If we only recognize it and seize it.
Last month, every single Florida member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Republican and Democrat, wrote to President Joe Biden urging him to seek “robust funding” for the sporadically stalled environmental repair project that aims to redirect the flow of water south, as the Everglades used to do naturally. A smaller bipartisan group of Florida representatives followed up last week with a letter imploring a key House committee, Transportation and Infrastructure, to amply fund Everglades restoration as it begins considering legislation for Biden s proposed infrastructure package.
In other words, even politicians who normally recoil at large, activist government projects are enthusiasts for correcting the 20th-century canal-building and swamp-draining that, while opening South Florida to agriculture, houses, malls and golf courses, have meant ecological disaster for the once-healthy River of Grass.
Palm Beach Post Editorial Board
The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump begins this week, and while it may afford high drama, it holds little suspense. No one expects 17 Republican senators to join the 50 Democrats for the 67 votes needed for a conviction.
Already, 45 of the 50 Republican senators including Florida’s Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are on record as opposing even holding a trial. As usual, these two senators are choosing party loyalty over the nation’s welfare.
Rubio conceded in a Jan. 24 interview that Trump bears some responsibility for the deadly U.S. Capitol riot, but said impeaching him for it is “stupid” and divisive.
The decision sidelines the publicly funded county Health Department from battling the biggest public health crisis in 100 years. Apparently, its role is done when its dwindling doses are used up, probably within a week. The department has to scrap plans for setting up mass vaccination sites when new doses become available, using locations like the South Florida Fairgrounds and FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. It had planned to send mobile units to low-income areas, and to offer shots in municipal fire departments.
On Tuesday, commissioners let their anger fly. “I’m absolutely, absolutely disgusted that the governor of this state has 100% taken the authority to administer the vaccination program out of the hands of the public health department and given that authority to a corporate entity,” said Commissioner Melissa McKinlay.