Oil Drilling Axis Targets Florida's Offshore

Oil's money men lubricate efforts to open up state's waters to drilling

by David Guest
unEARTHED
Earthjustice
September 15, 2009

News that "a secretive group of powerful legislators, business groups and Texas oil companies has been laying the groundwork" to open Florida's shores to oil and gas drilling should make all of us sit up and pay attention.
A story by St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald delves into the machinations of the "Florida Energy Associates," a shadowy group that "identifies itself only by saying it is financed by a group of independent oil producers."

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Oil spills still a threat

Editorial
Pensacola News Journal
September 4, 2009

One of the arguments made by those who favor offshore drilling for oil near Florida's coastline is that modern drilling equipment is so advanced, safe and effective that oil spills from rigs are virtually a thing of the past, so there's no real risk to Florida's beaches.

Oops.

A drilling company today is fighting a spreading oil slick — it had covered about 1,800 square nautical miles of surface by earlier this week — in the Timor Sea near Australia. The rig responsible for the leak is reported to be one of the most modern in the world...

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Florida's Gov. Crist accused of 'cronyism'

by David R. Sands
Washington Times
August 29, 2009

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday selected his closest political confidant to serve out the term of retiring Republican Sen. Mel Martinez for 16 months, until the Republican governor himself hopes to take over the seat.

In the choice that quickly brought Democratic charges of cronyism, Mr. Crist ended a long and very public selection process by naming former chief of staff George LeMieux - a self-described "Charlie Crist Republican" - as the state's next senator.

The Broward County lawyer and Republican Party official has formed a tight bond with his former boss, who once called Mr. LeMieux the "maestro" of his winning 2006 gubernatorial campaign...

Is the ocean Florida's untapped energy source?

By Azadeh Ansari
CNN
July 27, 2009

The answer to easing the energy crunch in one of the nation's most populous states could lie underwater...

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Money pouring in to finance redistricting reform ~ Florida

By Aaron Deslatte
July 22, 2009
Orlando Sentinel

Money is pouring into an effort to address one of the thorniest issues in modern politics: how to curb politicians' power to gerrymander their own political districts.

FairDistrictsFlorida.org wants to place two constitutional amendments on the 2010 ballot that would ban legislators from drawing sprawling, jagged congressional and legislative districts that resemble abstract art and divide communities in order to help or hurt incumbents or political parties...

No more soup: Florida’s turtle fishermen out of a job come Monday

Posted July 18, 2009 at 7:32 p.m. , updated July 20, 2009 at 10:03 a.m.
Naples Daily News

...The ban will prohibit the taking of any freshwater turtles for commercial purposes but will allow one turtle per person, per day, for non-commercial purposes.

Exceptions will be made for licensed turtle farms to take restricted numbers of turtles per day for breeding purposes. Turtle farmers will have to file for a permit, which will be available by Aug. 31.

Turtles on the imperiled species list or that look similar to those on the imperiled species list, including cooters and common snapping turtles may not be taken for any purposes.

Better reasoning needed to defeat controversial Amendment 4

Jane Healy | Feet to the Fire
Orlando Sentinel
June 28, 2009

It's no wonder that opponents of Florida Hometown Democracy have suddenly gotten very nervous. The proposed constitutional amendment passed muster with the Florida Supreme Court, and the secretary of state last week placed it on the 2010 ballot, naming it Amendment 4. The battle will be fierce, but if opponents really want to defeat this proposal, they had better come up with some new arguments against it rather than the hysterical ones they are spouting now...