Crist wants $34 million from BP to counter negative publicity

No oil has yet washed up on Florida's beaches and might never do so. But plenty of potential tourists don't know that, Florida's governor says.

His solution: A $35 million advertising blitz, paid for by the company that owns the leaking oil well. That, he says, would enable the state's tourism marketing company, Visit Florida, to launch an advertising campaign to counter the rumors about coastlines covered in oil slicks and tar balls.

"One of the things that we want to do is be able to market to states north of Florida,'' Crist said, "that our beaches are still clean, that our hotels are still open, our restaurants are doing well, and we want people to continue to come on down and help our tourist industries.''

Crist also has requested the United States Small Business Administration to make low-interest loans available to impacted businesses in 19 counties. The loans will allow fishermen, hoteliers and other tourism-related businesses to receive financial assistance while waiting for funds from BP to become available.

Crist spoke Wednesday at a newly created command center in St. Petersburg that will be used to help coordinate the state's response to the oil spill. Coast Guard officials at the press conference backed the governor's point that the spill does not present an immediate danger to Florida's Gulf Coast.

The spill in the Gulf of Mexico remains 350 miles off the west coast of Florida and doesn't appear to be approaching, said Capt. Tim Close, commander of the St. Petersburg sector of the Coast Guard.

In fact, the spill has been moving in the opposite direction, he said.

"We are not laying booms on the west coast of Florida," Close said. "It's too early for that."

The oil spill is still 60 miles north of the Loop Current and doesn't appear to be heading south, Close said. The captain said he's been told if the oil does end up in the Loop Crrent, the oil would mostly stay in the current and bypass the state.

Booms may be laid in environmentally sensitive areas if the Coast Guard receives information that the spill is moving closer to Florida shores, Close said.

In the meantime, the center is taking precautions. Rapid response teams are being set up, for instance, to deal with any oil that might hit our beaches.

Efforts to put out the message that Florida beaches are oil-free need to start soon, says Carol Dover, president and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Dover said Memorial Day reservations on the Panhandle in some cases are plummeting from 90-percent occupancy rates down to somewhere in the teens. Hoteliers and others are reporting reservation cancellations as far as three months out, she said.

"The Legislature thinks a $6-billion shortfall is tough? Wait 'till a $60-billion industry is gone," Dover said.

The governor's actions to help the tourism industry comes one day after House Speaker Larry Cretul blasted Crist for saying he will call a special session on a constitutional amendment banning offshore oil drilling off Florida's coast.

Cretul called it a campaign-season ploy to "score political points."

Crist called Cretul's criticism of the governor's stated desire for a special session "unfortunate verbiage" but - ever the self-declared optimist - believes that "cooler heads will prevail."