In an interview of Carl Hiaasen in today’s Herald
Interview
Hiaasen said that he would be more optimistic for the future of the Everglades if we could get the promised Federal funding. He said: “So far, Florida taxpayers have paid for almost everything, while the feds have been sitting on millions of dollars that could have advanced the restoration plan much farther.”
That is what I want to drive home to my readers “YOU” (NOT THE STATE) are paying for the Everglades Cleanup. So here I digress from Carl to taxes.
I just looked at my tax bill. I have a line called Everglades Construction Project. I pay $15.02. I am paying. So when the State acts altruistic about cleaning up the Everglades, look again at your tax bill. It is your show. You actually have a line on your tax bill!
Speaking of it being your show: I pay $89.69 to the South Florida Water Management District - it is a special taxing district. They get their own line! I pay the school Board $1,155.48 but the difference is: I GET TO VOTE FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. You and I have no such control over the South Florida Water Management District. The Governor appoints the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District. That is, the REPUBLICAN Governor makes the appointments. The head of the Governing Board under Jeb was always someone connected with the Sugar Industry -- the very people who are causing the Phosphorus pollution of the Everglades and causing you to have to pay the Everglades Construction Project fee on your taxes. For example, Nicholas J. Gutierrez was the head of the Governing Board. He is also Secretary and Director (9 terms of the National Association of Sugar Mill Owners of Cuba. I think he is/was also the lawyer representing U.S. Sugar.
The mission of the Water Management District is to: manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply. You would think with this mission, you would want impartial people on the Governing Board. Hah! Gutierrez was a spokesperson for the sugar industry. I don’t have much hope for Crist on this front. This is another case of the wolf guarding the henhouse. And now we are back to Carl Hiaasen again -- full circle. His column (in addition to the interview cited above) is all about Crist and the hope for the Environment: "Challenge for Crist: Florida’s Environment"
Carl's Article
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P.S.Readers you might also note -- about my tax bill -- I pay almost 3 times as much to the County as I do for my City taxes. It is a wonder that many people don't even know they have these two layers of government: A city and a county.
Over and over again, I can't understand how County Commissioners escape the ire of the Community when scandal after scandal breaks in the County.
SW 112 Avenue, which I just drove on today, south of Cutler Ridge, is the site of a massive road expansion project, apparently to accommodate traffic from the mass of shoulder to shoulder homes in what used to be Manuel Diaz Farms' plant nursery. One has to wonder how the cost of that expansion is being allocated to the residents of the county who had nothing to do with that development and only get more traffic from it. How much did the developers pay for all of the public infrastructure that will be required to serve their profits. The money we pay for Everglades Restoration is only the tip of the iceberg.
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