“Women’s Education and Women’s Empowerment: Women Address Lack of Representation in 2012.”
Tallahassee, Florida – The Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc., announced today that Communications Chair will speak tonight at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Legislative Chair Maureen McKenna said, “This year’s National Women’s History Month Theme is “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment” and the issues addressed in the film Miss Representation speak to the challenges women face in 2012.”
Rachel Pienta serves as Communications Chair for the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. She is also a contributing writer on gender issues, politics, and public policy for the Florida Progressive Coalition. In 2011, her writing on women and political advocacy was featured in the edited collection The 21st Century Motherhood Movement: Mothers Speak Out on Why We Need to Change the World and How to Do It. She is currently working on a Women’s Studies book for the McGraw Hill Taking Sides series.
Tonight: Miss Representation
Mar 19, 2012
Women's History Month | 8:00PM
Co-sponsored by Strozier Library. This documentary explores how the media contributes to the under-representation of women.
The film Miss Representation, explores the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the media's limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman.
Director: Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Cast: Margaret Cho, Lisa Ling, Gavin Newsom
1hr 25min - Documentary
A panel discussion follows the Monday showing in the main theater of the Askew Student Life Center. 2011 | NR | 85 min.
Free for FSU Students and the General Public!
The showing on Monday will be followed by a panel of guests including:
• Dr. Rachel Pienta – Women’s Studies Program
• Dr. Jennifer Proffitt – School of Communication
• Sara Howard – College of Humanities and Visual Arts, Theater & Dance.
• Elizabeth Polcha – English Department
• Lanetra Bennett – Reporter from WCTV News
###
Monday, March 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Vice President Joe Biden Coming to Tallahassee!
Vice President Joe Biden is coming to town on Feb 6. He will be at the Challenger Center downtown. It is a fundraiser for the re-election campaign. Tickets are going for $100 each. The first 100 in get in a drawing to have dinner or lunch with the VP. There is an opportunity to be listed as a host the event if you can raise $500 (sell 4 tix and buy your own and your in) which gets you a chance to meet him. There's also a write or raise $1000 level which gets a photo and a separate "clutch" with him. If you want to participate, please let me know! For more information or to RSVP -- drpienta@gmail.com or 850-321-3582. I will be submitting RSVPs to the campaign team.
-- Rachel
PS Rachel Sutz Pienta Let me know if I should submit your name for the drawing -- $100 ticket commitment per person needed to be entered.
And - still working on exact price of student tickets with the event coordinator.
-- Rachel
PS Rachel Sutz Pienta Let me know if I should submit your name for the drawing -- $100 ticket commitment per person needed to be entered.
And - still working on exact price of student tickets with the event coordinator.
Friday, January 6, 2012
“The Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. Calls on Florida Legislature to be Fair to Floridians in 2012”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tallahassee, Florida – In preparation for the opening day of the Florida legislative session, the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc., has released its 2012 legislative agenda, which outlines the organization’s main priority for the year – fairness for all Floridians.
“In 2011, Floridians were under attack on all fronts – our state’s citizens were fair game for the Florida Legislature,” said DWCF, Inc. President Janet Goen. Goen said, “In 2012, the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. calls on the elected officials of Florida to keep fairness paramount in their actions while in Tallahassee.”
DWCF, Inc. Legislative Director Dr. Maureen McKenna stated, “Republican legislators and Florida’s job-killing governor “Pink Slip Rick” have attacked citizens’ rights on every level. Last year, Florida's citizens stood against an assault on voting rights, reproductive rights, and workers’ rights.” McKenna further asserted, “The war on women is slated to continue in 2012. Legislators seek to limit women’s access to healthcare, curtail our access to the polls, and further inhibit our ability to be productive workers contribute to Florida’s economic growth.”
The Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. calls for legislators, during the 2012 Legislative Session, to honor the will of Florida’s voters as expressed in the “Fair Districts” Amendments (Amendments 5 and 6) of 2010; to stop the war on women and to cease the continued attacks on women’s access to life-saving reproductive health care; and to support women workers as an important part of revitalizing Florida’s stalled economic engine – including passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Members of the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. will bring their legislative agenda to Tallahassee in person on February 6 and 7, 2012. Women from throughout the state will bring their call for fairness to the Capitol as part of the DWCF, Inc.’s “Tally Days” – an annual event devoted to awareness, education, and advocacy. For more information, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.democratic-women.org/ or on Facebook at Democratic Women's Club of Florida, Inc.
