149 1 Division of Administrative Hearings 2 Department of Administration, State of Florida 3 SUGAR CANE GROWERS COOPERATIVE ) 4 of FLORIDA; ROTH FARMS, INC.; and ) WEDGWORTH FARMS, Inc., ) 5 Petitioners ) V ) DOAH Case 6 SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT ) No. 92-3038 DISTRICT, an agency of the State ) 7 of Florida; et al., ) Respondents. ) 8 FLORIDA SUGAR CANE LEAGUE, INC.; ) 9 UNITED STATES SUGAR CORPORATION; ) and NEW HOPE SOUTH, INC., ) 10 Petitioners, ) V ) DOAH Case 11 SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT ) No. 92-3039 DISTRICT, an agency of the State ) 12 of Florida; et al., ) Respondents. ) 13 FLORIDA FRUIT and VEGETABLE ) 14 ASSOCIATION; LEWIS POPE FARMS; ) W. E. SCHLECHTER & SONS, INC., ) 15 and HUNDLEY FARMS, INC., ) Petitioners, ) 16 V ) DOAH Case SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT ) No. 92-3040 17 DISTRICT, an agency of the State ) of Florida; et al., ) 18 Respondents. ) 19 Deposition of L Carl Woehlcke VOLUME II 20 Taken before Elaine V. Williams, 21 Professional Reporter and Notary Public in and for the State of Florida at large, pursuant to notice of 22 taking deposition filed by the Petitioners Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative in the above cause. 23 - - - Thursday, January 28, 1992 24 319 Clematis Street, Suite 500 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 25 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 150 1 APPEARANCES: 2 On behalf of the Petitioners Florida Sugar 3 Cane League, Inc., United States Sugar Corp., and New South Hope, Inc.: 4 Peeples, Earl & Blank, P.A. One Biscayne Tower, Suite 3636 5 Two South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida 33131 6 By: SCOTT D. LIEBERMAN, ESQUIRE 7 On behalf of the Respondent SFWMD: Popham, Haik, Schnobrich & Kaufman, Ltd. 8 4000 International Place 100 Southeast Second Street 9 Miami, Florida 33130 By: PAUL NETTLETON, ESQUIRE 10 On behalf of the Intervenor, United States of America: 11 Department of Justice Miami Avenue, Suite 600 12 Miami, Florida 33130 BY: KEITH E. SAXE, ESQUIRE 13 On behalf of the Petitioners Sugar Cane Growers 14 Cooperative of Florida, Roth Farms, Inc., and Wedgworth Farms, Inc., 15 Hopping, Boyd, Green & Sams Post Office Box 6526 16 Tallahassee, Florida 32314 By: DONNA H. STINSON, ESQUIRE 17 Also present: Ronald D. Lacewell 18 - - - 19 151 1 - - - 2 I N D E X 3 - - - 4 5 WITNESS: DIRECT CROSS REDIRECT RECROSS 6 L Carl Woehlcke 7 BY MS. STINSON: 152 (continued) 8 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 167 9 10 - - - 11 E X H I B I T S 12 - - - 13 14 NUMBER PAGE NO. DESCRIPTION 15 EXB. NO. 17 264 8/17/92 memo to Woehlcke from March 16 152 1 P R O C E E D I N G S 2 - - - 3 Thereupon, 4 L Carl Woehlcke, 5 being by the undersigned Notary Public previously duly 6 sworn, was examined and testified as follows: 7 THE WITNESS: I do. 8 FURTHER DIRECT (L. Carl Woehlcke) 9 BY MS. STINSON: 10 Q. Good morning. Back at it. 11 Yesterday we went through documents you had 12 produced and just this morning I have got a few more 13 general questions. 14 What has been your role in the development 15 of the Everglades SWIM Plan from the beginning, from 16 the original draft several years ago? 17 A. My role in the development of the 18 Everglades SWIM Plan is very, very limited. I 19 completed a quick assignment toward the beginning, 20 working with some other economists, providing some 21 background information and laying out what is 22 contained in these memos that I haven't reviewed for 23 a long time, and I know that I produced a memo 24 commenting on the draft plan. Then I participated in 25 this economic impact statement analysis and -- you 153 1 asked me about the development of the SWIM plan? 2 Q. Right. 3 A. Yeah. Okay. Well, this came after that. 4 Q. You say you had a quick assignment early 5 on. What was that assignment? 6 A. I don't remember real specifically. It was 7 basically to produce the documents that are in here 8 that are dated 1979. 9 Q. '89? 10 A. '89. 11 Q. Well, as I understand from looking at the 12 file you provided to me this morning, you were asked 13 to prepare a section on the economic profile of the 14 area; is that correct? 15 A. Yes. 16 Q. Did you do any work in determining economic 17 effect of what the proposed SWIM plan would do? 18 A. No. We were looking at the baseline. 19 Q. Who were the other economists? 20 A. Dick March and Sabina Joe. 21 Q. Did you complete that assignment? 22 A. We completed drafts and turned them over to 23 the people writing the plan. 24 Q. So in the preliminary draft of the SWIM 25 plan, are there sections that you essentially 154 1 authored? 2 A. I don't think I have ever seen it in a 3 draft of the SWIM plan. 4 Q. Not even the preliminary drafts? 5 A. No, I don't recollect seeing it after we 6 turned it over. 7 Q. Okay. 8 MR. NETTLETON: Just for clarification, you 9 don't recollect seeing the SWIM plan itself or 10 the draft of the SWIM plan? 11 BY MS. STINSON: 12 Q. Or your work in the SWIM plan? 13 A. I don't recollect that. I do recollect 14 that toward the end, Dave Swift called me and asked 15 me to double check some economic background numbers 16 that had been included in the SWIM plan. 17 Q. Toward the end, meaning within the past 18 year? 19 A. Past two years. 