Don’t be a victim, be an owner!

I am responding as a resident to Ms. Kern’s letter to the editor last week. I moved to Fountain Hills in 1997 and opened my office in Fountain Hills in 2001.

While I accept and in fact encourage a difference in opinion and favor discussions with opposing views, I would like to express my support of the efforts and achievements of the Fountain Hills Visitors Bureau. I have seen firsthand the bottom line results. Their efforts have made a difference and their leadership deserves our support!

The issue with the funding from Fort McDowell is puzzling. The Visitors Bureau has been actively promoting all of the assets at Fort McDowell for the past decade but, if it were not for the direct efforts of our Visitors Bureau, Fort McDowell very likely would not have had some of its recent major events, specifically, the national American Indian Tourism Conference in September 2011 and the International Trails Symposium this past April.

Both conventions were booked due to the lead involvement of our Visitors Bureau and brought national and international attention to Fort McDowell and Fountain Hills!

Our Chamber and our Visitors Bureau provide a great array of services to our community, most of which seem to go largely unrecognized and even unappreciated.

Bashing the organization that has brought to our community the two annual fairs, numerous local and national events as well as with the town’s cooperation and the community’s support, the Swaback Vision Plan, which is now in our General Plan, it’s hard for me to understand why there isn’t more support and individuals working with the Chamber and the Visitors Bureau to make our town a better place to live, work and play.

Let’s take ownership, stop playing a victim and, together, move forward!