Category Archives: Martin County

What Is The Mission?

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What should be the mission of the Martin County Park and Recreation Department?

 

Their mission statement proclaims: “In partnership with Martin County residents, the Park and Recreation Department cultivates programs, parks, and services that improve quality of life, preserves national resources, and satisfies the community needs for recreation, fitness, and leisure.”

Under that statement the County has created a water park. It has created a campground and an RV park, a venue for weddings and other affaires, and is in the process of building a magnificent golf course with clubhouse and a “Top Golf” type driving range. The Department has created a nice restaurant at the beach in Jensen Beach and is creating a dining space with tiki hut and full bar at Stuart Beach.

 

These are all wonderful and beautiful accomplishments. Yet, at some of our functional parks and fields, there are drainage problems, fences in disrepair and inadequate rest and storage facilities for the teams that use them. The new and the shiny always trump the needed expenditures for mundane and boring maintenance. Even though these “bread & butter” facilities are used by most Martin County residents.

 

Mission statements are fine, but it is the services provided to the greatest number of residents that count the most. Should we be involved in a water park better suited to the private sector? For the money it cost to build Sailfish Splash, we should have provided county pools in the CRA areas. That would have been a better use of tax dollars.

 

Why is the department again bypassing the private sector by creating a much more luxurious experience at the golf course than what is necessary to fulfill the need of providing a place for residents to play golf? The same can be said for campgrounds for RVs. And since when should governments be running restaurants?

 

The Board of County Commissioners claim to be free-market, pro-business, and fiscally conservative shepherds of tax dollars. When it comes to the running of this department, that is far from a true statement. The Commission has allowed themselves to be carried away by using tax dollars to fulfill their fantasies.

 

Their fantasies should include the use of tax dollars to make sure existing recreational parks are well maintained and that there are programs that benefit the broader community and the needs of children and adults to recreate. Trying to compete with the private sector is not what government should be doing nor does it do it ultimately very well.

 

If you think that people need more than a hamburger to enjoy their beach experience, sign a lease with a private restauranteur. If an electronic driving range is needed in Martin County, then put out an RFP or RFQ to see if anyone in the private sector will respond. If not, that should tell you something about what you are planning.

 

I would bet that most parents who have kids involved in a sports league would rather have a reseeded field with a working score board and bleachers than a place to have a margherita at a beach. Our poorest residents would much rather have a community pool than a water park where they cannot afford to go. It is time the Commission stop this government overreach and spending of tax dollars. Just provide those programs that most taxpayers want and use at well-tended facilities.

 

What the Commission fails to ever grasp is the 100 people that complain, champion, and cajole on any one item are not the broad swath of constituents, they need to please. Business comes to an area not because of an electronic driving range or a water slide. They locate to places that have good schools, various types and prices of housing, and decent amenities. The private sector can handle the razz-ma-tazze.

The Fairgrounds Next Moves

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The County could pay close to $200,000 to the Treasure Coast Planning Council for a charette to determine several uses for the existing fairgrounds. That is an enormous amount of tax dollars to spend. In an attempt to save the taxpayers that money, the following is a suggestion.

Martin County Fair Association

First, the decision regarding whether to keep or sell the property must be made. If it is decided to sell, there needs to be an appraisal. One of the elements in an appraisal is to determine the highest and best use of the property.

 

In the last meeting, Commissioner Ciampi was of the opinion the property should be sold. I agree that a qualified appraisal should be done. Once that is performed if the rest of the Commission agrees, an RFQ to find a buyer can be written. The Treasure Coast Planning Council’s proposal does not include a qualified appraisal.

 

The best use for the property is not residential. There is a railroad spur on the property. It is across the street from the airport. There is a flea market that is behind the property that fronts Federal Highway. It is in the middle of an industrial area that the County has developed using the available land at the airport.

 

Commissioner Smith’s dream of a transportation hub far from downtown is just that…a dream. About a year ago, Virgin Trains told me that they are not interested in having their Treasure Coast Station at that location. If they build a station, it will be within walking distance of downtown. To be considered is that passenger trains have stopped running due to COVID down south. Every day that goes by places passenger rail on the Treasure Coast further from being realized.

 

The County has already determined what the use of that corridor is. It has worked very diligently to bring lite and not-so-lite industrial businesses to that area. There is now water and sewer to service that need at the parcel. The good paying jobs that we continuously hear we need have been created at the airport.  Martin County has done a great job. So why would you look to stop expansion of that from occurring in this industrial corridor.

