As the 2011 legislative session kicked off yesterday and Floriduh's Tea Party Governor made his super special surprise visit to the Tea Party demonstrators camped outside the Old Capitol, we Floridians found even more dichotomy coming from this governor.
As part of his budget, Gov Scott would close 53 state parks hoping to save the state $6.5 million dollars. Never mind the facts that support otherwise:
Environmentalists and Flagler County officials said closing the parks in their area will actually cost money.
Under the current plan, shutting down Washington Oaks and Bulow Plantation will save the state around $2.3 million. With more than 75,000 visitors between them, the two parks generate $3 million in economic revenue.
So after he shuts down 53 perfectly good state parks, Gov Scott plans to move on to bigger and better things with those silly little useless state parks. Good old Tea Party Gov would rather see the Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail of Florida Act put into law.
There is so much bad in this Golf Trail Act idea that it is difficult to decide where to tee off. Let me start with this from National Golf Foundation's annual 2010 report
The National Golf Foundation this week released its report for 2010 that tracked course openings and closings by state, region and nation. The report found 46 18-hole equivalent course openings against 107 closures for a net loss of 61 such equivalents.
It was the fifth consecutive year that closures outpaced openings, the NGF said.
So Mr. Business Savvy Gov, you want us to think that adding more golf courses, from the state that boasts the most golf courses in the nation, when for 5 consecutive years golf course closings outweigh openings nationwide, is the fiscally prudent thing to do. Brilliant!!
So far the only park mentioned for this esteemed honor is the Jonathan Dickinson State Park. So who needs all that nature? Heh...the wildlife can move along somewhere else...
Who needs camping and kayaking?
Hiking, Fishing, Swimming...do it somewhere else whydon'tcha...crybabies.
Forget for the moment that our parks draw 20 million visitors annually and that's without the golf courses and hotels and bars that Gov Tricky Ricky would like to see there instead of all that nature stuff, 'cause hotels and bars and alcohol licenses are part of that bill too.
Let's overlook that our next door neighbor, Georgia tried this too -and failed:
Perhaps our politicians should look at Georgia. The state has golf courses in 10 state parks. Most consistently lose money. So a couple of years ago Georgia tried to privatize the ones it runs. Didn't get any qualified bidders. And in this economy, nobody is building new courses.
Where, you must ask yourself, where would this idea have come from? Well, I'm glad you asked 'cause it's not just a chip shot baby. It seems that this scheme comes from one aging man whose ego demands a Legacy.
Nicklaus' lobbyist, former Attorney General and Secretary of State Jim Smith, said Nicklaus came up with the idea during a chat with Gov. Rick Scott about how to boost tourism — and that it's been endorsed by Scott.
Nicklaus, a Golf Hall of Fame inductee, has long lived in Jupiter and he "wanted to do something for Florida — it's a legacy thing," Smith said. That's how he and Scott came up with the Jack Nicklaus Golf Trail, Smith said.
"Florida has never hosted a U.S. Open, and he wanted to build the kind of a golf course that would attract a U.S. Open," Smith said.
Smith said the idea for the Nicklaus Trail came from a similar project built in Alabama that has proved to be a big success. However, a spokesman for Alabama's golf trail said none of those courses was built in state parks.
Ohhhh, now it's clear. We need the U.S. Open cause TPC at Sawgrass just isn't enough. Okay. And the U.S. Open is in mid-June which is the beginning of the hurricane season, with frequent afternoon showers. Again, Brilliant!!
And then there's more to ponder - Water:
"There is a concern about doing something like this in a state park," Smith said. Other options he named included using university campuses or land owned by water districts, which is generally purchased to preserve groundwater recharge areas.
Environmental groups usually regard golf courses as part of the problem, not a solution. They often complain about how golf courses use too much fertilizer and consume too much water, as well as replacing naturally significant swamps and marshes with artificial water hazards.
"What me worry" Gov Scott wouldn't put our water resources in danger now would he?
Florida among 14 states facing water shortage
Water Wars in Florida
I'm gonna give the old Gov a Mulligan on that one...
You know we Florida residents will never be able to repay the Tea Party. No, I mean that seriously. We will never be able to repay the debt and damage their choice for Governor will place on this state.
"Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone"