Suggesting to Mayor Tracy Upchurch “that the assumption you made that 55% percent of the speakers and emails heard during your last meeting represented a majority may not be accurate,” Mark Bailey of the Bailey Group has proposed that if the cost of removing the Civil War Memorial is applied instead toward the West Augustine Septic to Sewer project, he “along with other community support” would fund the difference to complete that project.
He added, “Our group of caring residents will also guarantee to fund the complete cost of any repurposing (of the monument) agreed upon by the Commission.”
The monument removal estimates have ranged to $300-$400,000. The $450,000 Septic to Sewer project cost was cut from this year’s state budget.
The offers are in a letter only briefly referred to at Monday’s City Commission meeting.
Of the mayor’s 55% estimate Bailey asked, “A majority of what population base? I would like to request, if possible, that these opinions be separated into city residents, county residents and other. I believe that many of those commenting were not taxpayers in St. Johns County, much less the City.
Bailey, who with his wife Alecia received the 2014 Community Service Award from Caring Hands – Caring Community, wrote, “I am sorry if this is perceived as offensive, but a majority of our protesters do not know what it means to make a real difference. Once this obelisk, and perhaps other statues in our town are removed, they will revert back to their own lives and will not give back in any meaningful way, yet they will believe that they were a part of a positive change.”
He also supported and would fund any repurposing of the monument “to be a Civil War Memorial to include all lost sons of St. Augustine or something completely different.
“(Historian) Susan Parker said it best, ‘the obelisk to the war dead is in and of itself a basic and classic structure to serve as a generic monument structure.’
Read Bailey’s complete letter
here.
4 comments:
This is considered Bribery!
This is not bribery. This is kindness. This is a person is able to make an actual difference trying to do so. If Rawls truly cared about his community, he would have been happy to make this possible. No one's feelings are genuinely hurt about the monument and they know it. He had to make it happen because he said that he is prophet of God and will make it happen. If the monument doesn't move then he isn't a prophet! It has nothing to do with racism, it has to do with him getting what he wants and his ability to demand and control. If anything, this should show the black community that Rawls cares nothing about their best interests, only his.
Lol, he’s right. No one that isn’t a taxpayer in that city should be listened to. That’s how local government works. If the city government’s constituents are content and happy, that’s all they need to concern themselves with.
This is certainly some shady and underhanded dealing from Mark Bailey.
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