A great letter from John Evans:
There is a small but loud group of individuals on San Juan Island, calling themselves “the Alliance?” who are opposed to the US Customs and Border Protection Agency renting the former Windermere offices in Friday Harbor. Some things just don’t change.
I am old enough to remember when self appointed groups objected to people of color or different ethnic background moving into the neighborhood. In their small minds, “those people” were bad for businesses and lowered property values.
I am old enough to remember when self-appointed groups made an issue of candidate John Kennedy’s religion in the presidential election. He was Catholic. Small minds speculated the United States would be ruled from the Vatican.
I am old enough to remember when those of the Jewish faith were unwelcome and not allowed to participate in “self-selecting organizations, private clubs and fraternities.”
It is sad and amazing to see that this “community group think” (different issues but still as blatant) is alive and well on San Juan Island. Those folks objecting at the US Customs/Border Protection meeting would have fit right in at the Salem witch trials.
It is beyond my comprehension that there are enough people with such an inflated opinion of themselves to fill a hall with their prejudices against a Federal agency charged with protecting us and our borders.
Since when is the Customs agency signing a lease in a properly zoned building in Friday Harbor any sort of issue?. Where does a notion come from that a property owner who enters into a rental agreement with a tenant must first get approval from some self appointed group?
I guess I should not be surprised. There is an island pressure group that has successfully made a living for years contesting the rights of citizens to use their property in accordance with the law. Tried to build a dock or sell a bed and breakfast?
Or, how dare someone be appointed to serve on the SJC Planning Commission without the express approval of yet another “progressive” community interest group?
I guess this expression of community interest should be a wake-up call. There are some other folks in the islands who had best watch out for the keepers of the public good. You might be in their sights next.
Here is a partial list; There are shop owners with clothing made in sweat shops in India or trinkets from China made with slave labor. The restaurant that isn’t gluten-free or GMO compliant best watch out. The person who lives in a home that is just “too big.”
How about the small business owners who do not pay their employees at least the net $30 an hour that is considered a “living wage” in the islands. Then there are those troublesome second home owners who leave their homes unused when they are off island.
Lets not even begin to talk about all those darn tourists in the summer.
It is a long list of “ain’t it awfuls” for the self-appointed community busy bodies to deal with. Given a bit more time, rest assured the various iterations of the “Alliances For Total Control Group” will make darn sure you are compliant with their philosophy or else! Even the Chamber and the Visitors Bureau seems to be sucked into this group think. Pathetic; really.