Let me be clear that I am not against growth. I am against this reckless methodology that our City and County use when it comes to growth. Our City Commissioners let us know last night, they feel like they are doing the city a favor. They think this because they keep getting re-elected, so they logically conclude it must be the will of the people. Is this your will?

-Robert Krames
Gainesville Resident

The Gainesville City Commission recently met to address the 5.6 million dollar revenue deficit now due in 2010.

Gainesville city government has established an interesting cycle of proposing and implementing new programs that yield multi-million dollar spending deficits, year after year. According to the Commission, these deficits can only be remedied by raising taxes and creating new fees.

Addressing the shortfall created by the City Commission, Commissioner Lauren Poe told the Gainesville Sun that he would like to bring back the Fire Assessment Fee. This fee was previously set aside due to citizen outrage regarding its ill-conceived design to tax churches and charities. Such organizations are among the hardest hit financially by the current recession.

Here are two ideas to make up the deficit; neither of them involves raising taxes or imposing fees on churches and charities:

1. Stop proposing new spending projects that are not vital to our city’s survival until we are out of the recession.  This will enable tax revenue to replenish naturally.

1. Re-assess every program, expense, department, and staff position that was implemented in the last 5 years and do away with what is not absolutely necessary or within the job description of local government.

I urge readers to contact your Commissioners. Tell them to stop proposing new spending projects, stop raising our taxes, and most emphatically not to impose taxes on churches and charities.

–Robert Krames
Gainesville Resident

Responsible management is so much more than creating public policy that throws tax revenues at experimental ideas. Wise stewardship of the environment should also concern itself with the impact on people, one of earth’s most valuable resources.

Widening sidewalks is a nice gesture, but removing lanes from Main Street and University Avenue will create many problems and safety issues. Decreasing traffic flow and reinforcing the use of public transportation seem like good ideas, except where are the options for drivers who need to get to work using these major arteries? The commissioners’ plans neglect to compensate for displaced traffic that results from lowering road capacity. The result: greater traffic congestion with longer commute times and higher carbon emissions. Drivers cutting through residential areas will create safety issues for children walking and riding bicycles to school.

Last year, Gainesville Regional Utilities’ profits were down as residents consumed less power. Rather than tightening up on their own wasteful practices commissioners compensated by voting in a rate increase to balance the city budget. I propose that Gainesville residents should be rewarded for conserving energy and our leaders need to search for alternate means to balance the city budget.

A legitimate environmental issue is the Koppers Superfund site which has been largely ignored by our Commissioners for decades. Citizen outrage has reached an all time high. Even though all of our Commissioners have held office for years they recently have decided to express “frustration” with how long the clean up process is taking.

Where is the leadership on environmental issues?

Robert Krames
Gainesville

As a part owner of GRU I feel that I am entitled to have a few additional line items added to my monthly bill/statement. How much of the money I am paying will result in profit for the company, and how much of that profit is transferred to the city general fund. As a part owner of this large business I think it is only fair for me to be kept in the loop.

On November 2^nd the Gainesville Sun ran another letter from a Gainesville resident who felt that he did not need to be kept in the loop(2). Why anyone would feel the unction to write a letter that basically says they don’t want to know how their personal money is being spent is beyond my ability to comprehend, but I digress… If this person or anyone else does not wish to know how GRU is spending their money, they can easily choose to not look at those line items on their statement.

I hope that you agree with me that GRU should keep its investors more in the loop on how it is spending your capitol and you will continue to urge your Commissioners and Mayor in this direction. [Click here for their contact info]

I would like to thank Ron Cunningham, for quickly running my rebuttal letter on November 5^th(3).

