a midsummer night’s Summer Solstice dream extravaganza at goodmorningkeywest.com

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JUN

20

Public announcement:

Midsummer

From up Islamorada way,

my old dear friend Rick Ruoff, Islmorada Flats fishing guide, had me in his skiff in a dream last night, as I was casting here and there, but not at the fish Rick was looking at, who got hooked up and reeled in a bit in a Key West Citizen article today, my redoubt trails the Citizen article.

Michael Reckwerdt, The Pussy of Islamorada

Saturday, June 20, 2015
Former mayor pleads in tax case
BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff
alinhardt@keysnews.com

Florida Keys marina owner and former Islamorada mayor Michael Reckwerdt pleaded guilty Friday in Key West federal court to felony tax fraud as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Reckwerdt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to impede or impair the Internal Revenue Service, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez will sentence Reckwerdt, but a date had not been set as of Friday. It is unlikely Reckwerdt will receive the maximum as prosecutors asked for leniency as part of the plea agreement.

Reckwerdt, 47, the owner of Flamingo Air of the Florida Keys lnc., Rent-A-Boat lnc., Robbie’s Charter Enterprises Inc., Robbie’s Marine Enterprises Inc. and Robbie’s of Key West LLC, failed to pay the proper income taxes from revenues generated from some of those businesses, prosecutors alleged.

The case, filed on May 27, comes almost four years after IRS and other federal agents raided Reckwerdt’s marinas in Islamorada and Stock Island.

Federal prosecutors claim that beginning in January 2006, and continuing through December 2010, Reckwerdt “conspired” and agreed “with other persons” to “defraud” the United States government and the IRS in the “ascertainment, computation, assessment and collection of … employment taxes,” according to court documents.

Prosecutors cited six separate incidents in which Reckwerdt “falsely reported taxable wages” on four of his businesses, records state.

According to the plea agreement, Reckwerdt failed to report more than $1 million in employee payroll from 2006 to 2010, of which he owes more than $160,000 in back taxes. Part of the plea agreements calls for him to pay the IRS the money owed.

Reckwerdt is represented by Miami-based attorneys Benedict Kuehne and Michael T. Davis. He is being prosecuted by Kimberly Selmore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Reckwerdt, who was first elected in the spring of 2004 to the Islamorada Village Council, was term-limited out of office in November 2012 after serving more than eight years.

alinhardt@keysnews.com

Before Reckwerdt was investigated by the IRS, he got into a bit of a public squabble with his wife, who, it seemed, had found him early one morning in an Islmorada establishment with his girlfriend, and that pleased his wife so much, that after she had it out with him and he was walking away with his thought to be girlfriend, his wife jumped back in her golf cart and rammed him in the leg, and he called the chief of police of Islamorada and woke him up maybe around 2:30 a.m, with his domestic dispute that he may well have caused by being with what might have been his girlfriend, and the chief of police sent officers and the wife was apprehended, and that’s when the angels dragged me into it, and I named the then mayor “The Pussy of Islamorada”, which, I heard from then State Attorney Dennis Ward, who lived up that way, went viral in Islamorada, and the pussy, I was told, was talking to a lawyer about suing me, and I laughed and said, oh, I sure do hope so, wait till I ask for his cell phone records in discovery, and that seemed to be the end of the talk about the pussy suing me. As I recall, it wasn’t that long after, the pussy was popped called by the IRS. No cosmic connection, of course. Two entirely unrelated events. Yeah, right.

Also in today’s Citizen, my interjected musings in bold italics:

Saturday, June 20, 2015
City discusses waterfront, housing and smoking ban
BY GWEN FILOSA Citizen Staff
gfilosa@keysnews.com

The city will start negotiating with the owners of the Westin resort to bridge Admiral’s Cut, the little canal that separates the Truman Waterfront from a privately-owned pier that leads to Mallory Square.

Barbed wire, a chainlink fence and a floating dock holding personal watercraft separate the Westin Key West Resort and Marina and East Quay Road, making it the only obstacle to anyone walking around the perimeter of the island.

Commissioner Jimmy Weekley brought the item to Tuesday’s meeting, where it was unanimously approved. City staff also presented an update on the long-awaited waterfront park construction, set to begin in November and cost a total of $58.5 million.

Everyone involved in this mega boondoggle knows the new park depends on Admiral’s Cut being opened up, for the park to make any sense at all, if you don’t consider the huge cost of the park. But what did the city do? It went ahead with the park, on the bet, wish, or hope, it could then gain access over Admiral’s Cut.

