| More Issues of Concern Heard on the Neighborhood Circuit |
| The Doctor Know Best.... |
Economically, Florida Keys are in dire straits
I strongly disagree with the premise that the Keys are "recession-proof." The April 24
Key West Citizen editorial, "Keys aren't immune, but they're recession-resistant" was
better suited as a Chamber of Commerce pamphlet than an objective and honest
assessment of the economic condition of the Florida Keys.
First, a reality check. We are witnessing a breakdown of the world monetary system.
The United States is faced with a credit crunch not seen since the 1920s and the Great
Depression. There is no valid comparison with the mild recessions or downturns of
the 1990s or the period from 2001-2003.
Things are going to get a lot worse in the U.S., because there is no remedy for the
situation. The Federal Reserve must keep interest rates low in an attempt to prevent
further collapse of the housing market. There is nothing that can be done to stop
hyperinflation of commodities or the potential collapse of the dollar.
In the Florida Keys, we have falling housing prices, high rates of foreclosure and
vacant homes, decreasing tax revenues and the rising insurance rates. There has
been an exodus of young working people from the Keys and a staggering number of
Conchs have left their beloved island.
The Keys' main industry, tourism, is imperiled. The vicious cycle: Condo conversion
has reduced available hotel rooms, but prices stay high to compensate. Spiraling
costs (including gasoline) will deter many from visiting the Keys. Wealthy visitors like
to be pampered, which requires many service workers who can't afford to live here.
The rich have plenty of other places to go, especially if the Keys lose their unique
character.
As far as the "paradise of climate and environment," did you forget about hurricane
damage, shrinking natural areas, a dying reef, contaminated beaches and lack of a
modern sewer system for most of the Keys? We're privileged to host the military here,
but with economic contraction, help from the government will be limited. Military
families stationed in the Keys face the same cost-of-living issues as the rest of us.
I deal with people every week who are having problems paying their rent or mortgage,
in danger of losing their homes, or who have trouble buying necessities. Some have
chronic illness aggravated by living in poor environmental conditions. The economic
situation in the Keys is already having a profound effect on our daily lives.
There is a growing and unconscionable disparity between rich and poor, the haves
and have-nots in this country, evident throughout South Florida. Your statement, "This
recession will have little effect on the overall economy of the Keys," reflects the
perspective of the "haves." Pretending everything is just fine in paradise is an affront
to the disadvantaged of this community and the average working folks who struggle to
make ends meet.
Mark Whiteside, Key West
I strongly disagree with the premise that the Keys are "recession-proof." The April 24
Key West Citizen editorial, "Keys aren't immune, but they're recession-resistant" was
better suited as a Chamber of Commerce pamphlet than an objective and honest
assessment of the economic condition of the Florida Keys.
First, a reality check. We are witnessing a breakdown of the world monetary system.
The United States is faced with a credit crunch not seen since the 1920s and the Great
Depression. There is no valid comparison with the mild recessions or downturns of
the 1990s or the period from 2001-2003.
Things are going to get a lot worse in the U.S., because there is no remedy for the
situation. The Federal Reserve must keep interest rates low in an attempt to prevent
further collapse of the housing market. There is nothing that can be done to stop
hyperinflation of commodities or the potential collapse of the dollar.
In the Florida Keys, we have falling housing prices, high rates of foreclosure and
vacant homes, decreasing tax revenues and the rising insurance rates. There has
been an exodus of young working people from the Keys and a staggering number of
Conchs have left their beloved island.
The Keys' main industry, tourism, is imperiled. The vicious cycle: Condo conversion
has reduced available hotel rooms, but prices stay high to compensate. Spiraling
costs (including gasoline) will deter many from visiting the Keys. Wealthy visitors like
to be pampered, which requires many service workers who can't afford to live here.
The rich have plenty of other places to go, especially if the Keys lose their unique
character.
As far as the "paradise of climate and environment," did you forget about hurricane
damage, shrinking natural areas, a dying reef, contaminated beaches and lack of a
modern sewer system for most of the Keys? We're privileged to host the military here,
but with economic contraction, help from the government will be limited. Military
families stationed in the Keys face the same cost-of-living issues as the rest of us.
I deal with people every week who are having problems paying their rent or mortgage,
in danger of losing their homes, or who have trouble buying necessities. Some have
chronic illness aggravated by living in poor environmental conditions. The economic
situation in the Keys is already having a profound effect on our daily lives.
There is a growing and unconscionable disparity between rich and poor, the haves
and have-nots in this country, evident throughout South Florida. Your statement, "This
recession will have little effect on the overall economy of the Keys," reflects the
perspective of the "haves." Pretending everything is just fine in paradise is an affront
to the disadvantaged of this community and the average working folks who struggle to
make ends meet.
