FL Senate: Jeff Greene's yacht tears up coral reef in Belize.. $1.87 million in unpaid fines

[DCBob]

On a Tuesday morning five years ago, Summerwind, a three-story, 145-foot luxury yacht, maneuvered above the celebrated barrier reef that lines the coast of Belize. There it dropped anchor — and plunged into controversy over severe damage to a coral reef system officially recognized by the United Nations as one of the world's most magnificent and irreplaceable treasures. "The guys from the area told me they were beside the boat before it dropped anchor, and they were yelling and waving their hands, shouting, 'No! No, don't drop here,' '' recounted Melanie McField, a marine scientist with the Smithsonian Institution who surveyed the Central American reef shortly after the incident. "It was bad. There was a lot of damage."

The owner of that yacht? Billionaire Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene. The real estate mogul from Palm Beach was not aboard the boat at the time. And, oddly, Greene today says the incident never happened, despite extensive publicity about it at the time (including statements from his representatives), eyewitness accounts, scientific surveys of the damage and an extensive case file at the country's Department of Environment. Asked how he could say it never happened when Greene's own employees at the time acknowledged a problem on the reef with Summerwind, Vizcaino declined further comment: "That's our position. That's our quote."

In Belize, the chief environmental officer of the Department of Environment, Martin Alegria, thumbed through a two-volume file on the Summerwind case in response to questions from the St. Petersburg Times. The case remains officially open, Alegria said in a phone interview, and if Greene or the Summerwind's then-captain returns to Belize they face fines of up to $1.87 million, given the amount of reef damage caused.

more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/belize-jeff-greenes-yacht-tore-up-coral-reef-left-unpaid-fines-up-to/1110511

What is it with this guy? How is this dude even being taken seriously as a Senatorial candidate??

[Oceansaway]

1. K&R...n/t

[loudsue]

2. The man obviously doesn't have the values of a democrat.

Florida needs to find a different candidate. Too bad the primaries are already over. :cry: I'm sick of these posers pitching their tents in our party.

[DCBob]

3. The primaries are not over.. the election is in about month...

Its Kendrik "the meek" Meek vs Jeff "the billionaire" Greene. Polls show it a toss-up at the moment.

[loudsue]

5. That's good news!

Is Meek any good?

[peekaloo]

6. He's currently MIA when it comes to tv face time.

Frustrating but the constant barrage from the two rich guys looking to enter the political scene (Gov. & Sen.) is starting to have an opposite effect on people from both sides.

Voting record here:
http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=8092

[blindpig]

4. This is a 'lesser of the evils'?

This guy is scum. Has Carl Hiaasan gotten around to him yet?

Where is Skink when ya need him?

[Scurrilous]

7. K & R

:thumbsup:

[XOKCowboy]

8. I spend a lot of time in the cayes of Belize

That incredible reef is the heart and lifeline for those folks. Incidents like this happen now and again due to ignorance or incompetence by the boat captains. The Summerwind incident though made the BCG change their tactics. Now the passports of the captain and all others on board are confiscated immediately to keep the perps from just skipping up the coast and out of Belize jurisdiction.

God Bless The Reef and Fuck You Jeff Greene. Go back down to Belize and face justice. It was your yacht that did the damage. Pay for it!