Articles by: Gil Smart
As you’ve no doubt seen, the Department of Government Efficiency has been swinging the budgetary ax, cutting a wide swath in its quest to eliminate “waste.” So we have a suggestion for Elon Musk and his crew: Kill the Sugar…
The recent bout of red tide on Florida’s Gulf Coast that killed fish and caused respiratory problems to people also brought up a long-standing subject of debate: Do Lake Okeechobee discharges cause red tide? Several scientific studies show that Lake…
A bill was filed last week in the Florida Senate that could be seen as a “good government” bill. It could also be seen as an attempt to cut spending on Everglades Restoration. Senate Proposed Bill 7002 would mandate greater…
For weeks Florida legislators have been meeting in committee, filing and debating bills and preparing for the official start of the 2025 Legislative Session on March 4. This session VoteWater’s Gil Smart will travel to Tallahassee to lobby for clean-water…
We’re watching the Ron DeSantis-Legislative feud with a truckload of popcorn. The proximate cause of the recent nastiness is immigration legislation, the fact DeSantis called the Legislature up to Tallahassee on what was supposed to be a week off, the…
Three bottlenose dolphins recently found dead in the Indian River Lagoon appear to have died of an unusual — and alarming — cause. News reports indicate the three dolphins tested positive for bird flu; and results are pending on other…
You want to save the Everglades, the northern estuaries and Florida Bay? You want to protect people and animals from harmful algal blooms and safeguard South Florida’s economy? Then it’s time to “Rescue the River of Grass.” Launched by…
Hey, remember that proposal to build a rock mine… er, “water resource project” — in the Everglades Agricultural Area? Sure you do. Phillips & Jordan, the prime contractor for several massive reservoir projects in the region, is pitching (unsolicited) plans…
Fast is good. But too fast can be reckless. So it was with mixed emotions that we watched Gov. Ron DeSantis’s press conference in Juno Beach last week, where he announced Florida will ask the federal government to let the…
