By mark

July 23, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this

triple murders of chris ,nancy, and daniels benoits, want some more evidence??? i have some adledigeially with the kevin sullivan possible connection. myspace.com/BIGMARK6 or bighoskins@yahoo.com

By Bruce Dixon

July 23, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this

Sure, they’re worth it. A smart operator gives $10K in campaign contributions to local elected officials, and they give you back $10 million in public money that comes out of the taxes of the less savvy. Sounds like a wise investment.

More of you folks should concentrate on pulling your own selves up by your bootstraps and quit envying the rich. It’s downright unAmerican.

By Barley

July 23, 2007 11:06 AM | Link to this

Since when is building beach front condos a risk? I agree with the gentleman quoted in the article, “Where is Trammell Crow going to find more undeveloped beach front property” on the Atlantic? Was the option of buying out the “rundown” facilities on the island and returning them to their natural state even considered?

By Terry Miller

July 23, 2007 11:17 AM | Link to this

Why do we need upscale development on Jekyll Island at all? There are plenty of upscale islands, and Jekyll is about all that’s left for the average Georgian. By law, it was supposed to be for the common people.

I’m sorry I supported these Republican fat cats who are trying to ruin a laid-back beach environment that’s great for kids and families.

By K

July 23, 2007 11:36 AM | Link to this

Yes it is worth it in the proper situation. This is NOT it. There are many Developers out there that would be chomping at the bit to get in there, this is not needed. For proof, just look at the fact that now the other developers involved are coming back with their hands out as well.They had no problem signing on intially WITHOUT the incentives. And before anyone on their high horse responds about “envying the rich”, I am a developer myself, and these incentives were not needed for Beach Front Property. The Authority should have put this back out to bid nationwide if they have a developer asking for handouts.

By Development Not Necessary

July 23, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this

I agree with Terry. Jekyll Island is great as it is — more development is not necessary, especially upscale development. If people want hifalutin prices, they can go to nearby St. Simons or Sea Island. If they want affordable family fun and great natural history, Jekyll already offers that.

If you want to go upscale on Jekyll, stay at the historic Club Hotel, the 1880s playground of the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Goulds, etc.

I’ve been going to Jekyll for years, first with my family and now with my husband. From camping to the Club Hotel, we’ve done it all and enjoy it just the way it is. Guess it’s not bringing in enough money though. Greed for money always wins in the end. It’s a shame.

By tom

July 23, 2007 11:46 AM | Link to this

Are the Jekyll Authority Board members and managers just incompetent, or are they getting their own little sweatheart deals out of this sellout of the people’s Island? This is why government entities need to do competitive bidding, because otherwise those of us on the outside cannot tell whether they have the people’s best interests at heart or their own.

By Hunter

July 23, 2007 12:01 PM | Link to this

The development oppurtunity is great, and there is nothing wrong with the tax breaks given. Jekyll Island is a fabulously untouched jewel and with a little polishing and the right “diamond cutter”, it could rival the greatest of destinations. I absolutely support this idea. Besides, it would help clean up the common riff-raff that frequents the island in the summers, making it more of a place to be rather than it’s current status as a place not to be seen.

By THE TRUTH

July 23, 2007 12:09 PM | Link to this

It’s the good old boys club. Somebody is going to make a lot od $$. But it’s not you or me. we’ll just end up paying for it.

By maurice

July 23, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this

Everyone seems to have a solution. Having grown up there it is absolutely boring and out of date. Georgia need to drop its so called bible belt mentality. Jekyll needs new hotels and casinos. Underground Atlanta and Jekyll Island are perfect entertainment venues for structured gaming resorts/entertainment. Give the people jobs, entertainment and opportunity. Take the south end and make it special since it was the only place blacks were allowed. It would be a great opportunity to diversify the island.

