Meeker abandons her job at SFWMD; heads for better deal

Melissa Meeker has resigned from her position of two years as executive director of the South Florida Water Management District.  A Sun Sentinel article says she is leaving not because she was pushed out but because of a better offer she couldn’t refuse.

This should not surprise you.  Meeker has a history of “moving on.”  A glance at her vitae indicates she has used political opportunism to move to more important positions again and again staying only a few years at most before leaving. 

Is she a political hack, as some say, for her jumping from one governmental position to another just to widen her portfolio of connections and improve her political capital?  Or, is she the professional gadfly whose luster dims easily under the light of failed expectations and disappointment prompting her to grab the next ride to another opportunity?  Or, is she such a treasure chest of intellect and talent that suitors will do anything to lure her away, as she would have us believe?

Frankly, I don’t know what her deal is but I am confident it isn’t the latter. A search for shining moments where her professional ship has docked over the years leaves one scratching one’s head.  Nowhere does it mention any achievements of significance she could claim as her own.  It does say curiously, however, with the quotes being her own, that she “sold” her own consulting business so she could move on to bigger and better things.  What was she trying to communicate when she put the word sold in quotes?  Did she sell it or not?

Here’s her LinkedIn profile:

Executive Director, South Florida Water Management District

June 2011 – Present (2 years) 

Deputy Secretary of Water Policy and Ecosystem Projects, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

March 2011 – May 2011 (3 months)

Responsible for state water policy, coordination among water management districts, and implementation of ecosystem projects, including Everglades Restoration and ACF. 

Commissioner, FL Environmental Regulation Commission

2010 – 2011 (1 year) 

The Florida Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC) is a non-salaried, seven-member board selected by the Governor, who represent agriculture, the development industry, local government, the environmental community, citizens, and members of the scientific and technical community.

The Commission sets standards and rules that protect Floridians and the environment based on sound scientific and technical validity, economic impacts, and risks and benefits to the public and Florida’s natural resources. Most issues that go before the ERC relate to air pollution, water quality and waste management. 

Former Owner, Hesperides Group

2007 – 2011 (4 years) 

" ‘sold’ the business to move on to bigger and better things!” 

Director, Women in the Environment

2007 – 2011 (4 years)

A networking organization for women who work in environmental fields. 

Vice President, Tetra Tech EC, Inc.

July 2005 – January 2010 (4 years 7 months) 

National Water and Natural Resources Program Lead 

Board Member, Sustainable Treasure Coast, Inc.

2004 – 2010 (6 years)

Governing Board Member, South Florida Water Management District

2007 – 2009 (2 years) 

SE District Director, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

1997 – 2004 (7 years) 

So, what are we to think of Ms. Meeker (assuming it should matter)?  

One thing she did not say was that she served on hospital-trader Scott’s transition team, and worked with co-member and transition team sub-committee chair on regulatory reform, Doug Manson.  It was Manson’s sub-committee that devised the now despised grand plan of the Scott administration to dismantle and destroy the state’s nationally respected environmental regulatory framework.  This is a very ill-advised scheme that resulted in the firing of hundreds of regulatory professionals and loss of thousands of years of critical institutional memory under the guise of having to reduce government because of a fractured economy.   

Meeker has been very much a part of this overly destructive gambit which really could be putting Florida's economic future at risk.  It has become clear that the true reason for the attack on the state’s ability to provide fundamental protection for its natural systems was to reset the regulatory clock to an earlier time when environmental protection was no more than a concept and before it was a body of law.  The true reason was to allow power companies, mining companies, big agriculture, and developers-of-all-things-that-sprawl to once again have the freedom to ditch, dike, drain and pollute the state’s rivers, wetlands, lakes, springs and natural systems without restraint. 

Meeker was one of Scott’s minions who participated in the genesis of this idiocy and then signed on to help carry it out.  In her farewell email to the staff, she said she is proud of “what we have accomplished together …” i.e., the damage she wrought during the two short years of her presence, and the institutional incapacity she, Herschel Vinyard and Rick Scott have suffered upon the district.  (see Meeker resignation email to staff HERE.) 

