This morning on the show, I was talking about the story on NBC-2, concerning the woman who contracted flesh-eating bacteria from swimming off Fort Myers Beach. It's something that we hear about from time to time, and people who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable...Doctors are warning people to be especially careful swimming in the Gulf during the Summer months,
We've also recently had medium to high concentrations of red tide at beaches from Sarasota to Collier Counties, and we're all watching closely, the blob of poisonous blue/green algae, that's making it's way down the Caloosahatchee River. At last report, it had reached the popular Manatee Park.
This all begs the question, if Southwest Florida is indeed almost completely dependent on the tourist trade and real estate to make it's engine run, why aren't we using every resource at our disposal to make sure that our water is clean? Because you and I both know, another Summer of chunky, smelly algae is not what we need around here, especially as we rebound economically from a pandemic. Tourists will find a new place to lay in the sun, and buyers will flock north to Sarasota County, and other spots in the state and around the country, and Southwest Florida will become Fort Pierce...Just another waterfront dump.
(Photo from Pinterest)
Who is going to step up and fix this issue. Our Governor is currently riding a wave of popularity that many say could lead to the White House in 2024. Sir, before you leave for Washington....about our water.....