When I first blogged about Ex-Miami Dade County Manager, Ex-Developer of Affordable Housing, Ex-Mayor of Homestead Steve Shiver last June, you might have detected a floral scent of cynicism.
Earlier this year, Shiver fled the city he helped turn into a hairball of suburban sprawl, foreclosures, and mortgage fraud. A reader advised eyeonmiami that Mr. Shiver had rolled up his carpet and moved up to the cooler clime of Maggie Valley, North Carolina where he has invested with former Miami Chamber of Commerce whiz Al Harper in "Ghost Town In The Sky", an amusement park.
Both were key movers in pushing the privatization of the former Homestead Air Force Base for the benefit of board members of the Latin Builders Association reconstituted as a private corporation. Miami New Times documented the more aromatic events of Shiver's career and even captured the reckless adventurism that terrified residents of Homestead during his tenure as a petty despot.
A Wall Street Journal report, "Rough Ride: Parks face slump" (WSJ, August 5, 2008), reminded me how rough a ride Shiver put Miami-Dade county through as county manager, when he instilled fear and loathing in county agencies by meddling on behalf of his sponsors like Natacha Seijas. In comparison, George Burgess seems like Albert Einstein.
On July 23, The Miami Herald featured a bit about Shiver in its society column by Joan Fleischman ("The New Life of Miami-Dade's Former Manager"). Who knows; it could be a response to the fetid blog post here that enterprising reporters in North Carolina can turn up.
"He now lives in a mountainside home on park grounds. ''I'm getting in touch with my environmental side.'' Fleischman didn't say, if the comment was made as a joke, or, when he publicly attacked South Dade environmentalists as "terrorists", that was a joke, too. Or if it was funny when bankers like Bill Losner and Bob Eppling cheered him on, knowing that the Miami Herald was unlikely to print anything critical of them, then or defend citizen activists from the Redland.
Remember, the Homestead chamber types were bitterly complaining that their rural city was a ghost town, and that environmentalists stood in the way of jobs and progress.
"Future development could include a ''water park, retail outlets, condominiums and potential home sites,'' according to a news release. Not Homestead, but Maggie Valley.
Steve tells Fleischman, ``we don't want to condominium-ize.''
No, Shiver already tried that in South Dade. Didn't work out very well, did it? Chair lifts, good. Condos, bad.
"Last month, police arrested Steve on a charge of driving while impaired. He is due in court on Aug. 5. ''An unfortunate mistake,'' he says. ''I take my licks, and keep on ticking.'' That's true.
If Shiver doesn't work out at Maggie Valley, there's always a public corporation like Six Flags.
36 comments:
Poor Steve...trying to reinvent himself...wish he did it about 10 years ago.
There are a bunch of developments in the Homestead area, built in the last 5 years, that are Ghost Towns.
Karma has a way of catching up.
Steve builds an overpriced faux mansion that will sit on the market forever, his wife decides she isn't a country girl and dumps him.Steve leaves town to officiate over an amusement park (always knew he was a clown!).
Eppling's wife is divorcing him (probably because she got sick of hearing ALL of Homestead talking about his affair) and his gas station restaurant with its illegal water line is under "new" management.
Loosner sold his bank and rumor has it that he isn't welcome back inside it. No need to even discuss his female issues-they are legend.
nowhere near enough payback, but it is a good start
What a shame for Maggie Valley
Wow. What goes round comes round.
Is Stan Price up there with Steve?
I am a former gunfighter at Ghost Town who was fired by Steve Shiver himself after I called him a lying SOB to his face. He is a doing a good job making sure park vendors aren't paid and employees are disgruntled and walking out. Oh, and let me add that his DUI also includes a Public Indeceny charge for urinating in public. Apparently he cried during his arrest: "You can't arrest me I'm the CEO of Ghost Town!" He will cost Maggie Valley millions by the time he is done. We wish would take him back.
Last anon; thanks for the update. Maybe Shiver's intent is to run Goast Town into a financial hole and the ony answer is (drum roll) development. He has a reputation for making these investments hoping he will make a bundle. Some backfire; shotgun houses in Homestead (although he did pretty good on that one thanks to the old Homestead council) and Tonys restaurant which he ran into financial ruin waiting for the truck bypass to take the land. Even his mansion in Redland seems to be a bad investment. There are probably many others that blogers will offer. The message is, run, don't walk, away from this scumbag. Unfortunately our gain is your loss. We in Miam-Dade who suffered under his reign, wish you well. Keep us informed.
