The Chairman Speaks and Dances

Update below.

  This week, Chairperson Reber of the County's Community Advisory Council, offered some kind of advice about what to do with the Point Roberts gas tax levy, which is now creeping up toward $400K.  Our residents are supposed to vote on these in some manner.   The Council  previously put out a survey (responses in the mid-60's, as I recall), and held several meetings at which from 5 to 25 people came to talk about possible uses of the funds.  Now, it has concluded on some basis that the following six are the highest needs in Point Roberts. 

 

-  Renewing and extending walking, cycling, riding paths along major roads (e.g., Benson, A.P.A.).  [   ]

 -  Walking, cycling, riding paths that would be created along major roads (Benson would be the most likely) by building culverts and covering the existing ditches. [   ]

 - A Round-the-Point bicycle path using existing lanes and adding others as needed. [   ]

 - Carved roadside signs with information about sights, attractions, businesses, etc. Some would be new, others would replace existing signs. [   ]

 - Traffic-calming devices, either in-road like circles and berms that would also serve as beautification projects or on-road like rumble-strips or speed bumps (most likely spots: Gulf, APA near the church and Marine near Lighthouse Park). [   ]

--Roadside beautification projects like those at the corner of Tyee and Benson--locations TBD.  [    ]

Noting that half of these are about bicycles, one has to at least suspect that a lot of  those who expressed opinions were bicyclists or family members of bicyclists which, in a virtual if not intentional retirement community probably doesn't include the majority of the residents.  Or maybe our many drivers find the bicycles a problem although I've never heard it much discussed in ordinary conversations around the Point.

I think the problem largely is a matter of conceptual framing.  Is this money something like a gift from your Great Aunt Eleanor, which you didn't expect or particularly need, so you are flummoxing along trying to figure out what to spend it on (other than groceries) to honor the nature of the gift and your Great Aunt Eleanor? A gift that is by its nature understood as something of a treat?  Or is it more like one of those Christmas gifts of money one got when one was a kid that was essentially to be used to buy the yearly new pajamas of your choice, or your Mom will decide for you if you don't care or can't make up your mind?  (You can tell that I was born during the depression from that example.) 

In fact, it's the latter.  We can only use it for roads/traffic, which includes the above six choices, and if we don't indicate a proper choice, the County will decide for us.  And will just fill in potholes or something which they would do anyway but with some other money if not for this pot of money.  Money is fungible.  The feeling that it's some kind of money for us to decide about is essentially bogus.  There's a narrow set of choices and none of them is probably what the community really appears to need/care about, which is to replace the dock.  

So, I've decided I don't really care what they do with the money.  It feels like fake involvement to me.  Thus, I'm voting for None of the Above.  However, I would like to add that the phrase 'traffic calming devices' coupled with the phrases 'rumble-strips' and 'speed bumps' do not seem to belong in the same paragraph or even the same discussion.  The latter objects may both slow traffic, but I seriously object to the assertion that they calm anything.  More bogus stuff.

Update:  If you have some involvement with Point Roberts and wish to send your preferences (1-6, 1 being the highest preference) to Chairman Reber, you can email them to him at:  areber@brooklyn.cuny.edu