Tag Archives: northern eastuary

SFWMD: Employee Review: Advice to Management. Pray for no catastrophe because you won’t be able to deal with one.

@SFWMD

@JaxStrong

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

Remember this day. The day of Issac. I’ll never forget. I thought I was going to marooned on Floresta. I thought the river was overflowed.. The water was half way up the mailboxes , the ground was caving in on Primavista, Federal was totally flooded. All the news channels were focused on down south and boy did those folks have it bad.

http://gotowncrier.com/2012/09/letter-sfwmd-to-blame-for-the-flooding/

shot the day of issac going north on the Roosevelt bridge

shot the day of issac going north on the Roosevelt bridge

But the SFWMD is pointing their long fingers at everyone else. First, they blame Acreage residents for “building in a swamp, and they deserve what they get.” Well, for the record, The Acreage is not and never was a swamp — at least not before the SFWMD came onto the scene. The vast majority of land in The Acreage is scrub land, not swamp land. Pine trees don’t grow in swamps.

Now, more recently, the SFWMD is blaming Gov. Rick Scott for the flooding. They claim that he cut their funding, which somehow caused the canals not to work right. But Rick Scott has been governor for only a few years. Why hasn’t the SFWMD fixed the canals previously? So basically, the SFWMD can try blaming others for their negligence, but ultimately, the flooding was all their fault — not the Indian Trail Improvement District, not the Acme Improvement District, not Rick Scott, not Isaac, not Santa Claus and not anyone but the management of SFWMD.

Employee Review from Indeed

http://www.indeed.com/cmp/South-Florida-Water-Management-District/reviews
Best Days are in the Past
HR Professional (Former Employee), West Palm Beach, FL – May 8, 2014
Pros: benefits and co-workers, working in beautiful s fl
Cons: executive management, hr and compensation
Politics overwhelmed every work day with the science and technology taking a back seat.
Yes (9) – No (1)

employee review

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-South-Florida-Water-Management-District-RVW5935370.htm

FEB 2015

OK place to work, but VERY political environment. ”

Current Employee – Senior Real Estate Professional in West Palm Beach, FL

I have been working at South Florida Water Management District full-time (More than 10 years)

Recommends
Positive Outlook

Pros

Benefits such as health insurance, vacation leave, sick leave and holidays are all very good. The work itself is fulfilling. Central Palm Beach County, Florida location is good.

Cons

Three words – Political, Political, Political. The SFWMD is dictated by the Governor, and it was never so bad as now. Since the new governor came into office four years ago, the organization has become mediocre (versus the envy of the world) and the employees have lost numerous benefits including paid vacation accrual, holidays, educational reimbursements, leave buyout at termination and a much weakened defined benefit program.

Advice to Management

Do the right thing regardless of what the state politicos want you to do. Make efforts to regain trust and loyalty of your employees.

JAN 2015

“Used to be a family, now it is a political whip for the Gov. ”

Former Employee – Anonymous Employee

I worked at South Florida Water Management District full-time (More than 10 years)

Recommends
Neutral Outlook

Pros

Great benefits, however getting worse with the current political agendas. Great work life balance and investing opportunities. For an agency of the State, they provide a semi-competitive salary. Excellent computer technology and top of the line systems. Better than even some large private companies, this organization attempts to provide the best tools to it’s employees in order to be more efficient.

Cons

After the reorganization, moral has dwindled. Benefits continue to be cut, and the agency is headed toward being run like a state agency. Highly political. Decisions often made contradict laws and rules of Florida.

Advice to Management

Don’t lose the “family” feeling by beating up employees just to satisfy the Governor.

Dec 2014

“Used to be a great place to do great work ”

Current Employee – Anonymous Employee

I have been working at South Florida Water Management District full-time (More than 10 years)

Doesn’t Recommend
Negative Outlook

Pros

The work has the potential to be very fulfilling and meaningful. Above average benefits.

Cons

Working for a governor and state legislator who think government employees are akin to welfare cheats. Pay is below the market rate (and that’s OK) – but now no raises for 7 years, people who are working at higher levels still aren’t getting promoted, and work that is supposed to be getting done, isn’t because the staffing has been cut back too far.