Earlier this year, we learned in a Palm Beach Post Editorial that someone had placed an amendment on a bill last legislative session that allowed only Meeker’s district to place advertising signs on the district’s public property.  Suddenly and without notice, a proposal was placed before the governing board to enter a contract that would benefit former board member Harkley Thorton.  Here’s what the Post concluded: 

• The amendment allowing the billboards — disguised as “public information systems” — was a last-minute provision in a must-pass bill to fund the water districts. That’s the tactic Tallahassee uses to sneak stuff through with no debate;
• Former Sen. Paula Dockery, a member of the committee where the bill originated, says former House Speaker Dean Cannon’s office backed the amendment;
• Mr. Thornton chaired Mr. Cannon’s political spending committee in 2010, and the two are friends;
• Mr. Thornton, who owns the billboard company Florida Communication Advisors, is a former business partner of South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Melissa Meeker;
• Mr. Thornton’s company is negotiating with the district on a contract to install billboards in a dozen counties, including Palm Beach, St. Lucie, Martin, Orange and part of Broward.

And there’s more:

• South Florida is the only one of the state’s five water management districts with a billboard plan;
• Mr. Thornton and his wife each donated $4,700 to Mike Haridopolos, who was Senate president when the bill was passed. 

The thought that occurred to many when all this hit the street was said best by the Post: 

 “When Ms. Meeker took over, she said the district would focus only on its core missions: flood control, water supply and environmental restoration.  Where do billboards fit?” 

On February 7, The Everglades Review reported that the district dropped the proposal saying, “Public backlash over allowing billboards on public land persuaded the South Florida Water Management District on Tuesday to drop its controversial money-making venture…. But so many questions remain unanswered.” 

Here are some other controversies in which the district has become embroiled under her leadership (reported by Everglades Hub at http://www.evergladeshub.com/news/arch/13-05TXT.htm.) 

Jan. 24: No-bid leases: Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet bless two land deals by the water district that award no-bid, 30-year agricultural leases in the Everglades to major farming companies despite complaints from environmentalists and a water district official that the public was neither aware of nor consulted on the deals. The district came under fire last year for its long-standing policy of renewing agricultural leases without putting them out for competitive bid.

Feb. 27: No-interview hiring: Water district governing board member Dan DeLisi has resigned and accepted a position as the district’s chief of staff. DeLisi, 39, sent his resignation letter to Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday. On Friday, DeLisi said he submitted his application for the chief of staff position. Although he did not interview for the position, on Tuesday DeLisi was offered the job over 53 other applicants.

May 20: Mecca deal: When the water district governing board voted this month to offer Palm Beach County $26 million for a former citrus grove, the same value determined by an appraiser hired by the county, the district’s board was not told of another county appraisal that had valued the property between $14.8 and $22.5 million 

Except for the fact that this woman is obviously filled with burning ambition, her ultimate destination has never been clear.  The Sun Sentinel reports she was offered a position at a large international consulting firm without even asking.  She indicated that the promise was of a future so much better than her life at SFWMD that she could not deny herself the opportunity.   

So, Meeker now rejoins the private sector.  Let’s hope that’s where she stays.  That’s where she belongs.  Maybe the damage she'll do there will limited to her own interests and not so much the public's.  She says she does not intend to do business with the South Florida Water Management District in the near future.  Let us hope that’s forever.

 

As she leaves a once respected institution badly weakened and maybe even broken, and a confused staff that before she arrived knew a whole lot better what is needed to accomplish its complex and crucially important duties, I for one do not understand why anyone might think she did a good job.

 

Senator Bob Graham : Demand that legislators stop serving the whims of special interests.

The internet has given voice to virtually anyone with a computer and an itch to say whatever might be on his or her mind, and clearly, a lot of us, me included, take advantage of the opportunity regardless of our credentials.  It is becoming so common that hearing the truly legitimate voices amidst all the clatter and fog is getting more and more difficult.  So, when someone who is truly qualified, credentialed and universally respected speaks out, it’s important we pause and take the time to listen.

Former Florida Governor and U. S. Senator Bob Graham is just such a voice.

Bob Graham was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1966 and reelected in 1968. He was elected to the Florida State Senate in 1970 and reelected in 1972 and 1976.

