Last year, the Texas A&M Traffic Institute reported that Orlando commuters spent an average of 57 hours a year stuck in traffic, with an average “congestion cost” of more than $1,000 a year per commuter. And Florida is facing an ever-worsening water crisis, withdrawing unsustainable amounts of water from the Floridan Aquifer to accommodate existing and new development, and experiencing regular outbreaks of algal blooms reflecting seriously declining water quality.

In Central Florida alone, the three water management districts that share responsibility for the region have together approved groundwater withdrawal permits for about 300 million gallons a day more than what is sustainable from the Floridan Aquifer. In light of this, it would seem wise for the state to do all in its power to protect its vulnerable water supply.