The early May article in the Summit Daily News discussing Tamara Pogue and Elizabeth Lawrence’s short-sighted views on their short-term rental decisions for Summit County reflects how ill-informed and out of touch they are with the reality of Summit County economics.

These two liberal, political idealogues seem to think that government mandates limiting short-term rentals will somehow magically make Summit County the government-subsidized nirvana that they want to create. News flash: the Summit County economic engine runs almost exclusively on the short-term rental fuel and the jobs and income it produces. By removing short term rentals, the Commissioners’ own statistical analysis referred to in the article confirms that they are reducing the economic vitality that Summit County needs to survive in times that are not as profitable and rosy as the current cycle.

Short-term rentals are the goose that has been laying golden eggs in our community for the past 40 years. Each short-term rental produces many local jobs and adds millions of dollars to local businesses and municipal coffers. Restricting short-term rentals will severely limit income to local businesses by removing those visitors’ spending from the owners’ cash registers, forcing many businesses to close and eliminating local jobs.

It’s time for Summit County to wake up and smell the coffee! Reject the fear and loathing imposed on we the people by unscrupulous liberal local government bureaucrats who are afraid to take this important issue to a vote of the people. Don’t let these Summit County Commissioners render our wonderful, local, capitalistic economic model impotent with their Keynesian central planning command and control. It’s time to cast off the shackles of government and return to freedom.

I urge you to voice your opinion against any short-term rental restrictions.