Monday, September 15, 2014

Big Sugar sweetens the Democratic pot: why can't they just say "no"? … by gimleteye

Our Republican friends feel sore from the raft of bad publicity from the secretive dealings between U.S. Sugar and King Ranch hunting trips disclosed recently by the Tampa Bay Times. But fear not. Big Sugar is an equal opportunity corrupter, and Eye On Miami will not shy from saying so.

We complained about the Dems, when Cory Booker flew down from New Jersey for a fundraiser at Alfie Fanjul's. We called out African American leaders who go on bended knee to Big Sugar.
Tonite's fund raiser is for the chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. We can't be agnostic on this, either.

The Democrats haven't been flown to the King Ranch hunting lodge, the way senior Republicans have by U.S. Sugar. But we would like to see the list of current and past Democratic leaders who have accepted entertainment at the Fanjul's Dominican Republic resorts. Democrats in Congress won't refuse sugar money. Here's one reason they should give up the habit.

The Fanjuls own key parcels of land -- thousands of acres -- south of Lake Okeechobee that will need to be taken by eminent domain because these billionaires refuse to contribute to the essential need for Everglades restoration: contiguous wetlands restored to provide connectivity to the Everglades.

Eminent domain requires political will, and campaign contributions like those raised tonite dissolve political will like sugar in cafecito. Money buys silence. And silence is consent.

It's not complicated. Don't let them tell you it is.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Steve Bittel? We thought more of him.

Anonymous said...

This just goes to show that Big Sugar (BS) money has no bounds. Every political whore lines up at the trough.

Anonymous said...

Cory Booker had a fundraiser hosted by the Fanjuls. It was at a swanky Coral Gables home. I sent an email to his campaign asking why a candidate from NJ would take money from South Florida environmental destroyers. I implored the Booker campaign to do their research instead of just bellying up to the money trough.

Needless to say, I received no reply. The irony is, if he is elected, I will have the opportunity to confront him directly when I travel to DC for union business. LOL

Anonymous said...

Cory Booker? Say it ain't so?

Anonymous said...

Isn't Bittel an Everglades supporter?