 

If the property is sold, it is possible that the manufacturing base would expand. A sale would put the parcel on the tax roll. In a sale, the County could zone the parcel anyway the new owner wants. Because there are no residential neighbors (voters) there should be little push back.

 

If the County wants to keep the property, it could “sell or lease it” to the Airport Enterprise Fund which is under the County’s auspices. Better than that the County could form an Industrial Authority which would place the property on the tax roll. It would be run as an enterprise fund without County subsidy once the startup cost was met.  It could even issue private activity bonds fully backed by the businesses to help build plants and equipment. The businesses would be responsible for paying the bond, and if the business defaults, its equipment would be seized and auctioned. Those bonds are issued tax free.

 

I would even give the newly formed Authority the role of the current Business Development Board. If you did not have to spend a half million dollars a year funding the BDB, you would have an initial funding source for the Authority. Put someone like Assistant County Administrator George Stokus in charge, and it would take off.

 

Whether the property is sold or kept, the highest and best use for the property has been established. I do not want to hear that Commissioners are in favor of good paying jobs and then watch them come up with some grandiose civic plan that will only increase our County infrastructure and expense.

 

We do not need a shelter that may be used once or twice a year during a hurricane. That is why we have schools built to hurricane standards. We do not need another recreation center especially one built so far from residents. Look at all the unused school gyms. Far cheaper would be coming to terms with the School Board to use their facilities when schools are not in session.

 

Since there are no residential neighbors who need to have their voices heard, what is the purpose of having a charrette? The County has already done the hard work to create the right environment for that corridor. Doing the usual Martin County song and dance is an excuse to do the worse thing possible.

 

How about the Commission and staff think about the taxpayer for once? Keep the $200,000 and spend less than 10% of that amount on a qualified appraisal. Then decide whether our County would be better served by a sale or, as I suggest, an Industrial Authority that could expedite providing well-paying jobs and new tax paying businesses.

A Tool In The Tool Box

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The voters of Martin County are being asked to re-authorize a business incentive program. The program is spearheaded by the Business Development Board (BDB). It is small potatoes in the realm of government spending. But it is important to note that since it was authorized in 2010, the program has never given out one penny. It came close…once.

 

So why is it needed? We have been told by the BDB that it is a necessary tool in the toolbox. You know like the special saw you bought in case you decide to make an elaborate rococo headboard.

 

What exactly would the happen if the voters approve the extension and the County Commission ever voted to award individual companies the opportunity of not paying their fair share of taxes?

 

It would allow companies moving into the area or expanding their businesses the opportunity to not pay ad valorem taxes under certain circumstances for several years. You can read the BDB’s accurate explanation of the program here

 

My position has always been that government should not give businesses handouts in any form or manner. The playing field should always be level for everyone. Make no mistake that when you allow Company “A” to pay no or reduced taxes, but not Companies “B” through “H,” government has demonstrated favoritism.

 

Even if everything is perfect and Company “A” hires more employees and builds a new machine to make its widgets, he is paying less taxes than all other widget makers doing the same thing. How is the economy better? If more widgets need to be produced, more widget factories will open because the market dictates that outcome. Business will do what is needed to make more money. These taxpayer subsidized incentives are government induced profit windfalls for a lucky few.

 

You do not build strong economies that way. Government needs only to allow all businesses the opportunity to permit, build, and hire capable employees without undue regulatory burdens. Both Palm Beach County and St. Lucie County offer these type subsidies. While programs such as this type of subsidy are used in those two counties and throughout the country, they do not produce any positive national GDP growth.

 

Time after time companies have moved to an area which gave little or no subsidies to those companies as compared to other governments. Amazon, ConAgra, and other companies base their decision on factors such as workforce availability and quality of life. Even corporate income tax rates are secondary concerns.

 

The best thing Martin County can do is stop taking months (and sometimes years) to green light a new commercial building. Martin County refuses to allow the housing needed to attract employees for businesses. Even when Stuart, on its city-limit fringes, approves apartments and lower-cost alternative housing, County residents cry no and sometimes County staff and Commissioners do as well.

