A Beach Bum's View by Gary Becker Treasure Island Florida

Gulf Beach News

Some in this Community

There are some in this community who are working hard to prevent development and keep Treasure Island’s “sleepy fishing village” image. I like living in a quiet neighborhood but preventing development comes a very high cost, like 50 million for a bridge that is truly falling down. Besides, I’m not sure I want to live in a fishing village, sleepy or awake.

There was an article recently in the big local newspaper; you know what paper, the one that ran an article on Treasure Island’s “Sloppy Johns”, about what the writer referred to as “Last days of lounging.” The well written article was about a fellow who lives on Sunset Beach and claims to be a true beach bum. The guy inherited some money and now hangs around one of the bars on Sunset Beach.

The article goes to tell about the romantic life this guy leads on Treasure Island. A life of hanging out at a bar with a pack of cigarettes, a can of beer and talking about his lung cancer. How he has been in rehab 3 times for alcohol and drug addiction in addition to time spent in jail for drug possession. How he was complaining that they are tearing down all the cute little cottages and putting up expensive condos. The perfect neighbor.

Another perfect neighbor was mentioned in the article. This fellow stores his clothes under a boat in someone’s back yard and sleeps under people’s houses because he couldn’t find an affordable place to live. I’m reasonably confident that he has found an affordable place to drink.

My concern is not about the a guy who hangs around bars all day, or the guy who lives under houses, my concern is the image the article painted of Treasure Island. An image of a great place for drunks, drug users and bums to lazy to work so they can afford to live in a building rather than under one. An image that some are fighting very hard to keep, an image that is costing the rest of us.

Though this column is called a Bums View and my website is called T I Beach Bums I do not consider my self a true beach bum. Like most Harley riders I am a weekend warrior wearing tank tops, shorts and sandals from Friday night to Sunday night. On Monday morning it is back to same place I’ve gone for the past 20 years to put my 40 hours plus in for the week.

I put in that 40 plus hours a week so that I can afford to live here. I moved to Treasure Island 17 years ago because it was a quiet, safe place to live. I purchased my home because I thought it would be a good investment which it most certainly has been. I want to maintain my life style while increasing the value of my investment. The problem is both of those wants are in jeopardy.

There are those who live on this island, some now in political office, who are willing to sacrifice my life style and my investment to maintain an image of Treasure Island like the one projected by our two previously mentioned neighbors. There are those who want to stop development and or re-development and turn Treasure Island into a run down haven for unemployed drunks and drug dealers.

Development doesn’t mean tall buildings and traffic jams. Development means quality housing for those who are willing to work hard enough to pay for it. Development means fine restaurants and good places to shop. Development means jobs so that more hard working people can afford to live here. Development means increased property values for you and me and a larger tax base to keep property taxes low. Development means there won’t be someone storing their clothes in your backyard and sleeping under your house.

If you are as concerned as I am that the image of this community is one of a great place for someone with no job and a substance abuse problem rather than the image of a progressive beach community with fine homes, shops and restaurants than contact your Commissioner and the Mayor. If you don’t, the reality of a great place for bums to hang out may take place in your backyard.