Category Archives: Our Future

Our House With The Leaky Roof

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Peggy Noonan’s WSJ column of July 12th was regarding our current immigration crisis. In the column she compares how Washington sees the crises as political and everyday citizens in a much more alarming way. We never imagined that America would have refugee camps housing thousands of children? Then who would have thought that our political system would become so dysfunctional? She compares the nation to a house where the owners can’t both make their mortgage payments and keep up the property.

The metaphor continues that on top of that you wake up one morning to find that there are people standing on your property just looking at you. They begin to gather in your garage and crawl through a window to your cellar. You call the police and when they finally come they take a few people away, always to be replaced by so many more. Your elected officials can’t stem the tide and the news media after a day go on to the next story. Our political leaders shout that the other party is to blame. It appears no one is in charge. No one will take responsibility.
I not only feel that no one is responsible about immigration but that no one in Washington will take charge and will take responsibility about anything. The adults have fled and the children can’t come up with solutions from our failing tax system to social security to our roads and so many other things. The other party or political opponent is to blame. Our elected representatives whether in their first term or tenth say they are powerless to correct what needs to be corrected. It is reminiscent of Pogo’s “we have met the enemy and it is us”.
Closer to home we have AAF that wants to barrel through our community after getting our tax dollars to build their new track. The summer rains will result in the Corp releasing water from the lake again devastating our lagoon. Our governor now claims to be with us except when it impedes FEIC or Florida Crystals. Our former governor, who wants to be our next governor, panders to those he once called liberal Democrats when he pretended to be a conservative Republican.
Our nation and state are not political board games where politicians get to manipulate and move citizens as if they were pawns. We elect people to office and send to Washington or Tallahassee to solve problems and fix things. They are not there to collect money for the next campaign or rig the system against the people to enhance the coffers of big business or labor.
We need a change and that must begin with us. We need to vote and not leave elections to the extremes on either side. We can’t be so dogmatic in our beliefs that we would encourage our leaders to destroy rather than fix the system. As citizens is it too much to ask, that we sacrifice and work with all our fellow citizens, whether we disagree or not. We all need to help America pay the mortgage and fix the roof.

TECHNOLOGY AND US

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When I was a kid, the most advanced technology we had was a black and white television with “rabbit ears”. As I became more tech savvy, I received a transistor radio for Christmas and an old manual typewriter in high school. Rich or poor, there just weren’t many gadgets to buy. There were no cell phones or computers or tablets. You shared a single phone line with several of your neighbors which was euphemistically called a “party” line.

When I first started working in a real estate office, listings were kept on index cards in file drawers very similar to library catalogues. We used ledger books to record rents and expenses. Comptometers (manual calculators) added and subtracted columns of numbers. And, I marveled at the IBM Selectric typewriter.

In the ensuing years technology has advanced and intruded more and more into our daily work and personal life. Now I am instantaneously connected with e-mails. My businesses records and information reside in a “cloud.” I can work from anywhere with any computer and have all my business and personal records available whether I am sitting in my office or using my smart phone in some far off place. This has allowed productivity to be increased exponentially.

As a nation we are unfortunately in danger of not being able to take advantage of all these possibilities. Like so much of our infrastructure, our technology is woefully behind our global competitors. Our internet speed is ranked 11th and the cost is three times as high as France or the UK or most of the OECD due to a lack of market competition. This has led to a lack of spending by the internet providers to improve their product. If this continues along with a governmental neglect of the rest of our infrastructure, the U.S. will eventually not be economically competitive.

The more immediate problem today is the lack of skilled technicians to service our technology. We train electricians and plumbers for years both in school and on the job. The person who fixes our computer or diagnoses our connection problem has two weeks or a month of training before being “certified”. The IT professional in your company could have been self-taught and relies more on trial and error than any real knowledge. There is a growing gap between the technology and the people charged with its maintenance.

This is just another symptom of our nation’s failure to confront our problems head on. Many of our governing, educational and social models are no longer capable of providing answers and solutions. We need to rethink and restructure our approach. The world in which we find ourselves today is vastly different than when I was a child or a young adult or even the world at the turn of the 21st century. We can keep our core believes enshrined in the Declaration of Independence but adapt our governance to solve the problems of today and tomorrow.

NOT All Aboard Letter to Senator Sessions

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TOM CAMPENNI

700 SW SAINT LUCIE CRES.

STUART FL 34994

 

June 17, 2014

The Honorable Jeff Sessions

Room 326 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

 

Dear Senator Sessions:

As the ranking member of the all-important Senate Budget Committee, you have dedicated yourself to weeding out tax-payer supported boondoggles. You have shown leadership with your opposition to “XpressWest’s FRA loan. It is important that you oppose all such loans including the “All Aboard Florida” $1.5 billion loan for high speed passenger service from Miami to Orlando.

