The purpose of government is not to fatten carpetbaggers, carpet-bomb the Constitution or eviscerate nature.
The purpose of government is not to fatten the wallets of self-aggrandizing narcissists who destroy nature, kill trees, end wetlands and laugh all the way to the bank due to lax environmental regulation by our city, county, state and nation.
Evidently, the Builders Council and Ed Paucek are under the mistaken impression that their campaign contributions entitle them to abolish impact fees here in St. Johns County for several years, so they can devastate more trees, kill more wetlands and destroy more nature.
They are so selflsh they have no perspective. See below.
Not so fast.
You want to grow our economy?
Stop killing trees.
Stop ruining beaches.
Stop destroying nature.
Start working for a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway, "FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE"
In the immortal words of President Theodore Roosevelt, "Leave it as it is."
People love St. Augustine for our history, beaches, forests and nature.
People don't come to St. Augustine to worship developersd.
We Floridians love to hate developers.
We don't trust people who like developers.
We don't trust people who want to erase impact fees to appease developers.
Come to think of it, there are no City of St. Augustine impact fees. Wonder why? Our City Manager is such a tool of developers he would never let them happen.
One of the best bumper stickers ever, says, "Leaving Florida? Take a developer with you."
We don't need the likes of the Builder's Council and Ed Paucek making up public policy any more. Their indefensible mercantilist position is expressed by Robert Penn Warren, in All The Kings' Men, speaking about typical politicians: "Gimme, gimme, gimme, my name's Jimmy."
When there are no impact fees, economists tell us, the "external costs" of private development is paid by all of us in higher property taxes.
The developers say that we can "increase growth" by removing impact fees.
Oncologists say that you can increase cancer with enough poisons.
Do we want to increase growth when our roads are clogged and so much nature and so many species are endangered?
Do we want to poison our St. Augustine environment?
Or do we want to grow our economy without building any more ticky-tacky houses (80,000 currently authorized)?
We can grow our economy with a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway, "FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE"
With a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway, "FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE," we can have environmental and historic tourism take off, producing good jobs with good wages, while showcasing our 11,000 years of history to the world, including indigenous (Native-American), African-American, Spanish, Minorcan, Greek, British, American colonial, Civil War and Civil Rights history.
Thank the greedy developers for sharing their concerns.
Then vote against them (again), just as we have again and again in our county for several election cycles, ousting the likes of KAREN STERN, BRUCE MAGUIRE, MARC JACALONE and defeating the likes of RANDY BRUNSON.
This is our time, and the people of our area (and our Nation) deserve a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway, "FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE."
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