We not only luv tourists, we need them

Mary Henkel Judson is editor and copublisher of the South Jetty. Contact her at southjetty@centurytel.net.

Memorial Day weekend is the gateway to the summer tourist season that will span the next three months.

It usually means that those of us who live here year-round give up our streets, restaurants, grocery store, beaches, shops and quiet days on the water to tourists.

We learn to take the back roads, dine out, go to the beach and fish on weekdays, and time our ferry rides around check out time.

It could be worse. We could have free rein of our streets, restaurants, grocery store, beaches, shops and quiet days on the water seven days a week. That would mean loss of jobs and income. Not a pretty picture.

The inconvenience of a busy summer is offset by the income it produces and the jobs it creates and maintains. And, tourists leave thousands of dollars in sales tax revenue in our city coffers. That serves to offset the amount of ad valorem tax paid by property owners.

The Port Aransas economy is, and has been, based on tourism. Anyone who came here not realizing that failed to do his or her research. Many who live here permanently learned about Port Aransas first from a tourist's perspective. Some of them complain the most about tourists.

I am offended by bumper stickers that read, "If they call it tourist season, why can't we shoot 'em?", and "Don't shoot me, I'm not a tourist."

Those tourists are putting money in all our pockets, either directly or indirectly. They are, in effect, the lifeblood of our economy. "Shooting" them is the last thing we want to do.

Granted, there are those who can be unpleasant, but some of our residents are guilty of that (refer to the aforementioned bumper stickers).

Without tourists, we would not have the dining, nightlife or shopping opportunities that they have made possible. That's a nice perk.

Tourists are not people we want to lose. Their presence is how we feed, water, clothe and shelter our families.

If you want to put a sticker on your car, use one of the stickers the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce-Tourist Bureau distributed to members last week. They read, "We luv havin' you!"

Then go forth and treat every tourist the way you want to be treated when you are on vacation as though your life depends on it, because it does.