So Much for Freedom in Harmony

[Geo]

This is a continuation of similar topics from the recent past (see "Your
First Amendment Freedoms", http://tinyurl.com/lybk9r7 and "The First
Amendment in Harmony", http://tinyurl.com/7z6repd ).

Once again Starwood / Harmony Development Company has abridged the freedoms
of Harmony's citizens. They have again shamelessly hosted a public meeting
in Harmony that some citizens were excluded from. For all we know, dozens of
people in Harmony may have been prevented from attending last night's
meeting with Osceola County Commissioner Fred Hawkins while apparently only
"friends of the developer" were allowed in.

Last year Fred Hawkins told me that the January 18, 2012 Town Hall Meeting
was scheduled at least a month prior. Given the last minute knowledge that
some citizens were being barred from that meeting, Fred claimed he couldn't
change its timing or its venue. Of course the implication at the time was
that Fred would have changed the meeting venue if he could.

That was last year.

This year Commissioner Fred Hawkins has no excuse. He has known for more
than a year that the first amendment was being ignored in Harmony by
Starwood / Harmony Development Company, yet he went ahead with his meeting
this year and did nothing about the sad repeat of the past.

Of course the truth always comes out one way or another.

Last year Fred got away with pretending that he had no foreknowledge of the
developer's abusive behavior. But that is not the case this time. Fred can
no longer pretend that he is a man of principle or that he is a champion of
what is fair and right in Osceola County.

Commissioner Hawkins can no longer pretend that he is not heavily influenced
by his close relationship with Starwood / Harmony Development Company (the
developer and its employees et al were Fred's second highest campaign
contributors last year, see "Who Cares About Politicians?",
http://tinyurl.com/m8hmg65 ). So it seems that when the developer says
"Jump!" Fred Hawkins asks "How High?"

Fred Hawkins should be ashamed of himself. Yet he has proven to have no
shame, IMHO.

Given the opportunity to help school children in Osceola County, instead
Fred Hawkins helped protect the corrupt political image of Cindy Hartig
(former chair of the Osceola School Board, see "What Kind of People?",
http://tinyurl.com/8tkuyuf ). Fred also apparently resorted to intimidation
tactics by having Osceola Sheriff's Deputies threaten his opponent during
last year's election (see "What Kind of People? - Part 2",
http://tinyurl.com/knmr8j9 ). The same tactics have been used against me by
Fred's developer supporters (see "Living in Fear in Harmony"
http://tinyurl.com/ly8dotw ). Was Commissioner Hawkins' close personal and
political relationship with the disgraced former Congressional
Representative Mike Horner just a lapse of character judgment? Only time
will tell.

One can only wonder, if asked by a major campaign contributor, would Fred
Hawkins be willing to speak at a so-called "public meeting" where people of
a certain race or ethnicity where excluded?

It's no wonder Fred Hawkins now avoids tough questions in public at almost
any cost to his own personal character.