At the chance of sounding like “a sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal,” I would like to share my experience yesterday at the Martin County Fair.
Mind you, for me, the Martin County Fair is as apple pie as a once clean river. Growing up in Martin County the fair was THE event of the year. We waited all year for it to come to town!
It was the one place our parents would set us “free” to run around and visit our friends, go on the ferris wheel and the Zipper!—-Scrunched together in the gravity of middle school, this was about as much fun as could possibly be attained…..I have wonderful memories of the fair.
Most recently, I have gone to the Fair with my nieces, and last night by myself. My husband, Ed, wanted to piddle around at the airport just across the street….Well, yesterday when I walked through the fair’s gate there was a most prominently posted sign that read: “U.S. Sugar.”
This surprised me. This bothered me.
I knew they were a sponsor for the fair but I was taken aback that this was the first sign one would see upon walking into the fairgrounds from the entrance gate. Thousands of parents and children saw that sign right before they had a ton of fun…
Hmmmm?
I complained to Ed later. “Jacqui are you really surprised?” he asked….”The fair needs sponsorships. U.S. Sugar is marketing…”
Maybe my eyes are not totally opened, but I do find a U.S.Sugar banner prominently displayed at the Martin County Fair odd and ironic.
I find this ironic as at this very moment the gates of S-80 are at “maximum capacity” forcing the polluted waters of the Lake Okeechobee into the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. The lands of U.S. Sugar are blocking the flow south to the Everglades.
Often I hear that the fault lies north as those waters are coming from the Kissimmee basin not south of the lake. To me that is like stopping in traffic and blaming a car two miles up the road for the traffic jam.
Last year, U.S. Sugar did not support the purchase of option lands that could have eventually alleviated this problem. I don’t think it is morally right for them to advertise at our fair until they take leadership on this issue…but then…
—-“all is fair in love and war.”
And I will speak for love…
U.S. Sugar Corp:http://www.ussugar.com/#
M.C.Fair:http://www.martincountyfair.com
Perhaps we should recruit some counter-marketing (Eerglads Foundation?) to balance the message!
Agreed
Jacqui, I too find these blatant iconic images of US Sugar confrontational. However, I think that you and many others have more than helped to educate the people of Martin County. When those folks see the US Sugar image hopefully it will bring to mind all the damage they have done and how important it is to continue the struggle to buy the land, clean the water, and send it south. Perhaps we should start labeling all of our images and communications of the damage done with “brought to you by US Sugar”.
Great idea: do a reverse advertising campaign! Send it back in their faces. Those slick tv ads tell sugar’s story from the viewpoint of their employees: that is a psychological ploy to get us to empathize with Big Sugar because they provide jobs. Hogwash! BOYCOTT SUGAR NOW!
Hi Jacqui, Funny you should mention “All is fair in love and war”. We’re having a meeting today in Melbourne with numerous groups who are totally frustrated about the situation in the IRL. They are asking me for advice on what to do.
I’m going to suggest that they form the Brevard County Coaltion to Save the IRL and make “A Declaration of War on Pollution”. In addition, I think they should include a similar charge for any elected official or candidate for office who doesn’t support the fight against pollution. They need to wake up all those running for public office and get the public’s attention in the process. It’s simply time to be bold with a sense of urgency!
I wish we could get our plight on 60 minutes! I was disappointed the IRL was on page 6 yesterday in TCPalm.
Keep up the good work. Wayne
Sent from my iPad
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If you waunt to go see something worth seeing visit your Bass Pro stores salt water aquaium on the east side of I-95 at the Tradition Blvd. exit. (Port St Lucie) .Feeding time is tomarrow at 2 o’clock.
Jacqui, it is weird that U.S. Sugar is marketing so heavily as the discharges are occurring again. I think it’s more like damage control and a way to “sweeten” up to the public. I do hope the majority realize the real story. Thanks for your writing and service to our community!
U.S. Sugar has been running local tv spot ads for a few weeks; very slick marketing. They know they are in deep doo-doo with us. A boycott of sugar needs to happen now. Sugar is a killer and it is in almost everything we consume. Write letters and tell your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers to stop buying sugar.
That sign is insulting to me. I’m surprised whomever accepts sponsors would accept US Sugar. The Fair has run for years without them.