Proverbs 2:15—”Through patience, a ruler can be persuaded and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
One of the priorities that Fairness In Taxes (FIT) President, Jim Tweed stressed upon taking the reigns of FIT was to establish a more civil relationship with the city government. In dealing with difficult issues, FIT members have never been afraid to bring up shortcomings in the government and trumpet their recommended improvements.
In addition to being a watchdog of the city, under Jim Tweed, FIT has tried hard to remember the old adage, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” FIT has tried hard to become part of the community landscape. We manned a table at the Spring and Fall block parties and met the public with a table at Welcome Night. Our speakers included Pim Von Hemmen from the American Littoral Society, who spoke on coastal issues, and Dr. Claire Abernathy who spoke on the importance of Transparency in Local Government.
We were fortunate to have one of our city councilmen attend the latest presentation by George Kosimos, a passionate and nationally known advocate for Flood Insurance reform. After the presentation, he shared that it was good to have FIT present speakers who were so very helpful to the community instead of always finding fault with the city. Could it be our message is getting through?