A sizeable group of NO BUILD advocates turned out last evening, March 15, 2022 to request of the Inverness City Council that they officially and formally reject any toll road through their jurisdiction. These included speakers representing OSFR, Sierra Club, League of Women Voters, Withlacoochee Aquatic Restoration and other groups and individuals.
Against the recommendations of many groups, including some of the M-Cores Task Forces, Cornell Consulting and Taxwatch, the obstinate, stubborn and bullying Department of Transportation has continued to press on for the SunCoast Expansion, heading in the direction of multi-billionaire Thomas Peterffy’s future dream city in Taylor County. Do you suppose there is a connection?
If anyone is aware of our current water situation in North Florida, they will know with a certainty that we are already losing the battle with fresh water. This means we are using it up much faster than rainfall is replenishing it. Fully cognizant of this, our water dispensers (water management districts) happily give away pumping permits with no regard to the future. Instead, they sit around dreaming up plans to save a few gallons here and there and transfer water from this river to another, thus giving the appearance of doing their job, but all the while allowing the slow death of our springs and rivers.
This must be stopped before we have nothing left, and that is why we must support the old FL5, renamed to Right To Clean Water, and which may put this right into our constitution. This may save us but our politicians will not.
Many thanks to all those who spoke at this meeting to help conserve our remaining rural areas of Florida.
Kristin Rubin OSFR Michael McGrath, Sierra Club
Dan Hilliard Withlacoochee Aquatic Restoration Maxine Conner, League of Women Voters
Dr. Paul Reinhardt Jim Tatum OSFR
Comments by OSFR historian Jim Tatum.
jim.tatum@oursantaferiver.org
– A river is like a life: once taken,
it cannot be brought back © Jim Tatum
