A protest in favor of DACA in New York, Sept. 9, 2017. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
June 18, 2020 by David Silverberg
Updated 5:30 pm with reactions and statements.
The US Supreme Court today ruled against the Trump administration’s effort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, protecting the legal residency of immigrants who came to the United States under the age of 16.
Numbers for DACA recipients in Lee and Collier counties are unavailable. However, there are an estimated 800,000 DACA “dreamers” nationwide and 32,795 in Florida.
Local dreamers have been profiled in the past by WINK News and NBC2.
In his opinion Roberts wrote that the administration did not follow proper legal procedures in attempting to end DACA.
Roberts made clear that the decision did not deal with the substance of the DACA program. “We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies,” he wrote. “We address only whether the [Department of Homeland Security] complied with the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action. Here the agency failed to consider the conspicuous issues of whether to retain forbearance and what if anything to do about the hardship to DACA recipients. That dual failure raises doubts about whether the agency appreciated the scope of its discretion or exercised that discretion in a reasonable manner.”
Southwest Florida representatives and candidates reacted with relative predictability to the Supreme Court decision.
The two Democratic candidates for Congress in the 19th Congressional District hailed the decision.
“DREAMERs have always been Americans,” stated David Holden. “This is their home and I’m glad the Supreme Court saw through this administration’s cruelty and made a decision to uphold justice. Many families in SWFL have DACA, DAPA [Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents], or fall somewhere in the grey scale of our current, practically impossible immigration system.”
He continued: “With this win, we must generate the momentum necessary to create a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and their families; find permanent solutions for those who fall under TPS [Temporary Protected Status]; and realize an immigration system that is empathetic, efficient, and unbiased. The Senate now has no excuse and must pass the overwhelmingly popular Dream and Promise Act, or H.R. 6. SWFL owes much of its economy, culture, and community to immigrants, and I’m thrilled they can sleep a little easier tonight.”
Cindy Banyai expressed support for the decision: “The Supreme Court ruling blocking Trump’s cancellation of DACA is a major step in checking administrative overreach,” she stated. “As Justice Sotomayor noted in her opinion, cancelling DACA on the back of hateful rhetoric towards the same group of people needs to be called out. There is no room for racism and xenophobia in our country and this decision helps restore balance and accountability in that regard.”
Of the sitting members of Congress for Southwest Florida, only Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-25-Fla.) issued a statement: “I am pleased that the individuals who benefit from DACA are still protected, but as I’ve repeatedly said, both sides have been playing politics for far too long on this issue, and it’s time to come up with a permanent solution for those who are here at no fault of their own. I reiterate my willingness to work with anyone and everyone on a bipartisan, bicameral solution that provides a path toward permanence, while also adhering to the rule of law. DREAMERS, who are here at no fault of their own, and have not violated US laws, deserve to be here legally, freely, and with certainty.”
Of the nine Republicans running, only Darren Aquino responded to The Paradise Progressive‘s request for comment and issued a tweet on the subject: “I 100% disagree with the recent #DACADecision. You’re looking at a politicized justice system that works to stop Trump at all costs. Illegal immigration hurts us in so many ways. I am going to propose national E-verify legislation to combat illegal immigration” [sic].
Trump issued four rapid-fire tweets on the subject immediately after the Supreme Court decision was announced. He stated that he needed new Supreme Court justices and a new legal solution to end DACA. “The Supreme Court is not willing to give us one, so now we have to start this process all over again,” he stated in one tweet. “The DACA decision, while a highly political one, and seemingly not based on the law, gives the President of the United States far more power than EVER anticipated. Nevertheless, I will only act in the best interests of the United States of America!” he wrote in another.
House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-12-Calif.) hailed the decision: “Today is a joyous and proud day for our country, as the Supreme Court has rejected the Trump Administration’s illegal, immoral assault on young immigrants who make America more American, which the Court rightfully found to be ‘arbitrary and capricious,’” she stated. “The Court’s decision upholds our values, the law and the will of the American people. Dreamers have the overwhelming support of the public, with more than three out of four voters saying Dreamers should be allowed to stay – including more than two-thirds of Republicans.”
Reps. Francis Rooney (R-19-Fla.) and Kathy Castor (D-14-Fla.) are leading a renewed bipartisan effort to protect Florida Gulf shores from offshore oil exploitation.
In a June 15 letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, Rooney, Castor and 16 other members of the Florida congressional delegation urge him “to protect the coasts of Florida from oil and gas development.”
The members recount the history of efforts to protect Florida from oil exploitation and ask four questions of the secretary:
What is the status of the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Program? Does DOI [Department of Interior] have a target date for its release?
Is the Department still working on a new 5-year leasing program that would go into effect prior to the expiration of the current leasing program in 2022? If not, can you indicate whether the Department would consider not releasing a new leasing program that contains any offshore lease sales scheduled prior to the expiration of the 2017-2022 program?
Would the Department consider, when the Proposed Program is eventually issued, not including lease sales for any new areas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic?
Would the Department consider supporting our bipartisan legislation, the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act of 2019, to permanently ban drilling off the coast of Florida?
In response to a June 10 article in Politico that the administration planned to begin oil leasing in Gulf waters if President Donald Trump is re-elected in November, the Department of Interior’s press secretary tweeted the same day that the article was “#FakeNews based entirely on anonymous sources who don’t know what they’re talking about. Current offshore plans do not expire until 2022, and @Interior does not plan to issue a new report in November.”
However, identical concerns were expressed by the House Natural Resources Committee in 2019. (For a full report on the Gulf offshore oil issue, see the June 6 article: Trump, Biden and the Gulf shore oil war.)
