Sunday, June 10, 2001 Sun Herald --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letters: /THE SUN HERALD -------------------------------------- Salt marsh is as ancient as a majestic oak tree A couple months ago the Commission on Marine Resources unanimously turned down a permit application by Sidney Brown to fill in a half-acre marsh at Heron Bayou for a parking lot, saying the project was not water-dependent. But recently, by a 4-3 vote, the CMR approved a permit for Pine Island Golf Course to fill in 2.5 acres of marsh. Under the Clean Water Act, wetlands can be filled in only for purposes that are considered water-dependent, such as a marina or shipyard. The CMR has acted inconsistently by approving the Pine Island permit. The law is supposed to be enforced equally. So, John Vondrak, the developer of Pine Island, should have been treated the same as Sidney Brown. If we set a precedent to allow marshlands to be filled in for non-water-dependent uses, with the current intense development pressure and high property values for waterfront land, soon most of these marshlands that provide the nursery grounds for finfish and shellfish will be lost forever. Some people think it is OK to destroy a marsh if a developer promises to create a marsh elsewhere. "Creating" a marsh is not like planting a field of corn. Even if done properly, the salt marsh grows very slowly. It could be a decade or longer - if ever - before a created marsh approximates the same functional values as the one destroyed. People can look as the majesty an ancient oak and appreciate that it should be preserved. While it isn't so immediately apparent, the salt marsh is also ancient. It has been in place for centuries and is one of the most productive ecosystems on earth. All marine life is either directly or indirectly dependent on the marsh. The members of the CMR should be encouraged to follow the law and protect these valuable tidal wetlands. CHRISTOPHER VERDERY Ocean Springs -------------------------------------- 30 mph limit is absurd in open countryside The city of Gulfport annexed the open countryside north of Interstate 10 and brought to the area the wonders of city life, including 30 mph speed limit signs. Thirty miles per hour through miles of open country! Nobody has ever gone 30 mph out there, or even close - and nobody goes 30 now. The occasional driver who punctiliously follows the law stacks up traffic behind him, most of them tailgating and taking chances, trying to get around and get on with their business. All the posted speed limit does is breed disrespect and disgust for the politicians and bureaucrats who imposed it on us. Everyone knows it has nothing to do with safety. There are streets in the city - heavily traveled ones with intersections and pedestrians - with higher posted speeds. The 30 mph speed limit is simply a fee-collection device. Actions such as this just encourage the idea that only reasonable laws should be obeyed - as long as one can get away with it. The only hope is that the police are too embarrassed to enforce the speed limit, and that they have better judgment than the politicians. Can you believe we actually pay these people to dictate our lives the way they do? When I was a cop, citations for violations like this were referred to as "henhouse tickets" - they were really chicken ... feathers! Of course, with the collectivist mentality of the bosses who would even put up such a law, you can expect this letter will only initiate a crackdown, not a correction. Sorry 'bout that. BOB COPELAND Gulfport -------------------------------------- Some folks don't know the definition of 'rebate' An Alabama writer laments, "The highly hailed tax rebate coming to Alabama mailboxes this summer won't go to the people who need it most. The poorest in Alabama, about 33 percent, won't get one at all because they don't make enough to pay federal income taxes," and worries about "... those in the middle getting short-changed. And the poor winding up with nothing." Well, obviously, those who don't pay taxes won't get a rebate, as "rebate" is defined as "to deduct or return (an amount) from a payment or bill." Those who paid too much tax will get a rebate, and rightly so. I wonder if the writer, upon receiving an annual federal income tax rebate this year, will seek out this 33 percent in order to share? ARMOND 'SI' SIMMONS Pell City, Ala. -------------------------------------- You don't end thirst by turning off the water Unfortunately, most politicians are elected by watching the opinion polls and telling the voters what they want to hear, not by telling them what they should hear. They also speak in ambiguous generalities, so people read what they want to into their words. It is said that only one in 10 people think for themselves, hardly enough to determine an election. What I'm going to say would never get anyone elected. What gets them elected is a hard-line approach to our drug epidemic. I believe this excessive