tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.comments2024-01-13T03:17:01.627-05:00SWFWMD MattersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger657125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-34462914704114125552021-06-02T13:41:57.346-04:002021-06-02T13:41:57.346-04:00Thank You so very much for you prospective Mr Verg...Thank You so very much for you prospective Mr Vergara ! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12555194050718353941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-20480130785432076712021-05-28T12:22:11.617-04:002021-05-28T12:22:11.617-04:00Thank you, Sonny Vergara for updating your previou...Thank you, Sonny Vergara for updating your previous letter written in 2014.There are so many reasons not to develop the WeekiWachee Preserve and not one good reason too develop it. Hernando County was always referred to as the Nature Coast, recently it was changed to the Adventure Coast. Why? To increase tourism! SWFWMD has always been Hernando County's saving grace when it came to protecting wildlife, protecting overdevelopment, and continuing to follow their mission to protect their properties from becoming a paved parking lot. The "Proposal" to SWFWMD will eventually develop into a 250 space parking lot, the acreage will have to be fenced as there will definitely be a charge for parking, the area will be maintained by the County (our county currently has 22 parks, which desperately need attention) and taxpayers money to support/fund. The 15.7 million spent in 1997 was to stop a housing development that would have ruined the natural beauty and wildlife in the Preserve. This is the third proposal that has been proposed since 2014. When will the BOCC stop entertaining these Proposals. The BOCC has already allocated $64,000 to do a feasibility study for this Proposal. SWFWMD, please, again put an end to this ridiculous Proposal for over development, and let our wildlife, natural beauty live on for our grandchildren. Let the children of Hernando County enjoy what you have protected for us since 1997. We have trusted you to keep your mission statement for future generations. PRESERVE-THE-PRESERVE. Lisa Savarese resident of Hernando County for 30 years.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04287967149819512969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-81703057300432316032021-05-27T18:00:01.187-04:002021-05-27T18:00:01.187-04:00Thank you!!!Thank you!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-20601702525265406342016-10-25T14:15:25.511-04:002016-10-25T14:15:25.511-04:00I'm with you, Sonny!I'm with you, Sonny!Johnnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01480584739696190944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-23143414249856087542016-10-15T08:34:59.143-04:002016-10-15T08:34:59.143-04:00I absolutely understand Donald Trump's appeal....I absolutely understand Donald Trump's appeal. If someone tells you that it isn't your fault that you don't make enough money, or that you should be able to buy a nicer car or a bigger house, or that your business would be more successful if certain groups were not in this country; then you will want to believe them. It is so much easier to blame others than to take responsibility on ourselves. That rhetoric has worked before. Let's hope it that enough people realize that message for what it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-34217185308719297332016-10-04T18:39:47.501-04:002016-10-04T18:39:47.501-04:00They are so out of touch it's not even funny. ...They are so out of touch it's not even funny. Staff have the "opportunity" to transfer between departments and that is considered a "promotion" Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-76227417486681558022016-10-04T18:36:14.630-04:002016-10-04T18:36:14.630-04:00How is it possible that someone can go from a depa...How is it possible that someone can go from a department manager to executive director at DEP and then come back and only spend a year as assistant executive director before being promoted again? Where are the qualifications, experience or education necessary to justify such a promotion?<br /><br />The poor staff at SWFWMD are polishing brass on the Titanic...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-90716270276034368262016-08-02T12:50:52.191-04:002016-08-02T12:50:52.191-04:00Is SWFWMD suddenly hiring staff again? Could it b...Is SWFWMD suddenly hiring staff again? Could it be that so many staff who entered DROP during the cuts are leaving, and there will be no one left to run the agency? They recently held a round-table meeting to find out how they could keep "millenials?" The suggestions were ludicrous and self-serving.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-13790991456610392472016-07-18T22:13:29.936-04:002016-07-18T22:13:29.936-04:00I read this in the Tampa Bay Times this past Sunda...I read this in the Tampa Bay Times this past Sunday...John Moran was also featured in TBT on March 30, 2014. He is a champion photographer,diver and speaker for Florida's Springs! Florida should heed his words!