 

Our schools need to produce educated employees in trades as well as other disciplines to fill those jobs. You cannot ask someone to create a business here if you make it so hard to open, their employees need to live in other communities, and they can’t find the necessary trained personnel to staff the enterprise.

 

Government must have as low a tax rate as possible for primarily the employees’ sake. Government needs to provide only those services that government should provide in the least expensive way possible. We do not need water parks and country club golf courses, but we do need adequate recreational areas and parks, roads, and schools. The elected officials need to be good shepherds of our tax dollars.

 

The Business Development Board received $450,000 of Martin County tax dollars last year. It has in the past and will continue to need that money in the future to keep its doors open. The Board of Directors are politicians and nonprofit executives with some private sector members mostly in banking, law, and real estate. (The Board can be found here

 

If you want to save nearly a half million dollars of taxpayer money a year, stop funding an organization that claims to be business-oriented yet needs a government handout to survive. There are five Chambers of Commerce in Martin County and an Economic Development Council. Those organizations are listed on the BDB website as having founded the organization. They should fund it too if the BDB is necessary in their opinion.

 

Better yet if the BDB provided a necessary product or service to the companies it is ostensibly recruiting then that company should pay for the perceived value of that service. Companies pay consultants, accountants, and lawyers all the time for advice. If the BDB has increased Martin County’s tax base through recruitment and retention of businesses, then it should be easy to quantitatively demonstrate that fact to the County.

 

Government never really demands hard facts. It is more than willing to go along with the fiction that something is being accomplished. Words such as develop, round-table, strategic, and collaborative, are often written and spoke at places such as the BDB. Seldom do you hear the expressions of bottom line or profit because to government and to semi-government organizations it is all about the perception of progress as opposed to concrete results.

 

The real difference is in the private sector if there is no profit the business closes. In government and organizations like the BDB there is always a future. They call it more funding we call it more tax dollars.    

 

We need to vote NO on re-authorization in August. Then we need to wean the BDB from receiving public funds. Every dollar spent on the BDB is one less dollar for needed resident services. I would rather make sure the County can pave an additional road or hire a few more employees to clean our drainage ditches each year than pay high salaries and fancy rent in Monterey Commons.

 

County Commissioners hang out with the people that populate the Chambers of Commerce, Economic Council, and the Business Development Board. It is easy for them to continue to fund their friends with your money. We need to make it a little harder to do so.

 

 

Freedom Is Just Not Another Word

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Kris Kristofferson wrote the song “Me and Bobby McGee” made famous by Janis Joplin back in the late 1960s. I always remember the lines:

 

“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose
Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free, no no”

During those turbulent years, the United States had a half million military members fighting a war in Southeast Asia. Many of those enlisted personnel were draftees. Their choices were to be inducted into the army, flee to another country, or go to prison. That is a loss of freedom. Many felt they had everything to lose no matter their decision.

 

When you force someone to pick up a gun, shoot at another human being, and perhaps die, that is about as close as a government can get to depriving someone of his freedom. That citizen was ordered to do so for nothing more than being a nineteen-year-old American.

 

The drafting of young men has withstood constitutional challenges since the Civil War. With U.S. v. Arver in 1918, Chief Justice White wrote for a unanimous court that, indeed, the government had the right to conscript men into military service.

 

Fifty years ago, there was real consequence to what a citizen was asked to do by the government. There was a concrete and perhaps absolute meaning to the term depriving someone of his freedom. This act of forced military service was necessary to protect the rights of fellow Americans according to the government.

 

Kristofferson’s song and Joplin’s rendition began playing over and over in my head as I listened to the silliness being spewed regarding freedom and rights at last Thursday’s BOCC meeting. The wearing of a mask is far from a constitutional issue. It trivializes what the Framers bestowed on us. Those that think it is a depravation of constitutional rights for the government to issue an order for mandatory mask wearing are wrong. People’s ability to distinguish between rights and responsibilities are why the nation is in such a bad place.

 

A few other thoughts came to mind watching that meeting. Statues to men that led an insurrection against the Constitution are part of our history, but they are not to be revered as part of our proud heritage. No one, not even a police officer, can deprive another person of his life without just cause. Every American regardless of color, religion, ethnicity, sex, and now sexual orientation is the equal of any other American.

 

These should be the truths that are self-evident. They are Constitutional rights we need to defend. Men and women that gave their all from our national birth to today are what we need to preserve. We should not trivialize what freedom and the Constitution mean.