The full text of the Rooney-Castor letter follows:
June 15, 2020
The Honorable David Bernhardt Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240
Dear Secretary Bernhardt:
We write to urge you to protect the coasts of Florida from oil and gas development. As you know, in 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act to permanently ban drilling off the coast of Florida with broad bipartisan support. Despite that vote and the economic and environmental damage left by the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, it appears that the Department of the Interior (DOI) is preparing to open the door to oil and gas drilling off Florida’s coasts shortly after the November 2020 election. As representatives from Florida, we are asking for clarification on DOI’s plans for drilling off the coasts of our state.
Florida relies on coastlines unencumbered by oil and gas drilling to sustain its economy, preserve its marine life and natural resources, and protect our national security. This past April marked ten years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster, when we saw firsthand the destruction offshore drilling can have on our state. Our state and local economies cannot sustain another disaster like that – especially on top of the current economic struggles tied to the COVID-19 crisis.
Furthermore, the eastern Gulf of Mexico is a critical testing and training area for our military, and the Department of Defense has stated clearly that the Gulf Test Range is an “irreplaceable national asset” for combat force readiness. Any oil and gas development would be an obstacle to military preparedness and national security.
Additionally, the people of Florida are also clearly opposed to oil and gas development off our coast. A constitutional amendment on Florida’s November 2018 ballot to ban offshore drilling in state waters passed overwhelmingly. Here is objective proof that Floridians recognize that the state’s economy depends on a pristine environment, and that offshore drilling threatens Florida’s future.
In response to the June 10 Politico story, DOI’s Press Secretary tweeted, “Current offshore plans do not expire until 2022, and @Interior does not plan to issue a new report in November.” In light of our strong interest to preserve and protect Florida’s coasts, we request that you provide clarification through written answers to the following questions:
What is the status of the 2019-2024 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Proposed Program? Does DOI have a target date for its release?
Is the Department still working on a new 5-year leasing program that would go into effect prior to the expiration of the current leasing program in 2022? If not, can you indicate whether the Department would consider not releasing a new leasing program that contains any offshore lease sales scheduled prior to the expiration of the 2017-2022 program?
Would the Department consider, when the Proposed Program is eventually issued, not including lease sales for any new areas in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic?
Would the Department consider supporting our bipartisan legislation, the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act of 2019, to permanently ban drilling off the coast of Florida?
Sincerely,
Kathy Castor, Francis Rooney
Darren Soto, Matt Gaetz, Gus M. Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Charlie Crist, Val Demings, Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, Alcee L. Hastings, Al Lawson, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Stephanie Murphy, Bill Posey, John H. Rutherford, Donna Shalala, Debbie Wasserman Schultz
The Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida (DECF) has endorsed Democrat Cindy Banyai for Congress in the 19th Congressional District, according to an announcement made by her campaign.
The Caucus works to preserve Florida’s environment and support lawmakers and candidates who do the same.
“I’m honored to be recognized by the DCEF for my commitment to preserving our environment and our water in Southwest Florida,” Banyai told The Paradise Progressive. “I’ll continue to advocate for community participation in sustainable development and climate action in Congress as I have within the UN system.”
Fitzenhagen calls it quits
Heather Fitzenhagen
State Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen (R-78-Fort Myers) has dropped her bid for Congress in the 19th Congressional District and will instead seek a state Senate seat in the 27th District, for which she has already qualified.
The seat is seat currently held by State Sen. Lizabeth Benaquisto (R-27), who is retiring after reaching her term limit to take up a job as executive vice president at Hope Healthcare in Fort Myers. The seat is being sought by Democrat Rachel Brown and Republican State Rep. Ray Rodrigues (R-76-Estero).
Fitzenhagen’s withdrawal from the congressional race leaves nine Republicans running.
As of this writing, Fitzenhagen had not posted any statements online or on social media about her decision. She is no longer listed as a candidate on the state’s list of candidates for the 19th Congressional District but is listed as qualified for the 27th Senate District.
Today at 4:26 pm, The Paradise Progressive posed the following questions to State Rep. Fitzenhagen:
Can you confirm that you are no longer seeking the 19th Congressional District seat?
Have you issued a statement to that effect? (Don’t see anything on your website, Facebook page or Twitter)
Are you seeking the District 27 State Senate seat?
Are you endorsing another candidate?
If so, whom?
What do you plan to do with the campaign funds you have on hand?
As of this posting, no response had been received.
Republican Dr. William Figlesthaler issued a statement today thanking Fitzenhagen for her legislative service, saying: “For years, she has fought against both radicalized Democrats and establishment, do-nothing, Republicans in the Florida House.” He posted a 19-second video tribute to her on a webpage that requests donations to his own campaign.
As of March 31, Fitzenhagen had raised $110,790 for her campaign. According to a poll released on June 2 by Political Prowess Polling, only 3 percent of 800 Republicans likely to vote in the August 18 primary indicated they would vote for her.
Donald Trump addresses a rally at the Collier County Fairgrounds, Oct. 23, 2016. (Photo: Author)
June 12, 2020 by David Silverberg
Updated at 11:15 am with additional details.
When Seed to Table owner Alfie Oakes issued his now notorious 758-word screed on Facebook on Monday, June 8, it was remarkable how much he used familiar language, characterizing both COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter as “a hoax.”
Of course it is President Donald Trump who is infamous for labeling virtually anything he doesn’t like as a “hoax,” whether it’s an investigation into his Russian ties or coronavirus.
But Oakes’ use of Trumpist language was hardly unique. In fact, Trump’s usages are leaching down into Southwest Florida’s political language among those who are his greatest devotees.
But it’s not just Trump’s language that’s infecting Southwest Florida’s discourse, it’s also his behavior. His insults, his personalized attacks and his overall “hatred, prejudice and rage”—to use his own words—against people of different races, ethnicities and national origins as well as his political opponents is being aped by his admirers.