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09038692296335085879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-44004565024020530122016-07-18T07:45:40.124-04:002016-07-18T07:45:40.124-04:00I couldn't agree more. Well said. I would add ...I couldn't agree more. Well said. I would add that our specific elected officials have little consideration for either the effects of their actions on the micro or macro level, but only at the level of the lobbyist who has their ear at the moment. Whether it is focusing on 'growlers' and our RIGHT to them or the lawn care lobby- which may in fact harken back to the ultimate lawn, the golf course, none of the major issues appear to address the fact that our resources are finite.terrefirmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09786121620970285202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-36308011025600476712016-07-18T06:34:54.529-04:002016-07-18T06:34:54.529-04:00Elected officials aren't clueless, but many ar...Elected officials aren't clueless, but many are not working to preserve what is left of our precious resources. Before you go to the polls to elect your local, state and federal officials, do some research. Find out what actions they have taken or blocked regarding Florida's fragile environment. Look at their resumes both in and out of government before you cast your ballot. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-79857853360849871692016-07-15T10:21:45.140-04:002016-07-15T10:21:45.140-04:00I still can't understand why there seems to be...I still can't understand why there seems to be no concern by anyone at any water districts about the looming risk to our water supply by allowing the Sabal Trail pipeline to advance through the already damaged karst. If you read the proposal, their plan for mitigation is 'avoidance'. Except they make blatantly false statements about where the drilling is going to be, how close to rivers and streams and for what purpose.terrefirmahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09786121620970285202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-18679737534074964132016-07-09T06:50:12.207-04:002016-07-09T06:50:12.207-04:00The algae bloom off of Florida's southeast coa...The algae bloom off of Florida's southeast coast has been blamed on polluted water coming out of Lake Okeechobee. I wonder if the diverted surface water being used by agricultural interests had been allowed to flow into that lake, would the discharge have been so diluted as to minimize growth of algaeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-16018164826599374242016-07-01T09:41:45.168-04:002016-07-01T09:41:45.168-04:00Exactly right. The Scott administration and the v...Exactly right. The Scott administration and the voters who have put him in charge of Florida are to blame for catastrophic damage to its natural systems. Unfortunately the damage will accumulate for years to come because of law and policy changes that are now in place and that will be impossible to reverse. How in the world can people base their votes on "conservative values"???Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09917094280721531178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-41861175274051969822016-07-01T06:48:21.838-04:002016-07-01T06:48:21.838-04:00Removal of "institutional memory" at the...Removal of "institutional memory" at the water management districts is exactly what the Scott-led team accomplished at SWFWMD. The cuts targeted the most experienced staff members in every department, including legal and human resources; not just in resource regulation. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-9307547679410447412016-06-28T13:06:01.510-04:002016-06-28T13:06:01.510-04:00I think the GOP has lost its way. While I'm a...I think the GOP has lost its way. While I'm a democrat from way back, back when the GOP ran my home state of Virginia, I have lots of friends and family who are republicans and democrats both. And while I've worked in the private sector for many years, I've also worked for government agencies and been self-employed. The GOP of old - of Eisenhower and George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan would not countenance voting for Donald Trump. He favors tax cuts without adjustments to our unsustainable path related to Social Security and Medicare; that is not a republican position. He wants to raise tariffs on imported goods from countries like China and Mexico without considering the impact on the price of those goods (watch your Walmart bills go up when underwear and TVs and such are no longer imported from cheaper wage countries) by telling blue-collar workers that globalization, rather than technology, is the reason for those job losses; hint- look at a picture of an assembly line for a car factory, and compare it to how they looked in the 1970s - a lot fewer people now. His foreign policy is so disjointed that Brent Scowcroft, the republican, Mormon and West Point graduate who served as National Security Advisor under Gerald Ford and George HW Bush is supporting Hillary Clinton.<br /><br />So no, Sonny, you aren't leaving the GOP, they've left you.