Advice to Management

Pray for no catastrophe because you won’t be able to deal with one. No enough of the right (trained) staff and funds.

Yikes. Not what you want to be reading right before Hurricane Season.

This is already happening.

Yes they have used eminent domain before.

http://florida.newszap.com/okeechobeenorthlake/119601-113/luna-family-continues-to-fight-sfwmd-in-court-over-land

“OKEECHOBEE—During eminent domain trial proceedings Wednesday, surveyors from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) admitted that property the district is trying to take was never surveyed.

The district is trying to acquire over 300 acres along the Kissimmee River in northern Okeechobee County that belongs to members of the Luna family. The district now says the property is needed for the Kissimmee River Restoration Project.

“The family is willing to grant them easements, that’s all they (SFWMD) need,” said Mr. Wright.

But instead of taking easements, the district is also wanting to take approximately 263 acres in fee simple. This means the SFWMD would then own that property outright and could do whatever it wants with the land.”

As we can see SFWMD is not the happiest place on earth. Not only have they screwed up but somehow they have made what was a non partisan issue partisan. All this time we have been going there they just told us they couldn’t do what we asked but they never said “We think we have a better idea.” Why?  Because they don’t.  They apparently don’t believe in sea level rise, or salt water intrusion, or in CERP that was suppose to be a water storage project south of the lake, or the fact that Everglades are dying, and wells in south florida are filling up with salt water.  They are full speed ahead to privatize our water. Stay tuned to a water bill near you.

what ever happens we’re gonna need a bigger boat.

Michael Grunwald at the Elliot Museum

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Last night, with a sold out crowd,

Michael  Grunwald came to talk to us all at the our new and improved Elliot Museum. The event was sponsored by BullSugar and anonymous supporters. It was first of what I hope will be many lectures we can attend at Elliot.

The video taken will be available at Elliot and also from Bullsugar so other’s will be able to watch.

I bought my third copy of this book last night. I have no idea where the first copy went and the second is out there somewhere. This one is signed so it stays in the bookcase.

This is one of my top ten favorite books ever. It’s not an easy read not because it’s hard to understand. There is a huge amount of detail. In order to understand the sad sad story of Everglades you have to understand the detail.  You have to understand the plumbing. The Universe created The Everglades. Man screwed it up. We screwed up the plumbing

 

This was suppose to be a storage project yet there is no storage.

 

and he also said “There is no Plan B”

Which is correct. I think I said the same thing yesterday because we never asked (or maybe we did and they just never answered)  them what was their plan to stop the discharges, recharge the aquifers, send water to the Everglades, stop salt water intrusion and prevent sea level rise. What are the people who are in charge of the plumbing doing to protect our water and deal with these issues?

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/13/if-its-thursday-its-sfwmd/

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/04/10/so-here-i-am-telling-the-board-of-govenors-about-my-trip-to-the-beach/

 

Also noted Rober Coker     was in the house. Robert is Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, of United States Sugar Corporation. He serves on the board of directors for the Florida Sugar Cane League, the Board of Trustees of BIZ-PAC of Palm Beach County and is a member of the Board of Governors for the Florida Chamber of Commerce. He lives here. He is also a trustee on the http://www.stuartmartinchamber.org/trustees.asp

(That’s interesting)

 

People got frustrated at the end because they felt Michael was defending big sugar by saying they had a right to be a business, and they have cleaned up their act. (you’ll have to watch the video when its released).

I think at the end it got a little mooshed up and Michael does not quite understand what our particular issues are  here right now.

Yes, big sugar has a right to be a company, but most companies have to live and die by their own devices not on subsidies created by Corporate Wellfare. So Big Sugar pull yourselves up by your bootstraps. We don’t get Medicaid Expansion why should you get corporate subsidies.

Next, we went out there to talk to talk to these  guys and they  vilified us.

When this whole thing happened in 2013 we were told we had to have discharges to protect the people south of the Lake. What has been done to fix this particular spot so these people will be safe and the lake can hold more water? Why is this not fixed two years later?

