Benjamin Franklin said, “A stitch in time saves nine.” There has been a lot said concerning Measure S. I have stated my opinion as a resident of Lake County and a Realtor in the past. I do understand the issues concerned and will give my 2 cents worth one more time.
Clear Lake is the most valuable asset Lake County has and must be protected and nurtured at all costs.
The Lake is an asset to the area because it draws tourism which creates jobs and income for the residents. If the lake isn”t healthy all of the county is effected by the lack of tourism dollars that won”t flow in. It becomes a less than desirable area to live so housing values decline, new construction will cease, foreclosures will rise and the overall quality of life in Lake County will negatively affected. I could go on concerning the economic impact to Lake County if the lake becomes infected with quagga and zebra mussels. No one would want to come to Lake County to launch their boats because it would require increased scrutiny if they wanted to launch in other areas. That would mean no more fishing tournaments, in fact, the mussels would affect the lake so much that much of the food source for the fish in the lake would be gone. Clear Lake will no longer be the attraction it is today. The impact to housing and tourism will cost the residents of Lake County Millions of dollars.
The lake is an asset as a water source to communities that surround the lake. Most of the area depends on water from the lake for household use. The presence of invasive species would have a huge impact on the ability to draw water from the lake by rapidly clogging up pipes and plumbing causing the cost to the water companies and individuals to drastically increase by hundreds to thousands of dollars. Looking at the issue purely from an economical point of view, the costs that will be passed on to the residents of Lake County will be many times more than a small tax increase.
Fighting the invasive species will take a huge effort. Currently the funds are minimal, not enough to have much of an impact even if we were to get money from the state. A small tax now can help prevent the huge impact that would occur if the invasive species were to infect the lake. Doing nothing is like burying your head in the sand, the issue will not go away.
Measure S is that ounce of prevention that is worth a pound of cure. For more information go to www.savethelake.info.
Ray Perry is the 2013 Realtor of the Year for Lake County and works for CPS Country Air Properties located in the Riviera Shopping Center. He can be reached at 277-8000.