The Navy initially gave the waterfront parcel to the city in 2002, although some restrictions were later added.

“We really think it’s important that whatever we build there, it makes sense to the community,” said Jim Bouquet, the city engineer. “We don’t want something that’s just going to sit there and not be applicable to the needs of Key West, nor do we want to over build. It’s a real fine line we’re trying to walk.”

The first phase includes a pedestrian promenade along the waterfront that would put a footbridge over Admiral’s Cut.

The park will have an “interactive water feature,” plus a community center, walking trails, a new athletic field and a play area for children.

I bet homeless people are going to love this FREE park. Love it. And there already is beautiful Fort Zachary Taylor State Park right next door, which charges a modest entrance fee homeless people will not pay and do not use that park.

But one promised feature drew harsh criticism at the commission meeting.

Key West’s designs for Truman Waterfront also include a $7-million amphitheater, for which the Tourist Development Council has awarded a $2-million grant.

City Commissioner Tony Yaniz pronounced the park designs a “$58-million Disneyland South,” that date back to before the private marina plans were derailed by the Navy’s decision to close the harbor to the public.

“The idea that the amphitheater is going to generate positive income is just a myth,” Yaniz said. “It’s not going to happen.”

I agree, Tony, so why did you vote to proceed with the park, if you didn’t want the amphitheater?

City Commissioner Mark Rossi for years has shaken his head at the Truman Waterfront designs.

“I don’t see how future boat races are going to fit into this puzzle,” Rossi said, referring to the annual powerboat races. “I certainly don’t know where you’ll get the money for the upkeep.”

The park plans are simply “grandiose,” said Rossi, who isn’t seeking re-election this fall. He added: “I feel that we cannot afford this and I definitely want to go on the record so everybody knows where I come from and I did not vote for this.”

Say, what? I recall being at a city commission meeting and telling you, Mark, and the other commissioners and the mayor not to vote for this park, at least not before the city had Admiral Cut nailed down, and you voted for it.

Mayor Craig Cates said an amphitheater will bring tax dollars by drawing more tourists to Key West and perhaps it could be built for far less than the current plan.

Is Mayor Cates is willing to put his entire personal net worth up as collateral for the amphitheater generating meaningful positive revenue?

“These aren’t necessarily moneymakers for communities,” Bouquet said, “It may take quite awhile to get payback on this facility.”

Peary Court plans

City leaders also unanimously voted to start negotiations to buy Peary Court, whose owners this year decided to keep as rental housing rather than demolish for an entirely new development.

In 2013, White Street Partners paid $35 million for the 24-acre parcel. But they struck out at planning meetings when presenting designs and said they will remain landlords, leaving the 160 housing units there intact.

“Close proximity to Old Town, the size of the parcel and the preservation of the current affordable housing, makes Peary Court a good prospect for the retention of affordable housing for the working citizens of Key West,” reads the resolution approved by a unanimous vote.

The proposal directs the city manager and city attorney to deliver “preliminary recommendations, including potential partners,” within 90 days.

Margaret Romero, a three-time mayoral candidate, blasted the commission for planning to spend taxpayers’ money on the property.

“This to me is just plain nonsensical,” Romero said. “If we were going to buy this, why didn’t we do it to begin with?”

Amen, Margaret. And why buy it in any event? It’s affordable rental housing now, if you are fairly well off and can afford it. Just keep thwarting the developer’s schemes to develop it, and the developer will keep renting it until a sucker can be found to buy it and save the developer from buying it for $35 million.

Last Stand, the environmental protection group, questioned whether the acquisition would burden taxpayers.

Naw, taxpayers will love paying for it.

Commissioner Weekley compared the plan to the one that preceded the city buying what is now the Key West Historic Seaport and said it would cost far more to buy vacant land and install infrastructure for new housing.

“It would be a vote of the citizens of Key West if we’re able to negotiate a price,” Weekley said.

What price, Jimmy? Give us a number you are willing for the city to pay.

Commissioner Teri Johnston said preserving existing affordable housing is a start in a city that has a deficit of 3,000 housing units for working people.

“It doesn’t hurt to ask,” she said.

What price, Teri? Where’s the money for it coming from? You can’t even afford a new homeless shelter. You are asking the Housing Authority to build it for you. Are you going to ask the Housing Authority to buy Peary Court? For if the city contracts to buy Peary Court, then the voter taxpayers will have to approve the contract in a referendum.

Smoking ban plan

Without comment, city commissioners agreed to urge the state to allow them to curb smoking in public parks.

