In Wednesday's paper(s) one of our Town Council Members basically offended 80% of the town's residents -- yup, you guessed it - the new people i.e. those from New Jersey, Ohio and New York.
Me being well, me ... I couldn't resist a letter to the editor on the topic. Not sure if it will make the cut, but this is what I submitted.
Dear Editor(s) –
I am disappointed that Councilman Fred Hamilton would publicly state, “I'm not going to let people who have not been here long decide” during the Council discussions regarding a public referendum.
Not only is this a disregard for the democratic process but folks, when you ask yourself why there is so much distaste for Northerners here in Bluffton, well here is your answer. If a representative of our town government is not willing to welcome the folks (Northern or otherwise) who relocate to Bluffton, well then this problem will never be resolved. What a horrible message we are sending to all of the people visiting or passing through – why would they ever come back? I guess we can tell the Chamber of Commerce to stop positioning Bluffton as a destination. And, we might as well close the Heyward House. We don’t need a Welcome Center in Bluffton because well, we’re not welcome.
How sad.
March Writing Assignment
13 years ago
2 comments:
It ain't the first time and it won't be the last. As the "new people" come in and irrevocably change things, the "old people" get more and more frightened at, and threatened by, the changes in their way of life. Politicians that have kept folks iggnurunt for YEARS, telling them that they HAD to have gubberment stipends and largesse to live, are stymied, terrified, and angered by intelligent people who know how to make things happen. They ignore them and insult them whenever possible.
Unfortunately, most "old people" would rather keep things the way they are - and keep their own neighbors and constituents poor, uneducated, and naive - because that is the way they profit, cutting deals with developers to line their own pockets instead of helping everyone to grow and progress. It is the way of the world, not just Bluffton. They never remember (or care) that the "good ole days" weren't always that good for most folks, who were solely dependent on their largesse and connections.
I have heard more comments from this mans mouth that are so baffling. Heaven forbid should someone challange the status quo and want to move forward. New ideas aren't always bad ideas. Shutting your ears to those ideas is an immature response on Hamilton's part.
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