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Senator Nelson visits Glades County
By Bill Fabian

MOORE HAVEN - Citizens of Glades and Hendry Counties were on hand to greet U.S. Senator Bill Nelson at the Glades County Commission Chambers at the Courthouse in Moore Haven. The fifth-year senator stopped by Moore Haven on Wednesday, July 6 on his tour of town hall meetings throughout Florida.

The U.S. Senator was on a 10-day recess for the Independence Day holiday, during which Senator Nelson scheduled several town hall meetings in Pinellas, Lee, Glades, Okeechobee, Highlands, Polk, and Hillsborough Counties.

Glades County Commissioner Russell Echols introduced the Senator, pointing out that the former astronaut has been very helpful with the development and maintenance of area INS facilities.

Senator Nelson began with an explanation that he had just undergone surgery for a hernia, which had caused great pain in his side.

"Please forgive me folks, if I seem to be leaning a little toward the right today," he joked, adding that the sutures were still painful, but were healing up just fine.

Among the latest domestic issues was a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to declare the right for local governments to seize personal property, including people's homes and businesses, for private economic development. Senator Nelson said he disagreed with the decision, which was a 5-4 ruling determined by the "swing vote" of outgoing Judge Sandra Day O'Connor.

"Judge O'Connor has always been on both sides of many issues. Sometimes I've agreed with her votes, other times not so much. I don't agree with the ruling that people's private property can be taken, against a person's will, for these purposes," Senator Nelson said. "The government can't use federal funds in an economic development project as stated in the ruling," he said. "I have filed legislation along with other senators to combat this decision," he added.

He later addressed the state of agriculture in Florida, beginning with a not-too-subtle promotion of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which passed on a 54-45 vote on June 30.

"There have been many similar instances in this country, such as with the citrus industry, which would have failed if not for an import tax that allowed for citrus growers in Florida to prosper," Senator Nelson said.

Senator Nelson joined other senators who were originally undecided about the issue, and eventually decided for the act, which was heavily opposed by the sugar industry.

"There are still lots of answers for the sugar industry, especially in the research of ethanol, which can be easily produced from sugar," he said, in reference to a future alternative to petroleum gasoline for automotive fuels.

However, the sugar cane farming industry in Florida still fears CAFTA will lower sugar prices for farmers across the nation, along with unrestricted Mexican sugar exports and increased U.S. imports of sugar. Unfazed, Senator Nelson believes CAFTA will benefit Florida as a whole. "CAFTA will help foreign countries, and it will help Florida business," he said.

"As for other agricultural areas, citrus is really struggling with canker, which has become a major problem," he said. "The cattle industry seems to be holding steady, despite a softening of beef prices," he said.

He also gave a synopsis of the issue of offshore drilling near the Florida coastline, which came before the Senate as a bill that he opposed along with Republican Florida Senator Mel Martinez.

"Senator Martinez and I have made this a non-partisan effort against drilling off Florida's coastlines," he said. "I don't want this to happen to our beaches, and it even led me to do my first filibuster," he said.

Senator Nelson thanked those in attendance for showing their interest in the area's federal representation, and expressed his gratitude for the privilege of public service.