Mark Whiteside, Key West
Every few years someone come up with a novel approach to do an end-run
around rate-of-growth ordinances. We wonder how this new approach (building
new resort hotels to accommodate relief workers after a hurricane) would stand
up to the "Three Pronged Test"?
around rate-of-growth ordinances. We wonder how this new approach (building
new resort hotels to accommodate relief workers after a hurricane) would stand
up to the "Three Pronged Test"?
Waterfront resort would put responders at risk
Mike Eveleth's recent attempt to tie our post-hurricane recovery to the successful
development of a hotel at Safe Harbor reminded me of the antics of Snidely Whiplash,
the tongue-in-cheek cartoon villain, who is obsessed with tying fair Nell Fenwick to a
railroad track.
Sure, Safe Harbor's water depth accommodates large ships. That said, the developers of
this property are obsessed with tying the citizens of the Lower Keys to the railroad track
of hotel development to house our recovery workers, in essence placing them in the
path of the speeding train of a Category 5 hurricane.
To sell this hotel development, and the apparent variances of height and density needed
to build it, folks like Mr. Eveleth continue to spin the need for a 175-mph shelter in spite
of the fact that all Keys hotel construction in recent years has already been built to
150-mph standards (think the Grand Key Resort and Beachside, among others). This
hotel proposal further flies in the face of the fact that there is no official record of a
hurricane making a U.S. landfall with 175-mph sustained winds, for that matter, landfall
anywhere in the world. (Some speculate Camille in 1969 had landfall wind gusts that
might have been this intense, however it has never been officially confirmed.) And if a
hurricane did make landfall with sustained winds of 175 mph, it would be accompanied
by a 20-plus foot dome of storm surge that would leave very little to recover by a
"recovery team," assuming they would have "recovered" themselves. (Camille's storm
surge destroyed everything within a half mile of the coast.)
Withstanding 175-mph sustained winds is one thing; however withstanding the
combination of 175-mph sustained winds and the 20-plus foot storm surge that
accompanies them is quite another. Exactly how would the desalination plant, ice plant
and Keys Energy emergency generation facility withstand this double threat?
The common sense course of action would be to plan to effectively evacuate everyone if
we are ever in the direct cross hairs of a Cat 5 with 175-mph sustained winds and
20-plus foot of storm surge and not to plan to build another hotel in the storm's path.
I trust the County Commission and the [state] Department of Community Affairs will do
the Dudley Do-Right thing and quickly dispatch the efforts of the Snidely Whiplash types
and save every Nell Fenwick in the Keys, especially the recovery workers that some
would like to place in harm's way.
Ken Domanski, Key West
Mike Eveleth's recent attempt to tie our post-hurricane recovery to the successful
development of a hotel at Safe Harbor reminded me of the antics of Snidely Whiplash,
the tongue-in-cheek cartoon villain, who is obsessed with tying fair Nell Fenwick to a
railroad track.
Sure, Safe Harbor's water depth accommodates large ships. That said, the developers of
this property are obsessed with tying the citizens of the Lower Keys to the railroad track
of hotel development to house our recovery workers, in essence placing them in the
path of the speeding train of a Category 5 hurricane.
To sell this hotel development, and the apparent variances of height and density needed
to build it, folks like Mr. Eveleth continue to spin the need for a 175-mph shelter in spite
of the fact that all Keys hotel construction in recent years has already been built to
150-mph standards (think the Grand Key Resort and Beachside, among others). This
hotel proposal further flies in the face of the fact that there is no official record of a
hurricane making a U.S. landfall with 175-mph sustained winds, for that matter, landfall
anywhere in the world. (Some speculate Camille in 1969 had landfall wind gusts that
might have been this intense, however it has never been officially confirmed.) And if a
hurricane did make landfall with sustained winds of 175 mph, it would be accompanied
by a 20-plus foot dome of storm surge that would leave very little to recover by a
"recovery team," assuming they would have "recovered" themselves. (Camille's storm
surge destroyed everything within a half mile of the coast.)
Withstanding 175-mph sustained winds is one thing; however withstanding the
combination of 175-mph sustained winds and the 20-plus foot storm surge that
accompanies them is quite another. Exactly how would the desalination plant, ice plant
and Keys Energy emergency generation facility withstand this double threat?
The common sense course of action would be to plan to effectively evacuate everyone if
we are ever in the direct cross hairs of a Cat 5 with 175-mph sustained winds and
20-plus foot of storm surge and not to plan to build another hotel in the storm's path.