This is most pronounced in the crowded field of 10 Republicans jostling to replace Rep. Francis Rooney (R-19-Fla.).
Where once politicians attempted to keep their campaign attacks impersonal as “just business” and focus on policy differences and their public records, Donald Trump upended that in 2016. He bulldozed his way into the presidency by making everything personal, using insults as a strategic weapon to beat down opponents and avoiding any rational discussion of substance.
Those traits have now reached Southwest Florida and the evidence is stark in the candidates’ campaign pronouncements as expressed on Twitter, also Trump’s favorite means of expression.
(In this posting I’ve helpfully highlighted the language that echoes the president’s usages. To check on all of Trump’s words as expressed in his tweets, nothing beats the searchable Trumptwitterarchive.com)
Mini-Trumps for Congress
Darren Aquino
In the 19th Congressional District, Darren Aquino, a New York actor of Puerto Rican and Italian extraction who is polling surprisingly high despite his bare-bones, all-online campaign, has been combatively Trump-like in attacking Democrat Cindy Banyai as a “socialist”–but he reserves his real ire for fellow Republicans.
Like Trump, he’s aggressively anti-immigrant: “Many so called ‘refugees’ are really economic migrants looking to replace American workers,” he tweeted on June 8. “Refugee programs are also the easiest way for terrorists to come into this country. We need to end the refugee program. America has been taken advantage of for far too long.”
Aquino shares Trump’s xenophobic prejudices. He’s attacked fellow Republican Casey Askar for his foreign roots: “Money doesn’t buy you charisma or respect. Kousay/Casey Askar has all the money in the world, but he’s laughed at by his peers and the people he hires. He’slow energyand robotic. We can’t have Iraqi born citizens in Congress, they need to be natural born Americans,” he tweeted on June 8.
(During his 2016 campaign Trump repeatedly referred to former Florida governor Jeb Bush as “low energy” and attacked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for not being “natural born”—to say nothing of Trump’s attacks on President Barack Obama’s origins. However, what he really meant was “native born”–unless they were conceived in a test tube, all the candidates are “natural born.” It’s a distinction Trump has never absorbed.)
Aquino’s spite also extends to a sitting member of Congress: “I’m going to put forth legislation requiring all Congressmen be natural borncitizens. This would remove Ilhan Omarfrom office, because she was born in Somalia,” he tweeted on June 10, adding for good measure in a comment: “We want a natural born American to beat Omar, not an Iraqi.” [Editor’s note: Changing the terms of congressional service would require a constitutional amendment.]
Like Trump, Aquino is trying to use religion to get elected as in this June 9 tweet: “America is GREAT because the men who created it were DEVOUT CHRISTIANS! WE NEED THAT SPIRIT AGAIN!”
William Figlesthaler
Dr. William Figlesthaler has also thrown insults at his opponents. “Honestly, I am glad Shady Mayor Randy @HendersonForFL is running for Congress. At least it puts him out of office for good. Fort Myers needs a real leader. Someone who won’t allow the city to be run by gangsters and drug dealers,” he tweeted on Feb. 12.
He certainly has no respect for opponent State Rep. Dane Eagle (R-77-Fla.): “@DaneEagle has never run a real race in his life. He has no clue what he is up against. @TerryMillerFL won’t be able to protect him this time. I will expose them both for the self-serving #NeverTrump RINOS they are,” he tweeted on Feb. 1.
The same day he added: “@DaneEagle is funded entirely by special interest that pay him to do his bidding. He is spineless and will sell himselfout every time. My campaign and our base of real community leaders are going to match him dollar for dollar. I won’t let a sellout buy this seat.”
Dane Eagle
But Dane Eagle is no slouch in the Trump-like insult department: “Thelow IQcommentators at CNN just fired up the Republican base like never before,” he tweeted on Jan. 28 after a report that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had insulted a CNN reporter.
Nor is he free from Trump-like blaming. On May 14 he tweeted, “President Trump did not try to cover-up the virus. China did. Trump did not lie about human-to-human transmission. China did. Trump did not throw doctors in jail. China did. Instead of launching another witch huntagainst @realDonaldTrump, let’s hold China accountable!”
Like Trump, Eagle shares the president’s solicitation for Michael Flynn, the disgraced and convicted former national security advisor: “All charges against General Michael Flynn should be dropped IMMEDIATELY! He was set up by deep state, treasonousactors. Everyone involved in this set up should be arrested and have the book thrown at them for what they did to this honorable man!” he tweeted on April 29.
The other seven Republican candidates either don’t have identifiable Twitter accounts or use Twitter to a far lesser extent. Their tweets are much more conventional and not as Trumpish as Aquino’s, Figlesthaler’s and Eagle’s. In their substance, however, all highlight their allegiance and obedience to Donald Trump and all he represents.
Byron Donalds and Antonio Dumornay
Byron Donalds
When it came to reacting to George Floyd’s killing and the resulting protests, two African American congressional candidates were faced with unique challenges and reacted in different ways. Ironically, both had been arrested in the past, giving them an intimate view of law enforcement.
“I want justice for George Floyd, but we can’t burn down our cities and small businesses—many black owned,” he said. “We can’t target our police officers, many of which are good. We must come together as a country to better our communities, not let anger push us towards anarchy. We’ve got to stop, America. We have to come together.”
Antonio Dumornay
Antonio Dumornay started his campaign as a Republican and then switched to Independent. His June 2 video statement, titled “Accountability! It’s not rocket science,” was succinct and to the point: “The justice system must hold everyone accountable when they commit a crime, that’s what these protests are all about. When you hold everyone accountable, the race question seems to eliminate itself.”
