The State of Florida / Turnpike Authority is trying to take our Land and ruining our Natural Resources!
By Tom Loury
Why is the State hell bent on destroying the west marion County agricultural and pristine Rivers in the Dunnellon area I can’t figure. First it was the Barge Canal, they took property from people that lived on the water to build something that not been updated. I guess the idea was to have a water route to carry cargo from one side of the state cutting the long journey around the tip of Florida especially Coal. The Barge Canal is right next to the Crystal River power plant. The only problem was the Barge Canal when finished could not accommodate the large barge of today or when they finished it. They dredge for years polluting the waters in the gulf. It finally was stop but the water front property that was taken from the residence was not return to original owners. Oh there was some hocus pocus auction that no one knew about. Bottom line they did not get their waterfront property back? I don’t think it’s legal to force buy property for one reason and then use it for another purpose!
Then then comes the Turnpike Extension around 1999, give or take a few years/ They announced it and the residents went nut’s! They had three corridors all worse than the one before, crossing the rivers, running over springs on ranches and just taking people’s land. Mean while big money people had started buying up land in Inglis and Yankee Town secretly hearing it was going there. This was before it was announced.
The state of Florida behind the scenes made a deal with Georgia. If Georgia would make major improvement on Hwy 19 from the Ga state line running north, Florida would move large amounts of traffic that way from the TurnPike which run north into Georgia. Georgia did their part and Florida did not. Interesting at that time I was hunting in Georgia every year and after 65 I was able to hunt without a license accepted by the Florida Game Laws, until this happened. Georgia stop approving 65 and over free and they doubled the Hunting fees for non-residents. At the same time they stopped recognizing Florida residents the right to carry. Someone was mad and I don’t blame them. You don’t make promises you can’t keep.
Let’s go back to the Turnpike Authority. They were created to build and maintain the Turnpike, a road 300 mile strip of improved road straight up the center of the state. Their building has been finished for years and they have built so many exits you can’t count them all. Now that the project is finished they should be turned into a road maintenance Company. OH NO we have to create more road to keep our job and importance. I got the cure disband the Turnpike Authority give all their employees a job with the Florida Department of Transportation.
At a meeting ten years ago one of the high up Authorities said and I quote, “they did such a beautiful job they would extend it.” You know how I know because at a meeting in front of 100’s of people I said and I quote, “yes you did a beautiful job of killing the Cypress heads all along the 300 miles. You did a good job of cutting off the water flow from the east side of the state to the west side of the state. The company trying to sell the project and they lied lied lied to me and everyone else and NOW here they come again.
In between the first effort to take our lands HERE COMES the SABAL TRAIL GASOLINE. The interesting thing was that they had three corridors, the same corridors the Turnpike Extension effort offered a few years before. Quit a coincidence don’t you think.
Let me go back a few year. Here comes Sabal Trail Gasoline with the same three corridors. Some how the people did not mined it so much because it would help keep the gas prices down and the power bills down. How did they get approval for the same corridors, did the state recommend that?
We have been promised by our State, County, and City Governments it was over and don’t worry about it. Think back and remember the politicians that promised that. Here the Turnpike Authority again, I ask is, it legal to take land that the masses don’t want it taken for a project they don’t want? Can the state Florida Turnpike Authority confiscate land from the people if they don’t want the project in their area. We can’t possibly hold all the people that are coming into this state without some really good planning by the Governor’s team and not just let them rape our land to lay asphalt everywhere.
The Turnpike Authority is like a Steam Roller running over the land and people like ants (the people) of Marion County need to stand up. The County all over the state that don’t want this project need to stand up. It certainly sounds like the masses don’t want this!
Here my idea to solve this stupid dilemma. The Turnpike runs to I-75, widen I-75 they already own the land then at the junction of I-75 and at Hwy 27 cloverleaf lanes to Hwy 27 they already have their right land and it goes to Hwy 19 the famous road that everyone is trying to move traffic to. Hwy 27 would be widen to how ever many lanes needed. All done by the Florida Department of Transportation. Important…down size or disband the Florida Turnpike Authority. Their job is done!
I say to you Governor DeSantis I have endorsed you at every turn but I can’t on this one. You fly over Dunnellon all the time “Just look down from your airplane and see what they are trying to ruin!” You are letting them ruin our lives, our farm and more important our natural resources. PLEASE ACT NOW! What say you the readers? tloury@att.net