By Katharine

July 23, 2007 12:52 PM | Link to this

The public pays for it and the private profits from it. This is “public-private partnership.” Fitting that Jekyll is the site where the Fed was secretly established in 1913, the same year we got the income tax. Thus did the government give the banks control of the money supply and an unending source of unearned revenue to support their money-churning agenda. Thus were taxpayers sold into economic slavery. We have a debt-backed currency, based on promises of taxpayers’ future earnings. A country in debt is no longer free.

By Alan

July 23, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this

Having literally just come back from Jekyll on Sunday, and having stayed at the soon Buccaneer Beach Resort, my wife and I were both struck by how much opportunity there was at Jekyll given the right development. Think of the additional fees the nearly empty golf course will generate. Think of the additional restaurant revenues. Think of the additional bike rentals. The additional Tshirt and marketing opportunities. There is sooo much money to be made from that island, it is unreal. We loved the beach but it sure could have been a nicer time with a nicer place to stay.

By Margery

July 23, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

The people of Georgia are paying for the $10 million dollar “deal” for the “poor” multi-billion dollar Trammel Crow company. And Jekyll Island State Park will be out that 10 million for needed infrastructure repairs. One needs to ask Governor Perdue why he is letting his appointed board do this…or is Sonny Perdue the one that wants this deal. And by the way, Governor Perdue you talk about holding up the affordability mandate for Jekyll, well, did Chairman Porter tell you that Trammell Crow plans to charge $250 a night for rooms at that hotel? Are teachers, police officers, etc. going to find that AFFORDABLE?

By Leigh

July 23, 2007 1:02 PM | Link to this

“a state park for the plain people of Georgia”

The Jekyll Island Authority opened the flood gates on this one. Ten years is a long time and I am sure that Trammell Crow would have built there regardless of such a big incentive since they basically would have not had much competition. Now all developers will be seeking as good a deal.

“a state park for the plain people of Georgia”

Not anymore, the plain people of GA will no longer be able to afford a vacation on Jekyll. Those that would choose this destination for a peaceful and quiet vaction will no longer have peace and quiet and that’s a damn shame since Jekyll is such a beautiful place.

By Linda

July 23, 2007 1:19 PM | Link to this

Oakey Woods…,Jekyl Isl….,What’s next Sonny, West Point…?

By Hotlanta

July 23, 2007 1:23 PM | Link to this

Where is Neal and Sean and all of those other folks who are always talking about the poor getting welfare?

By Z

July 23, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

This is just another give away by Sonny “Fat Cat” Perdue to his real estate buddies. More of the same old republican graft and corruption that has permeated this country & this state for the last 7 years like gangrene on a mangled leg. How ‘bout putting it up for a statewide vote? That would never happen because the tiny minority w/ all the money knows it would NEVER pass!

By Deborah

July 23, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this

David Egan was right on in his comments about incentives not being needed for Jekyll. Developers are already chomping at the bit to get a piece of Jekyll Island. I hope Hunter was being sarcastic with his comments about the common riff-raff being at Jekyll in the summer. Go back and read Leigh’s comments. Jekyll was designed as a state park for the “plain” people. The rich folks can go anywhere. Those of us that have regular jobs like living near a place that is affordable for the whole family. People that aren’t able to see Jekyll Island for the beauty that is already there need to vacation elsewhere.

By Terry Miller

July 23, 2007 1:34 PM | Link to this

I didn’t realize that I and my family were “common riff raff,” Hunter. And as for casinos, Maurice —- well, that isn’t going to happen so I won’t worry about it.

If the “common riff raff” are too objectionable, you can always go to Hilton Head or St. Simons and so on. I go to those other places, too; but Jekyll is my favorite for its natural beauty and spaciousness and affordability for young families.

When my husband was in grad school, and my folks were old and in modest circumstances, we could still afford to go to Jekyll.

No politician seems to care about people in those situations.

