A symbol of the shredded & eclipsed response to Dauphin Island by AL Tourism.

This image was saddening and powerful moment I had to document. At the time it hit me hard and I had to examine why.
It became a metaphor for the forgotten, maligned , shredded and eclipsed response Dauphin Island has received from the press, the state of Alabama and the BP folks when it came to helping restore our industry to before oil spill conditions.
We are on the front lines of many negative oil spill press reports but Al Tourism chose to allocate 99.9 of the tourism recovery funds garnered from BP to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach .
They knows that agency ONLY promotes the Eastern side of the state and has ignored Dauphin Island's devastation from the spill.
The head of Al Tourism has not visited Dauphin Island beaches in the 24 years he has been in the position as head of the Al Tourism agency. (according to local governmental officials)
Al Tourism chose to not even invite the Mayor, council, Chamber of Commerce or any tourism entity from the island (which is 1/3 of the states shoreline) to a 3 day Tourism conference. NONE OF US WERE EVEN NOTIFIED until it appeared in the local newspaper.
BP was fooled into giving $7 additional millions to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism agency (Which operates under a different legal name.) In meetings with BP PR folks it was evident they were under the impression this entity also would share 1/3 of the funds to Dauphin Island/South Mobile for tourism efforts. So far nothing has been done to rectify this at the Federal, state or local level.
PS: I am still trying to contact the owner of this flag and ask to have it disposed of properly.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Dauphin Island
• oil spill
• tourism
• Lee Sentell
• Herb Malone

[kazakhization]

true......

[Derail07]

This says it all.