The Martin County

 

  Defender

 

The e-newsletter for aware citizens – No. 73

 

ENOUGH BLAME TO GO AROUND

 

Martin County and the national meltdown of the financial market structure

  

What happened?

 

Greed, poor control and unrealistic sky’s-the-limit optimism is what happened. The public happily trusted the decisions of the power structure that refused to face reality. Conservatives wanted loose regulation to unchain ambitious entrepreneurial efforts. They wanted easy money to fuel fast growth, more profits and higher stock prices. Liberals wanted the same easy money for different reasons. They wanted more funding for costly new social programs and centralized control. They wanted more union jobs. Republicans and Democrats united! A variety of people with special agendas wanted low interest money for affordable housing and other good works. So almost everyone was on board.

 

Banks were pressed (Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, updated) to extend credit to subprime borrowers unable to repay loans. The Federal Reserve kept pumping air into the balloon with low interest rates. Congress went on a spending binge. Washington created private corporations (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), which then acted as if they were a U.S. Treasury Santa Claus. Banking and stock exchange regulators couldn’t see financial excess when it stared in their faces.

 

Debt ratings services were wantonly blind. Investment house execs took home $50 million/yr as they drove their firms over the cliff. Speculators and developers took advantage of the situation. It became too easy to unload semi-worthless loans. Consumers were on a credit card buying spree. Politicians and officials catered to special interests instead of thinking of the consequences forMain Street. The few dissenting voices of caution were drowned out as the real estate industry pooh-poohed warnings. Then the bubble burst. The day of reckoning had come.

 

Somehow we will get out of the current national financial mess, but there is a lesson to be learned; namely, that down to the lowest governmental levels, we must think for ourselves. To the extent possible, we need to implement realistic policies that offer a measure of stability instead of boom and bust. This is one more key reason for advocating slow growth, for protecting the Comp Plan, and for more tightly controlled county spending.

 

Martin County.

 

We expect, or at least hope, that our locally elected officials know enough about the law and about financial management to be capable of looking out for all Martin residents. Of the fourteen Primary and General Election ballot candidates for the Commission this year, only two have the background experience needed in the days ahead: Henry Copeland and Joan Wilcox. Both are lawyers, and both have extensive training and experience in financial management. Copeland is out of the race, so if we want at least one commissioner to be well versed in the arcane skills that will be sorely needed in the days ahead, it makes good sense to elect Joan Wilcox in District 1.

 

CITIZENS GET THE CHANCE TO DECIDE

 

Constitutional amendments on the ballot

 

There are six Amendments to the Florida Constitution on the 2008 ballot numbered 1 to 8, with Amendment numbers 5 and 7 knocked out by the court. No. 1 is proposed by the Legislature; No. 2 by Initiative Petition. All the rest are proposed by the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. Here is a quick survey of them.

 

No. 1: “Declaration of Rights” – It would eliminate the archaic constitutional authority that allows the Legislature to prevent foreigners from owning property. Elimination seems like the right thing to do.

 

No. 2: “Florida Marriage Protection Amendment” – It defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. Period. Opponents claim it wrongly eliminates gay rights. Proponents claim it prevents radical changes in our long established social-legal structure. It’s a question of special civil rights vs. the risk of unintended consequences from dramatic change.

 

No. 3: “Changes and Improvements Not Affecting the Assessed Value of Residential Real Property” – It exempts property owners from increased assessments for such improvements as renewable energy and storm shutters. On the one hand this Amendment encourages investment in upgrades that help the environment and reduce wind damage. On the other hand, it favors those who can afford such improvements, while poorer people may need to spend (if they can spend at all) on such non-exempt needed improvements as water, septic, electric equipment and roofs. It’s a desirable effect versus fairness. Take your pick.

 

No. 4: “Property Tax Exemption of Perpetually Conserved Land, Classification and Assessment of Land used for Conservation” – The basic idea is to motivate land owners to encumber environmentally sensitive land with perpetual conservation protections in exchange for tax exemption. This can be great or terrible, depending on how the enabling law will be worded. The devil is in the details. One hates to see the system gamed on occasion by far less than pristine preservation land. And how can an owner use his preservation land? Overall it’s worth a yes, but let’s watch for the follow-up details.

