- May 9, 2025
Dear Editor:
The recent all-female Blue Horizon space flight was billed as a giant leap for women and mankind. But in reality, it was a few minutes of high-altitude spectacle — a carefully packaged photo op with no real mission beyond optics. And frankly, it’s the perfect metaphor for a certain kind of politics creeping into our local landscape: all image, no orbit.
Flagler County is at a turning point. One of the fastest-growing counties in America, we’ve added nearly 100,000 residents in just 25 years. That growth isn’t stopping — nor should it. But opinions are divided. There are loud voices who oppose nearly every development, others who want Flagler to remain a sleepy bedroom town, and then there's the quiet majority — hardworking residents who love living here and support responsible growth across all sectors.
Yet it’s always the loudest voices that get the attention. That’s where underprepared public servants often get lost. Like the Blue Horizon crew, they’re strapped in for the ride, suited up for show, but not steering the mission. They enter office full of slogans and ambition, only to orbit the real issues — chasing headlines, stirring drama and reacting to political winds rather than shaping policy. It’s theater, not leadership.
All of our local officials meet the basic criteria for office. But governance demands more than credentials. It requires discernment, humility, consistency — and diplomacy, perhaps the most lacking quality on display today. I believe many of our leaders want what’s best for Flagler, but intention without execution is just inertia.
That leads us to Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris. From the start, he’s been surrounded by controversy — from name-calling to defensiveness in the face of opposition and now an investigation. Like the Blue Horizon launch, his leadership sometimes feels more like a spectacle than a steady course forward.
I respect his military background. My son is currently serving, and I hold that path in the highest regard. But city government isn’t the battlefield. It demands collaboration, compromise and emotional intelligence — not just command and control.
Mike has the tools to lead. But leadership isn’t about barking orders or lashing out at criticism — it’s about vision, tone and the ability to bring people along. Not everyone is out to get you, Mayor Mike. Many of us are rooting for your success. The question is whether you’ll come back down to Earth long enough to truly lead.
Ron Long
Flagler County
