Neverland Forever

Dear Editor: (sent to the San Luis Obispo Tribune and LA Times)

I was shocked to see the Tribune validate and reprint the LA Times editorial condemning a possible State park contract for Neverland. These editors are obviously more concerned with their own backyards, and the parks that are there, than the overall State and its Park system's economic health. Never has the need been so great or the choice more obvious. Why would Californians hold on to a black and white movie when a 3-D adventure is at their doorstep?

Clinging to the idols of the past has caused enough damage. Let's embrace the heroes of the 21st Century.

Hearst Castle's numbers have been decreasing for years. Even when the economy was booming it was on a fast downward trajectory. As a tour guide, I know that the powers-to-be were advised to take the focus of their tours off of an aging publisher and his mistress/actress that brought shame to him and his family. The San Simeon State Historical Monument was dedicated to William and his mother Phoebe in 1951. Her legacy, and her husband George's is sorely underappreciated in the state and the country. The subject matter of William Randolph Hearst and Marion Davies is antique, boring and embarrassing. The editorial mistakenly indicates that the state was "given" Hearst Castle. The parcel (150 acres) at the top of the hill, excluding the road, was part of a 300 + page contract, which gives the Hearsts full access to the house and property. That particular clause causes some guides to refer to our "park maintenance" as an extension of the Hearst family's household staff. The state's deal with the Hearsts also includes tax-exemptions and water rights that affect every tax-paying, utility paying citizen of the county and the state forever. None of this capitulation would be necessary to take over the former house of the King of Pop (2800 acres).

The world is apparently ready to forget William Randolph Hearst. He was guilty of enough and accused of even more. The ideas for updating the tours at the castle have been yet unheeded because museum and state officials believe that tawdry gossip sells better than art and history. The LA Times would not exist without celebrities and gossip. The insinuation that Michael's very public trial and the eventual verdict of "Innocent" would in any way negatively affect the rate of visitors at his former estate is incredulous.

The NAACP, as mentioned in the editorial, has every reason to anticipate an honor being bestowed upon an American legend more akin to Elvis than Allensworth or Hearst. The African-american sound has been the backbone of American music and culture over many generations. Why California cannot see the gold in opening his extravagant estate to the public is beyond me. Visitors from far and wide would pour money into state coffers to see the rooms where so much American culture transpired as they have paid to see Hearst Castle. The castle was never finished and is now falling apart. Still guests want to see "where it all happened". World travelers would shower attention on a home that was engrained in the American imagination for fantastic extravagances, good and bad.

Visitors who were once interested in a Hollywood now long gone are no longer leaving their houses in droves. But there are busloads and planeloads waiting to visit the eccentric home of the James Dean of rock 'n roll, the Godfather of the eighties, the original Thriller.

Recently a local editorial touted the idea of considering the vast central California locale in tourism terms as "the greater San Luis Obispo area" in hopes of increasing the number of visitors. Los Olivos, the location of the new Graceland/Disneyland is a short hour away. SLO will have the airlines begging to come back when tourists are sold on a vacation destination where they can travel to two wine countries, two historical homes, etc... Potentially Neverland's future would include a performing arts center where world class acts would vie to perform. The surrounding area would certainly experience a boon in restaurants, hotels and other tourist attractions.

The answer to the county's question of how to build tourism has just been handed to them on a silver platter and it is engraved "Neverland".