In 1978, he was elected the 38^th Governor of Florida and served from 1979 to 1987.  He served as Florida’s United States Senator from 1987 to 2005. At retirement in 2003, he had served 38 consecutive years in public office.

Here’s what Wikipedia says about his career: 

Graham emphasized education, and placed a focus on improvement of the public universities in the state. By the end of his second term the state university system was among the first quartile of state systems in America, and its public schools and community colleges had substantially improved their academic standing.

In addition, Graham's administration focused on economic diversification and environmental policies. During his tenure as Governor, the state added 1.2 million jobs, and for the first time in state history the per capita income of Floridians exceeded the US average. For three of his eight years Florida was rated by the accounting firm Grant Thornton as having the best business climate of all states in the union.

Graham also launched the most extensive environmental protection program in the state's history, focused on preserving endangered lands. During his tenure thousands of acres of threatened and environmentally important lands were brought into state ownership for permanent protection. His keystone accomplishment was the establishment of the Save the Everglades program, which has now been joined by the federal government in a commitment to restore the Everglades.

Graham left the Governorship with an 83% approval rating.

Last Tuesday, the South Florida Sun Sentinel published a letter by Senator Graham that all of us should read if we have any concern for the future of Florida in any respect.  If you decide not to read his letter because he is a lifelong Democrat, it is probably safe to suggest you might just be part of the problem because partisan politics has become the fundamental cause of most of our problems today, from D.C to Tallahassee.  His message should be viewed absent of party interests, either Democrat or Republican.  Forget about party politics for just a moment and consider what the Senator has to say.  His letter is printed below, in full, with his permission.

 

Former Governor and
US Senator from Florida
Bob Graham

 The Florida Conservation Coalition (FCC) was founded after the devastating legislative session of 2011 which rolled back 40 years of bi-partisan environmental stewardship. Since the 1970’s Florida’s Governors and Legislators, Democrats and Republicans, have believed in the importance of protecting Florida’s land and water, and understood the connection between a healthy environment and a healthy economy.  As history shows, this period of stewardship produced some of the best economic years Florida has ever had while improving natural resource management and land conversation. During the mid-1980’s Florida was using a deep tool box, in collaboration with private sector and local government, to manage Florida’s growth. At the same time, Florida was adding jobs at a rate of over 150,000 per year.  And these were quality jobs; for the first time in the state’s history, Floridian’s per capita income exceeded that of other Americans.

Since 2011 that legacy of stewardship has been replaced by the false mantra “environmental protection hurts the private sector”.  Now, pro-environmental legislation is dead on arrival, and virtually every anti-regulation bill considered is drafted by special interest industry lawyers and handed off to willing Senators and Representatives.  Florida’s conservation groups, not given an equal seat at the table when legislation is being crafted or considered, must fight back bad bills and amendments to hold on to what is left of our environmental legacy.

Jimmy Petronis
Sponsor of the
"... the worst bill
of the session"

            This year, we were faced with the best example yet of this system run amok.   The worst bill of the session, House Bill 999 and Senate Bill 1684, was blithely described by House Sponsor Jimmy Patronis as “a Christmas Tree” for those private interests who approached him with their special requests.  A 40-page bill, drafted by industry lobbyists, with more than two dozen sections weakening or eliminating environmental protections.

At one point or another, these bills contained language that would prevent local governments from protecting their waters from fertilizers producing algae and killing off native plants and wildlife; restrict the ability of the state to protect wetlands; preempt local governments from protecting critical wetlands; and take Florida a step closer to the privatization of our water resources.

I, and other FCC leaders, worked on this legislation for weeks and went to the Capitol to speak up for those who believe in protecting Florida’s environment for the health, prosperity, and enjoyment of ourselves and our children.  Thanks to the thousands of calls and emails from across the state, excellent coverage by Florida’s newspapers, and the wisdom of some important Senators, all of the provisions above were removed from the toxic train before it passed on the final day of legislative session.

