Mandate From God

I’m not sure why I am not a more religious person than I am.  It’s one of those deep personal conflicts swirling everyday within me that even with 69 years of survival on this planet I can’t seem to resolve.  Nevertheless, I feel like there is something out there - an event, a stroke of extraordinarily good or bad luck, an apparition, an experience, a force – that will one day bring the conflicts within me in alignment and a bright light of understanding will remove all the shadows surrounding my questioning and wonder. 

But, while it hasn’t happened to me, I know it has happened to others in many forms and languages.  Religion is crucial to how we perceive value for our having found ourselves on this piece of galactic potpourri and how we daily go about living on it.  It also gives us structure and meaning beyond ourselves as individuals and gives us relevance as a race of humans in a strange world that, for all its unintelligible complexity, is the basis for all we think we know.

It is important, therefore, that we pay attention when we are offered an opportunity to see any of our more human difficulties in context with a higher moral value with a capacity to give guidance where guidance is badly needed. 

Scott Maxwell, a writer for the Orlando Sentinel, tells us about how “… Rev. Joel Hunter offers people of Christian faith another reason to care for our natural resources — because God commands it.”

It was Rev. Hunter who said, “… if you think it's expensive to take care of our environment, try not taking care of it."

I’m thinking the Reverend is referring to a cost that is much greater than simple human dollars.

I’m also thinking we need to pay attention.

Here’s the article in full.

(http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/os-scott-maxwell-god-florida-environment-121111-20111210,0,1567495.column)

OrlandoSentinel.com

Caring for the environment is a mandate from God

Scott Maxwell

7:53 PM EST, December 10, 2011

There are plenty of practical reasons to be concerned about the environment and unchecked growth.

Sprawl leads to higher taxes. A drained aquifer could lead to water rationing and higher costs. Pollution affects all manner of living things, from plants to humans.

Still, those reasons aren't enough for everyone.

So the Rev. Joel Hunter offers people of Christian faith another reason to care for our natural resources — because God commands it.

"It was our first commandment when we were placed down here: Take care of the garden." Hunter said. "Really, it's a matter of obedience."

The Biblical examples go beyond Genesis.

Job reminds us that all creatures are God's creation. Jeremiah warns of "defiling" the land. Psalms talks of caring for creatures to "renew the face of the earth."

Revelation goes so far as to warn of judgment for "those who destroy the earth."

These words are not vague.

They are a clear mandate for what Hunter calls "creation care."

That mandate is why Hunter — a nationally known and respected pastor who presides over the 15,000-member Northland, A Church Distributed in Longwood — has decided to get more involved.

This month, Hunter agreed to team up with former Gov. Bob Graham as part of a broad and growing coalition of Floridians who are concerned about the continuing attacks on the environment and the laws that protect it.

"I want to be associated with people who have solid thinking and public service — and are willing to reach across party lines," said the man who has prayed with both George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

That bipartisan outreach is a primary goal of Graham's newly formed Florida Conservation Coalition.

In the broadest sense, the group hopes to speak up for the environment — to remind lawmakers that natural resources aren't unlimited and that there are consequences for running roughshod over the land.

In a more immediate and specific sense, though, the group is less ambitious.

"Our first goal is to stop the bleeding," Graham said. "We need a tourniquet."

The last legislative session was widely viewed as the most damaging assault on the environment and growth regulations in decades.

The state did everything from close water-quality offices to dismantle the state's growth-planning agency.

Land-preservation programs were gutted. The Everglades restoration was slowed.

Audubon of Florida described the final product as "the most anti-environment budget this state has ever seen."

And yet the collective response from the Legislature and governor was a big: "So what?"

Well, we're now seeing what.

As a recent series in the Sentinel showed, water is such a concern in this state that private and government agencies are now fighting over it.

Pollution is going unchecked. Spring levels are dropping. The costs of sprawl continue to mount.

Some of the most profound effects of recent changes — making it easier to build on sensitive lands or pollute waters, for instance — won't be felt for years or even decades.

"We're all familiar with the expression: 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance,' " Hunter said. "Well, if you think it's expensive to take care of our environment, try not taking care of it."

Graham is convinced most Floridians are well aware of the value of protecting the land on which we live. He's seen it in surveys and even green mandates that Floridians have voted into to the state constitution.

"What we need," Graham said, "is for the Legislature to be as aware as the people of Florida."

One of the problems, though, is that development interests have launched an in increasingly successful campaign to demonize people who care about the environment.

Those who speak up for protecting natural resources are blasted as small-minded and obstacles to prosperity.

I have trouble seeing Rev. Hunter as either of those things.

In fact, Hunter's quite convinced that prosperity can happen only when the earth is properly cared for.

