Vandenberg In Political Trouble?

From the Key Noter
Mar 22, 2008 (Florida Keys Keynoter - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- NO MATCHES FOUND. | news | PowerRating | PR Charts -- Key West City Commissioner Bill Verge wants the City Commission to set a deadline of April 1 to garner $2.3 million still needed to sink the USS Hoyt S. Vandenberg as an artificial reef seven miles off Key West.
The city holds the title to the vessel, and if the deadline is not met, "the city will turn the title over to the lending institutions and the ship will be sold for scrap," Verge wrote in a letter to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto.
Verge said he'll ask his fellow commissioners to approve the deadline when they meet April 1, the deadline he wants.
He said he's looking to the state for the money, specifically the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. It's the last resort "unless some sugar daddy steps up and pays the rest."
"The state hasn't put one dime into this yet," Verge told the Keynoter. "And yet they're the main beneficiary on this."
According to Verge, the city's Tallahassee lobbyist firm, Gray/Robinson Attorneys at Law, is trying to make it happen.
"We have talked to [the tourism office] about that, and we are waiting for a response," said Ed Scales, a local attorney with Gray/Robinson.
According to Verge, the Vandenberg is only a piece of the state's new tourism plan.
"The state would like to sink 10 more ships around Florida to keep the tourists here for a longer period of time," he said.
The city deadline was set because of towing limitations.
"Time is of the essence due to towing dates and hurricane season," Verge wrote. "The Coast Guard will not allow a tow after June 1," because hurricane season begins.
On top of the city's financial worries, the Department of Environmental Protection introduced more mitigative requirements for the ship before it can be scuttled and made an artificial reef. Those include, according to Verge, dry-docking the ship twice to clean the hull before it's scuttled as an artificial reef.
With a total cost of now more than $8 million, the project is being financed by the city of Key West, Monroe County, the county Tourist Development Council, U.S. Maritime Administration, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local banks.
The city, county and TDC have pledged the funds, but no transactions will occur until the 520-foot ship is on the ocean bottom.
"Of course, the TDC has $1 million allocated to the ship, which cannot be released until the ship goes down as an artificial reef," TDC Director Harold Wheeler said.
Asked if the TDC would consider contributing more, Wheeler said, "We feel as though the million we've invested in it is a good investment."

Last minute power play...

I forget.. is it an election year?

I agre ....the Governor will come in with money and be the hero pushing the button......don't you hate the media managment types?

polarguard:

I agre ....the Governor will come in with money and be the hero pushing the button......don't you hate the media managment types?

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I like your optimism, but I am worried. The Govener does have have the money in a fund that could be used for this, but in this current political environment I don't know if he will release it. The state of Florida has made many deep budget cuts in the general fund lately, and even though this would come out of a different fund the public may not take it very well. A couple of million is a releative drop in the ocean, but when services are being cut in law enforcement and education spending the money to sink a ship for divers could be political suicide, not something that one on the short list for VP nominee will do without a lot of thought. Not everyone understands the revenues in tourism this ship will generate. Even here in Key West there are many who appose spending money for divers. They just don't get it.

The only advice I can give is write letters and cross your fingers.

Safe dives
trtldvr
Florida Keys Safe Diving Initiative

trtldvr:

I like your optimism, but I am worried. The Govener does have have the money in a fund that could be used for this, but in this current political environment I don't know if he will release it. The state of Florida has made many deep budget cuts in the general fund lately, and even though this would come out of a different fund the public may not take it very well. A couple of million is a releative drop in the ocean, but when services are being cut in law enforcement and education spending the money to sink a ship for divers could be political suicide, not something that one on the short list for VP nominee will do without a lot of thought. Not everyone understands the revenues in tourism this ship will generate. Even here in Key West there are many who appose spending money for divers. They just don't get it.

The only advice I can give is write letters and cross your fingers.

Safe dives
trtldvr
Florida Keys Safe Diving Initiative

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Here in the Upper Keys public sentiment is really against this ship. If you read alot of the "letters to the editor" people are equating the spending of millions on this project with layoffs and the counties poor fiscal position. It will be interesting.

deeper thoughts:

Here in the Upper Keys public sentiment is really against this ship. If you read alot of the "letters to the editor" people are equating the spending of millions on this project with layoffs and the counties poor fiscal position. It will be interesting.

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Of course they are... it takes potental divers off the Grove. Duane or Bibb.... and you have to pass right thru to get to the Vandenberg....

netmage:

Of course they are... it takes potental divers off the Grove. Duane or Bibb.... and you have to pass right thru to get to the Vandenberg....

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Way more to it than that.....

Monroe County schools (as well as every other district in FLA) are slated to lose millions in funding due to cuts and a shrinking population, tons of jobs are leaving the Keys, property values are crashing, there is talk of Cuba "opening," a scary thought to those who work in hotels and the service industry (I will believe it when I see it, but some day it will happen.), etc..., the list goes on and on.....

People just dont want to make happy tourists using government funds when a recession is beating on one's door.

netmage:

Of course they are... it takes potental divers off the Grove. Duane or Bibb.... and you have to pass right thru to get to the Vandenberg....

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That's a zero sum philosophy. It could increase divers on the Grove if it attracts more divers overall to the Keys. All of the divers I know that are looking forward to diving this ship are talking of a wreckfest trail, hitting the big wrecks from Key Largo to Key West in one trip.

Spending money on projects like this while local services are facing budget cuts is a hard sell but it needs to be presented as a sound economic investment in the future.

ReefHound:

That's a zero sum philosophy. It could increase divers on the Grove if it attracts more divers overall to the Keys. All of the divers I know that are looking forward to diving this ship are talking of a wreckfest trail, hitting the big wrecks from Key Largo to Key West in one trip.

Spending money on projects like this while local services are facing budget cuts is a hard sell but it needs to be presented as a sound economic investment in the future.

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There are those that understand this, but many that don't. The Keys have the potential to become a wreck dive Mecca. One would have to travel to Truc Lagoon to be able to dive more wrecks in one area. The marketing plan is to sell the entire length of the keys as a wreck trail. The benefit to the upper keys would be, unless they fly into Key West, divers would pass thru the upper keys twice. The other benefit to the entire keys is that a percentage of divers in the upper keys will stay overnight in Homestead, which is in Miami-Dade, divers diving in Key West are MUCH more likely to stay overnight in the Keys. This = more heads in beds. With a 4% bed tax this = more money back into the local government.

netmage:

Of course they are... it takes potental divers off the Grove. Duane or Bibb.... and you have to pass right thru to get to the Vandenberg....

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The govt in Monroe county has squandered a 10 million dollar surplus thru incompetence and questionable commissioner/developer relationships. The sentiment for additional expenditures by the voters seem to not be there,
Like I said it will be interesting during a county election year.