Yesterday afternoon, two law enforcement officers escorted me out of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for sitting on the dais of the Environmental Regulation Commission during a divided vote that loosened standards for toxins in our water. I sat in a seat designated for a representative of the environmental community--but the two (out of seven) designated appointments for the environmental community and local governments have been intentionally left vacant by Governor Scott so that he can continue dismantling Florida's environmental protections--a labor of love in the 70s and 80s by a less greedy and malfeasant generation (who are now rolling in their graves). Although yesterday's vote was not the most outrageous bureaucratic manhandling of the Scott Administration, it is one of many examples of the governing philosophy of a governor who has filled the institutions meant to keep polluting industries in check with lobbyists for those very industries. I find the actions of this administration unconscionable, unethical, and antidemocratic and had to take a stand--in this case, a seat. The Miami Herald and Politico covered the story.