May 23, 2010 was a date that every Panama City Beach resident, property owner, business owner, and real estate developer had been anticipating, no desperately awaiting, for the past several years.  That date would signal a new beginning.  The first post 9/11 international airport, Florida Northwest Beaches Airport, was scheduled to be operational.  In the short-term this would mean a huge bump in tourism, an increase in spending, property values would finally begin to rebound, and an influx of investment dollars.  After all, we had The St. Joe Company, Leucadia National, Southwest Airlines, all New York Stock Exchange companies, committed to making this become a reality with $100’s of millions invested.  The Wall St Journal, New York Times, Atlanta Journal Constitution and almost every major periodical in the US and internationally were trumpeting this great moment for our region.  CNBC and MSNBC, CNN MONEY were some of the business outlets that were onboard, providing editorial exposure and promotion that advertising dollars couldn’t begin to purchase.  A Can’t Miss……… the Summer of 2010 would be the historic beginning!!

April 20, 2010 Changes Our World

Unfortunately on April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded killing 11 platform workers and injuring 17 others while spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  This tragic event caused by BP’s and other’s greed and total disregard for the well-being of others has derailed the inevitable bonanza to our region. By all accounts tourism was down nearly 30% this summer; retail establishments hanging on through the harsh recession never experienced the anticipated upturn; investment dollars for development disappeared; and the entire region came to a grinding halt….for now and maybe forever.

Damages…What Damages?

According to BP and its representatives, “Only a few tar balls have hit our beaches and all of the oil is now gone.”  “There are no damages…just compare 2010 numbers to 2009 numbers.”  Well great this approach ignores all of the facts.  This was to be the Summer of 2010….the beginning.  Instead of the unprecedented growth that was ineviteable, there are untold dispersants in our sea beds, below surface oil plumes, and unknown ecological damages lurking below the surface, that will affect our region for decades to come. Many questions exist.  Tourists and potential transplants have many choices.  Where to vacation and ultimately where to relocate?  Will they flock here or will they take a wait and see attitude?  Those that decided to go elsewhere this year will they ever return?  What will happen when the next hurricane blows through the Gulf and an “upswell effect” occurs?  Would you allow your children to eat Gulf seafood?

 We Must Unite

 All of those questions enumerated above, as well as dozen of others are costing us dollars today and will cost us dollars in the future.  We all know that we have been injured and will continue to be injured, however we need to provide proof that will be accepted by BP and its representatives or alternatively to a Court of Law.  The proper forensic accountants can and will document what I have outlined above.  It will be expensive, and probably only affordable by companies the size of a St Joe.  If we band together we can have the proper professionals represent our interests. We can be successful and prove our damages.  If not we will die on the vine.