President's Speech at General WAAM meeting - November 3, 2003

Lynne Pine

Welcome, newcomers ~~ And to all you familiar faces out there, thank you so much for your steadfast support.

It has been a long journey on a rocky road, and we could not have persevered without you.

Here’s a question ~~ How did the victims turn into the villains? 

Let’s see now ~~ We have been bombarded with unprecedented growth in jet traffic, our lives are disturbed both day and night, and to add more injury to injury, those of us downwind are subjected to dangerous levels of jet exhaust fumes. 

If we complain about our predicament, they say we are selfish whiners. 

And if we aren’t actively complaining about it, they say we don’t really have a problem.

By the way, don’t tell us that we should have known better than to buy next to an airport! 

Tell it to the zoning department and the developer who built our houses, thirty years ago.

There are historic homes on St. Lucie Blvd. and in Sewall’s Point built in the 1920’s that are also subjected to the escalation in jet traffic since 1998. 

And you all know that you don’t have to live right by the airport to be affected. 

No one could have foreseen that our charming, historic little Witham Field was destined to become the Martin County Jetport;  and that a loud, obnoxious 737  would routinely be disturbing the peace all over town.

This is not about aviation.

Aviation is one of the all-time, most wonderful examples of man’s ingenuity.

The Wright brothers were visionary pioneers, followed by many other inspired aviators.

Once again,  this is not about aviation.

This is about airport expansion that now encroaches on long established neighborhoods.

This is about underhanded maneuvering of the system to benefit special interests.

This is about a few businesses determined to thrive even at the expense of many innocent bystanders.

This is about huge aviation industry organizations inserting themselves into local communities. 

My neighborhood is downwind of the airport most of the time.

For two years now, I have been asking for air quality monitors to be placed in our yards to measure the pollution levels,  only to be faced with a bureaucratic quagmire.

Nobody seems willing to do what’s necessary to get the ball rolling.

I have brought our plight to the Commissioners, Mr.Blackburn,  Mr.Hudson,  Mr.Moon, and  Ms. Palmeri. 

I have looked them all in the eye and said to them “ Help us, we are being poisoned!” 

I’m told to be patient.  Meantime we’re still breathing toxic air.

And to anyone who doubts me, I say,  “Prove I’m wrong!  I beg you!  Just do it soon.”

Remember how long it took the tobacco industry to acknowledge that their products are hazardous to your health?  Or how hard they fought the warning labels? 

They didn’t want us to know we were being poisoned either. Even non-smokers! 

How about Big Agricultural interests turning our pristine waterways into sludge? 

Well, we face yet another industry, being propped up by federal and state governments, with little regard for the human collateral damage and still trying to persuade us that  we don’t know what we’re talking about.

We know better.   In this instance, we are the resident experts.

You know, it’s hard on your body and your nerves to be made to feel both angry and powerless 

at the same time.

I have been told:   “If we can all agree that you’re wrong, we can move on.” and  “ If you think you’ve got it bad now, we can make it a lot worse.”

Well, between the put-downs and the threats, I am angry.  But, believe me, we are not powerless.

If we were, airport-growth advocates wouldn’t be fighting the truth so hard.

We are, however, definitely tired of being dismissed as irrelevant.

This same scenario is being played out in communities all over the United States. 

We may not compete financially with the big boys, but as American citizens, we still have the privilege and the power of our vote.

The County Commission is the elected body we must rely upon to do the right thing.

So far, it has not been easy, but we have made significant inroads.

We must continue to encourage their speedy assistance in every possible way. 

And we must encourage non-voters to step up and honor their responsibility to our great nation  by registering to vote.

Unbridled airport growth is one of the most challenging quality of life issues  facing us in this next year. 

We are your watchdogs and will continue to represent your interests as best we can. 

The only guaranteed way to fail is to quit trying, and we cannot do that.

It is too important to the future of Martin County.