I'm not a lawyer (thank goodness!) but I spent 10 years of my life involved in zoning and community planning issues. I would have to say that in all that time I never encountered a weaker more inane argument against local community regulation than that offered by Ocean Properties et al. in regard to cruise ship visitation limitations. If the citizens of Bar Harbor are found to have no right to regulate cruise ship visitation that is clearly having a negative impact upon their lives and their community then something is badly amiss. What this lawsuit is really all about is yet another attempt of those with deep pockets to use a ridiculously expensive court system to gain total control over Bar Harbor's future. That those opposing the continued destruction of Bar Harbor's quality of life have been forced to spend nearly one quarter million dollars to defend their Citizen's Initiative should cause all those believing in democracy to shake their heads in frustration. Fifty years ago this issue would have been decided in District Court in an hour or two for a couple of hundred dollars. Some years ago a sign appeared on the White House lawn reading "For Sale." Not long ago that sign was replaced with a second sign reading "Sold!" Many say that it's beyond the power of the average citizen to reclaim our capital. I strongly reject that cowardly assertion. The American people are more than capable of taking their country back from entrenched interests and the citizens of Bar Harbor are more than capable of regaining control of their communities’s and their children's futures!
I'm not a lawyer (thank goodness!) but I spent 10 years of my life involved in zoning and community planning issues. I would have to say that in all that time I never encountered a weaker more inane argument against local community regulation than that offered by Ocean Properties et al. in regard to cruise ship visitation limitations. If the citizens of Bar Harbor are found to have no right to regulate cruise ship visitation that is clearly having a negative impact upon their lives and their community then something is badly amiss. What this lawsuit is really all about is yet another attempt of those with deep pockets to use a ridiculously expensive court system to gain total control over Bar Harbor's future. That those opposing the continued destruction of Bar Harbor's quality of life have been forced to spend nearly one quarter million dollars to defend their Citizen's Initiative should cause all those believing in democracy to shake their heads in frustration. Fifty years ago this issue would have been decided in District Court in an hour or two for a couple of hundred dollars. Some years ago a sign appeared on the White House lawn reading "For Sale." Not long ago that sign was replaced with a second sign reading "Sold!" Many say that it's beyond the power of the average citizen to reclaim our capital. I strongly reject that cowardly assertion. The American people are more than capable of taking their country back from entrenched interests and the citizens of Bar Harbor are more than capable of regaining control of their communities’s and their children's futures!
Thank you so much for your comment, Winston. We really appreciate it and your thoughts. I hope you weathered the storm ok.