I don’t take a lot of vacations. Sure once or twice a year I’ll go to WV and see friends and family, but the big trip, see something new and do new things getaways are rare. Often I am busier on vacation days than I am on work days. I have a routine for work and it works well for what I do. I have so many people I want to see when I travel to the homeland I am constantly on the road.
And then there was this last week’s vacation.It was an extended Mothers’ Day weekend and I flew to WV.The flight Thursday was late and by the time I landed there was time to grab a bite to eat and drive to my sister’s and get to sleep.Friday, my first real day away, the news broke that former Palm Bay Assistant City Manager Dave Isnardi and an associate had been arrested on multiple charges of conspiracy, racketeering and attempting to corrupt city council operations in the county’s largest city.The news stories seemed to come fast and furious.Sex, drugs and rock & roll were all a part, except maybe for the rock & roll.My cell phone and text messages blew up.It was going to be a working vacation.
Acknowledgement: Yes, Dave Isnardi has been a friend for around 20 years.We have not always agreed and he learned his politics at the wrong place, in service of He Who Shall Not Be Named.It doesn’t make Dave a bad guy, just loyal to a guy who, interestingly, is not named so far in this story.
I faithfully compiled story after story and read as much as I could on each take the media doled out.It was interesting, compelling stuff and, if reliable, a heck of a story.There were things that did not make sense and those that were very surprising, if they were true.I knew it would consume my first day back at work.Little did I know it would consume even more time.
During Wednesday’s 6am hour of the show we explained how confidential informants are developed and how they should be managed for successful investigations.Then we began exploring the Isnardi charging document that was to contain the probable cause for his arrest.We took the last two hours of the show and did not get close to finishing it.It continued into Thursday and who knows how much beyond.
Let’s leave it at this: for now these are serious allegations that deserve a serious response.The resolution is a long way off, but there are clues to explore along the way.It’s what we do and we’ll continue doing it, no matter where it goes.