SFWMD: You’ve been part of a propaganda campaign”

Thank you Kenny Hinkle for this great video. This is great work.

Last Thursday SFWMD voted to terminate the 46,000 acre option on the sugar lands where our reservoir was suppose to go.

You know the one that was going clean and convey the water south they way GOD intended it and man screwed it up. Yes, that land. The one that was suppose recharge the aquifers, help stop salt water intrusion, save South Florida’s water and help us to to stop the toxic discharges.

.@SFWMD board put nail in coffin; not only opposed @USSugar land buy but terminated option. http://t.co/faReI4jBZI #IndianRIverLagoon

— Cheryl Smith (@TCPalmCheryl) May 14, 2015

You can hear for yourself.

I’d like to address two things.

Melanie Peterson

Your job was to read the water study. What I’m confused about is why you thought we didn’t read it and talk about it and ask questions about it? We, as in all us advocates, actually talk to each other and communicate with each other daily. We share articles. .We talk about the water every day. Multiple times a day.

I also think you need to do your homework and understand what you are calling local runoff. have you ever been to western martin county? Seriously. Your a horse person and a real estate person. I’m sure your great at both. But to spit in the face of the people who have lived and breathed this water issue is unacceptable.

If you want people to treat you with respect then if has to be both ways. You were totally disrespectful.

We were getting “local runoff” and we did not have green algae. It wasn’t pretty. But before that things were clearing up and they were going test and then the ACOE opened the gates.

“If your concerned about the estuaries.” really. If you were you would understand your remarks were simply sugar speak and a big wink wink.

There is no one more well informed that the group before you. 6 months before the discharges we were documenting here and havn’t stopped.

https://www.facebook.com/SaintLucieRiverofLight

we also have a you tube page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-c0h9IbytVikLpiQxEAS6g

We also have other pages where thousands of people talk to each other every day. Every day. Multiple times a day. We wake up with each and we at night time we check in to see whats going on.

So before you insult all my hard working friends who have given up their lives for this you should do your homework. Actually, they deserve an apology. You need to apologize.

You can send it here and i’ll post it. You also need to watch the video above. and then you need to resign immediately.

Of course Mitch Hutchcraft doesn’t want the land in play. He is also in real estate and I’m sure part of your golden parachute will be to build big things on this land. Good luck with that!

You cannot build big things south of the lake. Why? We are getting the discharges is to protect the people south of the lake because they are in danger because of the dike. So putting more people in danger is not an option. If you all think its ok o build then maybe it’s not as dangerous as we were told.

@MrsZiggyP @ByKristenMClark @pbpost @SFWMD Nope 100% for it. You could not build on it if you wanted to….it's not buildable land…

— JohnD13 (@JMDEngineering) May 14, 2015

No offense.You are really out of touch and you have no business being part of the people who decide how to deal with our water. In fact, your entire presentation was beyond frightening.

Then my favorite part was I could hear Gayle just having a meltdown and Mr Moran telling her that she was exposed to propaganda.

really? hahahhh

That is seriously rich.

and if it propaganda why is Senator Negron promising to buy other land so we get all the scientists together and send the water south? Why?

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/negron-to-pursue-money-for-land-south-of-lake-okeechobee-despite-death-of-us-sugar-option_66776672

State Sen. Joe Negron said Friday he’ll continue “full-speed ahead” seeking $500 million to buy land south of Lake Okeechobee, even though the option of getting it from the U.S. Sugar Corp. is dead.

Now if our Congressman Patrick Murphy understands this and our Senator Joe Negron Understands this. Why don’t you?

Mr Moran should have attended the Everglades Coalition meeting where we listened to real “scientists” talk about sea level rise and we went to a great session about the northern estuaries.

He should have gone he would have learned something.

or at least read a book.

Here’s a great book he can read!

Because sir, if your going to berate us. you really need to know the facts.

so here is my documentation from EVCO

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/01/11/evco2015-everglades-coalition-annual-conference-key-west-florida/

and here is Erik EIkenberg at the RIver’s Coalition with Nathanial Reed talking about the resevoir

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/01/30/rivers-coalition-with-eric-eikenberg-and-nathanial-reed-12915/

Please bone up because I’m sure your not calling the following people propagandists. You surely have time to take that back.

Here are the following people who have been going to SFWMD plead with the Board of Govenor’s to buy the land and send the water south.

