‘I don’t need 187,000 acres for environmental restoration,’ said Sole—an assertion that was already stirring opposition among environmental activists who have long wanted to restore the broad expanse of the River of Grass.
So the government is buying this land at a very high price in large part to cultivate biofuel crops. That’s hardly the conservation touted by the Journal and NYT.
This deal was reached in almost complete secrecy, as The Miami Herald and others pointed out. As details solidify, journalists and other observers need to stay sharp on this deal and not let Eden-like promises cloud their vision.
After all, politics are never far from view. The local press prominently reported that this environmentally conscious deal comes just after Crist’s abandoning of his objection to offshore drilling. At the same time, Crist’s name is floating around as McCain’s potential vice-presidential running mate.
We trust the Florida press to stay on the case.
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Nice work.
I can add one small detail. SW Florida Water Management District is called "Swift Mud." I saw a documentary about them, and was impressed, but maybe they produced it.
And thank you for not simply stating "It appears that Crist is using tax revenues to bail out a large corporation."
Posted by JoshNarins![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cjr.org/nav-commenters.gif)
on Sat 28 Jun 2008 at 05:01 PM
Good review of the details that the national press coverage didn't pick up on. But I wish you had mentioned the work of The Palm Beach Post, which broke the news of the deal hours before anyone else had it, and a full day before Gov. Crist wanted the word to be out.
Not only were reporters Dara Kam and Dianna Smith first with the story, but Post reporters such as Jennifer Sorentrue and Eliot Kleinberg kept the paper ahead of the curve in reporting the financial impact to South Florida's taxpayers, who will be paying a lot more than $1.7 billion by the time this is all finished. And on Sunday, I-team member Stacey Singer wrote a detailed account of the environmental lobbying campaign that helped set the stage for the deal, including the participation of a billionaire activist who's a fishing buddy of the governor's.
Acknowledgement: I work for The Post (though I don't speak for it), and I am proud of what we've done. As you note, Florida has many fine newspapers, and I'm sure we'll all continue to give this purchase the scrutiny it deserves.
Oh, and a minor point on the earlier comment: The Southwest Florida Water Management District (a/k/a "Swiftmud") is not the agency that's making this purchase. That would be the South Florida Water Management District, which has no catchy nickname -- it's simply "the district," the same way that New York is "the city."
Posted by Bob King![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.cjr.org/nav-commenters.gif)
on Thu 3 Jul 2008 at 10:42 AM
Ditto, Bob King.
More important, daily stories are still being written. Check out Susan Salisbury at the Palm Beach Post and Curtis Morgan and Jane Bussey at The Miami Herald. USSugar has made it plain -- the deal is good at fair-market-value and it's buy-it-all or go-away. But really, who's going to go away? The state maybe, but other buyers???? Stories to watch: What happens to the South Central Florida Railroad? Expansion plans for the Florida Cyrstals (Flo-Sun a/k/a Fanjul companies? Still-to-drop shoes of the Florida Sugar Cane Grower Co-op.? What's called the "Inland Port," a large three-port freight-staging distribution center proposed for the US 27 corridor south of Lake Okeechobee. Then there's that pesky new "sunshine violation" lawsuit filed by the Miccosukee.
All that and O'Bama and McCain calling for off-shore oil drilling.
Whats news? Florida!
Posted by Martha Musgrove on Sun 3 Aug 2008 at 11:39 PM