Mike Trader's response to Natalie

This is in response to Natalie Zuckerman’s, request in last week’s paper, to “Don’t throw away proposed flood plain amendments.” I agree! They should not be thrown away. Instead they should be buried in the deepest hole in Page County and cemented over, never to see the light of day again!

Yes, we are a vocal group. We are also diverse, intelligent, of all incomes (from top to bottom) and of various skills: carpenters, lawyers, doctors, physicists, mechanics, small business owners, retirees and even a rocket scientist, (sorry, no developers). We are determined, but most of all, right! When a lifetime investment in your house, cabin or trailer, and water-front property are threatened, we cannot and will not be silent or still! Yes we are land owners but we are also other citizens who are just aghast at this draconian flood plain proposal. We stand by all the statements made in the full page ad. They are all verifiable facts! And, yes we were lied to. This whole thing definitely did not start as a result of an unsolicited letter from the state telling us our current Flood Plain Ordinance was not in compliance, and by the way, the current flood plain law is absolutely in compliance with state and federal guidelines and regulations...period!
Let’s see, you say six structures built along Route 340 Business and three more planned is a problem? I don’t think so. Instead, they represent thousands of dollars in tax revenue to our cash-strapped county; remember the two new high schools?
You say, “... the proposed ordinance... attempts to stop “various” development activities.” Wrong, it stops ALL development as well as repairs, remodeling, putting on decks, fixing driveways, declares mandatory abandonment of a house if damaged 50% by any means, and on and on and on.
If you tried to build a house on your land that was supposedly covered by 20 feet of water in 1996 and 2003 (there was no serious flood in 2003!?) you would not, as you claim in your letter, be able to build at ground level. Under the current law you would have to elevate it to one foot above high flood level.

You mention several times, “community’s welfare”. No one has ever been killed by anything remotely related to all the no-no’s in the proposed new flood plain law and our fine sheriff’s office has never pulled anyone out of a flood. You also say, “The proposed ordinance outlines appropriate by-right activities in flood plains.” It is clear that the only “by-right activities” allowed are building a bonfire or sitting in a fold up chair to watch the river or creek go by, or putting up a tent etc., because nothing, no building or house or shed, no -- nothing can be on any flood plain in Page County under this proposal and those houses etc., that are already there will eventually have to be abandoned .

Natalie, it is clear that this plan that you and a few others have authored has only one objective, to eventually eliminate everything on our flood plains that doesn’t grow in nature...whatever the cost to Page County and whatever the distress and financial loss to flood plain owners. All the other things you say about: safety, welfare, increasing flood damage in the US, it’s broke, false statements, people induce additional flooding, etc., etc., are just baloney and smoke and mirrors for the real intent. I say, “Bury it!”

Mike Trader