Watch that bed tax

Hoteliers in Lee County are right to be concerned about how the bed tax they collect will be spent by politicians.

Readers might recall the Review's recent interview with Jim Larkin, the general manager of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Fort Myers who recently helped form the Lee County Hotel Association. Larkin says hoteliers need to be vigilant about politicians grabbing some of that money for projects unrelated to tourism.

Larkin is right. While county revenues have fallen, the bed tax has risen thanks to a boost in hotel traffic this year.

The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau recently announced that the bed tax generated $24.2 million in the fiscal year ended in September, a record. That's a temptation few politicians can resist.