Letter: Let’s work together for the good of Surfside

Published 1:12 pm Wednesday, May 18, 2022

As a Member of the “Surfside United” party I want to point out something. When you read letters that state “Here is what those people believe”, what follows is not information. You are about to be given propaganda.

Surfside United has only two goals: Fairness and the environment.

Fairness in that we all live here and diversity is a good thing. The altitude of your home should not matter. It should not matter whether you own five properties or scrimp on food purchases to pay your dues. It should not matter if you are a snowbird or live year-round. The benefits of being a good neighbor to Ocean Park, our environment and each other need to be enjoyed equally by all.

We believe that our natural environment, water resources, and wildlife need our attention, through constructive change.

Giving everyone an equal voice is not an attack on our homeowners association. Treating every member as your friend is not a request to dismantle the Surfside HOA.

Do inequities exist now? Of course. Surfside has some rules promulgated half a century ago. Can we bring the rules into the light of a day in 2022, recognize the changes in our world, and changes to our ideas of fairness, equity and community? Yes — the framework exists in our current HOA.

As a member, not the spokesperson, of Surfside United, I ask why not stop the “Here is what those people believe and here is why you should dislike them”? Why not talk together and try to understand how we can take the history, HOA structure, and diversity of our neighbors, neighborhood and work together?

STEVEN WALLACE

Ocean Park