And while Hunter doesn't point fingers, he also said one other thing that politicians who tout their commitment to Christ and God on the campaign trail might do well to remember: "You can always tell what you think of the giver by how well you take care of his gifts.”

smaxwell@tribune.com or 407-420-6141

Copyright © 2011, Orlando Sentinel

Scott’s Revelation: About $359,880,000 too late

I’ve been threatening to write a post entitled, “How Rick Scott Can Be Re-elected … And Why He Won’t”  But while I’m still noodling the idea,  this jewel popped up in today’s (12.09.11) St. Pete Times in a front page, above the fold article by Steve Bousquet (“Medicaid cuts decried”).   If and when I do write the post, clearly, this quote by Scott’s representative, Jerry McDaniel, will fall under the part “… and why he won’t”

Here’s the pertinent part of the article.  McDaniel’s telling quote is highlighted.

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to pay less to hospitals to control spiraling Medicaid costs drew skepticism from some lawmakers and hostility from hospitals Thursday.

Scott's plan is central to his $66 billion budget proposal, and ensures that his own history as CEO of a for-profit hospital chain that paid a record $1.7 billion in fines for Medicare fraud would attract new attention.

Explaining Scott's plan to legislators, senior aides touted the governor's background as having built Columbia/HCA into the nation's biggest and most profitable hospital network.

"The governor operated 343 hospitals," Scott budget director Jerry McDaniel told the Senate Budget Committee. "He was very successful at it. He said his best paying clients were Medicaid and Medicare. He loved serving those populations. He was able to make a lot of money doing that. But unfortunately, the payer on this end is the taxpayer."

If this shows anything it’s that one reason CEO-governor is so out of touch with reality is because his “Senior Aide” and minion advisor, McDaniel, is himself lost somewhere out there between a galaxy far, far away and the Big Dipper.

One of the Senators should have asked this guy, “I understand your point, sir, but are you really certain it’s one you want to make?”

The committee expressed understandable chagrin that the governor, who made hundreds of millions off the medical needs of thousands of Medicare and Medicaid patients, is now saying hospitals have been charging too much for such services, including, apparently, those provided by the CEO’s former stable of 343 hospitals.

Scott was paid $359,880,000 to leave HCA after the Feds fined his company $1.7 billion for fraudulent billing practices, among other reasons.

I’d say the CEO-governor’s revelation about hospitals charging too much comes about $359,880,000 too late, wouldn’t you?  

(Find the complete article HERE.)

Florida Conservation Coalition – New Game In T-Town

CEO-governor Scott, not at all conspicuous by his absence, was nowhere in sight.  Nor was the Senate budget czar, J. D. Alexander or other minions of any stripe who leach their living from the soul of Tallahassee. For sure, however, while they fretted behind shuttered blinds lest they be confused as members of the group, they had eyes on what was going down.

Former Governor Bob Graham
Roll Out of Florida Conservation Coalition, Tallhassee, Fla.
November 30, 2011



What was going down will soon likely give them cause to reconsider their client bases because it is only a matter of time before the 800-pound special-interest gorilla they’ve lulled to sleep - euphemistically known as The People - is about to be wakened.

Gathered on the steps of the old Capitol Building to mark the “roll out” of a new non-partisan organization called The Florida Conservation Coalition, speakers left no doubt that it intends to be a voice for those who know that a strong flourishing economy cannot be sustained without a strong viable environment.  

Despite the cold wind and the cold shoulder by the T-Town elite, former governor and U. S. Senator Bob Graham hit hard the recent emasculation of growth management and resource protection laws wrought by an errant legislature and misguided governor.  He painted a dark path to a place of 50 years ago when there was no environmental conscience and Florida was for sale to the highest bidder. He said the wrongs of the past legislative session must be corrected or we'll be repeating history.   

He closed with olive branch in hand and offered to help the CEO-governor carry out his promised commitments (see Scott’s op-ed letter HERE ) and to do something the ill-advised naive governor and CEO-of-hospital-buying and expert of Medicare billing-codes has not been doing … lead.

See the Sunshine News YouTube video clip of Bob Graham’s remarks HERE

Join and support the Florida Conservation Coalition

If your concern about what’s going on have you shaking your head in disbelief and frustration and you want to learn more about how 40 years of very carefully developed laws and environmental protections were dismantled in 60 days last spring, you need to visit the organization’s website at http://floridaconservationcoalition.org/.

I encourage you to add the site to your “favorites” list and visit it often because as this group builds strength, you’ll want to be part of it.  The legislature will be back in January and they must know that the biggest and strongest special interest in this state, i.e., all of you who know that the future of this state hangs in the balance, is watching and is ready to take action.

Finally, it should be noted that county commissions are beginning to wake up to the changes in water legislation that is moving the control of water to Tallahassee and potentially causing it to become a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. 

