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23 June 10 Feds don't own, run post office

By Adam Kaufman, except from the Fernandina Beach News-Leader

Ron Sapp: It's the feds. It is the federal government that is responsible for the "deplorable condition" of the post office building ("City to bail out feds on post office," June 16).

It is those guys who while taking our tax dollars "have made a conscious and deliberate decision not to maintain the post office." Well, kind of, sort of, but, as you clearly and obviously know, not precise or accurate, and a patent mischaracterization.

Until the adoption of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 during the Nixon administration it is true the Postal Service functioned as a regular tax-supported agency of the federal government. According to the laws under which it now operates the Postal Service is a quasi-independent federal agency mandated to be revenue neutral. Since 1982, under the Reagan administration, the USPS has been required to be self-sufficient and has not directly received taxpayer dollars.

Again, the USPS receives no tax dollars and is mandated to be self-supporting. The USPS relies on the sale of postage and other "postal products" and services rather than taxes to pay for operating expenses. The USPS operates the post office/Customs House building and represents itself as the potential seller of the property. This is more than a nuanced distinction. Notwithstanding the clever turn of the phrase, preservation of the post office is not a bail out of "the federal government" in reverse. It ain't exactly the "feds."

I believe you are correct that somehow "all of the groups and individuals who have an interest in protecting and preserving the post office building ... have to be included in the effort." In part, that is why the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation has

committed to engage in a fundraising effort and will match up to $50,000 to create a

fund of $100,000 for restoration when the city acquires the post office building for municipal purposes.

It has become evident over time that the USPS neither has the interest, capacity nor the will to maintain the building let alone to accomplish the task of preservation and restoration. It is the considered opinion of many who have spent time on the issue that until title to the building is passed to an entity that has the ability and commitment to seek funding and grants from federal, state and private sources for preservation and restoration, it cannot and will not happen.

We both live within walking distance of the post office and I know you are concerned about the preservation of "a landmark building, one that's historically and architecturally significant," a building that is "very important to our downtown." Perhaps not only do we share the fear of the "wrecking ball" but also concomitantly a fear that if we do nothing the wrecking ball will not come and what will remain will be a derelict building on Centre Street in the heart of downtown.

It probably should be noted that this letter is being sent to the News-Leader by e-mail and is indicative of what USPS faces as it tries to remain revenue neutral and why post office facilities around the country are being abandoned and closed.

The Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation is committed to saving the post office, a building that has been designated a historic endangered structure. We need the perspective and thoughts of all who care. Individual membership is $15, less than the current cost of 35 Forever Stamps.

Adam Kaufman is vice president of the Amelia Island Fernandina Restoration Foundation.

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16 June 10 Let voters decide

By Larry Meyers, excepted from Fernandina Beach News-Leader

Every once in a blue moon, an issue arises which is better decided by the voters. A recent example was the bond issue for the Egans Creek Greenway and, going way way back to the 1950's, there was the funding proposal to provide for additional sewage lift stations and improvements to the municipal sewage treatment plant. The latter helped make it possible for Fernandina and Fernandina Beach to combine. On all of these issues, the voters considered the community and the environment and the best use of tax dollars. Then they voted.

Now comes the issue of the historic federal post office in downtown Fernandina Beach. Built in 1912, this beautiful historic building is in need of some $4 million of upgrades and renovations. This is your classic fixer-upper project. And once restored, this architectural beauty requires high maintenance.

An undertaking of this magnitude and the life cycle financial impact on the city deserves the opinion of the voters. The voters have shown in the past that they are prepared to look at major issues and make a decision. Why is there so much reluctance to let the voters decide this one? Let's put this issue on the ballot.

One reaction is, well, we can't have every issue decided by the voters; that is why they elected city commissioners. How often have we heard, "Well, I'm a commissioner and I'm prepared to make the tough decisions." Well, this is not a routine little issue like where to have 15-minute parking downtown or the route for a parade. This is a multimillion-dollar fundraiser, pledging the taxpayer assets toward issuing a capital bond issue. Please let the voters of Fernandina Beach be heard.

Larry Myers, Fernandina Beach

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16 June 10 City to bail out feds on post office

By Ron Sapp, For the Fernandina Beach News-Leader

We like to think that decisions, whether they be ours personally or professionally, or those made by others, are made objectively, the end product of much thought, information gathering and deliberation. Whatever happens after that, good or bad, is better tolerated, better accepted; we've done our best.

