Bring in the National Guard to help with Irma cleanup

Monroe County officials are beside themselves trying to get by all the rules, regulations and existing contracts to get the huge piles of storm refuse out of here. It’s become the blind leading the blind.

No one disputes that at this rate, the cleanup will go well into 2018. There is only one rational solution to this overwhelming mess and that is for Gov. Rick Scott to call up the National Guard and have them take over the cleanup. With guidance from cleanup pros, the Guard gets the job finished in a reasonable time.

Without the National Guard, we might as well be whistling “Dixie.” That’s essentially what our present officials are doing.

This story was originally published December 16, 2017 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Bring in the National Guard to help with Irma cleanup."