Treasure Island Florida City Hall

Gulf Beach News

The Public Good

Every now and then someone says something I really take note of during a Treasure Island Commission Meeting and during a recent meeting Mayor Maloof did just that.

The discussions centered on the topic of traffic control devices, or better know as “stuff you put on the road to slow down the assholes who drive too fast”. While all the Commissioners with the exception of Commissioner Bildz, talked about how their constituents don’t want aggressive traffic calming devices such as speed bumps (supposedly 90% of Isle of Palms residents don’t want speed bumps although I don’t remember Commissioner Gayton asking me for my opinion) and that more passive devices like signs would do the trick, the Mayor said something to the effect that sometimes you have to do things for the public good that the public doesn’t like, things like taxes and laws.

That started me thinking, which in itself is a major accomplishment, of things that have been done for the public good without popular support.

For instance, I’d be willing to bet you that if you went to any prison in this country and talked to those serving time for bank robbery, you’d probably find that those doing 20 to life are not in favor of banks using such security measures as cameras and exploding dye pack money bags.

You’d probably be safe to say that most Americans, if they had the choice, wouldn’t pay extra for airbags and seatbelts because they think they are too good of a driver to be involved in that five car wreck they’re showing on the six o’clock news.

If given the choice, most travelers wouldn’t go through security measures at the airport because chances are that no one getting on their flight is planning to spend eternity with 72 virgins by commandeering the airplane and flying it into a building.

Most people wouldn’t evacuate the island unless ordered to leave by the police because that category four hurricane isn’t that big of a deal totally ignoring the fact that John’s Pass was formed by a category one storm.

I can go on and on but you get the point, if you don’t then that’s the reason why we have the Commission we have. Nobody likes driving over speed bumps but more importantly, nobody should be killed walking, or jogging or riding a bike on our City’s streets. As long as we have those using our streets who place their need to drive faster than legally allowed ahead of the wellbeing of their neighbors, then we need to do the right thing irregardless of how popular or unpopular that decision is.