He followed that up with another tweet on June 7, stating: “For the first time I am watching minorities react to the George Floyd BLM protests! People getting fired for their prejudice remarks and businesses still remain slow because owners don’t know how to SHUT THE HELL UP.” He included a sarcastic emoji and the line: “did you just catch what I said! I like 2020.”
A reference to Alfie Oakes, perhaps?
When words matter
Political passions can be dangerous, as generations of Americans have learned.
Political differences have generated a civil war, riots, massacres and bombings. Among lawmakers and officials they’ve stoked duels, a beating on the floor of the Senate and shortly after independence a fight between two congressmen battling with a walking stick and a pair of fireplace tongs. (Interestingly, the fight had to do with the very first impeachment—of a senator—and, of course, involved Florida, then a colony of Spain.)
Throughout political life—and even in personal interactions—the civilized effort over time has been to reduce friction and respect everyone’s dignity. A large part of that effort has been to use language carefully—and those in public life know they have to be particularly careful in their speech.
It’s beyond obvious to say that Donald Trump isn’t part of this effort. He uses words to “totally dominate” everyone around him and the nation, whether verbally or on Twitter—and now his devotees are following his lead.
This is partially why there have been two gigantic waves of protest and reform during the three years of the Trump administration.
The first was the Women’s March and the “Me Too” movement. The second is the George Floyd protest and the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Both were and are uprisings of broad swaths of people who have been insulted, marginalized and dismissed by Donald Trump. It’s part of his ongoing, relentless verbal (and political) effort to diminish everyone but himself.
A great many people aren’t taking this abuse lying down. They’re rising up.
We’ll see if that outrage translates into retaliation in the voting booth. Donald Trump may pay a big price for his words and behavior in November. Around the nation and in Southwest Florida his mini-Trumps may pay their own prices sooner than that.
Whichever way things go, there’s no doubt about the ultimate lesson: lives and words matter.
The Seed to Table store in North Naples. (Photo: author)
June 11, 2020 by David Silverberg.
Updated 2:40 pm with Lee County announcement and new petition numbers.
This weekend is shaping up to be a politically active and potentially polarizing one in Southwest Florida and statewide.
It will also likely be the most complete mass abandonment of coronavirus restraints since the state implemented safety measures in April.
Seed to Table
In Southwest Florida on Saturday two demonstrations have been called at the Seed to Table store in North Naples, at the corner of Immokalee and Livingston roads.
The dueling demonstrations are the result of a Monday, June 8 Facebook post by store owner Alfie Oakes, who, in a 758-word screed called: COVID-19 a “hoax;” denounced “the black lives matter race hoax;” excoriated the “brainwashing arms of the media;” characterized Black Lives Matter protesters as “lemmings” and “lost souls without any direction or sense of purpose;” and labeled George Floyd “a disgraceful career criminal, thief, drug addict, drug dealer and ex-con.”
The response was swift and overwhelming. A petition was launched on Change.org calling on the Lee and Collier County school boards to cut ties with Oakes Farms. As of this writing, 11,814 people had signed it and the count was rising by the minute. Collier County schools cut ties with Oakes Farm and the Benison Center, which distributes free food in Immokalee, where Oakes has been a major benefactor, is also dropping the controversial donor.
This afternoon the School District of Lee County issued a statement: “The School District of Lee County has severed ties with Oakes Farms. The District will soon be working with other suppliers to ensure that fresh fruits and vegetables continue to be provided to our students.”
The group Activist Protection League of SWFL, called for a protest at Seed to Table on Saturday, June 13, from 2 pm to 5 pm. The League is “a collection of Collier and Lee residents that seek to provide infrastructure, training, and guidance to any activist group that requests it,” according to its Facebook page.
In a Facebook post in response, Oakes announced a demonstration in support of his store one hour before the scheduled protest and warned: “Any agitators are NOT welcome, and will be removed immediately.”
“Please come show your support for [Collier County Sheriff’s Office], the rule of law and ALL lives matter at Seed to Table 4835 immokalee Road at 1 pm this Saturday!” Oakes stated. “We are going to have a peaceful and loving show of support for the great work of our officers during these unprecedented times. We will show the world the silent majority can no longer remain silent!”
The Seed to Table events follow numerous demonstrations in Fort Myers and Naples protesting the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 25.
Antonio Dumornay
The Alfie Oakes controversy apparently attracted the attention of one of SWFL’s congressional candidates, Independent Antonio Dumornay, who tweeted on June 7: “For the first time I am watching minorities react to the George Floyd BLM protests! People getting fired for their prejudice remarks and businesses still remain slow because owners don’t know how to SHUT THE HELL UP.”
Trump events
In an effort to counter the nationwide demonstrations protesting the death of George Floyd, supporters of President Donald Trump are planning a day of activities throughout Florida on Sunday, June 14, which is also Trump’s 74th birthday and Flag Day.
The pro-Trump events are being planned by Trump Team 2020 Florida, a group that feels the Florida Republican Party is insufficiently supportive of Trump.
The group does not list any events for Southwest Florida. Parties are scheduled for Pensacola, Jacksonville, The Villages, Citrus City, Hernando City and Palm Beach. Boat flotillas, known as “Trumptillas,” are scheduled for Tampa, Hernando City, Jacksonville and Pensacola.
There is no central listing for upcoming events protesting the death of George Floyd or supporting Black Lives Matter.
Rep. Francis Rooney at May 31, 2017 town hall meeting in Bonita Springs. (Photo: Author)
June 7, 2020 by David Silverberg
Conservative Republican Rep. Francis Rooney (R-19-Fla.), representing Southwest Florida, is considering supporting Democrat Joe Biden for president because Trump is “driving us all crazy” and Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic led to a death toll that “didn’t have to happen.”