By Dusty

July 23, 2007 1:40 PM | Link to this

A Casino? Why does Jekyll Island need a casino? You’ve already got the Emerald Princess casino ship in Brunswick. I was there for the first time this past weekend. I chose NOT to stay on the island, but in nearby Brunswick, because of the cheaper hotel rates. I wanted to go to a nice beach not too far from Atlanta at a REASONABLE EXPENSE. If I wanted fancy hotels and $120+ nightly rates, I would have went to Destin.

By janelled

July 23, 2007 1:44 PM | Link to this

Are y’all sure Vernon Jones doesn’t have something to do with this ??? Sounds Verrrrry familiar.

By Plain Georgian

July 23, 2007 1:47 PM | Link to this

I have vacationed at Jekyll for over forty years and I am truly saddened by snobs like Hunter who seem to think that “riff-raff” should not have access to Jekyll’s beauty and history. The less affluent seem to be losing on all fronts as the wealthy seek to create more exclusive resorts where the “plain people” are only employees, never guests.

By Hunter

July 23, 2007 2:09 PM | Link to this

Honestly. Who wants to vacation alongside someone who thinks appropriate beach attire is a pair of old jeans with the legs cut off? Jekyll Island is a great, unexploited vacation spot that could soon rival Hilton Head. Why would you want to hold that back? It could become THE destination of Georgia, given the right development and of course a change in the socio-economic class, which of course comes along with the development. It’s called gentrification and it’s a wonderful thing. If you can’t afford to vacation in a NICE, developed resort then perhaps you should spend less time vacationing and more time working so that maybe one day you can afford it.

By c

July 23, 2007 2:21 PM | Link to this

For all those that don’t know it, Hunter is a professional TROLL. He/she/it is on these blogs everyday, and is trying to get a rise out of as many as possible. Best bet is to ignore.

By Hunter

July 23, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this

A troll? That is absolutely offensive, and incredibly untrue. If I post to a blog it’s to express my opinion, and quite frankly I couldn’t even begin to give a damn about what anyone else thinks of my opinions.

By Just Blue Collar

July 23, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this

My grandfather has a house on Jekyll, right on the beach. He bought it decades ago and has lived there daily ever since. My parents will retire there, and I will retire there. Just for folks like Hunter, I’m going to make sure I spend 2X as much time down there on the beach, in my cutoff jeans, pulling my fish net on the beach. Even better, I’m going to do it in front of the new resorts. There is no such thing as a “private” beach on Jekyll, so I can’t wait to hear the complaints about “riff raff” on “their” beach. I will continue to enjoy Jekyll, as will my family of “riff raff” for generations to come. I hope the resorts tank.

By Hunter

July 23, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

Just Blue Collar —- that is a bad attitude to have. And, by the way, there are no such things as “private beaches” on Jekyll today. But give it a few years. Enough money can buy anything. Once the resorts begin to attract the right kind of people then the politicians will be bending over backwards to keep them happy and keep the tourism money flowing, so you can bet that there will be private beaches there in a few years.

By A Jekyll Advocate

July 23, 2007 2:56 PM | Link to this

Here’s a legal spin on this morning’s article on the Trammell Crow deal: Article 12-3-217 of the Georgia Code states that, “All income and revenues arising out of the operation of Jekyll Island State Park shall be used by the authority for the sole purpose of improving, developing, managing, and promoting Jekyll Island State Park at the lowest rates reasonable and possible for the benefit of the people of the State of Georgia.” In the case at hand, the “lowest rates reasonable” mandate seems to have been applied to the benefit of Trammell Crow, not the people of Georgia as the law intended. It seems as if Jekyll Island is being served up on a platter to deep-pocketed developers, and that the losers in this unfortunate situation will be “the plain people of Georgia,” for whom the park was set aside over sixty years ago.

By Jekyll Lover

July 23, 2007 3:03 PM | Link to this

This discussion reminds me of the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Remember how Jimmy Stewart sees the sweet, family-oriented town of Bedford Falls getting turned into Pottersville by the Greedy Mr. Potter? Maybe once Ben Porter and Governor Perdue get finished with Jekyll it will be renamed Portersville or Perdueville!!