20 Q. After you completed your quick assignment 21 in 1989, were you taken off the project and moved 22 onto other things or why were you no longer involved? 23 A. All I know is I was not asked to be 24 involved and so I just worked on other things. 25 Q. And then the next time you became involved 155 1 was in the selection of -- writing the RFP for the 2 Hazen and Sawyer economic impact work; what came to 3 be the Hazen and Sawyer economic impact work? 4 A. Yes. No. I was the contract monitor for 5 the rule making economic impact statement. 6 Q. For the BMP rule? 7 A. Yes. 8 Q. Okay. Have you seen or reviewed a report 9 prepared by Craig Diamond for the Wilderness Society? 10 A. I have seen it and looked at it. I have 11 not thoroughly reviewed it. 12 Q. Have you written or prepared any analysis 13 of that report for the District or for anybody else? 14 A. I certainly don't recollect it. I am 15 pretty sure I didn't. 16 Q. Are you in any way relying on that report? 17 A. No. 18 Q. Way back yesterday you mentioned I believe 19 attending some meetings of the Funding Council; is 20 that correct? 21 A. I was asked to go to one meeting of the 22 Funding Council. 23 Q. When was that? 24 A. I don't remember. I remember which one it 25 was. It was in Belle Glade. 156 1 Q. Okay. Why were you asked to attend that 2 meeting? 3 A. Dr. Polopolus and Dr. Luke were presenting 4 information to the Funding Council. 5 Q. Did you present anything to the Funding 6 Council? 7 A. No. 8 Q. Were you asked to provide input to the 9 Funding Council on the comments of Luke and Polopolus 10 or anyone else? 11 A. Asked by whom? 12 Q. Anyone. 13 A. No. 14 Q. Did you provide any comments to the Funding 15 Council either formally or informally regarding -- 16 A. I provided informal comments to the members 17 of the Funding Council who were in the car with me 18 going over and coming back. 19 Q. Okay. Did you discuss with members of the 20 Funding Council the proposed methods for financing 21 the projects proposed in the SWIM plan? 22 A. No. 23 Q. What did you discuss with the members of 24 the Funding Council? 25 A. The parts that related to what they're 157 1 concerned about. We discussed the reasonableness of 2 the Polopolus estimates of economic impact. 3 Q. But none of these comments that you made to 4 them are put in any kind of written document? 5 A. No. 6 Q. Has the Funding Council, to your knowledge, 7 made any decisions on how the projects proposed in 8 the SWIM plan will be funded? 9 A. Not to my knowledge, they haven't made any 10 decision. 11 Q. Was there discussion by the Funding Council 12 either another the formal meeting or informally in 13 your discussions about the feasibility of funding 14 with a stormwater utility? 15 A. I don't remember a stormwater utility being 16 specifically mentioned. 17 Q. Were there types of funding discussed; 18 alternative types of funding? 19 A. My recollection is that there were 20 alternative types of funding discussed both at the 21 meeting and in the car. 22 Q. Okay. What were those alternative types? 23 A. The alternatives basically had to do with 24 how much could be paid by South Florida, and that's 25 divided between the industry in the EAA and the South 158 1 Florida Water Management District, and the 2 possibility of obtaining state and federal 3 participation. 4 Q. Has there been a determination of how much 5 of the plan can be financed by those various 6 segments? 7 A. I have no knowledge of any such 8 determination. 9 Q. Has there been a determination that it is 10 not possible to fund the project solely through 11 assessments on the industries in the EAA? 12 A. Are you asking me whether the Funding 13 Council has voted on something? 14 MR. NETTLETON: I object. It's been asked 15 and answered two times already. 16 MS. STINSON: I don't think it is the same 17 question. 18 THE WITNESS: I have no knowledge of the 19 Funding Council deciding anything. 20 BY MS. STINSON: 21 Q. Well, let me ask it more generally. Did 22 there appear to be a consensus of the Funding Council 23 that it could not -- "it" being the STA projects 24 proposed in the SWIM plan -- could not be totally 25 funded by the industries in the EAA? 159 1 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form. Calls 2 for speculation. 3 THE WITNESS: I don't recollect the Funding 4 Council members being polled to express their 5 opinions on that. 6 BY MS. STINSON: 7 Q. Well, that is not quite the question I 8 asked. In the discussion, which I gather you heard 9 at the Funding Council meeting in Belle Glade, did 10 there appear to be a general agreement that the 11 entire amount could not be financed by some kind of 12 assessment on the industry in the EAA? 13 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form; calls 14 for speculation as to what Funding Council 15 members were thinking or -- I just think it is 16 an improper question. 