Florida State Wide
Dear Neighbor,
The last two weeks have been trying in North Central Florida—first with the expected hurricane and then with the aftermath. After visiting all of our communities and hearing from emergency management officials, small business owners, residents, and leaders, one thing is clear: our district is strong and resilient.
In Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach, homes and businesses were washed away in just a couple of hours. Further inland, extreme wind and water damage ripped buildings from their foundations and flooded homes. Our agricultural producers—some of the hardest-hit after Idalia—saw fields flooded, crops demolished, and equipment damaged. Despite all of these challenges, we’re so proud of how our neighbors worked to support each other. We have a long way to go, but we are stronger when we work together. Continue reading
ear Neighbor,
Tomorrow, members of Team Kat will be in Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach to assist residents with disaster claims following Hurricane Idalia.
In Cedar Key, visit us at 450 2nd Street from 9am-3pm. In Horseshoe Beach, visit us at the Horseshoe Beach Fire Department at 83 5th Avenue E from 9am-3pm.
We’ll be there in-person to assist residents with filing federal claims with FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the USDA, and others. If you need help filing a claim or sorting through paperwork, we’re standing by to help. Please continue reading for information about documents needed to expedite the process. Continue reading
FARMS is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). In conjunction with water conservation BMPs, water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas.
The program is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and promote resource sustainability.
Examples of commonly used BMPs include:
- Weather stations and soil moisture sensors with telemetry
- Riser culverts and water-controlled structures
- Surface water or tailwater irrigation pumps and filters
- Remote irrigation zone controls and soil moisture and climate sensor telemetry
- Fertigation systems
- Cold protection measures
FARMS is a public/private partnership developed by the District and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Program Goals
The FARMS Program focuses on Upper Floridan aquifer withdrawal savings throughout the District as well as water quality and natural systems improvements in targeted Water Use Caution Areas and priority watersheds.
- Improve water quality within the Shell, Prairie and Joshua Creek (SPJC) Watersheds
As of July 2023, the 87 Board-approved projects located within the SPJC watershed are projected to offset approximately 11.9 million gallons per day (mgd) of groundwater through BMP implementation. An additional water resource benefit is reductions in the potential for groundwater mineralization of surface waters while improving water quality in the City of Punta Gorda’s drinking water reservoir. Prairie Creek has been removed from the list of impaired waterbodies by the Department of Environmental Protection, indicating the success of the program. - Improve natural systems in the Upper Myakka River Watershed (UMRW)
As of July 2023, nine projects have been approved and are operational offsetting 2.8 mgd through conservation and the reuse of tailwater. These projects are reducing the contribution of groundwater to this volume-sensitive basin. - Reduce groundwater use by 40 mgd within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA)
As of July 2023, 195 projects have been approved with 174 operational projects having offset 22.4 mgd. These projects are reducing the amount of groundwater pumped from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. - Reduce groundwater use within the Most Impacted Area (MIA)
The MIA is an area specifically affected by groundwater withdrawals within the SWUCA. It’s about 700 square miles and located along the southern Hillsborough, Manatee and northwestern Sarasota counties. As of July 2023, 18 projects have been approved with 18 operational projects having offset 3.4 mgd. - Reduce groundwater use within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) region
Although not fully incorporated within the SWUCA, the CFWI has been identified as a priority area in which the implementation of agricultural BMPs to reduce Upper Floridan groundwater use will help to ensure future water needs are met. As of July 2023, 27 projects have been approved with 24 operational projects having offset 1.5 mgd. - Reduce cold protection groundwater use within the Dover/Plant City Water Use Caution Area (DPCWUCA)
The DPCWUCA was established in 2011 as a result of an extended freeze event in 2010 that resulted in numerous dry well complaints and sinkholes due to agricultural-related groundwater pumping for cold protection. As of March 2023, 24 projects have been approved with 21 operational projects having offset 72.4 million gallons per freeze event. - Implement agricultural BMPs to reduce groundwater use and reduce nutrient loading
As of July 2023, 15 operational projects having offset 0.7 mgd and reducing nutrient loading by approximately 5,182 pounds per year.
The approved projects support the District’s Regional Water Supply Plan, SWUCA Recovery Strategy, Strategic Plan and the Springs Management Plans.
Program Funding Qualifications
To qualify for funding, projects must be located in the District and include one or more of the following BMP strategies:
- Utilize an alternative water supply or technology to reduce groundwater use.
- Improve irrigation water quality and watershed ecology by reducing reliance on poorer quality groundwater.
Project Guidelines
- Growers manage their projects and are reimbursed for approved expenses.
- Reimbursement can amount to as much as 75 percent of total project costs with water quality and groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs; and as much as 50 percent with water quality or groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs.
- District and grower(s) enter into a signed and executed contractual agreement for the FARMS project with a contract duration generally 5–10 years.
- Growers are responsible for obtaining all project-related permits and must have District authorization prior to incurring approved reimbursable expenses.
- Permitted water use allocations are not reduced. Southwest Florida Water Management
Find out more at https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/
This week, Floridians endured the wrath of Hurricane Idalia. The storm made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning in the Big Bend region.
The wreckage left by Idalia is truly devastating, leaving many communities in ruins that will take months to recover fully. But Floridians are resilient; and while visiting Dixie, Levy and Taylor counties, I heard many inspiring stories of Floridians coming together and rebuilding immediately after the storm.
