WHERE WAS INFORMED DISCUSSION ON PLAN SEVEN50?

from Felicia Bruce

Letter to the Editor

St. Lucie News Tribune

Sunday, November 17, 2013

SHOOTING DOWN SEVEN50? Can reason, research be dismissed so easily?

Sharing the common goal of making the world better for our children is at the heart of progress. Yet at a St. Lucie County Commission special session one would have thought that it was only “us” vs. “them.”

The few who called for sharing a vision of a better county, for a collective approach to problem-solving, were ridiculed, mocked, interrupted and rudely received. Civil discourse was not the mood of the evening. And it was the 80th hour of such public commentary.

The controversy sparking this: a research document that required no vote.

The group standing up to be counted against compromise is a property rights association calling itself AC4PR.

Using buzz words to inspire fear, dozens of speakers claimed a global conspiracy inspired by socialists, communists and the United Nations. They offered conclusions derived from pseudo science and expressed their collective fear of a changing region.

Change may be inevitable, but it can be difficult, and cooperation can be a challenge for anyone but that makes partnering more compelling.

Expressing views in negative, judgmental terms, giving inaccurate evidence and making arguments emotionally makes for a suspect debate.

Add outrageous claims of global conspiracies; disparage all dissent, and it is only more difficult to find the common ground, do what is right for all who live here.

As presented, the Seven50 Plan was a stark contrast. It was competent, professional, statistical and all-inconclusive. Every constituency was represented. Every priority included: education, business, agriculture, recreation and leisure.

It would mean a regional perspective for protections for the quality of our air and water. It would be a comprehensive vision reflecting the uniqueness and preserving our quality of life.

If reason and research could prevail, the commissioners would have used this research document wisely. Instead, they voted to defeat reason and research.