Florida Governor Charlie Crist has been trying to run as a moderate in his re-election campaign (he's even toyed with running as an independent). He is to the left of the Republican Party on several issues: if nothing else, he thinks the stimulus was a good idea. He's also more gay-tolerant than the GOP as a whole. But Monday, The New York Times ran a story detailing how Crist really screwed up the Everglades restoration project by giving sweetheart deals to sugar cane growers. Said one critic:
"To replace projects that were under way for a possibility of a project decades from now is not a good trade...On a net basis, this appears to me there has been a replacement of science-based environmental policy for photo-op environmental policy."
Sound like something we Dirty Fucking Hippies would say, right? You'll never guess who said it.
Former Republican governor Jeb Bush.
Bush called it a "a setback for restoration" and was "deeply disappointed." My impression has been that, even among the Republican fire-breathing crowd, Everglades restoration is a very popular thing in Florida. If Crist is trying to gain moderate support, this is really going to hurt.
Comments
Well, that's saying a whole of nothing about a 4300-word NYTimes article.
Here's that article plus more:
http://groups.google.com/group/e-everglades/web/pfm-group-memo-2-17-10
Being that you are bio, here's something to really engage you: http://tinyurl.com/fl-python-wars
Posted by: rhmooney3 | March 9, 2010 5:15 PM
I wonder why there's such an interest Everglade restoration among the non-DFH's? Maybe it has to do with all the drinking in Key West?
Posted by: John Danley | March 10, 2010 9:34 AM
You may find this of interest since it includes info the NYT did not: http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/essays/in-everglades-dream-of-restoration-deferred/1078539
Posted by: Craig Pittman | March 10, 2010 10:23 AM