What happens, though, when decision-makers act purely on emotion or self-interest, without objectivity? Well, bad things, usually.

"Honey, guess what? I bought a boat!"

"I think taking the kids to Disney World in mid-July is a great idea!"

"Yeah, I know it's off the beaten path, but our shop is so different, so unique, location really won't matter!"

Like I said, bad things - the boat just sits there, rarely used, it's about 130 degrees as you and the kids stand in line for about an hour waiting on the monorail and the shop, even with its uniqueness, closes after six months. Personal note: don't mention the boat thing to my wife, please?

For me, the city commission's decision to pursue purchase of the downtown post office building falls into the second category - good people, acting on emotion, without objectivity, ignoring facts and other information that might have led them to a different, more realistic, more understandable conclusion. Consider:

~~ The downtown post office building is in deplorable condition.

~~ Repair and maintenance of a building is the owner's responsibility, consequently, when a building is allowed to fall into disrepair, the city, historically, has held the owner responsible. The owner of the downtown post office building is the federal government.

~~ Over the past several years the federal government has made a conscious and deliberate decision not to maintain the post office, allowing the building to deteriorate, and that decision has resulted in project rehabilitation costs of at least $4 million.

~~ The city is in the midst of a budget crisis - shrinking property values and sales tax revenue has sent commissioners scrambling for revenue sources in places once though laughable: public beach access tax, waterfront access tax, "kid tax" sound familiar?

~~ Existing city obligations will exhaust all discretionary dollars well into the foreseeable future: completing the waterfront plan, refurbishing Front Street, maintaining and dredging the city's not-so-privatized marina - they've privatized the profits, but kept the expenditures public, assisting the county with their 14th Street property, etc.

So, given the fiscal difficulties described above, and taking into account existing and recurring obligations, where is the city going to find the millions necessary for building rehabilitation? What about ongoing operations and maintenance costs? In addition, if the building is destined to be used for a relocated city hall, how will the city pay associated conversion and modification costs?

Proponents have no answers to these questions. At least I've not heard them and I've been listening for the past four years. Instead, what I've heard is this: the building's only going to cost $1, almost nothing, and that grant money would pay for most of the rehabilitation costs. Forget the $1 price tag for a minute - the irony of the second part is overwhelming - the city will be applying to the federal government, the neglectful former owner, the owner that allowed the building to fail, for grant money to rehabilitate the building it let deteriorate in the first place.

Given everything, given all of the costs - rehabilitation, ongoing maintenance and operations, conversions and modifications, given the city's current budgetary climate, given the city's obligations, present and future, it's hard, very hard to understand the commission's decision to pursue purchase.

I know, we're talking about a landmark building, one that's historically and architecturally significant, one that's very important to our downtown, but the "saving" of that building cannot and should not fall to the taxpayers of Fernandina Beach, solely. Somehow, all of the groups and individuals who have an interest in protecting and preserving the post office building - the federal government, state government, county and city governments, preservation organizations at every level - have to be included in the effort.

Right now, given the direction pursued by the commission, what's likely to happen is a "bailout" in reverse - the taxpayers of Fernandina Beach will be bailing out the federal government by buying the building they've allowed to deteriorate, by assuming all of the costs associated with its rehabilitation and by relieving them of ongoing maintenance and operations costs. The federal government, it seems, will not be allowed to fail regarding their responsibilities as the building's owner - the taxpayers of Fernandina Beach will

pay the bill. Another bailout, this time in reverse.

Some say that this decision, this bailout, was interest-group driven. Well, I can only quote Lincoln or, at least the part I remember: "Just because you hear the crickets at twilight, don't assume they're the only creatures in the field." If you're like me, opposed to the city's purchase of the post office building, opposed to the bailout, well, it's time to start chirping.

Ron Sapp is a former city commissioner.

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11 Mar 10 $150,000 to Council on Aging from City

Dear Friends of Barnabas,

I shall try to make this brief, but will not promise!

I know many do not want to get involved in the City's politics, but in support of Barnabas, please consider the following.

I was totally shocked when I read in the News Leader yesterday that the FB City Commission okayed giving the Council on Aging $150,000. I immediately started

calling the Commissioners.

My points were

1. As a taxpayer I am opposed to obligating any funds for what is not absolutely necessary until they know what the budget is going to be.

