Clearwater continues to slide backward

A close look at downtown Clearwater makes you realize how far this city has regressed over the years. This decline becomes more visible each day. Which leads me to believe that the real reason for a new bridge to Clearwater Beach is to move people through downtown faster.

Drive through downtown on Cleveland Street and take a close look at the debris, buildings in need of paint and repair, numerous people who sleep on benches and urinate in doorways when not stumbling down the sidewalks with stolen grocery carts full of their junk, as well as the hundreds of Navylike costumes, generally creating a pathetic picture to greet our visitors and others.

As a native of Clearwater, which, believe it or not, was once a beautiful and clean town, I have seen a steady deterioration of the downtown area, which now spreads out to Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard. The demise started years ago due to a lack of vision of our city leaders. It has continued to slide backward due to the nefarious intrusion of that sci-fi group, which is driving productive businesses and residents from the downtown area.

Imagine flying into Tampa, traveling to Clearwater Beach, but passing a well-placed sewer plant at the entrance to Clearwater, then a zoning hodgepodge of car lots, motels and fast-food establishments before being exposed to a downtown described above.

Thank you, city leaders past and present, for being so innovative, proactive, far-sighted and decisive. And... thank goodness we still have Clearwater Beach.

R. Padgett, Clearwater