"Be not afraid."
-- The first words of the first homily spoken by Pope John Paul II (1979).
In this economy, we need to keep our calm and not be gulled, cullied and diddled around by authoritarians.
Last night, I saw the County Administrator make a presentation to Northwest St. Johns County residents on the county budget. On the one hand, we appreciate the work and detail. But on the other hand, we need creativity and challenges to shibboleths.
We need an Inspector General to root out waste, fraud, abuse, misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance. One fraud investigator is not enough.
We need to stop spending money on flubdubs, Taj Mahals and Republicans' "Edifice Complex," swuch as the new $16 County Administration palace.
We need to rein in the Sheriff's obscenely bloated budget, including his take-home deputy cars.
We need to work together to help grow our economy and protect our environment. This requires raising tourist revenue by adopting a St. Augustine National Historical Park, Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Parkway.
As the architect of Union Station, Daniel Burnham said, "make no little plans, for they do not inspire people to follow them."
A national park, seashore and scenic coastal parkway will make for permanent preservation of our history and environment and one whale of a celebration of Florida's 500th anniversary of Spanish conquest (and St. Augustine's 450th birthday) in 2013 and 2015.
It will help grow our economy with historical and environmental tourists, while preserving what we love about St. Augustine from destruction.
What do you reckon?
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