 

No. 6: “Assessment of Working Waterfront Property Based on Current Use” – When one or two industries are picked out (marinas and fishing in this case) for special tax breaks, it means that other equally deserving businesses and residents have to pick up the tax shortfall. This Amendment may be well intended, but such favoritism does not smell right.

 

No. 8: “Local Option Community College Funding” – It will further the ongoing efforts of some of those Tallahassee slickers to keep shifting the burden of higher education from the state to the already overburdened localities. Tell ‘em No Way!

 

A 60% majority vote is required to add an amendment to the Florida Constitution.

 

A POSITIVE STEP FOR MARTIN COUNTY

 

Life Sciences Consortium to nurture technology and education

 

The Martin County Future Group reports that on Sept. 25, 2008, the County, City, State, School Board, Hospital, and the College and University came together to celebrate the creation of the Martin County Consortium for Life Science Research and Technology Advancement. The Martin County Life Sciences Initiative represents collaboration among academia, business, government and healthcare organizations that hold a shared vision to nurture technology, education and innovation opportunities in Martin County.

 

The following representatives of the collaborating entities signed the Life Sciences Initiative:

 

Doug Smith, Chairman, Martin County Commission; Dr Edwin Massey, President, Indian River Sate College; Mark Robitaille, President, CEO Martin Memorial Health Systems; Sherry Plymale, Trustee, Florida Atlantic University; Laurie Gaylord, Chairman, Martin County School Board; Jeff Krauskopf, Mayor, City of Stuart; Neil Subin, Mayor, Sewall’s Point;  Peter Kemp, President, Business Development Board; Ed Weinberg, Chairman Economic Council;  Gail Myers, Councilwoman, Town of Ocean Breeze Park; Catherine McKenzie, Chairman, Workforce Development Board.

 

Good luck, folks. We hope residents will enthusiastically support this effort to provide economic diversity to our community..

 

ARE THEY BAD BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO GOOD?

 

City and county e-mail firewalls

 

We sent an inquiry to a City of Stuart Commissioner at her official e-mail address. She never received it because, we are told, “the City has a very strong firewall and a lot of emails do not make it thru.”  We question whether it makes sense to block valid citizen communications to officials, even unintentionally, just to block some junk mail.

 

Martin County has wisely chosen not to impose the kind of firewall that blocks citizen e-mails. So commissioners may have to hit the delete key more often, but more importantly, citizen e-mails reach them.

 

IT MAKES OUR EYES ROLL (AND STOMACH HEAVE)

 

The Politician’s Assurance: “Accepting campaign contributions from special interests will not influence my vote.”

 

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For a free subscription to The Martin County Defender, send request with “Subscribe” in the subject line to:mcdefender@gmail.com

 

 

 

Comments and requests to unsubscribe may be sent to this same address.

 

Al

 

Al Forman, Editor                                  9/30//08

 

The Martin County Defender is published and Copyright 2008 by WordsmithAmerica,

Box 1828, Palm City, FL 34991. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for public or private use, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. NOTICE:  All correspondence not bearing legal copyright notice which is sent to the Defender or its editor is subject to being edited and published.

 

All previous issues of the Defender are archived at our website:

 

www.MartinCountyDefender.com

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The Martin County

 

  Defender

 

The e-newsletter for aware citizens – No. 72

 

 

It matters who influences a candidate

 

 

In last week’s DEFENDER No. 71, I discussed secret meetings to support the best (and sorely needed) slow-growth commission candidates. Included was the following report:

 

 

“While the meeting was in progress, one of the attendees stood up and said he was leaving. He insisted without saying why that his favorite, Fullman, was a better choice than Copeland. Then he went on a blustering rant, saying there were many bad things about Copeland that we did not know. We were all taken aback. I challenged him to be specific, and to explain a few of those supposed bad things. Instead of an explanation, he stalked out of the room.”

