Bush Appointed Developer Tied Commissioners In Charge Of Saving The Gopher Tortoises

02/06/2025 | Angels in Distress | ,

Here is the crux of the problem. Take a look at the summaries of the 7 commissioners. All are Bush appointed, development oriented. Their claim to the right to sit on the board is that they are outdoors people, hunters and fishermen. All have ties directly or indirectly to developers.

FFWCC COMMISSIONER PROFILES

  1. RODNEY BARRETO, Chm FFWCC
    a. Bush appointee Aug 2001
    b. Partner, public affairs firm Barreto, Cunningham, May, Dudley, and Maloy
    1.Corporate public affairs based in Tallahassee and Miami, Fla.
    c. Owns Metro Parking, Inc
    d. REAL ESTATE INVESTOR FWCC press release, Dec. 9, 2005
    e. Second Term
  2. DAVID MEEHAN, Vice Chm
    a. Bush Appointee, 1999 Marine Fisheries Commission
    b. Pres., Bankers Insurance Group, Vice Chair of the holding company and its subsidiary boards, sits on board of director
    c. Vice Chairman, First Community Bank of American, Hillsborough county
    d. Hunter
  3. SANDY KAUPE
    a. Bush appointee, Jan 2002
    b. Owns Wolf Creek Ranch, a cow/calf operation at Kenansville, near US 441 and Osceola CR 523, Osceola County. No web info on this ranch, not even listed in Kenansville.
    c. COW KILLER, rancher? Pending investigation.
    d. Hunter, fishing tournaments for bill fishing
    e. Rec’d $107,500 Public Funds for her corporation Sandy T, Inc.?????????????
  4. BRIAN YABLONSKI
    a. Bush appointee, Jan., 2004
    b. Vice Pres Public Affairs for St. Joe Company, a real estate developer. www.joe.com/web
  5. RICHARD CORBETT
    a. Bush appointee, Feb, 2003
    b. Owns Pinckney Hill Plantation in family for 80 years, preservation of fish and wildlife?????????????1. Received a total of $762, 373 in Federal Farm subsidies from USDA between
    1994-2004 for crop subsidies not mentioned on FWCC web site description
    c. Hunter since 8 years old
  6. KATHY BARCO
    a. Bush appointee, Sept., 2004
    b. President of Barco-Duval Engineering, Inc, a “heavy construction company”
    c. Member of Safari Club International and International Game Fishing Association, both of which live to kill animals.
    d. Wants to make sure we base decisions on factual information and good science like she is some sort of person who understands science.
  7. H. A. “HERKY” HUFFMAN
    a. Bush appointee, 1999 to old Marine Fisheries Commission
    b. “Avid hunter and fisherman, “hunt all over North and South America”
    c. Real Estate Investor
    d. Board of Directors, Pinnacle Bank of Orange County, Volusia Gobblers B (local chapter of National Wild Turkey Federation, they want to preserve turkey hunting)

Sources: FFWCC web site, St. Joe Co web site, National Wild Turkey Federation web site, Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy web site