2. That awarding $150,000 funds to help the COA buy the property on N. 14th Street is ludicrous. The County Commission has refused to sign

off on abandoning a street that cuts the property in half. Until that is settled....and until the County has been awarded a grant and raised

matching funds it is a totally moot point.

3. I identified myself as a Barnabas volunteer and explained how and why this is such a difficult time for Barnabas and why I would implore them

to consider helping Barnabas due to the rising cost at the health centers with greatly increased numbers of patients, the inflation of groceries...the reduction

in donations to New to You...and the increasing demands for assistance with fuel and gasoline costs.

4. My last plea was for the Commission to do something for the needy children in the City. One Commissioner said if they didn't help the COA

it would cost the city millions and millions of dollars to provide those services. I told him that simply was not true, everyone over age 62 is

getting either Social Security or SSI (blind, disabled, over age 62) I worked at the State of Indiana Commission on Aging for 8 years and am also aware

of the federal money that comes to the COAs. I sent him a copy of the Barnabas Needs with Susan's underlined note and got back a nice

email from him this morning

Back to the children. I told him I thought the needy children in the City are being ignored by the Commission and the City should find funds to provide

opportunities for them, starting with the swimming pools. I have often been at the desk when parents came to pay for the children

using the pool for an hour...it is $5 a child, a diminishing cost is added for attending siblings. People who are struggling to make ends meet

are not there. The children of Fernandina that need help the most are receiving the least. I suggested he talk to Susan about hungry families

in our City

Now, what is the point of all this? Particularly if you live in the City, please consider calling the Commissioners. Even if you don't live in the City you

can express your concern for Barnabas and explain all they do. I have the feeling there are new Commissioners who know practically nothing

about either Barnabas or the Council on Aging. Susan Steger and Ken Walker would especially appreciate support.

Mayor Susan Steger, 261-4372

Vice Mayor Eric Childers 261-0116

Ken Walker 251-9875

Tim Poynter 415-6533

Jeff Bunch 415-4901

I may go to the next Commission meeting to ask them to reconsider.

AM Jump, Fernandina Beach

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10 Sep 09 Paying for the Beach Access!!

One of the main reasons I love to live in Fernandina Beach , is the free beach access. Most mornings I wake up with the sun and head to the beach for a two hour walk, meeting other locals along the way and catching up with things. Sometimes I walk for miles, sometimes I sit and ponder the ocean.

But it�s a free time for me, no plans, go with the flow. A relaxing, creative, open-ended start to my day.

�But wait! Now I have to put money in a parking kiosk! Do I have enough money on me? Correct change? Dollar bills, coins? Will I stay on the beach for one hour, or two, or three? Oh no, I only paid for two hours and I got distracted and I�m still two miles away from my parking meter. Now I�m going to get a ticket! More money!� So much for relaxation.

So, let�s say it costs me three dollars each day I walk the beach, maybe $21 more or less extra out of my pocket each week. Well, so much for eating lunch out with my friends that week. Guess my favorite restaurant will have to lose my business, and the business of most everyone I know too, who also walk the beach for �free� exercise and must count their dollars.

�Well, at least I can go to the library and get a book. That�s free, still, right? Oh no, I forgot, I have to pay for parking downtown. Another few dollars for a free library book. Guess I�ll just run into the library and get my book, and skip a visit to the coffee shop and a downtown walk through the shops and along the marina. I just don�t feel like spending another $5 for these once-free pleasures. I�ll get my book, and meet my friends at the coffee shop over at my end of town, and shop at Walmart where parking is free.�

And so it goes. I�m not the only one in our town that has been hit by the recession. Most everyone I know has been furloughed, cut-back, laid off, or living on a reduced income due to rising taxes, lowering investments, failing pensions, rising medical bills, whatever. But all of us up until now have been able to tell one another, �At least we live in a great place with a wonderful free beach, a charming downtown with great restaurants, shops and a marina that we can stroll around for hours. We have a great quality of life.�

Or we did, anyway. Parking fees will kill a lot of our enjoyment. And, downtown businesses will feel the impact too, and close at a faster rate than ever. If people have to pay to go to the beach, to park to board the ferry to Cumberland Island , to go to the library, to visit the shops downtown, some just won�t be able to swing it. And we all will lose.

�Oh, so forget parking fees. The public hates that,� thinks the City Official. �Let�s just sell off the public land, the open space the City owns. That will cover the shortfall.� And, so, these assets will be gone, and gone too are remaining glimmers of hope of more public greenspace in our already crowded island.

