To All,
I would like to apologize in advance for this email. I’m sure at this point in the election cycle you are as tired as I am from receiving hundreds of emails related to this election. That being said, I feel this email is extremely important as the Village of Palmetto Bay’s direction and future is at stake.
The election of candidates and charter changes related to the Village of Palmetto Bay – the choices that you will make on this election cycle’s ballot – is a referendum on how best to define COMMUNITY.
The present Council, including Mayor Stanczyk, Vice Mayor Pariser and Councilwoman Lindsey have demonstrated during their tenure that their definition of COMMUNITY can be defined as purely residential housing and nothing else. They support policies that result in the restriction of private schools that could ultimately eliminate them from our neighborhoods. They feel that residents should leave the Village to worship, eat and shop because those activities are an annoyance to residential living. They feel that reasonable noise and lighting from children playing baseball, football and basketball is more of a nuisance to them than it is a joy to those of us who are parents and a benefit to our future generation. They’ve all been a part of depleting the Village coffers by 10+ million dollars in three years, part of which was on an overblown Village Hall as an extravagant monument to their wasteful bureaucracy. And, maybe this is the worst of all, they support policies that build a virtual moat and wall around the Village to out keep non-village residents. To them, COMMUNITY stops at our borders.
Candidates running for office including John Dubois, Jim Araiza, Karyn Cunningham, Howard Tendrich, believe in a different definition of COMMUNITY. While I am in not endorsing any of them by including their names or pointing this out, their view includes a measured balance of homes, schools, churches, businesses and opportunities for children. Furthermore, they support a sensible, responsible fiscal plan going forward.
This email isn’t meant to disparage the Mayor, Vice Mayor or Councilwoman. If you asked them, they would admit they desire to have ultimate control of all growth, lighting, noise, traffic and construction and they certainly have a right to their point of view.
But to what end? Should a church be allowed to expand if they have the land to do so? Should children be permitted to play outside even if you can hear their distant laughter in your yard? Wouldn’t you like to eat and shop in your COMMUNITY rather than driving 20 minutes or more?
Is it really sensible to place virtual roadblocks in an attempt to keep non-village residents out of our COMMUNITY? Is that what you do if you’re proud of where you live? Imagine if Pinecrest, or Coral Gables, or Cutler Bay did that to us?
This is not a type of atmosphere, which I choose to live in. I love the fact that there is the possibility for our Village to be an all inclusive COMMUNITY to live in.
I’m requesting that before you vote on November 6th, you take the time to delve into what the candidates are advocating. I would request that you ignore lawn signs and petty tit-for-tat issues. I would hope that you vote based on the definition of COMMUNITY on its most all-encompassing meaning.
For the record, and hopefully to give you a level of comfort about my intentions: I, David Singer, have not given any contributions, committed my vote, endorsed, placed signs, run, walked or played patty cake with any candidate in this election. I am beholden to no one and no one is beholden to me. That’s just how I roll.
On November 7th, the day after the election, everyone in our COMMUNITY will still wake up, go to work, pay our bills, feed our families and celebrate life. The real question is in what type of COMMUNITY would you like that to be? Only you can decide with your vote.
David Singer
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