Florida state parks whistleblower fired after exposing Ron DeSantis’s plans
www.theguardian.com
James Gaddis tanked Florida governor’s secretive scheme to build hotels and golf courses over acres of preserved land
  • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It’s crazy to me people are still willing to blow any whistles. I’ve yet to see a single person rewarded for doing the right thing. Society is doing its absolute darndest to make sure we learn that despite the lip service paid to whistleblowers, you’re actually just turning yourself into public enemy number one and get railroaded.

    • assembly@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      His GofundMe is up past $100k now so at least there is that. I threw in $10 even though I live nowhere near FL.

    • the post of tom joad@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      Lookit all the naive people downvotes. Hahaha what, this the first y’all heard our whistleblower protection laws are garbage?

      Downvoting facts is for sad sacks and Facebook boomers whyaincha leave that dumb shit there mmk?

    • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Republicans want people to think that all government employees are just lazy grifters. It’s not true. Many of them are like this brave man who worked in a position where he could make a difference and help protect the environment he cares about, as the Florida DEP is supposed to. When the scumbags running the state and the DEP crossed he line, he stood up to stop them. I hope he finds a satisfying position with another organization that is honestly focused on protecting the environment.

      Speaking with the Tampa Bay Times on Monday, Gaddis said preservation of the state parks was more important to him than his position.

      “It was the absolute flagrant disregard for the critical, globally imperiled habitat in these parks,” he said. “This was going to be a complete bulldozing of all of that habitat. The secrecy was totally confusing and very frustrating. No state agency should be behaving like this.”

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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      2 months ago

      It is called being selfless. You do the right thing because the right thing needs doing, not because you expect a reward.

      • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        It’s not about getting a reward, it’s about not getting severely punished and penalized for doing the right thing.

        • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
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          2 months ago

          Oh, I agree with you that it is absolute bullshit. What I am saying is that what these people are doing is “selfless”. No reward. Probably punishment. Doing it anyway.

          • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Heroes. Just wish they would get more than just an “attaboy” and a slap on the shoulder for what they do.

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
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      2 months ago

      The reward was killing the plan. You can find another job. You can’t replace unspoiled land.

      • CobblerScholar@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Killing the plan, leaving a clearly toxic work environment, forever can put “stopped racist asswipe from destroying protected nature reserves” on your resume, name in national news etc etc

      • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I think you’ll find that getting another job after whistleblowing is anything but the norm. In most cases you’ll be blacklisted/blackballed and will either have to move, emigrate completely or go into a completely different career.

        I absolutely applaud the guy of course, but I don’t think I’d be as brave as he is.

        • teft@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I imagine any left wing government that needs cartographers would hire him in a second.

    • SoupBrick@yiffit.net
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      2 months ago

      He will. That is the thing about fanatics, offend their religious leaders in any way and they will retaliate to try to “deliver justice”.

    • Ænima@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      This may be different. Protests were not partisan. There was uproar from those without deep pockets across the whole spectrum. While I don’t doubt some dipshits will still do it, it’ll probably be fewer than other, more hyper-partisan issues.

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Yeah exactly wish we had a captain planet to destroy these facsiest fucks.

      Speaking of which you notice Hollywood isn’t remaking of that show.

  • kevindqc@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I thought it was illegal to retaliate against whistleblowers? Does it not apply to the government?

    • silence7@slrpnk.netOP
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      2 months ago

      When the Republicans control the judicial system, “illegal” only applies to Democrats.

    • UsefulInfoPlz@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Seems like they can always find something. Or make up something to fire a person over. “He was 5 minutes late for a meeting in 1975” or other bullshit.

      • pearsaltchocolatebar@discuss.online
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        2 months ago

        You can still sue if that punishment isn’t being consistently applied. It’s a civil trial, so you don’t have to prove retaliation beyond a shadow of a doubt.

        • Bookmeat@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          You can also gather evidence into court records as part of the civil trial. This can lead to a more serious trial against DeSantis et al.

  • jballs@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
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    2 months ago

    Glad to see people supporting this guy on his GoFundMe page. He was fired, but has probably made more in the last few days than he would have in 2 years. Doing the right thing not only stopped the project, but also worked out well for him personally.

  • mriormro@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    You can find his GoFundMe here: https://gofund.me/6a8e58d0

    That is, if you’re looking to toss some support for what he did.

  • Doomsider@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It is funny because I was just explaining to someone a week ago why states should not control all the federal lands.

    He was one of those guys who heard the state’s rights propaganda. I explained that states have not been a good shepard of the land in the past and what typically happens is monied interests try to take control.

    Low and behold we have another state showing us why we can’t trust them. Trying to convert public lands into private ones to make a quick buck and get more campaign money.

  • LordCrom@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Fuck this plan. Those parks he wants to pave over, many are in the middle of some of the most expensive real estate markets here. Oleta park is the last mangrove habitat in the area, beach, trails, but the mangroves are the most important. Fuckers want to tear it down for pickle ball and golf so rich asses in the area have more stuff to do that they need to pay for so the city and county profit, instead of a park that’s almost free for many people to enjoy.