Letters to the editor

+ IPOC ad was informative
Dear Editor:
I saw the ad you referred to in your April 8th issue in the “Our View” editorial titled, “What Property Rights Are Yours?” (When the original ad — “Don’t Buy the Key Club’s Pitch” appeared in your April Fools’ issue, I was taken a bit aback. The issue and its front page seemed so astoundingly real it was difficult to tell where the joke left off and the real reporting and ads came in.)

The problem is that your quote, “And who wants more tourists here anyway,” positions the Islandside Property Owners Coalition as being anti-tourism. But it was taken out of context — a big no-no in honest journalism.

The actual copy of the ad referred to a conclusion of the town’s Vision Plan and read, “And who wants more tourists here anyway, other than commercial and tourism promoters like the Key Club? According to the town visioning statement, residents will ‘tolerate’ tourism at previous levels, but they do not want to promote our island as a tourist destination.” It referred to what the residents want, not the Key Club. And I like that idea.

The people who paid for the ad challenged Mr. (Michael) Welly, manager of the Longboat Key Club. All in all, I found the IPOC ad informative. The Key Club also ran a full-page ad in the same edition, and I remember a two-page ad about a week or so prior.

Lois Muse
Longboat Key

+ Citizens Academy sessions were highly informative
Dear Editor:
I’d like to extend my gratitude for the highly informative and educational sessions offered to citizens of Longboat Key. These four sessions made me realize how well our local government functions.

Congratulations to those who put together these four invaluable sessions that led to a better understanding of the operations of government. Also, I now realize what an efficient and comprehensive town management we have here on our wonderful island.

Calvin Boehme
Longboat Key

+ I would tell the Key Club to quit wasting our time
Dear Editor:
Wow, what a deal to have the Longboat Key Club rewrite the code. Is the fox building the new hen house?
Let’s see, Loeb Partners gets to re-zone recreational land for development land, which is valued at millions of dollars. If this happens, I wish I were a Loeb Partner!

Now, what do residents of Longboat benefit from: new condos, convention hall and hotel? More traffic? More congestion? Opening of a big can of worms for our town planners’ future considerations?

If I were a Planning and Zoning (Board member), I would tell them to stop wasting our time and tax money. Tell the Key Club to modernize within existing code that worked for 30 years. I’m surprised that Key Club members want this expansion; surely it will cost more in dues.

The town should stop letting the Key Club “bully” its way around our nice island. Its expansion request, if approved, will only hurt our residential values.

Please stop the code change.

W.K. Baumann
Longboat Key

+ IPOC ad was mostly correct
Dear Editor:
I agree 99.5% with the full-page ad by the Islandside Property Owners Coalition in the April 1 issue. As a 32-year, full-time resident, I echo the thoughts by IPOC. However, the .5% I disagree with is the bashing of the “New York Boys.” New York City is a jewel in its own right. It’s the financial center of the world, plus it’s a beautiful island. The buildings are magnificent. Don’t forget the theater, museums, opera, ballet, etc.
Whenever I get there for a short visit, I find it a throbbing, 24-hour, go, go city! I also find it amazing that the crush of millions of people seem to get along quite nicely. If you never visited New York City try it, you may like it!

I. Bert Spiegel
Longboat Key