On April 23, I wrote about an interview with David Struhs, who is Gov. Jeb Bush's secretary of environmental protection. Struhs talked about the attempts in the Legislature to weaken the Everglades Forever Act.
Struhs promised he would oppose the state House's attempt to weaken pollution goals for phosphorus from 10 parts per billion to 15 parts per billion - high enough for continued damage.
Struhs also said that he would fight language in the House bill that shielded private property from being condemned for future Everglades water treatment. The intended beneficiary of such a ban: U.S. Sugar.
I said then, let's look forward to holding Struhs to his promises.
It should be said that on both these points, Struhs' position prevailed. The bad House ideas were defeated and a better Senate version was passed and sent to the governor.
Then why is the new act still controversial? Two main reasons. One is that it still sticks all property owners in South Florida with a tax burden for the cleanup, not just the polluters.
The second, and the more publicized reason, is the accusation that this new bill delays Everglades cleanup until 2013.
Struhs says the 2006 target for reaching 10 parts per billion is intact. However, it is also possible that goal won't be achieved. This new law contains a blueprint for how to achieve it as soon as possible afterward, he argues.
To which I reply, cheerfully, let's look forward to holding the secretary to his promises.
So, several times on TV lately, at least in Pinellas, there's been an official-looking seal that says "Legislative Update," followed by a few minutes from a legislator - in this case, Rep. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg.
"What the heck is this, free air time from Bright House (cable)?" I e-mailed Justice. Who produces these spots? I added: "Don't you think it's kinda snarky?"
He quickly replied: "It is a PSA (public service announcement) produced by Steve Wilkerson and the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association, Inc. and provided to the local cable systems.
"It was my understanding that it was on cable channels when there was dead air time and no advertisement sold. . . . I'm not sure what snarky means."
It means, in this context, "questionable." This is not meant to pick on good-guy Charlie Justice, but on the entire Legislature. These spots are free face time on TV, which is the sweetest thing a lawmaker can get.
They can call it "informing the public," but it is still a campaign contribution. It is worth cash money. It is a gift. It is currying favor.
In a related vein, the Pinellas School Board has been using its own government-access cable channel to try to whip up public anger over the state budget.
The School Board is running the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of local legislators. A narrator instructs viewers: "Let them know that you support the original, Senate version of the budget."
This crosses a line and ought to be illegal.
Once again, we see an agency of the government using public resources to try to whip up public sentiment for a particular, political outcome - in this case, higher spending.
It is akin to last year's decision by St. Petersburg College to send out direct mail to voters, campaigning against the constitutional amendment for smaller class sizes.
If the School Board claims it has the "duty" to "advocate" for the interests of schoolchildren, then the School Board can stand on the corner and say so with private resources.
But don't use a government-run TV channel to lobby for a specific legislative outcome. There is no difference between that and advocating the support or passage of individual bills. There is no moral difference between that and making partisan endorsements.
How easy is it for the School Board to start using its little propaganda channel to start interviewing "Friends of Education" who voted the "right" way, while ignoring or even criticizing the "wrong" ones? See Item No. 2 above.
Nobody is as happy as me that my old friend Paul Wilborn is coming back to Tampa, but: If new Mayor Pam Iorio is paying him $90,000 a year to be an "arts czar," he had better be playing the piano in the City Hall lobby in his spare time.
