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Beauford

Beach Lover
Jun 23, 2015
126
76
Defuniak Herald letter to the editor:

September 23, 2018

I recently read the Tampa Bay Times article where former Governor Mike Huckabee attempted to justify, sanitize his role in HB631. Well, it didn’t work! I had heard rumors about what had happened, but now I was reading the emails in black and white. Not sure which part bothered me more the condescending, elitist statement about the “rights” of the “poor” or the demand to be compensated by the public for the “taking” of beach. That same beach was acquired through a stealthy Quiet Title action. From what I understand beach acquired through Quiet Title are typically not paid for nor do they trigger the raising of property taxes. So, we the “poor” should have to pay for the use of the beach that we have been customarily using for centuries, that was acquired for no fee? So, I have to ask, “who are you, and what exactly do you think of the rest of us?”

Mr. Huckabee came into our community to live the dream, just like the rest of us. He worked hard to be able to achieve that dream, just like the rest of us. The beach behind his house was acquired through Quiet Title action for free, unlike the rest of us. And now seeks to exclude us, unlike the rest of us. He’s satisfied to change the fabric of our community to achieve his elitist, exclusionary goal. Pretty sad commentary on one who was welcomed into that same community.

After HB631 went into effect on July 1st Representative Brad Drake met with Walton County residents. We wanted to know how this all had come to pass. We wanted to know how years of conflict free, unrestricted beaches, without warning, had now become battlefields. Why was Walton County singled out from all others? The answer was swift and clear from Representative Drake, “dirty politics”. Now we had the answer.

Mr Huckabee is not alone. Although not all beach front owners support excluding the public, there are others sharing his mindset. If those beach front owners intent on exclusion are bound and determined to have their private enclaves please don’t complain that you are being misunderstood. Your intent is quite clear and actions have consequences. Don’t expect to be embraced as good neighbors, or be respected as positive influences within this community. You have set a schism in motion that may never be repaired. And that’s squarely on you! And besides that you’ve even managed to taint the beachfront owners that support customary use and reject exclusion. Good job!

So at the moment HB631 nows stands as law and those who are satisfied to rewrite who we are as a community have a fleeting victory. But at what cost? The soul of South Walton has received a gut punch. Once a place where we met on a beach without regard to who we were, where we came from, or how much money we had. We were cleansed by the gulf breeze, rejuvenated in the gulf waters, warmed by the sun and breathtaking sunsets. Those beautiful vistas now stand visually polluted by signs and chains and guards saying, this is mine and you are not welcome. You can clean my house, you can care for me when I’m sick, you can share fellowship at church but don’t you dare set foot on my beach because it’s mine! That is not what south Walton’s beaches ever were about until you guys decided that it was okay to change the character of our community, to change the thing that everyone was connected to. It may be “dirty politics” legal at the moment but it certainly isn’t moral!

I do believe that Walton County has dropped the ball on many occasions by allowing the proliferation of vendors on our beaches, frequently turning a blind eye on bad behavior, and making choices that do not serve the best interests of the community. That has to change and perhaps Walton County decision makers will now have the political courage to do what they should have been doing all along. But for those pushing exclusion you could’ve addressed your discontent with the county directly and your fellow citizens as well instead of inflicting your malignant woes on your friends and neighbors. You didn’t have to swat the mosquito sitting on a glass table with a baseball bat!

There is one positive thing that has happened as a result of your actions. The community has come together in an astounding way with a single focus, to protect the thing that everyone who lives here or visits cherishes, Our Beaches! This is much bigger than the current group of beach front owners that desire to exclude, it’s bigger than all of us! The sugar sand beaches were given by the Creator to nourish the soul, we are drawn to them, they becomes a part of us…they belongs to us.

Jacquee Markel
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
 

jodiFL

Beach Fanatic
Jul 28, 2007
2,476
733
SOWAL,FL

boomerang

Beach Lover
May 11, 2015
77
36
just heard from realtor that Huckabee does not pay taxes on his whole house because most of it is south of the CCL line.

the line where he should not have built in the first place.

this just keeps getting worse.
 

FactorFiction

Beach Fanatic
Feb 18, 2016
494
409
just heard from realtor that Huckabee does not pay taxes on his whole house because most of it is south of the CCL line.

the line where he should not have built in the first place.

this just keeps getting worse.
LOL! Seriously? Call the Walton Property Appraiser and then call the Tax Collection office. They will give you the real scoop on property taxes for Gulf front in Walton County.
 

boomerang

Beach Lover
May 11, 2015
77
36
Then why are your taxes half the amount of your next door neighbors house about the same size as your? Explain that please.
 
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