Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
As an observer and reporter on the local political scene here in Fernandina Beach, I have been struck by how many people at both ends of the political spectrum and from all neighborhoods treat important issues like reviving Tinker Bell. If you recall the Disney film Peter Pan, when the tiny fairy Tinker Bell appeared to be on her deathbed, Peter exhorted everyone to clap their hands if they believed in fairies. The thundering sound of applause, ringing throughout movie theaters everywhere, was sufficient to bring a revived Tinker Bell back to life with all her former vim and vigor.
And so it is with Fernandina Beach: clap your hands if you support the small town, hometown feel and values of our city. Good job, everyone! Now our beaches are renourished, our storm water drainage problems are solved, our Amelia Riverfront Park is an attraction to residents and visitors, Centre Street businesses are thriving, 8th Street is a beautiful entranceway to our city, Fortune 500 companies are moving their corporate headquarters to our island, and every neighborhood is safe and attractive. And all it took was clapping our hands …
Fortunately for her, Tinker Bell never had to deal with health insurance problems, expensive procedures, bad tasting medicine, a long bout of rehab, and switching to a generic brand of fairy dust. So too Fernandina Beach residents seem to feel that there is no need to change what we do or how we do it; “no change” equals “no costs”; taxes can never be low enough; government can always be cut more; people are entitled to free services and cheap recreational activities; the people deserve low utility costs, well, just because we do.
Many of the electorate, bless their hearts, believe that just as the sun will come up tomorrow, next year property values will bounce back to their 2005 levels, unemployment will drop to 5%, money will flow to the city from state and federal grants, hurricanes are a thing of the past, and the tourists will always be here. The need for government will just go away, since we don’t need codes that restrict the lives and actions of God-fearing Christians, who are always reasonable and demonstrate their love for their neighbors through their safe driving, responsible pet control, creative home improvement projects, and volunteer work that will more than make up for the work done by those public employees that we let go. Just clap your hands, folks.
Unfortunately, the Magic Kingdom is the only place where you can wish upon a star to make your dreams come true. For the rest of us, it takes working together in the face of cruel financial realities to solve longstanding problems and institute sound government practices that will guarantee that Fernandina continues to inspire the same feelings of joy and “home” to those coming over the bridge for the first time as it does in those who have lived here for generations.
The time has come to stop the temper tantrums, end the blame game and face reality head on. We are at the end of that road that the can has been kicked down for so many years. Do we have it in us to put the future of our city before our petty day-to-day grievances with each other and with local government? At the end of the day, none of us may be completely happy with the outcome, but at least we will be able to say, “We gave it our best shot.”
July 23, 2012 2:52 p.m.