Veterans

Q+A FOUNDERS OF SIS Four women decide it’s time to face race

BRIAN MCMILLAN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Do you ever avoid talking about race when you meet someone of a race that’s different from yours?

In May 2020, after so many news reports of arrests and racially motivated violence across the country, two Black women and two white women from the University Women of Flagler decided it was time to face race directely. They started a group called SIS (Seeking Insights for Solutions), interviewing each other to discuss how race impacted their perceptions of yesterday and today. The four women — Bettie Eubanks, Gina Barclay-McLaughlin, Trish LeNet and Joanne Mason — soon grew to a group of about 40. What follows is an edited, condensed transcript of their “Observations” video Q+A with me at the PMG Studio recently.

What have you learned from being in the group so far?

Bettie Eubanks: When you can sit across the room from people, face to face, we find we have many, many things in common. We may be sisters from another mother, but nevertheless, we’re sisters. Gina Barclay-McLaughlin: I used this interview process when I was a professor at the University of Tennessee with my students getting to know each other. For me, it was fascinating to be able to hear their perspectives.

How did you feel like the perceptions of race differed between generations?

Gina Barclay-McLaughlin: I was really surprised to see that we haven’t changed very much in our society. There’s some improvements. But in terms of equality, I’m disappointed.

A lot of white people probably feel a little uncomfortable having these kinds of conversations about race. What motivated you to be part of this group?

Trish LeNet: How often do we actually have a chance to sit down with a person of another race? This was just an incredible opportunity. And we asked each other about conversations we may have had about race with our family or friends, as we were growing up, or later in our career. We saw these patterns that for most of the white women grew up in a bubble, never having really even talked about race. Maybe their parents never mentioned it, and many of them never even met a Black person until they went to college. For many white people, we don’t necessarily have to interact with people of another race, because we are mainly in a white-majority country, whereas the Black women, every day they have to navigate in a white world. I don’t think we, as white people, appreciate the difficulties of being Black in a mainly white world. Joanne Mason: As a white woman, I thought I understood Black issues. And the truth is, I didn’t truly understand the scope. Gina has said she was frustrated because not much has changed, and I happen to agree 100%. But we are talking about it more. I watch my grandchildren, and it’s easier for them to talk about Black-white issues. But for our whole society, still, people continue to be judged on the color of their skin. And when I speak to others, and they don’t get it, I am now very frustrated because I don’t know how much more clearly it has to be shown.

What’s an example of the difference between living Black and living white in our community?

Bettie Eubanks: Let’s just talk about a conversation that mothers have to have with our Black teenagers as they leave the house. If they’re driving a car, you’ve got to talk about, “If you get stopped by a policeman, you’ve got to put your hands on the dashboard. You’ve got to say, ‘Yes, sir.’ You do not ask questions, you only answer questions.” That’s here in Palm Coast. And that’s all over the country. As a woman, and a mother, that’s the kind of thing you explained to your children 50 years ago, and you are now still explaining to your grandchildren. Gina Barclay-McLaughlin: I’m the eldest son of 13, so I was kind of like the third parent. And I really had to prepare my siblings on how to exist in the world. So at an early age, I understood how we needed to protect ourselves. And it’s just been a part of my life with all the children I’ve been involved in, in my family. I had 45 first cousins, so talking to kids and preparing them so that they can be protected was very, very important.

What can people do to fight racism?

Gina Barclay-McLaughlin: My mother used to say to us as children, “A smile will take you around the world.” So I smile a lot. But, you know, I found that a smile does not necessarily work all the time. It’s amazing how people avert your gaze.

How did you feel when you saw the group grow in numbers?

Trish LeNet: Obviously, people are interested in this. They want to talk about it. The women are just incredible. We can count on each other for support. We always can bounce ideas off one another make sure that we white women are understanding the Black perspective at all times. I’m more aware of making sure that what I say is not offensive. And it’s not that we need to tread on eggshells, but it’s just really important to have that feedback from them, so that we understand the implications of what we are saying. Joanne Mason: The original goal that we had from this was to learn more about each other, and then help educate others Gina Barclay-McLaughlin: I love that we’ve gotten to know each other, and we can talk in honest, open ways. I’ve connected with people in ways that are very much like my natural family. And that’s pretty exciting to me because we’re growing with each other.

Send letters to editor@palmcoastobserver.com.

LETTERS

Here’s why City Council salary should be raised

Dear Editor:

Mayor David Alfin is absolutely correct with his assumption that having a low wage reduces the talent pool for City Council candidates.

When I moved to Palm Coast, I noticed that all of the council members were retirees. In 2016, I was approached to run for City Council. I graduated with an MBA in finance in 2006 and have 35 years of business experience. I thought I would have something to offer, since I understood the numbers.

During my evaluation for running for the position, I watched a few meetings online and spoke to former council members about the job duties and how many hours each week/month they spent on city business. The answer was pretty much the same: Most of the gentlemen said the position was almost like a full-time job. The required attendance and meeting preparation about 20 to 25 hours per week was spent working on city business. Then add the event attendance. Lastly, I asked about the pay and benefits. I was surprised at the $9,600, salary without benefits.

As an involved member of the community, I understand community service. As a working member of the community, I realized that I would not be able to financially afford to take 20 to 25 hours minimum away from my commissionbased business. The $9,600 annual pay was not sufficient, and I did not run for office.

As an officeholder, the elected officials are expected to support local charities and many, many activities. The following organizations hold fundraisers: Flagler County Sheriff, Humane Society, Rotary, Kiwanis, Flagler Education Foundation, along with at least 10 others — and all ticket expense is out of pocket.

The pay structure, as it stands, recruits wealthy or retired people. The makeup of the City Council does not represent the average citizen of Palm Coast. Adjusting for inflation, the $9,600 set 26 years ago would be at a minimum $17,000 today. Expenses for community events should be reimbursed and, of course, any city business travel.

