This is part of PSJ history. Remember it, learn from it, or repeat it.
This is a Paid Political Advertisement. Paid for and approved by Linda McKinney 6025 Keystone Ave. Port St. John, FL 32927. Independent of any group, organization or committee.
Can anyone say "agoraphobia?" No, that's not the right word. Hmmm... Can anyone say, "Pantophobia?" Yes. I think that does it. I think that is exactly the right word. Do you know what that means? According to Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Edition 17, Edited by Clayton L. Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., and copyright 1993 by F.A. Davis Company, page 1420: Pantophobia means a "Morbid, groundless fear of everything in general." That's what pantophobia means. That's what I believe PSJ4T is instilling into the residents of PSJ.
How can I say that? Easy. I just received an e-mail from someone I know and whom I considered reasonably intelligent, but who is now doing the "what if..." routine about everything related to incorporation from sewers and the County's past protection of PSJ against sewers, to the airport. I found it quite amazing, surprising, disappointing and irritating. I just don't understand why so many people are giving in to groundless fears. PSJ4T says something about "What if..." and seemingly hundreds of people in PSJ roll over and bury their heads in the bed sheets, quaking in their nightclothes and saying, "Oh, what if..." right along with them.
This poem © 2002 Linda McKinney. All rights reserved.
We quake and shake and shiver under bed
We gnash our teeth and pull our hair
We have yet one more thing to fear!
Be still my heart! Stop shaking knees!
Another "What if..." and we shall freeze!
They said, "Fear this!" and we obliged
They said, "Fear that!" it won't subside
They said, "What if..." and my, oh, my...
We tremble now with gasping breath
Will this thing drive us to our deaths?
What is it next we have to fear?
What next concoction shall appear?
Bated breath and pounding heart
Hunched-up shoulders and wringing hands
Right beside us our enemy stands.
Hide your eyes, don't find the TRUTH
Don't think for yourself, don't go to the root.
It's not for you to understand; the laws were written for the "little man."
Just obey and vote a YES
Don't think. Just fear. PSJ4T knows best.
Well, that about sums up what I think about what is going on. No one out there supporting incorporation has anything to say that will stand against logic, law, real math and TRUTH. No one out there can support incorporation without resorting to the "What if..." routine. Ms. Tidd's LNN has been shown to be unworthy of respect. I have shown the laws, Titusville's own laws, to be protective of the people to whom they might consider offering sewer or water services to. But PSJ4T would probably respond, "Yeah, but what if they vote to change that law?" I sat and shook my head in amazement at a PSJ4T meeting after the first TiCo Airport meeting. It was the airport Board meeting at which the consultant made his presentation. Someone from a TiCo Board was telling the people at the PSJ4T meeting what the consultant said and what kind of changes were going to happen and what's not going to happen. Maureen Rupe stood up and said, "Yeah, but remember, if they can take a runway extension off the comp plan that easily, they can just as easily put one back on." Amazing. Fear this! Because it MIGHT happen. Anything MIGHT happen.
Folks, what it boils down to is, basically, this: Are you that afraid, and if so, are you willing to cut your nose off to spite Titusville's face? We won't be doing anything to Titusville if we incorporate. We won't be taking anything away from them because the laws that say that they can put their sewer lines outside their city limits say that they can offer sewer services to another municipality as well as to an unincorporated area (and it might be cheaper to go that route than to build our own sewer system). So what is it anyone is hoping to accomplish by voting to incorporate?
Why incorporate when there is no guarantee of anything? There is no guarantee that you will make it to work tomorrow morning, or that your spouse will live through the day. I am sorry to be blunt about it, but September 10, 2001, no one thought September 11, 2001 would happen.
TRUTH be told, fellow PSJ citizens: incorporating does not guarantee anything except that your taxes will go up and that you will have more government. Although PSJ4T would probably respond, "It's not another layer, it's a substitute government." But it is more government. Look at it via the law enforcement perspective. IF we incorporated, we would have four levels of government: Federal, State, County and City. If you broke a Federal law, the Federal government would have you arrested. If you broke a State law, the State of Florida would be pressing charges against you. If you broke a County law, there would be a Sheriff's Deputy out to get you. And -- if we incorporated -- there would be a Sheriff's Deputy out to get you for breaking a city ordinance. That's the way things work. If it isn't another layer of government, then they have no enforcement capabilities, which means no Code Enforcement fines (take away $459,548 from the PSJ4T "budget"). In fact, if it isn't another layer of government, they have no right to tax you; therefore their whole "budget" is blown to smithereens! It must be another layer of government. It does not do away with the County government; the State government; nor the Federal government. All it does is add one: City. Can't anyone see that? Shouldn't we fear that if we should fear anything?
People in PSJ complain now about not getting to vote on "county vehicles, sheriffs, administration, and travel costs for officials" (PSJ4T publication, "PSJ Incorporation..... Why That's a Good thing!!" released in Sept., 2002). We still won't get to vote on that. Our City Council will vote on that. Not us. They can't finance an election for every expenditure, so we will still have the same routine we use with the County: go to a meeting, fill out a speaker card and talk to them. That's all we will get out of it. No guaranteed better services. No guaranteed better roads. No guaranteed better Sheriff's protection. No guaranteed anything.
So why vote yes? Is it because you're too afraid not to? If so, is that any way to live? Shall we change the name of the potential new city? Instead of being the City of Port St. John, shall we change it to "The City of Fear"? Is that a good enough reason to incorporate? So that you will feel like you did something to stop yourself from being afraid? Isn't it better to face your fears, get them squarely by the shoulders and to find out the TRUTH about them? Do the research. Read the laws. Find the facts. Look on the internet, call your State Representative, or the County Water Resources person. But don't let fear make your mind up for you.
Remember, shaking in your shoes as you vote makes fear the winner: not incorporation. Voting for something out of fear just makes fear stronger. What will you do next time you are told to fear something? How far will you go for that fear? When will it stop? That is up to you.