Like “XpressWest,” “All Aboard Florida” is another example of a private company proposing rail service using tax payer financing. This is nothing more than the taxpayers taking the risks without any upside potential. The private company will have very little downside and, in the very unlikely case of success, all the reward. If ventures like these were such worthy and needed projects, why doesn’t the private sector fund them? That answer is rather obvious.

There is not one example of a passenger rail system in the United States that has been operated profitably in decades. Why doesn’t “All Aboard Florida” which once you peel back the “corporate vale” is owned by the $64 billion hedge fund, The Fortress Group, pay for the new tracks themselves? (They are contemplating buying a huge New York City property development of thousands of units spending nearly $6 billion dollars of their own money)  If they are to receive the loan, it would be nothing more than an example of big corporate welfare at a time when we, as a nation, cannot afford to maintain our existing public roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

“All Aboard Florida’s” plan for high speed rail will run through countless small downtowns, such as my hometown of Stuart, on street grade without a sealed corridor which is a very dangerous proposition. The right of way they will use was created for Flagler’s railroad on the east coast of Florida in the late 19th and early 20th century. At that time, South Florida was a sparsely settled area. The state now comprises 19 million residents and is (or soon will be) the third largest in the nation.

The last time passenger trains operated on that track was in the late 1960s when it was discontinued for lack of profitability. Amtrack already runs 4 trains per day between Orlando and Miami unprofitably. Amtrack’s price is about $35.00 one way and takes a little over five hours to complete. “All Aboard Florida,” which will take 3 hours, will purportedly charge approximately $100 one way. Given that the company will be borrowing the funds to buy track and trains, how will it be profitable even with the company’s fantasy ridership projections?

I urge you to look into this and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars to fund one more corporate subsidy for one more favored company. Our government, through our elected representatives, cannot continue to be in the pocket of elite corporatists and then claim to be with we, the people.

Sincerely,

Tom Campenni

NOT All Aboard Letter to US Rep Ryan

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TOM CAMPENNI

700 SW SAINT LUCIE CRES.

STUART FL 34994

 

June 17, 2014

The Honorable Paul Ryan

Room 233 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Representative Ryan:

As the Chair of the all-important House Budget Committee, you have dedicated yourself to weeding out tax-payer supported boondoggles. You have shown leadership with your opposition to “XpressWest’s FRA loan. It is important that you oppose all such loans including the “All Aboard Florida” $1.5 billion loan for high speed passenger service from Miami to Orlando.

Like “XpressWest,” “All Aboard Florida” is another example of a private company proposing rail service using tax payer financing. This is nothing more than the taxpayers taking the risks without any upside potential. The private company will have very little downside and, in the very unlikely case of success, all the reward. If ventures like these were such worthy and needed projects, why doesn’t the private sector fund them? That answer is rather obvious.

There is not one example of a passenger rail system in the United States that has been operated profitably in decades. Why doesn’t “All Aboard Florida” which once you peel back the “corporate vale” is owned by the $64 billion hedge fund, The Fortress Group, pay for the new tracks themselves? (They are contemplating buying a huge New York City property development of thousands of units spending nearly $6 billion dollars of their own money)  If they are to receive the loan, it would be nothing more than an example of big corporate welfare at a time when we, as a nation, cannot afford to maintain our existing public roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

“All Aboard Florida’s” plan for high speed rail will run through countless small downtowns, such as my hometown of Stuart, on street grade without a sealed corridor which is a very dangerous proposition. The right of way they will use was created for Flagler’s railroad on the east coast of Florida in the late 19th and early 20th century. At that time, South Florida was a sparsely settled area. The state now comprises 19 million residents and is (or soon will be) the third largest in the nation.

The last time passenger trains operated on that track was in the late 1960s when it was discontinued for lack of profitability. Amtrack already runs 4 trains per day between Orlando and Miami unprofitably. Amtrack’s price is about $35.00 one way and takes a little over five hours to complete. “All Aboard Florida,” which will take 3 hours, will purportedly charge approximately $100 one way. Given that the company will be borrowing the funds to buy track and trains, how will it be profitable even with the company’s fantasy ridership projections?

I urge you to look into this and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars to fund one more corporate subsidy for one more favored company. Our government, through our elected representatives, cannot continue to be in the pocket of elite corporatists and then claim to be with we, the people.

 

Sincerely,

Tom Campenni

Why Am I Running for Stuart City Commission?