Unfortunately, even with all these improvements, there is nothing in the bill that serves the public interest.  Perhaps the worst provision remaining in the final bill, annihilates the legal rights of a citizen or group to challenge the controversial 30 year no-bid leases granted by the Governor and Cabinet to two sugar companies in the Everglades Agricultural Area. For those who support consistent and meaningful environmental policy in this state, HB 999 is still a bad bill; bad politics and bad policy. Legislation like this does nothing to find solutions to the problems facing our state, economic or environmental.

There were some “victories” this session. Two bills proposed early in the session, Senate Bills 584 and 466, attacked public land conservation, our state’s most effective tool for protecting ecosystems, natural resources, and wildlife. Each of these bills died in committee following public opposition.

Other limited victories include a $10 million down payment towards the estimated over $100 million cost of repairing Wekiva, Silver, and scores of other imperiled Florida springs. Everglades restoration received a $70 million allocation. Funding for Florida Forever, although greater than recent years, is still dramatically below the $300,000,000 historically spent by the state on land conservation.  Most of the Florida Forever funding is not likely to become available as it is dependent on the sale of other public lands.

We should all be proud of the great work done by Florida’s conservation groups and concerned citizens this session, but Florida cannot take another special-interest serving legislative session.  We must start promoting legislation that strengthens environmental protection and fully funds land conservation and spring and river restoration.

Already, the response from the people of Florida and subsequent defeat of many of the most environmentally damaging special interest giveaways and legislation this year has sent a message our leaders in Tallahassee. Conservation groups are working well together on priority issues.  Next year we must demand that legislators stop serving the whims of special interests, and focus on their responsibilities to our, and future, generations of Floridians.

Senator Bob Graham

The Hubris of Jimmy Petronis; antithetical to the public interest

There’s a diseased perception in Florida today and it’s pervasive. It’s the idea that commerce and jobs are all that Florida needs to forever prosper and remain one of the most desired destinations in the world.  It’s diseased because it’s unhealthy for the future of the state and, if allowed to persist, it will undermine it’s very heart.

This unfortunate perception is fostered by the popular view that America is the home of competitive free enterprise which offers anyone, through hard work and a determined entrepreneurial spirit, the opportunity to rise, theoretically at least, from poverty to any level of prosperity possible in the world.  All Americans are proud of this idea, as they should be.  It is the bedrock of the American way of life – socially, philosophically, governmentally, economically and, in some minds, even spiritually.

We all consider opportunity to be the foundation of the American Ideal, the opportunity to work hard without unnecessary constraint by government .  We all believe in the opportunity to compete in an open market, to become singularly, according to our own devices and capacities, rich with “things” and to have the ability to enjoy the rewards of our success.  We all cherish at least the opportunity, if not always the reality, of being able to live what has globally become “The American Dream.”

Unfortunately, the insidious malady found in today’s Tallahassee machinations where this dream is touted in practically every spoken word is that absolutely nothing is of higher importance than the pursuit of free enterprise and that all government regulation is antithetical and destructive to that American Ideal.  The thought has become that any and all regulation is bad for America and its people because anything that constrains free enterprise is a constraint upon all Americans, and it is free enterprise that makes America what it is. 

Thus it is almost heresy to suggest that there may be some constraints and limitations which need to be placed upon the methods and activities of business to protect public interests and that doing so is consistent with the American Ideal.  In support of this heresy are endless horror stories where businesses have presumed their purposes were more important than the interests of the public and the results have been disastrous in terms of losses in human health, safety and welfare.  (The tragedy of the Commons, the BP oil disaster, The Exxon Valdes oil spill, the Levee failure of Lake Okeechobee in 1928, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, the 2007 Global Great Recession, Wall Street Crash of 1929, Plumbing of the Everglades, Destruction of the Kissimmee River, Destruction of Kissengen Springs, Highlands Ranch Mitigation Bank, Adena Springs Ranch Slaughter House, Silver Springs, etc., etc.)

Yet, the notion that all regulation is heinous, no matter what the greater purpose, persists.  It is particularly bothersome that it continues to be held as gospel by many young otherwise seemingly bright legislators who refuse to appreciate that the idea is not pure. They refuse to accept the thought that there can never be a true and total Laissez Faire relationship between commerce and government particularly as populations grow and interaction among humans becomes more complex as it has in Florida.

