'It's good for the city?" Hogwash!

For the better part of the last two years the direction in which Destin should evolve has dominated discussions in the paper, council meetings, Waffle Houses, and everywhere else locals gather.

With the exception of a couple council members actually listening to their constituents, every development gets easily voted through, and we get to hear about “how good this development will be for the city.”

I don’t know who the recipient(s) of these positive benefits are, but the mayor and City Council assure us they are out there. Now keeping in mind all of these wonderful benefits that are so graciously being bestowed upon Destin and its residents, you would think people would be FLOCKING to live here.

This is where my confusion comes in.

I was recently reading an article about cities with shrinking populations (http://realestate.aol.com/pictures/ghost-cities?pg=2). As I scrolled thorough the Top Ten, Destin-Crestview-Fort Walton made the list in shrinking cities.

How could this be possible I asked myself?!  But there it was.
•Year Over Year Percent Decline: -0.9
•Total Number: -1,307
•2007 Population: 148,148
•Median Home Price: $225,000

Why would people be leaving Destin?

We have fantastic views of condos, 15 miles of parking lot stretching the length of Destin, and one of the new developments added five public access parking spots. So why would anyone leave with all of these great benefits?

The time has come for the mayor and City Council to take a good hard look at what’s really “good” for Destin and start listing to the people they are supposed to be representing. As for myself and I believe many, many others here, all I can ask is that “you stop being so good to me, boss.”

Doug King
Rudolph, OH