Tallahassee, Florida – In preparation for the opening day of the Florida legislative session, the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc., has released its 2012 legislative agenda, which outlines the organization’s main priority for the year – fairness for all Floridians.
“In 2011, Floridians were under attack on all fronts – our state’s citizens were fair game for the Florida Legislature,” said DWCF, Inc. President Janet Goen. Goen said, “In 2012, the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. calls on the elected officials of Florida to keep fairness paramount in their actions while in Tallahassee.”
DWCF, Inc. Legislative Director Dr. Maureen McKenna stated, “Republican legislators and Florida’s job-killing governor “Pink Slip Rick” have attacked citizens’ rights on every level. Last year, Florida's citizens stood against an assault on voting rights, reproductive rights, and workers’ rights.” McKenna further asserted, “The war on women is slated to continue in 2012. Legislators seek to limit women’s access to healthcare, curtail our access to the polls, and further inhibit our ability to be productive workers contribute to Florida’s economic growth.”
The Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. calls for legislators, during the 2012 Legislative Session, to honor the will of Florida’s voters as expressed in the “Fair Districts” Amendments (Amendments 5 and 6) of 2010; to stop the war on women and to cease the continued attacks on women’s access to life-saving reproductive health care; and to support women workers as an important part of revitalizing Florida’s stalled economic engine – including passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Members of the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, Inc. will bring their legislative agenda to Tallahassee in person on February 6 and 7, 2012. Women from throughout the state will bring their call for fairness to the Capitol as part of the DWCF, Inc.’s “Tally Days” – an annual event devoted to awareness, education, and advocacy. For more information, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.democratic-women.org/ or on Facebook at Democratic Women's Club of Florida, Inc.
Friday, November 4, 2011
WDEC and WDWC Quarterly Meeting Scheduled Thursday November 10, 2011
“Wakulla Democratic Executive Committee and Wakulla Democratic Women’s Club to Hold Joint Quarterly Meeting”
Crawfordville, Florida – Wakulla Democratic Executive Committee Chair Rachel Pienta announced today that the quarterly meeting of the Wakulla County Democratic Executive Committee will meet at 7 pm at the Wakulla County Public Library located at 4330 Crawfordville Hwy on Thursday November 10th. A “social hour” precedes the business meeting from 6 to 7 pm.
DEC Secretary Joan Hendrix noted that the Wakulla Democratic Women’s Club will meet at 8:30 pm immediately following the Executive Committee Meeting to nominate a slate of officers for the upcoming board elections.
The quarterly meeting will include announcements regarding the WDEC Annual Democratic Gala scheduled for Saturday, December 10th at Wakulla Springs. This year’s event will feature Wisconsin State Senator Jessica King, Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum, and Representative Scott Randolph. Tickets are available for purchase online at or http://www.wakullademocrats.org/ by calling Joan Hendrix at 850-933-0924.
For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.wakullademocrats.org/ or see us on Facebook.
###
Photo Caption: Wakulla Democratic Executive Committee Joan Hendrix, a delegate to the 2011 Florida Democratic Party State Convention in Orlando October 28-30, spoke with Congressman Alan Grayson after the inaugural meeting of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida. Congressman Grayson was the featured speaker at the meeting. Photo by Leon Democratic Executive Committee Member and Convention Delegate Jim Bailey.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
One of the many ways that unions have positively impacted American society...
