Twenty Years Ago: A Walk Down PSJ Incorporation War Lane

It has now been over twenty years since I wrote in Port St. John's "Happenings" my first public article against the incorporation of Port St. John (and the forced incorporation of the communities of Hardeeville, Frontenac, Delespine, Williams Point, Hardeeville and part of Sharpes).

I remember the fear-mongering that was done by those who pushed it: forced annexation by either Titusville or Cocoa; forced to go onto Titusville's sewers; no protection from the County, etc., etc., etc. Port St. John residents were told to fear their neighbors, taxes, lack of Sheriff's office coverage, that anyone who didn't support it was a liar, or supported those cities to our north or south who wanted to forcibly annex us. Sigh.

It started longer ago than twenty years, though. I have records that go back as far as 1995 in which the people involved in pushing the incorporation initiative were implanting that fear, telling us all that we would have to have a "Community Overlay" (which had already been done away with via a 1985 law, but which they used anyways: illegally and with the help of the then-D1 Commissioner).

The Port St. John Home Owner's Association (now defunct) was deeply involved in pushing the incorporation effort because those who formed the Political Action Committee, Port St. John For Tomorrow (PSJ4T as they called themselves) were officers of and on the board of the HOA. They had help from the local paper's editor/owner, even though he promised to be unbiased and to publish both sides without favoritism. I did the math on column inches and he favored the pro-incorporation side by 99.035%. The people of Port St. John were being hit on all sides by those pushing incorporation, including Florida Today, who wrote more favorably about the alleged benefits of incorporation. Also (and illegally), the local Dependent Special District Advisory Board (PSJAB) was being used as a front to do PSJ4T's bidding and they were working on pushing the incorporation agenda during their meetings. This was illegal and I proved it to the County Commission and the Chair of the PSJAB was sent an e-mail telling them that if they met without being told to meet by the County that they could face "potential criminal prosecution".

What happened? The people of PSJ thought for themselves, checked out the facts, found information that was put online by the PSJ Civic League and myself on my website that proved that we did not benefit in any way, shape, or form from incorporating, that taxes would be higher than we were told and that it would be "another layer of government" which the PSJ4T people were telling everyone it would not be. All this was proven by the five Florida governmental committees that reviewed the PSJ4T sponsored incorporation study that included what was deemed a "budget", put together by one of their members and used by the study's author.

The vote was held on November 5, 2002, incorporation going down to defeat 73.52% against and 26.48% in favor.

To this day, Port St. John has not been annexed, forced to hook up to anyone's sewers, experienced any of the negatives the pro-incorporation people said we would; which means that neither have any of the five communities they were trying to forcibly incorporate if the issue had passed. We live here without fear of our neighbor (although someone who writes regularly in "Happenings" still pushes the fear), without being bullied into doing things against our best interests and with the knowledge that "We, The People" can decide to stand up to those who are in positions of trust and power when we find out they're lying to us and hiding the truth. We can do our own research and "Find The Truth" ourselves and vote for that truth, instead of the fear that we were being fed for over six years prior to the actual vote.

"We, The People" of Port St. John, over twenty years ago, did the research and were determined to get the facts instead of just swallowing the lies because we were supposed to be afraid. We can do the same for this Covid-19 thing and vaccinations. If you don't want to live in fear, do the research for yourself. "Find The Truth" is my motto, and if you think that you're being told the "truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" regarding C-19, you may want to look into how many times Dr. Fauci has changed his tune regarding masks, lockdowns, social distancing, vaccinations, and any number of other things surrounding C-19.

Don't live in fear and be controlled by those who are dishing it out. The people of Port St. John, Delespine, Williams Point, Frontenac and part of Sharpes proved you can look fear in the face and fight it and triumph over it. It's time for another triumph over fear.

NOTE:   I think it's time that the leadership of that movement, PSJ incorporation -- PSJ4T's leadership, Happenings' owner, the people on the PSJ Advisory Board at the time, the former D1 County Commissioner -- owe the people of Port St. John, Delespine, Frontenac, Hardeeville, Williams Point and part of Frontenac -- a HUGE APOLOGY. Don't you agree?

Remember the older stuff is on Page Deux or on the Storage pages.