US (The River Warriors)

The Everglades Coaltion

The Everglades Trust

The Everglades Foundation

Florida Audobon

Tropical Audobon

Everglades Law Center

The Indian RiverKeeper

Ray Judah

Mark Perry Director of Florida Oceanographic, WRAC member

Palm Beach County Soil

Ed Fielding, Martin County Commissioner

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch, Sewell’s Point Commissioner and WRAC member

Dr Gary Goforth

The Sierra Club

Maggy Hurchella

I’m sure there are more. You get the drift.

You have no intention of doing anything because your orders are clear. Privatize the water and you will be rewarded handsomely.

When you sink this low can you really trust the puppet master?

Axis of evil: Big Sugar- Legislature- SFWMD

Just so you know the difference THIS is a propaganda campaign. Trying to stop you from polluting us, saving the water, saving the Everglades and stopping sea level rise and salt water intrusion certainly is not propaganda. But YOUR propaganda campaign is just as bad as this. Now lets all go get some coffee made from snow.

CBS news interviews guy who duped actors as real person.

Apr12

So i’m good with the attention and the general message. But I’m not cool with giving Everett Wilkenson any attention at all! Just two weeks ago he paid 50 actors 75 dollars and duped them into thinking they were shooting the backdrop for a tea party documentary. I know channel 12 knows this because i personally went over to the news truck last Thurs and told them myself.
read here: https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/04/07/actors-duped-in-tea-party-protest-at-south-florida-water-management/

“I don’t know anything about people being paid! These are real protestors”

Here is the piece! Again thanks so much for investigating but please don’t give any attention to fake people.Why are we talking about “Land Grabs?” Its a conspiracy theory.

Bad Actors hired by Tea party for fake Protest at SFWMD!

Apr3

@WaterDefense

@MarkRuffalo

@abreidnews

@sagaftra

Attention to all my film friends: Can you help us Save the Indian River Lagoon:

I miss all the fun.

This was the add on Facebook that was posted by a person named Karen Donahue who apparently was on her way to Michigan later that night. Probably to her new job at Fox News or some kind of great payola for selling her friends down the filthy, dirty, polluted river last week at South Florida Water Management. When I checked her out on Facebook we had 50 or so of the same friends. Since we have many mutual friends in the film industry who have watched me post about this issue for the last three years I’m sure they were quite surprised that one of their own basically screwed them and intentionally used them in a protest to hurt the Everglades.

In the end. Its didn’t hurt that much.

After I posted the article on Karen’s Page she said this:

“Don’t take the Bait.” This is how I know she is not innocent.

Then she posted “You know dear Karma is only a bitch if you are.”

Funny.

Then she deleted all the posts

So I guess Karma really is a bitch if you are!

Funny.

Here is the add:

“Political Rally Protesters needed!!
We could use up to 40 people for Rally Protesters this Thursday, April 2nd at 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
We will pay CASH of $75 per person at end of shoot. NO BREAKFAST
The address is: MUST BE REGISTERED and ON LIST TO GET PAID
South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Details: Basically to stand behind fence, holding banners or signs that will be provided. Clothing is almost anything!! Use common sense and don’t wear “club” outfits or gym clothes. Just wardrobe for a Political Rally. This couldn’t be any easier…………the only down side is an early start for West Palm Beach location. That is why we’re paying so well!!

Also Jason we have many friends in common.

“I don’t know anything about people being paid! These are real protestors”

Here are some of the great articles that followed:

http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2015/04/big-sugar-pays-tea-party-protesters-to.html

“Big Sugar supporters hiring actors to pretend to protest is pathetic,” said Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo. “Someone should ask who is paying for artificial sweetener to make polluting the Everglades and our drinking water easier to swallow.”

Please see the below screen grab of a Broward Acting Group’s Facebook post offering to pay for pretend protesters to back Big Sugar’s attempt to get out of the land deal they made with the State of Florida.”

Hysterical but pathetic.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/actors-hired-to-protest-at-water-district-know-lit/nkkkb/#modal-7057267

More than 50 actors from a Broward County acting group were paid $75 each to protest outside the South Florida Water Management District on Thursday about a controversial land deal they knew little about.

A great article by our own Zaimarie De Guzman.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/local-news/st-lucie-county/zaimarie-de-guzman-new-low-reached-in-water-politics-with-paid-actors_09735578

They were protesting about stopping the land grab! This is not a land grab. Its like opposite. If your going to be against something why not learn about it.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/ed-killer-land-buy-is-not-a-land-grab_29713934

The protest was called by the Tea Party of Miami and Florida Citizens Against Waste, a recently formed group that has no contact information on its website and is not registered to do business in Florida.

I had a conversation with a person who was at the rally and very confused. He thought he was protesting the selling of the land because he didn’t want Big Sugar to make a profit and he was concerned about the “poor and homeless.” which as an actor in South Florida where the pickins are thin I’m sure he’s knows a lot about this. I felt badly for him but I also saw the light bulb go off in his head when he realized what a messed up thing he did.