Child Labor Reform and the U.S. Labor Movement
1832 New England unions condemn child labor
The New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics and Other Workingmen resolve that “Children should not be allowed to labor in the factories from morning till night, without any time for healthy recreation and mental culture,” for it “endangers their . . . well-being and health”
Women's Trade Union League of New York
Women’s Trade Union League of New York
1836 Early trade unions propose state minimum age laws
Union members at the National Trades’ Union Convention make the first formal, public proposal recommending that states establish minimum ages for factory work
1836 First state child labor law
Massachusetts requires children under 15 working in factories to attend school at least 3 months/year
1842 States begin limiting children’s work days
Massachusetts limits children’s work days to 10 hours; other states soon pass similar laws—but most of these laws are not consistently enforced
1876 Labor movement urges minimum age law
Working Men’s Party proposes banning the employment of children under the age of 14
1881 Newly formed AFL supports state minimum age laws
The first national convention of the American Federation of Labor passes a resolution calling on states to ban children under 14 from all gainful employment
1883 New York unions win state reform
Led by Samuel Gompers, the New York labor movement successfully sponsors legislation prohibiting cigar making in tenements, where thousands of young children work in the trade
1892 Democrats adopt union recommendations
Democratic Party adopts platform plank based on union recommendations to ban factory employment for children under 15
National Child Labor Committee
National Child Labor Committee
1904 National Child Labor Committee forms
Aggressive national campaign for federal child labor law reform begins
1916 New federal law sanctions state violators
First federal child labor law prohibits movement of goods across state lines if minimum age laws are violated (law in effect only until 1918, when it’s declared unconstitutional, then revised, passed, and declared unconstitutional again)
1924 First attempt to gain federal regulation fails
Congress passes a constitutional amendment giving the federal government authority to regulate child labor, but too few states ratify it and it never takes effect
1936 Federal purchasing law passes
Walsh-Healey Act states U.S. government will not purchase goods made by underage children
1937 Second attempt to gain federal regulation fails
Second attempt to ratify constitutional amendment giving federal government authority to regulate child labor falls just short of getting necessary votes
1937 New federal law sanctions growers
Sugar Act makes sugar beet growers ineligible for benefit payments if they violate state minimum age and hours of work standards
1938 Federal regulation of child labor achieved in Fair Labor Standards Act
For the first time, minimum ages of employment and hours of work for children are regulated by federal law
Educational materials containing more information on Child Labor in U.S. History and Causes of Child Labor, including Workshop Materials—Core Workshop on Child Labor and K-12 Teachers’ Materials, are available through this web site. These materials include Power Point presentations, instructors’ manuals, activities, and handouts. You may adapt these materials to your group’s needs.
Top of Page
http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/us_history.html
1832 New England unions condemn child labor
The New England Association of Farmers, Mechanics and Other Workingmen resolve that “Children should not be allowed to labor in the factories from morning till night, without any time for healthy recreation and mental culture,” for it “endangers their . . . well-being and health”
Women's Trade Union League of New York
Women’s Trade Union League of New York
1836 Early trade unions propose state minimum age laws
Union members at the National Trades’ Union Convention make the first formal, public proposal recommending that states establish minimum ages for factory work
1836 First state child labor law
Massachusetts requires children under 15 working in factories to attend school at least 3 months/year
1842 States begin limiting children’s work days
Massachusetts limits children’s work days to 10 hours; other states soon pass similar laws—but most of these laws are not consistently enforced
1876 Labor movement urges minimum age law
Working Men’s Party proposes banning the employment of children under the age of 14
1881 Newly formed AFL supports state minimum age laws
The first national convention of the American Federation of Labor passes a resolution calling on states to ban children under 14 from all gainful employment
1883 New York unions win state reform
Led by Samuel Gompers, the New York labor movement successfully sponsors legislation prohibiting cigar making in tenements, where thousands of young children work in the trade
1892 Democrats adopt union recommendations
Democratic Party adopts platform plank based on union recommendations to ban factory employment for children under 15
National Child Labor Committee
National Child Labor Committee
1904 National Child Labor Committee forms
Aggressive national campaign for federal child labor law reform begins
1916 New federal law sanctions state violators
First federal child labor law prohibits movement of goods across state lines if minimum age laws are violated (law in effect only until 1918, when it’s declared unconstitutional, then revised, passed, and declared unconstitutional again)
1924 First attempt to gain federal regulation fails
Congress passes a constitutional amendment giving the federal government authority to regulate child labor, but too few states ratify it and it never takes effect
1936 Federal purchasing law passes
Walsh-Healey Act states U.S. government will not purchase goods made by underage children
1937 Second attempt to gain federal regulation fails
Second attempt to ratify constitutional amendment giving federal government authority to regulate child labor falls just short of getting necessary votes
1937 New federal law sanctions growers
Sugar Act makes sugar beet growers ineligible for benefit payments if they violate state minimum age and hours of work standards
1938 Federal regulation of child labor achieved in Fair Labor Standards Act
For the first time, minimum ages of employment and hours of work for children are regulated by federal law
Educational materials containing more information on Child Labor in U.S. History and Causes of Child Labor, including Workshop Materials—Core Workshop on Child Labor and K-12 Teachers’ Materials, are available through this web site. These materials include Power Point presentations, instructors’ manuals, activities, and handouts. You may adapt these materials to your group’s needs.