 

There are many that say that the Constitution and history are not taught adequately in our schools. I agree with that statement. It was quite evident at the last County Commission meeting that it was true.

 

What Can Happen Next!

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What can happen next!

 

Martin County and the City of Stuart have had their problems of late. In 2020, we have had the COVID-19 pandemic which began in February resulting in a shutdown of the economy whose effects are still reverberating. We now have our own version of “London Bridge is falling down.”

 

The New Roosevelt Bridge on Federal Highway has been closed due to possible corrosion of the cables that secure the bridge between spans. The bridge may look like a work of concrete, but underneath it is still an old fashion suspension bridge. And it is a new bridge having officially opened in 1996. The Old Roosevelt Bridge is the drawbridge on Dixie that is also closed because the “New” Bridge could collapse and fall on the original.

 

Stuart PD is completely cut off from patrolling its northern neighborhoods. The Sheriff’s office is picking up that slack. Yet if you have a heart attack north of the bridge, how do you get to the hospital? Fire/Rescue will have to take you to St. Lucie County. State Senator Gayle Harrell told me that she and other officials would like to have the bridge opened to emergency vehicles. Our City, County and State officials are waiting to hear from FDOT.

 

Florida Department of Transportation is currently performing a detailed inspection to determine the extent of the damage. That will probably take a few weeks. The Bridge has an interior causeway to allow golf cart type vehicles go into the interior of the bridge for inspections and to do partial maintenance.

 

The bridge was built in prefabricated sections that were then joined on site. Did this way of construction contribute to the problem in a bridge that is less than 25 years old? It is no Parisian Pont Neuf (1607), it is not even New York’s Brooklyn Bridge (1883). I once walked over the Queensborough Bridge (1909) during a subway strike. I have a picture in our den of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco (1937).

 

Except for the Pont Neuf, all the bridges I named are suspension bridges. Using modern standards of engineering for the times, they were still overbuilt to allow redundancy. At the time of their construction, the science was not as exact as it is in our modern world. Those bridge builders used more cement in their caissons, steel in their walkways and cables holding it all together. Modernity gave us the New Roosevelt Bridge engineered to greater tolerance, using new construction techniques, and not a spare bolt anywhere.

 

The one good thing that this shows the citizens of Martin County is that our legislative delegation, County and City governments work well together to solve crises as they arise. Last week, Senator Harrell, Representatives Overdorf and Magar, and the County Commission and staff all responded to the Hobe Hills flooding. They are currently working on a plan to obtain funds to purchase the most vulnerable homes in that area.

 

What the bridge fiasco should show everyone is that our infrastructure is important. The months this may take to be resolved will be a hardship that could result in further economic disruption. I live on the south side of the bridge and until there is a pain free way of doing so, I will not go to the mall, Target, Total Wine or BJs. My dentist is in north Stuart and I have an appointment next week. A normal five-minute drive will now require perhaps 40 hours or more.

 

From COVID-19 to the bridge, our quality of life has been affected. We may emerge stronger as a community, but I know we are different than before. How those differences affect us will be how we move forward.

The Tragedy We All Face

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On Sunday, Stuart and Martin County demonstrated that it could come together and embrace a unifying message of peace and love. Hundreds of our residents of all faiths and colors gathered to protest the sickening scourge of race hatred still alive throughout this country.  Law enforcement marched in solidarity with the citizens to show that a despicable action like the one in Minneapolis will not be tolerated here.

 

Yet while that act of brotherhood was going on in Stuart, throughout the United States often peaceful protests were disintegrating into rioting. America has a need to come together and not be drawn apart.

 

There are those who are looking to further a political narrative by sacrificing the principles of equality and justice that we should cherish. A stain is on the American soul that will not be gone until each American sees only another American and not his skin color.

 

We are all responsible for the continuation of the American sin. There are no innocents. As a society, if we allow men and women in their official capacities to see and treat others as less than human, that original American sin continues. There should be no place in today’s nation for racial prejudice to be perpetuated.

 

Yes, the officer that murdered George Floyd was arrested, but is that enough? I predict at any moment the other three police officers who acted as accomplices will also be charged. This may provide justice for Floyd’s family. We need to prevent any more families for having to seek this justice.The grief for Floyd’s family will continue. We must remember that Floyd’s family is part of our American family.