Apparently, people pick up these jobs all the time through their group of Broward Actors. These guys need these jobs to make ends meet and I am in no way upset with them with the exception of two people.

How much of this has gone on. Is the Tea Party really a party or a bunch of hired actors? I hope so!

The big questions I have right now are these?

Who paid the Tea Party to pay these people? That needs to be investigated. Not the actors. Some of them thought they were filming a reenactment for a Tea Party Documentary.

To the people at

@sagaftra. Is there anyway to investigate this?

I also think it’s important that people step forward anonymously and let it be know what else they were told about the gig.

And thirdly, I’d like to know why there was no Craft Service Table. This is very bad form Tea Party. We all know part of the gig is providing good food for all.

Feel free to email me at clenz@mac.com.

The whole thing is really pathetic but funny and very telling. For the future if you want to know how to put on a great protest we can totally hook you up.

Attention President Obama! You’re our only Hope!

Mar28

Welcome President Obama!

@BarackObama

Welcome President Obama to the Treasure Coast and welcome from all of us that have been working hard to Save the St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

We have been are being decimated by the discharges from Lake Okeechobee. What once was the most diverse estuary in North America has been destroyed. Our lagoon has lost massive amounts of sea grass and it is filled with muck.

Would you allow this in your backyard?

People will tell you “It’s Complicated!” Its not. We need to buy this land. We need to do this now before the option on the land runs out.

This purchase can be funded through our Amendment 1 which specifically states that the money is to buy the land.
Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, Amendment 1 (2014)‬
The Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, Amendment 1 was on the November 4, 2014 ballot in the state of Florida as an initiated constitutional amendment, where it was approved. The measure was designed to dedicate 33 percent of net revenue from the existing excise tax on documents to the Land Acquisition Trust Fund.
The Land Acquisition Trust Fund was developed to acquire and improve conservation easements, wildlife management areas, wetlands, forests, fish and wildlife habitats, beaches and shores, recreational trails and parks, urban open space, rural landscapes, working farms and ranches, historical and geological sites, lands protecting water and drinking water resources and lands in the Everglades Agricultural Areas and the Everglades Protection Area. The fund was designed to manage and restore natural systems and to enhance public access and recreational use of conservation lands.
The campaign in support of the initiative was led by Florida’s Water and Land Legacy.
It passed with 74.96%

The people of Florida support this.
We got the money

Rick Scott and our Florida Legislature wants to finish up existing projects which will result in the option running out and in the end Everglades Restoration will never be able to be completed.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-oped-lake-okeechobee-response-20150204-story.html

Billions of gallons of polluted water have been wasted flowing into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers. All the projects that we have going now will never be complete unless we buy this land and build a reservoir and send clean water south.

This not only helps us on both coasts but will help South Florida with its drinking water which is in peril, help with salt water intrusion and sea level rise in Miami and help to save the Florida Bay which is also in peril because it does not get enough fresh water.
The Everglades is the water supply for one-third of our states Population.

Florida has negotiated a contract to purchase land, including 26,000 acres directly south of the lake. Buying this strategic parcel will provide water managers with a new option to store, move and clean water south of Lake Okeechobee before it reaches the Everglades.

We are done ask our legislators why they won’t do this. They serve themselves. The certainly don’t serve the citizens of Florida. We have done everything in our power to make this happen.

Rick Scott ignores the Science of Climate change. Rick Scott is ignoring the science of sea level rise. There are wells in South Florida filled with salt water and soon be undrinkable. This is our drinking water.

Who are you going to believe? The scientists or the Governor of Florida who has muzzled free speech by not allowing people to even say the words “Climate Change.”

http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2015/03/uproar-against-florida-gov-rick-scott.html

You cannot let this happen to us! Delay is a self-serving position for special interests. Please help us.

Attention Congressman Patrick Murphy! Bring us Attorney General Eric Holder.

Mar26

To : Patrick Murphy

@RepMurphyFL
@PatrickMurphyFL

U.S. Representative for Florida’s 18th congressional district

From Keri West
Administrator: Save The Indian RIver Lagoon
Representing 8,131 members
Cyndi Lenz and Steve Cottrell
Administrators: River of Light
Representing 1,098
Change.org
https://www.change.org/p/rick-scott-stop-the-lake-okeechobee-discharges-into-the-st-lucie-river-and-estuaries
13,771 Supporters

We are requesting that you bring Attorney General Eric Holder to see the Indian River Lagoon. We feel that there is permanent damage from the Toxic discharges to the Indian RIver Lagoon and the State of Florida has been negligent to our lagoon, the St Lucie River, our economy and our lives.

