Topsail Island is one of the few remaining unspoiled beaches on the southeast coast. We have to work hard to keep it that way by making smart public policy choices that protect our special gift.
Some have suggested building a wall on the west bridge roundabout and only allowing passholders to cross onto the island. Residents would love this limitation, but business owners would certainly not be in favor of such a total public exclusion
We used to have a drawbridge with alligators in the moat that kept everyone out, but civic leaders of the past found that too restrictive. In retrospect, maybe we should have kept that pristine medieval fortress secure from the barbarian horde.
Now we face a different problem caused by the pandemic and discouraging current national economics. The evacuation of major metropolitan cities on the East and West coasts are sending millions of exurbanites to remote scenic locations, like Topsail, where they have learned to live and work remotely. These are the same people that ruined California and New York over the past 50 years with their progressive big government votes that sacrificed their peaceful lifestyle.
Like Benjamin Franklin said, if you are willing to trade security for liberty, you are sure to have neither. And now the barbarians are crossing the Rubicon, or in our case Topsail Sound, with their climate change, open borders and modern monetary policy in search of a nirvana that they think only the expert Davos elites can provide. Hold on to your surfboards because these intruders want to take your simple island life away.
That's why we need to protect our barrier island paradise with public policy decisions that prioritize low density residential and heavily restricted commercial development; and in all cases resist the temptation to become a world class year round resort. We've seen that grandiose plan ruin the Outer Banks and the Colorado Rockies. Let's make sure it doesn't happen here on our tranquil little island.
We can only accomplish this at the ballot box. We must vote for town councils, county commissioners, school boards and state legislators that promise to abide by our low profile, small town priorities. We cannot allow big government developer types to dominate our politics and subsequently our lifestyle. We need elected officials that will keep it simple, keep it quiet and keep it a secret.
Comments