standing up for good?
an under-handed attempt!
need no stinkin bridges
I live in the low country of South Carolina.
I work on Hilton Head Island.
To get to work I have to cross bridges connecting the island to the mainland.
The amount of traffic to the island is growing exponentially dayly.
Like any resort community after covid, the cost of land and housing in the resort area has skyrocketed and the people who live and work and make the resort community a resort community can no longer afford to live in the resort community.
Which adds to the traffic.
The bridges are two lanes in each direction.
Along with being unable to handle the volume of traffic, the bridges are past there recommend safe to use age as well as damaged by hurricane Matthew.
As I like to say there is no truth that the bridges have been condemned.
There is no truth that the Corps of Engineers has issued UNSAFE TO USE ratings for the bridges.
It is TRUE that the Corps of Engineers have refused to to issues a SAFE TO USE rating for the bridges.
Plans are being developed to build new three lane bridges.
They have been in development since we moved here three years ago.
Once the plans are accepted, the estimate is that it will take 3 to 4 years to build the bridges.
At a recent town meeting on the subject, a local citizen’s interest group has the town council to adopt a resolution that the town recognizes a “sense of urgency” on the project.
The group, The Greater Island Council, a private group of volunteer Lowcountry residents who advance initiatives from education to parks and rec on the Island, instead of seeing action on their request, found themselves under attack.
The town council questioned the group’s IRS status.
One resident who spoke at the meeting, said the GIC’s resolution was an “under-handed” attempt by a private group to influence town policy.
All the group wants is to show that there is some sense of action in moving forward on this bridge.
I guess, in short, the group wants to show there is some sense.
But sense, common sense, is pretty uncommon on this Island.
The resolution was voted down.
“This town council is showing backbone,” said another resident.
“(It is) standing up for the greater good of the island.”
What did the town council do instead?
At Tuesday’s meeting, the town approved a request for qualifications document crafted by a citizen’s advisory committee on the U.S. 278 project. The RFQ will be used to recruit engineering firms interested in conducting a broader study of the impacts the 278 project will have on traffic, safety, and the environment on Hilton Head that extends beyond the scope of the current county-town joint study.
The approved a request for a document that will be used to recruit a firm that will then conduct a study of the impact of the new bridge.
The study is not underway.
The group conducting the study has not been hired.
But the qualifications for the group have been identified for such a time as when the recruitment of this unknown group gets underway.
I am reminded of the movie, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Humphrey Bogart demands to see badges when he is attacked by bandits who say there are police.
The bandit chief replies, “Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!”
Bridges?
We ain’t got no bridges.
We don’t need no bridges.
I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ bridges!”
It is for the greater good of the island!
No Haiku For You 