GOOD MORNING, I'M JIM 3
DEFEDE AND WELCOME TO FOCUS ON 3
SOUTH FLORIDA. 3
FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE 3
STATE HAS BEEN DEALING WITH 3
TOXIC LEVELS OF BLUE-GREEN 3
ALGAE FLOWING OUT OF LAKE 3
OKEECHOBEE. 3
LAST YEAR WE DID AN ENTIRE 3
DOCUMENTARY ON HOW THE POLLUTED 3
WATER FLOWS OUT OF LAKE 3
OKEECHOBEE AND IS WASHED EAST 3
AND WEST, DUMPING THE PUTRID 3
GREEN FOLIAGE ON BOTH COASTS. 3
AND 2017, THE LEGISLATURE 3
APPROVED A PLAN TO BUILD A NEW 3
RESERVOIR SOUTH OF THE LAKE 3
WHERE THE WATER COULD BE SENT 3
AND CLEANED BEFORE BEING 3
RELEASED INTO THE EVERGLADES AT 3
FLORIDA BAY. 3
THE RESERVOIR WOULDN'T SOLVE 3
ALL OF THE PROBLEMS, BUT IT WAS 3
A START. 3
A FEW MONTHS AGO THE FEDERAL 3
GOVERNMENT PASSED FUNDING FOR 3
IT. 3
PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED IT INTO 3
LAW. 3
THINGS SEEMED TO BE ON TRACK. 3
AND THEN THIS HAPPENED. 3
ALL IN FAVOR? 3
SPEED MAC. 3
MOTION PASSES, THANK YOU 3
VERY MUCH. 3
THAT WAS A SOUTH FLORIDA 3
WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT 3
VOTING TO ALLOW SUGAR GIANT 3
FLORIDA CRYSTALS TO CONTINUE 3
THEIR SUGAR OPERATIONS ON THE 3
VERY LAND NEEDED FOR THE 3
RESERVOIR. 3
THE EIGHT YEAR LEASE HAS BEEN 3
NEGOTIATED IN SECRET FOR 3
MONTHS. 3
AT 9 PM, THE NIGHT BEFORE 3
THE MEETING, THE DISTRICT 3
POSTED THE LEASE ON ITS WEBSITE 3
ANNOUNCING IT WILL BE VOTED ON 3
12 HOURS LATER. 3
ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO HAD BEEN 3
WORKING FOR THE RESERVOIR FOR 3
YEARS WERE FURIOUS. 3
MY NAME IS DANIEL ANDREWS, 3
AND THE COFOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE 3
DIRECTOR OF CATHOLICS FOR CLEAN 3
WATER. 3
I'M NOT VERY HAPPY AND WHAT I'M 3
SEEING OR HEARING. 3
IT IS A DISGRACE THAT THERE IS 3
CONSIDERATION ABOUT EXTENDING 3
THE LEASE WHEN THIS I -- ITEM 3
GOT ADDED TO THE AGENDA LAST 3
NIGHT AT 9 O'CLOCK. 3
I FOUND IT ON MY CELL PHONE 3
LAYING IN BED. 3
I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE WAY3
GOVERNMENT AND AMERICA SHOULD 3
WORK WHERE WE ARE SQUEAKING 3
AND NOT LISTENING TO THE 3
PUBLIC. 3
HONESTLY IT IS A DISGRACE. 3
THIS IS A PUBLIC AGENCY AND IS 3
A REQUIRED TO ACT WITH PROPER 3
NOTICE. 3
IT IS A SHAME THE WAY THE 3
AGENCY IS OPERATING AND IT 3
SEEMS LIKE IT IS INTENDING TO 3
HIDE THE BALL. 3
THE WATER MANAGEMENT 3
DISTRICT, ALL APPOINTED BY 3
GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT, DEFENDED 3
THE NO-BID SECRET DEAL WITH 3
FLORIDA CRYSTALS SAYING THE 3
DISTRICT CAN GET OUT OF IT IN 3
TWO YEARS IF THE STATE AND 3
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GO AHEAD 3
WITH THE RESERVOIR. 3
THE CRITICS SAY THE CONTRACT 3
FAVORS FLORIDA CRYSTALS AND 3
LIMITS THE OPTIONS OF THE WATER 3
MANAGEMENT DISTRICT IN DEALING 3
WITH ALGAE CRISIS. 3
THINGS THAT JUMP OFF THE 3
PAGE, FIRST THE EARLIEST 3
POSSIBLE TIME THE PUBLIC COULD 3
POTENTIALLY HAVE IT LAND BACK 3
IS TWO YEARS. 3
THAT IS THE BEST CASE SCENARIO. 3
I HAVE NO IDEA IF $1 MILLION IN 3
REVENUE IS IN THE PUBLIC 3
INTEREST. 3
WE HAVEN'T HAD A PUBLIC 3
DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. 3
THE COMPANY CAN WALK AWAY WITH 3
THE LEASE WITH NO NOTICE -- ONE 3
YEAR'S NOTICE, BUT THE DISTRICT 3
CAN'T. 3
THE DISTRICT IS IN THE POSITION 3
OF THE PEOPLE. 3
IF WE NEED THIS LAND FOR 3
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, WE CAN'T 3
GET IT. 3
THE ONLY REASON WE CAN CANCEL 3
THE LEASE, OR WALK AWAY, IS FOR 3
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 3
RESERVOIR. 3
