Golf cart haves and have nots

A recent article in The News Herald ("New golf carts proposal floated in Lynn Haven," Nov. 9) shows the residents of Lynn Haven just who is supporting setting up a caste system in the city.

One day after the City Commission voted to deny a once-read ordinance on golf carts, the city manager/CEO/chief financial officer/head of the community/director of police entered into discussion with the city attorney to draft a new resolution/ordinance once more pitting the haves against the have nots. I don?t believe the commissioners were consulted on this "new golf cart law" or else The News Herald would have queried them on the subject.

This new resolution/ordinance supposedly differs slightly from its defeated predecessor in that it is supposed to limit the use of golf carts to only small, integrated communities (possibly gated), hinting to our one and only country club (the haves), while denying it to the overall general public (the have nots). Lynn Haven?s CEO believes that if a cart is involved in an accident the city is liable. That?s not totally true. The drivers/owners of these carts don?t realize their homeowner?s insurance does not cover this vehicle at any time.

Three of our commissioners are adamantly against the carts on the city?s streets, and are on record with some heated verbal comments. Two of our commissioners are joined at the hip in their support of the carts on the streets. The state has removed the laws governing the carts on roads/streets and leaves it up to the municipality. As it stands now (and possibly into 2012), unlicensed golf carts cannot be driven on any Lynn Haven street. That even means the crossings from green to green on the county club streets. The city?s CEO, who runs the police force, will have a field day with this law if they want to raise money by passing out tickets.

The answer to this is to have the golf carts street-ready and licensed in the state of Florida. Then they could drive on any street in the U.S. A drawback is that the license requires insurance and drivers must be licensed (not under 16 years of age).

Its going to be fun watching this political hot potato roll around the commission meetings and how may haves call City Hall and show up at commission meetings, and how many have nots show up to protect their fragile equal rights. This could get interesting.

RICHARD T. WALKER

Lynn Haven

Source: http://www.newsherald.com/articles/city-98485-golf-ordinance.html

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