I trust the County Commission and the [state] Department of Community Affairs will do
the Dudley Do-Right thing and quickly dispatch the efforts of the Snidely Whiplash types
and save every Nell Fenwick in the Keys, especially the recovery workers that some
would like to place in harm's way.
Ken Domanski, Key West
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Bridle path parking should remain free
Having grown up in Key West, I remember using the bridle path both day and
night. Days to park and go for a run or walk, go the beach, fish off of the seawall
or on the flats or just hanging out in the shade of the coconut palms. At night we
had the famous submarine races. I don't remember a single parking meter.
"Those were the good old days."
The government does not make any money; when they fall short they simply
take it from the people.
In my family business, when the economics show a downturn in earnings, we
start at the top and reduce compensation. ... I wish that I could go to the city,
county, state, federal or other government entities that we contract with and tell
them that we are short this month and we need to increase the value of a
contract to meet the shortfalls. ...
My question is why inflict us with a new rule or regulation that will take city
resources to enforce, aggravate your citizens and take away more of the
quaintness of the city? All this when you have adequate rules, ordinances and
laws that could generate revenue that you either don't have the resources or will
to enforce. Broken rules should be enforced rather than new ones that tax the
hardworking citizens or tourists trying to enjoy a little time off from work.
Example 1: ... At the four entrances to [Bayview Park] there is a rules sign. ...
There are at least two or three of these rules being broken at any time. The law
drives by several times an hour (the rear entrance to the police station is on Jose
Marti Drive; no way to avoid the park). Stop, issue citation, collect money from
lawbreaker, NOT citizens enjoying time off.
Example 2: Give ... meter persons the authority to issue citations for littering,
particularly for littering with cigarette butts. ... There are many more cigarette
butts being thrown on the ground than there are parking violations and I think
they are worth two or three times as much per violation. This seems like a much
more efficient use of manpower than issuing parking tickets. ...
The city seems to have an obsession with parking meters that started with the
past city manager and is continuing. We try to meter every spot in town. Is it
because it is an easy and usually a non-confrontational event that does not take
the skill of a trained law enforcement officer to enforce?
My point is that I do not believe that parking meters were ever meant to be major
revenue sources, but that they were meant to be used to regulate parking time,
meant to keep people from hogging a space for longer than reasonable. Collect
money from lawbreakers defiling our quality of life — not those enjoying it.
Paul E. Toppino
Key West
Having grown up in Key West, I remember using the bridle path both day and
night. Days to park and go for a run or walk, go the beach, fish off of the seawall
or on the flats or just hanging out in the shade of the coconut palms. At night we
had the famous submarine races. I don't remember a single parking meter.
"Those were the good old days."
The government does not make any money; when they fall short they simply
take it from the people.
In my family business, when the economics show a downturn in earnings, we
start at the top and reduce compensation. ... I wish that I could go to the city,
county, state, federal or other government entities that we contract with and tell
them that we are short this month and we need to increase the value of a
contract to meet the shortfalls. ...
My question is why inflict us with a new rule or regulation that will take city
resources to enforce, aggravate your citizens and take away more of the
quaintness of the city? All this when you have adequate rules, ordinances and
laws that could generate revenue that you either don't have the resources or will
to enforce. Broken rules should be enforced rather than new ones that tax the
hardworking citizens or tourists trying to enjoy a little time off from work.
Example 1: ... At the four entrances to [Bayview Park] there is a rules sign. ...
There are at least two or three of these rules being broken at any time. The law
drives by several times an hour (the rear entrance to the police station is on Jose
Marti Drive; no way to avoid the park). Stop, issue citation, collect money from
lawbreaker, NOT citizens enjoying time off.
Example 2: Give ... meter persons the authority to issue citations for littering,
particularly for littering with cigarette butts. ... There are many more cigarette
butts being thrown on the ground than there are parking violations and I think
they are worth two or three times as much per violation. This seems like a much
more efficient use of manpower than issuing parking tickets. ...
The city seems to have an obsession with parking meters that started with the
past city manager and is continuing. We try to meter every spot in town. Is it
because it is an easy and usually a non-confrontational event that does not take
the skill of a trained law enforcement officer to enforce?
My point is that I do not believe that parking meters were ever meant to be major
revenue sources, but that they were meant to be used to regulate parking time,
meant to keep people from hogging a space for longer than reasonable. Collect
money from lawbreakers defiling our quality of life — not those enjoying it.
Paul E. Toppino
Key West
| Once again, there's no sense like common sense! |
| For more opinion on this issue, and a list of the "players," Click Here |