<br /><br />DaveDave Tomaskonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-49262247287856463662016-06-28T07:47:58.984-04:002016-06-28T07:47:58.984-04:00I have been an issue voter, and never voted a stra...I have been an issue voter, and never voted a straight party line. This year I will vote to elect candidates who want a functioning, active govenment with elected officials who are willing to work together - on both sides of the aisle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-15047647427656873022016-06-26T20:40:45.791-04:002016-06-26T20:40:45.791-04:00Well done Sir. I love your writing; keep it up. Do...Well done Sir. I love your writing; keep it up. DonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-42930221149058654292016-05-03T00:37:31.667-04:002016-05-03T00:37:31.667-04:00Sorry for our loss. So long as Scott is in office...Sorry for our loss. So long as Scott is in office, our environment is in a downward spiral. Beruff is a Scott appointee? Makes perfect sense for men who can't see past the next fiscal year and their profits. Our natural environment is their holy grail. Makes we want to puke. You reap what you sow and hope they get theirs! Mark my words, they will. Gonna take 20 years to repair 8 years of Scott. - peace amigoLesteroohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01368634011272193894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-30005442006230080202016-01-21T16:00:44.198-05:002016-01-21T16:00:44.198-05:00Actually residents of the Villages are mostly full...Actually residents of the Villages are mostly full time, and are so Right Wing as to think the bill is just perfect!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09558769332956534280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-70990894223233246562016-01-13T19:22:45.031-05:002016-01-13T19:22:45.031-05:00Sonny: this should not be too surprising. It seem...Sonny: this should not be too surprising. It seems to be the way the state University/College system works. Look at Florida State University; they just hired John Thrasher right out of the Florida Senate for their President this past year. The University of South Florida hired former legislator and Commissioner of Education Betty Castor as their President some years ago, and St. Johns River State College hired former State Representative Joe Pickens as their President. There may be others out there that I am not familiar with. The schools seem to think that they need these guys with heavy-duty connections to get them funding and protect them from legislative interference. During my time as a student at USF (South Florida), I witnessed two attempts by the state legislature to (1) eliminate lower level (Freshman and Sophomore) classes at USF, and later (2) eliminate graduate programs at USF, under the guise of "saving taxpayer funds." At that time, the vast majority of the members of the legislature (House and Senate) were alumni of the University of Florida and FSU. I think we have seen at least a couple of bungled attempts by our idiot Governor/CEO to meddle with the University system to try to exert more control from Tallahassee, similar to what has been done with the Water Management Districts. So far it doesn't look like those have succeeded, but we'll have to see what happens over the next two years of misery. It's obvious that the only school that can't get away with this idea of hiring a political "gun" is the state's "flagship" University; Florida. They have to hire a guy with at least some academic credentials to maintain some semblance of credibility.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-27277425040589730922015-11-13T20:40:26.772-05:002015-11-13T20:40:26.772-05:00Knowing how to measure employees morale is itself ...Knowing <a href="http://accountlearning.com/how-to-measure-employees-morale/" rel="nofollow">how to measure employees morale</a> is itself an art. It is an important factor for any organization in order to survive for a long. It also helps to reduce the employee turnover.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-64515062581235544002015-11-07T17:05:51.884-05:002015-11-07T17:05:51.884-05:00Good Luck. I am willing to bet that most of the r...Good Luck. I am willing to bet that most of the residents in The Villages are not full-time Floridians. Ask how many of them have sprinkler systems with functioning shut-off valves. You should take photographs with you of how clear the waterways in Florida used to be before our environmental agencies were made ineffective by deliberate budget and staff cut-backs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-22293072285924448942015-10-28T12:40:05.647-04:002015-10-28T12:40:05.647-04:00Sonny; The move has already been made, you just do...Sonny; The move has already been made, you just don't know it. In talking with a current longtime(27yrs) SWFWMD Brooksville employee, it was told that the executive staff rarily comes to Brooksville (and if they do, they get mielage and lunch per diem because that s not their stated home office), even bureau chiefs that have their staff in Brooksville do not go to Brooksville every day. Example Resource managements JP Marchant lives in Sarasota, works out of that office and Tampa nd is in Brooksville 1 maybe 2 days a week. Sweet deal! The Governing Board rarily holds Brooksville meetings, and accompemdations for staff working out of Tampa continues to grow. So while they have stepped back from publically stating the main office is in Tampa, they have in fact significantly moved the operation to Tampa. They will through attrition accomplish the switch over time. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6798568783457003128.post-68555287492980361152015-10-26T10:26:50.613-04:002015-10-26T10:26:50.613-04:00Are they still trying to move the headquarters, or...Are they still trying to move the headquarters, or is this issue at rest now thanks to the great efforts of Sonny and the Senator? <br /><br />If the headquarters do ever move, does that mean that all the employees in Brooksville have to drive to Tampa, or would they let those people stay working at the Brooksville location? What a huge destructive impact it will have on the county, it's hard to believe that it was actually being considered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com