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Writer's pictureVOTG Advisory Board

A Letter to Representative Omari Hardy


Dear Representative Hardy,

If you are concerned and have the best interest of the lives of my neighbors and friends in the Glades at heart I would like to share with you that the route you have taken is a misinformed one.

On Tuesday, the voters of Congressional District 20 spoke resoundingly with a singular voice: we reject hate-filled politics that attempt to turn neighbor against neighbor, crush our economy, shut down farms, and hurt our local Glades communities. While your campaign thought attacking farmers would be a good thing, in our communities and throughout CD 20, it clearly lost you votes and true Glades’ support.

I had the privilege of attending CD 20 candidate meetings with other Glades leaders to discuss the issues WE feel are important to us. Instead of listening TO us, you attempted to speak FOR us, claiming to know what’s best for the Glades by attacking the farmers who help keep our local economy on track.

Attending one of these meetings would have granted you a full understanding from those who truly value the Glades and information about who we are as a community. It does not benefit us when outside groups join forces to push a false agenda that will bankrupt our communities. For it is the land and people that we protect and love that makes us true Glade treasurers.

Our communities need strong leadership in DC. Not groups making dangerous threats including calls to “blow up the dike,” “flood the fields” and empty promises.

We have seen what many of these activist groups have done in other states, too. In Hawaii, a campaign involving the Sierra Club for a “clean environment” resulted in the shutdown of sugarcane farms and now, Hawaii is out of the sugar business completely.

We have heard what the activists who supported your campaign have said about our Glades communities. In 2017, many of the same groups that supported you promised local jobs if we just gave up 60,000 acres of our land. Now that the EAA reservoir is being built, the jobs are going to people from other cities and states despite promises that were made to hire local residents.

Now, you have joined the same groups in claiming there will be “green jobs” that our local farmers (our neighbors) say do not exist and never will exist.

We are hopeful our new member of Congress will continue what Congressman Hastings started by including the Glades and working with everyone. It is a new day for District 20, which means new opportunities to have our voices heard and our causes represented.

CyNedra Blake

Voices of the Glades

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