PSL COUNCIL UPDATE

from Richard Silvestri

The PSL Council delayed vote on the feritlizer ord in order to get clarification on penalties for non-compliance and enforcement.  Not certain when it will be on the agenda again; stay tuned or let me know if you find out beforehand.

None of the 10 or so that I notified who came to speak in favor of the fertilizer ord. knew discussion on the Seven50 Plan would be on the agenda.  AC4PR was there in greater numbers than we, but not a huge number of them.  Comm. Martin fostered the agenda item and spoke against the plan first, saying it was against home rule.  At that point only three commissioners were in attendance, Faiella and Berger being the remainder.  With only three minutes to speak unprepared, it is hard to lodge good arguments.  The big reason all three gave for being against was that the big boys down south would overrule us and also that other counties and cities had turned it down with special weight given to the SLC decision.  So now the Seven50 plan appears to become extinct on "Me, too" reasoning.  Although the discussion started out with it appearing the plan was dead in PSL, after several of us spoke the commission delayed further action.  Once again, it is uncertain when it reappears and when for vote.   One thing is certain, with those of us speaking up, the AC4PR knows they again have opposition and is going to be stacking the meetings until the vote is done.  I say "again" because we knew we stood no chance in Republican Martin County and they had no opposition at all there. 

Are we going to just sit here and not put up a fight?  If we are, let me know and I will stop wasting my efforts with this issue.  If we fight, then we need people there, with facts, willing to speak and even those not willing to speak just to be there.  For instance, one of the opponents at the podium asked all against the plan to stand.  It was the entire audience except a half dozen of us.  Pitiful.  I don't know about the rest, but the last time I was that embarrassed was in a dream I had wherein I was walking naked on Times Square.

Richard C. Silvestri

HAS SOMEONE LOST INTEGRITY?

from Richard Silvestri

Much to my alarm the BOCC voted tonight.  Much to my extreme disappointment AC4PR won.  The Seven50 Plan was rejected.  The vote was 4/1 with Paula Lewis the only vote to keep it.  The question of having a vote was raised by Todd Mowery with Frannie Hutchinson making the motion seconded by Kim Johnson.  This action denied any chance to have REAL input.  All they ever saw and heard were from scores of AC4PR people talking their Koch Bros and Glenn Beck phantasms.   

Those with a more sane opinion were limited to past performance and tonight of about 25-30 minutes from me and 10 or 15 minutes since August from John Debus and tonight from  Evelyn WARFIELD who spoke once before, Jerry BUECHLER, Steve Melecki speaking a second time, Art Appisomian, Teresa Toulon.  Thanks to these people for coming again tonight and to Erika Alvarez, Felicia Bruce and friends Teresa brought tonight.  Erika has also been present several times.  If my stats are off or left anyone out, I apologize. 

What concerns me now very much is AC4PR will use this vote and the denial in IR CO to sway other counties to opt out.  Also they can now say four of five SLC Commissioners have voted that Global Warming is not real.  It also fuels Big Carbon's movement to squash Global Warming Theory (which is not a theory) advocacy.  There is no doubt AC4PR has counterparts throughout the country doing this same thing for Big Carbon.  Tonight's victory will give them all (Koch Bros, Tea Party, Heartland Inst., Cato Inst. but you get the point.) great strength.

Why should any of us mentioned here care?  Good question because it appears no one else does.

For the two Democrats on the Commission:  "Inconsistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adorned my philosophers, statesmen and divines." And this:  Christ said, "Tell a man 'Yes.' when you mean 'Yes.'; and tell a man 'No.' when you mean 'No.'"

Bob Crowder has more to say about integrity in his opinion letter in Today's Tribune.  AND HE IS A REPUBLICAN!

SEPTEMBER 2013 UPDATE

from John Debus

Hi Everyone,

Our first annual picnic was a great success. It was a nice turnout with plenty of food

and a lot of good conversation with like-minded friends. There were some suggestions

to get together more often, so we are thinking of having another one between Christmas

and New Years. We ended it with a new kayaking experience with Joy, one of our new

members. All had a good time.

