A1A The Ugly Duckling

From: MUFFYORKTo: MUFFYORKSent: 8/30/2009 2:23:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight TimeSubj: A1A

Have you driven A1A from Dunlawton to Belair Plaza recently? It is a depressing example of rapid urban decay. From vacant fields overgrown with weeds to abandoned buildings and closed down businesses with "Out of Order' signs there is absolutely nothing to invite tourists and families to spend vacation time here. A motley assortment of panhandlers and homeless people cause visual blight. I cannot imagine anyone feeling safe to walk the street, especially after dark.
Daytona Beach, long touted to be "The World's Most Famous Beach', has precious little left to recommend it. Given the fact that we have fantastic weather year round and magnificent golf courses and that the beach is 23 miles of sandy white delight, we will always have a level of desirability to some diehard beach goers but we are not getting our fair share of tourist business because somewhere along the line, the city gave up.
What do have to promote? Where are the Special Events? Yes, we have 4 days of NASCAR business during the Daytona 500 and a few days of Bike Week in March but little else. All those who shudder at the thought of Spring Break and BCR should remember that every hotel room provides 12.5% tourist tax divided between the State and the County. It is fine to discourage one form of business but clearly a new plan should follow the abandonment of the old one.
Where are the planners and promoters? Why is there no vitality in reaching out to form activities and events to bring back our beach and fill it with happy vacationers spreading the word that Daytona Beach is a fun-filled clean attractive safe place for families to vacation?
I thought that economic hard times would be a help to our tourist business. People who could not afford to cruise the Caribbean or jet off to Hawaii could pile the family into the car and drive to Daytona. But...what is there for them to do once they get here? Not much and not enough.
I remember the throngs of spectators cheering on Beach Volleyball at the Olympics...why not here? Why not marathons and regattas and bike racing and dog shows and backgammon tournaments and dog competitions and treasure hunts and motivational speakers....on and on. Why not build a pagoda on the beach and promote beach weddings on the World's Most Famous Beach?
It is true that the newly expanded Convention Center has been built to attract conferences but this seems to have become the domain of the Hilton Hotel across the street from the center.
So, where do we go from here? I keep thinking 'someone' should do something. 'Someone' needs to organize the energy of this town and bring it back to life.
I now realize that I am 'someone' and so I am 'someone' in search of others who want to form a group which will actively seek out organizations and events which can restore our vitality and replace our tarnished image with a new brand.
We certainly do not need more tattoo parlors or T-shirt stores but we could definitely prosper from redesigning our tourist activities which would fill our hotels and from this influx of people and money our secondary businesses could prosper and grow to service that business.
In short, we need to band together to build up our tourist business because whining won't change a thing!

Carol A. Collett GM
Daytona Inn Beach Resort
219 S. Atlantic Ave.
Daytona Beach, FL

Health care plan HR3200

Obama Administration’s Health Care Plan
HR 3200 currently under consideration in the House of Representatives
Reviewed, revised and adapted on July 29, 2009, by Liberty Counsel from the original authored
by Peter Fleckenstein and posted on FreeRepublic.com and his blog, http://blog.flecksoflife.com.
Sec. 113, Pg. 21-22 of the Health Care (HC) Bill MANDATES a government audit of the
books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self-insure in order to “ensure that the law does not
provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure”!
Sec. 122, Pg. 29, Lines 4-16 - YOUR HEALTH CARE WILL BE RATIONED!
Sec. 123, Pg. 30 - THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE deciding what
treatments and benefits you get.
Sec. 142, Pg. 42 - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose your benefits for you.
You have no choice!
Sec. 152, Pg. 50-51 - HC will be provided to ALL NON-US citizens.
Sec. 163, Pg. 58-59 beginning at line 5 - Government will have real-time access to
individual’s finances & a National ID health care card will be issued!
Sec. 163, Pg. 59, Lines 21-24 - Government will have direct access to your bank accounts
for electronic funds transfer.
Sec. 164, Pg. 65 is a payoff subsidized plan for retirees and their families in unions &
community organizations (ACORN).
Sec. 201, Pg. 72, Lines 8-14 - Government is creating an HC Exchange to bring private
plans under gove

Fire Transport

How will FireTransport save tax dollars?Why is FireTransport better for the patient?How does FireTransport affect EVAC?Will FireTransport affect response times?Why have we waited so long to try FireTransport?Has FireTransport been done successfully anywhere else?What guarantees does FireTransport have?Is FireTransport a Union Program?Is FireTransport a Plot to Take-Over other Fire Departments or Cities?Does FireTransport Discredit or Criticize EVAC Ambulance?Is FireTransport a New Concept?Does FireTransport Fragment the EMS System?Why try FireTransport in Daytona Beach?Is Daytona Beach’s FireTransport Program the End Product?

Politicians are not working for you

Gimbert show details 8:58 PM (11 hours ago)

Hello Neighbors,
It is time to speak up about the two gigantic developments our local politicians want to approve in our drainage basin and Aquifer recharge area. The first, Restoration, is an annexation that doubles the size of Edgewater with 10,000 more homes on what looks like swamp land. The second, Farmton GreenKey, creates another 29,000 homes still farther out in the swamp. The County Council has prepared their rubber stamp, but state regulators want solutions to Volusia’s dwindling drinking water supply first.

REVITALIZATION of DOWNTOWN DAYTONA

This has been coming for sometime. The businesses are failing and no one is shopping the BEACH ST corridor. The News Journal Theatre is on the ropes and we no longer have the quaint SMT for shows in downtown. Other business has relocated in an effort to survive. It's no doubt the eating establishments are hurting, as well as the various gift shops and support services. A major renovation/renewal is overdue for the area! Your ideas and concerns are appreciated and will be taken under review during the Friday Coffee Klatch Meetings! We need our town planners working overtime on this issue...it will not be resolved over night...but we need to begin somewhere!

Get the Pier fixed

The Daytona Pier is an absolute shame and embarassment to our community. The state of repair is so bad that many have suggested demolish it and start over. This once proud landmark was host to major events and was fun for visitors of all ages. Today it is nothing but an eyesore and degrades the beauty of Daytona Beach. We need the people of Daytona to hold up a fist and speak out on this subject!