This is not about Tourism!
-
by
Carl Bergmann
'In response to King's call for a referendum, Darrel Jones,
executive director of the TDC, said, "If tourism went away tomorrow, ad valorem taxes
would rise substantially to replace the tourist dollars. Tourism is a clean and renewable
industry."'
-- quoted from the Destin Log July 9th 1999
Since when has tourism in this area become solely dependent on
whether or not we have a conference center built? Mr. Darrel Jones, and Mr. Rick Deckert
are implying that if there is no conference center, tourism dollars will dry up. I
feel, at the very least, they are protecting their jobs at the TDC more so, than looking
after the welfare of the county residents.
This is not about tourism...
Tourists will always come here as long as our natural resources (the beaches)
are intact. The conference center will not make or break this town's tourism
industry.
This convention center
is more than out-of control government spending, it also demonstrates the
shameful power of vested interests over our
county politicians. We need leaders who will stand up for what's right, and who'll
take personal risks and responsibility for doing the right things for our community.
Those leaders are you and I. Let us take back our community from the people
who'll sell it for profit. When you support Gaylan King and the "Freedom Committee", you're not
supporting one man and his cause, you are supporting the Emerald Coast and its future.
This is all about greed!
- This is about greedy developers who will develop every square inch of beach
property and any land around it, until there is nothing left but a wall of condos, and
gaudy tourist traps. Look at Panama City Beach and witness their failure, and see
our future if we don't act now.
- This is about greedy politicians who are increasing taxes to fund private
agendas.
- This is about bloated salaries and perks, and the defacing of our natural
resources through ridiculous conference center schemes designed to benefit a few, and
burden many. The TDC spends the public's money like it was their own; these are
public servants, not venture capitalists. I was taught that you don't foul your own
backyard, and folks, that's what county and local politics are doing here by supporting
the Bed Tax Increase/Conference Center.
- This is about greedy businessman who have forgotten what it was like to live in
a community where people looked after one another, and had a sense of belonging and pride
that ran deep in the hearts of the citizens. This is our home, and the soil we walk
on is the same soil our families are born and buried in. It's the small piece of
earth we can claim, on this big planet, as our place to build our dreams, and to help
provide for our children's dreams. I grew up here, and so did many others who'll
suffer for this conference center.
Our daily lives revolve around this town, we eat here, we work here, we play
here, we fall in love here, and we live, suffer and die here. I'm not going to see
it succumb to special interest groups, like so many other communities in America.
A community is only as good as its members and I feel we have some damned good
people here. We need to see and hear more of them, and give the rest of us and our
children a shining example of what it's like to work, fight and be a part of something
worthwhile, and selfless.
Let's show some pride in the area which means so much to us. I'm using my
website to support the Freedom Committee. What will you do neighbor? Stand up
and be counted, support the "Freedom
Committee." VOTE NO to the Conference Center and the
TDC!
- by Carl Bergmann
To get a copy of the "Freedom
Committee's" petition to fight the creation of the conference center and help abolish
the TDC (Tourist and Development Counsel) click here - CONFERENCE
CENTER/BED TAX REFERENDUM PETITION
Top of Page