Unfortunately, we still need to remain alert, as scammers may try to exploit this tragedy to rip off Floridians through contractor fraud, debris removal scams, price gouging or even looting. I have already been in touch with local law enforcement and state attorneys in the hardest hit areas of our state. We will not allow criminals to exploit this crisis to target Floridians trying to rebuild their lives. Continue reading
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Dear Neighbor,
Hurricane Idalia devastated parts of our district, largely in Levy, Dixie, Lafayette, Hamilton, and Suwannee Counties. Recovery efforts are underway to restore power and other utilities to the hardest-hit areas, and we are in constant contact with local leaders, law enforcement, and utilities companies to keep folks updated on these restoration efforts. This morning I visited Cedar Key with Senator Rick Scott to see the damage and hear from homeowners, business owners, law enforcement, and city leaders about what they need most right now. The entire Florida delegation is working together to make sure all federal resources are available for our communities, including resources from FEMA, the Small Business Administration, the USDA, and more. For those whose homes or business were damaged, please see below or here for information about the necessary steps to file insurance and disaster claims. Our office stands by to help process those claims with the appropriate federal agencies. In the coming days, we’ll share more information on mobile office hours for our staff, along with representatives from the other federal agencies. We anticipate being available in-person at several sites throughout our communities to answer questions and accept claims throughout September. As the recovery process continues, stay updated on our website, and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagra As always, we are with you and will weather this recovery together. If our team can be of assistance, please give us a call or reach out to us at KCammack.Hurricane@mail.house. |
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For Freedom,
Congresswoman Kat Cammack Proudly Representing Florida’s Third Congressional District |
Although the Flat Tax and the FAIRtax share some important similarities they also have many important differences. They are both flat rate taxes that are neutral with respect to savings and investments. However, the flat tax retains the invasive income tax administration apparatus (known as the IRS ) and can easily revert to a graduated, convoluted mess as it has many times in the past. Few people truly understand the flat tax. It’s authors will tell you it is a consumption tax that uses the income tax system for implementation.
Any politician that claims the flat tax will eliminate the IRS is not telling the truth. Only a government bureaucrat could come up with the idea of a consumption tax being regulated by the IRS when you can simply have a retail sales tax (the FAIRtax) that reduces the bureaucracy by 90% or more. In addition, a large part of the tax burden of the flat tax (the business tax) remains hidden in the price of goods and services. The FAIRtax eliminates that hidden cost. Individuals would still need to file income tax returns under the flat tax and, while the form may be simplified, it still requires burdensome record keeping. Under the FAIRtax, individuals never file a tax return. When you pay at the cash register, your tax obligation is over. Under the flat tax, the payroll taxes, which are the most regressive of taxes on the working family, would be retained. Continue reading
Dear Friends,
As we prepare for the next legislative session, allow us to take the time to remind you to stay prepared during hurricane season. Stretching from June 1st to November 30th, we still have three long months until we’re in the clear. During last session, the Florida Legislature passed two separate two-week Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holidays to help Florida citizens prepare for the coming stormy weather. The first sales tax holiday was between May 27th and June 9th. Don’t worry, if you forgot to take advantage of the first Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, there is another one from August 26th to September 8th. Hurricane season is well underway but there’s still time to stock up on all the supplies you’ll need! Continue reading
~ Scholarships provide high-quality options for thousands of Florida students ~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that nearly 430,000 applications have been received from students for a scholarship under the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship. Out of the historic number of applications, over 407,000 students have already been awarded a scholarship with more applications moving through the approval process. This year, Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 1 which expanded school choice for Florida students and families, allowing more families to choose the educational setting that best fits their child’s needs. Today’s participation numbers represent a monumental increase over last year’s enrollment of nearly 250,000 students in the scholarship programs.
“With our historic move to universal school choice, families in record numbers are choosing the best educational options for their children,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I am proud of the work we have done so far, but we’re far from done—we will continue to empower parents and expand opportunities so that our students receive the best possible education.” Continue reading
This week, we issued a Consumer Alert warning Floridians who wish to give funds to those affected by the Maui wildfires of the potential for charity scams. The devastation caused by this disaster in Hawaii is heartbreaking—claiming more than 100 deaths and burning thousands of acres across the island of Maui. The residents in the affected areas have endured tragic losses and many Floridians may wish to donate to aid organizations.
However, scammers may try to exploit the tragedy to take advantage of generous donors.
Anyone wishing to donate to victims of the wildfires, or charities providing aid, should be on guard against scammers looking to exploit the disaster for personal gain.
Tips to avoid charity scams in the wake of a disaster include: Continue reading
Costa Rica went its own way: without an army, but with investments in education and health, a sustainable economy and an open society, Costa Rica became a model state in Latin America.
Costa Rica is one of the most prosperous, peaceful and sustainable countries in Latin America. Although the Central American country is located in one of the most insecure and unstable regions of the world, the small country has managed to protect its peace and democracy. At the same time, the Ticos (the common name for people from Costa Rica) have made it prosperous. The country has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. All this despite the fact that before independence, Costa Rica was one of the most insignificant and underdeveloped parts of the Spanish colonial empire.
But how did the small Central American country manage to develop so much? And what can other countries learn from Costa Rica? Here are three of the most important points.
Schoolbooks instead of Firearms
Costa Rica won its independence without violence in 1821. However, the country was not spared conflicts thereafter. Repeated wars and civil wars broke out. For example, the American William Walker tried to conquer all of Central America and establish a slave state there under the influence of the USA. Under the leadership of Costa Rica, however, the states of Central America were able to defeat William Walker. Continue reading