Oil Spill Relief Concerts? Pensacola Realtor Suggests BP Fund Concerts To Boost Tourism Industry (VIDEO)

Wednesday on "The Ed Show," Ed Schultz spoke with Robert Rinke, President of Levin and Rinke Resort Realty in Pensacola Beach, Fl. on the status of the local tourism industry in the wake of the Gulf oil spill.

"The spill that BP has caused has driven away tourism," said Rinke.

Rinke said that nearly 2,500 people depend on rental income from hotels, condominiums and homes and because it is the beginning of rental season, a drop in bookings would cause immense damage to the local economy.

Stores, restaurants, and other businesses would collapse without the much-needed money that comes from tourism rentals in Pensacola, Rinke told Shultz.

Rinke, however, said that in a public meeting, there were suggestions made of relief concerts that would in turn attract tourism and bring back some of the business to the rental industry.

The concerts, Rinke said, would be funded by BP and would bring headlining artists to some of the local arenas. BP has not yet responded to the request, however, said Rinke.

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