Farmers, in particular, who mistakenly believe weakening the water management districts serves their interests are going to feel like they’ve been tasered when they find themselves having to pay for water on top of what they now pay for pumping and piping.

The FCC website has a number of video and media reports on the “roll out.”

The Florida Conservation Coalition is to be watched.  It’s going to be heard.  It’s non-partisan, and it’s going bring reason back to proper management of growth and natural resource protection in this state.

Doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. If you care about Florida’s future quality of life in terms of a healthy environment and a thriving economy, this group is going to give you voice.

What's Going on Here? Stroke or Epiphany?



CEO-governor Rick Scott

 Either Rick Scott is seeing the writing on the wall or I’m having a stroke.  He sent a letter to the Tampa Tribune today (11.27.11) declaring that he now understands how the health of Florida’s economy and that of its fragile ecology are “inextricably linked.”

While I think the odds greatly favor the latter, just maybe the State CEO has had some sort of epiphany.  Or could it be that, just maybe, he’s realizing that the environment has a constituency that’s not limited to just liberals and democrats (bless their hearts) and a lot of folks are beginning to get a lot more than just nervous about his ill-advised ways.

Or maybe he’s the one who’s had the stroke.

The letter was obviously written either by someone who knows what the state really needs and the governor agrees with it, or it was written by someone who knows what the state really needs and the governor signed it anyway.



Such words out of Tallahassee, especially from an administration that to date has shown nothing but arrogance and disdain for protecting the state’s fragile natural environment and providing for reasonable management of its growth, are hard to believe.  The proof, of course, will be in what happens next.  Will the state’s environmental protections developed over decades by members of both parties be enhanced or weakened?  Will the state’s economy flourish accordingly?  Or, will we find ourselves led far down a primrose lane only to learn that it’s too late to turn around the egregious consequences of a terrible experiment gone wrong?



Lad Daniels



The letter was orchestrated with another letter released by the new chair of the St. Johns River Water Management District, Lad Daniels.  The timing and the message of the two letters are more than obvious.  It’d be a fair bet that this is the beginning of a concerted effort to turn around Scott’s pitiful poll ratings.  Just more politics.

But, hey. If it means the ol boy has seen the light, good for him and good for the state.  If nothing else, it gives folks like me a standard he’ll now have to meet.  He’s set a bar for himself and it’s a high one.  We can only wonder, though, in light of his previous cluelessness about environmental issues if he truly understands the extent of the commitment.

Here are some his statements quoted from the letter:

·       As governor, I understand a healthy economy is dependent upon a healthy environment.

·       A stable regulatory environment does not mean lower environmental standards. It means that environmental policy will be governed by sound science, not politics or one-size-fits-all solutions.

·       At the same time, willful violations of our environmental standards will not be tolerated. We will be just as vigilant about prosecuting bad actors as we are about helping businesses comply with the law.

·       The state of Florida should maintain its rights to protect our environment, and it should be done at a reasonable cost to taxpayers. We are a national leader in addressing pollution in our state's water bodies and have the most extensive monitoring and assessment program in the country. We know more about our water bodies than any federal agency or other state and are in a unique position to craft a solution that recognizes and respects the needs of our diverse landscape. We will continue to work cooperatively with our federal partners as we develop a state-led effort to restore and protect our rivers, lakes and streams.

·       Florida is committed to moving forward on important restoration projects like improving water quality in the Everglades.

·       Over the last five decades the state has acquired more than 4.2 million acres, including some of Florida's most critical conservation properties. However, now is the time to evaluate our inventory and ask ourselves if we have the right land in the right places.

·       Our state's natural resources are unparalleled. It's why people choose to live here, vacation here and bring their businesses here. In Florida, we don't have to choose between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. The two are inextricably linked, and as governor, I am working to ensure our resources are dedicated to the improvement of both.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?  Be not beguiled into rapture, however, because there were also hints of further potential mischief in the letter:

·       That's why protecting our natural resources through a stable regulatory environment is key to ensuring businesses are successful and future generations will be able to enjoy all that our state has to offer.

What’s a stable regulatory environment?  Anyone want to venture a thought?

·       It also means that more of our dollars will be directed toward projects that actually benefit the environment instead of government bureaucracy, excessive salaries and benefits, and costly litigation.

Sounds good until he realizes that the engineers and scientists needed to achieve his goal of continued effective protection and preservation of Florida’s natural systems will have to be paid at a fair market rate.  Has he checked the salaries of community college presidents, airport managers, sea port managers, expressway authority managers, city managers recently?  And it isn’t exactly clear how “ …more of our dollars will be directed toward projects …” when he and Senate Budget Czar Alexander have eviscerated the budgets of the districts.  Makes no sense.

