My wife and I, along with our one-year-old daughter moved to Orcas in 1972. At that time we came to get away from the rat race of city life.
We were met with open arms by the people of Orcas. There were not as many young people then and the residents went out of their way to welcome us, help find us jobs and invite us into their homes, not put up massive gates to keep us out. It was a community that welcomed all people regardless of wealth or background. After 40 years of raising a family, working for others and then starting our own business on Orcas, I can’t say the same about the island culture.
It has changed and we are being inundated by people telling us how to live, what we can and cannot do on our own land – virtually threatening our way of life and the reason many of us came here years ago. I don’t believe in our 40 years of living here we have been such bad stewards of our islands as it is our care for the environment which drew the very people who are now trying to take everything from us.
We all agree that we want to protect the environment but not by the oppressive means now being proposed by the county CAO process. I ask the working people to stand up and voice your opposition to being cast aside by our county council in favor of lobbying groups, most of whose funding comes from large out of county and state donations and grants, influencing their decision making over the wishes of the silent majority by whom they were elected.
They have repeatedly ignored our opinions on the CAO and need to be told so by large numbers of us – so let’s no longer be silent. We as a working community need to stand together to survive on this rock. If we don’t, the only way you will work on Orcas or anywhere else in San Juan County is by commuting from the mainland. I know there is a fear of retribution for speaking out, especially in light of watching one of our own being prosecuted by the county at the urging of lobby groups backed by big money – most of which comes from out of county sources. I also have a fear of not speaking up but worry more what it will mean to our way of life if we don’t.
John D. Thompson
Orcas Island
