Florida Whistleblower Leaks Proposal To Pave Over Natural Parks
Do you agree with Gaddis' actions?
What's the story?
- Florida whistleblower James Gaddis was fired from the state's Department of Environmental Protection for exposing Gov. Ron DeSantis' secretive plan to replace preserved land with hotels, golf courses, and pickleball courts.
- Democrats and Republicans are united in an enraged response to the leaked proposals. DeSantis responded to the backlash by saying the plans were "half-baked" and were "going back to the drawing board."
- Gaddis reported that the proposal included 350-room hotels and thousands of acres paved for recreational activities over nine state parks. The whistleblower's documents show the proposal was drawn up in two weeks.
What they're saying
- Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, said that the preservation of the state parks was more important to him than his job at the department. He said his actions weren't political, but motivated by the vast environmental destruction that would take place if the plans were to be completed. He told the Tampa Bay Times:
"It was the absolute flagrant disregard for the critical, globally imperiled habitat in these parks. This was going to be a complete bulldozing of all of that habitat. The secrecy was totally confusing and very frustrating. No state agency should be behaving like this."
- Democratic Florida Reps. Anna Eskamani and Angie Nixon wrote in a letter to Shawn Hamilton, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection:
"Firing a cartographer who had clear concerns about the process of this plan and the lack of transparency around it is 100% retaliatory. We want to not only hold the department accountable, but our motivation is to learn more about how this happened in such a secretive way…Our intention is to prevent this from ever happening again, and that requires a better understanding of how it happened in the first place."
- Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters that the plans were not seen or approved by him, adding that "[I]t was intentionally leaked to a leftwing group to try and create a narrative." Onlookers have called this "a totally self-inflicted political wound."
- Gaddis said he would take "sole responsibility" for the leaked proposal.
Do you agree with Gaddis' actions?
By Jamie Epstein
(Photo Credit: Flickr/CityofStPete)
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Whistleblowers should always be protected and their testimonies be taken seriously and investigated.
I find this ironic because golf courses are suffering in this country, unless Florida is still good for that business?
But again, the GOP shows us they're anti-environment and anti-children. What a surprise.
We need to be a nation that celebrates and honors those who do right for our country and start condemning those who want to hurt our country. This is a clear example of doing the opposite. (Again!)
The good news is that Gaddis's leaked story united democrats and republicans that forced DeSantis into backing away from his initial plan.
Two state representatives are investigating the no-bid contracts to pre-chosen developers that don't meet requirements of Florida State law who want answers to why this was done with no transparency, any legislation that exists to support the actions, and why Gaddis was fired without cause to prevent it from ever reoccurring.
" James Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, was terminated for “conduct unbecoming a public employee,” according to a letter he received on Saturday."
"His leaking of the proposals sparked a furious backlash that united Republicans with Democrats and environmental advocates, and forced DeSantis into a humiliating climbdown last week in which he admitted the plans were “half-baked” and were “going back to the drawing board.”"
" two Democratic state representatives pressed the agency about who was involved in drawing up plans that appeared to include no-bid contracts destined for mysteriously pre-chosen developers outside the requirements of Florida law."
"Firing a cartographer who had clear concerns about the process of this plan and the lack of transparency around it is 100 percent retaliatory,” said Anna Eskamani, who wrote a joint letter to Shawn Hamilton, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with fellow state congresswoman Angie Nixon."
“We want to not only hold the department accountable,” she said, “but our motivation is to learn more about how this happened in such a secretive way. Were they using a specific legislative process? Were there conversations that were meant to be public that weren’t?”
“Our intention is to prevent this from ever happening again, and that requires a better understanding of how it happened in the first place.”
" The DEP did not immediately return a request for comment from the Guardian. In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, a DEP spokesperson, Alex Kuchta, said the agency “would not comment on personnel matters.”
"Kuchta was previously one of several DeSantis administration officials publicly defending or promoting the plans before the governor attempted on Wednesday to distance himself from them."
"DEP planned to hold short-notice, hour-long meetings at the nine parks simultaneously to announce the plans and minimize public comment."
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2024/09/florida-parks-ron-desantis-great-outdoors-initiative-whistleblower-fired/
Gadis did the right thing pointing this out. Now he is being punished!
Protect all city, state and national parks from money making profiteering
Apparently, the joke that I tell that the government hates green grass and trees because they provide life for us little people, plus it doesn't generate enough tax money, is true.
What does it say about our system, our society, that the person exposing a crime is the one who faces retaliation?
thats like telling the police which way a bank robber ran, and they arrest you.
Give DeSantis a little break. He thought State Parks referred to "A place to park" and was just hurrying the process along.
And remember, pickleball courts don't kill wetlands, it's politicians lining their pickleball shorts with corporate cash that kills wetlands.
Florida has lost too much land to development already. DeSantis seems to have a desire for controversy. Secret plans for questionable development of protected lands smell of someone trying to recover the money they wasted at some point. Mr Desantis should in my opinion pay more attention to the sinking condo"s and storm-ravaged citizens than trying to destroy more of the state.
Godless Ron is a monster and natural spaces are so much more important than playgrounds for the wealthy.
Everything is crooked in Florida!!
Causes tells me, then asks; "Florida whistleblower James Gaddis was fired from the state's [Florida's] Department of Environmental Protection for exposing Gov. Ron DeSantis' secretive plan to replace preserved land with hotels, golf courses, and pickleball courts. ..." Do you agree with Gaddis' actions?"
ME: ABSOLUTELY! Give James Gaddis a huge gold star. He is spot-on. The last thing Florida (or any state for that matter) needs is more environmental destruction (a key reason climate change has already and will continue to significantly impact Florida especially along its coastal areas) and "350-room hotels and thousands of [heat-trapping] acres paved for recreational activities over nine state parks" is exactly that.
whistleblowers shouldnt be fired , nor punished. Obviously we cannot trust our politicians to act in our best interests, nor to protect us! We have Alito and Thomas STILL serving on the Supreme Court! What has Congress done? NOTHING!
More school shootings, what has Congress done? NOTHING!
Whistleblowers ARE our only means of protection anymore
what happened to WhistleBlower protections? Did the overbearing DeSantis remove them? There needs to be a Federal investigation into the violation of his civil rights.
We have little enough green space as it is, and way too much concrete. If we ever expect to save the environment, we need to reverse the balance and stop paving over every square inch of land that we have.
That Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would consider paving over preserved natural lands and put in pickle ball courts, golf course, etc. should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone. That a whistleblower, Mr. Gaddis, would lose his job over the disclosure...also no surprise. But in this frought political landscape...pretty damn stupid. Good for the media for bringing this story to light. And yes, may the Dems in Florida score a touchdown with this political football.
DeSatan needs to go. Preferably before Florida sinks into the ocean due to climate change. I have family there...
Wholeheartedly agree! This Land is Our Land ring a bell for anyone?
Revealing the Truth about Governor DeSanuis' plans was his Duty to Floridians. The Public owns those lands! The Public must know if some slimy-bastard Governor plans to steal them and build on them for his own enrichment!
Whistleblowers should be protected!