Population bomb
My old buddy Mike B was quoted in our local bird cage liner/fish wrapper warning about an anticipated population explosion within the Treasure Coast region. His planning agency staff have determined that, based upon current trends, our three counties can expect an increase of 300,000 residents by 2030. This is a population increase of approximately 60 percent.
When the old, radical leftist Dr. Paul Erlich wrote his doom and gloom book "The Population Bomb," back in the '60s, he wasn't predicting destruction for Little Martin and her sister counties. No, he predicted the death of the planet within 20 years, and he offered no real solutions for saving the doomed planet, other than the usual return-to-tribalism-down-with-civilization pap. Fortunately, he was as totally wrong as the doom-and-gloomers of today are. But here in little Martin, there is only so much room and the continued influx of refugees from the devastated counties to the south, coupled with the usual hordes of snowbirds and immigrants from other countries, will certainly have adverse impacts.
Our biggest concern is that pro-growth commissioners will revise the county comprehensive plan to allow the sprawl that destroyed the quality of life south of us. It doesn't matter that 90 percent of the projected growth will occur in the two counties to our north, because their residents are already using our roads, shopping centers, beaches, and restaurants. Little Martin is already stressed, and this future growth will seriously jeopardize what little peace is left to us.
Currently, and especially in St. Lucie County to the north, commissioners are simply looking for the most effective way to cram all of these new people into their jurisdiction, rather than planning for smart, maximum-density growth and simply saying no to future proposals by developers.
All of our elected officials know full well that this growth does not pay in fees or taxes for the severe impacts it imposes on county services, infrastructure, and quality of life. There will come a time when the residents must face reality and vote out those elected officials who refuse to tackle the growth crisis responsibly. The bomb has been planted and the detonator is set - but there is still time to defuse it and Lord knows there are plenty of examples around us that show what will happen if we don't.