Overheard on the Web

Here is what some people are saying online about stories in the
Destin Log.

DEP targets fish gutting on the harbor — By: citizenx1
Is the state going to fine all of the fish that inadvertently die in Destin harbor? I know that the fish realize that they are degrading the water when they die in the harbor, but some seem to just ignore this fact. We must insure that in the future NO FISH die in the harbor.

By: lorelei12
If the DEP is so concerned about water quality in the harbor, they should create a genetically-modified pinfish that eats petroleum, garbage, and human waste.

By: gunitfoyd
I would rather see a Fish Skeleton in the water than see another Condo put up on the beach. DEP is just looking for busywork. Thanks for the waste of money!
   
By: kd9753
Stupidity at work. This is the most ridiculous thing I have read lately. Fishermen are what made this town a town. Fish guts in the water are the least of our worries.
   
By: militarydawg
Everyone knows fish guts are the second leading cause of global warming. Come on people, get with the program! (Requisite Sarcasm Disclaimer)
   
By: gunkaroni
Glad to see all the chuckle-heads in Tallahassee have been keeping their finger on the pulse of all the deep issues in NWF. Heavens forbid we get some fish guts back in the water! This has the smell of dirty politics. What’s the matter? Some big money fishing company eyeballing the Emerald Coast?
   
By: vdb1996
Just another thing they are doing to try to shut down our fishing fleet. This is ridiculous! I would much rather deal with fish remains going back into the water that they came out of than all the other stuff that ends up in that harbor such as human discards like puke, bowel movements, urine, beer, food, etc, etc.
What about all the waste water wash-off, pesticides, debris from all the harbor restaurants and their Dumpsters? Hello, I think the fish remains are the least of our worries and the smallest culprit for the water levels not being up to standards.
Give me a break.
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Capt. Hill’s Rodeo dare: Mako my day! — By: inmate1577
More drunken yahoos fishin’ and killing off essential species. Yay!

By: pavedave
I knew when I read this that the tree huggin’ PETA people would be on this like tarter sauce on a fish fillet.

By: searchfortruth
That’s amazing. I’ve been fishing for cobia here since the early ’90s. Never once missed a year or a season. Fished in the Rodeo almost every year as well. I really think it’s an impressive catch. Can’t imagine having to haul that beast in from 70 miles out. Geeze.
 Makos are on the “vulnerable” list not the “endangered” list, because they are making a comeback. As with everything, the environmentalists are getting carried away. It isn’t our local fishermen that are hurting them — it is foreign fishermen who aren’t governed by the same regulations or natural concern for tomorrow’s business and resources.
This is a fun story and meant to inspire some fun competition and more interest in the Rodeo and fishing community. I wish the whole fleet “good luck!”

By: suzzieq
I say, if it can eat me. Well, I better go ahead and eat it first.

By: nativeborn
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”.

By: Renee Wagner
I was there and it was awesome. I’ll never forget it. You rock!

By: longtimefloridia
Don’t hear you guys complaining while you are cutting into a fish dinner at Red Lobster or any of the other seafood places in the area.

By: irish1958
I love seafood and fishing, longtimeflorida, it’s just that I’m really not that impressed especially if the species is endangered. Hey I’m happy you caught your big fishie, Capt. Hill.
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Beach restoration battle — By: observer
Thank you to the 30 beach restoration project opponents who cleaned the beach this morning on Okaloosa Island. None of you supporters of the project or OILA leaseholder members showed up. I guess that shows who really loves our public beach. Unfortunately county vehicle traffic on the beach and the dunes has caused massive ecological damage. I marked off 60 ticks on my trash sheet for county vehicle crossings during my clean up time.
 
By: fact checker
It is ironic that the Destin Chamber of Commerce wants us to come out and clean up the beach, yet this same body is pushing the flawed restoration project that will destroy our sugar white sand and emerald blue water.

By: mike ike
The proposed sand is not coarse, dark sand. Joe Public: go see it yourself and don’t listen to these doom and gloom folks.

