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The Freedom Forum Re: Required ReadingFrom: Ken Schubert CommentsPaul Jensen’s thoughtful piece should be required reading for every resident of the Northwest Florida area, with particular attention paid to the case he describes for the need for regional solutions for problems that are limiting our economic development. This, as opposed to the local businessmen crying for building an ill-conceived conference center on public land on Okaloosa Island and a narrow-minded NWFDN editorial supporting the center that seemed to abandon the Libertarian principles that supposedly govern the operation of the newspaper for which the editorial was written. And that most selfish example of outrageously bad urban planning, the Around the Mound bypass of Highway 98 through downtown Fort Walton Beach. When I first arrived here in 1970, I had the good fortune to listen to the dreams of many pioneer developers, most of whom have passed away now. And I became aware, through a relative who headed it, of a major study of this area conducted by a nationwide investment advisor. The study was extraordinarily accurate in forecasting the nature of area development, and what would be done to accomplish it. The study also decried the lack of a regional approach that could assure optimal development while maintaining quality of life factors, and it highlighted many of the problems we now must solve: regional infrastructure, potable water, traffic congestion, lack of public access to beaches, pollution of area waters. There are some among us who will argue that the St. Joe Company cannot be trusted with leading the formation of Florida’s Great Northwest, Inc., because St. Joe’s motives are suspect. After all, they want to develop the large tracts of land they own in Northwest Florida But I believe that any regional planning effort organized and driven by private capital will produce better results than those locally generated by quack politicians in concert with greedy, individual developers. All you need to do is look at what has happened to our corner of the world: the rape of our priceless waterfront; the devastation caused by pollution of our waters, and intolerable traffic congestion, to name a few. So I, for one, am willing to give Florida’s Great Northwest, Inc. a chance to make a difference in how our part of Florida evolves. Anything would be better than the hodge-podge, special local interest mess that we have had for the past 30 years! Ken Schubert ______ Last changed: March 04, 2008
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