I feel that it is time for the City to face the hard decisions that the private sector has thrown upon the rest of us. Why should government staff be insulated from the recession at the cost of the taxpayers? Slimming budgets impacts employees, there�s no doubt about it, and that�s too bad. But all of these decisions to increase revenue for the City negatively impacts everyone that lives here, we the taxpayers, who already support the city.

Enough is enough.

What a year this has been. We have seen a decline in our property values, our investments have been battered, and our retirement accounts have taken a severe hit. The cost of electricity has almost doubled on the island in the last 18 months. Last year our city government handed us a tax rate increase, a twenty percent hike in the cost of trash pick-up, a twenty five percent plus increase in sewer fees and over the last three years the cost of simple permits have almost quadrupled.

The city administration has suggested several �revenue raising� measures to fund the coming year�s budget. Sounds like business as usual in City Hall. They include the sale of city owned lots, increasing out utility tax, raising the tax rate again and a new �storm water� tax of $4-$8/ a month for each homeowner. Let�s take a look at each issue individually.

Selling 10 city owned vacant lots to balance the budget is not a bad idea, it is a terrible one. First, property values are at a 10 year low, and our return will be minimal. Second, the local real estate market is flooded with vacant lots for sale. Five years ago there were 30 lots for sale on the island in the Multiple Listing system. Today there are 135. The city does not need to compete with the private sector by trying to sell lots in these difficult economic times. Third, we borrowed $6 million in 2001 to preserve green space. Fourth, what do we sell next year to balance the budget? Any one with an ounce of business sense knows that you do not sell assets to finance re-occurring costs.

As far as raising the utility tax, our electric bills are high enough with out the city tacking on additional fees. Comparing my residential electric bill for July 2008 to this July, I had an increased dollar cost of 45% due to higher rates and higher usage caused by a warm summer. Since the city charges a flat rate of 4% their franchise fee dollars have already gone up the same 45% by virtue of the higher charges. I would think that should be enough to satisfy even the greediest bureaucrat.

I am all for better drainage, and don�t mind our tax dollars going to finance those worthwhile projects, but a blanket tax is unfair to the many people that live in subdivisions that already provide measures to contain their own storm water. Many of us paid for storm water retention when we purchased our homes and lots, with the improvements mandated by the city before the subdivision plats were approved. We continue to pay a yearly fee to maintain these improvements through our home owners associations. Double taxation is not fair.

Additionally, let�s not try to balance the budget by sticking our hands in the pockets of the youth athletic leagues participants. I can�t think of a better reason to spend tax dollars than the development of our children. The youth baseball and soccer leagues are run by hundreds of volunteers who give thousands of hours of their own time to work with children in the community. The values, such as hard work, integrity and sportsmanship that are taught to these kids are invaluable now and in the future. The least the city can do is maintain the fields of play as a show of support. They would have to maintain them in any case.

For every dollar the city take out of the hands of citizens, we have one less dollar to visit our favorite restaurant downtown, buy a pizza or grab an ice cream cone. Our local merchants need our patronage so they can weather the economic crisis. As a city we have lived on the growth in the last 15 years. The growth boom has stopped, and is not coming back for several years, if ever.

Tough times call for tough decisions, and we are in tough times. I sat on the commission the last time we experienced an economic downturn in the 2000-2003 budget year. After the 9/11/01 attacks tourism suffered and we were faced with a $1 million dollar deficit. We eliminated several positions, all but one through attrition. But we also built Seaside Park, North Beach Park and the Hickory Street practice fields, with the help of grants, money from the county and the volunteer services of some people in the construction business. From what I remember, we didn�t raise taxes or fees, just put our nose to the grindstone and made do with what we had. And we did just fine. This commission should expect no less from their staff.

In regard to the continuing debate about raising taxes or cutting spending, I can only relate to what a responsible individual or family would do in the same circumstances. When income becomes limited, spending must be curtailed in order to meet the most basic needs - food, shelter, clothing. Although we might desire much more, and may possibly have been accustomed to much more, the reality is that we must distinguish between true needs and wants.

At the present time, there are many who are either jobless, or relegated to a diminished income, and these are the citizens being asked to pay more in taxes to fund non-critical projects while personally they are seeking every possible way to cut costs in order to make ends meet. This economic situation is not one any of us would have chosen, but the reality is that we are now faced with a need to set priorities, and live within the means of our income, both as individuals and as a community.

