Insanity sometimes prevails in the halls of government. Change for the sake of change. Decisions without basis in fact made.
I am talking about the most recent suggestion by the State Department of Transportation to turn South Roosevelt Boulevard into 2 or 3 lanes rather than the present 4.
Justification is it will make room for cars, bikers, vendors and walkers.
No basis for the justification.
Traffic moves easily along South Roosevelt Boulevard. Parking sufficient. Probably the only place in Key West. Vendors few and those still here have plentiful space.
As to walkers and bicycles, who in Key West has more room than on the very wide walk running along the ocean. Whenever crowded, not crowded.
A new play has developed in the United States. Redoing roadways . Called “lane repurposing.”
We do not need lane repurposing along the ocean. Especially at Smathers Beach. There are many areas within Key West that do, however. The State should do its lane repurposing in tosoe places.
Again, the State wants to make driving, parking, bicycle riding and walking easier and less crowded. There are no problems on South Roosevelt Boulevard!
The City Commission is involved. Properly so. Except certain of its members are idiots re the issue. Mayor Cates and Commissioner Kaufman like the idea. They are of the opinion congestion exists for bicycles and walkers. I ask both of these gentleman…..When was the last time you walked South Roosevelt Boulevard? Rode a bike there?
Try it! Neither bicycle nor pedestrian will inhibit your walk or bike ride.
Kaufman is beginning to bother me. I do not know him. He is an attorney who successfully ran for his Commission seat. He is also an agent of change. Perhaps even an unintentional trouble maker. It seems to be his nature.
Change for the sake of change is of no value. A new idea is not necessarily a good idea.
Let this be Kaufman’s first and last term as Commissioner. He should return to the law and screw up the judicial system.
I fell last night! Again! Did a number on my body. My head took a beating in the process. A bump the size of a quarter on the back. Oozing blood. My head continues to hurt this morning.
As usual, I was not looking where I was walking. I was stepping up the one step to my front porch. Neither looked nor lifted my foot enough.
Dinner last night was with neighbor Andrew. Andrew owns the MTV house across the water from me. He is in for a few days from his present home in Zürich. He called and said lets go to dinner. I tried to back off because of my diet. To no avail
Andrew took me to his favorite restaurant. The Cafe on Southard across from Bank of America. The vegetarian restaurant. I am not a vegetarian. I did enjoy however a piece of mahi mahi.
No alcohol. I am still on my diet.
This morning makes one week on the diet. I cheated not. Lost 8 pounds. All water, I am sure. But 8 pounds is 8 pounds. I continue on the diet this week.
Rotary reminds me of the tune Christian Soldiers. Onward Christian soldiers…..
The Rotary took hold world wide as well as in Key West. Its purpose to serve, to do good. The local has been so performing for more than 100 years.
The Key West Rotary considers all issues. They walk away from nothing. Seek knowledge from every source.
This is installment 13. It concerns the subject matter of the September 8, 1932 luncheon meeting.
The United States was deep in depression in 1932. The market crashed. Three years earlier.
William W. Demeritt. Chairman of the Monroe County Unemployment Relief Committee. He gave a report concerning the state of the relief program. Unemployment benefits for those out of work.
By the end of August 1932, the numbers of unemployed were as follows. White men, 473 married, 267 single. Colored men, 180 married, 83 single. Women, white 89 and colored 114.
Mouths to feed. Mouths fed.
Amazing that the statistics had to be divided between white and colored. The Civil War had ended 57 years earlier.
Enjoy your day!
