Letters: Tourists and Tahoe

We have to remember we are a tourist town first and foremost. Residents pay the bills of this community with tourist dollars. We do not have an industry that can support us and our lifestyle here without tourism. Every single business up here is directly related to tourism. Yes, we have to cater to them, yes, we have to clean up after them, and yes, we have to make them feel welcome in our community. Sucks for sure.

I have catered to them since I moved here in '77. They have allowed me to grow and prosper here with my family and friends. When they leave I am still here and still able to enjoy year 'round what they can only experience for a short time.

We should be embracing this.

Instead a certain segment of this community is always telling them to stay away and we don't need you. Wrong. What we don't need is that segment of our community saying this.

We can improve our community but we have to do it with tourist dollars and let them pay for our "paradise" - I can assure you they will be more than happy to and without complaints. They are used to paying through the nose everywhere they go for a slice of paradise. When I go elsewhere I don't mind paying for a quality service and experience. What I don't want to hear is all the internal whining and bitching from the locals. Not my problem.

If you don't like where you are then I suggest you leave and allow those that do want to stay to prosper. Leave and allow those of us that want to be here to enjoy our community. I did not ask you to come here and make this just like the place you came from. I did not ask you to come here and then close the door to others that want to enjoy this place. We all arrived as tourists and newbies. Most of us stayed and grew with the town and became a community. Do not ruin that for us. Do not turn us into a "Heavenly Vailly."

- Kenny "Skibum" Curtzwiler