Fred McNeal, Fernandina Beach

Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to � as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them � or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy.

And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

The Test of a Leader

I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points � not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

So, here's my C list:

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.

If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President � the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush, "Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't.

Leadership is all about managing change � whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths � for what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION � a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President � four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake.

It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know � Mr. they'll welcome us as liberators no child left behind heck of a job Brownie mission accomplished Bush.

Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world � and I like it here."

I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

The Biggest C is Crisis

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day � and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero.

That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq � a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you, I don't know what will.

A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen � and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises � the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough.

What do the public responses to the contemplated boycott of Felix Jones and closing of local beaches have in common?

One potent word: passion

These two incidents have a commonality - they elicited a public outcry that has not been seen around here in years. It is not often that hundreds of citizens, brandishing written signs and unwritten wrath, appear in force at government meetings. And these passionate protests were effective in overturning the Jones boycott and beach closings.

A calm of indifference is the norm to political events here. However, underneath this surface of apathy, passionate forces are uniting in a groundswell of change. One of these positive forces was in action this past weekend.

A group known as the Amelia Island Institute spent most of Saturday brainstorming over innovative pathways to change. The group, engineered by local architect Randy Rice, focuses on sustainable, practical growth that is friendly to the environment.

This has been almost a foreign topic for Nassau County. But that's where Amelia Island Institute fits in, promoting proper water and land and energy uses. Rice moved here from the Atlanta area, where he lived and breathed the daily gridlock and grind of the overcrowded bedroom community of Gwinnett County.

Rice witnessed the explosion of growth in Gwinnett and the painstaking pitfalls of traffic, crime and overtaxed resources. Like many of us, he does not want to see this horror movie again - especially not here.

There are other citizens' groups operating here with similar objectives and agendas. These include the Concerned Friends of Fernandina, the Sierra Club and the Amelia Island Association, among others. In addition, a committee quarterbacked by the local chamber of commerce concocted a visionary plan for future growth of the county.

These are all non-profit entities pushing beneficial plans. They are driven by a desire to improve and protect when it comes to use of natural resources.

It is never too late to start intuitive planning for the future. While growth has slowed here, it will again accelerate as the economy improves. This will put further strains on our resources - our roads, our waterways, our lands.

One slide from a presentation during the Amelia Island Institute program showed the frightening impact of urban sprawl - a housing subdivision with chaotic roads and crammed-in houses. This subdivision sits on a once-rural parcel where people used to fish and frolic.

Another speaker shared a shocking statistic. It would take another ice age to replenish the Floridan Aquifer. Most of us would probably not like to wait for that momentous event. Conserving and reusing water is probably a preferable alternative.

The time is now to plan. Citizens' groups play an important role because they can shape public opinion - which plays to politicians. Coordinated efforts like this one by the Amelia Island Institute, held at Fernandina Beach City Hall of all places, are important steps in the right direction.

The event was well-attended and well-planned. Conspicu-ously absent in the morning session were any of the Fernandina Beach or Nassau County commissioners. The outing was publicized weeks in advance, so it was not a secret.

Passionate outcries from the masses are heard by politicians. Our county's environment is precious, yet perishable. It must be, and can be, protected and nurtured - with the persuasion of passion.

Steve Nicklas is a financial advisor who lives on Amelia Island. He can be reached at 753-0236.

Unfortunately I will be out of the country this week and be unable to appear in person before you on this item. I request that you deny this request on First Reading for the following reasons:

� The motives of this group are no secret - to stop vehicular traffic and other usage of the beach in front of their units. It was this group that enlisted the help of Nassau County Commissioner Mike Boyle last year that led to the initial proposal to close Peter�s Point and other oceanfront county parks from sundown to sunup. After a thunderous outcry of oppositions from citizens all over Nassau County, Commissioner Boyle withdrew the proposal admitting that it �was a bad mistake�.

� The group will try to paint a picture of frequent incidents of loud behavior & reckless driving on the beach, trash left on the beach, vandalism at the park, etc. While there is no question that this happens from time to time, Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves testified last year on this matter before the Nassau County Commission, that complaints and police citations are no more frequent at Peter�s Point or any other oceanfront park than any other area of the county. He repeatedly said that this was �an enforcement issue�.