Rooney said of Biden, according to the article, “What he’s always been is not scary. A lot of people that voted for President Trump did so because they did not like Hillary Clinton. I don’t see that happening with Joe Biden — how can you not like Joe Biden?”
Rooney was withholding a full endorsement, he said, because he was uncertain whether Biden would remain in the political mainstream.
According to the article, Rooney has been lobbied by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a Biden ally.
Rooney announced his retirement from Congress in October 2019, in large part because of the backlash that occurred when he said he was open to hearing the evidence of wrongdoing during the president’s impeachment trial. Since that announcement he has evidenced increasing disillusionment with Trump and the Republican Party.
Rooney’s change of heart is especially stunning because he ran in 2016 on a staunchly conservative platform and campaigned with Trump. In his first term he voted 97 percent of the time with Trump. Prior to his election he was a generous donor to the Republican Party and conservative causes.
Rooney’s statements came on the same day that former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his endorsement of Joe Biden. The New York Times article detailed the disillusionment of former President George W. Bush, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and military leaders with Trump.
Pro-Trump boaters take to the waters along southern Collier County on May 23.
June 6, 2020 by David Silverberg.
This year’s Memorial Day weekend began on Saturday, May 23 with hundreds of boaters in Southwest Florida launching a “Making Waves” boat parade to show their support for President Donald Trump and his re-election.
They had clear sailing on pristine waters from Naples Bay to Marco Island.
The irony is that if they get their wish and Trump is re-elected, those waters won’t be so pristine anymore.
That’s because if Trump is re-elected the eastern Gulf of Mexico will be opened to oil exploration and exploitation. In a second Trump administration, any future flotilla will have to dodge tankers, tugs, barges, tenders, lighters, shuttles, seismic testing boats and drilling ships among other vessels. Most of all, they would be maneuvering amidst immense drilling rigs. And the water will be slick with debris, pollution and—most of all—oil.
This is not fantasy or some conspiracy theory.
In 2019, after considerable confusion and mixed signals from the Trump administration whether the eastern Gulf would be opened to oil lease sales, Congress concluded, “the Trump Administration intends, if the President is reelected, to include the Eastern Gulf of Mexico in its final Five-Year Program and to hold lease sales in the Eastern Gulf as early as 2022.”
That’s stated in a July 16, 2019 report from the US House Natural Resources Committee. It goes on to say: “Given the widespread belief that a tweet from [Interior] Secretary [Ryan] Zinke declaring Florida off-limits to offshore oil and gas leasing was issued to support Florida Governor Rick Scott in his Senate race, the Committee is concerned that the Administration is playing similar games with its 2019–2024 program and intends to wait until after the 2020 presidential election, in which Florida may be a key swing state, before revealing an unpopular plan to lease off of Florida’s shore.”
Those are pretty strong words for a relatively obscure congressional report accompanying a piece of legislation.
What is more, they were not the statements of cranky Democrats taking potshots at Trump. In fact, they were issued to explain a piece of legislation introduced by a Republican.
And that Republican was Southwest Florida’s own Rep. Francis Rooney (R-19-Fla.).
Rooney’s crusade
Rep. Francis Rooney
On Sept. 11, 2019, the US House of Representatives voted 248 to 180 to pass the Protecting and Securing Florida’s Coastline Act of 2019 (House Resolution (HR) 205)).
The bill is pretty simple: it “permanently extends the moratorium on oil and gas leasing, preleasing, and related activities” in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. It prohibits sale of leases, oil exploration, drilling or extracting oil along Florida’s Gulf coastline in perpetuity.
That moratorium had been in place in one form or another since 1982, maintained by congressional action and presidential decisions, which applied not just in Florida but in a wide variety of waters around the North American continental shelf, including Alaska. However, in one of his earliest acts, in April 2017 Trump issued an executive order opening up American waters to oil exploitation. The order was challenged in court but the Trump administration proceeded with planning for the sale of oil leases beginning in 2022 when the current moratorium expires.
Rooney was elected in 2016 on the same platform—literally, they stood on the same stage—as Trump. What was more, Rooney and his construction companies had extensive ties to the oil and gas industry and much of his fortune resulted from work for it. One of his earliest political donors was the consortium building the controversial XL Pipeline. And even Rooney’s origins are in Oklahoma’s oil patch.
So perhaps Rooney had a better sense than most people of what was involved in offshore oil exploitation and how it would affect Southwest Florida’s tourism, hospitality, and retail businesses and overall quality of life. After all, he lives on the water in Naples’ Port Royal.
That’s why it was particularly interesting when, after Trump’s executive order, regardless of his other activities, Rooney began working to protect the Gulf coast from oil exploitation.
But in this effort Rooney was opposed by the oil industry, which wants the option to drill everywhere and anywhere, and his fellow Republicans, in particular the powerful Rep. Steve Scalise (R-1-La.), the Minority Whip in the House.
It’s worth noting the unique role of Louisiana in this: politically, the state and the oil industry are virtually one and the same. Offshore oil exploitation has brought great wealth and employment to the state and the people involved in the industry. However, it has also brought pollution and the occasional disaster, most spectacularly the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout and the subsequent nearly five month-long oil spill—really more of an oil eruption.
In Congress, Rooney couldn’t make headway on maintaining the moratorium and one day he confronted Scalise directly, as he related to a small group of constituents meeting at the Alamo gun range and store in Naples in 2018.
“I was on the House floor with Steve Scalise and I got in his face and I said, ‘You’re telling me that the industry won’t go for protecting the Eastern Gulf in Florida? What industry are you talking about? I’m talking about tourism. I’m talking about why we’re all here, okay? Just because Louisiana is a pit, doesn’t mean we want to become a pit. Okay?’” said Rooney.