I support a pay increase that would start following the end of the current council term. A formula should be created to compensate for inflation, the population growth, the number of hours required, and event attendance needs to be reimbursed. This formula would predetermine increases in future years to remain in place, and the city pay structure would remain current. The City Council and mayor positions are part-time executive positions and deserve executive compensation.

SHARON DEMERS

Palm Coast

MIKE YATES

Palm Coast

Modest pay raise for City Council is warranted

Dear Editor:

I am writing in qualified support for a Palm Coast City Council pay raise. Not to the degree that Mayor David Alfin has proposed, but an increase nonetheless.

The mayor of Palm Coast makes $11,400 and council members $9,600 annually. I am told the mayor and City Council has a 20-hour work week. As a former small-town mayor, I assure you that 20 hours would be a minimum, especially with the growth Palm Coast is experiencing. Based upon my personal experience, conservatively add 50% to that total.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s assume a 20-hour work week. That’s 1,040 hours annually. For council members that is $9.23 hourly. For the mayor, it is $10.96 hourly. Surely Palm Coast can do better.

Alfin’s argument that higher salaries attract more/better candidates appears valid with a brief internet search. I am aware of a former city councilman, an attorney, who could not continue as he was losing too many billable hours in his law practice.

My proposal would be to double the mayor and City Council salary to $22,800 and $19,200, respectively. This is a significant pay increase that seems fair, as it is obvious current salaries are ridiculously low.

In addition, I propose the council draft an ordinance stating any pay increases be voted on at each General Election. I believe Palm Coast voters would be fair in their assessment of the council’s work product over their terms.

It is wrong, in my view, for the council to vote their own pay increases.

Where is this pay raise money coming from?

Dear Editor:

I remember a few months ago when I went to the meeting and they discussed raising property taxes. One council member made the statement that it would only raise our property taxes about $18 and that the city needed the money.

He also said that the city didn’t have enough money to properly fix all the swales, but then said the city had money in reserve in case of emergency. He then said the city needed to give employees a pay raise.

With all the buildings going up around here, you would think that the taxes coming from the new building and the new owners would give the city more money, but apparently that’s not going to help? They also try to get money to remodel the tennis courts. So now the latest news is they want to give all the council members a pay raise from $9,600 to $40,000. Where’s all this money coming from?

Meanwhile our roads are crowded, some streets have been repaved, some streets don’t even have the yellow lines that are required and light poles on Matanzas Woods Parkway are leaning every way but up, our gas prices are through the roof. Property values have gone up, which means we pay more taxes on that.

Is anyone really in charge?

They’re starting to act like the Democrats, tax and spend. If they gave them a pay raise like the elderly here in this town, they would get 3%, 4% or 5% raise. I could live with that, but to go to $40,000, that tells me they’ve had money all along or they haven’t been telling us the truth.

We need to put a freeze on all spending till they get their act together.

TERRY WEBB

Palm Coast

Let’s look closer at the per-hour claim

Dear Editor:

It has been noted by our City Council that raising their salary from $9,600 to $44,670 each would help draw more talented people to serve on the council. Council Member Eddie Branquinho stated that the $9,600 council members are currently paid works out to about 30 cents an hour when considering how much time they put in.

We often hear “trust me” from Councilman Branquinho, but how can we when statements like this are made (and not challenged by any other Council member)? Anyone who has basic math skills can figure out that even if they worked the council as a full time job (40 hours per week), that equals 2,080 hours per year, which gives us a rate of $4.615 per hour.

In Mr. Vincent Ligouri’s letter to the editor, he noted that the council works about 25 hours per week. Assuming they work that way every week, that gives us 1,300 hours which equates out to $7.384 per hour. As Mr. Ligouri noted, a modest 3%-4% raise would not be out of line, but 365% raise is beyond lunacy.

“If we are to build a better world, we must remember that the guiding principle is this — a policy of freedom for the individual is the only truly progressive policy.” Friedrich Hayek “Road to Serfdom,” 1944

Publisher John Walsh, jwalsh@palmcoastobserver.com Executive Editor Brian McMillan, bmcmillan@palmcoastobserver.com News Editor Jonathan Simmons, jonathan@palmcoastobserver.com Staff Writer Brent Woronoff, brent@palmcoastobserver.com Page Designer Hailey McMillan Senior Account Manager Susan Moore, susan@palmcoastobserver.com Office Coordinator Bonnie Hamilton, bonnie@palmcoastobserver.com Operations Manager Maureen Walsh, maureen@palmcoastobserver.com Advertising Coordinator Jessica Boone, jessica@palmcoastobserver.com Circulation Manager David Brooks, david@horizonroad.com

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VETERAN

OF THE WEEK

Bill Klinkenberg

 Branch of military: U.S. Marine Corps  Dates of service: 1951-1953  Rank/occupation: Private First Class / 81mm Mortarman  Hometown: Hicksville, New York

Bill Klinkenberg was drafted in the Marine Corps in 1951 and trained as a mortarman. His unit was en route to combat in Korea when the Armistice was signed in 1953. Later that year, he was honorably discharged from the Marines and became a New York City police officer, retiring as a sergeant after 21 years.

Klinkenberg moved with his late wife, Fran, and their four teenage sons to Palm Coast in 1976. As an early resident of the fledgling city, Klinkenberg was instrumental in the founding of the local library and sat on the Friends of the Library board for 20 years. He and his family were the early congregants of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, and he helped start its fraternal benefit society of Knights of Columbus. He is a 49-year member of the Kiwanis Club and member of Marine Corps League Detachment 876 since 1994. Klinkenberg says he’s “lived a nice life in Palm Coast.”

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