� In response to the complaints from the owners (please note the deliberate use of the word �owners� and not �residents�), Sheriff Seagraves significantly increased the amount of beach patrols, particularly at Peter�s Point. At one point for about 6 months after the initial brouhaha, Nassau County had a marked �Beach Patrol� vehicle at Peters Point almost the entire time from morning through midnight. It now appears that the dedicated Beach Patrol vehicle plan has been abandoned (probably due to the high cost); but the park is still patrolled diligently by unmarked and marked Nassau County police officers. While Nassau County will still have jurisdiction of the beach access roadway and Peter�s Point, if annexed, it will be the responsibility of the Fernandina Beach police department to respond to complaints about action in front of the Sandpiper units and north to the present City limits line. I don�t know how many 4-wheel drive police vehicles the City currently has, but it will need one to be available every shift, every day of the week to be able to patrol this area. I just have to wonder whether the $150,000 - $165,000 cited as additional revenue to the City will be outspent in servicing this group of �high maintenance� property owners.

� I have only lived in our wonderful City for 8 years, but I have no recollection of ever having seen an involuntary annexation before the City Commission. From the comments made by Mr. Drew Scott when this item was originally scheduled, he is opposed to this annexation. It would appear that since some of the owners couldn�t get the �contiguous� requirement worked out on an individual property owner basis, they resorted to this method of annexation in an effort to get their way. On one hand these owners scream for their private property rights, yet they have no concern at all in treading over the rights of those property owners that have already said no.

� While there is the argument for some protection of their property rights, these owners should be reminded that ALL owners in Nassau County have been paying over the years for the various beach renourishment projects that have provided great economic benefit to these property owners. Additionally, the beach driving and use of the beach at night has been going on for many decades and existed when all these owners purchased their property. Any lack of diligence on their part is their responsibility, not the City�s.

I do have some level of sympathy for these property owners in that they are entitled to the quiet enjoyment of their property; but I believe they already enjoy that environment despite the stories you will probably hear. When I am in town, I usually do a nightly beach walk parking at Peters Point and either walking north to Seaside or south down to American Beach so I am in this area quite frequently and in a position to state that the acts that they will try to convince you are everyday (or night) are in fact, quite infrequent � especially now that Nassau County has stepped up their presence at Peters Point. I would have no problem with Nassau County restricting night driving / parking on the beach, but that is something these owners need to deal with the County on, not put the burden on the City.

A personal example might give you some insight into the mindset of some of these owners. Last summer, I was returning to my car about 10pm on a Friday night where it was parked under the parking lot lights at the north end of the Peter�s Point parking lot. As I was coming off the walkway I noticed a lady standing behind my car with a notepad in her hand. Fearing that someone might have hit my car while I was walking, I quickened my pace and as I got up to my car I said �Excuse me, can I help you?� She immediately glared at me and asked me in a most confrontational tone �What are you doing here?� I said � Excuse me, I was just out for my nightly walk on the beach, is there a problem?� She said �You�re not supposed to be here.� A bit bewildered, I told her I didn�t understand what she was talking about and she repeated more emphatically �You�re not supposed to be here.� I then asked her why I wasn�t supposed to be there and she told me that the park closed at sundown. I told her that she was mistaken that the park was open 24 hours a day and her response was �That�s not what the real estate agent told us when we purchased our unit!� So it is clear, that at least some are being sold on the location by providing a false sense of exclusivity. Others have noted the small percentage of owners of the Sandpiper properties that are actually residents. I suspect that many of them rent out their

I am sure that the advocate�s attorney, Mr. Jacobs, will paint a picture of minimal impact that the annexation would have and possibly promise the City that it could be in a win-win situation of getting the additional property tax revenue but still have the ability to control the activities that can take place on the beach within the City limits. But I�m sure the reason these well-moneyed folks hired Mr. Jacobs was that they knew that he was the one that worked his influence on the State legislature on behalf of Amelia Island Plantation, the Ritz-Carlton & others, to get the state law changed that severely restricted driving on the beach south of Peters Point. I would hope & trust that our City Attorney would clearly understand the limitations on the City under the existing state statutes and be in a position to advise you.

Thank you for your time in listening my position. I again hope that you will kill this resolution from any further movement forward at Tuesday night�s meeting.

