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I want to hear what you have been up to, Mr. Billybud.

LOL...my interesting career sometimes catches up with me. I have been a policy trouble shooter of sorts for several governors. Just as I would get comfortably settled in my "real career", I would get pulled out, almost like a reservist.

In 1995, the voters added an amendment to the Florida Constitution that banned certain types of net fishing in Florida waters (out to the federal waters). I was tagged to write a report to the legislature on the economic effects to coastal rural areas and fishers. I was then asked to assist in the drafting of legislation to provide economic relief to displaced fishers and to devise a method to recover all of the outlawed nets (a suicidal mission in most folks books). I also drafted state legislation that would allow for the fishers to become eligible for unemployment compensation as independent businessmen by retroactively backpaying a UC tax (none had been eligible because they were self employed and payed no UC tax)

No one wanted the local fishers to become outlaws and continue to net fish so I was the one that was told..."you wrote the report...now implement it". So, I hired about 100 displaced fishers, contracted with trucking companies and recycling companies, leased front end loaders and went to work taking back nets (which mostly came in the 600 yard long segments formerly allowed). We payed a "ransom" for turned in nets that qualified($20 million was disbursed). I travelled with my caravan around the state to coastal areas and picked up enough net to have a wall of net that was 50 feet high and would go from Tallahassee to Toronto and return. We sold the recycled nylon to indonesian factories that make kitchen utensils and the lead weights as recycled lead to a battery manufacturer. That helped recoup some costs.

I got the job because I had previously been appointed as the Executive Director of a Governor's policy council. We developed Governor's policy iniatives and one was to develop salt water aquaculture...we successfully surveyed and leased state bottoms and developed clam farming, and to a lesser extent, oyster farming. It turned out that developing new beds by barging out oyster shells was better than the farming technique we originally tried (the bag and rebag method).

When the four hurricanes of 2005 hit the state, I was called back in to assist in disaster assistance ( I had supervised state efforts at the FEMA Disaster Center in South Dade when Andrew hit in 1992). When Katrina hit, I went to Mississippi for six weeks under contract to assist them in the state response to the aftermath.

Now, I am just a retired guy who a couple folks wanted to have around as we discussed oil spill effects on Florida because of my prior experiences. I attended a few meetings and that is about it.

You have had an interesting career. Interesting about the plight of the fishermen. Amazing about the nets and the amount of them that were and the cost involved. I bet the fish wrote you a note of thanks. It is always interesting how these things build slowly over the years and when change has to be made, there is no real feeling on how immense the problem has become. But this sounds like a great resolve where government made it happen.

We can all understand why people want you around. Not many make it happen people left in this world. I was listening to the news the other night on the Oil Spill and some government official said...We are just waiting to see what BP does if they don't get it done soon, then we will step in and take it over" I am thinking....you have some plan and you are not sharing?

Glad you are doing well enough to be gallivanting around the countryside. Thanks for the report.

When I was listening to a BP plan to plug the well with wood chips and golf balls (for real), I knew they had it all wrong. Any southern boy can tell you that it's bubble gum and duct tape that can do the job.

billybud wrote:When I was listening to a BP plan to plug the well with wood chips and golf balls (for real), I knew they had it all wrong. Any southern boy can tell you that it's bubble gum and duct tape that can do the job.

Besides, I could use the extra golf balls.

billybud wrote:When I was listening to a BP plan to plug the well with wood chips and golf balls (for real), I knew they had it all wrong. Any southern boy can tell you that it's bubble gum and duct tape that can do the job.

Where I grew up it was "bubble gum and bailing wire", and I bailed and bucked enough hay to know...bailing wire everywhere.

Grayghost wrote:

billybud wrote:When I was listening to a BP plan to plug the well with wood chips and golf balls (for real), I knew they had it all wrong. Any southern boy can tell you that it's bubble gum and duct tape that can do the job.

Where I grew up it was "bubble gum and bailing wire", and I bailed and bucked enough hay to know...bailing wire everywhere.

We used bailing twine, but I know what you mean. I put up enough hay when I was a kid to know that I had better go learn to do something else.

Spence wrote:

Grayghost wrote:

billybud wrote:When I was listening to a BP plan to plug the well with wood chips and golf balls (for real), I knew they had it all wrong. Any southern boy can tell you that it's bubble gum and duct tape that can do the job.

Where I grew up it was "bubble gum and bailing wire", and I bailed and bucked enough hay to know...bailing wire everywhere.

We used bailing twine, but I know what you mean. I put up enough hay when I was a kid to know that I had better go learn to do something else.

Ain't that the truth. That's why I ran off and joined the Marines. Figured it had to be better.

LOL...Semper Fi

Hope you weren't a grunt....trading one labor for another.

billybud wrote:LOL...Semper Fi

Hope you weren't a grunt....trading one labor for another.

Uhmmm...er....a grunt.

It looks like a Margaritaville summer. We'll be playing a lot of Jimmy Buffet music....

He is still current.....


"Nibblin on sponge cake
Watchin the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil"

billybud wrote:It looks like a Margaritaville summer. We'll be playing a lot of Jimmy Buffet music....

He is still current.....


"Nibblin on sponge cake
Watchin the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil"

If we had the emoticon with the guy shaking his head left and right I would insert it here.

billybud wrote:It looks like a Margaritaville summer. We'll be playing a lot of Jimmy Buffet music....

He is still current.....


"Nibblin on sponge cake
Watchin the sun bake
All of those tourists covered with oil"

Dang, I could taste the Margaritas and feeling the cold in my hand...and I almost missed the pun. Shameful.