If all of the negative campaign ads flooding the airwaves this midterm election have you feeling like you don’t want to vote for anyone, because they won’t tell you where they stand on anything, I understand.
At The Coastal Star we don’t do endorsements for many reasons (time and resources being the most significant), but I do want to share my feelings on one issue that has already begun to impact all of us who live on the barrier island: the dismantling of the Florida Department of Community Affairs.
Remember when 20-story towers were proposed for Briny Breeze’s 48-acres between the ocean and Intracoastal? In 2007 there was a Department of Community Affairs that weighed neighbors’ concerns against developer’s plans, then highlighted issues to address before development could be approved.
But since Florida’s last gubernatorial election, that group has become the Department of Economic Opportunity. Now decisions about development (or overdevelopment) are pushed to local governments. No offense to the fine volunteers who sit on local boards, but the prospect of another mega-development proposal coming along in our slice of paradise is frightening.
So this is the one topic I’ve decided to focus my vote on, and I’m searching out candidates who might feel the same way — even if they won’t talk about it on the campaign trail.
— Mary Kate Leming, Editor
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