Here is a photo. Where is this allowed and not addressed? How can we live in the United States of America and have this happen to us?

The State of Florida is refusing to take the steps to buy the land needed to finish Everglades Restoration. The result of this will be continued discharges and total destruction of the Indian River Lagoon, the Caloosahatchee River, the destruction of the Everglades, the Florida Bay and the drinking water of South Florida.

We have health concerns by our local Martin Memorial Hospital.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ocxWFpi_BQ

We have tried all avenues. We have money thru amendment 1 to buy the land. The state legislators are refusing to buy the land that would end the discharges. Our Citizens and Health Officials are concerned about bacteria rates, unidentified illnesses and treatment. Local business owners and winter residents are deeply concerned about our economy and industries that rely on the lagoon.

Higher levels of bacteria in Indian River
http://savethelagoon.org/tag/harbor-branch

FORT PIERCE – There is an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the Indian River Lagoon according to a new study released by FAU Harbor Branch scientists.
To our fellow citizens and group. Please feel free to sign on with us by sending us your information and the amount of people you represent.

Congressman Murphy We need your help right now!

Representative Steve Crisafulli We need to buy the land.

Mar24

To: Representative Steve Crisafulli and all the people who voted for him and the entire area he represents:

This is my backyard in Jensen Beach, Florida

This could be your backyard!

We need to buy the land so Everglades Restoration can be complete. Clean water needs to go south.

We got the money in amendment one. There is a way to make this happen. Please contact him and ask him to please discuss with the scientists who understand this issue so we can fix this.

http://postonpolitics.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/02/18/speaker-crisafulli-dont-buy-land-south-of-lake-o/

“House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, says he opposes the controversial land deal that would enable the South Florida Water Management District to purchase 46,800 acres of land south of the lake at fair market value.”

That’s because when the option runs out the land can be sold for 5 times the amount. Big Sugar is reneging on the deal they made. And that’s ok with with the Speaker of the House Crisafulli.

“Crisafulli wrote in an email response. “At this time, I do not support spending limited state resources to purchase more land south of Lake. My priority is to utilize and care for the land we own now.

This shows his lack of knowledge on the subject. The money is there through amendment 1.

If this doesn’t happen we are going to get discharges forever. Our water will always look like this and YOU the people of Florida would have destroyed not only our portion of what was once the fabulous Indian River Lagoon and the most diverse estuary in North America but our economy, our lives. If this happens this is Florida’s legacy. The people of Florida have let this happen.

By not doing this you are destroying us, the drinking water of South Forida by allowing salt water intrusion, and the Florida Bay.

There are plenty of scientists at the Everglades Coalition I’m sure they would be happy to talk to you!

“Environmental groups, spearheaded by the Everglades Foundation, want the district to purchase the land. They believe that the district could use the land to build a reservoir to store water, which they say would reduce harmful discharges of water from the lake into the St. Lucie Estuary and Caloosahatchee River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases water from the lake into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee when water levels rise and threaten the aging earthen dike that protects farmland and communities around the lake.”

Land Buy Critical for Everglades Restoration. Time is running out.

http://floridawaterdaily.com/2015/03/05/opinion-land-buy-critical-for-everglades-restoration

Ignore the Death Mermaid at your peril

http://contextflorida.com/diane-roberts-legislators-ignore-the-death-mermaid-at-your-peril/

”

OCCUPIED TALLAHASSEE–When the Death Mermaid shows up, pay attention.

Back in 1881, she appeared to Hamilton Disston, warning him against trying to drain the Everglades. Old Ham, never the most emotionally stable of multimillionaires, shut his eyes tight and swore on his mother’s grave he’d stop drinking cologne.

In 1969, she scared the feds into killing the Everglades Jetport, a project beloved of South Florida Democrats. It would have been the largest airport in the world and bang in the middle of the Big Cypress Swamp.

Last week she materialized at the South Florida Water Management District meeting, urging the water czars to stop screwing around with the Everglades.

You’d think they would listen to a skeletal apparition with long green hair (probably from all that toxic algae gagging Florida waters) and a tail. But these are Rick Scott appointees: they don’t believe in mermaids – or measurable water standards. They shrugged her off: just another crazy eco-chick.”

