The Common Sense Alliance was created in response to a complete disregard for property owners and the general wellbeing of our community. We very sincerely asked over and over again, “What are the specific problems all these solutions are for? We were never given an answer.

None of us wanted to “get involved.” We reluctantly realized that we were the only people willing to step up to see if we could help bring some common sense into the picture. Are we radical “rape the land” evangelist? Clearly not! We are people who care enough about you, the environment and this county, to meet almost every week for over five years. We’ve been doing our best to bring to your attention the consequences of giving in to the radical land use changes that so few of our citizens have yet to really grasp. Should such behavior disqualify all of us from serving on any public board?

We have raised a very small amount of money, relative to the “Friends” bankroll, to challenge the Critical Area Ordinance immorally imposed on us by the lame duck San Juan County Council.

We promote a CAO update based on multiple peer reviewed science, that is proportional to any problems discovered, that allows for and encourages innovative solutions, and that is in balance with the economic realities of our county. Have lost jobs caused reduced school enrollment?

There are some who are very annoyed that anyone would dare to stand in the way of their version of “saving the world”. I hope that most of you will agree that having a few people on the Planning Commission that question, and bring into the light of day, positions that they deem to be unfounded, to be a very good thing.

When government steals away the enjoyment of one’s land, government is stealing the dreams and savings born of a lifetime of hard work.

When there is no clear reason (nexus) for imposing heavy regulations and logic is nowhere to be found, one wonders what happened to “common sense?”

Sam Buck

Board member of the Common Sense Alliance