IT IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS 3
THAT THIS LAND IS OWNED BY THE 3
PEOPLE. 3
THIS IS OUR LAND, WE BOUGHT IT 3
AND PAID FOR IT. 3
NOW THE MOST AMAZING MOMENT 3
CAME WHEN CONGRESSMAN -- BRIAN 3
MASSE REPRESENTS DISTRICT 18 3
AND RUSHED OUT OF THE WATER 3
MANAGEMENT DISTRICT MEETING 3
WHEN HE DISCOVERED THE DISTRICT 3
WAS ABOUT TO VOTE ON A LEASE HE 3
KNEW NOTHING ABOUT. 3
CAME HERE DIRECTLY ON BEHALF 3
OF GOVERNOR ELECT RHONDA SANTOS 3
-- RON DESANTIS WITH THE 3
REQUEST THAT YOU POSTPONE THE 3
VOTE ON THIS ITEM. 3
WE WOULD LIKE TO BE BRIEFED AND 3
TO KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING 3
IN PLACE ADDITIONAL HURDLES TO 3
BRING THIS RESERVOIR TO 3
FRUITION. 3
WE WANT TO KNOW THAT ANY NEW 3
LAND LEASES THAT ARE BEING 3
INCURRED OUT THERE ARE NOT 3
SOMETHING THAT WILL BE 3
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF. 3
SOME SORT OF LAND LEASE WELLER 3
-- WHERE WE WILL BE ENGAGED IN 3
EARLY TERM LAWSUITS. 3
DESPITE HIS PLEAS TO SLOW 3
DOWN, THE DISTRICT IGNORED HIM 3
AND VOTED TO APPROVE THE LEASE. 3
IN A FEW MINUTES, I WILL PRESS 3
ONE OF THOSE DISTRICT MEMBERS 3
FOR ANSWERS. 3
BUT FIRST, A FEW DAYS AGO, I 3
MET WITH CONGRESSMAN MASSE AND 3
ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT 3
THE WAY THE WATER MANAGEMENT 3
DISTRICT HAD HANDLED THIS AND 3
THE NEW LEASE WITH FLORIDA 3
CRYSTALS. 3
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS 3
THAT THE GOVERNOR AND FEDERAL 3
LEGISLATORS WANTED TO KNOW 3
ABOUT THESE AGREEMENTS TO MAKE 3
SURE THEY WEREN'T GOING TO GET 3
IN THE WAY OF THE RESERVOIR. 3
WE WERE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY. 3
I THINK IT WAS WITH MALICE. 3
NONE OF THE QUESTIONS WERE 3
ANSWERED BY THE BOARD. 3
EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS WERE 3
IGNORED. 3
THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO 3
VOTE YES EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE 3
HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO 3
REVIEW THEM. 3
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NOT 3
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW 3
THEM AND THEY BASICALLY SAID 3
THEY COULDN'T GIVE A RATS 3
CABOOSE. 3
WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU 3
ABOUT THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER 3
MANAGEMENT? 3
A HUGE LEVEL OF ARROGANCE ON 3
THEIR PART AND A HUGE LEVEL OF 3
ENTITLEMENT. 3
IT SHOWS THAT THIS ENTITY IS 3
NOT BEING RESPONSIVE TO THE 3
PEOPLE WHEN THEIR OWN GUIDELINES3
SO THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO ALLOW 3
THE PEOPLE TO REVIEW THINGS 3
BECAUSE IT MATTERS TO SOME 3
INDIVIDUALS. 3
YOU BELIEVE THEY ARE MORE 3
BEHOLDING TO AGRICULTURE AND 3
SUGAR INTEREST INTO THE PEOPLE? 3
YES. 3
THEN YOU MUST NOT WANT THEM 3
TO CONTINUE WITH THE PATH THEY 3
ARE GOING. 3
NO, I DON'T. 3
YOU WANT TO SEE THOSE 3
MEMBERS -- MEMBERS CONTINUE TO 3
REMAIN ON THE BOARD? 3
, NO. 3
IF YOU LOOK AT VIDEO AFTER 3
VIDEO, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF 3
MEMBERS WHO HAVE PROVEN THEY 3
ARE NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE 3
CONSIDERATIONS OF THE PEOPLE. 3
DO YOU WANT THEM TO STEP 3
DOWN? 3
YES, I WANT THE MEMBERS OF 3
THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER 3
MANAGEMENT DISTRICT TO 3
APPROPRIATELY STEP DOWN. 3
THIS WAS PUSHED THROUGH IN THE 3
DARK OF NIGHT, THAT WAS NOT 3
APPROPRIATE. 3
THERE ARE OTHER PLACES WHERE 3
THEY DID NOT BE BEHOLDEN TO THE 3
PEOPLE. 3