By: DockMom
Well, you who think you own sand. My first question is, where are you from? You see, some folks that are actually from here know you should never build anything on a barrier island. But, our City Council sold Destin out to developers, so now people like you think we owe you something. Have you seen Okaloosa Island lately? It’s black! Have you seen the public beach? All 30 feet of it and the lower level paring area of whatever condo is just past the Back Porch is gone. It is not your beach. It will never be your beach. Your demand for distance between you and the sea has cost this community more than there is space to describe. Did you notice it was all taken away with one wave? It’s the sea. It never stops. Go home!
By: BB
The folks in Texas can’t rebuild on their waterfront according to a 50-year-old law. Once destroyed and water gets so close to the property, the owner loses his investment. The property becomes the state. Some upset folks over there. Destin is a sitting duck. Can’t build seawalls, or berms — no place left to plant sea oats. Even if you get lucky and find sand, the other side says its a trick to steal property. Maybe the federal government will bail out all the beachfront owners across the Gulf Coast. They’re giving away dollas like pennies right now.

By: sand lover
Most Destin properties are good stewards of their private property with berms, sea oats, and landscaping. Many adjacent properties to public beach on Okaloosa island did the same with plantings, sand fence, and berms. Two Destin properties did not take care of their private property and now want another tax payer bailout like the one in May.
 
By: Irony
Condos are listed for $100,000 on Okaloosa island next to the 300 foot wide public beach. Unfortunately they come with a new $481 a year restoration tax. I guess that is why Emerald Grande was exempted from this tax. The owners of their million dollar condos cant afford the new tax.

By: adestinlocal
Yep, a classic example of the foolish man building his house upon the sand. The property owners will be crying the same tune when the next hurricane damages their property and they want government aid for repairs, loss, and damages. It’s a greedy, me, me, me world.

By: Jim
Anyone stupid enough to build right on the beach gets what they deserve. Allowing these big buildings to be built on the beach destroys the natural beauty of the area and makes it a less desirable place to visit.

By: Headless Horseman
The Jetty East people who want to sue restoration opponents seem to think everyone is responsible for their property except themselves.
 
By: Let’s fix it
Do the beach restoration and get on with it.

By: damedestortue
The problem is not about nourishing beaches, it’s about the way Florida laws allow beachfront property owners to rebuild on the EXACT SAME footprint after their property is blown away in a hurricane. They’re called barrier islands for a reason. We need to stop all this coastal development and armoring because, as stated, Mother Nature will do whatever she wants and we are powerless to prevent it or to arm ourselves against it.
And the rest of us Floridians are paying for their insurance, remember? The very reasons that people want to live on barrier islands — view of the water, nice sand on the beach, wildlife habitat — will be non-existent in a few years if we continue to allow those with the money and resources to maneuver the system to rebuild once they have been wiped out.

By: spin this
Floridians planned, approved, developed, built, sold and taxed these so called people with money and resources into this trap. We are here now. Deal with it. The next time a tornado or thunderstorm damages your house or property, leave it alone and chalk it up to Mother Nature. After all, my insurance pays for that too.

By: Please think
It is not fair to blame those who have been forced into opposing beach restoration. They’ve been given no choice but to fight to protect the private property they bought and paid for. It’s not about selfishness.
In fact, everyone would favor beach restoration if it were done fairly, without taking away property rights. Those who want to convert private beachfront into public beach should pay for the owners’ loss, just as the county and city would have to do if they took your front yard for a public project. If the county and city can do this to beachfront owners, they can do it to everybody else who owns property in Destin.

By: just the beginning
It is the city and county that are using the plight of Jetty East and Destin Pointe — and only these two properties — in an effort to take everyone else’s property. It’s not about beach restoration. It’s beach confiscation to appease big developers who want to build on the north side of 98 and take over the south side beaches.

By: dunedog
Florida’s beaches are under siege from poorly sited coastal development, inadequate coastal construction setback policies, stronger and more frequent erosion-causing storms, and slow rising sea levels. As private properties along the coast are threatened by erosion, panicked beachfront residents and resource managers look for relief through costly, repetitive beach renourishment projects and the construction of unsightly and harmful sea walls.
Meanwhile, state and federal subsidies continue to encourage shoreline development by providing low cost insurance for the riskiest beachfront developments — all at taxpayers’ expense. This combination of factors creates a recipe for disaster that threatens the future of Florida’s sandy beaches and coastal habitats.
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Don’t let them have the last word. Log on to www.thedestinlog.com and join the debate. Just click on a story and then click on the comment button at the bottom of the page.