–Robert Krames
Gainesville Resident

Sources:

(1)   http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091030/OPINION02/910299933/-1/OPINION?Title=Letters-to-the-Editor-Oct-30

(2)   http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091102/OPINION02/910309868/-1/OPINION?Title=Letters-to-the-Editor-Nov-2

(3)   http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091105/OPINION02/911049912/-1/OPINION?Title=Letters-to-the-Editor-Nov-5

The Koppers Superfund Site has been a source of Gainesville citizen outrage for decades. Years ago the EPA took control of this site and confirmed that there were indeed dangerous toxins slowly moving towards the aquifer that Gainesville draws its drinking water from. The EPA has made little if any real progress with regard to the cleanup process. Citizens have urged commissioner after commissioner for entire terms of office to take the necessary actions to secure safe drinking water.

Now at the end of her sixth year in office, Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan reacts to the situation with the following statement, “I’m frustrated by the seemingly lack of response to the concerns we have consistently been putting forward,”(1). Really Ms. Mayor? It took only 6 years in public office to become “frustrated” by the EPA’s lack of action? Could future political aspirations have finally stirred an increased awareness of citizen outrage and kindled this new found frustration? Note that the Mayor’s statement doesn’t allude to any form of action that might be taken against the EPA, but lets us know that she is “frustrated”. For a Mayor that has committed this city to conform to the Kyoto Protocol by 2013(2), she sure doesn’t seem very concerned about this environmental issue that hits so close to home.

Recently our Commissioners announced they will now be enforcing a 130 meal per day limit on the local charity, The St. Francis House. The St. Francis house has feed the hungry in Gainesville since 1980, and now with the holiday’s approaching the City Commission has severely limited their capability. Public outcry was severe on this issue(3), and initially our Commissioners took the stance that their hands were tied and there was nothing they could do. After prolonged, unrelenting criticism and outcry our Commissioners began using their creative energies to come up with a solution and ultimately decided to lift the meal cap for the holidays(4). This however should have been their initial reaction as public servants and leaders rather than having to be urged relentlessly by their constituents to serve their community rather than resist it.

Robert Krames
Gainesville Resident

Sources:

(1)http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091030/articles/910301007

(2)http://www.alligator.org/news/local/article_a9811e8e-9b1b-5b9e-a222-d7fa94fc2055.html

(3)http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090729/articles/907299944

(4)http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091106/articles/911061013

From the beginning, our Commissioners have had no problem saddling taxpayers with the over 3 million dollar tab for Ironwood Golf Course. Citizens clamored for the city to cut its losses and come up with a more fiscally responsible plan. Our Commissioners’ reply was, “Selling isn’t a viable option, show us a better solution and we’ll take it”.

Astoundingly, the Commission compounded the enormous debt by voting to “refurbish” Ironwood; reasoning an additional 1.1 million dollar expenditure would ultimately help cut losses. Isn’t that how you balance your checkbook? Our Commissioners openly admit that Ironwood is never expected to sustain itself; they are satisfied with simply reducing the amount of debt the course incurs each year. An underhanded effort was made to squelch the growing number of citizen complaints and camouflage losses by shuffling Ironwood’s classification from a city owned business to that of parks and recreation. Brilliant!

Recently a ray of fiscal hope appeared when a developer applied to build an upscale neighborhood around Ironwood. This effort would create good paying jobs and bring real economic growth to the area while supplying the fighting chance Ironwood needs. Scherwin Henry supported the measure and is to be applauded. However, the remainder of the Commission chose to stick with their self-imposed anti-growth agenda which perhaps smacks a bit of residential profiling by voting to block the proposition. Many east side residents are small business owners and would enjoy housing options that include newer, energy efficient homes. Aren’t east side residents entitled to the better housing options this neighborhood would supply?

Meanwhile, the Commission increased numerous taxes and fees around the city in the face of a struggling economy.

References:
City commission votes down Hatchet Creek development (Gainesville Sun)
City Commission OKs tax hike, rate increases (Gainesville Sun)

Robert Krames
Gainesville Resident

Thinking back, I suppose my wife and I began to notice the decline of East Gainesville 25 or so years ago.  At the time we lived in a beautiful home (circa 1938) on the corner of NE 7^th Street and 9th Avenue.  Many of our friends lived nearby; Lynn and I were teaching at Howard Bishop Middle School, and we were raising our first child, Joseph.  While there continues to be “fits and starts” and isolated improvements as time relentlessly advances, the relatively straight-line decline of east Gainesville continues, for the most part, unabated.

