Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jac VerSteegJune 9, 2016

A politician is a guy who shoots you in the gut and then campaigns by bragging about the Band-Aid he put on the wound. The latest example: Just days after The Palm Beach Post’s John Kennedy documented how Gov. Rick Scott‘s environmental policies had led to an explosion of huge developments in Palm Beach County […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJune 1, 2016

Lizbeth Benacquisto is calling on the Department of Environmental Protection to step up its efforts to ensure clean water is flowing through the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers’ estuaries. In a letter to DEP Secretary Jon Steverson, the Fort Myers Republican urges the agency to work with the South Florida Water Management District and other […]

guestMay 9, 2016

“Buy the land, send the water south” has become a rallying cry for Florida activists looking to return the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades. This mantra tells me history has been forgotten and common sense ignored. My fear is this mindset is tied to buying more land that would put rural […]

Diane RobertsApril 19, 2016

Ever wonder what will be left of natural Florida when Rick Scott slithers out of the Governor’s Mansion for the last time? Look at the Indian River Lagoon. Once a 150 mile-long bay of clear water filled with manatees, sea grasses and oysters, it has become a brown, stinking monoculture where only algae thrive. The […]

Diane RobertsApril 18, 2016

Ever wonder what will be left of natural Florida when Rick Scott slithers out of the Governor’s Mansion for the last time? Look at the Indian River Lagoon. Once a 150 mile-long bay of clear water filled with manatees, sea grasses and oysters, it has become a brown, stinking monoculture where only algae thrive. The […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterApril 5, 2016

A Southwest Florida Democrat is calling on the federal government to designate Lake Okeechobee as a national monument. April Freeman, a Cape Coral Democrat running for Congress, said Tuesday that President Barack Obama should designate the lake as a national monument through executive order. The action, she said, would expedite clean-up, and “ensure appropriations for […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 17, 2016

Relief could be coming for some South Florida small businesses impacted by the Lake Okeechobee discharges. On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott activated Florida’s Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program for more than 100 businesses affected by the releases. The move comes after theFlorida Department of Economic Opportunity conducted a survey to assess the economic damages […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 14, 2016

U.S. Sugar is hitting back over claims that sugarcane farmers are to blame for the harmful Lake Okeechobee discharges. The Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing water from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers for about a month. The releases came after a wetter-than-normal January. South Florida officials have said the […]

Drew WilsonMarch 11, 2016

The Everglades Foundation lauded lawmakers Friday for passing a bill that would fund Everglades restoration efforts with up to $200 million a year. HB 989, put forward by incoming Senate President Joe Negron and Republican Rep. Gayle Harrell, would pull the lesser of 25 percent or $200 million from the money collected under the 2014 […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 3, 2016

The Army Corps of Engineers is slowing the releases from Lake Okeechobee; not stopping them, despite repeated calls from lawmakers and local communities to do just that. The Corps announced Thursday it would reduce the flows from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The reduction is expected to begin this weekend. However, […]

Tag: Lake Okeechobee

Jac VerSteeg: Rick Scott puts Band-Aid on environmental wounds

Lizbeth Benacquisto addresses water quality concerns in letter to DEP

Gary Ritter: State should complete its water projects before buying more land

Diane Roberts: Rick Scott’s business buddies want to kill bears, panthers, environment

Diane Roberts: Rick Scott’s business buddies want to kill bears, panthers, environment

April Freeman calls on Barack Obama to designate Lake O a national monument

Rick Scott activates emergency loan program for small businesses impacted by Lake O discharges

U.S. Sugar says cane farmers not to blame for dirty water flowing from Lake O

Everglades Foundation commends lawmakers for final passage of “Legacy Florida” funding

Army Corps of Engineers to reduce flows from Lake Okeechobee