He wants to get next to his "environmental side" maybe a catheter connected to the radiator from his bladder would work.
Next time he'll be caught naked with farm animals.
Dear gunfighter,
I am sorry that Steve got you. He has gotten many folks. The twit.
You can come south now, since he is up there. But, I can't imagine him staying very long,well, he will have to stay till his trial and find someone to drive him back here.
I bet that the walls of that mansion of his could tell stories that would be worse than the average Shiver fan could handle. There are folks who know, but will not share the poop.
Gimleteye writes:
We would be pleased to post first-hand accounts of the Steve Shiver reign of Ghost Town at Maggie Valley by former, fired gun fighters or ordinary secretaries and office workers:
Please send your communications to:
geniusofdespair@yahoo.com
Wait, i am a gunfighter who is still employed by Shiver and have found him to be a breath of fresh air. The only gunfighter fired since he got here was Tommy who actually was fired because he said some stupid things in front of guests and then begged for his job back. I am the original Apache Kid and have been here for over 30 years and Tommy, I fired you, not Shiver. Go back to offering drugs to under aged girls to sleep with your wife. Oh wait, your ex-wife who left you.
You guys are crazy. Can anyone say deliverance. Shiver may have had issues in life but if he is so bad why isnt he in jail. I am a current vendor to Ghost Town and he has finally put the pplace on the right track. Grow up you haters. Get a life, he owns the park more than anyone else and hascommitted to it.
Shiver has done mor in life than most of you sorry ass saps will ever do. Frankly i hate the guy because he dated my girl in high school but you know what, he made Homestead better and Miami. Maggie Valley, you have a good guy there and it sounds like Tommy needs to get a handle on his own life.
Evidently things at the park are slow and Shiver has an internet connection. Four comments proclaiming his greatness is a bit much.
That's exactly what I was thinking.
I am an employee at Ghost Town and think you guys are full of crap. Mr. Shiver is the only one who has helped us here. Leave the guy alone and get your own life.
"Mr. Shiver"? LOL.
Most park employees call him #@#$&!
Stevie's obviously spending too much time online these days instead of "working," but then again, we're not sure what he really does with his time. Certainly not bringing in outside investors, seeing that would be hard to do in a golf cart on top of the mountain. Or did the DWI take away your golf cart privileges? Stevie, are we walking today? :-(
Stevie, don't you think it's time for an exit strategy? Why not go work for a group where you can use your corruption and no-people skills, going all out and doing the most irreparable harm in the shortest amount of time, while yet helping the country. May I suggest working for the McCain campaign.
I am the original Apache Kid at Ghost Town in the Sky and I have never written anything to any blog including the above message which was called to my attention yesterday. I do not put any faith in anything that is written anonymously. If I have anything to say to or about anyone I will do it to their face.
Robert Bradley
Thank you, Mr. Bradley... I agree.. if you have something to say, then say it instead of hiding behind 'anonymous'...no matter what has happened in the past... Ghost Town is still a fun place to go with your family.. we were there this past weekend and although there were a few transportation problems because of the rain, we had a great time.... the gunfights are extraordinary...I hope the park does well so we can continue to enjoy it...
Shirley Boothe
Cottondale, Al
It's all over Maggie Valley that Ghost Town does not pay their bills and has been firing or letting employees go because they can't afford to pay them. Vendors aren't getting paid and have refused to give them any more on credit. The whole community wants Ghost Town to make it, but Steve Shiver has taken advantage of the generosity of the good people in this community that have tried to help him and Ghost Town succeed. It's a real shame he is running the Ghost Town name in the ground. R.B. is probably rolling over in his grave!
This just in: Steve is finally going to stew in his own juices. On Friday, Mr. Wonderful fired his general manager, who was revered by the staff for his honest, wise and fair dealings with them. Let's see how many employees return next season--if there is a next season.
So, let's see, he has burned his bridges with all his vendors and employees, with his community, with the state ride inspectors, and no doubt with his fellow investors. Golden Boy, indeed.
Look up "narcissist" in the dictionary. You'll find a picture of Steve Shiver.
An Open Letter to Steve Shiver,
Hello.