 

What will prevent this from occurring again? Floyd’s death was not an accident. The death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia was not an accident. The deaths of countless more were not accidents.

 

I remember legal segregation when I visited my grandparents in Florida as a kid. For me, the inexplicable idea that a black person could not eat here or use the bathroom there made no sense. I grew up in an integrated New York neighborhood, yet we still were segregated by choice if nor geography. Has anything really changed?

 

We have never been more divided and leaderless as we are today. There is no liberal or conservative doctrine that espouses the right to kill another person because of race. Can someone actually claim that Democrats or Republicans believe that there is an inherent constitutional right to riot and murder?

 

What we saw with our own eyes in the death of Floyd happened because Derek Chauvin had a willful disregard for that man’s life. Would Chauvin had acted similarly if Floyd had been a 6’6” white man?

 

One cannot claim to espouse the name of Jesus and then ignore his teachings. Whether when we pray it is to Jehovah, Allah, or God there is no place to claim His love and then be hateful in word and deed. In Proverbs 31:9 we are told to: “Open your mouths, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy.”

 

America needs to stop the hate. Our political leadership from the president on down needs to cease using division as a tactic to secure their election victories. If you believe in American exceptionalism, then we have a moral responsibility as Americans to lead our lives righteously. The United States alone was founded not by people of the same tribe, race, or blood but by all adhering to a doctrine of civil faith.

 

We entrust police officers with the power to arrest and detain their fellow citizens. Our society gives the ultimate authority and discretion to a law enforcement officer to take a life if necessary. This is a solemn responsibility. In no way was the taking of George Floyd’s life by Derek Chauvin and his accomplices justifiable. It was murder.

Who Interprets Development Orders?

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No matter how small a development project that is presented before the Commission or an advisory board, there are conditions for approval usually attached. Who is responsible for making sure those conditions are fulfilled before the project ultimately obtains its certificate of occupancy?

 

Rightfully, the elected body assumes that the developer or builder will abide by those terms. When the final inspection is made to make sure the building code has been complied with, does anyone at the City or County look to see whether those other conditions were met? And if not, then why not? Who is guarding the hen house so to speak?

 

We must keep in mind that we have several different codes. Zoning and Land Development Regulations (LDR) are the ones that the Development Department and the Boards and Commissions create and administer within the parameters allowed by state law. The Building Official is responsible for making sure that Florida’s Building Codes are followed by the builder.

 

Even if the Commission wanted to, it could not alter the Florida Building Code. A Commissioner cannot tell his friend to forget about the sprinkler system if the Building Code requires it. What a Commission can do is give the developer 3 units more than would be allowed under the LDR.  They could change the zoning on the property from one use to the other to make the project move forward.

 

When the Commission does those things, it usually will require other changes in the developer’s plan. For example, it could require a second means of egress, more plantings to block the project from someone’s view or to have 8-foot sidewalks instead of 6 feet. It is a negotiation between both parties.

 

Supposedly, a certificate of occupancy is given after all the conditions of the plan approval are met. Sometimes, they simply are not. Other times, conditions could be open to interpretation. And, let us face it, the appointed and elected officials are no match for the expertise of staff. It is staff that does the interpretation.

 

I do not know what the answer is, but mostly the public loses in this battle of wits and wordsmithing. For the most part, elected bodies try to do the right thing. That is why they weigh the interests of all their constituents, the immediate neighbors, and the property owner. Ultimately, it is how staff interprets those compromises which are memorialized in development conditions that are so important.

 

Project approval is only the beginning of the process. The public needs to be aware of how that order is understood by staff. They are the ones that have the final authority. It may be up to you to make sure the order is interpreted as the Commission meant it to apply, and if not, bring it to their attention.

From The May 17, 2020 Newsletter

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From The May 17, 2020 Newsletter

To read the entire newsletter go to: May 17 Newsletter

 

GOLF CARTS

For some time, the City of Stuart has allowed registered golf carts to be driven on City streets. It was an idea that seemed like a no-brainer at the time it was enacted. I would have thought more people would have taken advantage of the ability to do so. Unfortunately, not too many have done so.

 

I think one of the reasons I have not bought a cart is because it is unclear whether I could drive my cart across Federal Highway to go downtown from my home. Perhaps that worry may be a thing of the past soon.

