To: Carnoud
Silent opposition?
In part you are correct. The opposition now facing our Traffic committee was in the most part allowed to form because of the ineptitude of the committee itself. (a committee that I have not sat on for about three years mind you) I believe it is now a committee of one. Jackie.
The current leadership of our traffic committee stuck about a million landscaped islands on Beach Drive and made it so complex and costly that it was taken by the city fathers from the traffic engineering department, who handles only modest to small projects, and given to Mr. Mike Conners of the Engineering Department. North Shore will be glad to see anything get built in our lifetime, looking anything like what North Shore wants, now that it is in the hands of Mr. Conners. This was a capital mistake by the leader of the Traffic Committee. You guessed it, Jackie again.
Mr. Conners does not like neighborhood associations in my opinion. I have been personally involved with many other neighborhoods where he became involved only for him to thrust his position and authority down the throats of the good people he was supposed to be helping. Just go ask Roser Park about their bridges. Go ask Patrician Pt. about their monuments.
I do know what I am talking about. So before both of Jackie's supporters write in to blast me. Check the facts and check into my two cases above for starters. You will end up seeing what I mean.
By the way, about two or three months ago, the Mayor called me and asked if I would come down to his office to take a look at the North Shore Beach Drive Traffic Plan. He had some serious questions about it and wanted to speak. So with the permission of then President Joyce Frey, I and Lane Lastinger went to meet the Mayor. (Yes I asked Lane to go with Joyce's permission so that there would be two people from North Shore, not just me.) Well the Mayor wanted to know if either one of us had ever seen the version of the Plan that he was showing us. I and Lane both said no. We had never seen that scheme before and had no idea how it had been developed. The Mayor then said that North Shore's Beach Drive Plan would cost about $250,000 which was just about as much as all of the other neighborhood traffic plans put together and he was not going to approve it. We sat there without a whole lot to say. What could we say. All the other neighborhoods were in for about $2,000 or $10,000 or such some number with no one being over $25,000. And here sits North Shore at a quarter of a million dollars. Way to go Jackie.
And you wonder Carnoud about silent opposition? Look no further than to North Shore and Jackie. We did it to ourselves because we put people like Jackie in charge of an important committee. A person who knows little to nothing about the inner workings of the building departments or city government. Oh, she will tell you she does. But the proof is in the results and the results are that North Shore ain't getting anything soon on Beach Drive. By the time Mr. Conners gets through with the original Jackie Plan it will be two hibiscus bushes planted on U. S. Hwy 19. And we will be glad to get that.
P. S. As editor of this web site you must be thrilled with my performance since August 2. Upon my return from vacation on July 27, this web site had not had much of anything posted for about nine days, plus or minus, and for all intents and purposes seemed near death. Then I come back and walla!!!!
You would think that I was giving away keys to free cars with all of the interest I have generated.
So I will be happy to keep on keeping on and work with you Carnoud. Because in all seriousness, I believe that the web site that you have produced is the best in St. Pete and should be submitted for an award next year at the Neighborhood Block Party.
By Steven D. Lange
