From Fox-Henhouse Inc: Jeb Appoints US Sugar VP To S Florida Water Board

[hatrack]

"Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday appointed an executive of U.S. Sugar Corp., a significant polluter of the Everglades, to the board that controls South Florida's water supplies.

Malcolm "Bubba" Wade, senior vice president of U.S. Sugar, was named to the board of the South Florida Water Management District, which manages water supply and drainage in Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and 13 other counties. The district co-manages the $8.4 billion restoration of the Everglades.

Environmentalists immediately condemned the appointment, saying it placed an executive of a company with a major vested interest in a position of great influence over South Florida's environment. "It's a special-interest appointment," said Mary Barley of Save Our Everglades. "I think it's appalling that you would put a polluter of the Everglades on this board." Jonathan Ullman, Everglades representative for the Sierra Club, said the appointment "just reinforces that special interests control the government."

EDIT

In an interview, Wade said he regarded his appointment as another step in the work he's done for years on various boards and commissions that worked out "consensus-based" solutions to environmental and agricultural issues. He said he would recuse himself from votes on matters that directly affect U.S. Sugar."

EDIT

:puke:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-csugar02mar02,0,4659145.story?coll=sfla-news-sfla

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. When will this crap end? Why is our public government used to

advance private interests instead of protecting the public health, safety and welfare?

[Divernan]

2. "Consensus-based" means he consults his golf foursome at the country club

nt

[ewagner]

3. Consensus Based

Let's see....

date rape?

bribery?

blackmail?

[Divernan]

4. His company turns Everglades into biologically barren area.

More info from original article::

"Bubba's company has 160,000 acres of cane field and citrus groves, mainly south of Lake Okeechobee. The company has extensive dealings with the District, from which it obtains drainage and water permits.

The company's fields have sent phosphorous pollution into the
Everglades, where it transforms sawgrass prarie into biologically barren fields of cattails. . .2 years ago, over loud protests from environmentalists, the company persuaded (bribed I think) the state legislature to give it a 10 year extension on reducing phosphorous to acceptable levels."

If we lifted the embargo on Cuba, our sugar prices would drop drastically, and Bubba would get his just desserts.

[Mika]

5. Cuba produces little sugar these days

The subsidies for big sugar that were intended to bring down Cuba's sugar industry were amost fully successful. Cuba no longer relies on large sugar exports. Tourism has taken over as the country's economic driver these days. Cuba has shut down over half of its sugar mills.


Here's a recent story on Cuba's sugar problems,

Cuba to Cut Sugar Shipments
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2005/03/03/047.html

Cuba sells abroad all but 700,000 tons of its crop, mainly to Russia and China. But it has been known to sell more to meet contractual obligations and then purchase sugar abroad.

[blindpig]

6. Jesus, straight out of a Carl Hiassen novel

sure hope it ends like one.

[Wilms]

7. Feed these thieves to the alligators. n/t