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Letter: Personal reasons don’t justify putting our beaches at risk
August 26, 2008 - 11:10 AM
George Warren
I was a little disappointed by your front page article in the Aug. 9 issue of the paper on the MSBU.
I was amazed at the number of speakers who seemed to have personal reasons for not wanting the beach restoration and had no knowledge of the many years that this project had been in the planning stage.
I bought a unit at Jetty East in February 1976 and have been active in its management as well as the formation and operation of the city of Destin for more than 20 years.
We have an active and growing economy, thanks to the foresight and hard work of many people. It is hard to believe that so many people can’t understand the urgent need for the restoration of our beaches.
For the individual condos, we’re only talking about less than $200 per year, right on your tax bill. That is pretty minor compared to the balance of that bill.
George Warren
Destin
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Reader's comments
| Most of we “beneficiaries” don’t want the messed up MSBU tax or the dark sand. Please don’t resort to personal insults just because you can’t win on the facts or the law. Your insults say more about you than they say about your intended targets. Go ahead and erase these comments too. It will only prove Mr. Civility’s point. |
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| Winning On The Facts - Sep 02, 2008 08:52:58 PM | Remove Comment |
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| George C. I don't know why I am doing you any favors by telling you this, but here goes. Your name calling, personal attacks, and bitter hostile attitude is turning everyone off. Please do not denigrate others who choose to debate in this public forum. How dare you insult them for that. If they want a pseudonym, who cares. |
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| Mr. Civility - Sep 02, 2008 12:22:06 PM | Remove Comment |
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| What rock have you been living under? We have been fighting for sand for years. Each and every time that we have gotten any sand, we have been told how and where we could use it by the DEP. Again, we would have gladly used the sand to renourish the beach, but we were only legally allowed to use the sand for berms. Please tell me how we could have had our sand "months ago", and please post under your real name if you have a spine. |
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| George Cronen - Sep 02, 2008 09:11:20 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Mr. Cronen, the storm peak wont even get up to the dune line on Okaloosa island. We have 400 feet of wide, deep, beach. It will be a similar story in the 3 miles of non critically eroded sections of Destin east of Jetty East that have to pay the MSBU. The only properties with something to fear from Gustav are Jetty East and Destin Pointe. They could have had their sand months ago if they had left the rest of us alone. Instead they had to have their bargain MSBU at everyone elses expense. |
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| nothing to fear - Aug 31, 2008 10:17:30 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Anger Management? Are you kidding me? Because I speak my mind? At least I am not so spineless that I have to hide behind an assumed name. You sure are quick to point out that no one answers your questions, but you are not willing to post under your real name. I think you are the one with the personal issues, not me. |
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| George Cronen - Aug 30, 2008 05:11:00 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Mr. Cronen, I asked you one question and have yet to get the answer. Just like those handling the beach project, no direct accurate answers. Once again, who owns the land that your unit and the Jetty East sits on in Holiday Isle? May I politely suggest that you look into anger management. |
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| just the beginning - Aug 30, 2008 10:15:45 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Mr Cronen, you must not have attended the many meetings on this project. I, with hundreds of other protestors, have. We do not object to you getting sand, just that we are being forced to pay for it. You can have your questionable quality sand. Over 20 citizens in a row said this same thing at the August 7 meeting. Mr Warren ignored us and said "just give me my sand". We gave Jetty East an olive branch for 14 months of meetings and it was thrown back in our face. Now that is karma. |
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| Karen Wilson - Aug 30, 2008 09:50:26 AM | Remove Comment |
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| I don't understand why all you selfish bastiges refuse to post under your legal names. George Warren is not afraid to write a letter and sign his own name. I am not afraid to post under my legal name. Why is it that you wackos constantly post under assumed names? I assume that means that you all are not man enough to openly back you position in public? |
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| George Cronen - Aug 30, 2008 12:58:56 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Last I heard the sand was coming from a site miles offshore. If that is where you are living then I am truly sorry that we are taking your sand. If that is not where you are living then shut the hell up. You never know when you are going to be in the same position that we are in. See my first post. Karma is a biotch. Beware what you wish for. It just might come true. |
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| George Cronen - Aug 30, 2008 12:51:30 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Why does it matter who OWNS the land?
First you did not answer the question.
