Dog access not

a simple issue

At a special election in December the voters of Scarborough will be asked to overturn a decision made by their Town Council to eliminate off-leash dogs on sidewalks, streets, parks, beaches and public property, all year-round in our town. Rarely are complicated, divisive “issues” solved with simple solutions. They require well-thought-out compromise that requires empathy for those that share different views than your own, patience for those whose emotions are high, and tolerance for those that are uninformed. Yet “simple” was exactly the type of decision it was: Ban off-leash dogs everywhere; all the time.

By now, most readers understand the issue as a “dogs off leash on beaches issue.” It is much more. It is a general “beach” access issue, an “endangered species, piping plover” issue, a “dredge” issue, a “process” issue, an “irresponsible dog owner” issue, an “economic issue,” a “taxes issue,” a “right to pursue pleasure” issue, a “federal government bullying issue,” and a “legal issue.” It is not simply a “We don’t want to pay the $12K (or $500) fine levied by the United States Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species issue and we want the dredge.” I can assure you that it is not that simple.

Solutions fare much better when all stakeholders are brought to the table before a quick, stroke of hand. Dialogue is not public hearings, letters, photos or emails. Communication to individual councilors is just that…information from one individual, on one side of the story to another. That is not dialogue. True dialogue is a back and forth discussion between all stakeholders: the 2,300 dog owners (some responsible and others not so much), birders, environmentalists, senior citizens, taxpayers, businesses that rely on beaches and/or the availability of dog-friendly places, etc. There is, as always, a need for balance and compromise in government. If you think this is about “dogs on leashes at the beaches” remember that one decision by one council may affect your own beach access later. In Massachusetts, some beaches are closed to people. This vote to overturn is about our government serving the people they represent in a thoughtful, respectful, open and honest way. Please be informed. Do not make assumptions that any real dialogue has taken place, or that our Town Council was forced into action. Because it is simply not so. For more information, see www.scarborodogs.weebly.com.

Suzanne A. Foley-Ferguson

Scarborough