Not the people’s voice
To the editor,
In COTI’s Guest Commentary in the July 15, 2010 issue of the Island Reporter (third of a series), the following was included:
"The bridge. It was literally decades ago that Lee County first proposed replacing the Sanibel drawbridge and causeway islands with an enormous, single span bridge that would have leapt from the mainland to Sanibel in one great arc. After years of vigorous debate, fierce opposition, a lawsuit and endless attempts at resolution, the drawbridge was replaced, but we have retained most of the low profile bridge and the islands forming the causeway that bring us so gently onto Sanibel."
The author of the paragraph plays very loosely with the fact, and that is a kind portrayal, I question:
Can COTI provide a scintilla of evidence for their following statement: "It was literally decades ago that Lee County first proposed replacing the Sanibel drawbridge and causeway islands with an enormous, single span bridge that would have leapt from the mainland to Sanibel in one great arc."
A review of the actual fact discloses that COTI, (as part of their fear campaign tactics stated the county wanted a bridge that would permit oil tankers to pass through to a new port in Fort Myers. Evidently, a memory fails us when it serves our purpose.
Please also review their following statement:
"After years of vigorous debate, fierce opposition, a lawsuit and endless attempts at resolution, the drawbridge was replaced."
How can anyone make such a statement when their organization is primarily responsible for the items described. Who was responsible? Evidently not the people’s voice, COTI. Though my years, I have observed many people attempt to "make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear." If COTI maintains its propaganda campaign, I fear we might have a surplus of silk purses.
I’m looking forward to COTI’s next communications. I don’t know how they will do it, but i’m sure they will take credit for the constuction of the recently acquired Sanibel Lighthouse.
COTI has a website; I reviewed it prior to writing this letter. They tell us the reason for their founding: The island merchants had an organization to represent it, the Chamber of Commerce. The realtors had their association, however, there was no organization to represent the "residents". (I believe the word "people" would have better reflected their general philosophy, but that had best be left alone). And so for many years, we have had this select group telling us (people) how to vote, otherwise Sanibel will be doomed. Strange their candidates lost the last election and we survive.
COTI’s history shows that its primary concern has been property rights, and the
deprivation thereof. As Sanibel is for all practicality built-out, we can only look forward to what "they" consider proper, for existing units and their extension or replacement.
As COTI does not identify itself as a Political Action Committee in its writing, let me take this opportunity to remind you of such fact. The result is they do not qualify as a non-profit and any donation to them is not tax-deductable. It would be prudent for qualified non-profit to consult their attorney prior to providing them any assistance monetarily or otherwise.
Dale E. Armstrong
Sanibel and Columbus, Ohio