I'm a resident of Haywood Co. and have been for all my life. I'm 61, and I have gotten to know "Cowboy Tommy" very well in the three years since he moved here. Plus, I've been observing what's been going on with Ghost Town for the last two years. I've watched Tommy come around town very often after work looking very frustrated and embittered. I too can attest to the flying rumors that Ghost Town phase II is a real estate scam. Such scuttlebutt circulated through the Valley even before the place reopened. I worked at Ghost Town in the late 1960's, I loved it then and I love it now. I'm appalled by the seeming notion that R.B. Coburn's legacy and by proxy, Maggie Valley's legacy, is in the hands of a seemingly corrupt neo-con.
First off, to address you directly, I think you're a liar. You're not a cowboy. I think that you are Shiver himself, and, if you are so delusional that you think you are a streetfighter, I hope you have insurance. From what I understand, Tommy is a dangerous martial artist with a lot of streetfighting experience on the streets of Atlanta, Ga. Whereas you seem to me a milquetoast nebbish with a Napoleon complex who hires out lawyers to fight his battles. If you aren't Shiver and you actually are a gunfighter, why don't you go to the Apache Kid and answer up for posting blogs here in his name, and THEN let's see who gets their ass kicked. THAT my friend is slander. Not of me or you, but of the Apache Kid. I don't believe any cowboy is writing these blogs. Somehow, I don't think that they would appreciate someone speaking in their name. As far as I know, Tommy is still on good terms with all of them and that is likely to be confirmed.
Plus, IF you are a cowboy and RB finds out you made that post in his name YOU will be fired if not tarred and feathered and run out on a rail down Buck Mtn, I'll betcha.
Also, slander and defamation, libel or vilification, legally defined, are comments which are 'intended statements of fact' either spoken or in a fixed medium which are maliciously intended and are provably NOT TRUE. Slander is also very difficult to prosecute if the plaintiff is or has been an elected official or held an appointed public office, thereby qualifying him as a 'limited public figure', such as you. So knock yourself out hambone.
Another important aspect of defamation is the difference between fact and opinion. Statements made as "facts" are frequently actionable defamation. Statements of opinion or pure opinion or PREFACED AS OPINION are not actionable. In order to win damages in a libel case, the plaintiff must first show that the statements were "statements of fact or mixed statements of opinion and fact" and second that these statements were false. Some U.S. statutes preserve historical common law exceptions to the defense of truth to libel actions. These exceptions were for statements "tending to blacken the memory of one who is dead" or "expose the natural defects of one who is alive." 'Natural defects' , in this case, would be revealing that a person had a third nipple, a mental illness, or a handicap which would, being revealed, harm or lessen public opinion about such a person. Nowhere have I seen Tommy make such an error. His critique seems to oriented on being professionally disgruntled and is limited to professional opinions of others in performance of their jobs, which are of a highly public nature. As I can see, he is exercising his full right to freely express his opinions and observations in an editorial manner in an open forum.
Tommy also informs me that you have retained a lawyer: Stephen J. Martin, to harass and threaten him with a slander suit. I stand here saying that is frivolous and malicious and you have probably not fully informed Mr. Martin of all the facts at hand. Keep it up.
However, you sir, by your apparent leveling third party accusations at Tommy of sexual misconduct, are committing actual slander and libel of a malicious nature by falsely reporting a crime. To my knowledge, no record or evidence exists regarding any kind of sexual misconduct or a past history of such. Furthermore, you or agents of yours seem to be authoring posts claiming to be another person, that too is as actionable as anything that Tommy has said, even more so.
Most likely, you're Shiver himself, attempting to author an incompetent propaganda campaign. I believe you would have a great deal of trouble proving the substance of all of these blog entries by all these people on you are false. The only thing that I see being stated here about Ghost Town and its future are opinions, and there are repeated rumors/allegations which have been common knowledge in the park and the valley all season and lingering from last year. Repeating such rumors and prefacing it AS RUMORS is not slander. What is NOT a rumor is that you were arrested for DUI and Indecent Exposure and can't drive and there is a trial pending and the press here in NC is dying to get a hold of you.
Now YOU resort to actual slander of 'Cowboy Tommy' and you wont even use his full name. Plus, you are too cowardly to say who you are too. So the whole shebang lacks credibility from the getgo. Also, every blogger here would also be a party to said case, including the blog moderator and whoever hosts this site. The fact that a two year thread of critique exists is proof positive that you don't have a leg to stand on regarding slander. However YOU seem to be committing slander by authoring and posting blogs and FALSELY ascribing authorship to known parties. I certainly hope you do have a lawyer.