Top of Page
http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/us_history.html
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Occupy the Capitol in Tallahassee October 18th for the ERA: Why I want Bill Cotterell to be wrong in 2012
Last spring, I addressed a group of Democrats in North Florida as part of a commemorative program to mark National Women’s History Month. The theme for 2011 was “our history is our strength”. At that point, I still entertained hope the Florida Legislature might actually ratify the ERA in 2011.
Yes, 2011 – the same year that the Florida Legislature was busy passing over a dozen anti-choice bills and also the year that the word “uterus” was banned from the lexicon on the House floor.
The theme for 2012 will be “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment” and the 2012 legislative session will be concluding in this redistricting year just as National Women’s History Month begins. I want to be able to give a talk next March about Florida ratified the ERA during the 2012 legislative session.
Last year, Senator Nan Rich and Representative Evan Jenne filed concurrent legislation calling for ERA ratification.
Tallahassee Democrat writer Bill Cotterell wrote about the legislation in a December 23, 2010 article under the headline “With no hope of passing, ERA returns to Legislature.” According to Bill Cotterell, “It won’t pass, partly because the ERA is one of the reasons Nan Rich is minority leader (in 2011); following its feminist instincts helped the Democratic Party lose the legislative majorities it had when the amendment first surfaced.”
The “when” that Cotterell referred to is 1972– when Congress first passed the ERA amendment and set a 1979 deadline for ratification by 38 states. To date, only 35 of the required 38 states needed for ratification have done so.
As Cotterell predicted, the legislation did not get much traction. However, Senator Rich isn’t done yet. This September, Senator Nan Rich partnered with Representative Lori Berman to file concurrent resolutions SCR 180 and HCR 8003 entitled “Equal Rights for Men and Women.” A press conference and rally have been scheduled for Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 at 5:00 pm on the front steps of the historic Old Capitol building located at 400 South Monroe Street in Tallahassee.
Longtime ERA proponent Sandy Oestreich is calling on women in Florida to “Occupy the Capitol for the ERA” on October 18th in support of Senator Rich’s and Representative Berman’s planned event.
When I think about passing the Equal Rights Amendment, I always think about the fight women waged to get the right to vote. The 19th Amendment was a great victory but only one battle in women’s long fight for equal standing under the law.
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson urged a joint session of Congress to guarantee women the right to vote. In his Sept. 30 speech, Wilson said, “We have made partners of the women in this war. … Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?”
This weekend, as I wrote this piece, the growing Occupy Wall Street movement joined images of Wisconsin and Florida’s Awake the State efforts as I thought about organizing women (and men) to support ERA ratification in Florida.
In a state where a recent call to “incorporate my uterus” (see http://incorporatemyuterus.com/) still resonates among many women and pink “Uterus” buttons are coveted badges among progressive activists, I think we’ve got to keep calling for ERA ratification until we get it.
Why do we still need the ERA in the 21st century? Ask yourself why the Lily Ledbetter Act was one of the first pieces of legislation that became law in 2010 when President Obama took office. Then ask why, despite this law, is the issue of fair pay for women still a battle we have to fight as we head into 2o12?
Why do we need the ERA? For two different perspectives, I suggest comparing a corporate perspective on the economic benefits from a 2008 economic Goldman Sachs white paper “Women Hold Up Half the Sky” with the book Half the Sky by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.
And what, anyway, does the language of this legislation actually involve? It is really very simple:
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Still not convinced that we need an Equal Rights Amendment in the 21st century? Consider the ERA in this perspective — it is 2011 and women in the United States are still fighting for comparable worth, gender parity, and decision rights over their own bodies. No current law or set of laws does what the ERA will do when ratified.
The Bill of Rights does not do it, the 14th amendment does not do it, and the 19th amendment does not do it. Why did we need a law like the Lily Ledbetter Act of 2010? Why does the A.C.L.U need a Reproductive Freedom Project? These reasons and more all exemplify why we need the ERA.
Now, if you are not inclined to take my reading suggestions and my other examples haven’t swayed you, let me go back to 1992 for a moment. I will simplify things and just borrow a phrase from Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, “it’s the economy, stupid!” We cannot continue to disenfranchise half the population without economic repercussions.