The Big sugar corporation is the one behind us not getting the land to build the reservoir. It’s their influence in Tallahassee and SFWMD that is in the way of stopping our discharges, recharging the aquifers, stopping salt water intrusion, and sea level rise. Big Sugar is standing in the way of fixing the plumbing.

 

I could write forever and bore you all to tears but the bottom line is the bottom line.

The plumbing has to be fixed and what is the plan to do so?

Thank You Michael for coming! Hopefully one day you can come back and bring your family and go swimming in our lagoon.

Everyone else be sure to look for this video on Bullsugar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you call a politician a vulture isn’t that an insult to the vulture?

Here is the fabulous Sharon Lux from the Treasure Coast Progressive Alliance.

I love Protest Art!

I also love Vultures!

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Vultures are defenders of the Environment. These are birds that have a job.

http://www.examiner.com/article/the-beneficial-buzzard-clearing-the-air-about-vultures

One of the main misconceptions about vultures is that they spread disease. This is absolutely untrue. In fact, the opposite is true… vultures actually prevent viruses, bacteria and other pathogens from spreading in the environment. A vulture’s stomach acid is a unique compound that not only allows the bird to ingest disease processes, but also removes said disease from the environment. Once a virus, bacterium or other type of disease goes into the vulture, it never comes back out! Vultures help stop the spread of rabies, anthrax, cholera, brucellosis and many other pathogens that could otherwise harm other wildlife and even humans!

Fun Fact: The Cherokee name for vulture means Peace Eagle – because unlike most meat eaters, vultures do not kill for food.

They don’t kill the alive. They only eat the dead.

Vultures are my spirit birds.

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http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/vulture.htm

The Vulture is the symbol of death and rebirth, the mother symbol,
and represents purification.
For those with this totem,
you will be noticed more for what you do than how you appear.

Vulture or Condor
teaches us how to soar above our limitations.

The Vulture promises us that no matter
how difficult things are at the moment,
rescue and change are imminent.

http://seeingmiracleseveryday.blogspot.com/2009/11/behold-turkey-vulture.html

“I learned that the turkey vulture’s wing span is approximately 6 feet wide (I can vouch for their incredible size from this animal soaring within 10 feet of me on my deck!). Their task in life is to clean up the mess, but an even more interesting aspect of the turkey vulture is that it is the only bird (or presumably only animal) whose feces is disease free. So the turkey vulture kindly cleans up dead carcasses or rotting flesh, then purifies them from any bacteria – making them perhaps nature’s most perfect cleansing animal. They struggle with take off and appear awkward in early flight, but once they are off the ground, they soar like eagles (often mistaken as such at a distance), and can fly for hours without ever flapping their wings, riding thermals and currents. The turkey vulture that appeared to me did absolute acrobatics around me, looping effortlessly in glorious flight.”

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/raptors-and-vultures/vultures/

“Vultures are under state protection, therefore it is unlawful to shoot or harass them without a permit from the FWC.  If however, the vulture is tearing up a screen porch, or chewing up shingles or roofs, then you may want to consider scaring them with Pyrotechnics.  The Wildlife Services group of the United States Department of Agriculture at 352-377-5556 can provide more information.”

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So in this video RIck Scott came to the locks and while he was there the vultures showed up and when he left they left.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjcgdTvgTB0

Who’s going to be the party of clean water and no more discharges?

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

DSC_0006

To our legislators in Tallahassee who do you represent? Because your not representing us!

Here is a video of 7,000 citizens of the Treasure coast marching to the locks after we were decimated in 2013. I don’t see anything about party. I do however see a lot of people that want this to stop.

It’s really painful to write this stuff. We have an awesome clean water movement. Its made up of a great group of people who never ask about party. Because clean water is for all not just for some. The toxic discharges affect all the people.

Here is party breakdown for Martin County. Republicans: 51,031 Democrats 26,292

MARTIN 51,031 26,294 5,437 20,630 103,392

So this year the Republicans have a super majority and they think they are so well organized that they leave  and go out of the sunshine to talk and they bully members of their party to follow “leadership.”

