CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Emails may suggest Citrus County’s decision not to subscribe to the New York Times has become a potential threat to local tourism.
The county’s Visitors Bureau is already getting communication from people who say they’re canceling their vacations and boycotting the county for what they see as politically motivated censorship.
Rich Tomlinson, who lives in the area, told commissioners he doesn’t believe for a minute, calling the threats, “A bunch of hogwash.”
Tomlinson doubts anyone will cancel their vacation to see the manatees or Crystal River’s natural beauty based upon the county commission’s decision last week to end the library’s subscription to the New York Times.
Folks don’t come here because of politics, he says.
“Not for the New York Times," he adds. "But the manatees, nature and all of this.”
Still, that argument might be harder for the county’s Tourism Bureau to swallow after a stream of negative emails and correspondences.
A public records request shows emails coming in from all over the country.
“I’ll have second thoughts about visiting after reading about your commissioners refusing to allow the local library to subscribe to a well-known and respected New York newspaper,” wrote L. Dark.
“Education will set you free. Never will come to your area,” wrote Kate Haeger.
“We will not spend one red cent in your county or Florida as a whole,” said Gary McFall from Wisconsin.
“Your county commission’s action has told me that I am not welcome. So, I am going to Sanibel instead,” wrote Alan Lunin.
“My mother and I were planning a trip to spend a week to ten days in the Crystal River area,” Weston Howlad wrote in an email. “Needless to say we will not be venturing down to Crystal River anytime soon.”
And Fred Cardenas wrote: “We were looking forward to visiting your lovely town this winter. However, we have canceled our trip.”
At last week’s county commission meeting, several people, like Tom Paisley, demanded the board reverse course.
“I’m here to ask for your collective apology to the citizens of Citrus County,” he told the board.
But some commissioners only dug their heels in deeper. Questioning whether tourists care about local politics when they make vacation decisions.
“Shake your head all you want,” said Commissioner Scott Carnahan. “It doesn’t matter to me. I’m not backing in a corner.”
“I don’t think the manatees vote on the New York Times, and people come here to see the manatees,” said board member Ron Kitchen. “I think manatees are truly non-partisan. So, I think we can all probably agree with that.”
The emails provided by the Visitors Bureau did contain one letter of support.
A local resident, Dustin S., wrote: “If we lose some tourism dollars for that, well to me that’s money well spent. Our identity and individuality as a county is worth more than any dollar amount.“
The local eco-terrorism industry isn’t taking the threat so lightly.
One of the local manatee tour operators said they hadn’t had any cancellations yet, but he couldn’t say whether there might have been people who would’ve otherwise booked and have chosen not to.
When asked if the controversy could impact the opening of the manatee season, the answer was, “I can’t see anything positive coming from it.”
Some of the emails written to the Visitors Bureau are from people who claim to be members of – or represent – environmental groups. They claim they are not only boycotting Citrus County themselves but were encouraging others to do the same.
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