Hands across the Lagoon was a huge success at ALL bridges and causeways.

Our Call to Action at the St. Lucie County Commissioners meeting did not produce

much of a turn out. However, we like to thank those who did come out in support.

Our fight is not over. The Tea Party group, ac4pr, is well organized and have

been turning many people out with their talking points propaganda. They got the

BOCC to give them a 1 hour presentation, which I believe some commissioners

are tired of hearing. However, there is a lot of pressure on the BOCC, which is why we

need more people to start showing up and give some of the commissioners (at least

3) the support to tell them no. We do not need to pull out of the plan. We need to

wait until all the information is available for the people and allow the people to make

their decision. If you need more information on this issue, please come and join us

Monday night 21 October  from 7:00pm to 8:30pm at the Treasure Coast

Unitarian Universalist Church, 21 SE Central PKwy, Stuart, Fl. 34994 where

Jan Booher will be speaking on the Seven50 Plan and SE Florida  Regional Climate

Change Action Plan. SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING.

The city of Vero Beach had there first reading of their strong fertilizer ordinance.

It went fairly well, so we will be going to a second reading and expecting a

stronger opposition there. Those of us that want to save our river need to come

out and support the commissioners who are leaning toward approval. Check the

City of Vero Beach website for date, time and place.

St. Lucie County will be presenting their final draft of their fertilizer ordinance

at their meeting on November 5 at 6:00 pm at the county building on the

3rd floor on Virginia Ave in Fort Pierce. We need to show up and make

sure they understand we will only accept a strong ordinance.

There is a lot of things happening on our Treasure Coast Area and Florida.

So check our website Happenings' page and Blog often, because some

events are on short notice. Come on out, get involved, and show your support.

Thanks to all,

Take care,

John

AC4PR EXPLAINED

from Richard Silvestri

The BOCC has allocated an hour of the Tues, October 15th meeting at 9 a.m. for AC4PR to explain what their organization is all about.  First, this group has had hours and hours making statements to the BOCC at public meetings.  The rest of us on the 15th will be given five (5) minutes each for a comment.  It would be very desirable if as many of us as possible showed up, listened and then commented even if for a few seconds each. 

Before doing that we all should be informed.  That means going to the American Coalition For Property Rights (AC4PR) website and reading the info posted there.  It also means going to Seven50.org and reading the information there.  In that way each of us will be prepared to speak intelligently and factually regarding what AC4PR and Seven50 are and are not.

John Debus, Jerry Buechler and I on Sept 28th attended an "Informational" meeting of AC4PR in Palm City.  It will be very interesting to see if their presentation to the BOCC is the same one (or even parts of it) we saw and heard in Palm City.  If it is no,t it should be asked by us:  Why not?  If it is-they will be laughed out of the chambers.  I am betting on the former. 

Art Appisomian has researched AC4PR  and finds it could be a creation of Karl Rove.  I felt it was a creation of the Koch Bros.  Regardless, we all know Koch Bros, Rove, FCN, Murdoch, Tea Party, AFP, The HF, The HI, The Cato Inst., et. al. live in an Echo Chamber and repeat the same things.  

That said, there is a need to stop the local efforts of those doing the bidding of billionaires who have a right-wing extremist doctrine.  It is this same doctrine that has shut down our central government in DC and now threatens to dismantle local governing.

It is my understanding the presentation will be at the end of the meeting, so there is no rush to get there at 9 am.  However, no guarantees and who knows what else is on the agenda and how long these will take.

Regardless.  We need to stop this; then get a national referendum on the ballot that says corporations are not protected by the 1st Amendment thereby reducing the vulgar amounts spent on election campaigns.  Please pray, sprinkle holy water, bake matzos, eat pitas, strangle chickens, meditate-whatever your spiritual rites are-that the Court does not eliminate individual political contribution caps, an issue currently before the Supreme Court.

THE BOCC MEETS ON TUES, OCT 15 AT 9 A.M. AT 2300 VIRGINIA AV, FTP, 3RD FL IN COMMISSION  CHAMBERS ROOM

Hope to see many familiar faces there.