Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.  Margaret Mead

This quote came to mind as I was thinking about the recent IOP legislation to ban plastic bags.  This post is NOT about whether this law is a good or bad idea.  I am agnostic on the issue as I can see both sides.  These bags are certainly detrimental to wildlife.  On the other hand, this is using the strong arm of the government to regulate businesses because of the irresponsible actions of a few people.

That being said, my sense is that most of the citizens of the IOP do not have a burning passion about this issue.  I don’t think there was ever an overwhelming tidal wave of people supporting this initiative, at least not in my neighborhood.

And that brings me to this discussion: how to advance your cause and get a law passed dealing with something you are passionate about.  My hat is off to this group of folks who pushed this ban through in record time and got council to approve the ban with unanimous votes.

Here is how you do it:

First, find a small group of people passionate about an issue. Have them regularly write letters to the editor of the local papers so that the letters appear every week.

Then, MOST importantly, come before city council and speak.  And don’t have just one person show up because that does not carry much weight.  Try to get 8-10 people to be there at the beginning of the meeting and speak for several minutes each.  Do this for several months in a row.  Repetition is important because it reinforces your concerns in the mind of city council.

And then the coup de grace: get some children to speak.  Children are innocent and just want what is best.

Let me be clear, this is not a sarcastic or cynical post.  As a political observer I truly admire how they pulled this off.  They were brilliant.

As the great philosopher Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert) wrote in his autobiography, “Passion is bullshit. What matters is personal energy.”  He is exactly right.  A lot of folks are passionate about stuff but too lazy to get up and do something.

These folks were able to Git-R-Done, and for that, I salute them.

Parking Solutions

The summer season is here and the daytrippers are performing a reverse Normandy invasion of the IOP.  For whatever reason city council cannot or will not take any measures to try to control the parking problem even a wee bit.

So, my fellow citizens, with tongue firmly in cheek, it is time for the residents of the IOP to take action.  Here is all you have to do: Just put stuff in the easement so daytrippers cannot park there.  Yeah, it may be against the law, but is a law really a law if it is never enforced?  This calls for a philospher…

The rich guy parking plan would be to put some very nice vegetation in the easement – just look around and you will see this has been done many times.  But if you don’t have the funds or the time, just put whatever is available in the easement – a boat trailer, extra cars, garbage cans, yard debris, etc.  A number of people have put thin fiberglass poles in their yard about every 6-8 feet and this seems to work.

If all else fails, do what the guy on the 28^th block of Palm does: run your sprinkler in the easement all day!  Yeah it is a total waste of water but it seems to work.

And just to be clear, this is not going to deny any visitor a day at the beach.  Except for a very few, select busy days, the parking lots in the front beach area are not full. I do not know of any other beach community in Florida or California (the two states I am most familiar with) that permits unlimited, free parking on all the roads near the beach.

I firmly believe everyone should have access to the beach.  After all, it is the visitor’s beach just as much as it is ours.  But council has let this get totally out of control by doing nothing for the past 6 years except putting up a few wood signs. When traffic on Palm Blvd moves 8 blocks in 30 minutes as it did several weekends ago, we have a serious safety problem.

If council won’t fix this it is up to us to do it.  Saddle up, fellow citizens!

Ralph B. Piening

246 Forest Trail

An earlier post on the iopobserver noted that someone had placed orange traffic cones to prevent anyone from parking in the lot at the city’s fabulous greenspace.  Those cones are now gone and 2 signs (Sign, sign, everywhere a sign…- sing along with me!) have been put up.  They say:  Do Not Block Driveway.  I am not quite sure why the signs were put up.  Regardless, the lot is now open!  So grab the kids and a picnic basket and enjoy the peacefulness of Palm Blvd while watching beer trucks unload at the Harris Teeter.

This photo is taken on 41st Avenue across the street from the Marina.  After the iopobserver commented on the crime scene tape strung between the poles, someone took it down.  The tape that was left up says Caution.

The iopobserver gets results!  Eat your heart out Harve Jacobs.