||| FROM MICHAEL JOHNSON |||


“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” -Margaret Wheatley
The unanswered questions repeatedly asked over the years by concerned citizens regarding how much tourism and how much growth can our environment, our natural resources, and our social well-being stand are vital to our quality of life, and to the long-term viability of each of our island communities.  Without answers to these critical questions our elected officials are unable to put proper guardrails in place in order to protect our island communities from overgrowth and overtourism.  It is, therefore, imperative for us to study these neglected areas in an effort to come up with the relevant base-line criteria needed in order to help our elected leaders make wise decisions in properly navigating our future.  Without answers to these critical areas of concern our tourism and growth policies will continue to be dysfunctional.
“You can ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” -Ayn Rand
These are questions that have been continually ignored by many of our past elected officials.  Aye, until now, administration after administration has denied that problems even exist, or that they’re big enough to warrant thinking outside the box and doing something about.  So, how’s this going for us?  The obvious answer is that kicking the can down the road by multiple administrations over time has resulted in an insensible rise in income inequality, a collapsed housing market, stress on our infrastructure, mistrust of our elected officials, and extreme divisiveness within our communities.  Continually mis-framing the issue(s) at hand over the years has culminated in the chaotic spectacle now enveloping our communities regarding the future of tourism and growth in SJC.  Indeed, in reading the local news recently one gets the idea that the intellectual content of the debate over “how much” has now morphed into a debate over “how fast.”
“When you mix science and politics, you get politics.” -Unknown
The content of this debate is not conditioned by clear definitions of sustainability, or of our carrying capacity, nor are there any baseline measurements of the over-all state of our environment, our natural resources, or our social health and well being… all of which are critical components to our quality of life.  The debate surrounding the issue(s) at hand are simply not conditioned by unbiased, clear-cut definitions based on science, out-lining a desired end state into our future.  Considering where SJC’s current land-use policies and tourism management plan is taking us, such baseline criteria has never been more important… it is absolutely crucial to our elected officials decision making at this point in time. 
“Every major crisis we face today can be traced to corporate goals of maximizing profits regardless of the social and environmental costs.” -John Perkins
It’s difficult to believe that our thinking has devolved to the point where we are now on the precipice of making policy changes based on the argument that, “We’re not growing fast enough.”  It’s absolutely absurd to think, and where is it written, that county policy should be based on the fact that there’s simply a lot of permits waiting in the que?  Where’s the logic in this?  Our current policy approach, during a time of record-breaking permit approvals no less, is already on a non-stop spiral towards over-growth and over-tourism.  Are we now to think, that after all the hard work that’s been done by so many regarding vacation rental limits, that these limits may eventually be stricken simply because, “there’s a lot of permits in the que?”  This is not responsible government… this is quick-fix, short-term, utter madness.  Did I mention “dysfunctional?”
“There’s something truly wrong with a debate that’s centered around, not, “how far can we go considering the science,” but rather, “how fast can we get there at all costs.”  -Michael Johnson  
For further information go to “doebay.net/bigpicture.pdf
To contact your elected leaders go to–

Cindy Wolf—cindyw@sanjuanco.com or 360-370-7477
Christine Minney— christinem@sanjuanco.com or 360-370-7478

Jane Fuller— janef@sanjuanco.com or 360-378-2898


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