Mike Huckabee’s role in pushing controversial beach access law

[Teresa]

Dave R and Teresa why do you not post recent articles from knowledgeable Tallahassee media?

Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game
Read the 122 Comments too.

Walton County Customary-Use Leaders Playing a Dangerous Game
By Nancy Smith
September 8, 2018 - 6:00am

Nowhere in Florida is the new law dealing with beach access the firestorm it has become in Walton County. The reason is complicated. But many folks along the panhandle's Emerald Coast claim it's not helping that a pair of local crusaders have a lot of citizens convinced House Bill 631 is the worst thing to befall Florida since Mercury went retrograde.

In the last month Dave Rauschkolb and Daniel Uhlfelder -- brothers in activism -- have made themselves the pied pipers of HB 631 repeal -- whipping people up to sign affidavits, attend meetings, donate money -- in a nutshell, "make Florida beaches public for all."

Rauschkolb is a restaurateur, Uhlfelder an attorney. Together they're what former seasonal Seaside resident Lilly Bell calls "a tag team," dominating social media and public meetings to get people riled up against each other.

"Walton used to have only a handful of beachfront residents who wanted to enforce their privacy all the way to the water," said the retired interior decorator. "But most of them didn't care if people sat on their sand. Then Dave and Dan came along and caught a glimpse of the fame and attention they could get nationally. Now we have a civil war here."

The war, she said, is between the "coastal elites" -- residents, guests and tourists who live or vacation along 30A, the scenic beach road, -- and the rest of Walton County.

Bell told Sunshine State News, "All you need is a camera, and (Rauschkolb and Uhlfelder) come running. They need to control people. They like to hear themselves talk and read what they write on Facebook. I think they're on some kind of power trip. My late husband called them a tag team."

HB 631, was sponsored by Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, and Rep. Katie Edwards-Walpole, D-Plantation. The bill passed the Florida Legislature with an overwhelming bipartisan majority and 100 percent support of the Walton County delegation -- 29-7 March 6 in the Senate and 95-17 March 8 in the House. That's a total of 24 votes against in the whole of the Legislature. No wonder the governor didn't veto it. Why would he?

The source is Sunshine State News which is not considered professional media from what little I could find about its history and content. Just read a few pieces on the site and see what you think

I wanted to share this along with another earlier article from this source to show the desperate actions and words of someone from the private property camp but it's not even clear what camp they are coming from. I don't really want to share lowbrow online "news" sources here or anywhere. This is extreme attack reporting and not worthy of anyone's time unless you enjoy the entertainment aspect. I am not entertained by such an attack on our entire community by someone who knows absolutely nothing about it.

This kind of hit piece doesn't help our community on any side of the issue. Just nasty business. I suppose an extreme right wing website source can pose as legitimate but that does not make it so. No one can figure out who owns this site. Big Sugar? Rick Scott? Breitbart?

Some of the comments are interesting and revealing. Otherwise it's rubbish.

 

[jodiFL]

The source is Sunshine State News.
I wanted to share this along with another earlier article from this source to show the desperate actions and words of someone from the private property camp but it's not even clear what camp they are coming from. I don't share such low brow online news sources here or anywhere. This is extreme attack reporting and not worthy of anyone's time unless you enjoy the entertainment aspect. I am not entertained by such an attack on our entire community by someone who knows absolutely nothing about it.

This kind of bad reporting doesn't help anyone. Just nasty business.

And someone is calling a one sided one person interview from a "former seasonal resident" of the original "resort" on 30A "knowledgeable" reporting??

 

[FloridaBeachBum]

The source is Sunshine State News which is not considered professional media from what little I could find about its history and content. Just read a few pieces on the site and see what you think

I wanted to share this along with another earlier article from this source to show the desperate actions and words of someone from the private property camp but it's not even clear what camp they are coming from. I don't share this type of low brow online "news" sources here or anywhere. This is extreme attack reporting and not worthy of anyone's time unless you enjoy the entertainment aspect. I am not entertained by such an attack on our entire community by someone who knows absolutely nothing about it.

This kind of hit piece doesn't help our community on any side of the issue. Just nasty business. I suppose an extreme right wing website source can pose as legitimate but that does not make it so. No one can figure out who owns this site. Big Sugar? Rick Scott? Breitbart?