Nor could Rooney make any headway with Trump’s Interior Department. He found that officials in the Department of Defense supported maintaining the moratorium because they trained pilots over the eastern Gulf. “…So the military is our ally on this,” he said. “The Department of the Interior is not. They want to ‘drill-baby-drill.’ They are Republicans, right?”
While Republicans were in power, Rooney and the moratorium made no progress.
Vessels service offshore oil rigs. (Photo: USCG)
Enter the Democrats
Then, in 2018 the House changed hands and suddenly Rooney faced a new Democratic power structure and a new Speaker of the House—Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-12-Calif.).
On the first day of the session, Jan. 3, 2019, he introduced HR 205 with Rep. Cathy Kastor (D-14-Fla.), who represents Hillsborough County in the Tampa area, as his first co-sponsor. The legislation gained momentum, picking up other members of the Florida delegation from both parties as co-sponsors until by June he had nine Democrats and nine Republicans.
Pelosi agreed to move the bill forward and on Sept. 11, the same day he called on his Republican colleagues to acknowledge climate change in an essay in Politico magazine, Rooney also saw his bill passed in the House. All of Florida’s representatives, both Republican and Democratic, voted for it with only one dissenter, Rep. Ted Yoho (R-3-Fla.).
From there it went to the Republican Senate where it was introduced the next day by Florida’s two Republican senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. There it has languished to this day.
Why? Because with Republicans in charge, the odds were stacked against it: Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wasn’t inclined to move it and the Trump White House threatened to veto it. The Interior Department, the fossil fuel industry, the offshore drilling industry and the Republican leadership are against it.
Rooney has kept working for its passage.
“I’ve been working with Senators Rubio and Scott, as well as others whose support will be needed to advance HR. 205 in the Senate,” Rooney stated in response to questions from The Paradise Progressive. “They’re making sure that the Senate realizes the military, economic, and ecologic significance of banning offshore drilling east of the Military Mission Line” (the geographic line in the Gulf where the military trains)
There are possibilities that the legislation could still advance: “We’re keeping all options on the table for ways to advance HR 205, as stand-alone legislation, or as a potential amendment to other legislation. I’m optimistic that we can still be successful in this congressional session,” he stated.
On May 29, The Paradise Progressive asked the following questions about HR 205 of Sens. Rubio and Scott in a message to their offices:
Since its arrival in the Senate, have you taken any actions to advance this bill?
Do you plan to take any actions to move this bill to full consideration by the Senate before the end of the year?
If you plan to take any actions, what do you plan to do?
As of this writing, no response has been received.
Logic and illogic
Conventional political logic would dictate that if you’re a sitting president who must win the state of Florida to be re-elected, you do something that will make you popular in that state and gain you votes—like supporting HR 205. That would mean an endorsement from the president, breaking the legislation out of committee and getting it enacted into law before the general election on Nov. 3.
“The people of Florida have made it clear that they don’t want offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico,” stated Rooney. “It endangers our tourism and real estate-based economy, and it adversely affects military readiness. There will be a political price to pay if the will of the people is ignored. The Trump administration can move this forward if they want to protect Florida.”
True enough. But conventional political logic has not been a hallmark of the Trump administration and it’s not in evidence now.
Of course, there are bigger issues dominating the landscape at the moment than drilling for oil off Southwest Florida—like whether America will remain a democracy and whether racism can be uprooted. Still, oil is an issue that particularly matters to the people, the region and the environment.
“It’s my hope that our next representative will exhibit the same commitment and have the successes that we’ve had over these last four years in fixing our water and protecting our environment,” stated Rooney, who is retiring after this term.
But with all of the Republicans vying for his seat pledging their blind obedience to Donald Trump, that’s not likely.
However, one person who has paid attention to the topic of offshore drilling is Democratic presidential challenger former Vice President Joe Biden.
On March 15, Joe Biden debated Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Washington, DC. In a discussion of climate change Biden said: “Number one, no more subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, no more drilling on federal lands, no more drilling, including offshore, no ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period, ends, number one.”
Subsequent analysis indicated that Biden meant no new offshore drilling; not that he would close down existing wells. But that was good enough for Florida’s Gulf coast.
However, this was not something that was going to be taken lying down by the offshore drilling industry.
On Tuesday, May 26, the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), the organization of the offshore oil industry, hit back by releasing a study, “The Economic Impacts of the Gulf of Mexico Oil & Natural Gas Industry,” warning of dire consequences if there was no new leasing or permitting in the Gulf of Mexico. Projecting out to the year 2040 it predicted losses in oil extraction, jobs, industry spending, gross domestic product and government revenues. It pointed out that the industry is a pillar in the state economies of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.
Florida is not yet on the list—but it is certainly in the industry’s sights.
And incredibly, like a raid deep into enemy territory, on May 27 an article reprinted from the Lafayette Daily Advertiser of Lafayette, La., of all places, appeared in Naples, Fla., in an across-the-page headline on the front of the Naples Daily News Business section: “Gulf drilling restrictions could prove damaging.” It put forward NOIA’s propaganda without comment or question.
With this the industry proved that it really did have a long reach—right into Rooney’s own eyeballs and the heart of the opposition.
Joe Biden at the moment in his debate with Bernie Sanders when he uttered the words “no more drilling, including offshore.” (Image: CNN)
Analysis: Boatin’ for Biden
“I’m thankful that the Florida delegation, with the exception of one member, came together in a bipartisan way to pass HR 205 out of the House,” stated Rooney to The Paradise Progressive. “This shows the strong commitment that Floridians have to protecting our waters, our economy, and our military preparedness.”
