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1663-23 Art Deco/Preservation SUN NOV 01 1992 ED: FINAL SECTION: NEIGHBORS MB PAGE: 38 LENGTH: 32 .59" LONG ILLUST: SOURCE: Herald Staff DATELINE: MEMO: OPINION YES TO RESORT TAX INCREASE SENDS A POSITIVE MESSAGE Editor: As a 50-year resident of Miami Beach who has been involved for over 32 years in the visitor industry, I have no hesitation in asking the voters of our city to vote YES on the proposed 1 percentage point increase in the resort tax on Tuesday. The issues are quite clear. This proposed increase on the hotel room tax will create benefits for the residents of Miami Beach without costing them one penny. The end result is an incentive package to develop a convention center hotel, as well as address numerous quality of life issues. As both a community and industry leader, I feel the passage of this proposed increase will surely send a positive message that Miami Beach has acted as one community. Stuart L. Blumberg president, Miami Beach Resort Hotel Association INCREASE WILL BENEFIT MIAMI BEACH RESIDENTS Editor: Tuesday, we will vote on whether to increase the tax on hotel rooms in Miami Beach. Our city leaders have told us there is no extra money to pay for upgrading our parks and other public places as much as we would like. And there certainly are no funds for incentives to attract a convention center hotel . The 1 percentage point increase allows us to have a more beautiful city and a new hotel at no expense to city taxpayers. Tourists would absorb the additional cost. This increase won' t deter the visitor from coming here, yet it will make all the difference in the world to those who live here. Lucia A. Dougherty Miami Beach Editor' s Note: Dougherty is the chairwoman of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. RESULT WOULD BE MORE BIG CONVENTIONS Editor: Some people like to complain about our convention center being a white elephant. Instead of complaining, let ' s do something to make the facility work. Let ' s vote in favor of increasing the resort tax in Miami Beach by 1 percentage point in Tuesday' s election. The increase would raise $2 million a year. Half that amount would pay for fixing up our parks, streets and beaches. The other half would finance incentives to attract a convention center hotel. With an additional 1 , 100 to 1, 700 first-class hotel rooms in one location, big conventions would start booking here in droves. Already, we have thousands of international tourists. Now we just need to boost the number of domestic travelers. All it takes is a YES vote on the resort tax referendum. Carlos Capote Miami Beach Zoning Board of Adjustment BEACH'S SMALL HOTELS WILL BENEFIT, TOO Editor: As a hotelier on Miami Beach, I support the proposed 1 percentage point increase in the resort tax. We, the owners of small hotels, aren' t afraid the increase will have a negative impact on visitors. On the contrary, it will attract more of them, because the additional resort-tax revenue will go for incentives to develop a convention host hotel in our city. Such a host hotel can' t accommodate everyone, creating a demand for our hotels. The host*hotel*would make it possible for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau to book more citywide conventions. If you want to help the hotel industry on the Beach, please vote in favor of the referendum. Mark Gardner Sagamore Hotel Miami Beach WISHES TO COME TRUE WITH A VOTE OF YES Editor: As a longtime resident of Miami Beach, I urge other residents to vote Yes on Tuesday for the $1 million-a-year fund that would be available to spend throughout the city ( from the increase in the hotel tax) . Just imagine: * Major landscaping improvements and renovations of facilities throughout the park system. * Improved street cleaning and maintenance. * Street decorations. * More public and beach access. * New and brighter street lighting. * An improved loan program for renovating hotels and other commercial properties. * Implementation of a master plan for North Beach. * Implementation of a marketing plan for South Beach. * Special Art Deco District signs for South Beach. * Creation of a beautified southern gateway for North Beach at the 63rd Street flyover. * Improved cleaning and dredging of canals. This wish list can come true if voters say YES to the 1 percentage point increase in the city ' s resort tax. The tax increase would be absorbed by tourists, yet the $2 million a year in revenue it raises would benefit Beach residents. Half the amount would pay for incentives to attract a convention center hotel. The other $1 million would pay for the wish list. Joy V.W. Alschuler Chairwoman, Miami Beach Planning Board OUR TOURISTS ALREADY ARE TAXED TOO MUCH 1 Editor: I was shocked to see the endorsement of a few of our leaders for an increase of 1 percentage point on the hotel tax. As it is, a hotel guest now pays a combined tax of 11 1/2 percent for the room: 6 percent for the state, 3 1/2 percent for the county, and 2 percent for the Miami Beach resort tax. Simply put, if your hotel bill is $400 , you pay $46 in taxes . I am a head cashier at an oceanfront hotel. Many of our guests complain about our high taxes. Probably, we will never see them again. Now, City Hall wants to bleed the tourist more, to help build a convention center hotel, which is a private business. For free. Who are they kidding? As a resident of this community for 30 years, I am appalled to see the efforts of a few misleading the people. Tourism will be destroyed in our town, because of the greediness of interest groups and the blindness of our administrators . Joseph A. Rodriguez Miami Beach. ADDED TERMS: END OF DOCUMENT.