About Us
About Us
VoteWater, formerly Bullsugar.org, is a grassroots organization founded by Stuart residents in August 2014 on the belief that stopping the damaging discharges to our coasts and restoring the Everglades is not a science or engineering problem. The science has been known for decades. Our problem is a political problem - and it requires a political solution.
Our Mission
To fight political corruption in Florida by galvanizing public resolve to end the systemic pollution and mismanagement of our waterways.
Our Vision
To preserve and protect the public’s right to clean and sustainable water by:
- Identifying and elevating environmentally responsible candidates for public office;
- Influencing elected officials to advance and vote for clean-water policies;
- Conducting in-depth analyses and investigations into crucial clean-water topics to raise awareness and inspire activism rooted in a comprehensive knowledge of the issues.
We will serve as the voice and conscience of 22 million Floridians who recognize the importance of clean water to marine life, human life, and economic vitality.
Accomplishments
“DIRTY MONEY” going to dirty politicians ensures dirty water — so
in 2023 we took a deep dive into campaign finance. We’ve amassed
a huge trove of info about political donations to candidates and, via a
partnership with the Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy
and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law, we’re probing how and why so much political money flows to and through PACs
(political action committees) and how it affects our democracy. Look
for our full report at VoteWater.org in the coming months.
OUR “NO BIG SUGAR” CAMPAIGN stepped up efforts to reform the federal Farm Bill and eliminate price supports and other de facto subsidies that enrich the industry. We also investigated sugar industry lobbyists in the state capitol (the industry employs 48), protested against sugarcane burning, and continued to document — and dog — the industry in our weekly newsletters.
VOTEWATER WENT TO TALLAHASSEE in 2023, meeting with state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to stress the importance of Everglades restoration, of implementing all recommendations of the state’s Blue-Green Algae Task Force and the need to oppose pro-sprawl, anti-home rule legislation. We also lobbied lawmakers closer to home, and made it easier for supporters to do the same via our newsletters and on social media. The more lawmakers hear from us, the better off our waters will be.
OUR INVESTIGATIVE “Deep Dive” series took on complex, crucial topics in 2023, seeking a deeper understanding of the issues plaguing our waterways. Among the topics: How Big Agriculture is far and away the biggest source of pollution in many basins; how the indiscriminate spreading of biosolids, or sewage sludge, can supercharge water-quality problems; and whether chemical treatments for blue-green algae do more harm than good
In 2023 we expanded our weekly newsletters, bringing you more clean-water content each week, tracking water levels on Lake Okeechobee and more. And we continued to grow our social media footprint, communicating regularly with more than 300,000 followers on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. If knowledge is power, our followers are clean-water superheroes!