Boaters are one the losers in the Florida legislative session that just ended, according to Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics, who just published his winners-and-losers wrap-up. This week from his blog:
You hear the word “pirates,” and you immediately think of Johnny Depp movies, Gasparilla marauders, or Tampa Bay’s football team. Despite those cuddly images, an organization of Florida boaters used pirate images to brand maritime salvage and towing services as cutthroat brigands. In just its first year, the bill cleared seven separate committees and was passed overwhelmingly by the House, but got caught up in the end-of-session crunch and died in the Senate amid effective lobbying on both sides. Supporters shrewdly branded the salvage companies as “modern-day pirates” taking advantage of innocent boat owners, while the salvors pushed back by pointing out that they were saving lives and preventing loss. Rough seas ahead for any pirates looking for a bigger paycheck, because there may be no stopping the power of unyielding Florida boaters.
You can read PassageMaker’s coverage here, here and here.
This Schorsch’s bio from the website:
Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, Florida Politics, Orlando Rising and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Schorsch is also publisher of the quarterly INFLUENCE Magazine. For several years, SaintPetersBlog was ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms.