They approved a resolution asking smokers “to always consider the negative impact of secondhand smoke on others,” and refrain from smoking in parks and other city-owned spots.

For 30 years, Florida has kept the power to install any type of outdoor smoking ban away from local government. Smokers here can still light up in bars but smoking indoors has largely been made obsolete by law.

Enter the Second Hand Smoke Citizen Advisory Committee, which two Key West women formed in an effort to make Bayview Park smoke-free, at least during events that draw families with children.

After viewing a presentation about the potential hazards of secondhand smoke, commissioners appeared onboard with trying to legally limit smoking on public property.

For now, the city has posted signs asking people not to smoke where children play.

The measure has drawn some critics, such as Barbara Ramey, of Key West, who sent a letter to the city saying she is a smoker, “and last I checked, it’s still legal.”

“Stop wasting our money with your time spent on things like this,” Ramey wrote June 15. “You all have more important issues.”

Yeah, like banning tobacco products from Key West altogether :-). Tobacco is a proven killer. Does KWPD let known killers run loose on city streets and in city parks?

gfilosa@keysnews.com

Jerry Weinstock, M.D., Psychiatry, retired, replied to part of yesterday’s post at goodmorningkeywest.com:

SLOAN: definitely in the nick of time; /////—Kari if she is sober— which she is —strikes me as having
intelligence and inner resources to steer herself on a safe path in that cesspool of conflict -the Jail.
hope you are not consumed with worry—try and relax a bit—Jerry

I replied:

Jerry,

On a worry scale, spank me, Kari’s saga is not nearly as stressful for me as the rest of my own saga.

Sleeping at KOTS last night was a breeze compared to what I experienced internally throughout the night, physically and psychically. I had hoped the inside load would ease, once I started being really homeless again, but yesterday the inside load was rough, and last night much rougher. I don’t see how I will not break down and disintegrate if the inside load continues at this level.

Aggravating that, I have no place to rest during the day. My money is low. Hanging out in restaurants, bars, coffee shops is not okay with them, nor with me, if I’m not a paying customer. I’m in Sippin’ Internet Cafe right now, will buy a V-8 juice, all I can afford, and write and put together today’s post at goodmorningkeywest.com, and then leave and probably head for the library, where I don’t have to buy anything, or to the Senior Citizen Center, where I don’t have to buy anything, or to a park where Kari and I hung out and the cops didn’t bother us for lying on towels and reading, napping and talking under shaded trees. After I take a couple of aspirin, if the internal load does not ease soon.

Your well-intended recommendations, Jerry, simply to not apply to me and my spiritual journey, who and which are not remotely related to what mental health practitioners are trained to try to deal with. 5 minutes in my skin, Jerry, would drive you permanently insane, then, if you were lucky, you would die. Nothing in your experiences, nothing in a pharmacy, nothing in a saloon, nothing, and I mean, nothing of this world would help you. If the angels did not shield you, you would, as I said, go permanently insane, and, hopefully, and mercifully, you would die.

When Kari called me last night and asked me where I was and I said, KOTS, she said she was so sorry. I was, too, but being there wasn’t bothering me nearly as much as what was going on inside of me and in the total destruction of my routine. Actually, KOTS was okay. The new management were nice and helpful. My good friend Mike Tolbert now is KOTS Manager. He and his wife Patti Jo, also my good friend, both have been homeless. They know the terrain.

Mike

Mike and I talked yesterday afternoon by phone, I told him I was sleeping at KOTS last night, they were expecting me when I arrived. I was given a clean sheet and shown my sleeping pad in the far back right end of Dorm C, most distant from the entrance gate, the “front office” and the sitting area, where movies are watched at night under a canvas porch cover.

I then was given a towel and to the showers I went. Showers I myself had cleaned up each evening, when I was in Florida Keys Outreach Coalition’s program in 2003, recovering from nearly dying from MRSA and running for mayor of Key West the first time, after being asked to do so by Father Steve Braddock, FKOC’s CEO and City Planning Commissioner Bill Verge. They gave me the money for the filing fee.

Now, these are not the same showers I cleaned up; they are a later generation. The showers I cleaned up were when the public showers were in the KWDP station’s parking lot on Truman Avenue. Those showers were smaller and did not have toilet and sinks in the shower stall. Just the shower itself, back then. The showers at KOTS now have tile floors, which is good. There was hot water when I showered going on 9 p.m. I was glad for that. I had to take everything in there with me, Mike had said there still is a theft problem.

