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 With
September's crucial community council election just over the horizon,
I've taken to asking random people I meet, on the street, in
restaurants, at the gas stations, whether or not they plan to vote.
Sadly, I must inform our readers that not only were most
of those I spole to not planning on voting, but an overwhelming majority
had no idea what I was even talking about.
It is an unfortunate situation indeed. You see this
election comes at a critical juncture for Doral. With a very real threat
to continued development to the west in the form of the blasting
industry, commercial development at a fever pitch, and incorporation
seemingly just over the horizon, I can't imagine the stakes being much
higher.
There is also, of course, the matter of Doral's main
municipal governing body--the Miami-Dade County Commission--the group
also responsible for determining the disposition of Doral's
incorporation bid. A low voter turnout would be just the excuse many on
the County dais are looking for--an apathetic community--to pass Doral
by once again in its quest for city-hood.
And then there is the matter of who we choose--if the
incorporation effort does finally go forward, the people selected will
quite obviously be some of the best qualified to run a hypothetical City
of Doral. It is appropriate then to view this election as an investment
of sorts: who will be given the opportunity to learn the ropes in
preparation for the greater responsibilities to come?
I constructed our special election section with
precisely this sort of thing in mind. Rather than concentrate
specifically on zoning issues--the primary reason for the creation of
the community council--it seemed more appropriate to ask the candidates
what their "wish list" for Doral would be.
For those of you not terribly familiar with zoning,
zoning boards, or community councils, some further explanation is
required; you see, when asked about zoning matters, most board or
council members generally sound pretty much the same.
For the most part, when questioned, zoning board members
and community council members will define their position with something
along the lines of: "I'm for growth, but controlled growth."
By asking the candidates to make more difficult, more
substantial choices, I hoped to somehow illuminate a little more of
their composition, and perhaps, as a corollary benefit, motivate some of
you, the readers, to go out and vote for a candidate that you otherwise
might have been unmoved by.
Now some might make the argument that this "wish list" is
ultimately meaningless, that the community council has no real power to
enforce or enact much of the legislation the candidates propose.
To those I would say that is precisely my point. What we
have here is each candidate stripped down to their vital statistics and
core beliefs--it is an unobstructed view of what motivates these
individuals, what they think is important at the most basic levels. If
we want to be prepared for what the future might very well be, and the
role these individuals could very well play, it seems like the only
prudent thing to do.
It is pretty fashionable these days for those who missed
out on the tech-stock gold rush to bemoan their ignorance and all the
money that they lost out on.
But I would suggest that this election and your vote is
just as crucial an investment--one that may very well determine not only
the decision-makers in your community, but the fate of the community
itself as well.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Best of wishes on a speedy recovery to Edith Broderick, mother of staff
writer Eve Mari Nugent--our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Also best of luck to former WDFHA Parks Chairman David
Lococo, who stepped down this month after years of pushing for the
construction of Doral's parks.
And finally, congratulations to WDFHA Treasurer Rolando
Oses and Doral Community Council Member Mary Swofford who were recently
nominated by Commissioner Miriam Alonso to join the Doral Area Municipal
Advisory Committee.
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