In Tallahassee people are cut off at the knees if they don’t vote as leadership intended and we all suffer. We’re certainly not represented.

I feel like the Republicans in Tallahassee are not even representing their own base. Because their base needs clean water.

So who are you representing when you do this stuff?

Seem’s like Big sugar is totally represented. Because if you represented us the land would be bought and the discharges would stop.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/as-us-sugar-flexes-muscle-amendment-1-supporters-fret-about-less-money-for/2226965

One thing these guys are really good at coming up with a message and repeating it over and over again until you yourself can’t remember whats true. That’s why excellent documentation is so important.

This is an excellent article written by our own Tyler Treadway. Thank goodness for him and our incredible journalists at the Stuart News.

As a reminder Sen. Joe Negron wanted the UF Study and he found the money to do so. Sen Negron waited for this study before saying anything. After all, he insisted it get done. So it comes out and instead of reading it people glom on to what they want. Which is natural.

The problem is the people who are making decisions about our discharges and our clean drinking water are glomming on also.

This article needs to be read by people who are REPRESENTING the citizens of Martin County.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/uf-water-study-cherrypicked-to-suit-arguments-for-against-us-sugar-land-buy_59243768

“Statement: Water district board member Kevin Powers at the April 9 meeting noted that none of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan’s 68 projects has been completed and said, “Nobody wants (the discharges to stop) more than me, but we’re not going to get there if we don’t complete some of these projects.”

Fact: The UF study does call for accelerating “the funding and completion of existing and federally authorized CERP projects designed specifically to provide relief” to the estuaries. It also states those projects won’t stop the discharges. That’s going to require “enormous increases in storage and treatment of water both north and south of the lake.”

Statement: A March 28 Miami Herald editorial stated the study determined the sugar land is “among the must-have pieces of land that a winning environmental strategy requires.”

Fact: The study states reducing discharges and meeting the Everglades’ need for more water will “require between 11,000 and 129,000 acres of additional land” between the lake and the national park, but it doesn’t identify what land. “The U.S. Sugar option land may or may not be the right land, but additional land will be needed to achieve restoration,” Graham said.”

You all still have time to listen and learn and turn this around for the people you represent.

#buytheland #sendcleanwatersouth

Solidarity Fish headed back to Tallahassee Solidarity y’all

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

Last week a group of River Warriors got together at the River Warrior Lodge to send messages to Tallahassee. Lead by one of creators of the Solidarity Fish Projects, Janeen Mason , we created messages to send to some of our legislators.

Some were thank you’s and some were pleas. Plea’s to buy the land. Please to use amendment one money as the people who voted for it intended. Pleas to save our drinking water. Pleas to save the Everglades.

Solidarity doesn’t mean we talk at you and you talk at us and we remain at this brick wall. Solidarity means working  together for a real solution to end the Toxic Discharges, to save our drinking water, to save our everglades, to stop salt water intrusion.

Together.

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Here is Janeen explaining what we were doing.

Here is another video done by Kenny Hinkle on the project.

Solidarity Fish headed back to Tallahassee….Buy the land. Send the water south. Save our River. Save the Everglades.
Stop the discharges. Solidarity y’all.

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Mary Higgins for State Representative and her great husband Tony Polito sending messages to Tally. https://www.facebook.com/maryhiggins82

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Julie Williams The Keeper of our River Warrior Lodge.

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Ezra Appel, River Warrior and friend of the spoil islands https://www.facebook.com/spoilislands

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Mary Dawson, author “The RIver Way Home” http://www.maryedawson.com/

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Captain Mike Connor and Michelle Roberts, granddaughter of Johnny Jones. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/johnny-jones-remembered-as-stubborn-advocate-for-t/nL8Qt/ http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/johnny-jones-remembered-as-stubborn-advocate-for-t/nL8Qt/ Johnny Jones, a plumber turned environmentalist who spearheaded the Kissimmee River restoration, helped establish the Big Cypress National Preserve and championed the Everglades, is remembered by heavyweights of Florida’s environmental movement as a stubborn, well-connected man who could get legislation passed in Tallahassee. Mr. Jones, a hunter and fisherman, didn’t like what Florida’s explosive growth was doing to the woods, water and wildlife. He used his connections to build political support for major environmental causes.

