Blood boiler: Big Sugar Rules FL, and is buying Gov election

[AnnInLa]

Big Sugar Rules Florida


Right now, the sugar industry's political committees are spending more than 1.8 million on a subterranean campaign to disqualify Dem gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis, who has a narrow lead going into his 9/5 primary against Rod Smith.

Their ads have nothing to do with cane fields and crops; one attacked Davis for missing Congress's resolution condemning Hezbollah. A direct mail piece was sent to virtually every Jewish voter in South Florida that showed up Big Sugar's lists, according to a source with knowledge of the decision. Another flier, sent to black voters in Miami-Dade county, castigated Davis for his "record of shame" on racial issues, accusing him of neglecting to vote in favor of restitution for wrongfully convicted prisoners. A TV ad accuses Davis of voting against the minimum wage.

The goal is to drive down Davis's turnout among his core voters. Smith is running out of money.

snip

As the Orlando Sentinel noted,

"Sugar companies control some 700,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee. They would love to turn wide swaths of that into houses. The governor appoints the secretary of the Department of Community Affairs, the state agency that oversees development. Given Mr. Smith's atrocious record on environmental issues and his eagerness to take Big Sugar's help, it's easy to guess what kind of DCA secretary he would appoint."

snip

The state's editorial boards hate Big Sugar. But there are many wealthy farmers in the state, and Big Sugar has plenty of money to fund its political activities. Right now, they're chafing under a federal-state agreement to clean up the Everglades and they hope the next governor asserts state prerogatives. (The federal magistrate overseeing the cleanup doesn't seem to be a fan of the industry's.)

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/

[donsu]

1. kicking the big neo con sugar barons

nt

[madfloridian]

2. The Sentinel endorsed Davis...goes to motive??

I think there is some organized stuff going on against Smith. I consider it a real shame.

Big sugar, big sugar, big sugar......that is all they have got. And it is being used to the hilt.