Tea Party Vs. Florida Manatees

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/tea-party-members-tackle-a-new-issue-manatees/1180112

Everybody knows what the tea party members oppose. High taxes. Big government. Obama's health care plan. High-speed rail. Now, for at least some local tea party members, there's one more to add: manatee protection.
A Citrus County tea party group has announced that it's fighting new restrictions on boating and other human activities in Kings Bay that have been proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"We cannot elevate nature above people," explained Edna Mattos, 63, leader of the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots, in an interview. "That's against the Bible and the Bill of Rights."

...

When the first sanctuary rules were put in place in 1980, there were about 100 manatees there. Now federal officials estimate that more than 550 manatees use the bay year-round, and in the winter more than 100,000 people show up in Crystal River to see them.
But of the 16 boat-related deaths that have occurred in Kings Bay, 13 happened in the past decade, and half of those were in the summer.
"I don't know of a more dangerous place for manatees in the summer," said Pat Rose of the Save the Manatee Club.

New rules proposed by the wildlife agency last month would end the controversial summer water sport zone, which allowed fast-moving boats to zoom through Kings Bay.
If approved, all of Kings Bay would become a refuge, and a set of temporary rules posted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this winter would become permanent. The rules enabled the federal agency to establish closed areas or other rules anywhere in the bay, as situations arise.

...

Current regulations have helped boost the manatee population from 100 to 500, so clearly they're sufficient, Mattos said. In fact, in her view, the manatee rules tie in to global development issues. "We believe that (federal regulators') aim is to control the fish and wildlife, in addition to the use of the land that surrounds this area, and the people that live here and visit. … As most of us know, this all ties in to the United Nations' Agenda 21 and Sustainability."

Agenda 21 is a program, adopted by the U.N. in 1992, to encourage countries around the world to promote only development that does not harm nature. Pundit Glenn Beck and other conservatives have attacked it as an attempt to impose world government's rules on every aspect of American lives. The Citrus County tea party group's website says Agenda 21 is "designed to make humans into livestock."

Mattos said she enjoys showing off the manatees to her grandchildren, but she had little use for the Save the Manatee Club, explaining, "If some of these environmental movements had been around in the days of the dinosaurs, we'd be living in Jurassic Park now."

[Holmes]

Why do you hate folksy God-fearing American citizens?

[King]

The good news in this article and about the Tea Party in general is that it's led by 63-year-olds named Edna.

[patrick1]

I just love groups that are too thick that they don't even get the not very subtle symbolism behind their conspiracy theories....

From Twitter
Anti_Socialism (:Edna Mattos
Stand Up For Israel Rally - August 24th at the Old Courthouse in Inverness 4PM http://citruscountycitizens.ning.com

Photo #8 on their website
http://citruscountycitizens.ning.com/

[Lief 🗽]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/tea-party-members-tackle-a-new-issue-manatees/1180112

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[Keystone Phil]

The President will obviously be re-elected by successfully making the pressing issue of manatee protection a priority.

Also, D +435

[Marokai Backbeat]

Creepy.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Oh grow up... obviously the Tea Party is extreme, but come on... the Tea Party doesn't want to kill the elderly, the needy, or manatees.

[Boris]

The Tea Party is doing a great public service by taking down the creators of Family Guy.

[exopolitician]

This is why I dont have faith in Americans anymore.

[DrScholl]

Why don't they just go away? They keep making up something new to have a problem with.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The Tea Party is doing a great public service by taking down the creators of Family Guy.

This was actually my first thought, too, and I love manatees.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Excessive Hyperbole!

[minionofmidas]

The good news in this article and about the Tea Party in general is that it's led by 63-year-olds named Edna.

I dunno, seems 40 years too young to me.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I guess you missed Lief's thread on this subject.......

[Landslide Lyndon]

I guess you missed Lief's thread on this subject.......

Take a look at the time stamp Grumps.

[GMantis]

The President will obviously be re-elected by successfully making the pressing issue of manatee protection a priority.

Also, D +435

Yes, keep ignoring the fanaticism and idiocy of many tea partiers. That's the way to victory.

[Keystone Phil]

The President will obviously be re-elected by successfully making the pressing issue of manatee protection a priority.

Also, D +435

Yes, keep ignoring the fanaticism and idiocy of many tea partiers. That's the way to victory.

Yes, "many" in your opinion. I must be ignoring the target that the Tea Party hordes put on manatees. It must be a pressing issue to the lunatics.

As for your take on a path to victory, it looks like someone slept through 2010 or maybe news just hasn't reached certain parts of the world...

[bgwah]

I must be ignoring the target that the Tea Party hordes put on manatees.

Presumably it's one of the targets in Florida.

[King]

The good news in this article and about the Tea Party in general is that it's led by 63-year-olds named Edna.

I dunno, seems 40 years too young to me.

Well, if we let them repeal big gubment Medicare, 63 will be the new 103.

[memphis]

This is why I totally don't get these people. Instead of pointing out that tourism is critical to Florida jobs, and restricting boating is a drain on such tourism, or some other half-way thought through argument, they pull some Archie Bunker crap about the dinosaurs and the Bible. I so don't get rurals

[opebo]

Oh grow up... obviously the Tea Party is extreme, but come on... the Tea Party doesn't want to kill the elderly, the needy, or manatees.

Actually they do - the policies they impose kill the elderly, the needy, and manatees.  I suppose we could debate whether they are aware these policies are murderous, but it seems pretty clear from the gleam in their fat little eyes they know very well what they're doing.

[Holmes]

This is why I totally don't get these people. Instead of pointing out that tourism is critical to Florida jobs, and restricting boating is a drain on such tourism, or some other half-way thought through argument, they pull some Archie Bunker crap about the dinosaurs and the Bible. I so don't get rurals

Damn, I was gonna reply to this by mostly agreeing, then you killed the validity of your post by bashing rural people.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This is why I totally don't get these people. Instead of pointing out that tourism is critical to Florida jobs, and restricting boating is a drain on such tourism, or some other half-way thought through argument, they pull some Archie Bunker crap about the dinosaurs and the Bible. I so don't get rurals

Citrus County rural? It has a population of over 140k at the last Census.

But the Tea Party are opposed to God's creation, not a surprise. Just backs up my point about them being false Christians.

[memphis]

This is why I totally don't get these people. Instead of pointing out that tourism is critical to Florida jobs, and restricting boating is a drain on such tourism, or some other half-way thought through argument, they pull some Archie Bunker crap about the dinosaurs and the Bible. I so don't get rurals

Citrus County rural? It has a population of over 140k at the last Census.

But the Tea Party are opposed to God's creation, not a surprise. Just backs up my point about them being false Christians.

To be fair, I've never visited Citrus, but Southern exurban areas are more or less overgrown rural enclaves. It's the same mentality. Women wear too much makeup and dye their hair bright yellow. Men like deer hunting and drive big trucks that overcompensate for their insecurities. And everybody worships the Bible but doesn't have a clue what it says other than hating on abortions and gays.