 

 

Nowhere had I mentioned, or even hinted, who the blustering ranter might be. But reputation did the unmasking. Readers wrote in, saying it had to be Bill Summers. Martin County has some sharp residents.

 

 

A few days after the issue appeared, Summers wrote a letter in the Stuart News. It contained a mix of effusive praise for District 1 candidate Tom Fullman, plus irresponsible false statements about other people. In addition to venting his ire with mean spirit, as he has long been known to do, Summers also canceled his subscription to the News.  Since he is not a DEFENDER subscriber, and since the Palm Beach Post has essentially abandoned reporting Martin County news, Summers is now more uninformed than ever.

 

 

None of this would matter were Summers not a dominating and manipulative promoter, political mentor and advisor to Mr. Fullman. But he is. So it is reasonable for all Martin citizens to dread even the remote possibility of electing any commissioner with Summers having his ear, or other body part.

 

 

 

DEFENDER EDITOR SALUTES:

 

Generous civic-minded individuals who contribute to the best candidates

 

 

Numerous readers have written to tell us of their contributions as individuals to the political campaigns of the best candidates. We are so proud of them and their generosity because they do so with no thought of personal or financial gain. They see it as a citizen effort to make Martin County a better place – not as a business investment that will reap rewards. Of course, if you can afford it, you should consider contributing to the candidates you think will serve all residents best. I hope you recognize, irrespective of party affiliation, these candidates most committed to bringing about needed change on the County Commission:

 

 

* Joan Wilcox, District 1, long time Republican running NPA

 

            “Joan Wilcox Campaign,”

 

 

2336 East Ocean Blvd.

, PMB 191, Stuart, FL 34996 

 

 

* Martha Bennett, District 3, Democrat

 

“Campaign for Martha Bennett”

9063 SE Adonis Street, Hobe Sound, FL 33455

 

 

 

* John Patteson, District 5, long time Republican running NPA

 

“Campaign Account of John Patteson”

 

 

PO Box 633, Palm City, FL 34991

 

 

 

Competition (at last) for a seat on the Stuart City Commission

 

 

The Group V seat on the Stuart City Commission has been held unopposed for the past two terms by Mary Hutchinson. Now a citizen has stepped forward so residents will have the opportunity to vote for their preferred candidate. His name is Robert Steinberg, a Stuart homeowner for the past 26 years.

 

 

Mr. Steinberg believes in strict adherence to the Stuart Comprehensive Plan, is opposed to developer excesses, and strongly favors preserving the small town atmosphere. He would seek to close those loopholes that allow the Commission discretion in zoning exceptions or environmental offsets.

 

 

We have asked Ms. Hutchinson for her position on these issues. Perhaps she is suffering from incumbent-itis, and has not felt it necessary to respond with her views.

 

 

Mr. Steinberg can be reached by phone (341-6944) or e-mail (midiopera@bellsouth.net).

 

 

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For a free subscription to The Martin County Defender, send request with “Subscribe” in the subject line to: mcdefender@gmail.com

 

 

Comments and requests to unsubscribe may be sent to this same address.

 

Al

 

Al Forman, Editor                                  9/25/08

 

 

The Martin County Defender is published and Copyright 2008 by WordsmithAmerica,

. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for public or private use, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. NOTICE:  All correspondence not bearing legal copyright notice which is sent to the Defender or its editor is subject to being edited and published.  

 

 

All previous issues of the Defender are archived at our website:

 

www.MartinCountyDefender.com

 

 

 

 

 

--
  Al Forman
  mc_defender@fastmail.net

 

 

Box 1828, Palm City, FL 34991

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Martin County

  Defender

The e-newsletter for aware citizens – No. 71

 

The (failed) 2007 secret meetings to unify the slow-growth candidate vote

About a year ago, several of us were concerned that  slow-growth advocates needed to unite behind a single Commission candidate in each district if we wanted to prevent a repeat of the 2004 election, which put a pro-developer majority on the Commission.

