As most Floridians have experienced, algae is gross. It's the last thing you want to see when going to the beach, or having a relaxing Sunday on the lake. But when that algae covers over 240 square miles and is killing dolphins, manatees and large populations of fish, "gross" is no longer an adequate description.

Most have heard by now that an algae bloom is running rampant in Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie River Estuary. Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in four counties, and blames the federal government's inaction for this tourist-repelling problem.

Yes, the federal government is partly responsible, but they aren't alone. Most of the United State's sugar comes from the agricultural areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee, and all of the run-off from these areas flows into, you guessed it, Lake Okeechobee. The federal government proposed regulations that would limit the amount of chemicals farmers could use, but Rick Scott proudly fought against these regulations. The state government prevented federal action that would have stopped the algae bloom before it even started.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is indeed responsible for managing the water levels of Lake Okeechobee, and their 80-year-old dike system is struggling to hold the increasing amount of run-off.

Rightfully so, federal and state leaders are proposing solutions, but none of which solve the problem at its source. Don't get me wrong, 80 million dollars for a water purifier sounds like a great idea, as does slowing the release of water from the lake. However, those ideas won't stop chemicals from flowing out of agriculture fields and into the lake.

Since 2004, there have been a multitude of deadly algae blooms, all stemming from the same problem. So, why won't the government just prohibit farmers from using these chemicals?

The answer is the "classic government" reason, money. The algae will die, and everything will go back to normal, so why risk our sugar? Well, fast forward a few years to the next algae bloom. That's another 800 million in clean-up costs. The government is putting band-aids on this issue, and that brings us to the real problem.

The problem is not that the government can't solve this problem, but that they aren't willing to. The beauty of Florida's environment is at risk, meanwhile lawmakers are thinking of the best way to temporarily cover up the problem until they get re-elected. Therefore, in this particular situation, I find myself questioning what the REAL state of emergency is.