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buster

Beach Fanatic
Feb 19, 2006
285
47
SoWal
The big picture is a bridge we dont' need if it means making us the highest TAXED County in the State. if I want something I buy it if I can afford it. Not so the government...they just tax us to death to accomplish their agendas.
Half wit.

I believe the bridge is needed long-term but I resent the means by which the BCC attempted to decieve the voters by implying the deal was the state's idea instead of their's. Deception leads to mistrust and mistrust leads to rejection. The toll would have been an economic disaster for the working people of the county. Raising our taxes to the highest level in the state connot be good for our businesses.
I cannot see the huge advantage to Sowal in building this bridge. People are going to come to the beaches, either through the airports or through an alternate ground route. And the current bridge could carry three lanes of traffic for evacuation purposes if properly marked. Four-laning 331 could help business in the north-end but I question how many will want to pay the higher taxes. So the people of Sowal are asked to pay higher taxes for something they could live without and those in Nowal who rarely come south are asked to pay higher taxes for something they do not use.
I cannot see the voters approving this measure and a little foresight on someone's part could have figured this out. So we will be left with no bridge and our BCC will have no credibility in Tally. The much better path would have been continued lobbying for the state to fund the bridge the regular way in the future.
Full wit.
 

Bob Wells

Beach Fanatic
Jul 25, 2008
3,380
2,857
Although I agree with some of what Idlewind says there is other comments I disagree with. I support the bridge and I support the tax over the toll, I would prefer the 1 % tax over the 1/2 % and if it is true that it would cheaper to do a bank loan over a bond I would prefer the bank loan. Many people say the bridge won't do this and it won't do that and others say it will do this and it will do that and really there is no promise from either side that they can prove, IMO. I don't like the idea how this has been handled at the county level and believe that will show up in the election and possibly some county employees will be taking a hit when the next commission takes over. Personally I think the bridge will make a difference and according to Governor Scott, many of you have voted for, he has stated that he likes the toll idea, Escambia and Santa Rosa governments have been asked to assist in replacing the Pensacola Bay Bridge because of its age. I was told Escambia passed a resolution that said no, I am not sure if the state couldn't toll the bridge without local government but they are going to do what they are going to do. As many folks here profess their conservatism and sales tax seems to be a fairer way of paying for this. I know the more you make the more you will spend the more you will pay for the bridge and some seem to find that to be unfair. It is the system. The veiws expressed here are mine and mine alone, they are not the WCTA, Walton County Republicans or Democrats or the Tea Party. Thanks for the opportunity to ramble.
 

Furthur

Beach Lover
Jan 21, 2008
92
14
S.R.B.
No Bridge Necessary

A short sighted, mediocre, lack of vision or a clear eyed view of Overextended Grandiosity?
Take your pick and cast your vote on Tuesday April 24.

The problem isn't with who or how this deal was made. The problem is with the deal itself.
Since Kisela's first email our debt was quadrupled and our credit maxed out.
Inevitably this will lead to a lower credit rating and consequently higher interest rates. A financial straight jacket. Making our real needs, present and future, much harder to finance.

Walton county has plenty of needs. But building a redundant bridge across the bay isn't going to improve any of our lives. People have been maimed and killed on 331 for years. Four-laning the Hwy to Alabama has to be finished first. Then we can recalculate the evacuation times and determine how many minutes will be saved with the expenditure of 250M for an Extra bridge.
 
Bob, Exactly what did I say that you disagreed with? I agree conceptually that a bridge is needed, do not like how this deal was concieved or presented to the citizens and much prefer a tax over a toll. Do you think the voters are going to approve this? Or do you think tourists will cease to come to Sowal if the bridge is not built? These are the only major points you did not address and the rest we seem to agree on.
 

rocketman

Beach Comber
Jun 28, 2008
48
11
Pragmatism

Idlewind and Furthur:
Thank you for your common sense/pragmatic evaluation of the bridge situation. Upon reading some of the latest posts and emails from local government officials, one (the citizen taxpayer) has to feel that they are at a used car lot and the salesperson is trying to close the deal as soon as possible. It's either deal or no deal on state bridge funding. Let's get the highway four-laned similar to our neighbors in adjoing counties with north/south corridors and then we'll take care of the bridge. With gas approaching $4 bucks a gallon, it's difficult enough for working folks to pay the bills, gas, a toll or additional sales tax. (And I'm a hard core conservative Republican) Again if there is impending threatening weather, let's be a bit proactive and evacuate ASAP. The bridge can be made three lanes (two north and one south). Annnnyyywaaaay.....

Rock on,
Rocketman
 

Bob Wells

Beach Fanatic
Jul 25, 2008
3,380
2,857
I suppose I misread some of your statements, that and I was a little uncomfortable that we agreed, JOKING
 
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