What seems to be missing in the conversations out of Tallahassee is the understanding of the very real actuality that any pursuit of economic success that encroaches upon the interests of the public can and will erode the very underpinnings that make that success possible.  It cannot be sustained and any gain resulting from it, i.e. short term profits, will be equally short lived.

It is odd the way this notion has taken hold most prevalently in the youngest and most ambitious of Tallahassee’s brightest, who, paradoxically, were put there by the public whose interests they seem to have abandoned.  And, since it is primarily the young legislators who are holding all the extant political power, the older members of the legislature who should otherwise know better– at least, theoretically - find themselves bleating with feigned enthusiasm as they scramble for crumbs of relevance that might offer significance for them being there in the first place.

The young fiscal conservatives in the legislature have drifted so far to the right they have lost sight of all but the most basic concerns for the interests of the greater public.  Business and the right to market such things as electricity, phosphate, spring water, and sugar, for example, now, clearly outweigh the greater interests of the people in the minds of our Tallahassee leaders.  It has become a them vs. us scenario.  Anything that supports the interests of business is moral and right, while anything that suggests serving the greater public good is socialism. 

Even as you read this, I suspect you are saying that regulation IS antithetical to the idea that business and commerce must not be constrained if it is to flourish.  Free enterprise must remain just that, free to be creative and progressive in developing new ideas and economic synergies.  This concept, you say, is the very idea that has made America the greatest economic power the world has ever seen.  And if you are saying that, you would be right.

The thing is, however, there must be limits when the greater public good is at risk. Otherwise, everything that makes Florida what it is will be consumed and lost in the interest of short term profits for a few.  Somehow, Tallahassee has got to return to the idea that regulation - wise, efficient and purposeful regulation - is needed in order to serve those public interests which are higher in priority than any short term profit for a privileged few.  This is not space math.  It is a fundamental axiom that speaks plainly to the future of our country and state.

Jimmy Petronis (right)
Feb. 14, 2013

Take, for example, Jimmy Petronis (won’t somebody, please, take him?).  He exemplifies the Nouveau Legislative  Lemming mentality of fiscal conservatism that says handouts are good but only when it’s business that gets them.  He arrived in Tallahassee a few years ago proud that he was only 35 or so when elected to the Florida House, the son of a wealthy seafood restaurateur, and bragging that he was sent there not to take naps – implying, not too subtlely, that all others were there to do just that.

This is the dude who in a tsunami of sophomoric immaturity declared in a Tampa Bay Times report that he also came to shake up regulators.  He compares it to defrosting a refrigerator and tossing out bad and old food, like at the Department of Environmental Protection, thereby clearly establishing that he is one who knows all about environmental protection and what it means to Florida’s future.

This is why he files so-called “train” bills, bills that have been labeled dangerous to the state’s economic future by practically every organization concerned about the importance of healthy, attractive and flourishing natural systems to Florida and its millions of residents, not to mention the 85 million-plus tourists who visit here annually from around the world.

As former Florida State Senator Lee Constantine is fond of saying, “These people don’t come to Florida to see malls.  They come to see and enjoy our lakes, rivers and beaches.  And, when they’re gone, so will be the tourists and their dollars that sustain the economy of this state.”

Petronis has introduced this session the ugliest of the ugliest bills floating through the T-Town process right now, House Bill 999.

A Tampa Bay Times editorial this morning said,

“…the provisions are toxic. They would prevent local governments from regulating the destruction of wetlands by small, independent drainage districts that oversee more than 1 million acres across the state. They would give legal cover to a no-bid, 30-year sweetheart deal that Scott and the Cabinet gave to two farming operations to continue polluting the Everglades. The bill also would fast-track permitting for natural gas pipelines, and big water users would have every incentive to continue pumping groundwater even after new technologies offer a more sustainable water source.”

Petronis is the human personification of the spreading Tallahassee sickness gripping the state.  Almost as a game of chance being played by drunken gamblers cheerfully unaware of what they are about to lose, he plays with the hinges that hold the future of the state together, pulling at the stays of the tent that protects the very characteristics that give Florida the beauty and sustainability it needs to survive.  He plays a dangerous and arrogant game with the powers of the people who, inexplicably, seem to have sipped some of the same elixir.

