Sugar, it sounds sweet, we use it in recipes, during holidays and at parties. But did you know Sugar has created a very sticky problem for Florida’s waters. Just as too much sugar rots your teeth, Big Sugar is rotting Florida’s environment and politics.
Currently, there are elected officials who have been supporting Agricultural legislation and Big Sugar. They are accepting money from the sugar companies, U.S. Sugar, Fanjul Brothers and American Crystals. These companies attempt to play both sides of the aisle federally while largely propping up statewide republican control in Florida. Big Sugar, as they are known maintain control of Florida through heavy donations to republican state representatives. And anyone who understands politics knows that if you control Florida’s house and senate, you control who ends up in the White House.
Some are aware that these companies have for years been lobbying aggressively across the State of Florida. In 2017 a TC Palm Newspaper published an investigative report that showed U.S. Sugar lobbied heavily to weaken water protections in Florida.
“Sugar has created a very sticky problem for Florida’s waters”
My family first moved to Florida in the 1970s. We lived on Fort Myers Beach. I remember when the waters were blue and clear and full of life. A year later we moved to Cape Coral where I still have my home today. I remember when our dock walls were full of hundreds of crabs. I remember visiting friends who lived along the clear tea colored waters in the Cape throughout the '80s. My father won the Tarpon Tournament at Cape Coral Yacht Club. His tarpon and award hang in the Cape Coral Museum. Life by the water was happiness, until now.
When I returned to Florida, I noticed something was very wrong with our local waters. When Lake Okeechobee was being released to prevent the dike from bursting, black nutrient- laden polluted water flowed into our canal, killing everything - dead fish, dead manatees, dead dolphins; the fallout these past couple years. When I last took my mother to the beach, there was a toxic algae bloom and she could not breathe. Tourists don't realize their health is at risk when they swim in these waters or eat the fish, which have been turning up with tumors. When I was a kid, we NEVER had toxic algae blooms here. Sanibel's waters used to be crystal clear sparkling blue every day. Think about it. “In his 2005 book The Swamp, author Michael Grunwald describes how the Everglades were contaminated by sugar growers.”*
“In 2017 TC Palm Newspaper published an investigative report that showed U.S. Sugar lobbied heavily to weaken water protections in Florida.”
I've been fortunate enough to travel and spent some time in other tourist economies known for water. In one area I lived for a few years, the Hamptons, voters, our brave Baymen and business owners who depended on tourism were careful to scrutinize the voting records of anyone running for office and if they didn't vote for the waters - they got booted out.
“In his 2005 book The Swamp, author Michael Grunwald describes how the Everglades were contaminated by sugar growers.”
The Facts-Follow the money
- Current Governor DeSantis voted against water and environment the ENTIRE time he was in office 162 times!
- Governor DeSantis took money from Big Sugar and then LIED about it to voters during the election, while the company lobbied South Florida Water Management District and WEAKENED Water protections.
- The Republican Party received heavy donations from the sugar industry and Senator Rick Scott and Pam Bondi sued in 2015 to avoid enforcing The Clean Water Act in Florida.
- Governor DeSantis was trained on what to say to voters during the election by a man with an F voting record on water who tried to abolish the EPA-Gaetz. Gaetz receives money from Big Sugar.
“The Republican Party received heavy donations from the sugar industry. Now Senator Rick Scott and Pam Bondi sued in 2015 to avoid enforcing The Clean Water Act in Florida.”
- Governor DeSantis received money from The Chamber of Florida while running for office, and that money came from Big Sugar. So you have a "water summit" that is influence by polluters.
- Big Sugar gave to the Florida Realtors PAC and the Florida Chamber to influence elections and who was endorsed despite their failing records on water, This has resulted in policies that allow pollution that is weakening property values. Many small business owners upset about water pollution have no idea their own chambers are contributing to the disaster.
- Current Governor DeSantis backs Trump who weakened The Clean Water Act across the nation. Trump received donations from the Fanjul brothers who own subsidiaries Domino Sugar, Florida Crystals, C&H Sugar, Redpath Sugar, former Tate & Lyle sugar companies and American Sugar Refining.
“I don't even think our local Florida Realtors realize that Big Sugar gave to their PAC to influence the election and who was endorsed despite their record on water which results in pollution that is weakening property values.”
Every republican in the state of Florida currently has an F or D voting record on water according to the League of Conservation Voters Scorecard and Democratic Environmental Caucus, which analyze how they vote on legislation. Many are accepting money from Big Sugar corporations. The Sugar corporations show a preference for republicans who vote their way and have attempted to keep Florida a “red” state. Any elected official taking sugar money is enabling this.
Common sense indicates that sugar’s influence on our elected officials is killing our wallets, our waters, our tourism, our fishing industry and our health. Those accepting money from these corporations are enabling an environmental disaster.
Elected officials and their staff need to set a strong boundary with the sugar corporations to prevent water pollution at the source and save Florida’s waters.
If elected officials truly care about our waters they will return the donations.
For consumers and voters we can boycott sugar and buy honey, we may as well save the bees and our Florida waters at the same time. We can’t live without either.
C.A.Hughes
Floridian since 1977
Cape Coral
References:
*promarket.org/…