Some examples:

• Lowes – Closed
• Winn Dixie - Closed
• Manaro’s - Closed
• Barnett Bank – Closed
• Southeastern Bank - Closed
• Central Builders – Moved West
• Cedar Grove II: Barely passing; heavily subsidized
• Tackle Box – Moved
• Decreasing school enrollment
• Decreasing residency

Gainesville like any healthy organism must have a robust, well-functioning vascular system.  A city’s vascular system is its streets and roads.  How we treat that system determines the long-term survival of Gainesville.

As I ponder my first two years on the City Commission and realize how we have manipulated our system of roads; I grow increasingly concerned we are causing ischemia in some parts of our system by restricting blood supply.  We are witnessing an action medicine defines as, “anti-angiogenesis.”  In other words, cut off or block life-giving blood to an organ or tissue; death predictably results.  This is a great strategy for malignant tumors; it is ruinous for vital organs.

Appreciating this natural process, I was stunned to discover that, while developing Plan East Gainesville, a decision was made to remove the extension of S.E.16^th Ave. from the City’s long-range transportation plan.  A road, which, if connected to S.W. 16^th Ave., clearly offers an improved east/west arterial, thus enhancing the probability of revitalizing a decaying and historical section of our city.  Surely east Gainesville deserves the same attention to rehabilitation other parts of our city enjoy.

Assuming we fancy safer and more efficient travel between east and west Gainesville, and we do not wish to continue to segregate Gainesville; let’s look at some street facts.  What east/west routes are currently available?

• NW 53^rd Ave. is a nice road – badly in need of repair – but it is fairly far north and terminates at the Waldo Road.
• NW 39^th Avenue is clearly a good east/west connector, but it too is far to the north.
• NW 23^rd Avenue and NW 16^th Avenue:  Both “dead end” into Waldo Road, are peppered with school zones and run through neighborhoods.
• 8^th Avenue unquestionably offers connectivity east & west, but it is impossible to enhance capacity east of Main Street.
• University Avenue, is of course, the next great, and historically preeminent, east/west connector.  This road is the primary arterial from east to west but there is a very active movement led by an exceedingly effective, relentless, and uncompromising small group of community activists, who wish to narrow this central artery. They tell you, with a straight face mind you, that narrowing, while “counter-intuitive” will increase traffic flow.  My cardiologist suggests otherwise.
• Moving south, we next encounter 2^nd Avenue.  This, potentially beautiful road, “dead ends” at UF as does SW 4^th Avenue, thus neither are bona fide east-west connectors.
• Depot Avenue?  Forget it. While Depot Avenue will, one day in the near future, LOOK nice, it will not bear much traffic.  Depot’s western terminus dumps conveyances into neighborhoods, into, what must be, the most dysfunctional intersection in the state (north of P.K. Yonge), and when Archer Road is effectively closed to traffic from SW 13^th Street. west past Shands and the VA Hospital, there will be no reason to use Depot Avenue except perhaps, to get to 6^th St. which they want to narrow too!

So what is left?  Ah, 16^th Avenue – the very road the experts decided to remove from the long-range transportation plan.  This stroke of genius reminds me of what G.K. Chesterton once said, “There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there.” East Gainesville, is someone trying to force you to stay home?  It certainly seems that way because many, past and present, elected officials are making your option to freely travel increasingly difficult.

Let’s talk north and south for a bit.  While it is easier to travel north and south in Gainesville, far too many choose to use I-75 as a “local” street. Because from 11,000 to 15,000 thousand of our citizens risk life and limb daily on that section of I-75, I suggest it is the responsibility of elected officials to find some other way for people to make those trips.

A four-lane NW 62^nd Boulevard from Newberry Road to Williston Road offers such an option. That safer north-south artery coupled with a better east-west arterial would bring all Gainesville folks closer together.

