Our Viewpoint
City may regret Big Bass decision

There are many things that are quickly related to Jasper and Jasper County. When you talk about good football, you talk about Jasper County's teams. When you talk about bass, you talk about Lake Sam Rayburn. And when you mention McDonald's Big Bass Splash, you think about Jasper.

But the latter may be separated in the coming weeks.

The city of Jasper has cut the hotelmotel funds annually given to McDonald's Big Bash Splash from $10,000 to this year's offer of $5,000 and event organizer Bob Sealy said the offer was "a slap in his face."

Sealy is now threatening to take the event, which has called Jasper its home for the past 23 years, to Lufkin or another destination on the upper side of the lake.

The city has countered by saying the tournament, which drew more than 4,600 contestants last year, does not fill the local hotels and motels to their capacity.

That point can be debated for the next few months but one point is definitely clear.

If Jasper loses this tournament, area businesses will pay the price for the lack of revenue that will hit the area during the scheduled April of 2008 tournament.

Sealy estimated the economic impact of his tournament ranges from $15-20 million. This includes money spent by his contestants and their families, not only at the hotel and motels, but at restaurants, stores and gas stations.

This tournament was the first in the McDonald's Big Bass Splash series and it will be sad commentary on the city's future if they allow it to leave Jasper.

When the city took over the hotel-motel funds away from the chamber, city officials expressed knowing the importance of fishing tournaments to the city.

Now is the time to prove that wasn't just talk.

Roses go to….

t James "Jimmy" Mansour on his appointment to the state's advisory board for economic development. Mansour is married to Jasper's Sarah Stephenson.

t Jasper County 4-H as they celebrate 100 years of service to our youth.

Thorns go to….

t The senseless death of Matthew LeJuan Scott, 20, who was killed as he argued with another man over $10. It was the first murder in the city of Jasper in more than two years.