Posted: November 2, 2011 - 12:47am
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
A proposal to turn over 133,000 acres of St. Johns County, water management and state lands to the federal government for creation of a national historic park and seashore was denied unanimously Tuesday by the County Commission.
Activist Ed Slavin of St. Augustine, who presented the idea Tuesday to the County Commission, said he only wanted the board to endorse the concept. But after the vote, he said he wasn’t deterred by the 5-0 vote against it.
“We shall persevere and will be back,” he said late Tuesday. “Let the people vote.”
He plans to lobby the County Commission, requesting them to allow a referendum on the 2012 ballot.
“Our small businesses are hurting,” he said.
However, his idea was attacked by current and former members of the St. Augustine Tea Party.
For example, Marty Miller compared Slavin’s campaign to those of Hitler and his fellow Nazis who sought domination. He told the commission, “It’s all right the way it is. Don’t lose local control.”
Another Tea Party leader said if the board voted for Slavin’s idea, they would be committing “treason.”
Slavin asked the commission to enforce its rules of civil discourse. But no one was censured.
Later, he said that accusation especially galled him because his paratrooper father fought Nazis in [North Africa], Sicily [and Normandy] during World War II.
Former state representative candidate Faye Armitage spoke for the idea, saying, “We have to do everything to protect our shoreline. There are 53 state parks slated for closure. The best way to protect our natural resources is to designate them as national parks.”
Robert Johnson recalled the Interior Department’s enforcement of a driving ban on the Fort Matanzas National Monument grounds.
“I have seen and felt first-hand what happens when you turn over your wallet to the federal government,” he said. “I don’t want a Washington, D.C., bureaucrat telling our elected representatives how to manage our resources.”
Dan Holiday, in business 53 years in St. Augustine, said, “Everything the federal government touches becomes a disaster. They use heavy-handed tactics, and no one wants to pay fees to use our beach. If you do this, it’s permanent. When it’s gone, it’s gone.”
Doug Russo, a local pastor, said that the idea “is a step toward world citizenry.”
Tea Party organizer Randy Covington said Slavin’s idea of “a carbon-neutral transportation system” is a dream and that local governments would be “rendered impotent and be subject to government bureaucrats. Reject this plan outright. Form a foundation, buy or acquire property, and then donate it to the federal government.”
Slavin said this idea was introduced in 1939 and was approved, though that approval was later withdrawn. “This is the first time in 71 years that people are talking about the St. Augustine Historical Park and National Seashore,” he said. “We’re not talking about bossing people around. We’re talking about preserving what we have forever. There are 400 national parks in America.”
Commissioner Mark Miner said the National Park Service has a $3 billion maintenance backlog and spends 90 percent of its budget on construction and 10 percent on resource management.
“The best government is the one closest to the people,” he said.
Commissioner Ron Sanchez said, “Our own kids are broke because of the federal government. Our county and state parks are run better than anywhere. This program will cost us a fortune. If the federal government closed one of our beaches, we’d lose half our tourists. And I’m not giving up control of our water supply to anybody.”
Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson made the shortest comment of all.
She said, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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Capt_Buzz
What a bunch of morons...
By Capt_Buzz | 11/02/11 - 07:14 am
These county commissioners have their priorities in the wrong order. A national seashore would be a better idea than a Lowes at US1 and 312. Where is the common sense in our county government?
Capt. Buzz
In God We Trust
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cd from St. Aug.
Commission Comments
By cd from St. Aug. | 11/02/11 - 07:29 am
Intelligent comment (and true in my opinion) from Commissioner Miner. Local government is the closest government to the people therefore more easily accountable to the people.
Hard to believe it came from the same person who was quoted in The St. Augustine Record last month about a private entity (Casa Monica) making their own dress code rules/regs and then enforcing them. Hummm.
Cathy DuPont
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me
Hitler? Treason?
By me | 11/02/11 - 07:32 am
What happened to, "I don't like this idea because......."? Geez.
St. Louis Cardinals - 11 in 2011!
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4getit
where is it?
By 4getit | 11/02/11 - 07:55 am
Please, give us a few details about this property. Where is it? How about a map? What are the other options for its use?
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Moontan
"HITLER", "TREASON"?
By Moontan | 11/02/11 - 08:01 am
What a ridiculous and stupid comparison!
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riggsbyd
commissioners/tea party
By riggsbyd | 11/02/11 - 08:11 am
The commissioners had intelligent sound reasoning in their response. Those other comments were simply idiotic.
I agree with the commisioners and am surprised by the fantastic decision making skills that they employed.
-- The only difference between Democrats and Republicans is what they do with your money after they steal it.
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me
4getit - boundaries
By me | 11/02/11 - 08:20 am
It's called the St. Augustine National Historical Park & Seashore Act of 2011.
The site has put me in the endless "your comment is in the queue for moderation" loop when I try to post a link, so you get to look it up yourself. ;-)
St. Louis Cardinals - 11 in 2011!
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glwilson_us
I just can't believe....
By glwilson_us | 11/02/11 - 08:46 am
I just can't believe that the National Park service has done such a bad job with Fort Matanzas and the Castillo that this is the level of discussion that takes place. Treason! Hitler! Nazis! World citizenry! This park or may not be a good concept, but the level of discourse is simply an embarassment to the people of St. Johns county.
Gil Wilson
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cracker
BCC gets it right this time
By cracker | 11/02/11 - 09:37 am
MIner is correct on this one. This proposal is part of Agenda 21. Claims of preservation lead to confiscation of private property.
http://americanfreedomwatchradio.com/
cracker
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me
wow
By me | 11/02/11 - 09:58 am
Agenda 21:
A set of proposals, made at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development for the furtherance of world-wide, sustainable development.
BE AFRAID - the U.N. is trying to take over the world!! It's a conspiracy!!!!!!!!!!
Or, some local guy wants to make this area part of the National Park System to preserve some historic, scenic and natural areas.
While it is true that some National Parks have indeed used eminent domain to include private lands when they were formed, it was common at the time and it rarely happens for new parks.
If you are so concerned about confiscation of private property, cracker, what do you think of urban redevelopment that uses eminent domain because a shopping center is better for the area than homes?
St. Louis Cardinals - 11 in 2011!
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