Top Three Takeaways – July 20th, 2021

Top Three Takeaways – July 20th, 2021

1. A win for Florida’s waterways and everything living in them. Monday was decision day for the Army Corps of Engineers. After years of toxic algae discharges out of Lake Okeechobee having culminated in record manatee deaths already this year, we and they, were ready for a win. And thankfully the Army Corps of Engineers delivered with two simple letters. “CC”. Out of five plans to overhaul discharges out of Lake Okeechobee going forward, the “CC” plan discharges the most water south into the Everglades, the way the water naturally flowed before manmade intervention intervened. Importantly, it also reduces the discharges into Florida’s east-coast waterways by a minimum of 66% for a minimum of ten years. The plan’s not a panacea but it was demonstrably the best for Florida’s waterways and everything living in them. 
2. Real Progress. For years it’s felt like every potential environmental win was only temporary. However, the Army Corps ability to make this decision is illustrative of something meaningful in tangible terms. The progress of the Everglades Restoration Project enabled the possibility of this plan being an option. It also provides plenty of time, at ten years, to complete the southern reservoir off Lake O’ for runoff water and perhaps a northern one too. If all goes according to plan eastern discharges can be decreased by 66% today and 95% in time. This was also a huge win for Congressman Brian Mast. Brian has been fighting for this since the day he first took office but as Brian said yesterday: The Army Corps of Engineers has chosen Balanced Alternative CC as its preliminary decision for the Lake Okeechobee System Operations Manual. This is good news, but our fight isn’t over. We must keep up the pressure to stop a proposed “bait and switch” that would increase discharges to the St. Lucie. So that’s the focus for now. And incidentally, who backs that bait and switch plan? None other than Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on behalf of the sugar lobby. When a win for Florida’s waterways is a loss for you, you’re on the wrong side of the issue and history.
3. Crickets. At a time in which 6,000 illegal immigrants are crossing our southern border daily (commonly being allowed to stay). At a time in which Governor DeSantis said: When confronted by our deployed Florida law enforcement at the southern border, roughly 70% of illegal border crossers said that Florida was their ultimate desired destination (and commonly the Biden administration is sending them here). At that very time, when Cubans are desperately in need due not to their own chooses, but because they don’t have any...Joe Biden still does nothing. Biden has chosen to open our southern border to all comers who walk across it while rewarding those who abuse our immigration system by sending them to Florida. But for Cubans during their time of need...its crickets. It’s not just wrong it’s amoral. But that’s goes hand in glove when you choose to appease China and Russia.