The clients, probably 90+ percent men, were quiet and respectful to one another and staff. I saw and heard nothing last night, which put me on any kind of alert, or caused me to wish it wasn’t happening. The men in C Dorm were quiet. The noise was inside of me, and in my dreams. That was a different kettle of fish altogether. A kettle very much still with me, as I write this, but writing does take my mind off of it somewhat.

When Kari asked me last night what was my plan for leaving KOTS, living inside?, I said, I have no plan. I might live at KOTS a year. It’s not my call, the angels are in charge of that. Oh. It’s hard for even Kari, who has been with me in close quarters, herself experiencing the other dimensions, mostly in her sleep so far, to grok what I live with all the time. But if we stay together, and if we end up having a place of our own, she will see what it is I experience, she will know it, she will be part of it, and nobody she knows but me will have a clue what’s going on with her and with her and me, except my friend Brenda in north Georgia, who is getting plenty of angel handling herself.

A vicious van dweller criminal amigo sent me a marvelous thing about Robin Williams’ relationship with homeless people, which I will include in my post today at goodmorningkeywest.com. Also, because of dreams last night, I will include the Shanghaied poem, which burst out of me on June 7, 2004, and in plain English, although it might as well be written in Mongolian, tells what it’s like for me to be conscripted by angels. I will share it with Kari, hoping it will help her cope with the truly weird life her fellow lives.

Meanwhile, Kari said she talked with her JIP counselor yesterday about her fear of women inmates trying to get her ejected from the JIP program, and put into lock down, and the counselor said only Kari can eject herself from JIP, with the judge’s approval. That still didn’t resolve the lockdown threat, which might never lay down. Kari says there are some really messed up women in there, who delight in making life miserable for other women, including Kari. And, as I wrote yesterday, the guards tend to believe the person who complains to them, and not believe the person who did not run to them.

Sloan

Victor Clarke shared a photo to your timeline.

11 hrs ·

Perry Marshall

A Little Known Robin Williams Story:

“Years ago I learned a very cool thing about Robin Williams, and I couldn’t watch a movie of his afterward without thinking of it. I never actually booked Robin Williams for an event, but I came close enough that his office sent over his rider.

For those outside of the entertainment industry, a rider lists out an artist’s specific personal and technical needs for hosting them for an event- anything from bottled water and their green room to sound and lighting requirements. You can learn a lot about a person from their rider. This is where rocks bands list their requirement for green M&Ms (which is actually a surprisingly smart thing to do).

This is also where a famous environmentalist requires a large gas-guzzling private jet to fly to the event city, but then requires an electric or hybrid car to take said environmentalist to the event venue when in view of the public.

When I got Robin Williams’ rider, I was very surprised by what I found. He actually had a requirement that for every single event or film he did, the company hiring him also had to hire a certain number of homeless people and put them to work.

I never watched a Robin Williams movie the same way after that. I’m sure that on his own time and with his own money, he was working with these people in need, but he’d also decided to use his clout as an entertainer to make sure that production companies and event planners also learned the value of giving people a chance to work their way back.

I wonder how many production companies continued the practice into their next non-Robin Williams project, as well as how many people got a chance at a job and the pride of earning an income, even temporarily, from his actions.

He was a great multiplier of his impact. Let’s hope that impact lives on without him. Thanks, Robin Williams- not just for laughs, but also for a cool example.”

Reposted with permission from brianlord.org

“SHANGHAIED”

A calling to serve carries its own wisdom,
which legitimates both the calling and the serving
so that the two are one:
Only the one called to serve
can know this wisdom,
and for some who are called
the knowing comes easily,
while for others the knowing is a fiery baptism.
Each calling is different,
and while some callings can be declined,
others cannot,
and those whose calling is without repentance
know they are in it for the duration of the calling,
and while others may try to persuade them out of it,
the calling for ones such as these always prevails;
thus is it advised to all called for keeps
that they view their calling as a blessing
even when it seems at times to be a curse,
and that they try to reconcile the loss of their captain status
and allow the Spirit of God to man the helm of their ship
and be glad and willing crew members thereon,
knowing that all sailing ships of souls
need a crew as well as a captain
to maintain and navigate the ship through
seas of many tones, depths and flavors;
so consider each league sailed
as part of the overall journey
going to where the captain deigns to go
by using whatever winds and sea currents available
to navigate the ship to the experiences
this ship and crew need to have
in order to fulfill their calling and its wisdom
revealed by the journey of many leagues,
many known only to the ship and its crew,
all of whom come to know,
some sooner than others,
that once conscripted
there is no safe jumping ship.

sloanbashinsky@outlook.com