To be honest, RICK PERRY and I probably don't agree about all of the issues that the US and Florida face in today's world. BUT Capt. Erika Ritter and I met RICK PERRY and his wife Cathy in person in Ocala for a BBQ lunch on Saturday July 9, 2016. We looked each other in the eye and we trust RICK PERRY http://rickperrycampaign.com/ for District 23 FL House and have offered to assist his campaign regarding Ocklawaha River issues. RICK PERRY has signed the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" at https://www.change.org/p/st-johns-river-water-management-district-free-the-ocklawaha-river-by-the-breaching-of-rodman-dam My own political work began in 1968 before I could even vote (I wasn't able to do so until 1972). I remember that some of my high school teachers were studying a letter that was going around in 1968 and 1969 asking President Johnson (and later President Nixon) to stop the Cross Florida Barge Canal and save the "Oklawaha" River. RICK PERRY kind of reminds me of Lawton Chiles -- I was a state employee in Tallahassee when "Walkin' Lawton" wore his coonskin cap! "At the directive of then-Gov. Lawton Chiles and the Florida Cabinet, FDEP in 1997 submitted a permit application to SJRWMD for the removal of Rodman Reservoir to restore a free-flowing lower Ocklawaha River." Excerpted from: Hendrickson, John. 2016. Effects on Lower St. Johns River Nutrient Supply and TMDL Target Compliance from the Restoration of a Free-Flowing Ocklawaha River. Technical Publication SJ2016-1. 107 pages. St. Johns River Water Management District, Palatka, Florida. The online petition FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM at https://www.change.org/p/st-johns-river-water-management-district-free-the-ocklawaha-river-by-the-breaching-of-rodman-dam (and its further advertisement to all who might support it and sign it) is JOB ONE for me! This is the best use of my writing and reporting talents that I can do and think of -- for now and for the foreseeable future -- for a free-flowing-again "Source to the Sea", "Real-Florida-By-God" 56-mile mainstream Ocklawaha River - Silver River - Silver Springs system (by the way, this requires the breaching of Rodman [Kirkpatrick] Dam). Read the important excerpts from the Hendrickson SJRWMD report: https://sites.google.com/…/ocklawahamanpaulnoscareports/imp… This is the best ammunition that I have ever found FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE FREE FLOWING OCKLAWAHA RIVER! The OCKLAWAHA RIVER (and NATIVE Florida manatee, Atlantic-race striped bass, channel catfish, black bear, Florida panther, etc.) appreciates any help in advertising this petition. A free-flowing-again "Source to the Sea" OCKLAWAHA RIVER will need all the legitimate "votes" that us mortal humans can muster to this great Florida environmental cause. This is a selfless cause that is much bigger than any of us. THOUSANDS of votes would be great -- the MORE THE BETTER when SJRWMD and FDEP have to acknowledge them! Sorry if I can't seem to respond back to everybody. Most sincerely, "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca. THE PHOTO: One of the huge, 1000-year-old+, original-growth bald cypress trees of the middle Ocklawaha River floodplain swamp -- it most likely would have drowned to death if President Nixon had not HALTED (January 19, 1971) all further construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal. "Crooked River Big Old Trees Ocklawaha Set Her Free!" https://sites.google.com/site/paulnoscasbassfishingphotos/2013-florida-folk-festival-crooked-river-big-old-trees