Jeb`s Water War

The public hearing at Chiefland High School by the Florida Senate Natural Resources Committee on pumping water from the Suwannee River to South Florida, drew more than 1000 citizens last Thursday night. The crowd and the senators were unanimous in their opposition; in fact, there was not a single soul in the meeting that was in favor of the idea. The senators all admitted they had yet to find anyone in favor, yet the idea of reorganizing Florida`s water management system seems to have legs of it`s own. At least that is what Governor Jeb Bush would have us believe. The truth is quite another story.

In fact Governor Bush has been pushing a water privatization plan, which includes the centralization of all the water management districts, since 1997. All the senators know this, but it is not safe to oppose this governor even at the preliminary stage of a debate. The governor launched his trial balloon by having his hand picked Council Of 100 publicly propose the idea. The fact that the balloon did not fly makes little difference to a governor that has been given unequaled power in Florida history. The total lack of concern for public opinion on this matter by the governor`s office was evidenced by the fact that Governor Bush did not even bother to send a spokesperson to explain why we need water reorganization in Florida, and why should he?

Governor Jeb Bush is not running for office and the legislature, no matter how many times they claim they are a check and balance, have awarded this governor everything he has asked for. The only constituency that Governor Bush is concerned with is the investors who wish to buy up all the water bonds as soon as they are available. All that is needed for this to happen is a law that creates a centralized water board in Tallahassee that will dictate policy to the five water management districts. No other laws are necessary after that, since the super water board may then create rules that will privatize the water in Florida and pump the Suwannee dry if they so choose.

With hundreds of billions of dollars to be derived from inside trading of water bonds by the governor`s friends, there will be hundreds of millions of dollars to pump into political campaigns. As Tip O`Neil once said," money is the mothers milk of politics", and a hundred million dollars will buy a lot of milk for Governor Jeb Bush.