Mr. Flood in is article on sea level rise said it pretty well:
“The real question is, do we need to surrender control of our own lives because of it? Our answer is no. We would like government as a partner, not as our master.”
However, Rich Collins' recent letter in response does little to frame the issue.
Whether you call it “sea level rise” or “shoreline erosion,” if you live in low level areas, it is in your personal interest that you and your neighbors take steps to insure that you can use and enjoy your properties for as long as possible.
Rich Collins rails that the public is being manipulated with fear of man made global warming and sea level rise; all the while he stokes the fires of fear of government. Just who and what interests does Mr. Collins represent? Certainly, not the public’s interests.
It is the role of government to promote and protect the public interest. Absent building standards that avoid crawl spaces and elevate the living area in areas that could be subject to increased flooding, and requirements for wider riparian buffers, properties in Sussex will face the effects sooner and more severely than other areas. When homes are damaged and forced to be abandoned, whose interests will have been served? Developers will have pocketed their money and moved on.
John Austin
Rehoboth Beach
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