It’s You, Not Them
- From Cape Cod Times
- Chuck Carey
Everyone’s blaming their problems on leaders
and government. I think they all ought to go home and
look in a mirror. Leaders and government are just a
reflection of who they serve, they are only what we
allow them to be.
The Cape’s lodging community is fragmented and
dispersed without direction. The successful operators
are pioneering totally on their own, leaving the rest
to name a scapegoat. It’s easy to blame in this
society, and hard to face the mirror. Just look at
who has the biggest yellow page ads under lawyers.
Other resort communities have organized far better
institutionalized assistance but here’s the question
- did it grow from the top down or from the grassroots
up ? When did you last speak to your representative
? To them, not about them.
Recall the absurdity of the room tax increase, when
it was advertised that the hike to 9.7% would be spent
on tourism related issues, such as beach cleaning.
This happens while the chamber of commerce has to plead
for nickels to keep the trash barrels and bathrooms
going at a major rest area. Did the increase in room
tax pay go into the general fund for the recent senior
citizens center ? If that makes your blood run hot,
did you let Democracy work in the form of a conversation
with _________. Or did you just chew them out to your
friends.
Witness the recent attempt in Yarmouth to assess “personal
property” (motel furniture and fixtures, rugs
and drapes) at $2,600 per room. Did you rant or did
you canvass ? No question it’s unreasonable but
the point is what did you do about it ?
Orleans has awakened to the fact that they are one
of the most sought after destinations on the Cape.
This summer they will have a team on the Main Streets
dedicated to helping visitors with all those things
they need but don’t get anywhere else on the Cape.
It’s this kind of simple and direct solution that
will make their town a better place to visit and lead
to more tourism.
People only vote some of the time but they complain
all the time. Leaders are approachable and willing
to listen. Many of them will be sympathetic and get
behind the cause, if it’s just. Apathy turns them
off more than any thing else.
We are living in one of the most widely known destination
resort areas in the world which produces $140 Million
annually in just room rentals. It wouldn’t take
much to convince our leaders that the Cape should legitimize
itself as a resort community, rather than ignore it
as is the case. Guess who it’s up to ?