 

The County is looking into designating “golf cart communities” in the unincorporated areas so that it would be possible to use golf carts throughout Martin and then to cross County roads to go shopping, etc.

 

You still would not be able to drive on roads that have speed limits of more than 35 MPH. If you lived in Palm City, you could cross Martin Highway and get to the other side. I would assume that the County ordinance will be like Stuart’s and require insurance, brake lights and other safety features.

 

Many of us confuse Golf Carts with what are known as Low Speed Vehicles. Think of a tricked-out golf cart that has things like windshields, lights, and seat belts. They can go no more than 25 miles per hour. The vehicles are registered and insured just like a car. They can cross any road but cannot be driven on roads with speed limits of greater than 35 miles per hour.

 

This was discussed at the meeting. There seemed to be clear direction to bring back an ordinance to allow for golf cart communities throughout the County. It would seem to me both type of vehicles would be great options for residents to have. In some instances, it may negate the need for that second car for families. I hope the County can seriously move forward with this and not get bogged down as sometimes happens.

 

The County’s presentation can be found Here

 

Stuart’s current rules, state statute on slow moving vehicles and golf carts can be found Here

 

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The Shape Of Things To Come?

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At some point, Stuart and Martin County will begin to reopen. Much of how we react to the lifting of restrictions will depend on when it occurs, what are the phases, and how others behave.

 

Governor DeSantis will need to be clear on what he is intending to do and accomplish. That will mean his orders will have to be written so that Floridians will clearly understand them. He will have to give some discretion to local governments to tailor his orders to local needs and sensibilities.

 

The ultimate arbiter of what happens will be the collective responses of individuals. Before the shutdown, we all had our own routines. For me, going back to mine will be different than for you going back to your routine. Even when everything opens, will people immediately resume their old patterns?

 

Some of us will not be returning to crowded golf courses at first. Others will be circumspect about frolicking on the beach or hitting balls at the tennis courts. Many, on the other hand, may be back golfing, swimming, and hitting balls as soon as possible. How many though will resume those activities with a little trepidation?

 

Before the time of corona, many of us would go out to lunch several times a week with others. Breaking bead with a person leads to a rapport that you cannot get any other way. This activity may resume very slowly. Going forward will we think this social and intimate lunch could be a breeding ground for the spread of the virus.

 

Two months ago, my wife and I would go out to dinner once or twice per week. Since the lock down that has been a thing of the past. The restaurant experience of being served by a competent professional who makes customers welcome is a big part of the charm. It was special as opposed to sitting at the kitchen table. Will we feel the same if the server is in gloves and mask?

 

Many enjoyed having friends over for dinner at our homes. Like many I would hope at some point to resume that. Every time there is a sneeze, or a cough will a little apprehension be felt at the table.

 

Except for our forays out for grocery shopping, many have kept close to home. My car has not needed a fill up for a month, and I still have more than half a tank. If you enjoyed travelling pre-pandemic how many have had to cancel plans?

 

I would go up north for business and to see family regularly. Sometimes, I flew twice a month to New York City. I treated JetBlue as a commuter line. I have not taken a flight since March 7th. And while I miss the family, I do not think I will be travelling as much for business going forward.

 

Other things will change for many of us. Will we visit retail stores less?  Have we become a little more use to the convenience of buying online? For many products you can do your shopping while watching television.  Does this drive another nail in mom and pop type stores’ demise?

 

Each of us will adjust our life as restrictions are lifted. I am assuming that as those restrictions are lifted, people will act rationally because the virus is still out there. If restrictions need to be re-imposed, then that will be a blow to our psyches. Open and closing businesses may create insurmountable challenges for many businesses ever being able to reopen after repeated shutdowns. That is just a fact. Confidence is shaky at best.

 

We had riots in the street over the Vietnam War. Over more than a dozen years, U.S. casualties for that conflict were less than 2 months of COVID-19. That experience profoundly changed how my generation saw our government and society. This will probably do the same for millennials and the generation still attending school.

 

This pandemic will have even more of an effect than any occurrence since the Great Depression. Our economy has not even begun to process all the ramifications. How many people will go back to work? How long will it take to achieve less than 3% unemployment again, if ever.

 

Our nation and the world are changed. Things we have taken for granted will be different. The restaurant and hospitality industry will be forever altered. More jobs will be automated so that there will be less human contact. Commercial real estate will undergo a transformation as working from home will become more common and social distancing a new norm.

