Opinion: The PCB City Council, All Talk, More Drownings, Fewer Police on the Roads Part I The Resistance and the Predicate

First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers go to those who lost loved ones who have drowned. This is a tragedy of tragedies for the lost and the living, and the citizens of PCB want you to know we are doing all we can to honor your loss and are trying to prevent these type tragedies.

Sadly, we have three members of our City Council that are blocking our efforts to reduce the probability of drownings in the future. The equation is simple and the council members even admit it every time the subject is brought up. “We need more funding for the beach safety program.”

The problem is two members that have sat on the council for more than four years, and one of the newest members, are blocking the will of the voters to reallocate wasted Tourist Development Council (TDC) funds.

This is not about the employees of the TDC. They are doing their job to the best of their ability. The problem is with the board and specifically the two TDC board members from the council that are acting against the will of the voters.

The voters spoke loud and clear in the last election that they wanted change in how TDC funds are allocated but councilmen Casto, Jarman and Register have voted like they could care less. And while they will talk a good game, they will most certainly do nothing that will have any real impact on drownings going forward.

And if you think that is too harsh well then don’t take my word for it take councilman Casto’s words from the last meeting. “We broke the record for drowning’s we set last year.”

Keep in mind, last year the council went about “fixing” the issue even though they knew and admitted what the root cause was lack of funding. They set up a council like they want to do again.

They demanded beach vendors get flags and signs to post on the beach. And various other measures designed so they could claim they did something.

And to top it all off they made you and me less safe on the roadways by diverting police officers away from their primary duties to patrol the beach. A lose-lose proposition for locals and tourists alike.

Forgetting like they did when they demanded you and I wear a mask: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Now in all fairness, I am not saying any one of the members are directly responsible for these drownings. That would be unfair given all that is involved. What I am saying, and the facts bore this out. They are more interested in keeping the waste, fraud and abuse of TDC funds going amongst their donors and friends than they are about protecting the locals and tourists.

www.RexLeeReid.com

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