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Boycott
I'm bring this over from anther forum because it affects us all.
You may recall that some weeks ago there was discussion of a "no RV
Parking except in licensed campgrounds" ordinance in city of
Billings, MT. Following the publicity that this ordinance received on
many RV-related forums, the mayor and city council of Billings
received a large number of letters and emails from RVers. Many stated
their intention to boycott Billings, specifically because of this
city ordiance. There was also an editorial in the Billings Gazette
questioning the wisdom of the ordinance.
On August 15, 2005, the city council entertained public comment on
the existing ordinance, with a view toward possibly repealing it. On
another Yahoo group, one devoted to Wal-Mart Parking information, a
subscriber just posted the text of the official city notes of public
comments by two Billings area campground managers:
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JUDY BARNES, YELLOWSTONE RIVER CAMPGROUND, asked the Council to keep
the RV ordinance in place for several reasons:
1) to collect the bed tax used to benefit buildings, rest stops, and
tourism
2) the voluminous numbers of RVers using the West End Wal-Mart
parking lot
3) campgrounds generate most business during the summer months of the
year
4) many of the people writing to complain are "escapees" from
Livingston, TX who are fulltime RVers with no fixed address who live
free in RVs. These people drain their tanks into storm drains and
along roadways and dump their trash in other peoples receptacles
5) local campgrounds send campers to other tourist facilities that
bring dollar into the community
She asked the Council to look at the big picture and keep the
ordinance in place.
CAROL LINDE, BILLINGS KOA, said the KOA, Eastwood Estate, Trailer
Village and Yellowstone River Campground all advertise. She said they
are outraged by the Gazette's editorial regarding the RV matter. She
noted that the campground owners were never contacted for their
viewpoint.
She submitted a letter outlining her views, objecting to
the "boondocking" practice of the freeloading RVers that use public
services without paying for the benefit. She noted the bed tax that
is a portion of the campground fees that goes directly to the state
general fund and for the legislators to spend as they wish.
Ms. Linde said Montana is lagging in tourism promotion compared with
other states. She also noted that the campground's profits are kept
and spent locally. She asked if Billings wants "freeloaders" in their
City, as most of the letter writers are from out-of-state. She asked
the Council to continue to enforce the RV ordinance.
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Well, now we know what these two campground owners think of RV
owners. We're a bunch of vagabonds with no fixed addresses. We drain
our tanks along roadways and dump our trash into other people's
receptacles. We're nothing but a bunch of freeloaders who live free
in RV's. (I certainly WISH it were free!)
I'd like to see the RV community as a whole make an example of
Billings, MT, with a total boycott of the community -- don't stay
there, don't stop there, don't even go into Montana -- until they
become an RV-Friendly city again. On the other Group, this is being
called the "BBC" -- the "Boycott Billings Campaign." I for one will
participate and publicize it.
Jim O'Briant
Gilroy, CA
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Looking at Moving On Up :)
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