DeSantis' mask has been off for years!! As a former university executive, I can tell you what Corcoran is doing to New College is an abomination in terms of academic quality/prestige! In terms of academics, it's a joke to build an athletic program around baseball. In college athletics, in comparison to all other sports, baseball players are last by a wide margin in their persistence rate, i.e., likely to graduate. That's only one measure of what DeSantis is doing to higher education in our State!
So the child who is "home-schooled" by an abusive parent or guardian now can be put to work to earn their living rather than educating them. Home-schooling has become far too lax and needs to be stopped. A majority of home-schooled students are ignorant when they allegedly graduate. They aren't eligible for sports scholarships unless their talent (golf for instance) has won national awards and attention and their dedication to the sport is the reason for home schooling. The same holds true for almost every type of scholarship, if they haven't earned at least regional recognition, the Universities have far too little to base a scholarship offer on.
It also deprives teens of the opportunity to some free time before they graduate. We all know that disappears after graduation--high school for some, college goers often get a reprieve for another four-plus years. Then...Poof...no more free time.
I'm retired and I still don't have free time.
The state legislature is right to wait and see. The probability of having to raise taxes is very high. As federal funding is cut, shortfalls will have to made up somehow. Natural disasters are not going to stop happening in our state. On a side note, I would really like to see some serious movement made toward our insurance crisis. Insurance for vehicles are more than twice that of the previous state I lived in. When I asked why, I was told because we have so many uninsured vehicles. I recently spoke with an acquaintance who doesn’t carry homeowner’s insurance on his home because he has no mortgage and thus is not required to have it. He consequently qualified for FEMA funding after Hurricane Milton. How about fix these issues with a system that reports cancelation of insurance on vehicles and properties and issue penalties that make up the difference for other citizens? I’m convinced that Florida is only going to get more expensive. But, we’ll see.
New College WAS an academically exclusive honors college. It was a point of pride in Sarasota, with multi-generational tradition. NOBODY cared about a sports program because everyone was there for their smarts.... Sarasota history, bastardized. Now Ringling? What are they going to do with that, get rid of the art they find objectionable? Dumb it down to the most mainstream representation of an art museum? I don't trust any of those people with the history of this place, they've already shown they don't give a s***. Why are people who don't understand education making decisions about it?
I will give Commissioner Kruse a “Second” here- he’s raising the flag and ringing the alarm bell.
To quote another Founding Father, “Liberty, once lost, is lost forever"- John Adams.
Allowing our Home Rule to be usurped and controlled by distant centralized rulers in Tallahassee is the road to non-democratic socialism. It doesn’t really matter what other names they try to give it.
This same scenario seems to be playing out on the national level, where oligarchs have taken over the government. Maybe the people will rise up and take it back during the next election like they did here.
They never should have been removed based on the many citizens against this, including scientists and environmentalists. The man who represented the removal had been the developers representative in civil court and lost twice. And he's nothing more than planner. This was something the board at the time that were bought and paid for by developers (including Ballard, Bearden and Rahn who is still against reversing) led by mini-me Van Ostenbridge, the developer darling. Kruse voted against it. I still marvel that an inland county i(Orange County) increased theirs to 100' in many proposals just after Manatee County's were removed. The FL statute never said you couldn't be more restrictive.
I can't believe that Commissioners didn't seem to be bothered about learning from their own staff that developers couldn't care less about citizen's dust complaints. As tight as many of commissioners are with developers (Rahn, Bearden, Ballard), I suppose this wasn't something they've known all along. For me, it was astonishing to hear that developers are currently, ongoingly, intentionally harming the health of county citizens. One caller explained how a child's birthday party was broken up because of soot clouds - forcing them inside. Developers are lying in their written replies to residents that they (developers) are complying to the letter of the law. Commissioners were told by their own staff that wealthy developers are claiming they can't get people to work on weekends. Commissioners were told that developers just keep working when they are issued a stop-work order. That should have caused outrage and an IMMEDIATE fix. I realize that the board can't stop the wind. But they sure as hell could have done something to stop developers from using their stop work orders as toilet paper. We should have seen a much stronger response.
Isn't the Planning Commission an advisory board? Shouldn't advisory boards provide recommendations based on their collective knowledge, study and deliberation -- not be a "rubber stamp" for the BOCC? What's wrong with the Planning Commission making a recommendation that the BOCC disagrees with? Different opinions lead to a more thoughtful discussion of the project. I understand the need to have broad membership on the board to bring in voices from all districts. "Blowing up" the current Planning Commission isn't a good way to get to that end.
Once Governor, Rick Scott and now Governor Ron De Santis refused to participate in the Medicaid program when the states were given a choice. Both refused to participate in “Democratic heath programs.” These two have already lost the state millions in revenue just as DeSantis is doing now. Medicaid is far more than a low income health program but these two were too “thick,” to understand that as they still are. De Santis recently sought to return millions in federal money to the federal government. Maybe he should save it to pay to keep hospitals open. Jim Tierney
Should have never been rescinded in the first place. That was brought on solely by developers that wanted to build out every square inch with complete disregard to our wetlands and the old developer bought board went along with it. There are state mandates that suggest 30 to 50 foot setbacks. It can be anything that particular county wants. A fine example is Orange County. Here's your county in the middle of the state that has a minimum of 100 foot setback for wetlands. We need to move in this direction.
Here is the article for the setbacks and the reasons for it, I support 100%
For the Record
The revised ordinance introduces several robust measures:
Developers seeking to impact wetlands through dredging or filling will now require a county permit prior to commencement.
A minimum of 100-foot upland buffers is mandated, surpassing state requirements, to ensure additional protection against encroachment.
Public educational resources, including a “Wetlands 101” primer and various multimedia presentations, are part of the outreach efforts to keep the community informed and engaged.
This legislative update is a milestone that resonates with our goals at the Mitigation Banking Group, where we strive to balance development needs with ecological preservation. The ordinance not only strengthens wetland protections but also streamlines the permitting processes, ensuring that property rights are respected while prioritizing natural resource conservation.
As we continue to monitor these developments and adapt our strategies, we invite our clients and partners to reach out with any questions or needs regarding how these changes might affect your projects. Together, we can navigate these new regulations to further our shared mission of sustainable development and environmental protection.
The commitment of Orange County to enhance wetland protections is a commendable example of how local governments can lead in the fight against environmental degradation. It’s a reminder of the power of policy to shape healthier landscapes and communities, and at the Mitigation Banking Group, we are here to help you align with these new standards.
Stay informed, stay proactive.
Best regards, Victoria Bruce, CEO Mitigation Banking Group
https://mitigationbankinginc.com/orange-county-florida-strengthens-wetland-protections/
So glad to see this moving forward. These ditches. Canal, strom water control devices have been neglected for years. The picture of Pearce drain in the story can look like any where in Manatee County.
I have sent many requests in thru 311 including photos of what looks like beaver dams obstructing the flow of water. Hopefully this will get the start of relief for those in Manatee County that have been impacted by 100 year events, multiple times. Well done BOCC!
Senate Bill 1118 is scheduled to be heard in the Regulated Industries Committee where Bradenton Senator Jim Boyd sits. Call his office and tell him we are watching. (941) 742-6445
I truly enjoy Craig Pittman's journalistic sarcasm. He hits it out of the park time after time.
I just wish there was something we could do to change direction. The chaos within the Federal government is bordering on complete anarchy. We can see the problem. We need solutions.
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