By ED JENKINS
South Clinton resident and local shopper
As Ronald Reagan famously said during the Carter debate “There You Go Again,” and here we go again. Another outpouring of taxpayer money to try to make Clinton something it just might not want to be. Nothing against Beckwith, anyone who can make a living recycling old ideas is to be commended. Past port commissioners seemed to be elected because they had expertise and could make good decisions in house. Listening to this port is like living in a Dilbert cartoon. Perhaps hiring a part-time college business major intern to do this work might be a little cheaper. I could not stop laughing when I saw the “survey” the consultants sent out using Survey Monkey — a free service. A high school student could do this after school for a burger and fries.
I am reminded of the Peter Sellers movie “Being There.” It is the story of a simple gardener of a big estate whose only knowledge of the outside world was learned from watching TV. When the estate owner died he went into the world as “Chauncey Gardiner” and somehow ended up advising the president? The psychological principle from this is that although Chauncey speaks only simple babble, the president wanted to believe so much he took it as great wisdom. Clinton wants to believe so much that they and the port will take simple, old, recycled ideas as high wisdom. After all it cost 30K, so it must be good stuff.
The market (buyers and sellers) determines what will work and what will not. Wishful ideas will not make anyone shop where they do not wish to. Clinton has actually settled into a business groove that seems to be serving the market fairly well. South Clinton is patronized by locals needing a gallon of milk, a workout, bank or a dentist. I was shocked when Beckwith was quoted “If you’re needing dental services or clothing, you’re not going to find it on the island,” Did he not look in the local phone book for 30K or was that an extra cost?
Perhaps the real elephant in the room is that every 20 minutes we have a surge of drivers rushing off the boat and want to get some place besides Clinton — fast. How are you going to get drivers to slow without backing up the unloading of the ferry to a point of fewer sailings? Does anyone actually believe there are state or federal funds to do any project that will slow down unloading the ferry? Does anyone actually believe there will be state or federal funding for a roundabout or median planters? Perhaps Curt Gordon thinks the port will float another bond to pay for yet another boondoggle?
South Clinton has Ken’s Korner, Langley and Freeland envy. There are no historic places or interesting architecture like Langley to ever make it a destination for tourists. The Clinton chamber and community council keeps beating the drum and instead of facing reality the port keeps spending our money placating this group. The Clinton chamber should focus on expanding and supporting the services that local residents actually now use.
The Port of South Whidbey commissioners and staff claim wonderful knowledge and backgrounds listed on their port bios. If they can do half of what they claim there would be no need to spend tens of thousands on consultants for Clinton and the fairgrounds that all just restate the obvious. Perhaps it is time for some Clinton tough love and just say no!
