[leps-talk] Re: Dr. Benji Brumberg to be nominated for environmental award

[Charles Bordelon]

My apologies to Anne.  I was having fun with Lana's letter.  This was not
directed to Anne...  Given FL politics these days, I found it amusing.  I
couldn't resist.  cb
----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Bordelon" <legitintellexit at earthlink.net>
To: "Anne Kilmer" <viceroy at gate.net>; "Lana Edwards" <atala at prodigy.net>;
"TILS Leps-Talk" <TILS-leps-talk at yahoogroups.com>; "LEPS-L"
<LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu>; "nature potpourri"
<naturepotpourri at yahoogroups.com>; "MBBRP" <MBBRP at yahoogroups.com>; "NABA"
<naba at naba.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 12:21 AM
Subject: Re: [leps-talk] Re: Dr. Benji Brumberg to be nominated for
environmental award


> "a thousand points of light, stay the course, a thousand points of
light..."
> Is it true that religion is in your heart and God is in the Bushes?  Why
not
> celebrate the Florida effort in San Francisco?  Perfect, since all these
> Florida folks are getting booted out on their arses...  At least they'll
be
> out of their jurisdiction.  They could have a little blue parade
downtown...
> Perfect...  (nothin' on you, Benji... This letter was asking for it)...
cb
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Anne Kilmer" <viceroy at gate.net>
> To: "Lana Edwards" <atala at prodigy.net>; "TILS Leps-Talk"
> <TILS-leps-talk at yahoogroups.com>; "LEPS-L" <LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu>;
"nature
> potpourri" <naturepotpourri at yahoogroups.com>; "MBBRP"
> <MBBRP at yahoogroups.com>; "NABA" <naba at naba.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2003 11:26 PM
> Subject: [leps-talk] Re: Dr. Benji Brumberg to be nominated for
> environmental award
>
>
> > Please join in this effort to support our friend Benji, who brought his
> > scientific knowledge and good common sense to the world of butterflies.
> > As a result of his efforts, Florida butterfliers can work together
> > without conflict to support the  project, led by Tom Emmel and Jaret
> > Daniels of the University of Florida, to restore rare and threatened
> > butterflies to their historical territories in Florida.
> > Anne Kilmer
> > South Florida and Ireland
> >
> > Killateeaun, Tourmakeady
> > Claremorris, Co. Mayo,
> > Ireland
> >
> > Lana Edwards wrote:
> > > Hello Everyone:
> > >
> > > Dr. Benji Brumberg is being nominated for the Sierra Club Wayburn
> > > Award. If you, or someone you know, would like to write a letter of
> > > support it has to be e-mailed to Ed Dobson by the end of this week.
> > > Complete information follows.  Lana Edwards, NABA-Atala Chapter
> > >
> > >
> > > To: Concerned Citizens For Dr. Benji Brumberg:
> > >
> > > The Sierra Club Honors and Awards Program recognizes people both
within
> > > the Club and outside the Club who have made outstanding contributions
to
> > > protecting the environment. Awards are given in a variety of areas,
> > > including conservation, outings, administration, photojournalism, and
> > > newsletter publishing.
> > >
> > > The deadline for nominations each year is June 1. Awards are announced
> > > at the Club's annual meeting in San Francisco in September. This year’
s
> > > awards will be presented at an event to be held Saturday,
> > > September 20, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 480 Sutter Street in San
> > > Francisco.
> > >
> > > Dr. Brumberg, former Ombudsman for the Florida DEP, will be nominated
> > > for the Edgar Wayburn Award, which honors outstanding service to the
> > > environmental cause by a person in government, either executive or
> > > legislative.
> > >
> > > This year’s awards will be presented at an event to be held Saturday,
> > > September 20, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 480 Sutter Street in San
> > > Francisco.
> > >
> > > Letters of support are crucial to this effort. If so inclined, please
> > > take the time to author a letter supporting Benji Brumberg for the
> > > Sierra Club Edgar Wayburn Award.
> > >
> > >     The letter should clearly explain why you feel Dr. Brumberg is
> > > worthy of this award and should list his accomplishments, his
> > > effectiveness as a public servant and his value as an environmental
> > > steward within the Florida government, as you know him. Be concise,
> > > specific and truthful. Remember, this award is given to a public
servant
> > > who has stood up for the environment, something Benji did each day of
> > > his service; it eventually led to his downfall in an administration
that
> > > could not stand his honesty and environmental commitment.