The Murder of the Indian River Lagoon and St Lucie RIver

Mar19

This photo was taken March 18, 2015 by Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch. This water brings destruction AGAIN to the Indian RIver Lagoon and the St Lucie RIver. The recently released water study by the University of Florida states that even if all of the planned projects north of the lake are completed we will still have so much phosphorus in the lake that we won’t be able to do anything but discharge it into the coastal estuaries in wet years. They said we would have that situation for two centuries. The economies, the lives and the health of everyone on both coasts of Florida is at risk. And the trade off is not the sum of Florida agriculture. It is a small percentage of land that is experiencing so much subsidence that it will be worthless for growing crops in the near future. We need to have agriculture and healthy coastal communities. But that will require more storage and treatment south of the lake. Is this ok with anyone because it seems to be ok with the board of Govenors of South Florida Water Managers, RIck Scott, and our Florida Legislators. Who does this? We got you the money for the land and the same people are now stealing it. This is intentional destruction of our environment and economy. When we elect people their jobs are to take care of us. Not themselves and their cronies. what can we do? Let’s start adding up how much this is costing.

Call Mr Tom Frick 850-245-7518 @FLDEPNews tell him about the destruction. Take this photo and send it to your legislator and to Rick Scott

@FLGovScott and the speaker of the house

@SteveCrisafulli

and South Florida Water Management

@SFWMD

Tampa Bay TImes Stunning Disregard for the voters!

http://tbo.com/list/news-opinion-editorials/stunning-disregard-for-voters-will-20150316/

“The measure’s language and ballot summary were absolutely clear: It was intended to increase land preservation. Campaign materials also spelled out its intent.

Citizens groups launched the initiative after lawmakers had virtually abandoned the state’s land acquisition efforts.

So the public’s will here is crystal clear — and lawmakers seem to care not a whit.”

Please like this page , facebook and tweet your friends. Leave me any suggestions.

This is happening to us and it can happen to any of you.

#buytheland

#cleanthewaterandsend it south

We Demand you stop the discharges to the Northern ESTUARIES

Mar16

So our petition has a funny story. It was way back when before we even had discharges but had started our page River of LIght.

Steve wanted to start a petition. I wasn’t a petition person. He started this petition https://www.change.org/p/rick-scott-stop-the-lake-okeechobee-discharges-into-the-st-lucie-river-and-estuaries

A few months later I got a called from the TC Palm about my petition.

“What Petition?”

“Your Petition has 2000 signatures.”

“OH! It’s not mine it belong’s to Tiki Steve”

So like everything else in this movement that started off to save our Indian RIver Lagoon and morphed into saving Caloosahatchee River, saving the everglades, saving the water of south florida , saving south florida it organically had 2000 signatures and its grown to over 13,000 since then.

Here is the article

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/petition-demands-that-governor-stop-lake-o-into

Here is the video from back then

Tiki Steve “I have children I hear excuses all the time!”

Nothing has changed. Now we have the same thing with SFWMD. They have constraints. Same difference.

Tiki Steve “He’s got to stand up for the people of Florida.”

He’s not! He is standing up for BIg Sugar and so are the people on the board of south florida water management who are so lazy they haven’t read any of multitudes of reports about building a reservoir and sending clean water south. I suspect because they have been told to ignore all the scientific reports and we will all go away after the option on the land runs out. Who your sugar baby?

We’re looking for an appraisal on 46,800. BS gave it us when they were going broke but now that they are being subsidized and have no worries they changed their minds.

We can’t change the guts of the petition but we have over 13,000 names and we want it to continue in the spirit in which Steve started it.

The discharges have got to stop. The reservoir needs to be built. (BS actually wanted this. It would be good for all involved) The money is there. With out a flow way the rest of Everglades Restoration won’t work.

Rick Scott, our local legislators and SFWMD refuse to do anything about this. Refuse. Nothing they are doing will stop the discharges.

We need all of you to sign our petition. STOP THE MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF FRESH WATER SENT OUT TO TIDE.

STOP THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR LAGOON AND THE NORTHERN ESTUARIES.

https://www.change.org/p/rick-scott-stop-the-lake-okeechobee-discharges-into-the-st-lucie-river-and-estuaries

Saving Florida’s Water Action Alert

Feb23

Right before “Meet the Press” I saw this on wptv channel 5.

I almost fell off my couch.

Here is the website

http://savingflwater.com/

GO there and sign the petition. You can tweet or facebook Rick Scott. Tell him to buy the land. Share the website with your friends and family. This website is a gift. It’s a miracle. So please break twitter and facebook. lets do this folks. This petition needs thousands of signatures.

According to the Scientists at the Everglades Coalition meeting “The most important thing to prevent sea level rise in MIami is to send the water south.”

75% of Floridians voted in amendment one. This land was written into that.

If you have any questions watch this video presentation.