Saving the Environment by Ripping It (and the Taxpayer) Off

That's the trick by the Republican state government in Florida, which is using real estate assessment values from the height of the market to determine what it will pay US Sugar for its land. Among the parcels that Florida is buying from US Sugar for inflated prices are lands that are no longer usable for agriculture, which means that US Sugar is really and truly selling worthless swampland to the State.

“I won’t lie to you — it’s a damn good price for that land,” said the [former US Sugar]executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he had signed a nondisclosure agreement. “But it’s not as good a deal for the Everglades. If the district doesn’t have any money after this purchase, then they won’t be able to do any restoration projects. It could be a disaster in the making.”

The Florida state politicians have a very long history of ripping off the taxpayers and the environment in order to benefit business interests whom, no doubt, make it very worth the while of the politicians to do so.

The US Sugar deal is just another sleazy sweetheart deal in a state that is known for them. And Charlie Crist is just another sleazeball Florida politician (kind of like his immediate predecessor).