To the Editor:

One of the best things about the United States of America, a democratic republic, is that it is a participatory democracy. I was taught from elementary school that it was the responsibility of the citizen not only to vote but to attend public governmental meetings and offer input to our elected legislators and mayor on issues of concern. To attend city and county commission meetings is, I believe, a laudable action.

Unfortunately, it seems that the City of Key West is actively discouraging citizen participation. When I attended the commission meeting last week, all parking spaces, including the two reserved for the disabled, were filled (I am disabled and display a doctor-prescribed hanger on my car), with one exception. I parked in that space.

When I returned about twenty minutes later, having seen the presentation Commissioner Teri Johnston invited me to attend (see Richard Boettger’s column in this week’s Konk Life), there was a “To whom it may concern” notice on my car, noting that all spaces were reserved “7 days/24 hours” for an unnamed “Tenant of City Hall.” That tenant informed me that my “vehicle and tag number have been recorded, in the future please do not park in these spaces or we will unfortunately have to have your vehicle towed” (underlining and punctuation, or lack thereof, is the tenant’s). This is rather a frightening threat, I think. I also think my car was the only one so notified.

There is no tenant at Old City Hall other than the Key West Chamber of Commerce, once again proving that they have little regard for the residents of the city (remember the harbor dredging referendum). At 6 p.m. on a Tuesday evening the chamber is closed and locked up tight.

The city should require that the chamber allow parking for attendance at public meetings, at least.

Sincerely,

Constance Gilbert

Key West, Fl