Bill Young Offers Harrowing Account of Economic Damage Due to Oil Spill

U.S. Rep. Bill Young, the dean of the Florida delegation and the longest serving Republican in Congress, sent a letter to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus earlier this week, praising the work done in Pinellas County and by the Navy to monitor the oil spill in the Gulf -- but also weighing in on the economic damage the spill has done to the Tampa Bay area.

While the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area of Florida is not in immediate danger from the spread of oil, we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best outcome, wrote Young. As we discussed, our local economy is heavily centered upon the tourism and fishing industries.

Young offered a haunting anecdote on how the spill has affected Floridas beach economy.

Even the threat of oil coming upon our shoreline has already had a major impact on our hotel and restaurant industry, wrote Young. At a standing-room-only community forum last week, it was reported that our local beach business has declined 30 percent so far this year."

With the long Independence Day weekend coming up, the damage to this crucial part of Florida's economy may only intensify.