My Take: It’s all about the beach

AS surprising as it might have been to some, general consensus reported in the Mid South Coast Mail last week was that Umdoni has had its “best holiday season for many a year”.

The question is: Why?

Beforehand, the naysayers were quick to predict doom and gloom for a myriad of reasons (not least of all, the missing beachfront Wimpy), yet the holiday crowds still pitched up for longer and in larger numbers.

The Mail went out and about to ask the key roleplayers for their opinions on the pros and cons in the hope that their views would egg on the powers-that-be for Easter.

• Top pros were our amazing coastline and beaches.

• Top cons were crime and unruly beach behavior.

There you have it in a nutshell. The the KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid) strategy should be:

• Look after our beaches, the facilities and keep them clean.

• Re-introduce ‘Bobbies on the Beat’ and apply the law strictly.

Our editor’s comment last week suggested that we cordon off an area of the Scottburgh beachfront to cater for the party people. However, based on the response from several letter writers, the editor has to concede that his attempt at a compromise might just make matters worse.

Money (not votes) makes the world – and Scottburgh – go round and if we are chasing away cash flush holiday people to accommodate booze binges for political reasons, then we have all lost the plot.

It’s pretty logical: More money leads to more jobs, less poverty and less crime.

However, in the run-up to the 2016 local government elections, one fears that this year will see our councillors being more concerned about politics (and votes) rather than economics.

Comments to the contrary from our councillors would be most welcome.