> > >
> > > Be sure to describe yourself and your job/position/environmental
> connection.
> > >
> > > Please address the letter to Ed Dobson, Director, Sierra Club and
e-mail
> > > it to Ed at e.dobson at juno.com
> > > <http://us.f802.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=e.dobson@juno.com> as
soon
> > > as possible. Ed is required to have the complete nomination in by June
> > > 1, so he will need the letters right away, by the end of this week, if
> > > at all possible. If you have any questions, you can contact me at
> > > 727-510-5474 or email me at pgallag2 at tampabay.rr.com
> > > <http://us.f802.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=pgallag2@tampabay.rr.com>
> > > or e-mail Ed directly at the above address.
> > >
> > > State Ombudsman is Fired
> > > In Jeb Bush's 'One Florida,' apparently only one opinion is allowed
> > >
> > > BY PETER B. GALLAGHER
> > >
> > > He saved the Miami Blue butterfly. He saved the world's largest
> > > aboriginal canoe site at Newnan's Lake. He saved the Florida Folk
> > > Festival and a whole bunch of dolphins and manatees. He saved
taxpayers
> > > hundreds of thousands of dollars by mediating enviro-lawsuits. His
> > > "alternate dispute resolution" idea changed forever the way Florida
> > > government enters the legal arena.
> > >
> > > Dr. Benji Brumberg, Ombudsman for the Florida Department of
> > > Environmental Protection (DEP), spent three-and-a-half exemplary years
> > > looking over bureaucratic shoulders as the public's chief watchdog
over
> > > the stewards of the environment. He openly admitted, "I try to pull
> > > everything toward the green side, if I can."
> > >
> > > Suddenly, without warning, at about the same hour National Public
Radio
> > > was extolling his virtues across the country, Jeb Bush's "green man"
got
> > > fired.
> > >
> > > The tree fell very quietly. It was two weeks ago, out of the blue.
More
> > > quickly than the gubernatorial appointee could clean out his desk, all
> > > mention of Brumberg's name and accomplishments -- including the public
> > > "Bible" he had produced, listing ombudsmen and citizen service
officers
> > > throughout state government -- were summarily excised from the state
> > > website.
> > >
> > > And no one from the Governor on down can give a satisfactory reason
why.
> > > Brumberg left Tallahassee immediately after the firing and cannot be
> > > reached. Neither Bush nor DEP Secretary David Struhs would provide a
> > > comment to the Weekly Planet.
> > >
> > > The official word, from stern-voiced Deena Wells in the DEP press
> > > office: "The ombudsman's office was reorganized and his position was
> > > eliminated."
> > >
> > > According to Wells, Brumberg's duties have been divvied up among six
> > > regional external affairs/citizen's service managers. "It's nice to
know
> > > it takes six people to take his place," said a disturbed Rep. Richard
> > > Machek (R-Delray Beach). Machek expressed shock at the news of
> > > Brumberg's dismissal; the two were partners in an ongoing fight to
save
> > > the Okeechobee Battlefield.
> > >
> > > "This man was an excellent state worker. He did his very best in every
> > > issue he was associated with. I will continue to seek his expertise
and
> > > counsel. I'll do everything I can to help this man back on his feet. I
> > > am going to look into this."
> > >
> > >  From New Mexico, Sierra Club national board member Ed Dobson
expressed
> > > dismay at Brumberg's departure: "Benji Brumberg was one of the best
> > > things about Jeb Bush. He seemed to be independent; he could walk
> > > through any door without going through bureaucratic channels. He
seemed
> > > free to operate to solve problems. I think he was probably the only
real
> > > environmentalist Bush had.
> > >
> > > "Somebody didn't want his or her shoulder being looked over. When an
> > > ombudsman gets fired, without apparent cause, something is wrong."
> > >
> > > Brumberg's personnel file, obtained by the Weekly Planet, adds to the
> > > mystery. The file contains not a single letter of complaint, rather,
> > > page after page of high evaluations and positive remarks.
