Parking limits are bad for residents, merchants in Holmes Beach | Letter to the editor

I worked in retail on Anna Maria Island and have friends who are merchants there. They struggle 10 months out of the year to survive. They have struggled through hurricanes and red tide and a decline in vacationers.

They will struggle further because people will stay away from the island and businesses if they can’t access the beaches and gulf.

The gulf and surrounding beaches belong to the citizens of the United States. Anna Maria Island is not a private island. To deprive citizens and internationals who come to visit our lovely island from accessing the beach and gulf because a few people want more privacy is a dereliction of the job the voters have elected city officials to do, to protect and husband those areas for the use of all.

A few wealthy landowners cannot stop the citizens from exercising their right. If they want to live in a private setting and not share with others they can move to a private island or more private property.

Residents also suffer because they can’t invite friends to their homes or if relatives drop in, because there is no parking for them. This is ridiculous and unacceptable.

The elitist, entitled attitude of the few is, “I’ve got mine. Screw everybody else.”

We read in the island papers constantly the whining wealthy people saying, “I don’t have enough. I want more.” It is sickening. I suspect voters will crawl through broken glass to vote out the current council members.

Janice Alyasin

Bradenton