2022 General - Voter Guide Ranking

2022 Clean Water Questionnaire Responses

To read each question, answer and candidate comments click below.

• Question 1 : Yes
  1) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), and while the plan should reduce harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, discharges will still occur when the level of the lake gets too high. Do you agree the Army Corps and the South Florida Water Management District must send more water south during the dry season in order to minimize the possibility of discharges and their impact on human health and the environment?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  During my tenure as representative 2008-2016 we were focused on everglades restoration. Sugar industry was accused of polluting the water and for threatening the future of our ecosystem. Federal government bears some responsible for cleaning the polluted areas of the everglades created by the sugar industry. Our constitution was amended to ensure the sugar industry restore the everglades. Its time.

• Question 2 : Yes
  2) Florida is booming, with an estimated 1,000 people moving here every day. As a result, development is pushing growth further into Florida’s rural and natural areas, imperiling wildlife and natural resources like clean water. Will you oppose changes to your county’s Comprehensive Plan/Urban Development Boundary that would allow non-agricultural development in rural areas outside the urban, most densely developed area(s) in your county?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I served on the Broward County Land Preservation board and at the time we were protecting our open space & green space. We incentivized agricultural land owners not to sell and create opportunity to open up their farms to public. We are learning how to accommodate our new residents without major impact to our environment. We are more dense, we are promoting solar, electric and we have created live, work & play communities.

• Question 3 : Yes
  3) State legislation, FDEP data and the Blue-Green Algae Task Force all report agriculture as the dominant source of phosphorus and nitrogen within most impaired watersheds of Florida. Do you agree industries and property owners should be held to clearly enforceable pollution standards and penalties; including mandatory adoption and verification of best management practices, and to implement inspection programs targeting septic, agriculture and industrial wastewater?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  Mandatory adoption of best practice that clearly offers a solution is necessary. Lake Okeechobee continues to pollute our drinking water. Florida continues to welcome new residents and our drinking water become and continue to be negatively impacted by decades storm water runoff, agriculture industry and bricks and mortar developments. Federal and State governments must work together on this major crisis impacting our economy and our environment. Inspectors must be trained and code policies must be stringent.

• Question 4 : Yes
  4) Key water bodies along the Florida coast, including the Indian River Lagoon and Biscayne Bay, are plagued by excess nutrient pollution which kills seagrass. This in turn has led to increased turbidity and reduced habitat essential for fish, birds, marine mammals, and other marine species. If elected, would you support aggressive measures to address water quality problems, including (but not limited to) a mandatory septic inspection program, increased investment in septic-to-sewer conversions and upgrades to municipal sewage treatment facilities, increased stormwater pollution controls and tougher fertilizer restrictions coupled with strict enforcement?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I can support aggressive measure to upgrade to sewer in this century, we are not a third world country. The last two legislative session there was a line item that had funding for upgrading that infrastructure. Trust we will continue to keep that as a legislative priority and the county and cities can work towards that end. We must be reminded that the transfer is very costly .

• Question 5 : Yes
  5) Special interests in Florida spend lavishly to influence elections at the local, state and federal level. The sugar industry, phosphate mining industry and big utilities, among others, spend millions to aid candidates who then back their preferred legislation - too often, at the expense of clean water. Do you agree your campaign will accept no contributions from any source with ties to polluting industries including, but not limited to, the sugar, phosphate and utility industries?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I will work with the industries outlined to resolve the health and environmental security issue. The various industries are employers and we are policy makers and we have opportunities to establish policies and code enforce violators. I agree that this should be a priority for our country, state and our county. President Bided is focused on reduction of greenhouse gas an achievable policy.