 

H.G. Wells authored a book in 1933 tilled, The Shape of Things to Come. It is a work of science fiction regarding a pandemic, depression, and eternal war. Though fiction it predicted World War II and the carpet bombing of civilians in cities. What we are living through now many of us would think a year ago could never happen. That we would be protected in our cocoon.

 

Changes will occur because individuals will make decisions based on their experiences with the pandemic. It may take years to know and understand the lasting effects. One of the biggest changes will be that the baby boomers will finally cede power to those of Generation X and the Millennials. They will be the ones deciding what is important in our society and what is not. That is not a bad thing going forward.

The Greatest Of Sacrifices

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Americans love to say we are fighting an enemy. Presidents do it in order to mobilize the nation and boost their egos.

 

Johnson had a war on poverty and Nixon declared a war on cancer while, in both instances, they oversaw a real one in Vietnam. Reagan and Bush 41 had their wars on drugs and crime along with various armed conflicts in Beirut, Nicaragua, Kuwait, and tiny Grenada during their 12 years.

 

Clinton battled in Kosovo and won while he lost the battle for Health Care at home. Bush 43 and Obama had the war on terror domestically but did not defeat our enemies on the battlefields in the Middle East.

 

Trump also calls himself a wartime president not because our armed forces are still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, but because of the battle every American at home is waging against COVID-19. The Presidents of the United States have had the country in a fighting war in one form or another since I was in grade school 60 years ago.

 

Is war the right term to describe anything but actual combat with an armed enemy? Poverty, drugs, cancer, crime, and inadequate healthcare may be destroying our society, but for the most part, they are internal and self-inflicted problems. Even terror is more an existential threat to the nation than an actual one. And during all these supposed wars, what have civilians been asked to sacrifice?

 

My father was too young to fight in World War II and my grandfathers were too old. Any sacrifices my parents and grandparents made were on the home front. Ration books were needed to buy gasoline, meat, and sugar. But these were the same people that had known hardship during the “Great Depression.” To this day, my mother hates parsnips and turnips because they were so much of her diet growing up.

 

During Vietnam, civilians weren’t asked to have meatless days or not drive their cars. It was pretty good on the home front for most Americans. That war would have continued much longer if it weren’t for the draft. At some point, forcing too many unwilling 19-year old boys to die for national pride is not sustainable.

 

After that conflict, a brilliant idea occurred to our politicians! Why not introduce an all-volunteer force with nobody forced to serve. That would eliminate most of us having to give up anything including our lives involuntarily for the country.  You no longer needed buy-in to have an endless war. And that premise has worked well ever since.

 

Interestingly, soldiers have been in an actual state of combat since 1941 and haven’t been in a declared war since 1945. The Congress gets to complain and take no responsibilities. While sending our men and women into harm’s way, our Presidents can ignore that fact when it is not convenient or embrace it when it is. In the meantime, they can declare war on all sorts of things including, currently, a virus.

 

Since civilians have not been asked to sacrifice anything for 75 years, we are not very good at it. In fact, while we have been in all these wars both real and rhetorical, we have demanded more government services while also demanding to pay less taxes. Our nation has nothing to show for any of this except a huge deficit and no victories.

 

In the war against the virus, we are asked to remain at home and limit our interaction with others. Besides toilet paper and hand sanitizer, our stores are stocked. There has been no income tax surcharge to defer some of the costs. If you are like me, your travel has been curtailed and a vacation has been cancelled. That is not much of a sacrifice.

 

We don’t do sacrifice well even when thousands of Americans are dying. The most burning question in this war is “Will I catch the virus or not. If I do will I be able to have adequate treatment and finally have a test to confirm the diagnosis?”

 

In Florida where I live, it seems the greatest sacrifice that many may be asked to make is not to play golf. The furor that has erupted reminds me of the protests of the 60s only with the affluent protesters having more gray hair. A few weeks without golf would seem to be too much of a sacrifice for our pampered civilians to make…even for their own health and that of their loved ones.

 

For you see we are in a battle. Not with guns and tanks but against a virus. Our economy has cratered. Many businesses will not reopen. Our children have missed school. People will be in debt perhaps lose their homes.

 

None of that is too much a price for victory. But here in Martin County, Florida, the great sacrifice of closed golf courses is too much to bear.