mark.young@manateeherald.com
We’re not going to see U.S. Marines storming Coquina Beach or the 82nd Airborne Division parachuting into Holmes Beach.
But it’s still an invasion as far as I’m concerned.
You’ll never catch me saying a bad word about our state representative Will Robinson, but on Anna Maria Island I will respectfully disagree with any notion that Manatee County should absorb the island cities into their jurisdiction and oversight.
From what I understand, this all started over a proposed parking garage on county land, but that the project would have violated Holmes Beach building requirements.
A proposal to enact legislation to override those requirements has somehow led to discussions to enact legislation that would essentially end the existence of three local governments.
Escalate much?
Any such discussions are a breach of trust as far as Conservative philosophies regarding less government, stopping government overreach and a violation of the foundational philosophy of Home Rule, which has anchored Manatee County politics for as long as I can remember.
Quite frankly, I don’t even see how this is legal. It is an epic attempt at eminent domain, which is reserved for public safety and interest and I don’t think a single parking garage fits that criteria.
And as usual, the island governments were caught by surprise because there is a sense within Manatee County and state governments that the governments of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria are peasant peons that only exist to serve the overlord mentality that sometimes infects larger government entities.
I’m not pointing fingers here. I’m just saying that in the past, there have been more than a few people elected to our local offices who suddenly started believing that they were crowned into kings and queens.
They get a small token of power and want to wield it like they are Julius Caesar. Well, we all know what happened to him.
Parking always has, and always will be a problem on Anna Maria Island. Parking woes and finding solutions on the island have been a hot topic of discussion in the 12 years or so that I have lived in Manatee County.
I have written countless articles on that very subject.
My solution is simple: I stopped going to the island for the most part and if I do go, I have learned when to go and when to stay the hell away from that traffic nightmare.
Do you want a solution? Put more U-turn opportunities on Cortez Road and Manatee Avenue so people can escape the area as soon as they see traffic backing up past 75th.
A parking garage isn’t going to change that. You might get another 400 vehicles out of the way, but it’s not enough to solve anything, and it will just mean it makes room for another 400 vehicles to pack the island roads in search for parking.
Make more room, and more will come. It’s the quintessential, “Build it and they will come,” moment. It won’t solve the problem.
A massive amount of money is spent marketing Anna Maria Island. It was an effective campaign. Please stop it now and maybe that will help.
If anyone thinks a parking garage or two is going to magically end the 90-minute crawl to the beach on weekends and holidays, well, I have a bridge in the Sahara Desert I’d like to sell you.
People often say that the city of Holmes Beach is “difficult” to work with and they could indeed rewrite some codes to work in partnership with the county. But the county, in the past, has not shown a lot of respect to the city.
I know Mayor Titsworth well, as well as her police chief. They love their city and as they should, put their city first above county interests.
Any Conservative who believes in the “America First” mantra, should also believe that their local governments are going to put their citizens’ interests above any other.
And the local voters get the final say and thus far, they seem pretty happy with their local governments so neither Manatee County nor the state of Florida has any business becoming the bully and pushing another government around. Or more importantly, asking them to break their own laws to get what you want out of them.
There is a long history of animosity between the island cities and Manatee County government. That animosity has abated in recent years – somewhat – but it appears to be resurfacing and that is bad for all of us.
I don’t mind – or care – if a couple of parking garages go up on the island. If it means I can get to the beach in 82 minutes instead of 90, then hurray.
What it comes down to besides going against Conservative philosophies, is that it sets a dangerous precedent.
What’s next? Palmetto?
I know for a fact in my years of covering the city of Palmetto that the city and county have clashed over many things. And why?
Because Mayor Shirley Groover-Bryant and the Palmetto City Commission ensure their citizens come first and let me tell you friends, they don’t budge off of that philosophy.
So the next time Manatee County has a conflict with Palmetto, does one of the commissioners go running to our state representatives and say, “Palmetto has to go”?
It’s absurd. I can’t say what this is really all about but I doubt it has to do with a parking garage. My instinct is that it has more to do with hurt feelings, paybacks, money or political rivalry.
That’s not how Conservatives do the business of the people and any notion of an island “takeover,” should end quickly.
With that said, Holmes Beach could be better about looking at the bigger picture. I know all too well how personal they take county politics on the island. I’ve seen the three cities go at one another like a WWE cage match but unite like tag team partners when it comes to county overreach.
Island politics are a lot of fun to follow. They say what they mean and mean what they say and sometimes it’s just, well, mean.
I strongly urge Robinson to use his influence to get the county commission and island cities to sit down, have a beer, order some jalapeno poppers and shrimp at Cortez Kitchen, and just chill out.
Set all your egos aside, put past quarrels behind you and get on with the people’s business in the productive and transparent manner of which we expect and demand from our elected officials.
The three cities vow to thwart this action and I stand behind them in this endeavor. I cannot support an anti-Conservative attack on Home Rule, which in this case, would expand Manatee County government.
Less government. Individual freedoms. That’s the hill I will always happily die upon.
So if and when those garages go up and you are still stuck in beach traffic, stay vigilant and stay informed my fellow Patriots.
By the way, I saw some TV station call the parking garage a parking deck. Say what now? Who calls a parking garage a parking deck? Did the word “garage” somehow become offensive lately? It wouldn’t surprise me.
