, gift, or devise or by the exercise of the right of eminent domain all

property, real or personal, or any estate or interest therein necessary, desirable, or convenient for the

purposes of this act, and to sell, convey, lease, rent, or assign all or any part thereof and to exercise all of its

powers and authority with respect thereto. The exercise of eminent domain shall be as provided for by

applicable general law."

To do all acts or things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers expressly granted in this act."

"To establish, or otherwise make available, a plan for retirement, disability, death, hospitalization, and other

appropriate benefits for officers and employees of the district."The members of the governing board shall

receive as compensation for their services a fee of $300 per meeting, not to exceed three meetings per

month."

So, do you see where the BEWARE comes from? This board will have dictatorial and seemingly

unconstitutional powers. My guess is that if public hearings had been held, as they should have been, the

language of this Gestapo bill would not have held up. But we have it and not we must rest our souls on our

selection of the 5 most qualified and trustworthy board members. More in September.

***

LETTER TO EDITOR-A TRUE CONFESSION? The following comments are offered concerning a letter

printed in the Reporter Newspaper on August 2. ( The name of the author is withheld to save embarrassment

to his family. ) The letter was titled, "Arresting police videos."

The letter was, in general, sympathetic to police brutality . It opened with a statement that videos of police

beating the hell out of some chained victim, " has a way of looking very bad on the part of the police."

Which, of course we all agree.

He then proudly confesses that he had received such a beating from a Key West police officer in years past-

while in the drunk tank. He claims that he lied to the judge by testifying that his injuries were inflicted by his

falling down a few timesâ¤"not by felonious actions of a sadist cop. Although he withholds what he did,

declared that he deserved every thump. ( Did he goose a nun? or pee on a lamp post?)

Well he may have, and although he survived to become a model citizen there seems to be a void in his

understanding of the protections provided all citizens by our constitution. Yes, and drunks alike.

To condone or encourage in any way allowing a law enforcement officer to become judge, jury, and

executioner is to do a great disservice to all law abiding citizens.

***

U-PICK â¤÷EM FOR COUNTY ATTORNEY: At the last count 28 lawyers have applied to replace retiring

county attorney "Boss"Jim Hendrick. It makes one wonder why the popularity for a job that pays less

annually than a good attorney can make breaking up a family in divorce court.

But if Jimmy needs to be replaced let's replace his policies and any rush to litigation that may have been

prevalent in his service to the county. We can do that in 4 steps.

First off, the BOCC should pick the selection committee. Mr. Hendrick should not be a member of this group and recommendations shouldn't be solicited from him.

Next, eliminate, up front, all candidates not permanent residents of the county.

Third, remove from consideration any and all applicants who worked for or with Hendrick in his law firm or as an assistant county attorney.

Well now, see how easy it will be?. We can eliminte 24 in the second step and two in the third. This leaves 2

for consideration. Michael Barnes and John Collins. Bar talk has it t hat Collins is the favorite of the

Hendrick cartel. Stay Tuned.

***

COUNTY COMMISSIONER CANDIDATES-DIST 4: The first to qualify, Mary Kay Reich, is better known as Madam No. This title was affectionately bestowed upon Mary because she is thought to have muttered

NO! More times than all of the members of the International Association of Old Maids. MK ran last go

around for the Dist. 5 seat that she had held for 2 terms and lost most of the precincts from Ocean Reef to

Key West. She was a die hard democrat and won the die hard loyal democrat vote.

But now she has deserted and double-crossed life long supporters, the unions, the homelessâ¤"she switched

to the republican party. She moved to Marathon possibly thinking that City of Marathon would be dumb

enough not to launch a viable opponent, which they did, and him is Dr. David Rice.

David's contributions to the community are legend and too numerous for this page. There are 2 activities that prepare him to serve as County Commissioner.

First, he has served as Executive Director of the Guidance Clinic of the Middle Keys, directing the efforts of

125 employees, providing mental health and substance abuse services to more than 2,500 people each year

throughout the Keys. For 30 years, the guidance clinic has been responsible for assisting members of the

community in times of personal crises.

Secondly: As Executive Director of the Guidance Clinic, he has had to learn a lot about the budgetary

process. Three decades of having to provide much-needed services within very tight budgetary constraints

has taught him how to distinguish what's essential, from what would merely be nice to have.

Finally and a main attribute that separates him from his opponent can be found in the following quote: "Life, and my experience as a psychologist, has taught me that much more can be accomplished by working

together than through negativity."( David Rice)

ACTUNG REPUBLICAN VOTERS!! This race will be decided in the primary election on September 10.

Democrats need not attend. DO IT FOR DAVID! RALLY FOR RICE!

***

CORAL SHORES NEGLIGENCE COST $40,000: Mr. Businessman, Mr. Taxpayer can you imagine

leaving 40 grand of your hard earned money in an unguarded, unlocked room, for 2 months? Well just that

happened at Coral Shores High School where 23 computers were carted off, probably at high noon. When?

Nobody knows, but they think sometime during June or July. It's a wonder that they cart off the principal's

desk while he dozed.

No matter how much money we give the school district they will find a way to waste most of it. And who

suffers? The students, naturally. Who should suffer? The school board and the superintendent should pay and the principal fired. Boo!

***

BUSH ENERGY PLAN-THEY AIN'T ONE: Maybe he has one but the oil barons are holding him back till

after we occupy Iraq.

Recently most of the think tanks warned the pentagon not to invade. Further they revealed that Bush's pals,

the Saudi's, were providing funds and other support to terrorist at every level. The Bush priorities appear to be out of line.

The Saudi's are the religious and financial leaders in the Mid East. To attack Iraq would be like cutting a

couple of inches off the tail of a snake. To bring down the Saudi's would be cutting off the head.

The Monroe County Oracle is provided, free, to registered voters. To receive, Send Name,

Screen name. Voting precinct to, oraclejoe@ aol.com