The economist E.F. Schumacher, who wrote the best-selling "Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered," way back in 1973, is often misunderstood as being a radical leftist, due primarily to his peripheral, and now historically outdated, musings on the inevitability of socialism and nationalization. But in his private life, Schumacher was in fact a devout Roman Catholic, and the center of his arguments, indeed the main thesis of his book, all ultimately led to the primary importance of the dignity of man and the moral responsibility of the individual in society. Foremost among his arguments, thought to be revolutionary at the time, was that bigger was not always better, and that bigger, in terms of the human economic scale, almost necessarily led to alienation of the individual and a suppression of man's better purposes.
From here, we subscribe to that principle, and know that for many of you it is why you live here and not somewhere else. It is why we have fought tooth and nail, along with all our loyal supporters, to keep this paper alive. It is why we get our breakfast from Marge, why we buy our bikes from Scott, why we have our remodeling and building done by Kevin and our painting done by Fritz. It is why we go out when we see that Joyce will be singing, and why we go visit Joe when it's time for a good burger and something to wash it down with. And it is why we have an instinctive hesitation regarding changes to our town that will be big. All of which brings us to the York Beach zoning proposal and the now open conflict which surrounds it.
What is most clear to us at this point are two things. First, that a significant number of those in the Beach, business-owners and residents alike, do not want the zoning in its present form fearing that it is too much, and too uncertain. Second, that an open schism has developed between the Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce and many of the business owners here in York, not just due to the Beach zoning issue, but from a growing perception that the goals of York-Proper have been made subordinate to the goals of York-Greater.
This is a bad state of things in which to make important long-term decisions, made even more confused by the existing sidebar arguments as to the conflict of interest, whether real or perceived, of Selectwoman and Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Cathy Goodwin, and also the looming presence of developer Oscar Plotkin's massive "What If" plan for York Beach.
Regarding Goodwin, we applaud her efforts and her civic spirit, and we hope that the town of York will have the benefit of her work for many years to come. But in the York Beach zoning issue - regardless of whatever MMA opinions might be relied upon - here, on the street in the town of York, Maine, there remains a perception and an appearance of conflict in Goodwin's dual role that no amount of abstract rationalizing will overcome. Sometimes, and especially in a small town, the straight-face test is the best test, and from all we see and hear, that test has not been met.
Regarding Oscar Plotkin, he and his group, Berkshire Development, have their share of both ready supporters and outspoken detractors. But one thing is clear, and that is that when Berkshire does a project, it is a big one. For a town like York, it would certainly be the biggest single development ever done. Unquestionably it would change the face and character of our town.
Putting all that into the chowder pot and stirring it around for a good long while, we can't avoid coming to the conclusion that the York Beach zoning proposal ought to be sent back by voters for now. We have no gun to our heads regarding the zoning issues other than the one we are holding ourselves, and that should be easy enough to put down in order to go back and get a better consensus before we lock into place these huge decisions.
As for Mr. Plotkin and Berkshire, we wish them well, but someplace else. As a town, it's time for us to be clear about this so that the folks at Berkshire can go spend their time and efforts on another project, and so that us folks here can stop worrying about it and having to factor it in to every decision we contemplate.
Schumacher, in his core beliefs, was right. Small really is beautiful, and we are lucky to have it here. Amidst all the recent angst, a little meditation on that would serve us well.
