Record SUNDAY LETTERS: Readers sound off on campaign mailers, Matthew cleanup efforts, and Record endorsements

Posted November 6, 2016 12:02 am
SUNDAY LETTERS: Readers sound off on campaign mailers, Matthew cleanup efforts, and Record endorsements

Campaign mail outs appalling

Editor: I am appalled by a piece of campaign literature that arrived in today’s mail blaming Mayor Shaver for the city’s traffic problems and the “D” rating of our streets.

As anyone who attended the recent City Commission meeting knows, Mayor Shaver was the only one to vote against the proposed budget precisely because it did not allocate enough to maintain — no less improve — our roads. Using an analogy, Shaver explained, in specific dollars and cents, how road funding in the proposed budget was not even enough to “put oil in the car.” I was one of almost a dozen residents who spoke up — all against the budget.

In a shocking slap in the face, the commissioners abruptly called the vote and adopted the budget without addressing Mayor Shaver’s fact-based appeal for road improvement. My husband and I moved here recently from the Washington, D.C., area and have been delighted by St. Augustine’s close-knit, community-minded fabric and a rare and welcome sense that we actually can have a say in our governance.

The Commission’s adoption of an anti-road improvement budget over Shaver’s dissent and the residents’ opposition undermines this sense. Shaver is a tireless advocate for the city who has shed bright light on the decision-making process and has supported a responsible mobility study to solve our traffic problems.

She is a voice of smart management and should be re-elected.

Campaign literature making false accusations against her or anyone else has no place in our election process.

Denise C. Hammond
St. Augustine

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Matthew cleanup effort is garbage

Editor: Sitting here looking out my window at mounds of sad hurricane debris, I ask myself, “Are we in America?” Understandably, St. Johns County and beautiful St. Augustine have not seen the likes of the flooding we have just endured. But I have to wonder, is this the best we can do? Daily, there’s a song and dance article in our newspaper about the amount of debris — and on and on. And, while that’s true, our time might be better spent removing this debris after we hire triple the amount of trucks, and pay the workers for running them overtime.

Almost one month after our people had their lives decimated, we have the pleasure still of watching the craigslist re-sellers continue to pick through our belongings to see if they missed anything. Shortly, they’ll have to compete with rats and a new strain of Cholera while poking through the rubble. I called the nice lady at debris removal, just like today’s article in the paper said to, and she informed me that five whole trucks were working tirelessly in this area. Funny thing is, we here in the Crescent Beach area aren’t seeing much of them at all. If, perhaps, they have snuck in and out, they leave in their wake a scattered mess, which is totally unacceptable. The appraisers have come and gone. FEMA made it official a while ago that we are indeed a catastrophe, so let’s clean it up St. Johns County — like yesterday. If we truly can’t afford to hire more trucks and people, we can call our friends up on Long Island who worked day and night after super storm Sandy. They will gladly come down here and help, all for a trolly ride through the rubble and a beer.

Karen Anselmo
Crescent Beach

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Where are the county cleanup crews?

Editor: When I look out each morning at the squalor that has become my neighborhood on North Beach, I have serious concerns about who made decisions on county hurricane cleanup.

I wonder why Ponte Vedra and the northwest areas of the county were cleaned and scoured first. I wonder why the beaches took priority over the neighborhoods and the people of the county.

I wonder why crews are still cleaning the Coastal Highway while vegetative debris rots on what were once nice front yards. The contents of so many of my neighbors homes lies festering in front of their gutted houses.

Something is amiss when crews cannot be deployed to give all the people hope that this mess will not be the Christmas view. Something is amiss when a webpage promises debris pick up schedules and none are provided other than normal trash and recycling pickups.

The County Commissioners should be hanging their heads.

Eileen Adams

North Beach

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You’re wrong on O’Brien endorsement

Editor: The Record’s endorsement of Richard O’Brien to be reelected to the Beach Commission is way off course. All of the reasons given not to support Andrea Samuels are applicable to him. In addition:

— He tried to kill the installation of a traffic light at the intersection of Pope Road and A1A. The County, which had already secured all of the approvals necessary, was livid.

— He voted for the construction of the useless gazebo at the end Pope Road several years ago which removed 10 to 12 parking spaces for beach access.

— He used his position on the commission to rezone property at 5th and A1A so that he will now be able to construct three homes there after the zoning board refused to rezone the property.

— He refused to answer, at last month’s Commission meeting, why the city is now editing out public comment from the transcribed minutes of commission meetings.

— He has voted for the third time to bring the Diva Race to the city, which means that the city will be locked down and held hostage for four to five hours so that the hotels may share $2 million in room reservations.

It would have been best for you to remain silent on this endorsement.

Richard Backlund
St. Augustine Beach