use of drugs to be a symptom of a neurotic, sick society trying to cope with all the negative stress. Jesus was condemned for preaching in the saloons of his day, telling the drunks that what they needed was the spring of living water, welling to eternal life. You don't get rid of thirst by turning off the water. Somehow politicians and law enforcement believe the solution is to stop the flow of illegal drugs. This didn't work during Prohibition with booze, and our present-era resembles Prohibition in many ways, just with intoxicants other than alcohol. Not even the president can control his children, and virtually all parents of teen-agers have nightmares of their children being busted for drugs and being put in prison with hardened criminals and losing all their hard-earned savings in legal fees, etc. We need to attack the drug epidemic from the other end - with loving, caring rehabilitation. JESS KENNEDY Biloxi -------------------------------------- Negative attitude hurts our beautiful state I am tired of reading the negative comments from outside newspapers and magazines about the results of the flag vote. It really angered me to see one of our own slamming our beautiful state in a letter to the editor ("Except at home, we're called the 'Magnolia State'," May 27). We do consider Mississippi to be "The Magnolia State," but the flag commission and the Legislature forgot about that. The choice we had was between the old flag and a proposed design that resembled the North Korean flag (and whose pepperoni pattern of stars had already earned it the unflattering nickname of "the pizza flag"). Since we did not have the option of voting for "none of the above," we chose to stick with the old flag until a better choice is proposed. I believe the blame should be placed on the flag commission and the Legislature for not giving us a better choice. Many people I spoke with agreed. Had we been given the choice of a magnolia flag, they would have voted for it. Let's all work together to stop the negative and destructive attitude that is infecting this beautiful state. It takes no more effort to be positive and to work together. JOHANNA SPICUZZA Bay St. Louis -------------------------------------- Law gives veto power to property owners I noted with some pleasure that the Biloxi mayoral candidates discussed the widening of Caillavet Street. A few months ago I proposed Reynoir south-to north and Caillavet north-to-south be one-way traffic to accommodate the Back Bay casinos. Recently, while researching for a different situation in the Mississippi Code, Section 21 on Municipalities, I came across Article 21-41-7 which might be of interest to the owners of property along Caillavet. This article, titled "Meeting to consider objections to proposed improvement," states: "At said meeting provided for by Section 21-41-5, or at a time and place to which same may be adjourned, any person aggrieved may appear in person, by attorney or by petition, and may object to or protest against said improvement or any part thereof. The governing authorities shall consider the objections and protests, if any, and may confirm, amend, modify or rescind the resolution of necessity, and shall determine whether said improvement shall be made and how the cost thereof shall be paid. The determination of such governing authorities shall be final and conclusive. However, if a majority of property owners owning more than 50 percent of the front footage of the property involved and actually residing on property owned by them and included within that part of any street, avenue, or the like, ordered to be specially improved, or otherwise actually occupying property owned by them and included within that area shall file a protest, then the improvement shall not be made." (italics mine) It may be too late to invoke this article, but a judge might look favorably on a suit to review the decision to four-lane Caillavet if a meeting was held to apprise the landowners of the proposal and the minutes of the meeting show that more than half of the property owners objected. JOHN L. GREENE Ocean Springs -------------------------------------- Is new seatbelt law working? You betcha Since the new seatbelt law has been in effect, particularly the new "Click It or Ticket" campaign, I have to tell you it's working! I pulled up to a four-way intersection, and so did a Gulfport policeman. I never have seen so many people at one time putting their seat belts on, including me! STEVE SUND Biloxi DROP US A LINE The Sun Herald invites letters to the editor from readers on subjects of public interest. Maximum length is 300 words. Editors reserve the right to edit or reject. Include a signature, home address and phone number. Writers' names and communities of residence are printed with all published letters. E-mail addresses printed with the writer's consent. Send by fax, (228) 896-2104; e-mail, toeditor@sunherald.com; or mail: Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567.