The thing that makes Jimmy Petronis so dangerous is that he may also be smart.  If this is true, intelligence mixed with hubris, ignorance, and power makes him exponentially more dangerous than your average unthinking lemming-like legislator … and the Petronis portfolio is bloated with all three of these endearing characteristics. 

The Florida Conservation Coalition, most other Florida environmental organizations, and a host of editorials in responsible newspapers around the state are pleading for the public to weigh in on Petronis’ HB 999, as well its sorry companion bill in the Senate, SB 1684 (Sen. Thad Altman), by letting Tallahassee know how bad these bills smell and are rotten to the core.

Referring to two editorials published in the Tampa Bay Times and the Ocala Star Banner opposing these two bills, the FCC said today in a “Legislative Alert:

“Please read Assault on environment unabated and Special interests vs .  public interests, then send an email to your Senator (listed below) with links to these articles and your own comments.  Make sure your Senator knows that you, and thousands of other Floridians, are watching their vote on SB 1684.

HB 999 passed in the House last week.  SB 1684 is still awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.

It is not comforting that one of Tallahassee’s most successful advocates for business activities antithetical to a healthy natural Florida and other greater public interests has commented that Petronis, coming from a family that runs a successful restaurant, believes “the customer is always right.” 

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Frank Mathews, lobbyist for developers, phosphate miners, boat manufacturers, sugar growers, power companies and garbage companies, said, “That’s (Petronis) everybody’s dream sponsor… He couldn’t be more accommodating.”

Such may be appealing to Mathews but not to others, it is all part of the growing sickness infecting Tallahassee … and Florida’s future is at risk like it’s not been in years. 

You will find the phone numbers and email addresses of every Senator in Tallahassee at the FCC’s website including Thad Altman's:  http://floridaconservationcoalition.org/emails/348782?s=284bf9f4.

Let them hear your voice loud, clear and often, now.

Gary Kuhl: I Hope I'm Wrong !!!

The following letter was provided by Gary Kuhl and is posted with his permission.  It’s an important message.  You’ve heard similar sentiments from me but now you hear it from someone else who brings it with authority and conviction.   -Sandspur

_________________________________________ 

I hope I'm wrong !!!

I find myself at that age where my dear wife has to repeat things occasionally to make sure I heard the key words, like “empty” and “the garbage”. I also sometimes need to read news articles a couple of times to make sure I got the entire scope and meaning of the article. So I hope someone can correct any misunderstanding of what I believe I am reading and hearing about our 2013 Florida Legislative session.

There are two proposed bills that are sliding through this session with minimal discussion or opposition. They are HB 999 and SB 1684 which have been deemed “trains” because they are loaded to the hilt with various lobbyists “needs” for their clients. Such as further weakening of water management districts, eliminating or weakening some water use permitting requirements and air quality standards, preventing local governments from questioning developers as to potential impacts of proposed development projects, relaxation of septic tank inspections and on and on and on.

These types of bills are not new to this group of legislators and our current State leadership. They have found the need to introduce all kinds of legislation the past two years and now this year to reverse fifty years of progress in protecting Florida’s fragile and life giving environment. And the “life giving” here is not just for frogs, birds and alligators---it is our economic life blood, it is our drinking water, it is the source of many of our livelihoods. People come to Citrus County by the thousands to swim in our springs, swim with the manatees and catch the tarpon on our gin clear saltwater flats.  

As one long-time observer said recently, “People don’t come to Florida to see another strip mall with asphalt parking spaces. They come to enjoy Florida’s unmatched beauty including her springs, rivers, lakes, beaches and wild areas.” What happened to the extra ordinary foresight of our past Governors and Legislators of BOTH political parties over the last fifty years who TOGETHER implemented strong protection for our most important natural assets? I hate to tell you but those days seem to be gone.

