At Least Hillsborough Gets A Representative At SWFWMD ... but what counties won't?



Read my lips, no more local basin basin board members!

 According to a SWFWMD communication received today, Governor Scott has announced the appointment of Michael A. Babb to the Governing Board, for the Hillsborough County seat. Babb, of Tampa, is the president of Two Rivers Ranch Inc.  He succeeds Maritza Rovira-Forino on the Governing Board and is appointed for a term beginning June 23, 2011, and ending March 1, 2014.

The Governor also accepted the resignation of SWFWMD's immediate past chair, Ronald Oakley. Mr. Oakley will be recognized for his four years of service at the July 26 Governing Board meeting in Tampa. 

It is unlikely the Governor will be in attendance to express his personal appreciation to Ron for a job well done.  Ron, as we know, was not among the governor’s Chosen Ones and thus appears to have been banished from the board for incompatibility.  Yes, I know he resigned, but probably only because he saw the guillotine on its way down.

At least we now know the Governor is capable of making appointments.

I was going to say it is sad, but outrageous is more appropriate, that he found it too much trouble to appoint local representatives to the district's now defunct basin boards and purposely let them become “unconstituted” (sic)  as members’ terms expired. 

The governor's lack of action is telling.  Shows what he really thinks about keeping the decisions of government closest to The People despite his public pronouncements to the contrary.

Lots of the governor’s actions are telling and are being noticed by his fellow republicans.  Makes me feel not so alone.   Have you heard what his latest approval rating is?  A Florida Trend poll shows him with a 19% approval by responding Florida voters!

Another poll by Quinnipiac University that was much more comprehensive gave him only a 29% approval rating.

But at 19% and realizing Florida Trend’s readership is primarily Florida’s Business Community, you have to wonder, is the governor listening?  Does he hear the poll bell tolling?