This letter is in response to Steve “Monty” Montgomery’s letter to the Cape Gazette, “Postpone vote on Dewey’s gross receipts tax,” dated July 19.
To anyone not familiar with the issues that plague Dewey Beach, Mr. Montgomery’s letter has the cold, hard logic of a forensic accountant. He is correct, technically, in considering both income and expense when evaluating the financial comparisons of the police departments of both Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island.
The issue he does not address is that on summer weekends Dewey Beach becomes “party central” on steroids. Taking the “Monty Logic” one step further, perhaps the town should consider even more police on the streets at closing time, identifying the bars where the patrons became inebriated, fining those businesses and processing the offenders through our legal system.
That would be a real income generator for Dewey Beach. Just ask anyone who lives near the bars as to what happens around their homes in the early morning hours after closing time.
Unfortunately, this issue cannot be easily reduced to just an income versus expense comparison, because this type of logic exonerates the problems related to the late night festivities. The issues are more complex and do require additional thoughtful examination.
For all of us with summer homes in Dewey, the real issue is quality of life. Spin it any way you like Mr. Montgomery, but it will be interesting to review the creative ideas generated by the town’s business community this off season for additional revenue. In the final analysis, most people want to go to bed at a reasonable hour and have a peaceful night’s sleep.
Tony Murray
Dewey Beach
Sarasota, Fla.
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