bullsugar.org/vote: Voter guides highlight fight for Everglades restoration, support Patrick Murphy over Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate. 

September 27, 2016 – Stuart, FL – Bullsugar.org, a 501c4 non-profit dedicated to stopping destructive discharges into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries and restoring the flow of clean freshwater to the Everglades, today announced the publication of voter guides for all Florida counties. The guides identify political candidates, including both republicans and democrats, that support legislative action to address Florida’s water management crises and pursue science-based solutions to revitalize Florida’s waterways.

The voter guides specifically endorse U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy (D) over Marco Rubio (R), citing Rubio’s refusal to sign the Now or Neverglades Declaration, his ties to billionaire sugar industry executives who oppose key Everglades restoration projects, and his support for water management policies that have triggered the collapse of Florida Bay’s seagrass meadows and the spread of toxic algae blooms on both coasts. Murphy has signed the Declaration and pledged to actively work for stronger water management to prevent disasters like these.

The Now or Neverglades Declaration, sponsored by Bullsugar.org in partnership with leading outdoors organizations and companies, calls for an end to surges of water from Lake Okeechobee to Florida’s east and west coasts, and the return of clean freshwater flows to Florida Bay. According to more than 200 Everglades scientists, Florida Bay’s recovery depends on acquiring land in the Everglades Agricultural Area to store, treat, and move water south from Lake Okeechobee to reconnect it with the historic “River of Grass.” Partners in the Now or Neverglades Declaration include Patagonia, Orvis, Mustad, Rapala, Yo-Zuri, Nautilus Reels, Lamson Waterworks, Hell’s Bay Boatworks, Contender, Maverick Boat Group, Yeti, IFGA, the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, the Everglades Trust, Audubon Florida, the Sierra Club, the Everglades Foundation, Florida Sportsman, and many more.

“Florida voters deserve to know who is committed to sound water management and protecting our natural resources, and until now there wasn’t a statewide reference available to look up candidates’ positions on these issues,” said Kenan Siegel, co-founder of Bullsugar.org. “So much of our economy—from tourism to real estate—depends on clean water, but it’s been too hard to find out where our elected officials really stand on key policies that impact our livelihoods. These voter guides will make it easier to choose candidates willing to work toward a scientific solution to our water crises.”

Voter guides for every Florida county are available on the Bullsugar.org website. The voter guides will be continually updated as candidates declare their positions on water management and solutions to restore Florida’s estuaries and Everglades National Park. The full set of voter guides is available at: bullsugar.org/vote

About Bullsugar.org

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 problem or an engineering problem. It is a political problem, and it requires a political solution.

Bullsugar.org aims to empower voters to take back our water and government. Future generations of Floridians deserve a healthy River of Grass and clean water.

Contact

For Bullsugar.org:

Peter Girard

772.678.0415

pgirard@bullsugar.org