Recommended Links:
Global Economics Paper No. 164. The paper was underwritten by Goldman Sachs and authored by Sandra Lawson:
http://www2.goldmansachs.com/ideas/demographic-change/women-hold-up-half-of-the-sky.pdf
The book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Cheryl and the companion website: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/
Yes, 2011 – the same year that the Florida Legislature was busy passing over a dozen anti-choice bills and also the year that the word “uterus” was banned from the lexicon on the House floor.
The theme for 2012 will be “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment” and the 2012 legislative session will be concluding in this redistricting year just as National Women’s History Month begins. I want to be able to give a talk next March about Florida ratified the ERA during the 2012 legislative session.
Last year, Senator Nan Rich and Representative Evan Jenne filed concurrent legislation calling for ERA ratification.
Tallahassee Democrat writer Bill Cotterell wrote about the legislation in a December 23, 2010 article under the headline “With no hope of passing, ERA returns to Legislature.” According to Bill Cotterell, “It won’t pass, partly because the ERA is one of the reasons Nan Rich is minority leader (in 2011); following its feminist instincts helped the Democratic Party lose the legislative majorities it had when the amendment first surfaced.”
The “when” that Cotterell referred to is 1972– when Congress first passed the ERA amendment and set a 1979 deadline for ratification by 38 states. To date, only 35 of the required 38 states needed for ratification have done so.
As Cotterell predicted, the legislation did not get much traction. However, Senator Rich isn’t done yet. This September, Senator Nan Rich partnered with Representative Lori Berman to file concurrent resolutions SCR 180 and HCR 8003 entitled “Equal Rights for Men and Women.” A press conference and rally have been scheduled for Tuesday, October 18th, 2011 at 5:00 pm on the front steps of the historic Old Capitol building located at 400 South Monroe Street in Tallahassee.
Longtime ERA proponent Sandy Oestreich is calling on women in Florida to “Occupy the Capitol for the ERA” on October 18th in support of Senator Rich’s and Representative Berman’s planned event.
When I think about passing the Equal Rights Amendment, I always think about the fight women waged to get the right to vote. The 19th Amendment was a great victory but only one battle in women’s long fight for equal standing under the law.
In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson urged a joint session of Congress to guarantee women the right to vote. In his Sept. 30 speech, Wilson said, “We have made partners of the women in this war. … Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of privilege and right?”
This weekend, as I wrote this piece, the growing Occupy Wall Street movement joined images of Wisconsin and Florida’s Awake the State efforts as I thought about organizing women (and men) to support ERA ratification in Florida.
In a state where a recent call to “incorporate my uterus” (see http://incorporatemyuterus.com/) still resonates among many women and pink “Uterus” buttons are coveted badges among progressive activists, I think we’ve got to keep calling for ERA ratification until we get it.
Why do we still need the ERA in the 21st century? Ask yourself why the Lily Ledbetter Act was one of the first pieces of legislation that became law in 2010 when President Obama took office. Then ask why, despite this law, is the issue of fair pay for women still a battle we have to fight as we head into 2o12?
Why do we need the ERA? For two different perspectives, I suggest comparing a corporate perspective on the economic benefits from a 2008 economic Goldman Sachs white paper “Women Hold Up Half the Sky” with the book Half the Sky by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.
And what, anyway, does the language of this legislation actually involve? It is really very simple:
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
Still not convinced that we need an Equal Rights Amendment in the 21st century? Consider the ERA in this perspective — it is 2011 and women in the United States are still fighting for comparable worth, gender parity, and decision rights over their own bodies. No current law or set of laws does what the ERA will do when ratified.
The Bill of Rights does not do it, the 14th amendment does not do it, and the 19th amendment does not do it. Why did we need a law like the Lily Ledbetter Act of 2010? Why does the A.C.L.U need a Reproductive Freedom Project? These reasons and more all exemplify why we need the ERA.
Now, if you are not inclined to take my reading suggestions and my other examples haven’t swayed you, let me go back to 1992 for a moment. I will simplify things and just borrow a phrase from Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign, “it’s the economy, stupid!” We cannot continue to disenfranchise half the population without economic repercussions.