It appears now that many of our State leaders are of the mind that anything that might bring short term economic gain is worth reversing 50 years of thoughtful progress in protecting the State’s natural resources including our drinking water.   There seems to be total disregard for the fact that our major springs are seeing significant declines in flows and water quality. Silver Springs experienced its lowest flow in its 80 year record this past year. Its level of pollutants (nitrates) is 20 times the historic natural background. Its natural stock of game-fish is almost gone. The spring is clouded by growth of noxious algae and undesirable vegetation.

Sound familiar? Our own Crystal River and her springs are experiencing similar water quality problems and growth of undesirable elements like lyngbya. Ask the folks that live on our local spring fed rivers if they have seen negative change in their rivers in recent years. Talk to folks who live in Cedar Key----their freshwater drinking water source has become salty----they are now drinking very expensive reverse osmosis water due apparently to salt water intrusion. Our springs are but a reflection of what is going on in our aquifers---the drinking water source for most of our citizens in Florida.   

Even more disturbing is that it appears our local legislators are voting in favor of these bills to continue to dismantle the dwindling protections our State still has in place. I hope I am wrong here----but check on this for your-self as to the voting record of our State Senator Charlie Dean and State Representative Jimmy Smith on these particular bills. It is very hard to understand how Citrus County with three spring-fed rivers, several Outstanding Florida Waters, some of the most beautiful lakes in the State, and a well-documented healthy aquifer system could have local elected legislators who would vote for less protection of these important resources. Say it ain’t true!!!   

___________________________________________

Gary Kuhl, April 20, 2013

Gary is now retired but during his 40 “plus” year career, he was Executive Director at the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Citrus County Administrator, Hillsborough County Water Resources Team Administrator, Sumter County Public Works Director and a Florida registered professional engineer. He is a native Floridian and a resident of Citrus County.

 

Florida Conservation Coalition Alert; Read and heed, lest frustration and anger bring darkness to your heart

Please read this carefully and let your outrage move you to action.  Go ahead.  It’ll be healthy for your psyche and for the future of Florida.  But you must make the calls and send the emails quickly, lest frustration and anger bring darkness to your heart.

Here’s the “alert” in full:

Dear FCC Members,

This alert is for all who care about Florida's environment and believe we elect our Representatives and Senators who to go to Tallahassee should fight for our interests, not sell out to the highest bidder. If you are insulted by legislation that panders to special interests, such as Senate Bill 1684 and its twin, House Bill 999, read on, for these are the worst examples of legislation that you will see.

These bills do not represent the public interest; they are for the fortunate few who can afford lobbyists to do their bidding.  Line by line, and dollar for dollar, these bills were written for those who wish to exploit our environment for personal gain.

Consider the section of the bill that nullifies a lawsuit by a conservation organization that rightfully argues that 30 year (more than a generation), no-bid leases of public land in the Everglades to the sugar industry is not in the interest of restoring the Everglades. What kind of message does this send to those who care about restoring the Glades? And what message does it send to those who believe they can tarnish our natural wonders with impunity?

Consider the section that prohibits local governments from enforcing wetland regulations in water control districts. There are scores of these districts scattered across Florida - comprising over a hundred thousand acres – which were initially permitted as long as fifty years ago and now believe they should be exempt from any further regulations. Should the legislature keep on stomping our local governments for trying to protect the environment, exercise their authority to govern and speak for their local constituents? Should companies with powerful lobbyists be able to degrade wetlands and waters from South Florida to the Panhandle?   Maybe some of our legislators should attend city and county commission meetings more often, and listen to people’s concerns about the environment that surrounds them and their quality of life.

Now, there is a 6 page amendment ready for the House floor vote on Tuesday that would preempt local governments from enacting restrictions on fertilizers; as our springs, rivers, lakes, and all the plants and wildlife that depend on them, choke on algae. Do you want this legislature taking over our local governments so fertilizer companies can protect their profits at the expense of our waters?

This is not all. These bills have many more parts, all of which are part of the special interest Christmas tree/train/smorgasbord bills that fail even the most basic tests for decent legislation in the public interest.

If you have higher principles call or email Senator Altman (850-487-5016)and Representative Patronis (850-717-5006) and write an email to the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee ...........................tell them that "we the people count too,”

Sincerely,

FCC

Please act now.  Make those calls and emails.

Sandspur