To the Editor:

There is a disturbing article in this week’s issue of Time Magazine (July 21, p. 26) concerning the alarming state of affairs in Florida: saturation development, imploding real estate market, collapsing infrastructure, environmental catastrophes, serious and growing water problems, shoddy public school systems, and on and on.

Most if not all of these problems are traceable back to Florida’s long-term pattern of irresponsible, chaotic and headlong development, unchecked and often encouraged by local government.

An interesting remark in Time’s piece noted that many retirees, increasingly disillusioned by the fast-declining quality of life in paradise are now heading for the Carolinas.

Jackson County residents are already well aware of this trend. We are also aware that avaricious outside development interests have taken note as well and are moving fast; the Bear Lake and Legasus disasters-in-the-making come to mind. These and similar projects by other shadowy corporate entities may well define Western North Carolina’s march towards becoming the new Florida unless local governments exercise the authority recently given them by their constituents.

My hope is that the members of our Jackson County Board of Commissioners are similarly aware of Florida’s usefulness here as a frightening example of what might be coming, and will use the ordinances they have passed, keep them in effect, and will see that they are responsibly and consistently enforced. These are our first line of defense against the same things that the folks in Paradise are now up against.

Robert M. Lindy

Cullowhee