Recommended Links:
Global Economics Paper No. 164. The paper was underwritten by Goldman Sachs and authored by Sandra Lawson:
http://www2.goldmansachs.com/ideas/demographic-change/women-hold-up-half-of-the-sky.pdf
The book Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Cheryl and the companion website: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Florida Clears the Way to Pave Over Paradise
"They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum"
(Joni Mitchell, "Big Yellow Taxi")
The state Department of Community Affairs will no longer exist in Florida after this year. A recent editorial in the Tampa Tribune noted that half the planning staff was laid off and the remaining members of the planning agency would become part of the new Department of Economic Opportunity. This change heralds a shift in Florida’s approach to growth management.
The so-called “Hometown Democracy” amendment appeared on the state ballot in November 2010 but failed to pass. The proposed constitutional amendment, also known as the Florida Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Amendment 4, and technically titled "Referenda Required For Adoption And Amendment of Local Government Comprehensive Land Use Plans” was subject to political spin and a major public relations campaign on both sides of the issue.
In spring 2010, I attended a League of Women Voters of Florida “Lobby Days” dinner that featured some of the primary authors of the amendment with their opposition counterparts. The evening was informative but left me with more questions than answers. Ultimately, the League did not take a position on Amendment 4.
Between March and November, I spent some time following the issue and ultimately decided I opposed Amendment 4. I kept thinking about how Amendment 4 would play out in local government in my own small county with less than 35,000 residents in North Florida. The basis for my stance is that I elect people to represent me and make governance decisions. We live in a representative democracy, not a direct democracy. I think our country, in general, functions fairly well in that fashion. If we were to begin voting individually on every policy decision, the process would soon grow unwieldy and unnecessarily cumbersome. There are already numerous opportunities for citizen input and involvement. In general, the average concerned citizen chooses only one or two issues to influence.
The election of Governor Scott and the influence of a Republican-majority Legislature would soon prevail where the ballot initiative fell short. The checks and balances on local governments have been weakened and the doors appear to have been opened wide to developers.
What does this mean where I live in Wakulla? It seems to mean that changes to our county comprehensive plan are on the table. One proposed amendment appears to be a lifting or reduction of the current buffer zone contained in the existing wetlands protection ordinance.
In 2010, Wakulla County was lauded by Audubon of Florida for enacting progressive wetlands protection. The ordinance passed by Wakulla County Commissioners was designed to help protect the wetlands that make the area ecologically sensitive and an attraction to those who love natural Florida. The new law created a 75-foot buffer zone around the wetlands of Wakulla County. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the first 35-feet of the buffer is required to limit impact and allows only for minimal activities such as a dock or trail with an allowance for normal or "customary" hunting and fishing activities. The second 40-foot band would permit only those additional activities with minimal impacts . The ordinance also included a minimum building footprint lot size to ensure future property owners sufficient dry land for homes and businesses.
With the decimation of the DCA accomplished and a proposal to amend Wakulla’s comprehensive land use plan under discussion, I have lines from an old Dr. Seuss classic, “The Lorax”, repeating in my head: “They say I'm old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!... Please! I object in the name of the trees!” Sometimes what passes for progress isn't exactly progressive.
So, to paraphrase, who does speak for the trees? In this case, who speaks for the wetlands, where trees and so many other things grow?
Maybe the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) does? The Water Management Districts have come under fire this year, too, with funding cuts and other reductions in scope. These special districts, created by Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, are charged with protecting and managing the water resources of Florida in a sustainable manner for the continued welfare of its residents and natural systems. Wakulla falls within the boundaries of the Northwest Florida district. Inherent in this statutory mandate to manage water resources is the protection, preservation, restoration and enhancement of wetlands within NWFWMD boundaries.
According to the NWFWMD website, wetlands are vital to the economic and ecological welfare of the watershed, providing a broad array of functions and services for environmental resources and human communities including:
* Water quality protection, improvement and groundwater recharge
* Shoreline stability, flood protection and moderation of surface water runoff
* Ecological integrity including support for natural systems
* Promotion of a natural resource economy including commercial, aesthetic and recreational benefits
I think we need to be pushing green sustainable development in Wakulla. I grasp that it is initially cheaper to develop the same way we’ve always developed. However, in the long term, a more visionary approach to growth can yield a good return on an environmentally sound project.
With at least one Wakulla County Commissioner pushing to weaken the wetlands ordinance and another with traditional development interests who could benefit from a repeal, the only remaining roadblock may be three members of the BOCC listening to the concerns of local citizens.
The question in the coming weeks remains, “Who will speak for the wetlands?”
