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Politics

Aftermath: We beat controversial parks plan – but it’s never really over

August 29, 2024

The roar of outrage that greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to develop our state parks was a sight to behold. For the time being, at least, we won; the outcry forced DeSantis to hit the brakes. But make no mistake,…

Digging for ‘dirty money’: How to find out much your county commission candidates got

August 8, 2024

At VoteWater we focus on “dirty money” because politicians who take money from polluting special interests are more likely to vote for those special interests, and against clean water. There’s a direct correlation. Our “Dirty Money Project” — tracking campaign…

You get what you pay for – and that’s why developers give so much

August 1, 2024

County commissioners throughout Florida are constantly being asked by developers to change zonings or amend comprehensive plans, to leapfrog the urban services boundaries and more. As you’ve noticed as you sit in endless traffic, elected officials almost always say “yes”…

VoteWater endorses Levine Cava, Lerner in Miami-Dade

July 29, 2024

VoteWater, a South Florida clean-water group, has issued its first endorsements of the 2024 election cycle, backing Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Cindy Lerner, candidate for the District 7 seat on the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners. VoteWater…

Who’s getting Big Sugar money this election cycle? Here’s the list

July 25, 2024

**UPDATED** We goofed! There’s even more Big Sugar campaign cash out there than we thought! Due to a glitch in the search process, we underreported — by more than $1 million! — the amount of money given by Florida Crystals…

“Ghost” candidates? We call bullsugar!

June 27, 2024

It’s election time, and you know what that means: Lots of bullsugar going on. Specifically, we’re getting reports of potential “ghost candidates” popping up around the region, including in Martin County, where long-time commissioner Doug Smith will benefit from a…

Big Sugar gives big bucks to Rick Scott

June 20, 2024

“Red Tide Rick” Scott was no friend to the clean-water cause as Florida’s governor. Then he moved on to the U.S. Senate by barely beating incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson in 2018. Now he’s in a tight race for re-election;…

These ‘Polluter PACs’ got (and gave) the most ‘dirty money’

May 29, 2024

VoteWater’s Dirty Money Project, announced last summer, is aiming to publish our research — including a searchable database so you can see how much money from polluting special interests your local politicians are taking — in time for Florida’s August…

Martin County favors developers (again). But you can vote for change

May 9, 2024

Last week the Martin County Board of County Commissioners sided with a developer over clean water and constituents, approving a project known as “The Ranch” (formerly “Calusa Creek”) which will be some 6,000 feet — that is, more than a…

In this Congressional race, clean water will be a big issue

May 2, 2024

Here’s something we’d like to see a whole lot more of. Congressman Brian Mast is a Republican who represents the 21st District communities perpetually at risk for discharges from Lake Okeechobee. He’s been a loud and sometimes lonely voice when…

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