Some South Florida scientists claim they were fired for being outspoken

[Judi Lynn]

Some South Florida scientists claim they were fired for being outspoken

By Neil Santaniello
Staff writer
Posted June 19 2005


Andy Eller said he was just doing his U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service job -- protecting the endangered Florida panther from development -- when he was fired in 2004 for finding fault with the science his employer used to approve home and road construction through panther territory in southwest Florida.

Marine biologist David Boyd said the Florida Park Service reassigned him to an office 170 miles away after he pointed out environmental flaws in a plan to widen an 18-mile stretch of U.S. 1 into the Florida Keys.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection scientist Herb Zebuth said supervisors tried to make him see the Scripps Florida biotechnology park project their way after he voiced concern about its potential impact on water storage at a public meeting.
(snip)

But South Florida Water Management District scientists Lou Toth and Nick Aumen said they learned first hand that open criticism can be an occupational hazard for government scientists in South Florida.
(snip/...)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-pscience19jun19,0,1960723.story?coll=sfla-news-sfla

[Cha]

1. Good ol' jeb bush's

Florida..stinks. At least they won't have that slithering snakeass after 2006!

[ellenfl]

2. no one's more thankful for that than us floridians! eom

[Cha]

3. I can imagine..I have

my dad down there in Gainseville and a sister, and all her family, too.

[ellenfl]

6. i went to school and lived in gainesville. GREAT city.

and with two institutions of higher learning there, assuredly a blue city. i was amazed at all of the cultural activities in this city plunked down in the middle of farm country. i would live there again in a heartbeat.

ellen fl

[Cha]

9. I know..I love that

little city! :loveya:

[ToeBot]

10. Let me guess - Term Limits?

It's not like He'd ever get voted out.

[Overseas]

4. Kick out anti science Republicans-- if you love this planet ! eom

[Karla Marx]

5. These theocrat culture wars

are more like a war on reality.

[warrens]

7. This is the Rethug mentality

Science only counts when WE say it does, and if it disagrees with our industrial donors, it's junk science. Bastards.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. These people need our help. Some of these public employees

who are highly qualified to do their jobs, have also sued to stop some of these abuses. In return, they were gagged. In Florida, by law, nothing that might be construed as a threat to public health safety or wealthfare, can be kept from the public through a gag order. But they do it all the time. And as long as they do it to well qualified employees, you just assume that it would be a waste of time to fight unless you can bring some kind of powerful leverage to the table. .