If our dreams for east Gainesville are to come true, two acres of land are indispensable to its fulfillment.  Those two acres on the University of Florida campus – already once approved but now under new debate – are desperately needed so Gainesville residents can more easily travel back and forth between east and west Gainesville.

Whether SW 24^th Avenue is four-lane or two lane, it would be folly to spend $8 million dollars and have it dead-end into Gainesville’s busiest thoroughfare – S.W. 34^th.  Southwest 24^th Avenue can be connected from 62^nd Blvd. to Archer Road IF it crosses 34^th Street through those two acres.  Moreover, such a connection will, as the studies have shown, serve to relieve traffic on Newberry Road and at the ghastly intersection of SW 34^th Street and Archer Road.

Since faculty members at the University of Florida have historically anguished over the plight of East Gainesville, I have no doubt, given this information and the realization of what has been happening in our community over the past two decades, they will jump at the opportunity to strongly recommend to the new UF President that carving out just two acres of UF land is crucial to the future connectivity of east and west Gainesville.

Restoring SE 16^th Avenue to the East Gainesville plan, and connecting it to SW 16^th Avenue we will have restored sufficient blood supply to East Gainesville and removed the barriers that have isolated east from west for far too long.

What does the future hold for East Gainesville?  Not much if all we do is talk.  But if we “walk the talk” great things are possible.  Like bridges, sidewalks and bike lanes; roads connect people and their worlds together.  Awaken East Gainesville and help determine your future.  Demand that your elected officials take action to remove the blockages and open your arteries before it is too late.

Tony Domenech
Former Gainesville City Commissioner
Gainesville Resident

In Saturday’s Virtual Town Hall Meeting published by the Gainesville Sun, writers Kay the Losen and Terry Martin-Back mentioned a couple of issues which got me to thinking. Mr. Martin-Back wrote “mob rule” was worse than a representative republic and called for the voters to “establish a platform and run against the incumbents” if we weren’t pleased. Ms. the Losen suggested it was “time to resort to common sense.”

While I strongly agree with them, unfortunately neither will happen in our community and I’ll tell you why. There are 68,800 registered voters in the City of Gainesville, of those only about 15%, at best, will turn out for the city election Tuesday, March 6th (I’m betting the percentage will be closer to 12%).

Since 50% plus one is all you need to win and if only 15% turn out to vote, that means 5,161 voters, or about 7% of the registered voters in the city of Gainesville, will make the decision for the other 93%. I suggest that if 7% can control the destiny of other 93% that might qualify as “mob rule.” Of course, if less than 15% turn out then the ratio is even worse (NOTE: Turn out was 10.78%).

While it is clear that holding elections in the Spring is part of this problem, don’t hold your breath hoping the time for our city election will ever change. Why? Because sitting incumbents know that as long as the elections are held in the Spring, it is highly unlikely things will change.

History is the best predictor of the future. I believe I know about how many people will vote in the election on Tuesday and I also know exactly how at least 60% of them will vote thus, I ‘predict’ the Mayor will win by at least 65 to 70% and that Commissioner Lowe will win by about the same amount, if not more.

And what will be the result? Well, our utility bills are higher than ever and will continue to ascend. We are covered up by ‘homeless’ beggars accosting us at every street corner and will be ‘honored’ with increasing numbers as we continue to elect derelict advocates to both the City and County Commissions (Note: the ordinance they had to pass to get beggars off the street corners in the city has also impacted the firefighters raising money for Muscular Dystrophy….they can’t do it any longer.). The crime rate is up and will continue to rise significantly in our community for, what are to me, obvious reasons. Our single family residential neighborhoods will be increasingly under siege by student rentals as the Commission ‘tweaks’ the rules and buyers continue to speculate. Our roads will grow more congested and continue to be poorly maintained.

Finally, believe it or not most of the 93% who do not vote have, in fact, joined the opposition by not voting. As many others have previously stated, “we get the government we deserve;” and though I feel as the character John Adams felt in the great play 1776 when he said, “Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?” I say to you, please vote.

Tony Domenech
Former Gainesville City Commissioner
Gainesville Resident