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?