Also, if Tom sucks so bad, why has his performance in the movie been so well received? And...if you were in the movie, what role did you play?
See, Maggie Valley, Waynesville and Haywood Co. is a small community of about 60-80,000 people. Its not like South Dade and Miami, where you can commit fraud and hide like a cockroach scurrying into a large population of millions of people. Here in Haywood Co. everybody knows everybody, and everyone talks. You can't pee in a parking lot drunkenly while shouting your imagined superiority, and not expect the locals to talk about it. You cant toy with people's livelihoods with impunity and expect them not to react to you and report it locally to their friends and neighbors. In my opinion, Tommy's invective towards you was ill-timed and unprofessional, but it came from a place of absolutely justifiable indignation in response to your apparent ignominious mistreatment of him.
As I understand it and have been informed, Tommy DID call you and apologize like a man and asked you for his job back, and you said that you were ok with it if the Kid was ok with it. However, you apparently then went to the Kid and told him that under no circumstances was he to be rehired. That seems rather disingenuous at the end of the day. If you are such a badass, then why couldn't you just tell Tommy no right then? These seem to me to be the actions of a liar and a coward.
Tommy says he was fired because he stood up to you over his comic book, which got great press and reviews and even better peer review and a smoking deal from the printer to boot; Ghost Town stood to profit six figures or more for a branded product that they had to pay nothing to produce, all you had to do was take a meeting and get an ad sold on the back cover to cover the printing costs. Was that beneath you? And you burned it down. Why? Maybe because Tommy didn't fit into your narrow, neo-con worldview. Or maybe it was because it wasn't your idea and you stood to make no personal gain off of it. If you ask me, Tommy may have grounds to sue you for negligence, seeing as how he and the other gunfighters have been cheated out of their royalties by your direct negligence and/or incompetence.
Also, I might add: Hank Woodburn (Owner of Ghost Town) and Robert Bradley (Entertainment Director of Ghost Town) gave Tommy permission to begin this book before you even lived here or were employed by Ghost Town, and monies have exchanged hands regarding its production. Your authority in this matter is likely to be non-existent or superseded. Written and oral precedence exists to prove these things and you and Mr. Martin will be quite embarrassed should a court case be brought forward, not to mention the media coverage on the case which I ASSURE YOU WILL BE BROUGHT TO BEAR SHOULD YOU PROCEED. Anonymous blogging is a lighting rod of Free Speech controversy these days. I'd wager Tommy would be glad to serve himself up to the media for such a purpose.
Very soon now, the local news media IS going to be privately informed about your history and will likely launch a professional, legitimate journalistic investigation of you and your past financial malfeasance. I'd like to see you sue a major news carrier for slander. Ha!
Here is another ugly rumor: your father paid for your appointment to Ghost Town, who is a key investor in the park. The only reason you seem to continue to hold your position is the leverage that money creates. it certainly has nothing to do with the 'fine job' you are doing.
Oh and folks: lets not forget another gunfighter who got fired this year: Stoney. Apparently Stoney ran the campaign in Homestead against Shiver in his mayorial election. Within two weeks of ol Mr. S.S. being appointed to GT, Stoney got fired for a minor transgression which has been committed by many others and completely overlooked. Namely, loudly expressing frustration at perceived managerial incompetence.
It seems that, in like manner to our current presidential administration, you would hire and fire according to your political and class distinctions, all the while omitting considerations like talent, ability and dedication. Maybe that's why so many of your projects seem to have failed over the years. Sometimes its better to have competent people working for you who might be a little different and disagreeable somehow rather than a bunch of grinning yes-men with their heads up their asses. Hell, with a record like yours, you should run for president. You and Dubya seem to have a lot in common. Now it seems you have dismissed another asset to Ghost Town: Kevin Bailey, the General Mgr. I'm sure that won't sit well locally as well, it must be lonely up there on that mountain, considering how you have worn out your welcome in the Valley.
Ghost Town in the Sky is a wonderful place being ran by great people who want to see it do well and from what I can tell are dedicated to its success. Anyone who says that Tommy wasn't among these people and was not fully dedicated to that end is a stinking liar. It seems a shame that such a valuable institution would be in the hands of a seemingly arrogant and incompetent pinhead.
I also hear how you declare to everyone what a pious Christian you are, that, sir, is the most monstrous hypocrisy of all.
This post is an editorial opinion. I in no way represent it as absolute facts, only the substance of my informed opinions.
Thank You.