Many Floridians do indeed have a commitment to Florida’s natural environment and they will keep working to protect it. But it’s also very clear that the only hope Southwest Florida—indeed, all of the Florida Gulf coast—has to protect its shores, its environment and its current economy is the election of Joe Biden as president.
Floridians of all political persuasions will get no succor or satisfaction on this issue from President Trump or his administration. He and his minions are just waiting for his re-election to pounce and then it’s “drill-baby-drill.” And the offshore oil and gas industry will certainly show no mercy.
So those in the flotilla of south Collier County boaters who took to the water on Memorial Day weekend should think very carefully about what they’re wishing for. If they really got their wish and Donald Trump was re-elected, the Florida waters and beaches they so enjoy will likely become a dystopian hellscape of oil rigs, ships and slicks.
But of course, that’s not the future that has to be. Perhaps just enough Floridians will realize that their best interests, the interests of their state, their country, their environment and their future lies in electing Joe Biden.
Breakdown of the findings of the first open poll of the Republican primary race in Southwest Florida.
June 2, 2020 by David Silverberg.
Updated at 3:45 pm with additional data
A poll by an independent polling firm, Political Prowess Polling, has Republican congressional candidate Casey Askar polling equally with former actor Darren Aquino in the 19th Congressional District Republican primary race.
However, the real prize that will determine the winner of the Aug. 18 Republican primary will be winning over the 27 percent of undecided voters it found.
Key findings, according to the poll’s executive summary:
Undecideds are leading the way.
Recent events have skyrocketed Aquino & Askar.
Some analysts are predicting [State Rep. Dane] Eagle [R-77-Cape Coral] to rise to the top of the polls.
Under 30% of voters chose any of the four sitting politicians in the race.
Indecisive voters could make the difference for Darren Aquino or Casey Askar.
The poll was first reported in part today by The Paradise Progressive in the article “SWFL State of Play Today.” Subsequent to the posting of that report, Aaron Montgomery, the firm’s strategic polling coordinator, contacted The Paradise Progressive with new details.
The poll was conducted by robocall on May 27 and 28 among 800 registered Republicans likely to vote in the primary. It has a margin of error of 3.2 percent.
It was not conducted on behalf of any candidate but rather was part of the firm’s 2020 Republican Primary Research Set, an independent series of studies on Republican primaries across the country, according to Montgomery.
Protesters at the Robert E. Lee statue–minus the bust–in Fort Myers yesterday, June 1. (Image: WINK News)
June 2, 2020 by David Silverberg.
Updated at 3:20 pm with new link to post with additional details on poll.
Even sleepy, sweltering Southwest Florida is feeling the impact of the death of George Floyd, with protests in Fort Myers and normally quiet Naples. Now candidates in the 19th Congressional District race are reacting as well.
Cindy Banyai
Democrat Cindy Banyai is calling for removal of the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Fort Myers, a point of contention since the protests in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017.
“Fort Myers was a Union fort and the county was named after General Robert E. Lee as a direct affront to the victory of the United States over the confederate rebellion in the Civil War,” she wrote in a statement issued yesterday, June 1. “Robert E. Lee has no other affiliation with the area other than the honorary designation and the commission of the statue by the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 1966, a time period that coincides with the desegregation movement in the area.”
Though protesters gathered yesterday at the statue they found only the pedestal—the bust had been removed by Sons of the Confederacy to protect it.
In her statement, Banyai decried past racism. “Local, state, and national leaders have failed to protect our black communities. Local leaders are more focused on helping themselves than helping the communities they serve, something I have seen repeatedly over the past decade as I have watched leaders disregard reports I have made on minority communities as nothing more than just a piece of paper that they use to cross off their checklists. Politicians want to demean protesters, yet they don’t offer any solutions to the problems at hand of systemic racism and police brutality.”
Unsurprisingly, one Republican candidate took a different tack. “President @realDonaldTrump is right. Rioters dishonor the memory of George Floyd,” tweeted State Rep. Dane Eagle (R-77-Cape Coral) on Sunday, May 31. “A president has a duty is to make sure Americans and their communities are safe. That’s why I know Mr. Trump will end the violence while protecting the 1st Amendment rights of protesters!”
That protection of protesters’ rights was not much in evidence yesterday during President Donald Trump’s walk from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church or in his call with governors.
Poll findings
Eagle’s fealty to Trump has been loud and extravagant but it hasn’t made much headway with Southwest Florida Republicans, according to a campaign poll obtained by The Paradise Progressive.
The poll found that the two leading primary candidates right now are businessman Casey Askar and former actor Darren Aquino, who each had 18 percent of the support of the sample. The next candidate was Dr. William Figlesthaler with 10 percent. Eagle came in fourth with 9 percent.
As a whole, incumbent elected officials in the running won only 30 percent of the total sample.
Darren Aquino
Aquino, who might ordinarily have been only a marginal candidate, has apparently seen his standing boosted by recent events. In a campaign that is primarily Internet-based, Aquino has increasingly used Trump-like insults. He accused Banyai of being a socialist and in a swipe at Askar called for only native-born Americans to be eligible for congressional seats.
The poll’s most important finding is that 27 percent of its sample fell in the “undecided” category. This is where the battle will be fought in the days ahead.
Askar and Figlesthaler seek closure–border closure
As far as the public is concerned the most obvious signs of political battle are in the dueling TV ads of Askar and Figlesthaler, the two wealthiest candidates.
Casey Askar in his new ad
On May 22 Askar unveiled his 30-second TV spot, “Once and for all,” calling for a suspension of immigration because of the COVID-19 pandemic, praising Trump for his immigration policies and re-stating Askar’s support for building a border wall.
“I’ll help President Trump finish the wall and control the border—once and for all,” says Askar at the end.