It was like pulling teeth, but with help I convened a meeting of nine leading, high profile slow-growth advocates. Two others could not attend. No potential candidates were invited. All of us knew each other, and the meeting was cordial, purposeful and seemingly productive.  We discussed prospective candidates, evaluated the qualities that would make an excellent commissioner, and considered their potential for winning the 2008 election.

We came to the conclusion, by informal consensus, that the three best prospects were Henry Copeland (District 1), Martha Bennett (District 3), and Ian Pollack (District 5).  We would leave it to a follow-up meeting to explore what could be done to support the favored candidates.

While the meeting was in progress, one of the attendees stood up and said he was leaving. He insisted without saying why that his favorite, Fullman, was a better choice than Copeland. Then he went on a blustering rant, saying there were many bad things about Copeland that we did not know. We were all taken aback. I challenged him to be specific, and to explain a few of those supposed bad things. Instead of an explanation, he stalked out of the room. Uh oh! So much for unity. We never held the follow-up meeting.

Independently at about the same time, Lloyd Brumfield, who operates an excellent filtered news service, called a broader meeting with the same objective as mine. Discussion by a few dozen attendees was lively, but rambling and contradictory. We would work out differences at a scheduled follow-up meeting. That meeting was subsequently canceled.

We now know from the Republican primary results what the lack of solidarity brought about. In District 5, the three-way slow-growth split gave victory by plurality – not majority - to Ciampi over Pollack. That’s how DiTerlizzi won the district four years earlier. In the District 1 Republican primary, Smith barely nosed out Copeland, not by split vote, but by some support splitting away to favor new Democrat Fullman.

I hate to admit it, but Stuart News columnist Rich Campbell (who is wrong on numerous matters, and probably did not know about the meetings) has been right – so far – in his New Year prediction, “What’s ahead for us in 2008?”  He said: “Martin County’s slow-growth faction will divide and conquer itself during the elections just as it did in 2004. Too many slow-growth candidates will split the vote.” Please join me in working to prove Campbell is not such a great prognosticator.

THE BATTLE IS NOT OVER! Be inspired by Churchill’s uncounquerable determination and bold exhortation: “Never, never, never give up.” THE GOOD GUYS CAN STILL WIN BY UNITING!

Look at the candidates in District 5

Ed Ciampi, who won the four-way Republican primary with the unified. generous financial backing of developer-business and landowner interests, is an admirer of Big Sugar, and wannabe clone of incumbent DiTerlizzi. He’s bad news for the county.

Linda Green, the unopposed Democrat, was protégé of sorts under Mary Dawson, co-author of the Valliere Rural Cluster Amendment. However, Green has struck out independently, opposing this bad law. Green is a good candidate – but lacks experience, and has not been in the forefront of slow-growth battles.

John Patteson, a long time registered Republican running as No Party Affiliation (NPA), is the strongest, most experienced and best informed candidate of the three. It’s not just the positions he takes. It’s his irrepressible zest in standing up before the Commission for environmental and slow-growth issues that wins my support.

I”LL VOTE FOR JOHN PATTESON BECAUSE I KNOW HE WILL FIGHT FOR A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF US!

 

Lesley Blackner Receives “2008 Woman of the Year Award” from Defender  

 

Leslie Blackner, co-author of the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment, received the “2008 Woman of the year Award from the Martin County DEFENDER, an e-newsletter edited by Palm City resident Al Forman. The presentation was made at the County Commission chambers, Fast-growth commissioners had opposed the Amendment.

As stated on the presentation plaque, the award was given to Ms. Blackner “For her indomitable spirit and outstanding courage in the battle to place on the ballot the Florida Hometown Democracy Amendment that will grant the people the right to vote on land use changes that change the face of their community forever. “

Upon receiving the award, Ms. Blackner said:

“Martin County is perhaps the best place left on the east coast of Florida. It’s a reminder of just how gorgeous and unique the entire state of Florida used to be.  Why is Martin so different from Palm Beach County or St. Lucie—ruined by developers gone wild?  Citizen leadership is the reason.  Martin has been blessed over the past decades with dedicated citizens who don’t want to see Martin paved with wall-to-wall sprawl.  For years now, Martin’s citizen leadership has fought the good fight to make sure it isn’t swallowed up in concrete. 

