The Politics of Everyday Life
Glimpsing hope at a County Commissioners' hearing and HOA meeting
To hear the related 5-minute audio file that I uploaded today as my Morning Journal flash briefing for Alexa devices, please click on the play button:
Hope follows action
When Pete Buttigieg last week announced that he will not run for Governor or U.S. Senator in Michigan, he included this statement:
In the months ahead I will be spending more time engaging both legacy and digital media in the service of a politics of everyday life, rooted in the values of freedom, security, and democracy.
I recalled his phrase, “a politics of everyday life” yesterday as Darlene and I sat through an entire day at the Lee County Commissioners Building in Fort Myers.
We and about 40 other island residents attended a hearing examiner’s session on an application by South Seas Island Resort to add 356 units to its complex on Captiva.
The only way to get to South Seas is to drive the length of Sanibel Island and then cross a short bridge to Captiva.
Periwinkle Way on Sanibel is already gridlocked twice a day, so we are very concerned about the addition of more traffic. A host of other concerns has been raised in hearings on the application over the past year, including the impact on wildlife, water quality, and the time it will to evacuate in advance of hurricanes or fires.
Darlene and I had planned to testify briefly against the application, but there wasn’t time for our comments. We hope to return when the full Board of Commissioners takes up the matter later this year.
It felt good to sit on the hard benches of the high-ceilinged room. The hearing examiner was attentive, listening to all comments. The lawyers treated each other with civility just shy of warmth.
We learned a lot about the conflict between islanders and the developer. I made contact with Lisa Riordan of Project Captiva, the group leading the opposition, and we promised to stay in touch.
We returned home in time for me to attend the annual meeting of our neighborhood Homeowners Association. About 150 of us gathered under a canopy at the Dunes Golf & Tennis Club and heard updates on how our island’s recovery is proceeding after Hurricane Ian’s devastation more than two years ago.
Sanibel has been blessed with terrific city officials during this saga, led by City Manager Dana Souza. Many rental units are not yet restored, and last year’s two hurricanes slowed momentum toward full recovery.
Good questions were asked and answered, and tasty cookies and lemonade were served.
I felt hopeful last night as we headed to bed. As I looked at Pete’s statement just now, I saw that he offered an explanation for my feeling:
I once heard it said that hope is the consequence of action, rather than its cause. In this troubled season of American life, I think that more hope - not just for a party seeking a political win but for a country seeking a better politics - will come by way of action. I will be doing my part, as I know you will.
Yes.
The politics of everyday life is where I plan to stay grounded and hopeful in the days and years ahead.