A recent campaign finance report shows that US Senate hopeful, Democratic candidate Kendrick Meek has already gathered contributions of at least $28,000 related to the Fanjul sugar interests. In a letter to Governor Charlie Crist, Meek -- who will face either Crist or Marco Rubio in November-- wades into the battle for Everglades restoration; an issue that scarcely piqued the congressman's interest until Monday's front page investigative report on the Crist-led purchase by the state of US Sugar lands in the New York Times.The deal is opposed by the Fanjuls, and not because the state of Florida under Crist's leadership has pledged to pay too much for sugar lands owned by its competitor. It is about paying too little. The Fanjuls are flinty billionaires who play the high-stakes game of government subsidies (ie. deformation of the US Farm Bill to enforce political benefits from massive corporate welfare) like poker champions at Las Vegas.
Long before the New York Times article, the Fanjul interests understood that blowing up the US Sugar deal could both provide another sugar-friendly US Senate seat from Florida, beholden to them, and also wreck restoration based on acquisition of former Everglades lands, driving the value of their own lands higher-- if not beyond the reach of any future acquisition.
The Fanjuls corporation, Florida Crystals, has invented its antipathy to the US Sugar deal and is using the New York Times report in a way that reinforces its advantages. In fact, these corporate interests are aligned in the respect that really matters; to extract as much value for their lands as possible. Fanjul lands in the Everglades Agricultural Area are situated in such a way as to block passage of fresh water that might eventually flow from US Sugar lands converted to cleansing marshes into the remnant Everglades. So they hold the high cards and are betting the house on the low cards. The Fanjuls are richly rewarded by the "fixes" of the 2000 Everglades restoration plan that were based on technologically infeasible workarounds of their property rights, even if the Everglades are polluted from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay.
Florida Crystals has contributed mightily to defeat Gov. Crist, whose proposed US Sugar acquisition would upend a political order in Florida that is the fruit of decades of campaign contributions. Now Fanjul sugar money is flooding the political campaigns of Marco Rubio, a stand-in for Jeb Bush whose own Everglades restoration plans-- including violating the 1994 federal state agreement and law to clean up sugar's pollution-- closely tracks Fanjul interests.
But Fanjul money is also flooding into Kendrick Meek's US Senate campaign. In a Rubio/Meek confrontation in November, whoever wins will be in the Fanjul's pockets. This sweet reward could be bitter fruit for environmentalists. Those green foot soldiers of political campaigns who might support a Democratic candidate for US Senate have not forgotten that Fanjul and US Sugar money didn't just flood the state-wide ballot initiative in 1994 to oppose the penny a pound tax on sugar, it specifically lubricated the base of African American churches, leadership councils and influenced the allegiances of Democratic power brokers.
At every turn, Big Sugar has a plan to blow-up Everglades restoration based on land acquisition in large lots. Miami-Dade lobbyists and Tallahassee lobbyists have seized on the New York Times report and are in high gear, trying to blow up the Crist plan. Knowing how little involvement Congressman Meek and his staff have, with Everglades issues, it is inconceivable that his letter came from any source other than lobbyists representing Florida Crystals. It is also inconceivable how aligning his campaign with forces trying to wreck the US Sugar deal is good for the future of his political campaign for US Senate.
Also see my post Monday. And the Sugar fundraiser for Meek.
9 comments:
Can you post the letter?
This makes me so mad, I am actually going to vote for Crist if he makes it. I just can't vote for Meek. Against Rubio? I might just not vote as a matter of principle.
Is Ferre still out there?
Objecting to the deal on grounds that the state is overpaying for it are not the same as objecting completely. Take a closer look at the letter and you'll see that Meek questions the amount of money to be paid to US Sugar for the land, which appears to be way too much. I mean that bit is literally underlined in the letter.
Stop cherry picking which you clearly are on this one.
Unless the Democrats get a candidate with no attachments to lobbyists or self interest groups, be aware that we are doomed. In fact, at this point, the best option for us Independents might be Charlie Crist. Kendrick is being financed by lobbyists and self interest groups, organized and headed by Ron Book. If you don't call that kaput in advance, you don't know Miami-Dade County. Marco Rubio, on the other hand, is really financed by the same lobbyists and self interest group -- and notice that I say "group" -- that financed Alex Penelas, and ultimately used him to enrich themselves. The interesting part about these connections is that the Kendrick man, Ron Book, and Kendrick himself are very friendly with the Rubio group, spearheaded by Jose Cancela and supported by Sergio Pino, Rodney Barreto et al. So, in terms of our benefit, as a community, it doesn't make a damn difference whether it's Meeks or Rubio. They are both out to nail us and do nothing but business at our expense. I'm not speaking on behalf of Crist, but I see him as the least INDECENT option.
Me thinks Meek protests too much....on behalf of the Fanjuls.
I think the Miccosukee's are also pressuring Meek, note their mention in the letter.
Wasn't the environment Gore's Waterloo in Florida?
There is a Democratic primary and there are lots of other people running......the shame of it all is that it's 2010 and instead of more discussions about all candidates, the media and the large apparatus of the 2 major parties sets the tone for the election by declaring front runners and giving them loads of free name recognition making it pretty much impossible to ever overcome the hurdle of lobbyists and powerful self-interest groups.
http://kevinburns4senate.com/
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