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I was asked yesterday why I was running for Stuart City Commission. The simple answer is I believe that the city is at a tipping point. If we are not careful, we will cease to be a successful municipality. Our downtown has made impressive improvement in the past 25 years in attracting shops and restaurants. But a downtown needs to be more than a block or two of business establishments or it becomes just another outdoor mall.

To be vibrant and sustainable, a downtown needs to attract residents and the infrastructure to support that population. We are at that point today. Too often, city governments believe that a few boutique stores or restaurants alone are enough to be self-sustaining. If the patrons, owners and employees of the mercantile live elsewhere, then it is a Potemkin village and not a true living city. You need the vitality that is only possible by a concentration of residents being there 24 hours a day.

The key to this organic development is not the “one off” of the proposed Northpoint hotel. It is the un-glamorous building of needed housing throughout the CRA for the patrons, owners and employees of the city’s businesses. The housing stock has to be for all population segments which include both rentals and condos. Incorporated with that residential development is the need for retail so that businesses catering to the increasing population can shop for everyday necessities. While not to be ignored, the need for new office space will be less and less as more and more of us work from home.

Without increased population, the city cannot maintain enough of a tax base to continue to provide services even to its current residents. However, it is important that while seeking new residents, jobs and businesses, we do not lose sight of our “Old Florida” charm and livability. There is absolutely no need to go above the current 4-story height limit or have buildings with architectural styles more suited to Boca than here. The only people who believe that new development is an either/or choice are those that lack imagination. Stuart has a well-established reputation and life style that I will fight to keep while allowing for growth.

We should not look for the “single project or developer” concept so ingrained in many of us. Anything that will be sustainable and successful will require more than any one person or project can accomplish. That is why I pledge, if elected, to work with my fellow commissioners and all stakeholders to not only have growth but to do so in a manner in which we will not lose all that is special and unique to us.

Written For Florida Not All Aboard Website

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As a kid in the mid-to late-1950’s, I vaguely remember taking round trip train
rides from New York to Hollywood, Florida. For the first meal on board, which was
either made by my Florida grandmother or my New York grandmother, the food
was pretty good. Subsequent meals, however, were not. I either slept sitting up
on a bench seat or my head was in the lap of a parent. I couldn’t tell you if it
took one day or three for those journeys.
Travel by rail did revolutionize our country. But, it never was free from
government subsidy. From their very early days, railroads received free land from
state and local governments. In the mid 19th century alone, the total was over
200 million acres. The railroads used that land as collateral to sell bonds to
investors.
Railroads were losing money and going broke from their beginnings, and in the
Panics of 1873 and 1877, many railroad companies became insolvent. The Panic
of 1893 was largely brought about by overbuilding and shaky financing of
railroads. Nearly 25% went bankrupt. This resulted in consolidation of lines into the
hands of a few men like J.P. Morgan and James J Hill. Ultimately, the
government tried to break up these monopolies but only partially succeeded.
In the 20th century, railroads began their long decline because of our interstate
highway system and easily affordable air travel. What I remember as a child
was the last gasp of widely available interstate rail travel. While I am sure some
Americans may think with nostalgia about train travel, like airlines today it was a
way to get from point A to point B. Railroad travel though shrouded in mythical
romance like so much of the American past was never very romantic.
All Aboard Florida is just one more myth. It is one more fantasy which is being
spun out to Floridians and especially to those of us on the Treasure Coast. When
our country was young and we had boundless stretches of unoccupied land,
where the tracks were laid didn’t matter. We are a hundred years past that.
Stuart and Martin County are not places on the 19th century prairie or Florida
Savannah. We are in the 21st century with cars, trucks and planes not horses
and wagons.
When do our governments in Tallahassee and Washington begin to take into
consideration, we, the people, instead of big corporations with the right
connections? The supposed property rights of one hedge fund cannot trump
the rights of 19 million Floridians. Laws that may have been apropos in 19th century America cannot be allowed to be used as an excuse to ruin the lives of
the people of Stuart and Martin County in the 21st century.

Sensible City Growth

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Stuart is now entering a growth phase which will accelerate with the improving economy. The task of the City Commission will be to guide that change so that it will be positive for the entire city. Benjamin Disraeli, the 19th century British Prime Minister and author, wrote that “Change is inevitable. Change is constant.” No truer words were spoken.

I am running for City Commission to help maintain Stuart’s “old Florida charm and life style.”  At the same, time I realize that we must attract new residents, new jobs and new businesses to maintain and expand our tax base. These two points are not inconsistent.  However, we cannot allow any single project to misdirect that vision.