And put them in a tree museum"
(Joni Mitchell, "Big Yellow Taxi")
The state Department of Community Affairs will no longer exist in Florida after this year. A recent editorial in the Tampa Tribune noted that half the planning staff was laid off and the remaining members of the planning agency would become part of the new Department of Economic Opportunity. This change heralds a shift in Florida’s approach to growth management.
The so-called “Hometown Democracy” amendment appeared on the state ballot in November 2010 but failed to pass. The proposed constitutional amendment, also known as the Florida Comprehensive Land Use Plans, Amendment 4, and technically titled "Referenda Required For Adoption And Amendment of Local Government Comprehensive Land Use Plans” was subject to political spin and a major public relations campaign on both sides of the issue.
In spring 2010, I attended a League of Women Voters of Florida “Lobby Days” dinner that featured some of the primary authors of the amendment with their opposition counterparts. The evening was informative but left me with more questions than answers. Ultimately, the League did not take a position on Amendment 4.
Between March and November, I spent some time following the issue and ultimately decided I opposed Amendment 4. I kept thinking about how Amendment 4 would play out in local government in my own small county with less than 35,000 residents in North Florida. The basis for my stance is that I elect people to represent me and make governance decisions. We live in a representative democracy, not a direct democracy. I think our country, in general, functions fairly well in that fashion. If we were to begin voting individually on every policy decision, the process would soon grow unwieldy and unnecessarily cumbersome. There are already numerous opportunities for citizen input and involvement. In general, the average concerned citizen chooses only one or two issues to influence.
The election of Governor Scott and the influence of a Republican-majority Legislature would soon prevail where the ballot initiative fell short. The checks and balances on local governments have been weakened and the doors appear to have been opened wide to developers.
What does this mean where I live in Wakulla? It seems to mean that changes to our county comprehensive plan are on the table. One proposed amendment appears to be a lifting or reduction of the current buffer zone contained in the existing wetlands protection ordinance.
In 2010, Wakulla County was lauded by Audubon of Florida for enacting progressive wetlands protection. The ordinance passed by Wakulla County Commissioners was designed to help protect the wetlands that make the area ecologically sensitive and an attraction to those who love natural Florida. The new law created a 75-foot buffer zone around the wetlands of Wakulla County. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the first 35-feet of the buffer is required to limit impact and allows only for minimal activities such as a dock or trail with an allowance for normal or "customary" hunting and fishing activities. The second 40-foot band would permit only those additional activities with minimal impacts . The ordinance also included a minimum building footprint lot size to ensure future property owners sufficient dry land for homes and businesses.
With the decimation of the DCA accomplished and a proposal to amend Wakulla’s comprehensive land use plan under discussion, I have lines from an old Dr. Seuss classic, “The Lorax”, repeating in my head: “They say I'm old-fashioned, and live in the past, but sometimes I think progress progresses too fast!... Please! I object in the name of the trees!” Sometimes what passes for progress isn't exactly progressive.
So, to paraphrase, who does speak for the trees? In this case, who speaks for the wetlands, where trees and so many other things grow?
Maybe the Northwest Florida Water Management District (NWFWMD) does? The Water Management Districts have come under fire this year, too, with funding cuts and other reductions in scope. These special districts, created by Chapter 373, Florida Statutes, are charged with protecting and managing the water resources of Florida in a sustainable manner for the continued welfare of its residents and natural systems. Wakulla falls within the boundaries of the Northwest Florida district. Inherent in this statutory mandate to manage water resources is the protection, preservation, restoration and enhancement of wetlands within NWFWMD boundaries.
According to the NWFWMD website, wetlands are vital to the economic and ecological welfare of the watershed, providing a broad array of functions and services for environmental resources and human communities including:
* Water quality protection, improvement and groundwater recharge
* Shoreline stability, flood protection and moderation of surface water runoff
* Ecological integrity including support for natural systems
* Promotion of a natural resource economy including commercial, aesthetic and recreational benefits
I think we need to be pushing green sustainable development in Wakulla. I grasp that it is initially cheaper to develop the same way we’ve always developed. However, in the long term, a more visionary approach to growth can yield a good return on an environmentally sound project.
With at least one Wakulla County Commissioner pushing to weaken the wetlands ordinance and another with traditional development interests who could benefit from a repeal, the only remaining roadblock may be three members of the BOCC listening to the concerns of local citizens.
The question in the coming weeks remains, “Who will speak for the wetlands?”
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