6th Avenue

There's no news here, but it's important to restate the facts.

The first and most fundamental fact is that what we know as 6th Avenue (NE 6th Avenue in Miami-Dade -- "Dade" -- County) is State Road 915.  I have no idea why the state of Florida built and controls a (short) 5.6 mile road that is entirely within one county, but they did and do.  They made it what it is -- a four lane road -- and they make all the rules for it.  It is the state of Florida that decides where and if to put traffic controls, where and if to put medians, and what plants can be planted in any medians they build.  And they acquire and install the plants.  If the lines painted in the street get faded, it is the state of Florida that repaints and refreshes them.

Second, VBP resident and then-Commissioner Harvey Bilt, and/or then-Village manager Krishan Manners, approached the state to request various adjustments in SR 915.  It is unknown to me whose idea were the various specific adjustments -- things like sidewalks.  And it's possibly worth noting here, if for no reason than that it's a curious fact, that anyone can request anything from the state.  The fact that something is requested does not mean it will be granted, but the state will receive and consider any request.  For example, I myself could request that SR 915 be converted to an overpass in BP.  Or I could request stop signs at every block of SR 915.  Harvey was a Commissioner at the moment he approached the state, and Krishan was the manager.  But none of that was necessary for the state to receive and consider any request.

Third, for whatever reasons, the state got serious enough about the requests that they commissioned a design.  That design process took a year or two, and it consumed $580K (right, for a design; man, am I in the wrong business).  The company that produced the design recommended -- either because Harvey/Krishan requested them, or for some other reasons -- sidewalks along SR 915 in BP, improved lighting, and improved drainage.  My impression from talking to a member of the design group was that they were also asked specifically to propose crossing aids, but they didn't do it.  I don't know whether they didn't do it because they didn't think it would be necessary, or they didn't do it because the state rejected the idea.

Fourth, I have an opinion about what should be done with 6th Avenue.  I also have opinions about who should be president, what kind of car I drive, and what style of attire to adopt for myself.  Some of those things are entirely within my control, and some are not.  Regarding 6th Avenue/SR 915, my opinion is simply that: an opinion.  I don't run the state of Florida.  I don't control anything about 6th Avenue.  I just think what I think for the reasons I think it.  Which I'm more than happy to explain.  And I don't, for the record, think that whatever is my opinion about something I don't control should prevail, just because I prefer it.  I live here with over 3000 people who are not me.  Not only are their opinions as worthy as is mine, but there are vastly more of them than there are of me.

And sometimes, I change opinions about things.  This is almost invariably because I learn things I didn't know.  I used to think the Village shouldn't annex any other nearby tract.  Then, I learned more, and changed my mind.  I used to think we shouldn't outsource what we still executed of solid waste removal.  Then, I learned more, and changed my mind.  But even at that, I was willing not to outsource, if a sizable enough representation of my neighbors really didn't want to, and they were willing to pay the real costs of not outsourcing.  No one reassured me of that with any degree of confidence, so I voted to do what I had come to think was best for the Village.  The last time we hired a competent manager, I was a Commissioner, and I thought Mark Kutney had, in my opinion, a slight edge over Sharon Ragoonan.  But neighbor after neighbor approached the podium to express a preference for Sharon, so I voted for her to be our manager.  The manager is the manager for vastly more people than just me, so they get what they want, as long as it's rational.

Fifth, a number of our neighbors -- most of them living on 6th Avenue -- didn't like the proposed design presented by the state-hired designers.  Specifically, they didn't like the idea that 6th Avenue/SR 915 would continue to be a four lane road in BP, as it has always been, and as it is north of here and south of here.  They wanted it to be a two lane road for its BP 1/2 mile run.  They think it's too busy, with too much traffic, and too dangerous as a four lane road.  So they're agitating to have the state offer a different design.  Suffice it for the moment to say I don't agree.  That's my opinion.  And I've stated it, and explained it, openly and repeatedly.  I've discussed this with a few people who don't agree with me.  I'm happy to have this discussion.  The responsible people who have had this "debate" with me are Chuck and Roxy Ross.  When the Rosses, or E. F. Hutton, speak, I listen.  I don't always come to agree, but I listen.  The kind of thing to which I don't listen nearly as receptively is a comment from one of our neighbors: "A 4 lane divided road will generally have a speed limit of 35 or 40, which means people drive 50."  Facts, remember?  The speed limit on 6th Avenue/SR 915 is not 35 or 40.  It's 30.  That used to be the speed limit on every BP street, until we lowered all the others to 25.  The state of Florida refused to lower the speed limit on SR 915.  So, I wrote back to this neighbor, about this correction and about a number of other particulars, and I did not hear back.

As I said, I can change my thinking about something.  I need a good enough reason to see something a different way.  Talking loud, ganging up, crying, and threatening are not useful methods someone should employ to get me to understand something differently.  Neither is making things up.  And if I'm not ultimately persuaded, then I won't change my thinking.  I'm allowed to think what I want.  The only unique position is that if I have to represent the wishes of other people, then I have to set my own wishes, which might not be in line with theirs, aside.  And I'm able and willing to do that, as long as the facts are presented correctly, and the other people's wishes are rational and decent.

But if you want someone who agrees with everything you yourself think, "good luck with that."