Solidarity Fish headed back to Tallahassee….Buy the land. Send the water south. Save our River. Save the Everglades.
Stop the discharges. Solidarity y’all.

solidarity fish on their way to Tally Photo by Janeen Mason

solidarity fish on their way to Tally Photo by Janeen Mason

Discharges stopped for the moment.

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

So this what happened. Thursday,  Kenny Hinkle  Jr. and Captain Mike Connor went up to Port Mayaca and made a video and took photos showing green algae.

11154683_10206886553381882_4428517736101539168_o

 

Then Senator Negron saw and told them to shut it down.

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/possible-bluegreen-algae-found-in-st-lucie-canal_46291092

“Senator Negron Calls on Army Corps to Immediately Suspend Harmful Releases from Lake Okeechobee Due to Algae Bloom”

Stuart, Fla. – Today, State Senator Joe Negron (R-Stuart) called on the Army Corps of Engineers to immediately suspend the harmful releases from Lake Okeechobee due to the current toxic blue-green algae bloom in water adjacent to the lake.

“I have personally seen video and photos confirming that water adjacent to Lake Okeechobee is currently experiencing a toxic blue-green algae bloom,” said Senator Negron. “With the elevation of Lake Okeechobee at less than 14 feet, there is simply no reason whatsoever for the Army Corps to be discharging water at this time.”

“While releases from Lake Okeechobee are always harmful, discharging water with a toxic blue-green algae bloom is particularly dangerous to our lagoon and estuary,” said Senator Negron.

“Right now, there is zero chance of any breach or damage to the dike,” said Senator Negron. “At the same time, there is a hundred percent chance of damage to our lagoon and estuary when the Army Corps pours hundreds of millions of gallons of polluted water into our community. Why would they do that?”

The Army Corps of Engineers will suspend discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie River so state agencies can run tests on a possible blue-green algae bloom that has been found in the western end of the St. Lucie Canal.

How long the discharges will be curtailed for the testing by the South Florida Water Management District and the state Department of Environmental Protection was not confirmed.

Then this happened:

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/health/possible-bluegreen-algae-found-in-st-lucie-canal_46291092

today its all over the news

https://www.facebook.com/irene.n.gomes/videos/vb.1230436264/10204036954024068/?type=2&theater

Really amazing teamwork guys.

Press Release from Rick Scott’s Office: For Immediate Release, Office of the Governor, Lake Okeechobee Toxic Algae and ACOE’s Halting Releases to St Lucie River.
April 24, 2015
Contact: media@eog.myflorida.com
(850) 717-9282

Governor Rick Scott Dispatches Florida Department of Environmental Protection Team to Test Potential Algae Blooms in Lake Okeechobee
LAKE OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott made the following statement following claims of harmful blue green algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee.
Governor Rick Scott said, “Today, following reports of harmful blue green algae blooms in Lake Okeechobee, I’ve asked the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to immediately dispatch a team to test water for harmful algae blooms. The Army Corps of Engineers did the right thing by halting their releases this afternoon. President Obama also needs to live up to his commitment to repair the dike and responsibly manage Lake Okeechobee.

Today Obama is managing Lake Okeechobee? Wow. Because a few weeks ago it was the state. Oh that’s right it’s suppose to be a partnership.

I want to drive this point home.

1. Even if this water was totally clean and devoid of all the nasty nutrients and toxic green algae it would still kill us because it  is fresh water. So the legislature needs to know this – even the clean water will kills us. I don’t understand why this particular important point is never mentioned. NO FRESH WATER!  Please find a hydrologist and ask them to explain salinity.

2. Now add on toxic green algae to the mix. been there. done this. bought the t shirt. But know this -it only happens when this stuff comes out of Lake O. So whenI hear talk in Tallahassee of not buying the land because we have enough land (Sen ALAN HAY) and how water needs to be stored north. I have to wonder what kind of information are these people getting and who are they getting it from.
Who are you getting it from?

