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News Wednesday, Jul 11 2018

Editorial Roundup: Toxic Algae is "Part of Rick Scott's Legacy"

Jul 11, 2018

While Rick Scott is trying to twist out of his abysmal record of siding with special interests over Florida’s environment, newspapers across the Sunshine State are condemning Scott’s spin and holding him accountable for causing the toxic algae disaster plaguing communities on Florida’s east and west coats.

Here’s a sample of what Florida’s newspapers are saying about Rick Scott’s toxic algae crisis:

Gainesville Sun: Editorial: Algae blooms are part of Scott’s legacy

  • “Gov. Rick Scott is facing an environmental crisis of his own making.”
  • “Scott and the GOP-controlled Legislature have made it easier to pollute Florida’s natural environment during his two terms in office. They’ve slashed the budgets of water managers, eliminated an agency that regulated growth, cut enforcement of environmental regulations and spent money slated for land conservation on other uses.”

Sun Sentinel: Gov. Scott’s spotty record on algae crises

  • “With Florida facing yet another Lake Okeechobee-related crisis, Gov. Rick Scott is trying to cleanse a seven-year record of environmental indifference.
  • “Lake Okeechobee…and its attendant problems loom large as he completes his eighth year in office.”
  • “And directly to the point of the current crisis, Scott’s choice to run the South Florida Water Management District opposed the new reservoir that the Legislature approved in 2017.”

Palm Beach Post: Editorial: Fighting, fingerpointing no way to fix toxic algae issue

  • To hear Scott tell it, the federal government is completely to blame…That’s rich, coming from a governor whose eight-year track record on the environment has made him the butt of jokes on late-night TV. 
  • “This is the third time in five years that high lake levels have led to toxic discharges into the estuaries and very vocal, upset residents and business owners.”
  • “What about more immediate relief from the seemingly annual algae blooms and Lake O discharges? This should have been a priority. But here we are: Coastal residents can’t swim or fish. Their businesses can’t stay open.”

St. Augustine Record: Editorial: South Florida green with envy (at our waters)

  • “Gov. Rick Scott, this week, called a state of emergency for about a dozen counties. If you ask biologists and conservationists, his concern is humorous.”
  • “They put the blame squarely on Scott, who has consistently loosened the oversight on the nutrient discharges by his benefactors.”
  • “The emergency order does nothing to solve the problem, which Scott blamed on the Obama administration in 2016. This time, his story changes: ‘Bill Nelson has had 40 years to address the algae blooms and secure the federal funding to fix the dike. He didn’t care about securing results for Lake Okeechobee until an election year.’ You know the story about the pot and the kettle.

Published: Jul 11, 2018

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