2022 General - Voter Guide Ranking

2022 Clean Water Questionnaire Responses

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

• Question 1 : Yes
  1) In response to blue-green algae blooms on Florida's east coast and red tide on the west coast, the State created the Blue-Green Algae and Harmful Algal Bloom/Red Tide Task Forces to study the problem and propose solutions. But only a few of the task forces' recommendations have been adopted. Do you support full implementation of all task force recommendations, including verification/testing of agricultural Best Management Practices and requiring the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to adopt EPA guidelines for blue-green algae toxins as new water quality standards in Florida?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  Absolutely yes. I was in support of HB 561/SB 832 Implementation of the Blue Green Algae Task Force Recommendations this past legislative session. I was very disappointed to see these bills get shut down by Senate and House leadership.

• Question 2 : Yes
  2) The degradation of water quality throughout Florida has in turn led to a significant decline in seagrass, the primary food source for manatees. Starvation became the leading cause of manatee deaths in 2021 and continues today. Despite this, in 2022 the Florida Legislature passed measures which could actually increase nutrient pollution in our waters, and debated a seagrass "mitigation banking" bill that some experts believe could cause a further decline in seagrass. If elected, will you vote against all legislative proposals that could add to the nutrient load in our waters or which in any way could inflict further harm on our seagrasses?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I was extremely disturbed by the voting records of all State elected officials throughout the 5-county stretch of the Indian River Lagoon. This is one of the primary reasons I have decided to run for the House District 34 seat. SB 2508 was particularly egregious in the way that it was filed and originally written. I was part of the effort to get it vetoed and am very proud of how the environmental community rose up to fight it. It's time we stopped playing defense, and started to use our energies towards productive legislation. To do this, we're going to have to address special interest corruption that permeates every nook and cranny of our political system.

• Question 3 : Yes
  3) State legislation, FDEP data and the Blue-Green Algae Task Force all report that agriculture is the dominant source of phosphorus and nitrogen within impaired watersheds in Florida. Yet the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ best management practices (BMP) program remains voluntary, BMPs have never been field verified to reduce pollution, the state does little to no testing to verify compliance and agricultural producers enrolled in BMPs are afforded the "presumption of compliance." Do you agree industries and property owners should be held to enforceable pollution standards; that BMPs should be mandatory; that the "presumption of compliance" should end and regulators should implement systemic inspection/testing programs?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  Yes, I absolutely agree with this. One leg of my campaign platform is to support legislation towards the healing of the Indian River Lagoon and other water bodies, and another is to wring out special interest corruption that is causing continued harm to our environment. My campaign will not be accepting any PAC money. I am all about raising awareness with regards to 1) Democracy 2) The Health of Our Planet (and Lagoon), and 3) Special Interest Corruption.

• Question 4 : Yes
  4) Currently, Florida's largest water users are allowed to extract millions of gallons of water each day without paying anything to the state for the use of our most precious natural resource. Over-pumping has harmed Florida's springs, rivers, estuaries and aquifers and cost Florida taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Do you support a reasonable fee on permitted water withdrawals to offset the damage caused by over-pumping?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  Yes, but more importantly, I'm in support of evaluating whether this practice should continue at all.

• 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:

  Absolutely yes.