An Olive Branch from a Member of CARES
Greetings Council Members and CARES:
I am writing about the recent article in the NDN issue of 7/22/06, in which Mr. Moss states, that CARES has gone from a "manageable annoyance" to a "serious" concern.
CARES has repeatedly asked to sit down with the city to try and resolve the STRP issues. Instead, the City has remained hard headed and refuses to admit that there may be serious problems involving equity with the STRP. This is all the more surprising when you hear that Councilors are working hard to present more equitable assessment proposals. Obviously, there are minds on the Council, that believe this to be possible and I suspect it is a majority. If this intransigence does not stop soon, I think Mr. Moss will be correct and the City will stand to loose a lot of money. If that happens, it can in no small part, be directly attributed to the City's unwillingness and inability to include citizens in an effort to resolve STRP issues.
The City made a mistake, it miscalculated the resolve and political strength of a significant group of citizens opposed to the STRP as it stands. We all make mistakes, but only foolish people cannot admit to them. It's about time the City and CARES resolve their differences and start working together for the good of the entire City. Statements such as "actions by a political action committee that causes grantors to question a city's integrity and commitment to fill obligations are unacceptable and should in no way be tolerated" are not helpful. False pride and misguided principals have been the downfall of many politicians and government officials. Surely, as Marco Islanders we need not be reduced to accusing or threatening each other in the press.
I understand and am sensitive to Mr. Moss's frustration over the CARES actions to delay the STRP. That said I do not believe that a government agency would accept unsubstantiated innuendos and misconceptions as a basis for not granting resources. It is the possibility of a project delay that threatens these resources not the City's integrity or commitment. If the current legal actions by CARES, as pertains to the STRP ceases, there will no longer be a threat of delaying the STRP. As a City, we can resolve the issues CARES is fighting to correct. Citizens not speaking to each other or not working together is not constructive and may well result in perceptions that the City is not committed to it's goals and is insensitive to it's citizen's concerns. These perceptions can only strengthen CARES not weaken it.
The City should not be surprised at the strength of resistance to the STRP. It is the first major infrastructure project in which citizens of Marco Island are to be directly assessed and probably the most expensive in all of South West Florida. It is also the largest infrastructure project to impact so many neighborhoods and residents in the City’s history. As currently established, these assessments will benefit so many and be paid for by so few. It is normal for citizen's to question a project that will significantly impact their financial well being. A project that the City is unable to completely justify to the very citizens it wants to pay for it.
I know that some of our Councilors value citizen input and participation. I have seen evidence of this in responses to questions I have previously posed to Council members. Some enlightened members have even reached out to their constituents by holding town meetings and others have aggressively solicited citizen input. To believe that only elected representatives are capable of understanding and acting on all the issues before it, especially over a project of this magnitude, would be tremendously egotistical.
It is time for the City to find the courage to step forward and sit down with CARES to resolve the concerns of a substantial group of Marco Island Citizens and make the STRP more equitable. Let's move forward and put these differences behind us. To not do so is irresponsible.
I am confident that if both sides make an honest effort, the STRP can be modified to meet the goals of all concerned.
Byron Erickson
I am writing about the recent article in the NDN issue of 7/22/06, in which Mr. Moss states, that CARES has gone from a "manageable annoyance" to a "serious" concern.
CARES has repeatedly asked to sit down with the city to try and resolve the STRP issues. Instead, the City has remained hard headed and refuses to admit that there may be serious problems involving equity with the STRP. This is all the more surprising when you hear that Councilors are working hard to present more equitable assessment proposals. Obviously, there are minds on the Council, that believe this to be possible and I suspect it is a majority. If this intransigence does not stop soon, I think Mr. Moss will be correct and the City will stand to loose a lot of money. If that happens, it can in no small part, be directly attributed to the City's unwillingness and inability to include citizens in an effort to resolve STRP issues.
The City made a mistake, it miscalculated the resolve and political strength of a significant group of citizens opposed to the STRP as it stands. We all make mistakes, but only foolish people cannot admit to them. It's about time the City and CARES resolve their differences and start working together for the good of the entire City. Statements such as "actions by a political action committee that causes grantors to question a city's integrity and commitment to fill obligations are unacceptable and should in no way be tolerated" are not helpful. False pride and misguided principals have been the downfall of many politicians and government officials. Surely, as Marco Islanders we need not be reduced to accusing or threatening each other in the press.
I understand and am sensitive to Mr. Moss's frustration over the CARES actions to delay the STRP. That said I do not believe that a government agency would accept unsubstantiated innuendos and misconceptions as a basis for not granting resources. It is the possibility of a project delay that threatens these resources not the City's integrity or commitment. If the current legal actions by CARES, as pertains to the STRP ceases, there will no longer be a threat of delaying the STRP. As a City, we can resolve the issues CARES is fighting to correct. Citizens not speaking to each other or not working together is not constructive and may well result in perceptions that the City is not committed to it's goals and is insensitive to it's citizen's concerns. These perceptions can only strengthen CARES not weaken it.
The City should not be surprised at the strength of resistance to the STRP. It is the first major infrastructure project in which citizens of Marco Island are to be directly assessed and probably the most expensive in all of South West Florida. It is also the largest infrastructure project to impact so many neighborhoods and residents in the City’s history. As currently established, these assessments will benefit so many and be paid for by so few. It is normal for citizen's to question a project that will significantly impact their financial well being. A project that the City is unable to completely justify to the very citizens it wants to pay for it.
I know that some of our Councilors value citizen input and participation. I have seen evidence of this in responses to questions I have previously posed to Council members. Some enlightened members have even reached out to their constituents by holding town meetings and others have aggressively solicited citizen input. To believe that only elected representatives are capable of understanding and acting on all the issues before it, especially over a project of this magnitude, would be tremendously egotistical.
It is time for the City to find the courage to step forward and sit down with CARES to resolve the concerns of a substantial group of Marco Island Citizens and make the STRP more equitable. Let's move forward and put these differences behind us. To not do so is irresponsible.
I am confident that if both sides make an honest effort, the STRP can be modified to meet the goals of all concerned.
Byron Erickson
posted by Mario R. Sanchez, Ph.D. at
12:33 PM
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