Interesting letter I got in an email. I happen to agree mostly. Chick speaks common sense but people who are fighting for tourist dollars won't agree. 1. when is enough enough? Used to be folks were happy to simply make a living at the beach. Greedy folks should be encouraged to go elsewhere. At least the flippers are dead. 2. more people will kill the golden goose - our beautiful forests, dunes, beaches and lakes. 3. more development will squash the goose. Uncrowded beaches were our main draw. The folks who want walmart, chains, and strip malls can't see beyond their own gluttony. *********************************************************** the letter by chick huettel: There?s plenty of festering disagreement on the Walton Area Chamber of Commerce absorbing the Tourist Development Council. In my humble opinion, we do not need either one. Of the 20 odd years I have spent here, I have served on the Coastal Branch Library Board, as president of Coastal Preservation Society, as president of Blue Mountain Association and as a founding member of ArtsQuest. I have also served on numerous Tourist Development Council committees, the original Florida State Walton County Comprehensive Planning Board committee, the Highway 98 Beatification Committee, the Cultural Arts Board, the Gulf Cemetery Board of Directors, the Old Town of Santa Rosa Historical Committee, plus many, many, many others. As for the Chamber of Commerce, all I have ever seen is them cutting ribbons for business openings in the newspaper, with touches of business symposiums that I have attended and are not excitable. After trip after trip into the chamber ?welcome center,? it is continually like a silent tomb. No visitor ever seems to be there. Their objective is to promote ?economic growth and jobs.? I may be wrong here, but I have never heard of anyone using the chamber to find a job. I?ve also never seen the chamber snag a large business to come to South Walton. Most middle class and lower scale citizens never use the chamber in looking for jobs. They do not understand what it is all about, plus they feel it is only for the elite. As for growth, do we need more growth? We are losing the country atmosphere that all vacationers say is so wonderful here in South Walton. Then there is the TDC. Why do we need them any longer? I served on many of the TDC committees and saw little results after meetings galore. Have we not been ?discovered?? Why bring in more and more people when we can hardly sustain the road system capacity and infrastructure. The various vacation communities (Seaside, Watercolor, GulfPlace, etc. etc. ) promote their own festivities in all the major magazines. National vacation tourist magazines now cover Walton beaches nearly every month. The TDC at this time is simply an unnecessary layer of expense when those funds can be used more wisely. We just need a small ?welcome center? staff, and if necessary, an adjunct office for the chamber. The overly large county Chamber of Commerce office could be better used as a ?job center? to help all our Walton County citizens ? a localized center for those looking for work and businesses trying to find employees. The bed tax monies could be ?directly? encompassed into the county administration for the care of the beaches and environment, plus other vital necessities. I have probably lost many friends in both those offices because of this commentary, but I was in the world of corporate business (32 years) plus private enterprise, and we were always looking for ways remove unnecessary expenses. I love Walton County or I would never have become involved with the various groups through the years. The county simply needs updating and streamlining. Time for the pork to go and bring on new ideas.
