Okay, can I call them, or can I call them? First of all, I want you to look at my blog about being gassed or hosed. Then read this article about the effects of gas prices on the economy, and what is going on. http://www.sanluisobispo.com/breakingnews/story/404053.html
As you can see, I was completely right in my assessment of what will happen to local tourist economies. Didn’t I call it wheezing? Here is a quote from their article:
Scott Mullikin, who owns a gift and souvenir shop in Three Rivers about five miles from a Sequoia National Park entrance, says he usually sees a steady flow of tourists during the summer weeks. This year, he has noticed spikes on the weekend.
“If I had to make an educated guess, I would say people are taking longer weekend trips versus weeklong vacations.”
This proves out what I was saying. With the cost of motels and food, people will not be traveling as much or as long. Our tourist traffic will slow down, and people will be selective about what they will buy. One of the biggest hit areas will be Pismo Beach.
In the meantime, the Pismo Beach City Council is gloating. According to the Tribune,
Three months after launching its paid-parking program, the city of Pismo Beach has collected nearly $100,000 from its parking kiosks and from citations, according to staff reports, and officials say the program may end up being more successful than anticipated.
The city’s dispute with the California Coastal Commission over the placement of four of those kiosks remains at a standstill, meanwhile, with neither side taking action to resolve the issue.
Revenues from the paid-parking program are ahead of budget projections, according to Randy Bloom, the city’s community development director. Parking kiosks have collected more than $86,000 as of June 9, according to staff reports. In addition, about $10,000 more has been collected from parking citations.
Furthermore;
While the paid-parking program is working out financially for the city, there has been concern that the California Coastal Commission will move forward with its threat to sue the city over the location of four of the kiosks.
Earlier this year, the commission threatened to fine the city $15,000 a day for failing to obtain the correct permit for kiosks placed in the commission’s jurisdiction.
Is the asylum being run by it’s patients? Is there a power play going on here? Does the Pismo Council really think they can get away with anything? I think the answer is YES to all of it. Of course revenue is good, they just had tourists in town for Father’s Day thinking it was the car show weekend, and tourist season is always strong right after kids get out of school. Will it be sustained? What about the off season, when it is just us locals? Will WE pay the money, or just walk an extra block?
Let me show you another article in which you will see how drunk the Pismo council is with power and money (Sorry, Rabenaldt, that isn’t a pun ~ you could ALL be drunk at the same time). Take a look how they usurp the desire of the voters for their own preferences. Read these excerpts from this article from the Tribune,
Now that Pismo Beach voters have increased the city’s sales tax by a half-cent to 7.75 percent, officials there already have ideas of how they’d like to spend the expected $1.1 million annual revenue boost…
Councilman Ted Ehring said that fixing the city’s storm drains should be high on the wish list…
Councilman Kris Vardas said that protecting the bluffs was his highest priority and that if it’s feasible, he’d like to see Promenade IV — the boardwalk area north of the pier—completed. The first phase was completed last summer…
However, repaving bumpy streets in Shell Beach and off Highland Drive would be Mayor Mary Ann Reiss’s first choice…
Councilman Bill Rabenaldt would use the funds to fix “environmental ills” that would include repairing storm drains that contribute to bluff erosion… Ideally, he’d like to see a filter system added to the drains that would prevent harmful materials from making it into the ocean. But he acknowledges that it could be costly…
Mayor Pro Tem Shelly Higginbotham expressed concerns over choosing where the money should go now while the future of the city’s budget remains uncertain.
“My commitment was to infrastructure, but I would want to wait until something comes to form in August when the budget is reviewed,” she said.
RED FLAG ALERT! What did she say? Wait to see where to use the money based on the budget? Uh oh, can we say shell game? Read my “gassed or hosed” article about how the shell game is played. They tell taxpayers that they want money for improvements. Taxpayers say “Yes, fill the pothole on my street” and vote for it, trusting the city. Then the city says “How can we spend this money?” Everyone has their pet projects. Wait, did the voters ask for the boardwalk? Did they ask for drain filters? Did they ask for bluff protection for beach front property owners? Why not ask THE PEOPLE what they want? Hey, Rabenaldt, do you feel a song coming on?
They should hold a special town meeting to discuss problems and issues that the people of Pismo Beach would like addressed. Maybe Ms. Higginbotham wants to wait to see if the Coastal Commission is really going to fine them. She could use those sales tax funds to pay the fines instead. The shell game occurs when they tell you they will use money for one thing, then take away money from that project so the money you give them will be the only money used.
In other words, give them EXTRA money from sales tax to do the work they should have already been doing, then they will take that money out of the budget and replace it with your sales tax money. They did exactly what they promised you, but moved other money around so there is no net change. Shell games are the dirtiest type of politics that can be played. It is bad enough that the Council members want to get pet projects financed, but to play the insidious game of “move the money” is downright dirty.
You know that before this was passed, they were probably salivating and looking at that money to see what they could do with it. They have most likely had their plans all along, INCLUDING Ms. Higginbotham. Yep, I think you were shammed, scammed, and slammed.
This is something that is unforgivable, and I urge the people of Pismo Beach to show them how upset you are. Take pictures of your streets, services, records of things that have not been taken care of in years, funds for public safety and maintenance. Dig in and get the information. Put it out to the public, add it as a comment to this blog, letters to the editor, take it to the City Council. Show them that you are onto their dirty games. Tell them you won’t stand for this shuffle of money. Throw your hands up and throw them out! Say it with me: Dirty, dirty, dirty. Shame on you politicians.
You think I am wrong? Read some more from that very same article:
Higginbotham was also unsure how summer tourism would fare for the city with travelers feeling the pinch of high gas prices and a slowing economy…“I think it’s a little premature to make out wish lists,” said Higginbotham. “We don’t get it until October, and we may need to use it as a buffer.“
Buffer? BUFFER? WHAT? You’ve got to be kidding me! I saw this coming from a mile away! The moment I saw the election results, I KNEW what was coming. I feel like you were bamboozled. I feel like you were fooled. I feel like YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. Don’t take it laying down. Show them that the power lies with the voters, not in their minds.
Look, I can only do so much here. There are only so many hours in the day. If I work 24 hours on something, that is all I get done. If three of you work 8 hours each, you can get the same done. If 12 of you work 2 hours each, you can get just as much done. If 24 of you work only 1 hour each, you have that same power. Do you get the idea yet? Do you see what I am saying? Power is in the numbers. I won’t take care of this for you. In fact, my hands are washed of this. I can do NO MORE about this. It is entirely up to you.
Get those 24 friends, neighbors, voters, to get out there and call people, dig, research, appear at meetings, email. Get out there, and do it. You can donate as little as ONE HOUR AND ONE EMAIL a week and get SO MUCH DONE that needs to be done. Get together, yell, get attention, get your way. Show them that they need to be HONEST with you and do the right thing, not their own thing. Shame on you for electing them.
My next piece is even worse than this. You think what happened here is bad? Wait until I show you what is happening on the national level with Lois Capps!
The Opinionator