By DJ

July 23, 2007 3:21 PM | Link to this

no profitable for-profit company should ever receive a nickle of taxpayer money for “incentives” or any other BS you want to call it. Repuklicans know nothing about economics (most republicans think the current party is being fiscally responsible because they hear “tax cuts” and just swoon with delight. not brains, but delight). The failed republicans should try reading Adam Smith and Milton Keynes - I mean actually reading them. Not reading the ideological spin that good-for-nothing politicans tell you Smith and Keynes are talking about. Targeted company or industry specific incentives are anathema to even dribble-down economics, but try to get a republican to explain anything without devolving into a bunch of grossly simplistic talking points. You can’t because they lack real reasoning skills, preferring instead to parrot ideological statements, usually in a vacuum. Way to go, guys. And BTW - how’s that Natural Gas Deregulation working out for you? You all happy with that “competition” that has driven down market prices? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Republican voters are such suckers. At least democratic voters know they are getting screwed. Republican voters still seem to think the politicians care about them. Sad…

By Hunter

July 23, 2007 3:49 PM | Link to this

DJ - speaking on behalf of the Republican party and our voters, I must point out that our tax cuts are beneficial to driving the economy, which by the way is the strongest it has been in decades. For-Profit companies certainly should be entitled to tax payer funded subsidies when their activities and development will increase quality of life and raise property values, thus increasing tax revenue and paying the state back for it’s initial investment into the development.

By David

July 23, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this

Jekyll does need some updated hotels. That doesn’t mean that it should be turned into another Hilton Head or, god forbid, St. Simons Island. I grew up in Brunswick, it’s my home and I love it there. It’s nice to be able to visit and go to Jekyll and remember the beaches there the way they used to be and still are. And my son can have that experience too, if the politicians don’t ruin it all. Bottom line, it does need some sprucing up, but it doesn’t need to be over-commercialized.

By Plain Georgian

July 23, 2007 5:15 PM | Link to this

Perhaps Hunter doesn’t understand that many wage earners work for inadequate pay, have no health insurance, no retirement plan, and few opportunities for advancement. Are these people to be denied any opportunity for R&R because they can’t afford the upscale resorts? Do you truly feel that such people aren’t already working hard to support their families - sometimes working two jobs or more - and doing their best to stay off welfare? Why do they have to suffer more indignities because people like you think they are riff-raff?

By Hunter

July 23, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this

Plain Georgian, I am not saying that poor people don’t work hard. I am not saying that they don’t try to take care of their families and that they don’t deserve a vacation. I am simply saying that a beautiful place like Jekyll deserves to become a hot tourist destination and that requires commercialization and gentrification. No one wants to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation (which puts a lot of money into the state’s economy) if there are poor people lounging around the beach in trashy clothes with their fat hanging out everywhere. It is simply unseemly. If you must go on vacation then do so in a manner befitting your social class. Go camping or something, or whatever it is you people do — or go to a public beach that isn’t on an island that is prime for development and a potential cash cow.

By lifelong georgian

July 23, 2007 6:29 PM | Link to this

My family has been going to Jekyll for about 45 years and has had a home there for more than 30. We have seen some interesting changes over the years but one thing has stayed the same and that is the Authorities lack of business sense. Just when you think that a new idea is going well and is going to generate business and balance it with nature, something happens. The Authority has put the kabash on so many good ideas and businesses and yet allowed the same old tired things to continue to happen.

For years now, they could have insisted on these hotels upgrading which would have brought in more revenue. They could have allowed more businesses and restaurants (quality ones) to open so people that stayed on the island didn’t have to drive to St. Simon’s to eat at a decent place or shop in a cute little oceanside village. There could have been a balance, but I think they chose to let the hotels decline and chose to let things get bad so they could go to the legislature and bellyache and when that didn’t work now we hear about the $10 million incentive. They have had this in mind for a long time now and if it didn’t work one way they are determined it’s going to work another.

