"Petition efforts foiled by calls to postmaster"

4 August 1999

We've been collecting signatures on the petition, for the last week-and-a-half, at the Destin Post Office.  We just got asked to leave due to a concerted effort to call in and complain about our being there.  The Post Master can't take that heat, and I don't blame him. So much for political freedom in Okaloosa County.

I've also been reviled in both newspapers and in person. Their mean-spirited approach to our opposition only tells me that we've struck a nerve and, at every instance of it, I hear more people falling off of the fence onto our side. The TDC/Conference Center opponents will do anything to have their own way, regardless of what they have to do to get it, because they "know better" and can't trust the public to vote in their favor.

I encourage everyone to increase their efforts to get this issue to referendum; to let the public speak on their own behalf. We're still raising funds for a mail out and this becomes more important as they are able to deny us access to public places because they see people signing our petitions. This is just "business as usual" for them.

I read the state law which allows the formation of TDCs. It was obviously politically  created in support of the  "Grow and Build , Tourism at Any Cost "crowd. We need to look into re-defining it at the state level and, since no tourist tax moneys can ever be spent on the very infrastructure the tourists deplete, our March, county-wide choice would be "Yes" or "NO" to having a TDC, period. This would, of course, be after we win our present referendum, which should take place in October or November; we have our first 1000 names.

Cheers!
Gaylan King

Top of Page