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06 Jun 07 County traffic mess and Crane Island destruction

I think we need to pin down some realities such as:

1 No more roads can be built due to geography, topography, and finances;

2 No roads can be widened without huge property acquisition costs and damage to trees and ambiance;

3 Road densities must be realistic relative to trip times, accident rates, road rage;

4 Parking must not consume undue time to find places;

5 Impact of dwelling construction on traffic must be measured island wide and all of it must take A1A into account, with no artificial 1.5 mile radius nonsense;

6 Hurricane evacuation times must not exceed 72 hours under any circumstances and should not exceed 48 hours;

7 Current hurricane evacuation times posted by the county are false due to developer influence and must be corrected publicly;

8 The intersection of A1A and the Parkway will become one of the most dangerous in NE Florida when the shopping center is built across from the Hess station because the traffic patterns will be conflicting and confusing;

9 The streets cannot be forced to take more traffic unless they are made one way end to end or traffic is required to drive close together at speeds less than 15 mph;

10 The addition of traffic stop signs and traffic lights will cause people to race from light to light and sign to sign causing the accident rates to skyrocket;

11 As traffic densities increase and delays grow, road rage will grow exponentially and accidents and incidents will skyrocket;

12 The need for additional emergency vehicles will grow;

13 A1A cannot be widened because too many properties have been constructed too close to the road and acquisition of that land would break the bank;

14 A1A could be widened in some places by using the median strip and jersey barriers, which would be ugly as hell and ruin the appearance of the approaches to east Nassau County;

15 Widened roads will result in additional accidents from vehicles changing lanes suddenly to make right or left turns;

16 Tuscany traffic will cause a very dangerous situation on the west end of the bridge as people seek to go west from Tuscany;

17 A traffic light at Tuscany will cause problems with trucks stopping and starting, with many of them ignoring the traffic signals altogether;

18 Continued construction of townhouses and condos without more roads will cause traffic gridlock such that trips that now take 15 minutes will take 45 minutes or more, causing road rage and accidents;

19 The response times by emergency vehicles will become so long that loss of life and property damage will cause insurance problems, lawsuits, and voter rage;

20 Widening Buccaneer trail to connect Plantation South with Plantation North will cause destruction of a treasured canopy road just north of Fletcher/Gerbing roads;

21 Roundabouts for four lane roads will cause a huge increase in traffic accidents as people turn from the wrong lanes;

22 The construction of a marina on Crane Island at the end of a runway will create a potential fire hazard of monumental proportions since an aircraft crash into the marina would cause a fire that would take every fire truck for 50 miles around to put out, especially with townhouses built within just a few feet of the edge of the marina;

23 Crane Island holds the seeds of some very imaginative lawsuits against the city;

24 Crane Island impact on insurance rates could be catastrophic for the island;

25 The Plantation Corporation will certainly create the circumstances whereby the airport becomes thousands of dwelling units, including hotels, clubs, condos, and townhouses, and add perhaps hundreds of cars to the roads, causing the Plantation to demand the widening of the Parkway and Buccaneer Trail, with fatal results for the ambiance of both;

26 Impact fees charged to developers are a fraud because they are insufficient to contribute anything to road construction and thus allow the commissioners to go ape with the money for frivolous projects;

27 Nassau and Florida are broke, as is the Federal Government, so pipe dreams that the public will fund the ancillaries for developers must disappear;

28 When the roads fill up to sensible standards of density, all dwelling construction must stop, period, no matter the threat of lawsuits;

29 When the traffic limit is reached, the developers must get the word that no more dwelling construction will be permitted, period;

30 No more roads mean no more dwelling construction when the roads fill up;

31 Definitions of traffic densities must be publicly controlled and publicized so that the BOCCs cannot circumvent them with constantly changing definitions to suit developer demands.

I suspect east Nassau has about 10 years before it is sent to hell by the developers and the corrupt commissioners and their corrupt staffs.

So far it seems to me the people of Nassau don�t give a rat�s a-- about what is happening to their quality of life. So, they are going to

get it right in the a--.

Don Jones, Fernandina Beach

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12 May 07 Keep the Greenway green

Casting aside all the personal aspersions and innuendo that only served to take focus away from the real issues confronting the Egans Creek Greenway, I wanted to respond to Joe Palmer's piece that appeared in the May 4th News-Leader and correct some of the misinformation it contained.

