Political Progress

Marathon, Florida
24 42.40 081 N 05.68 W

This week has seen several blows to my political cynicism.

• The local newspaper contacted the City about Captain Jack.  They city promptly agreed to drop the 32 foot minimum length for fee purposes, returning Jack's monthly fee to the previous value.  (Previous attempts by me and others to intercede for Jack were met by silence.)
  
• Another source agreed to cover Jack's shortage on fees for at least a year into the future.
  
• Libby convinced a local store to carry Jack's paintings as a regular item, featuring the local colorful painter.  Also, today at booth at the Marathon Seafood Festival is selling Jack's paintings, as well as Libby's and Sandra's pine needle baskets.
  
• On Thursday, another local paper carried a nearly full-page length op-ed on the anchoring rights issue written by Dick on Endeavor.
  
• On Friday city agreed to reconsider the alternate fee schedule proposed by Dave on Orion Jr.  They further agreed to hold a meeting on the subject at the city marina.  It's not clear if "the subject" means only the fees, excluding the larger issue of anchoring rights.  Still, that's progress.
  

So, I'll have to swallow some cynicism.  However, I also note the power of the press.  I wonder if we shouldn't have started by lobbying the press instead of the government.    

There has been much hand wringing in the journalism industry in recent years.  They fear that the Internet is making them obsolete.  They fear for their business models.   I've read dozens of articles, and listened to dozens of radio programs on the topic.  Never once did I hear mentioned the role of the press in acting as an ombudsman for the public and lobbying government on our behalf.   If we don't like to subscribe to their publications, perhaps we should send them donations in lieu of giving money to political parties.