A healthy and vibrant Lake County economy would fund lake management without need for a special tax.

There will not be a healthy economy without a properly managed lake that is healthy or at least headed in that direction.

The lake and the economy are tightly connected. The special tax is urgently needed at this time to set both the lake and the economy on the course of recovery.

Arguments for Measure S have presented information that is accurate and valid and (rightly so) desperate.

The few arguments against S major or a bunch of minor points and fail to address the big picture.

Let’s face it, no one likes to vote for a tax increase. However, this one will prove to all to be a good return on investment.

One extremely important point that has not received enough focus is that to turn our economy around we need outside investment into Lake County.

In case you haven’t noticed, there are countless businesses that are closed, or closing, or at the very least struggling.

Current properties, the prime example being Konocti Harbor Resort, need to be renovated and up and running to allow Lake County to compete for and again attract tourists to our area.

Developers must commit tens of millions of dollars to a project such as Konocti Harbor. The last deal fell apart due to lack of funding. They competed for development dollars with other areas (SF Bay Area, out-of-state projects) that were in hot economies and did not have the lake issues involved.

Getting significant development dollars committed to Lake County projects is dependent on the county having a well-funded (as in Measure S) and well-managed lake plan.

The health of the lake is a necessity for the success of any large scale investment in the county. If the county is not equipped to manage the lake with adequate funding the lake becomes a risk to developers that cannot be ignored.

Would you invest in a Konocti Harbor Resort project if the county was unable to address the many issues facing Clear Lake? I would not.

Let’s manage our future by managing our lake and our economy, vote yes on S.

Ed Calkins lives in Kelseyville, Calif.