 

How in the world do you recharge the aquifers if you store the water north of the lake? How do you fend off salt water intrusion if the water does not flow south?

HOW?

Just proves to me that our legislators have no understanding of what is going on here.

I know its hard but if we can understand this stuff so can you.

and why would any one push this stuff? They do because its sugar speak. Anything to avoid what would save us. We didn’t like  but we lived through discharges from our own water shed which was mostly AG BTW. This is what no one tells you and big sugar wants you to believe.

What kind of person does that anyway? What kind of people distorts the truth for their own personal gain? When is enough enough?

Because this is the truth and this what happens and this has got to end. We CANNOT have another toxic summer.

Do the right thing. Buy the land. Don’t destroy us.

and stop taking money from Big Sugar. I’m sure there is lots of other corporate welfare out there.

 

Army corps to resume discharges

@BarackObama

@joenegronfl

@RepMurphyFL

@SteveCrisafulli

@MaryLynnMagar

@Gayle_Harrell

To my fellow citizens of Martin County.

This has got to stop.

Army corp to resume discharges

Read about it here

http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/releases-from-lake-okeechobee-to-increase-beginning-friday_09435006

Here is the poison coming our way. Thanks Kenny and Captain Mike.

When they open the locks toxic algae is coming our way. Lake O with an algae bloom. Watch the video and learn and don’t let people talk sugar speak to you. The algae blooms  don’t come from our basin.

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Captain Mike Connor holds up a bottle of green water with Toxic Algae in it.

What’s going to take to make this stop?

Here is a video of what happened the last time.

We had beautiful water.
they open the gates.
dreaded green algae came back.
Destroyed our economy.
We had a protest with 7000 people.
The continued destruction  of the Indian RIver Lagoon..
The death of 2 million dollars worth of Oysters.
The death of the most diverse estuary in north america

How can the world let this happen to us?

Our legislators can help up.

Yet, They do nothing. nothing to stop this. Its worse that politics as usual.
It’s greed like you’ve never seen before.

We have no representation from the Treasure Coast.

I feel like I’ve been defrauded

We must buy the land and send clean water south.

#buytheland

#sendcleanwatersouth

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

@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!

photo

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.

Representative Steve Crisafulli We need to buy the land.

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

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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

 

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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.

Death Mermaid

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.”

 

 

 


Kevin Powers “We’re your best friends!” us “hahahahahaaaa”

A few weeks ago Kevin Powers called Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch and asked about the Solidarity Fish.

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http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2015/02/24/helping-the-sfwmd-catch-a-fishDSC_0012-solidarity-st-lucie-riverindian-river-lagoon/

http://www.solidarityarts.com

“The Solidarity Fish, painted by kids and ordinary people are an icon of the clean water movement in Florida. They have been from the Everglades to Washington, D.C., from the steps of the Capitol Building in Tallahassee to the cover of most major Florida newspapers and in the New York Times.  ” Janeen Mason

(I heard from a few people that Rick Scott sent someone

down to the rally to steal a fish (Three were missing) so if you see this on his desk you know where it came from. )

So then this happened. (thank you John Scott. )

Kevin Powers this is whats happening in our back yard! Your right its unrivaled!  Who has this in their backyard!

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As you all can see  we have no better friends than the South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Legislature including Joe Negron and Rick Scott. I refer you back to the hysterical laughter in the video.

This is Kevin’s background. What gives him the right to be making decisions about our water?

This is Kevin Powers Resume
Occupation: Partner, Indiantown Realty Corp

Professional, Business and Service Affiliations:
•
Director, Stuart Martin County Chamber of Commerce
•
Member, Indiantown Western Martin County Chamber
of Commerce
•
Former Director, United Way of Martin County

Former Vice President and Director, Martin County
Taxpayers Association
–
Former Director, Economic Council of Martin County

here is twitter for SFWMD

South Florida Water Management

@SFWMD

and Rick Scott Let them know what you think.

@FLGovScott