Water Act Veto Merits Override

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled today to vote to override President George W. Bush's veto of the 2007 Water Resources Development Act. Because the measure passed the House on Aug. 1 by a 381-40 majority - and strongly in the Senate too - it appears that Congress will easily give Bush the first override of a veto in his administration.

Despite the criticism about the pork-barrel projects, the fact remains: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a $38 billion national backlog of water projects that need to be funded - and a $2 billion appropriation for restoration of the Florida Everglades is included in the $23 billion act.

Both of Florida's senators - Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Bob Martinez - have joined the call for an override. "The nation has waited too long for the improvements in flood protection and environmental restoration contained in this bill," said Nelson.

Martinez added that he shares Bush's concerns on excessive spending: "There are some things in this bill that are not pretty in terms of government spending. But at the end of the day, as a Floridian, Everglades restoration is such an integral part of this bill that we have to take the good with the bad."PUTNAM VOTED AGAINST BILLRep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, should be taking the same path. Putnam supported the bill during its formative period. He even worked with Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, to have a dredging project for channels in Tampa Bay included in the House version.

But when it came time to vote, Putnam was among the 40 representatives voting against it. "A $15 billion House bill went to conference with the Senate's $14 billion measure, and somehow a bill emerged costing approximately $20 billion," wrote Putnam in a release explaining his vote. That's a good attitude about spending but this is an odd time for Putnam to become concerned about irresponsible spending.

Gov. Charlie Crist and most of the members of the Florida delegation to Congress had urged Bush to sign the bill. "No single bill Congress approves this year will have as much positive impact on Florida's environment than this," said Martinez. "The federal partnership in Everglades restoration is long-overdue, and this bill brings our federal partners to the table."

An override is long overdue as well.