Fairhope’s factions

These days Fairhope is more divided than… well, I don’t know what.

In an earlier post I mentioned the importance of the City Council as a whole being on the same page as most of our population. With the exception of a few eccentrics here and there, every single person in Fairhope needs to know that at least one Council member understands their concerns, will speak up for them, and vote for their interests. It worries me that barely a week into the election, lines were drawn, sides were chosen, and a “slate” was announced. When I look at that “slate”, or when I see yards full of all the incumbents’ signs side by side, I wonder what these people are thinking. This isn’t the Alabama – LSU game. These are your friends and neighbors, and a lot of them are very worried about what is going on in our town. Is it really possible that if some of my fellow candidates win in a sweep, they will ignore the concerns of their opponents’ supporters, even if those voters make up almost half of Fairhope?

I used the word “factions” in the title of this post. From the very beginning of our country, George Washington, James Madison, and the other Founding Fathers were deeply worried that selfish factions would undermine the new system they had created. It appears that they were right to be afraid.

Looking out my kitchen window, I can see one of my signs in a neighbor’s yard next to one of Corey Martin’s. This is alright by me. Mr. Martin is a great guy, devout and devoted. I’ve also met and spoken with Josh Gammon. He is super smart and wonderful to talk to, and I hope to see some of his signs next to mine around town as well. I would be honored to serve with either one of these men. If every incumbent and challenger on the ballot next month could somehow find a way to put Fairhope’s interests ahead of their team’s, we’ll all be fine.

Anyway, pulling this town back together can’t possibly be harder than rejoining the halves of my ’63 Ford tractor. I had to split it to replace the ring gear and clutch plate. It was a big job for one man, but it was the kind of job I like, and it all turned out really well. The tractor wasn’t good for anything though, while it sat there divided in two.

Written by

howell

Comments

8 responses to “Fairhope’s factions”

  1. Susie Avatar
    Susie

    I guess the people who want the status quo, either don’t care about the negative changes going on around them, or they plan to move on to the next “Fairhope” until it is ruined beyond recognition too.

    Reply
  2. Ran Nisbett Avatar
    Ran Nisbett

    “The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the parts.” —Aldo Leooold

    I get the feeling Howell has the common sense to save all the parts and then rebuild a functioning whole.

    Reply
    1. howell Avatar
      howell

      Good morning and thank you. Comments like that keep me slugging away. You have a great day.

      Reply
  3. Chris Jones Avatar
    Chris Jones

    The major issues concerning Fairhope residents need to be defined and addressed by each candidate. I have seen nothing in this regard. IMO, the major issue before us is the unbridled population growth of the community. We need to at least slow down building of new homes in the immediate area. What does each candidate propose to address this issue?

    Reply
    1. howell Avatar
      howell

      Good morning and thank you for the comment. I’ll answer you in a bit, after I finish some morning chores. In the meantime, here is an answer to a similar question that I wrote last night –
      https://howellgibbens.com/blog/my-motivation/#comment-36

      Reply
    2. howell Avatar
      howell

      You have to understand that your question is a trap for me and an easy out for a lot of the others. Let me illustrate –

      Question – “Give me one specific proposal that you would make to slow our growth.”

      A possible answer from me – “I would introduce an ordinance to require neighbor’s approval for any building permit.” or perhaps “I would introduce an ordinance that requires a minimum of two years without a sewerage overflow prior to the issuing of any building permit.”

      facebook and nextdoor -“Gibbens is against Property Rights!”
      also –
      Some of my fellow Council Members – “Gibbens clearly hasn’t read the Comprehensive Plan, he has no idea what he’s talking about.”

      Compare that exchange to the following, based on the same question.

      A probable answer from a typical incumbent or challenger – “We need to follow the Comprehensive Plan.”

      facebook and nextdoor – “ok.”

      The problem is that too many of our elected officials act more like managers than leaders. Managers love complex systems. It gives them an opportunity to introduce jargon into the debate and hide behind expertise. If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that the experts are often wrong.

      So here is my honest, and probably frustrating, answer to your original question –

      In order to address the issue of unbridled population growth, I propose that we elect to our City Council only men and women who speak plainly and are committed to organic growth for Fairhope. For this we need many more people to step up and run. In 2020, there were 8 candidates for the 5 seats. This year there are 11, which is an improvement. I want to see at least 15 candidates (3 for each seat) in 2029. I will personally help any common citizen set up a website like this. It’s not that hard.

      I do sincerely thank you for reaching out to me. Call or text me anytime.

      Reply
  4. K Avatar
    K

    Mr. Gammon is being endorsed by ************. Do you believe someone that shares those values should be given a position to make decisions about what is available in our library?

    This comment has been edited for content. This site does not allow inflammatory remarks or references to controversial groups.

    Reply
    1. howell Avatar
      howell

      I first met Mr. Gammon 5 years ago, and I spoke to him again after the candidates were announced last month. I think very highly of him. During our call I briefly mentioned a “slate” that had appeared with his name on it. I won’t try to speak for him, but he did not leave me with the impression that he would let any person or group take away his independence.
      As to your question, there are a lot of people and a lot of groups in Fairhope with very different values. Far be it from me to ever point at any one of them and try to exclude them because they “shared those values”.
      The decision about what is available in our library should be made by our librarian. The library as a whole should be run by our librarian in any way that he or she sees fit. Should that librarian continuously and defiantly make decisions that are wildly out of sync with a large majority of Fairhopians, that librarian should be replaced. I don’t think that we are anywhere near that level of crisis.
      I shared my first thoughts about our library here. Part 2 will be posted on Friday morning, and I have at least 2 more posts about this issue in mind, each appearing on a Friday.
      I very much appreciate your comment, and hope that I have answered your question to your satisfaction. Have a great evening.

      Reply

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