·       It means that our permit processes will be the same for Tampa residents and businesses as they are for those in Pensacola, Jacksonville or Key West, but also take into account our state's regional differences.

This has been a goal of DEP and the WMD’s for years.  Good luck, Governor.   The danger will be in creating a one-size-fits-all mandate that doesn’t, and the result will be the failure of the state’s regulatory system to reach the goals it is intended to reach, which, in turn, will lead to a disaster for the state’s future, environmentally and economically.

·       As we do with other state agencies, we will expect accountability budgeting from our water management districts, which means justifying every dollar we spend and bringing spending in line with revenues.

He still doesn’t understand that WMD’s are not state agencies and cannot be considered such by him or the legislature lest they risk causing the districts loss of their constitutionally-granted ad valorem taxing authority.  This is a bogeyman that’s going to bite him squarely you-know-where and only his and J. D. Alexander’s arrogance will be to blame.

Here’s the thing.  Words are easy currency for the politician.  It’s easy to say what people want to hear.  I – and, I suspect, you – sincerely want to hear and believe that all is going to be okay in Florida.  That its complex and fragile natural systems along with its economy will flourish under the guidance and wisdom of an enlightened leader in a position of major authority.

If However one can promise 700,000 jobs over and over again in order to get elected, proffering the conclusion that the state’s unemployment levels and thus its economy will improve, only to claim later that such a conclusion must be the result of delirium or unsavory political trickery of the liberal press, then why should we believe that we are now about to enter wonderland?

Rick Scott has been a resident in Florida only since 1997.  His whole professional life has been buying and selling hospitals, and shutting them down.  He was the CEO of a corporation that was fined over 2 billion for defrauding the United States Government.  Here’s what Wikipedia has to say about it:

On March 19, 1997, investigators from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to the company.^[20]

Following the raids, the Columbia/HCA board of directors forced Scott to resign as Chairman and CEO.^[21] He was paid $9.88 million in a settlement. He also left owning 10 million shares of stock worth over $350 million.^[22][23][24]

In 1999, Columbia/HCA changed its name back to HCA, Inc.

In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA plead guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in the largest fraud settlement in US history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. They also admitted fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. They filed false cost reports, fraudulently billing Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, they gave doctors "loans" never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the U.S. government $631 million, plus interest, and pay $17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims.^[25] In all, civil law suits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle, by far the largest fraud settlement in US history.^[26]

So, his letter sounds hopeful.  So what?

Some things for which I am grateful …

I am grateful for all the lessons my mother taught me and for that part of me she represents in both flesh and spirit.  Years after she passed, I still marvel at the things she said, the things she believed and the things she did.  She had only an eighth-grade education and was married at 14 to the only husband she would ever have, but she knew innately how to care for her children and provide them more than just food and shelter as she weathered the trials and missteps of growing up with them.  I know each and every day what she meant to me, what she taught me and, most gloriously, how many times she forgave me even before I did the things I did that required it.

I am so very grateful for what I have: my wonderful wife, my wonderful children, my two wonderful sisters, a strong roof over my head, a warm bed at night and enough to eat when I am hungry.

I am grateful for my friends who seem to be more important to me, yet fewer and fewer, as I grow older.  Maybe the criteria for becoming one are just getting narrower as life teaches how rarely true friends happen by in the first place.   

I have learned that the value of one friend is not the same as that of another. It is as unique as the individuals they are.  I value one friend because there is absolute trust between us.  It is more than comforting to know with a virtual certainty that betrayal will never happen between us, no matter what.  I value another because of his willingness to share his wisdom with others in a way he knows it is needed, gently and with great respect.  It is redeeming for me to see such graciousness in another human in a world where it is so rare.  I value many others because we have shared experiences and share a common understanding of a unique time others cannot know because they were not there.  It is a quiet bond that needs no acknowledgement.   I have yet to meet all who were there, but if I do, they, too, will be my friend and I am grateful for that.

I am grateful for my health.  I am aware of those younger than me who were not so fortunate and whose lives have been cut short, in many cases painfully so.  Some were very dear friends.

I am grateful for my dogs Bo and Mickey who are now buried in the warm sand next to the muscadines.  They gave me absolute, unfailing, unquestioned loyalty and I am a better person for it.

I am grateful for our cats Weenie, Tiger and Orangie who humble me with their arrogance, sleep an incredible number hours each day and give my wife great satisfaction just having them around to hold and pamper.

I am grateful for all the pain we humans will have to endure if we are to become better stewards of this unique place we call earth.  It is only through such pain that we will have any chance of learning how to survive our own inhumanity to ourselves.

I am grateful for my life and all those who have drifted through it, some staying longer than others, for each left a mark the total of which is who I am. 

I am incredibly lucky and I am grateful.