“We had a Dream”

The United States will mark 250 years as a republic on July 4, 2026.

This commemorates the 1776 Declaration of Independence and the enactment of the  Constitution.

This milestone is both a celebration of achievement and a test of whether the nation still lives up to its founding ideals.

The Founders of the United States recognized that liberty erodes when the citizens' vigilance fades.

The U.S. Constitution’s “checks and balances” were meant to protect against both authoritarianism and the dangers of unchecked majority rule.

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most influential of America’s Founding Fathers, known for emphasizing liberty, vigilance, and the responsibility of citizens as essential protectors of democracy.

Franklin’s famous quote — “A republic, if you can keep it” — remains a challenge centuries later.

The Republic depends on citizens’ active participation, moral accountability, and trust.

To “Keep the Republic,” Americans must:

·       Remain informed and vigilant.

·       Insist on upholding constitutional principles.

·       Engage in civic life and community investment

As residents of Islamorada we should also subscribe to and uphold these principles!

Islamorada came to be as a local municipal government 28 years ago.

Are we fulfilling the “dream” we once embraced?

The first meeting of the Islamorada Council was held Saturday March 28, 1998 at 7:30 PM.   A longtime resident shared the souvenir “agenda” with me. Click here to see it!

What struck me – the 1998 message “We Had a Dream” from local historian Irving Eyster (1928-2014) in the very first Village agenda:

“For a long time the folks in this part of the Keys had a dream. They believed that through self-governance they could create a unique village atmosphere with emphasis on history, culture, parks and recreation, the environment, and less or simpler regulations”

Eyster went on to say:

“We now have Islamorada, Village of Islands, and are starting a new phase of our history. We have responsible and dedicated people planning our future, but each of us must help make it a success by offering our help.” 

Unfortunately, we appear to have taken our eye off the ball.

Do we still share a common vision of the Village we want to be — and do we still believe in our local government’s efforts?

The citizens here must decide whether to allow the Village principles to erode or strengthen our principles through active participation in government.

Are we willing to be those citizens needed to take on the responsibility as “essential protectors of democracy.”

Miami Attorney Gene Stearns played a  critical role in guiding our residents through the incorporation process back in 1996-1997. 

Once the Village became a reality through a voter referendum in November 1997, Stearns sent the Village Founders a letter of advice.  That advice, printed in the Village’s souvenir agenda should be reiterated often so we never forget:

• Be kind to each other. Don’t respond to meanness with meanness (or, as my mother used to say, two wrongs don’t make a right). Tolerate and encourage criticism.

• There is no room in public office for those with thin skins. Listen. Be respectful to those who lack the ability to articulate their opinions effectively.

• Avoid excessive political posturing.

• Before telling a citizen what to do, try doing it yourself, leading by example.

• Keep it simple. A bureaucratic answer is no answer.

• Plant lots of trees and shrubs.

• Acquire critical land for public use before price escalations make acquisition impossible.

• Every dollar you waste is a dollar which could have been used for a better purpose, either better public services, facilities or tax reductions.

• Include those who opposed you as soon as possible. 

• Hire good people and insist that public employees treat each citizen with the same respect you would want to be treated.

• Sometimes you have to say no.

• Always think about what it will be like in the future. 

• Keep your meetings crisp, with discussion of one subject at a time.

• Avoid all conflict of interest and all possible appearance of conflict of interest.

• Be ethical in all your dealings. 

• Keep smiling when all is falling around you (which from time to time it will).

• And finally, always remember, if it was easy they wouldn’t need you. 

The aforementioned guidance from Eyster and Stearn should serve as a reminder to all of us how business and government should be conducted.

“Each of us must help” – but how often do the folks in Islamorada show up for council meetings and workshops unless there is something on the agenda that directly and immediately would impact them?

When will residents learn that many decisions, though subtle as they may be, will have a lasting impact.

Include those who oppose you as soon as possible.  Instead residents here often fear retaliation just because they are not like-minded.

“Emphasis on the environment” – I think about all the hammocks that have been damaged. Sometimes on Village owned land, sometimes because we don’t consistently enforce the rules.

I think about the only living coral reef in North America that is just barely alive.

Encourage criticism. Listen. The Village has, over the past several years, restricted public comment as if it were a bother.

“Acquire land for public use.”  Conduct public meetings to discuss uses for the properties we have acquired. (It should be done before we purchase them)

Putting a “for sale by owner” sign on a $4 million Village property without any public comment is absurd.

Sometimes Council has to say no – even if it is a close friend.

Avoid conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest. We do a very poor job of asking council persons to recuse themselves if there is any possibility of a conflict.

The budget – how often we hear – “rich community” and thus do little to protect financial diversity in our demographics, ignoring opportunities to make costs more rational, eventually driving out all but the very rich.

Our Dream

We celebrate “our dream” and urge everyone here to refresh our memories as to the founding of our Village and our hopes for the future of the community.

Remember the words of Irving Eyster, our historian, when you want to energize yourself about our very special Village.

Enjoy the freedoms we have fought for.

This is the best country, the best in the world!

It’s not even close.

Tom