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From 2006 to 2010, people got a very, very clear image in their minds of what hap- pens when development virtually freezes. Carpenters and tile people and all the auxil- iary services, they just leave town, and people start hurting. Places were closing; storefronts were going empty. We know that we're vulner- able to those economic problems. We have to diversify the economy, but we've also got to understand that the core of our economy in this area is development and real estate and it's just a fact of life. SNL: So you support what the county's done so far? RP: Up to this point, I think so. I don't have a major problem with what they've done to this point. There's always going to be a very vocal part of the community that's opposed to growth of any kind, and then there's always going to be the other side, saying, "Back off and let us do what we want." The balance is what we need, a person who's just pragmatic and logical. SNL: Is the county's investment in the rowing facility at Nathan Benderson Park wise? RP: Am I a rower? No. Personally, we're base- ball players. We'd love to see the Little League facilities at Twin Lakes [Park on Clark Road] doubled in size. But rowing is a growing move- ment and the park is going to have success. In the short term, it's going to have growing pains. We're going to have traffic problems till that [Interstate 75] interchange is improved. But overall, 10 years from now, we'll look back on it and say it was a decent investment. SNL: There's been a lot of debate recently about investing money in promoting the area versus investing it in upgrading tourism infra- structure. Do we have the right balance now? RP: Maybe it's time now to start looking at the capital investments. There's this whole other level of baseball; there's travel ball. You want to develop that. It's more competitive and the kids are consid- ered the real serious ballplayers. In an area like Sarasota, we don't have as many fields as we need. It's just time to maybe spend less on marketing and a little more on capital, bring- ing it to a better balance. SNL: Scientists say the sea level will rise between 24 and 48 inches by 2100. Is the county doing enough to prepare for that? RP: I'm not sure I could even give you a definitive answer on that. I'm not an expert on global warming. There is the tipping point when humans begin to produce more CO2 than they have in history; that's when you start to create the greenhouse effect, and you start to create the problems, and that's when you see sea levels rise. I go to the beach occasionally. I certainly don't see any less beach. If anything, it's growing. I just haven't seen any physical evidence that we need to start worrying about sea level rise. If it does, I live in Gulf Gate East. I might have waterfront property. Sarasota News Leader May 30, 2014 Page 18