Second it matters a GREAT DEAL who ownes the land especially when it is being taken from the owners. In my upbringing we were told that is stealing. Rather like socialism. For the record, I am an honest taxpaying citizen who happens to object to you taking my money and my sand. |
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| just the beginning - Aug 30, 2008 12:02:09 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Why does it matter who OWNS the land? The plain and simple fact is that you are a selfish bastige and you are keeping several honest taxpaying individuals from getting the sand that they desperately need. Ultimately it should all be about the tax revenue generated. At the end of the day we pay more taxes than you do. We pay more property tax. We pay more bed tax. Remember my previous post. Karma is a biotch. If Gustav comes roaring in you might be the next one in need of sand. Maybe you ought to think twice before opposing our renourishment. |
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| George Cronen - Aug 29, 2008 10:58:59 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Mr. Cronen please tell me, do you OWN the land that your unit and the rest of Jetty East sits on? Is this "wacko" correct in that your unit and the building rests on LEASED land that you do NOT own? Please do not assist the city and county in taking MY PRIVATELY OWNED LAND just because you are desperate. Everyone agrees, even the "wackos" that Jetty East needs beach renurishment but leave the rest of us ALONE. |
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| just the beginning - Aug 29, 2008 07:24:44 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Jetty East has been in desperate need of beach renourishment for several years now. Three years ago my daughter could walk under the southern end of the building and we have been FIGHTING for renourishment ever since. Unfortunately the truth of the matter is that we have probably received enough sand to renourish our beach and several others but the state permitting process as well as the lawsuits filed by the turtle loving wackos and others have forced us to build berms that we lose as soon as a strong thunderstorm blows through. Try having a berm for a beach it is almost like living cliffside you have a huge mound of sand that you have to scale to get to the water. It is not our fault that a select few wackos and the state process have not allowed us to use the sand in an appropriate and suitable manner. We are just as frustrated as everyone else that the sand allotted to us has not been used appropriately to renourish our beach. Those of you that do not need sand should feel fortunate but should not block us from getting the sand or beach that we and others so desperately need. I would like to leave those of you opposing this project with two thoughts. My grandmother always said, There but for the grace of God and my father always told me that Karma is a female dog. Beware what you wish for you may be the unfortunate ones in need of a beach next and your actions now may set the precedent for you not getting the sand that you need then. Please excuse the punctuation. Evidently the Log does not allow anything but a period in the posting section. |
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| George Cronen - Aug 29, 2008 07:09:34 PM | Remove Comment |
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| If this project is such good news, why not put in on the ballot? Because it would fail. Hundreds of beachfront citizens have protested the project as flawed. The sand is dark and coarse, the formula makes only the little people pay while exempting the powerful and special interests. Those who benefit the most like Mr Warren pay the least. Now the courts will decide if the city council and county commissioners can legally force this ill conceived project upon us all. If Mr. Warren and Jetty East had been more considerate of their neighbors, they would have sand, and none of us would object. |
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| play fair - Aug 28, 2008 09:42:17 AM | Remove Comment |
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| In the July 11,2008, Destin Log story, “Beach berm budget balloons, costs taxpayers 150,000 dollars more”, Mr. Warren is quoted “residents of Holiday Isle were members of the public as much as anyone else in Destin.” Then why did we have to shell out another 300,000 dollars in taxpayer money for Mr. Warren’s private beach? In the same article councilor Larry Williges said, “if we start spending public dollars without public benefit, the council is going to take a bit of heat.” How does dark coarse sand benefit the public? How does spending several hundred dollars each year on two private properties, Jetty East and Destin Pointe, benefit the tax paying Destin public? |
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| paid too much - Aug 27, 2008 10:52:10 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Destins Jetty East MSBU tax, 151 dollars per year. Destins Destin Pointe MSBU tax, 56 dollars per year. Okaloosa islands Island Mist MSBU tax, 482 dollars per year.
Okaloosa island has a 400 feet wide beach. Jetty East and Destin Pointe have very little beach.
Stopping this flawed beach restoration project, priceless. |
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| priceless - Aug 27, 2008 09:33:28 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Can someone please tell me Who Owns The Land That the Jetty East sits on? |
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| just the beginning - Aug 26, 2008 11:42:34 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Destin Pointe must not need their sand that bad. Otherwise, they would not have put it at risk by getting a special tax break on their MSBU. |
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| the borg - Aug 26, 2008 10:56:33 PM | Remove Comment |
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| No one wants to stop Jetty East from getting the sand they want, dark and coarse as it may be. But Mr. Warren and others made their bed by insisting their neighbors who don't need or want a similar project get forced into a project to subsidize their project. The subsequent gerrymandering and special treatment in the MSBU was a disgrace to the county and every commissioner. At the public hearing, we extended Mr. Warren an olive branch -- give Jetty East their sand, but just leave the rest of us alone -- and it was rejected. Go after your sand if you want it, but if you insist on dragging your neighbors along you should not be surprised when we fight with all we have to escape your clutches. You would have your sand by now if would have minded your own business and stayed out of ours. For any delay, blame yourself. |
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| No Tears - Aug 26, 2008 10:36:19 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Mr. Warren conveniently omits the thousands of dollars Destin property owners have already paid for Jetty East sand in 2008. Per the Destin Log June 3 story, “Stars align, berms set up for Jetty East, Destin Pointe” you received 30,000 to 50,000 cubic yards of sand for free. Why should we keep paying for Mr. Warrens sand? Some of us are fed up with constant welfare to Jetty East at our expense. I say lets draw a line in the sand and say no more. If Jetty East needs sand, let them buy it and leave the rest of us alone. |
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| fed up - Aug 26, 2008 10:24:52 PM | Remove Comment |
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