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Opinion
Editorial: Jeb Bush's distasteful lobbying of Miccosukees


"Let's see. Florida weakens Everglades cleanup rules and postpones the deadline for meeting them, at the urging of Gov. Bush and the sugar industry. The sugar industry complains and gets a tough federal judge removed from overseeing the cleanup. But as it turns out, U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno is every bit as tough. He demands that the state and the sugar growers keep their promises.

What to do?

If you're Gov. Bush, you lobby your brother's administration to end federal court oversight of the $1.1 billion cleanup altogether. You pressure the Justice Department and the Interior Department and regulators. In short, you try to cut the judge out of it.

This tactic, which The Post reported last week, gets seamier. One of the parties in the 1988 lawsuit, out of which came the cleanup plan, is the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida. The governor, who professes to dislike increased gambling, also is lobbying the Miccosukees. If they drop the suit, perhaps the governor would allow expanded operations at their casino near Miami? But why stop there? How about a really big casino in the Everglades? Call it the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Casino, after the woman who first championed Florida's unique "river of grass.""

Get the Story:
Editorial: Retain federal oversight of Everglades cleanup (The Palm Beach Post 2/7)

Earlier Story:
Gov. Bush urges end to U.S. oversight of Everglades cleanup (The Palm Beach Post 2/7)

Relevant Links:
Miccosukee Tribe - http://www.miccosukeetribe.com

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