COMMENTARY
MILT THOMAS
Charlie Wilson seems to have more schemes than Ralph Kramden and they often turn out like Ralph’s. After years of bad-mouthing the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, he decided last year to create his own chamber. He now claims to have 66 members and has hired an executive director (Susan Haller), but the question remains, how many of those 66 members realize they have joined his chamber?
Earlier this year he sent an unsolicited mass mailing to Vero Beach businesses with an invoice attached from the Vero Beach chamber of commerce. In at least some cases, recipients of the letter thought it was an invoice from the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce and paid it. Clever move, Ralph.
So with his claim of 66 new members, the question is how many of them realize they have paid to join Charlie’s new chamber? The first general membership meeting should be interesting.
Indian River Guardian 
I guess the Impact Fee business is dwindling. Anyone who saw his latest yelling and screaming at the last council meeting will have second thoughts about joining his version of a chamber of commerce. I am sure FP&L is a charter member.
I am not a resident of Vero Beach. I do not regularly watch the TV broadcasts of the COVB meetings. Yet my husband and I watched the last COVB council meeting. To say that we were shocked at the unprofessional demeanor of Charlie Wilson is an understatement.
As the old cliche goes — a picture is worth a thousand words — the concept was dramatized by Charlie Wilson at the last COVB council. Perhaps he is not aware that the mission of a Chamber of Commerce is to advocate on behalf of the businesses in your community. His outburst and leaving the chamber like a two year old having a temper tantrum would repeal any business from wanting to do business in a community,
Sometimes it’s difficult to get the message to some of the incompetence on the council. Charlie Wilson did in fact win that battle. George Christopher will NOT be a participant at the FMPA meeting on April 2nd. What a flagrant screw up made by “the mayor”. Pity, pity citizens of Vero Beach.
Lavins, you watched but didn’t listen.