Sometimes we may lose sight of the ultimate goal. We may see any individual project as the end rather than only one means to the final achievement. That is why our city government must examine each development project not in a vacuum but rather how our future will be enhanced by any single project. It is not enough that a project is viable.  It must contribute to our ultimate goal.

There are some in and out of government who want to take Stuart and make it Naples or Delray or City Place. The majority of our citizens have spoken loudly and often that we do not want to be those places. So, instead of trying to be we should look to what we can be.

That does not mean that downtown remain frozen as is because Disraeli’s maxim is correct.   We can have a vibrant restaurant, entertainment and arts scene while remaining true to our values. We can have new residential and retail opportunity throughout our city without disrupting our way of life.  We need to have a City Commission that will make sure that our government adheres to our wishes.

FECI’s Plans are Wrong for Stuart!

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I was at the “Not All Aboard Florida” rally on Sunday at Flagler Park.  There was an enthusiastic crowd of about 350 people. Congressman Patrick Murphy and County Commissioner Sarah Heard were two of the speakers. K.C. Traylor did a remarkable job in putting the entire thing together. She passionately spoke in support of our homes and way of life on the Treasure Coast. It seems for the past few years we, the people, have had to continuously defend our homes and communities against being rolled over by big government and business.

The few ultra-rich corporations and individuals are buying our state and federal government officials with campaign contributions to our detriment. Our entire estuary is on the verge of collapse. There is pressure to develop our western areas by a few developers who really won’t care what happens to us when they have turned the natural landscape into additional half-empty developments and strip malls.

Now, a railroad that we are told can do just about whatever it wants because of rights granted and laws promulgated in the 19th century. Never mind that entire counties, peoples and cities have happened in the intervening years. We are told we must accept our fate and be quiet. These are property rights and they are sacrosanct. What about the impact to OUR properties?

We are not the same place we were the last time passenger trains were on those tracks 50 years ago.  Stuart, Fort Pierce and Vero were very small places. There were no interstate highways. Communities like Loblolly and Mariner Sands were not in existence. The entire world has changed. A corporation cannot expect to claim rights granted on and for another time which will destroy our time.

They want us to just shut up and move over. What’s more, FECI wants to do it with our tax dollars. Governor Scott is giving away our land and the loans are coming from our federal taxes. Is there any bigger insult than to ruin our waters and our towns with the very tax dollars that we pay?

The Spirit of the Centennial Gala

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On Saturday night, there were over 200 people at Stuart’s Centennial Gala. There were past and present commissioners, city managers and other elected officials. It was a time of celebration without a trace of contention in the air. Everyone was just having a good time.

It is now Monday morning and everyone is back to their own lives.  While we may still have a bit of the birthday feel, the problems of the city remain. If we could harness the good feelings we enjoyed on Saturday toward our city and each other, then it would be easier to find solutions to our problems going forward. Saturday did not exist in a vacuum. Everyone was truly happy to see a celebration of Stuart.

We now need to remember this and work together. The vast majority of our citizens want to reach solutions to move the city forward through consensus with a spirit of good will that would be achievable. Civility, courtesy and open-mindedness would serve all of us better as a community to find that consensus. There are no simple solutions, only hard work, to find tolerable outcomes.

The Centennial celebration will continue for the rest of the week with speeches, a parade and a festival. But also continuing will be our problems of budget deficits, taxes, the train and our river. As we move forward to tackle those and other problems, let’s remember the feeling we have toward our city expressed in the joys of her birthday.

Local Governance

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Florida often speaks about government being in the open and in the sunshine. Of course when it comes to the legislature, there are so many exceptions that it is, for all intents and purposes, meaningless. Our county and municipal commissions operate in sunshine. However, with a strong unelected administrator in charge of the day-to-day operations of government, the public is still too often in the dark. The only time we may be aware of an issue is when the matter is opened for discussion at a commission meeting.

There is something quite undemocratic about an unelected executive. The system was devised to weed out ineptitude and corruption. The rational was that government would be run by professionals, and the oversight of such would be the elected commission. But this seldom works in practice. In our county’s recent past, our administrators and managers have been decent and hardworking individuals who had the interest of their communities in their actions. Without a strong-willed and diligent commission to check the power of the administrator or manager, arrogance, insularity and disregard for the citizens can happen.

Our commissions need to take a more pro-active stance in regard to governance. This will insure the true will of the people will be followed. Professionalism in government is needed. You want a trained water expert in charge of our water plant and a trained policeman to enforce the law. Governance and policy must be left to elected officials. Those officials need to make sure that when their policies are enacted, they are not subverted by the bureaucracy.