There is definitely a change in the air here in Florida . Time was that for a certain period every year the thick sweet fragrance of orange blossoms wafted through the entire area where I live. I couldn’t help but notice its annual arrival for two decades and now I can’t say I’ve noticed it in two years . Perhaps it’s still there but is now being overpowered by something else that seems to hold a bit more prevalence in the air here in my Florida town. Polite people would refer to the aroma as sewerage , I simply call it the stench of human shit and it comes and goes all over town . Perhaps our amenities are being overtaxed due to a population explosion unprecedented. But that belongs in another story .
There are those in the state of Florida that would like to reverse some of the man made harms and some that don’t. Some counties and municipalities have placed bans for instance on single use plastics the likes of water bottles and plastic bags that can be found along the edges of just about every body of water in the state . Right on cue a State Representative from New Port Richey introduced a bill that would prohibit these bans ….. sort of a ban on bans if you will . I’m not sure what that Representative thinks about the new law just signed in by our Governor but it sure seems they aren’t on the same page .
Under House Bill 321 the State of Florida has now banned the intentional release of balloons into the air under threat of fines . The fear is these balloons might find themselves coming down into the ocean that Florida rely’s on so heavily as a tourist attraction . Please note that children under the age of six are exempt from these fines . I suppose that if you are in a circle and want to get out any step you make will be in the right direction . I know that I’m feeling more comfortable already in the knowledge that the next time I visit the beach covered by dead fish , algae and red tide I will likely see a lot less deflated balloons among it all .