I returned to Ghost Town this year for my third season. I don't know anyone working there that has not been paid. I am a gunfighter and I must say, the shows are better than ever...Johnny Harris
You are so right, Mr. Harris... the shows are better than ever...!!!
Here's another example of how corrupt Republican neo-cons do business just look how the Oil industry has pimped out their own reps to the Oil Mafia.
This kind of business dealings and dirty tactics is right up Shivers alley:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080911/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/interior_oil_scandal
This is for Anonymous who posted comments on 8-8-08 about Steve Shiver costing Maggie Valley millions before it's over. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What will cost Maggie Valley will be if the park closes again. I was living hear in 04 when it was closed and you could rent a room for two on J Creek for 25 dollars during season. Ghost Town is the backbone of Maggie Valley and don't you forget it..Johnny Harris
What really amazes me is how many people out there go by the name Anonymous. What's the matter with you? You don't have to answer because we already know the answer, NO GUTS! .. Johnny Harris
Well said, Mr. Harris...
I wish everyone would just go and enjoy Ghost Town and stop making all the negative comments... we were there a couple of weeks ago for the 3rd time this year and had a wonderful time... the Gospel Sundays, are a wonderful addition... the people are all great... the shows are great, especially the gunfights.!!!... its just a fantastic place to go to simply have fun...
http://www.myspace.com/mydeltarose
I don't know much about Steve. But I can tell you that letting Mr. Bailey go was one of the BEST things that park could have done. He was nothing more than a BS artist. Who got what was coming to him.
Let's be clear here, no one is slamming Ghost Town in the Sky and no one is slamming the gunfights and other entertainment which has ALWAYS been stellar. We are discussing specifically and to the point: The suspicious activity (alleged or otherwise) of the investors who are funding Ghost Town currently.
Steve Shiver has a record of financial malfeasance and ELECTION malfeasance which goes all the way back to the Florida election of 2000. He and others ought to be federally investigated.
The problem with 'guts' in this case has nothing to do with cowardice. It has everything to do with defending oneself from the evil rich who would USE lawyers and frivolous litigation to SCARE people into silence, which is being done by Ghost Town administrators right now.
Also Johnny: NO GUTS as you define it would also include posting slander and attributing it to The Apache Kid. I wonder who did that?
Anonymous blogging is a GIFT to the common man to stand up to individuals who seem to consider themselves above reproach, and above the law.
The collapse of our economy can be laid squarely on the doorstep of South Florida real estate financiers and their political cronies, chief among them being Steve Shiver and Alan Harper. They ought to be federally investigated just as the administrators of AIG, Lehman Bros. etc. are being investigated for criminal financial activity. Shiver, Harper and the other cadre' of connected players mentioned here on 'eyeonmiami' ought to be investigated from the ground up.
Don't forget that when these companies fall their CEO's and whatnot are getting GIANT compensation packages that are worth tens of millions of dollars each. Realize also that when Shiver and Harper's deals fell out they too collected millions of dollars while the middle class mortgage owners they helped write were put out on the street. They have blood on their hands.
Their records speak for themselves, see for yourself. Are we to merely presume that these guys have come to Maggie Valley to turn over a new leaf? Or will it be another episode in their already PROVABLY DISGRACEFUL careers, with Ghost Town in the Sky and Maggie Valley on the chopping block?
What would a high profile investigation uncover, I wonder?
I just know that so much negativity can have adverse effects on anything...I would hate to see the park close because of it...if anyone would like to talk about the POSITIVE side of Ghost Town, email me... I would love to talk with you...
ths2wllpas@yahoo.com or
www.myspace.com/mydeltarose ..
you can click my name and it will take you there
I hope you all have a very good day... and God bless..
The park will not close because of "negativity". The park will close if the losses exceed the profits and, especially, if the banks are no longer willing to lend based on the speculative value of the park as a real estate development venture to put Florida retirees. Given Shiver's record in Miami Dade, the chances are very very good that speculation is at the heart of Maggie Valley not gunfights and honest family entertainments. Forewarned is forearmed.
Dear Miami Friends of Maggie Valley,
We've started a new thread for your posts on Maggie Valley and Steve Shiver. This will allow our Miami readers to stay up to date on your struggle to protect your backyard from Miami speculators.
http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2008/09/from-steve-shivers-old-stomping-ground.html
gimleteye
There is a newer blog entry on this that you might want to post comments on:
http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2008/09/from-steve-shivers-old-stomping-ground.html
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