Secretary of the Interior Appoints Diverse Members to St. Augustine 450th

The Secretary of the Interior has appointed diverse members to St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission, including former UN Ambassador Andrew Young, who led non-violent civil rights activists here, resulting in passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

It was worth the wait. On July 15, 2009, I wrote Secretary of the Interior Kenneth Salazar and asked him to appoint a diverse membership as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Citing to the FACA statute and case law, I advised Secretary Salzar that "St. Augustine’s 450th Commission needs Americans with expertise in national parks, civil rights, ethnic studies, museums, geography, ecology, history, anthropology, archaeology, sociology, tourism, business, and other relevant fields."

Why? Because the Commission needs to be balanced, not a group of rich white guys who would fit in with WILLIAM B. HARRISS' golf foursomes. Why does it matter? We need a diverse committee in order to evaluate fairly the proposals for a Civil Rights Museum, an I-95 interchange for West Augustine and King Street ("here we right a wrong") and St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Cosatal Parkway.

The City of St. Augustine had expressed the view (under then City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS) that it wanted rich and powerful people to serve on the St. Augustine 450th Anniversary Commemoration Commission -- people who were "affluent" and "politically influential." How gauche.

Was HARRISS' idea to hijack the Commission with rich white guys, thereby preventing meaningful discussion of the St. Augustine National Historical Park and Seashore and of the National Civil Rights Museum?

Last year, Mayor Joe Boles told a Jacksonville TV news program that there were "white people" in St. Augustine who opposed the Civil Rights Museum. Those unenlightened "white people" apparently include hate site operator MICHAEL GOLD f/k/a "MICHAEL TOBIN" and his secretive backers.

By federal law, the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the St. Augustine 450th Anniversary Commemoration Commission is required to have a "fairly balanced" membership. So it is written. So it was done.

I have read the bios here of the Commissioners and I am impressed.

Thank you, Secretary Kenneth Salazar, for listening to the people of St. Augustine and for complying with both the letter and spirit of FACA.

We all look forward to working with the St, Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission and its members on our St. Augustine National Civil Rights Museum, I-95 interchange for neglected West Augustine and West King Street ("here we right a wrong"") and the St. Augustine National Historical Park, National Seashore and Scenic Coastal Parkway Act. www.staugustgreen.com