Red tide, algae issues take center stage in election
Gov.
Elections sometimes turn on unforeseen events. How politicians handle a crisis can come to define them.
The red tide and the blue-green algae blooms fouling estuaries on both coasts have been major calamities for many communities, and seem increasingly likely to impact
In the case of red tide, it's a problem that continues to grow. The bloom has spread north from
Red tide even has been detected along the
A vast stretch of
An environmental disaster that results in school kids wearing breathing masks is not something for which any politician wants to be blamed. But there is plenty of blame being thrown around.
The protesters gathered in
Author
Scott -- who is trying to unseat Democratic
So far
A
But the poll also found that 37.8 percent of people don't know who to blame, meaning candidates have an opportunity to shape public perception.
Scott has been eager to appear engaged on the algae issue. He declared a state of emergency in seven counties -- including
Last week -- following the protest in
Scott's actions last week included directing
Scott also has been quick to point out that red tide is a naturally occurring phenomenon that is well documented going back more than a century, although the algae blooms can be made worse by fertilizer runoff and leaky septic tanks that inject excessive amounts of nutrients into nearshore waters.
"We have made tremendous strides in dealing with red tide," Scott wrote in a letter to the
The blooms are a particularly thorny issue for Scott because they largely impact areas that lean Republican. Of the seven counties included in Scott's red tide emergency declaration, President
The two counties most impacted by the blue-green algae blooms --
Some environmental groups are accusing the governor of failing to address the root cause of the pollution problem and putting out politically-motivated proposals that give the appearance of action while accomplishing little.
"I feel like we're getting to the point where the red tide is getting worse, now it's all the way up to
Environmental concerns have not dominated recent election cycles in
"Environmental issues historically in
Whether toxic algae is a potent enough issue that it becomes top of mind for many Floridians and actually swings votes remains to be seen.
"The hard part is assessing to what degree this issue is going to be the most prominent for people when they vote," Wagner said. "That's hard to do but to the extent that the red tide continues to be as significant as it's been and people are thinking about it and talking about it it's hard to see how this doesn't affect the vote."
Dr.
Child said the airborne red tide toxins caused her dogs to choke and the smell near her home is "pretty overwhelming." It's not what Child expected when she moved to the region.
"I moved here from
Child called Scott's record on the issue "terrible."
"He's slashed funding from our water quality governmental institutions," she said.
But Scott supporters say it's unfair to blame the governor.
"I'm very much against Nelson because he hasn't done crap in
People want results and Nelson hasn't delivered, Ziegler said.
There's no doubt that the environment is "a big issue" right now, Ziegler added. Candidates must be prepared to offer real solutions.
"Is it going to change votes in November? That's something we'll have to wait and see," Ziegler said. "But it's something the citizens are demanding action on."
Information from the News Service of
___
(c)2018 Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla.
Visit Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Fla. at www.heraldtribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
How To Get the Best Car Insurance Quotes And Find Cheap Car Insurance
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News