> > >
> > > In a "Special Recognition/ Accomplishment" memo from Struhs last June,
> > > the Secretary wrote: "There is no way to determine the worth of Benji
> > > Brumberg in monetary terms. During his 18 months with the Department
he
> > > has settled disputes that have dragged on for more than a decade. His
> > > skill as a mediator has probably saved the state hundreds of thousands
> > > of dollars in legal fees and, were it quantifiable, generated an equal
> > > amount of good will with the public. He is a remarkable individual and
> > > the go-to guy to solve the tough problems."
> > >
> > > Brumberg's skill in resolving long-standing legal disputes, outlined
in
> > > a memo he sent to Bush, led to the Governor's Executive Order 0287,
> > > requiring legal disputes to go to alternative dispute resolution first
> > > before plunging headfirst into the costly courtroom.
> > >
> > > A former DEP attorney ties the whole thing to Bush: "The firing of the
> > > DEP ombudsman sends a chilling signal to DEP employees that dissent
will
> > > not be tolerated, even if it is in the interest of the health and
safety
> > > of Floridians," said Jerry Phillips, now with Public Employees for
> > > Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
> > >
> > > PEER monitors state environmental agencies, while encouraging and
> > > protecting whistleblowers. PEER closed its Florida office not long
after
> > > Brumberg was hired in the fall of 1999.
> > >
> > > "It sounds like Governor Bush has shifted his focus from 'One Florida'
> > > to 'One Opinion,'" Phillips said. "Weighing differing opinions is
> > > absolutely crucial to making sound policy. While firing dissenters may
> > > serve to bolster the Governor's efforts to assist corporate polluters,
> > > such actions are bad for policy and bad for morale."
> > >
> > > Phillips said PEER will reopen its Florida office in May. "This move
> > > certainly underscores the need for an organization like PEER to get
> > > re-established in Florida. The message being sent is clear: Do not try
> > > to interfere with the intentions of this administration to assist its
> > > corporate buddies unless you, the state employee, are willing to lose
> > > your job."
> > >
> > > Brumberg ruffled feathers in other governmental arenas when he found
> > > poor performance. At the State Department in particular, he had few
> > > friends. He went up against former Secretary of State Katherine Harris
> > > in the controversial transfer of the Florida Folk Festival from State
> > > (which no longer wanted it) to DEP. In the Newnan's Lake case, where
> > > State Department officials signed off on permits that allowed
bulldozers
> > > in an archaeological site, he brought in the Seminole Indians and had
> > > Bush issue a moratorium banning the activity.
> > >
> > > "I sure hope he didn't get fired because they thought he was hanging
out
> > > with me," said deposed Seminole Chief Jim Billie. "He preserved our
> > > history on that lake. But we haven't really seen him since."
> > >
> > > At the time of his dismissal, Brumberg was putting his final marks on
> > > the Miami Blue butterfly case. When the federal government failed to
> > > take action to save the last colony of the world's most endangered
> > > butterfly at Bahia Honda State Park, Brumberg brought angry
> > > lawsuit-toting citizens together with state and federal officials and
> > > engineered a first-ever emergency state endangered species listing.
> > >
> > > Bob Ballard, a DEP Deputy Secretary, gave Brumberg sole credit for
> > > saving the Miami Blue at a recent public gathering. It was a shining
> > > moment for the much-beleaguered DEP. In fact, his staff was gathered
> > > around a radio listening to an NPR report on Brumberg and the Miami
Blue
> > > when the axe came down.
> > >
> > > "There is not another single person in all of Florida state government
> > > who can say they saved an endangered species. Benji Brumberg can say
> > > that. He was an example of state government at its best. I am outraged
> > > that he is gone," said Dennis Olle, a south Florida attorney who
worked
> > > on the case for the North American Butterfly Association. "No good
deed
> > > goes unpunished up there, I guess.
> > >
> > > "Brumberg was not a flaming environmentalist. He is conservative,
> > > business-like. He went out of his way to make all the bureaucrats look
> > > good. ... Now the same crew is doing its best to screw up the
Everglades
> > > restoration. And they put out their only shining light!"
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Happiness is like a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just
> > > beyond your grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly may alight upon
> you..
> > > Nathaniel Hawthorne
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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