Email from VoteWater 3 anglers face $2 million in court costs for opposing Chiquita Lock removal; welcome to Florida   DONATE Tell the Army Corps to stop the discharges! TAKE ACTION: Complete this letter to Col. Brandon Bowman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; or email Bowman directly at [email protected] Government against the people Today is Day 13 of damaging discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries. On Instagram, our friends at Friends of the Everglades posted a video of water rushing through the St. Lucie Lock and Dam with the caption “This is what government-sanctioned harm looks like.” Government of the people, by the people, for the people? In Florida, it's the government AGAINST the people. Witness our state Legislature, which in recent years has sought to punish citizens who challenge decisions on environmental grounds. In 2024 it was House Bill 789 and Senate Bill 738, which would have required anyone who loses an environmental court case to a county or municipality to cover the winner’s legal fees. Those bills failed, but in 2023 Senate Bill 540 became law, requiring anyone who loses a suit over a comprehensive plan to pay the winner’s legal fees. It’s a short hop from there to what’s going on now in Cape Coral, where three fishermen — Dan Carney, Jim Collier and Kevin Sparks — challenged the city’s attempts to get rid of the Chiquita Lock on the Caloosahatchee. They lost that battle after a judge ruled the Florida DEP could issue a permit for the lock’s removal. Now, as reported by Craig Pittman and others, the city is going after the anglers and wants them to pay some $2 million in legal fees for their “frivolous” challenge. The lock — though reportedly neglected for years as the city sought to remove it — forces water from the city’s canals to filter through mangroves so that once it reaches the Caloosahatchee River and Matlacha Pass, it’s cleaner. But the City of Cape Coral apparently thinks clean water is “frivolous.” Make no mistake, the city — indeed the Florida Legislature — is sending a message: Challenge our decisions on clean-water grounds? You’d better win that challenge — or else. Cape Coral voters need to remember this come the next election. Same with our state Legislature; but in the meantime, we expect to see more such proposals this session. If and when we do you’ll know about it — and we’ll be counting on your help to shoot them down. READ MORE AT VOTEWATER.ORG ICYMI: DEEP DIVE: Get the muck out! Muck is a large and growing problem in many Florida water bodies, and removing it is a huge and expensive task. We take a "Deep Dive" into muck - yuck! - in our latest in-depth investigation at VoteWater.org. READ OUR LATEST 'DEEP DIVE' Hey Santa, bring us clean water this year! Thanks for being part of our clean-water crusade in 2024, and stay tuned in 2025 as we fight for leaders and policies that promote clean water, expand our "Dirty Money Project," take new and exciting "Deep Dives," keep a close eye on the Florida Legislature and more. Merry Christmas and happy holidays! BECOME A MEMBER DONATE NOW   P.S.: Floridians DON'T have the right to clean water; but you can change that VoteWater supports the drive to get a right to clean water amendment on the 2026 Florida ballot, and you can too! Sign the petition, make a donation, volunteer your time and help Floridians secure a future with clean and safe water for all.   VoteWater | 3727 SE Ocean Blvd. Suite 200A | Stuart, FL 34996 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice