Voices From The Readers

Voices From The Readers
tdmailbox1

The Cause Of Renters?

Editor:

Usually when neighborhoods start to change for the worse, it is not often easy to identify the cause. Yet failure to identify the cause insures that the prescription will eventually fail. Discovering the proper cause of the decline in the neighborhood of Mallard Island is required to avoid applying the wrong cure.

The Mallard neighborhood is in the midst of a change. For decades, Mallard Island was a primarily family residential neighborhood. Now, increasingly houses are being used by summer weekly rentals. About eight vocal residents spoke publicly on how this change was disrupting their families’ lives. I could say that should this restriction be imposed, it would be yet another example of the council’s caving to a vocal special interest while sacrificing the majority’s property rights in imposing a false cure. I won’t at this juncture.

I really emphasized with their stories of woe and believe every word they said. They are so right: family life is being threatened. The question should be, what is the cause? Is it weekly rentals or something else? If we don’t get the cause right, chances are the cure won’t solve the problem either.

As a person whose family has incurred unspeakable pain in Falls Church, one of the five top income areas in America, I fully understand and am equally disturbed by the declines on Mallard Island; however the cure of regulating renters won’t stop the decline, because weekly renters are but an inconvenient symptom. What, then, is the cause?

From 2004–2009, prices on Mallard Island were too high, therefore renting was uneconomic. Today, after six years of decline and recently flat prices, home values are low enough to make renting economic. This decline in home values correlates with the increases in living costs, most of which are imposed by local and county government.

Despite the incentive of zero percent Homestead increase, it is not adequate to offset all the local cost increases, and stop resident outflows to other counties and states. You see this decline in residency in almost every neighborhood in Ocean City. However, Mallard Island is a richer, more vocal neighborhood.

If the residents of Mallard Island were really concerned about their declining neighborhood, they would address the cause, high cost of living, not the symptom, renters. We are working to return the property values to where they were, which is the only true cure for renters and bringing back the residents.

The failure to understand the relationship between increasing costs and declining home values would be fatal at this juncture. The implementation of renter restrictions a symptom but not the cause will at best the downward trend and in most cases could accelerate the decline. Let’s connect the dots, identify the cause than all work together to protect our families and futures.

Tony Christ

Recognize The Threat

Editor:

I’m sure all of your readers by now are aware of the term ISIS. One of the definitions of the term is: The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and is considered a militant group ruling by Sharia law. The group claims to represent all Muslims everywhere and has declared the establishment of a new Caliphate. The concept of a Caliphate to this group means a universal, legitimate Islamic rule. Of course not all Muslims see this group as legitimate. The important thing to understand about this group is that they are a Muslim Terrorist organization

Just how many Muslim terrorist organizations are there? Recently the UAE (The United Arab Emirates) issued a list of 83 such groups which it classified as “terrorist organization”. Our own U.S. Department of State starting back in Oct. 8, 1997 up to Aug. 20, 2014 have identified 58 such organizations. I don’t know about each of you reading this article, but just understanding that all these organizations are Muslim, it made me want to know just how many Muslim countries there are. I checked it out on the Internet and found that there are 46 Muslim countries with a total population of 784.5 million. There are an additional 56 Muslim minority countries. A Census taken in 1971 shown there are another 308 million Muslims in these minority countries. If you add to this the percentage increase since 1971 to the present time, you get an approximate total population of 1.780 billion Muslims around the world.

Have any of you thought about how many Muslim terrorist attacks have been recorded and verified since the 1980s? Stating in April 1983 to July 1989, there were six recorded. In the 1990s, there were a total of 23. In the 2000s, there were 154 and in the 2010s up to June 2015 there have been 145. Just based on these numbers we’re seeing a continued increase in these terrorist attacks and none of the list included the recent ISIS terrorist attacks.

I think it’s time the nations of the world and our president must recognize Islamic Muslim terrorist as a threat not only to the Near or Middle East but to all the world. Since all of these acts are of Muslim origin, all Muslim countries and all other nations must join together to eradicate this evil and not allow it to grow and spread. It should be a major concern to all and the necessary action should be taken now before it’s too late.

Paul St. Andre

Ocean City

Smoking Change Ignored

Editor:

No smoking on the beach is not working. I see one or two people a day at the orange barrels and hundreds smoking where they please.

Ocean City must get the word out. Advertise on the boat and the banners. If this doesn’t work, it will be time to ban smoking on the beach for good. What does the council not know about the health effects of second hand smoke? I wrote to the council years ago about a ban and all we get are Band-Aids. If Rehoboth, Bethany and Fenwick can do it, why not Ocean City?

Stu Shinnick

Ticketing Jaywalkers Will Drive Home Safety

Editor:

The Walk Smart Campaign that was implemented two years ago, I believe was and continues to be a very good tool to encourage its visitors and residents to cross at the crosswalk and not in the middle of Coastal Highway. The illustration of the Maryland Crab, which is visible at various stretches along the sidewalk on Coastal Highway as well as many local eateries and even on some of the public transportation vehicles, I think is good, however it is my opinion that it merely places a small dent in the problem.

Ocean City already this summer has had a few very unfortunate accidents involving pedestrians crossing across Coastal Highway where persons involved were not using crosswalks.  The reality is that jaywalking in many areas of this country is something that is somewhat socially acceptable and often overlooked by even law enforcement when it is witnessed.

I am a year-round resident now for eight years in this wonderful place we call “home at the beach.”  I possess a great deal of respect for our various levels of town officials and in no way am I attempting to point fingers or find fault. Merely stated, I firmly believe that local law enforcement should issue citations for those who are caught jaywalking across Coastal Highway. In addition, perhaps a lighted message at the entrance to Ocean City from both the Routes 90 and 50 bridges could include wording of sorts letting those crossing the bridges from the west, that “Ocean City wants you safe, please utilize our crosswalks. Risk a fine if you do not.” Just an item for thought.

Doug Antos

Ocean City