What really doesn’t make sense to me is that there are several other properties that have been vacant and demolished for years now, waiting to be built. One is right next to the Buccaneer and the Authority has been fighting with the owner about what he was going to put on it. (for so long that he has gone bankrupt) Also the Holiday Inn was torn down almost 2 years ago and is supposedly waiting to be rebuilt as a 4 star resort owned by the same company as the Historic Jekyll Hotel. So with these other properties waiting to be built, why offer Trammel Crow so much to rebuild a property that is still in business. Why not get these others that are empty rebuilt first and offer them the money to hurry??? Does anybody smell the rotting fish?

By newton

July 23, 2007 6:40 PM | Link to this

If the average Georgian loves jekyll so much, why does Jekyll still lose money for the state? The only people that Jekyll serves now are the local people (mostly former northerners). The figures and facts are out there and the AJC should dig them up to see what I mean. The board caters to these implants from new jersey who claim jekyll will turn into the next hilton head at the hands of the wealthy republican government. But, jekyll is a dump right now that loses money for the state and a lot needs to be done to improve it. I love Jekyll, but do not stay there b/c of the poorly ran golf course and rundown facilities. I cannot afford the cloister, so I go to florida where I can stay somewhere nice, yet will not have to be in debt when I return. By doing so, florida, not georgia gets my (and I suspect many others’) money. I am glad to see the board trying to revitalize this dump instead of just catering to the local NJ crowd who looks for gov’t freebies(i.e. a continuance of the status quo). It costs over 60$ to play that piece of $hit golf course. If I pay 60+$ for golf at a state course, I expect better than that. Write an article about the finances of this if you want a real story. Why is it so expensive to play this crap hole? Also, it is good to get a professional like TC in to do the work, would you rather some mom and pops do it who has to raise the funding? This opens the door for mismanagement and kickbacks. Just because TC is building it does not mean it is going to be too expensive for georgians. Also, people are wrong, TC is a multi-billion dollar power house who will forget Jekyll and move on to their next projest if the board did not want them. What makes SSimons so elite is the number of exclusive private clubs (Fredrika, Ocean Forest, etc), not having a single nice resort. Do you really want jekyll to have motel 6 and Ramada so that everyone can afford to stay there? If so, don’t stop there, let’s get a funnel cake stand, a snow cone stand, a golden coral(that 5.99 dinner buffet allows all to afford a great steak dinner), a walmart (statistics show that publix caters to those with incomes over 40K), and whatever else “the people” of georgia can afford.

By FJ

July 23, 2007 9:35 PM | Link to this

Ahh Hunter…Such an appropriate name for a fat-headed spoiled little republican like yourself. So How much did mommy & daddy give you for your start in life? I’d love to drop your $a$$ off on the southside of downtown about 1AM in your skivvies w/ about 2 cents in your pocket. You wouldn’t last 2 minutes.

By lifelong georgian

July 27, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this

I just read Ed Boshears article replying to Ben Porters article. He is right on the money (pun intended). There is so much interest out there about developing all these properties. Just because they stopped the development of the south end (and don’t count that out forever, elections happen) doesn’t mean that business people suddenly went away saying ‘nevermind’ we didn’t really want to build there anyway.

As has been stated many times the past year, there is no more beachfront property being made. God has finished with that. This is all Georgia has left and it is beautiful, it has just not been managed very well. There must be a balance between nature and smart development where all Georgians can find their comfort level and price point. The problem comes when there are 2 distinct sides, the one looking only at the profit and the other looking only at preserving nature. We need the premium properties for the sustenance but we must balance them with the affordable ones and protect the pristine nature at the same time. It really can be done, it won’t be easy and it won’t pad pockets as much but it is the right thing to do. Our grandchildren will thank us.