Before the salt marsh restoration project between Atlantic and Jasmine, saltwater intrusion south of Atlantic was prevented by the use of back-flow prevention devices on the pipes under Atlantic. These devices allowed the fresh water flowing north through Egans Creek to empty out during outgoing tides, while blocking salt water from flowing under Atlantic Avenue during incoming tides. These devices performed quite well as evidenced by the forested wetland containing coastal hardwoods and oaks that flourished between Sadler and Atlantic for many, many years. Despite frequent questioning during the salt marsh planning process, the Florida Department of Transportation insisted that such devices were not necessary to be installed on the pipes under Jasmine. We all know now that the FDOT was wrong and. to their credit, they have agreed to right their wrong the best they can.

Saltwater is not "seeping" into the area south of Jasmine as Mr. Palmer leads you to believe. Go stand on either side of Jasmine by the north Greenway walkway entrance and you will see twin 3-foot diameter concrete pipes with thousands of gallons of salt water flowing unimpeded under Jasmine on every tidal cycle twice a day.

As far as the allegations of Concerned Friends of Fernandina and the Nassau County chapter of the Sierra Club "browbeating a timid FDOT,, speaking for Concerned Friends, I could only wish that we had that power and level of control. I can assure you that if we did, the original salt marsh restoration project would never have been expanded outside the 25 acres that was originally proposed. Talk to Mr. Spence and see if he shares Mr. Palmer's characterization of a timid FDOT as they have threatened to take his property through eminent domain if he didn't sign their agreement about fixing the erosion in his back yard.

There is no question that the Egans system has been significantly altered by man through the ongoing development of Amelia Island and within the City of Fernandina Beach. However, when the citizens of Fernandina Beach approved a $6 million bond referendum in 2001 (the majority of the funds designated for the purchase of lands for conservation that make up the Greenway), the community spoke with its wallet about the value and the need for the permanent protection of this land.

All the professionals retained by the FDOT, as well as Dr. Munsell McPhillips and Mr. Robert Prager, have said that the damaged area could be returned to its previous freshwater forested wetlands or it could be converted to a salt marsh. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Concerned Friends of Fernandina believes that the freshwater-based, forested wetland has more value to the community for a number of reasons, but primarily due to its scarcity on our island and within our city. Amelia Island has thousands of acres of salt marsh wetlands, but its forested wetlands is dwindling by bits and pieces every week and the 50-80 acres already affected is a huge loss that will take years to recover. We all know that value of trees with regard to air quality and erosion prevention and wildlife habitat, but did you know that the water absorbed and held in trees in a wetland area helps control flooding and elevated ground water levels much more than marsh grasses?

Mr. Kavanaugh has made his preference quite well known that the entire Egans Creek estuary be converted to a salt marsh. Fortunately, his view is in the isolated minority as evidenced by the comments at the March FDOT workshop to gauge community input where more than 80 citizens attended and not a single person spoke in favor of a salt marsh. Mr. Kavanaugh also made his views known at the April city commission meeting where he was the only person to speak in favor of a salt marsh. It was the city commission, not Concerned Friends or the Sierra Club, that passed Resolution 2007-66.1 that directed FDOT to immediately work to stop further damage as well as to develop a permanent plan to restore the area south of Jasmine to the forested wetland that existed prior to the salt marsh project. It was in response to this first directive that FDOT sought a permit from St. Johns River Water Management District to place a back-flow device on the Jasmine pipes to stop any further saltwater intrusion. It is a disappointment that rather than accept the fact that his position did not prevail and the city's leadership has given clear direction of its goal for the area, Mr. Kavanaugh acted within his lawful rights and filed an objection during the permit application process that will result in a minimum delay of two months before the FDOT can put the back-flow devices in place to stop any further damage. We are confident that SJRMWD will approve this permit at their June meeting.

The newly created Greenway Oversight Committee has an important and challenging task ahead as they work with the city, county, state and federal agencies in developing a comprehensive management plan for the Greenway. Just as the beach and river are jewels in our City's crown, the Greenway has been an overlooked unpolished gem waiting for the proper resources and management to restore its grand beauty. We applaud the City's leadership in taking these steps and hope that dedication will not waver.

Dave Lott lives adjacent to the Greenway and is on the steering committee for Concerned Friends of Fernandina as well as serving on the City's waterfront committee.

Concerned Friends of Fernandina

Concerned Friends of Fernandina is a grassroots citizens group formed to inform and involve residents wanting to

preserve the small town identity of Fernandina Beach and its natural beauty.

"With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed." -- Abraham Lincoln

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Last updated: June 28, 2010.