Some of the comments are interesting and revealing. Otherwise it's rubbish.

You are the SoWal "Staff Member" and judgement knows what is best for this forum [sarcasm]. What do you call Dave Rauschkolb's and your cartoon? Desperate? Low brow? Extreme attack reporting? Not worthy? Rubbish? The reporter Andy Marlette is NOT a local and resides in Walton? He does not own property in Walton county. Does Andy know about our community or does any of the other media not from here? That'd leave just the Defuniak Herald and Walton Sun?

 

[Beauford]

These were posted all over Blue Mountain Beach, then removed by an angry woman not sure if she lives here.

 

[Lake View Too]

You are the SoWal "Staff Member" and judgement knows what is best for this forum [sarcasm]. What do you call Dave Rauschkolb's and your cartoon? Desperate? Low brow? Extreme attack reporting? Not worthy? Rubbish? The reporter Andy Marlette is NOT a local and resides in Walton? He does not own property in Walton county. Does Andy know about our community or does any of the other media not from here? That'd leave just the Defuniak Herald and Walton Sun?

Anybody is welcome to post to Sowal anything they find on other media. NWFDaileyNews has been covering this story pretty well. On Facebook they are posts about Mr. Lince posting on some Tallahassee media trying to intimidate and scare people who have signed affidavits into believing that they could be sued. It's fairly telling that Tallahassee media is doing hatchet jobs on CU proponents, and all the neighboring media (Pensacola, Ft. Walton, and Panama City) seem to be rather fact-based and accurate. Follow the money.

 

[Bob Wells]

These were posted all over Blue Mountain Beach, then removed by an angry woman not sure if she lives here.

View attachment 72684

And should have been.

 

[Teresa]

You are the SoWal "Staff Member" and judgement knows what is best for this forum [sarcasm]. What do you call Dave Rauschkolb's and your cartoon? Desperate? Low brow? Extreme attack reporting? Not worthy? Rubbish? The reporter Andy Marlette is NOT a local and resides in Walton? He does not own property in Walton county. Does Andy know about our community or does any of the other media not from here? That'd leave just the Defuniak Herald and Walton Sun?

Andy Marlette's opinion piece and political cartoon were published in a legitimate area newspaper which has a history of covering the customary use issue and its impacts on the Emerald Coast of Florida. You may not agree with his interpretation of the events regarding Huckabee and the overall issues. But it is based on actual facts. Many do agree with this piece based on Huckabee's own words and actions that have been made public. It isn't a conspiracy. Though you may have a different perspective of his motives.

It is my personal preference to post legitimate sources here or elsewhere. You may have different standards. And that is your choice. No one is saying otherwise.

 

[boomerang]

Huckabee started this war - which now pits neighbor against neighbor. Great Christian thing to do.

We only want to use the beaches as we had before he got here.

This impacts all of us - we have every right to be mad as hell.

It is highly selfish of BFOs to deny our use of the beaches and even go as far as denying trash pick up.

 

[FloridaBeachBum]

Huckabee started this war - which now pits neighbor against neighbor. Great Christian thing to do.

We only want to use the beaches as we had before he got here.

This impacts all of us - we have every right to be mad as hell.

It is highly selfish of BFOs to deny our use of the beaches and even go as far as denying trash pick up.

STOP the Huckabee conspiracy theories! Customary use started around here back in 2003 before I got here - before he got here. The Walton commissioners failed to manage growth and declared customary use on private property - not Huckabee or the other 1000 beachfront owners. You can be mad but you can NOT falsely villanize people, spread hateful rumors or encourage others, or not speak out to stop the hate - like Bob Wells did recently.

It''s NOT about picking up trash; it's about RESPECTING private property rights and who has property rights - the property owner or local elected government politicians? If you think you have property rights to beachfront property you should go to court and make your case. I know of 2 individual customary use cases in Walton, litigated by Walton's hired attorney, David Theriaque, no court has ruled for customary use yet.

 

[boomerang]

No - it all started in and about 2012 and later when beach front owners started putting up private property signs and even fences.

Walton county reacted to this by passing customary use.

You can deny all you want - I believe he pushed 631 through our legislature - and i am appalled at his accusations of what has occurred on his beach.

Talk about conspiracy theories.