“Not surprisingly, Martin is held up as a model of “responsible growth management” throughout Florida.  Martin was lucky for many years.  But luck can change.  And knowing that the difference between responsible development and being paved over often boils down to just one vote on the county commission means that our current land use system vests way too much power in the hands of commissioners.  That’s why developers will say and do just about anything to retain power over commissions.  The growth machine will tell you anything to maintain power.  Look at the campaign contributions and see who donates the most to local races.  Look (if you can) and see who’s sending out sneaky ads. 

“The truth is that land use is politics.  The law rather naively assumes that when a commission approves a requested land use change, the change is granted because it is in the public interest.  The hard truth is that the public interest is too often defined as keeping politically greased developers happy, and everything else is irrelevant.  In fact, the current real estate debacle can be laid directly at the feet of Florida’s commissions who hardly ever say “no” and let developers go wild, overbuild on speculation and crash the entire US economy.

“With the advent of Florida Hometown Democracy citizens will have some peace of mind knowing that changes to their local growth plans truly reflect the broad public interest because voters themselves will have the final say over whether or not they want the change.  We wish we had qualified for the 2008 ballot but the growth machine, to their credit, did a good job of seeing that it did not happen.  Nonetheless, we are just about qualified for 2010 and all our opponents can do is defeat us at the polls.  We have the next two years to win the hearts and minds of Floridians about this important reform.  You can do your part by connecting it to ongoing growth fights here in Martin.  When you hear about a proposed growth plan change think how Hometown Democracy would impact the proposal.  Talk to everyone about this hope for the future.  Wouldn’t you like to have a voice on whether or not Martin is paved or saved?” Ms. Blackner concluded.

Why the Commission must be reformed

The Commission majority has been passing laws and land use changes that benefit special financial interests and burden residents. These changes will become irreversible if this same majority – even with different faces – continues in power for the next four years.

A survey of 1,500 Martin citizens, conducted by our Martin County Consensus and published in the April 24, 2008 Stuart News, found that 78.2% of residents, believed that the County Commission was doing a Poor or Very Poor job.

Above and beyond the national economic downturn, based on county performance (library hours, traffic, parks, neighborhood encroachment, wasteful expenses, taxes, Comp Plan erosion, etc.) each of us should ask ourselves:

IS MY FAMILY BETTER OFF AS A MARTIN RESIDENT THAN WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO? If not, it makes sense to change the status quo.

If you like Martin County the way it has been, and want to preserve those wonderful qualities, the only solution is to unite behind the credible candidates who will reform the Commission.

 

The candidates who will bring about needed change are:

* Joan Wilcox, District 1, long time Republican running NPA

* Martha Bennett, District 3, Democrat

* John Patteson, District 5, long time Republican running NPA

WISHFUL THOUGHT FOR TODAY: In these days of reduced public services without tax reduction, wouldn’t it be nice for the county to have on hand an extra $573,000 – the amount that was wasted by the Commission majority on the Glatting-Jackson and Urbanomics consultant reports?

 

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For a free subscription to The Martin County Defender, send request with “Subscribe” in the subject line to: mcdefender@gmail.com

 

Comments and requests to unsubscribe may be sent to this same address.

 

Al

 

Al Forman, Editor                                  9/20/08

 

 

 

 

The Martin County Defender is published and Copyright 2008 by WordsmithAmerica,

Box 1828, Palm City, FL 34991

 

. All rights reserved. No part of this issue may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for public or private use, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. NOTICE:  All correspondence not bearing legal copyright notice which is sent to the Defender or its editor is subject to being edited and published.

 

 

All previous issues of the Defender are archived at our website:

 

www.MartinCountyDefender.com

 

 What’s happening in Stuart? Check out the following website:

 

www.SailfishCity.com

  

–

  Al Forman
  mc_defender@fastmail.net

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