NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE? - Gaylan's Corner! - Opinions, comments and Notes from the field - by Gaylan King - BED TAX/CONFERENCE CENTER HISTORY OF EVENTS - The Freedom Committee's goal is to repeal county ordinance 89-23 that has spawned the Tourist Development Counsel (TDC) and bed tax (increase), and is also designed to fund the proposed conference center.  The TDC was created with this ordinance and therefore, by law, will be disbanded with OR 89-23's repeal. In order to do this, a referendum must come to a vote before the people. There are four major areas on this website that are designed to do four things: 1. Present the FACTS supporting our case that the Conference Center will be a financial burden to the taxpayers of Okaloosa County. 2. Provide a HISTORY of the entire Bed Tax increase/Conference Center and give an historical scope to the issue. 3. To present OUR POINT OF VIEW as an opponent of the Bed Tax Increase/Conference Center and it's supporters. 4. To provide a FORUM in which others can share their point of view.

There Is No Time To Waste If We're To Defeat The Conference Center - This is a confusing time for most of us because the issues are so murky.  I never understood Doug Hutcheson's reasons for spending such effort on a non-binding referendum, but spend it he did, and with predictable results. Not only did the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) turn down his proposal, but they were unnecessarily rude and arrogant in doing so.

We apparently have three declared "Lame Ducks" now, those being Commissioners Nicholson, Harrison and Samson.  Mr. Harrison has distinguished himself, of late, by viciously attacking anyone with the gall to oppose his favorite programs. Rather than be a public forum where legitimate dissent is respectfully considered, the BOCC sessions are more like Thunder Night at the World Wrestling Federation, but without as much "class". There is absolutely no reason to treat citizens in that manner, nor should we tolerate it.

The Freedom Committee probably represents the only remaining opportunity to stop the building of the proposed conference center and the TDC (another issue!). The fact is that we will have a referendum, that there is no time limit on our effort. But there is a time past which our efforts to stop it will be fruitless, and it is fast approaching.

County Ordinance 89-23 tells us that, with petitions signed by 15% of the registered voters from the TDC Special Taxing District, that the BOCC "shall cause an election to be held for the repeal of this ordinance and the tourist development tax levied SUBJECT ONLY TO ANY OUTSTANDING REVENUE BONDS FOR WHICH THE TAX HAS BEEN PLEDGED. This may be construed to mean that if the BOCC successfully places the bond issue for the conference center before we finish our petition drive, that our efforts will be defeated for the life of those bonds. We need to finish our drive, NOW!

Our participation and donations have predictably dropped off as time has passed and attention spans are exceeded. The BOCC and TDC depend upon these phenomena, and it seldom fails them. We will mail out petitions again this coming week and will continue to do so, but I fear that if we don't finish by Jan 1, 2000, we'll be too late.

What do we need?  We need a renewal of your zeal to finish this project! We need your donations of money and your time. If you live in one of the precincts on Okaloosa Island or in FWB, and are willing to do some legwork, door-to-door, please contact me at 837-0468. If enough people would pledge to get just 100 of their neighbors signatures, we could complete our task in time. We cannot do this without additional hands.

We've repeatedly asked for your help and have always received it. Please consider this to be one last sprint to the finish. Tell your friends to pass the word!  Do something!

Otherwise, we'll be too late and, once again; they'll win because of our lack of conviction.

Cheers!
Gaylan