Not to be outdone in his opposition to immigration and loyalty to Trump, yesterday, June 1, Figlesthaler launched his own spot, “The Wall.” In it, he marches menacingly toward the camera and promises to end illegal immigration for all time.
William Figlesthaler in his new ad
“In Congress I will fight for something new,” he says. “A massive wall along our southern border, one that will keep criminals, rapists and drug lords out for good.”
“Once and for all” and “out for good”—one might say that when it comes to immigration, both are offering a “final solution.”
Protesters yesterday, May 31, in Fort Myers. (Image: NBC2 News)
So far, Southwest Florida has been spared the destruction and chaos afflicting most of the rest of the country as a result of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. There have been two protests in Fort Myers, both peaceful and lawful and more are scheduled.
The goal of the region’s political leadership and people—regardless of party—should be to allow the expression of legitimate discontent while protecting lives and property and avoiding violence and destruction.
How can that best be done?
Expressions of respect
To ensure domestic tranquility we need to hear that message from officials in authority.
Ft. Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs
To date, only Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs has issued a statement in the wake of Floyd’s death (produced in full below). It was a commitment to professionalism and justice.
There need to be such statements from every public official in a position of authority in Southwest Florida. As President Donald Trump has shown, words matter—only we need positive expressions right now, not hateful ones.
This is especially true of Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson, who before his run for Congress was a uniter and respected all the communities in his jurisdiction. Sadly, he chose to follow a low road to office in his campaign and that diminishes his credibility. Nonetheless, there was never a time when he has so needed to step up as a leader of his city and show respect for peoples’ concerns and a commitment to justice. If that means jettisoning his congressional ambitions for now, the peace, tranquility and welfare of his city demands it.
The mayors of Cape Coral and Naples, Joe Coviello and Teresa Heitmann, also need to step up and speak out as do all the elected officials—and candidates—in the region.
And if those officials and candidates choose to use the rhetoric of division and hate, that will count toward their final reckonings in August and November.
Commitment to professional policing
Aside from its deeper sources, what happened to George Floyd was the result of unprofessional, undisciplined policing when one officer’s emotionalism overwhelmed rational law enforcement protocols.
People expect unbiased, professional, disciplined, responsive law enforcement. It’s why they pay their taxes.
Chief Diggs made that commitment in his statement. Southwest Florida needs to hear similar commitments from all its other law enforcement chiefs.
At the very least, such expressions will reinforce these principles among their deputies and officers, reassure at least some of the public and serve to maintain the bonds between law enforcement and the people it serves.
Containment of extremism
This is an extraordinarily passionate and emotional time. Extremists can have an outsized effect on events. Fortunately, there seems little inclination to violent extremism in Southwest Florida.
To maintain that atmosphere, it’s important that all influencers spread a message of non-violence. Local leaders of all faiths play an outsized role in this. Their active participation is essential.
From a law enforcement standpoint, objective and unbiased intelligence gathering and surveillance of potentially violent extremists–whatever their beliefs–needs to be robust and active.
Expressions of extremism should receive immediate condemnation. Sadly, one of the worst extremists is President Trump. While no one, it seems, can control him, on the local level thinking people can exert their influence to tamp down more incendiary exhortations—including his.
Every indivdual’s effort
As individuals on the local level, there’s little we can do to influence the broad movements across the nation in real time. But our actions and decisions make a difference.
There is just no substitute for organization and activism. And if making phone calls or participating in Zoom forums or writing letters to the editor isn’t as emotionally satisfying as marching in the street, it’s worth knowing that in the long run it will make a difference.
If the Constitution is followed and we all add our efforts and we have elections as scheduled in August and November, and the count is fair and honest, and if the law is obeyed and power is properly transferred, we do have hope of change and times will get better.
And that will be the best possible legacy to come from the death of George Floyd.
Full statement of Fort Myers Police Chief Derrick Diggs:
Citizens of the City of Fort Myers:
As your Police Chief, I would like to take a moment to address with all of you the recent tragic events involving the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When I assumed my leadership role with the Fort Myers Police Department four years ago, my primary goal was to build bridges between our police officers and the community we serve by increasing our positive engagement within our city.
I believe this department is well on its way to building those bridges and we remain dedicated to these endeavors.
In my effort to build the community’s trust, I ensure the Fort Myers Police Department continuously provides ongoing training to ensure our officers are current with the ever-changing case law, technology, applied tactical procedures, and attitude regarding fair and impartial policing.
As an agency, we are constantly evolving, learning, and growing. Alongside our community, we have been able to achieve a remarkable decrease in violent crime during the last four-year period.
As a 40-year law enforcement professional, I trust that justice will ultimately be served in Minneapolis against the officers involved in this tragic incident, as their actions or inactions are unacceptable and would not be tolerated in Fort Myers.
With that said, be assured that the Fort Myers Police Department is True to our Community, True to our Commitment, and True to our City.
A protest in favor of DACA in New York, Sept. 9, 2017. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Donald Trump addresses a rally at the Collier County Fairgrounds, Oct. 23, 2016. (Photo: Author)
The Seed to Table store in North Naples. (Photo: author)
Rep. Francis Rooney at May 31, 2017 town hall meeting in Bonita Springs. (Photo: Author) 
Pro-Trump boaters take to the waters along southern Collier County on May 23.
Joe Biden at the moment in his debate with Bernie Sanders when he uttered the words “no more drilling, including offshore.” (Image: 
Breakdown of the findings of the first open poll of the Republican primary race in Southwest Florida.
Protesters at the Robert E. Lee statue–minus the bust–in Fort Myers yesterday, June 1. (Image: 
Protesters yesterday, May 31, in Fort Myers. (Image: 
The Paradise Progressive 