N.C. Congressman Wants Larger Lobby: McIntyre Advises Brunswick to Expand Network

By Steve Jones, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Apr. 6–OCEAN ISLE BEACH, N.C. — U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., gave Brunswick County elected officials and business people the same message Wednesday that he gave them the last time they all sat down to lunch together: develop a network of inland coastal advocates who will lobby their congressional delegates for the money to renourish beaches and to dredge inlets and the Intracoastal Waterway.

"Even if you get a dozen more people," he said, "isn’t that better than nobody?"

McIntyre didn’t say later that last year’s request had generated a lot of action. Rather, he said as he toured part of Ocean Isle Beach’s newly renourished beach that work he’s done with some key members of Congress could pay off, and inland support might be best generated by beach organizations, such as those headed by Caswell Beach Mayor Harry Simmons.

Simmons is head of the Brunswick Beaches Consortium, executive director of the N.C. Beach Inlet and Waterway Association and president of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

McIntyre said he likened beach preservation and coastal waters dredging to the maintenance of Interstate 95. The major north-south corridor on the East Coast, the highway is a vital economic asset for the country, McIntyre said.

Likewise, the dollars generated by coastal tourism and development are also important to the country.

"This is about jobs," he said at the luncheon. "It’s about the environment and it’s about the economy."

McIntrye challenged the 88 attendees to think big on coastal issues and to challenge presidential candidates to state publicly how important they think the nation’s coastlines are.

"We can dream big and we can do it," he said. "We can be the dreamers and the doers."

Contact STEVE JONES at 910-754-9855 or sjones@thesunnews.com [mailto:sjones@thesunnews.com].

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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