This past Monday I was invited to attend The Forum Club of the Palm Beaches as their guest speakers were of interest, Senator and Appropriations Chair Jack Latvala and House Speaker Richard Corcoran. Discussion covered many varied and important topics, but today I have transcribed Senator Latvala’s reply to moderator, Michelle McGovern, who asked Latvala about Senate Bill 10. I find his reaction very interesting as he and Joe Negron have quite a history. The past year they were both competing for Senate President. In the end, Negron attained that seat, but Latvala got something almost equally as powerful, Senate Appropriations Chair.
Sometimes reading between the words is as important as the words themselves…
FORUM CLUB 2-27-17
Question, moderator, Michelle McGovern:
“Senator Latvala we have several questions as you can imagine about Senate President Negron’s priority to buy land south of the lake. Can you comment of the Senate’s plan and also how particularly how the Federal Government will come into play for their portion, and potentially land north of the lake?”
Answer Jack Latvala:
“Well I hope there is no one here, or no one involved in the process, who doesn’t agree that there is a problem that needs to be solved. Certainly if you lived on the water in Martin County, or if you made your living in off the water in Martin County as a fishing guide or marina owner or owned vacation cottages, I saw somebody here today who owned vacation cottages on the water, or the same over in Ft Meyers and Sanibel, if you had to go through, those discharges, what that did to those communities, you would be up in arms about it, and I think we’ve got to find a way of stopping it.
Now that said, that there’s obviously different ideas about how we can stop it. President Negron came up with a plan for two large reservoirs south of the lake, along with trying to support some of the other projects that are already underway. Others have come up with an idea that maybe the way to do it is to spend state money to raise the dike around the lake. The Feds have been pretty slow about coming up with the money to do that. If we raise the dike and repair the dike it eliminates the flood risks… Mayor Wilson from Belle Glade, I saw him here….and their, that’s one of the highest risk for flood of any dike in the country, was right up next with that dike that broke in California. We have a possibility of doing that; and then there are others who have suggested that maybe we should do some of the storage north of the lake.
I think the answer that lies in a combination of all of those and hopefully in the next several weeks we will be able to work together collectively with our partners in the House, with the governor’s office, to try to figure out a way to work where we can solve the problem not.. without putting people out of work put people out of work….unfortunately I think that’s one of the consequences of the reservoir south of the lake, so if we find a solution to the problem that doesn’t put a lot of people out of work then we’re all for it. I want to say though…our senate president is very committed to solving this problem. —He’s had a significant amount of personal sacrifice, professional sacrifice because of his efforts on this, and he has stood firm, and I am standing firm behind him to make sure it happens.”
2-27-17: Forum Club’s speaker: Florida Senator and Appropriations Chair Jack Latvala and House Speaker Richard Corcoran. Go to 45:20 for section of SB10.
Link to Forum Club on You Tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk-mhxIJy98&index=1&list=PL8NJkhLZOuT9dNYGxj_PrQRqeHM9HGjUN)
Their website: (http://forumclubpalmbeach.org)