17 You can answer it. 18 THE WITNESS: I recollect several of the 19 Funding Council members indicating that they 20 felt that South Florida couldn't afford it and 21 we would need federal or state assistance. I 22 don't know whether that is a, quote, consensus 23 or not. 24 BY MS. STINSON: 25 Q. Mr. Woehlcke, you have been listed as a 160 1 witness who will testify fairly generally, as I 2 recall the response, on the issue of economic impact 3 of the Everglades SWIM Plan. Have you formulated any 4 opinions regarding the economic effect of the 5 Everglades SWIM Plan? 6 A. Could you explain the question? 7 Q. Would you read it back. 8 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 9 was read by the reporter.) 10 THE WITNESS: Okay. In answering that 11 question, am I to use the specific scenarios and 12 assumptions that Hazen and Sawyer use, because 13 the decisions haven't been made. I mean, we are 14 analyzing what would happen if the Board made 15 various decisions, and they have some options. 16 BY MS. STINSON: 17 Q. Okay. Decisions regarding the funding. 18 A. Sure. 19 Q. Okay. And those decisions will obviously 20 affect the economic impact of the plan? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. Is it not true that in addition to having 23 to make decisions about the funding, the District 24 Board is also looking at something called the optimal 25 plan, some variations of the projects proposed in the 161 1 SWIM plan, and all that is to be considered together? 2 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form. Calls 3 for speculation, compound question as well. 4 MR. SAXE: Objection to the form. 5 THE WITNESS: What I know is that Pete 6 Rhoads has expressed that alternatives are being 7 evaluated, and I have seen reports on that and 8 some films of Board presentations, so I know 9 that is true, and, you know, that he hopes to 10 have the information together for the Board, and 11 I hazily remember a mid 1993 time frame. 12 BY MS. STINSON: 13 Q. That time frame is the time frame you 14 understand to be the time frame for making decisions 15 regarding funding as well as looking at possible 16 alternatives? 17 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form. 18 THE WITNESS: Not necessarily. I don't 19 necessarily understand that. I know we want 20 information for the Board at that time. I don't 21 know that they have to assign that at that time. 22 BY MS. STINSON: 23 Q. Do you know what is a projected time frame 24 for making a decision on funding? 25 A. No. 162 1 Q. Is it true then that you cannot form an 2 opinion regarding the economic impact of the SWIM 3 plan until the decision is made regarding how that 4 plan will be funded? 5 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form. 6 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 7 THE WITNESS: I consider it a difficult 8 question to answer because in economic analysis, 9 we are looking to inform the Board about if it 10 does this, this will happen, if it does that, 11 that will happen, if it does the other thing, 12 that will happen. So we are trying to provide 13 them information, which is why Hazen and Sawyer 14 looked at two scenarios and three levels of, you 15 know, acreage funding to support the STAs. So I 16 don't know what the Board's going to decide. 17 After the Board made a decision we could do an 18 economic analysis of their actual decision, but 19 we also provide input information to help them 20 make that decision. 21 BY MS. STINSON: 22 Q. Okay. And that is really the purpose of 23 the current Hazen and Sawyer work? 24 A. Yes. 25 Q. Have you formed opinions then regarding the 163 1 various alternative scenarios for funding that could 2 be decided by the Board or can you not do that until 3 Hazen and Sawyer completes its current assignment? 4 A. What are the various funding alternative 5 scenarios? 6 Q. Well, I don't know. Do you know what the 7 various funding alternative scenarios are? 8 MR. NETTLETON: Are you asking him whether 9 he knows what you are talking about? 10 MS. STINSON: No. 11 BY MS. STINSON: 12 Q. Do you know what the possibilities are for 13 funding of the projects proposed in the SWIM plan? 14 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 15 THE WITNESS: Nobody has ever laid out 16 "these are our alternatives" to me. I have been 17 present at conversations where people have 18 talked about funding options. For instance, I 19 mentioned the discussions at the Funding Council 20 meeting. 21 BY MS. STINSON: 22 Q. I am really not trying to be confusing, but 23 I am trying to determine what it is that you would 24 anticipate testifying about in this proceeding 25 regarding the economic effect of the Everglades SWIM 164 1 Plan. And as we indicated, your counsel has listed 2 you as a witness to talk about economic impact and 3 the economic effect of the SWIM plan. So my question 4 is really simply, if you are proffered as an expert 5 in economics to testify about the economic effect of 6 the SWIM plan, what is it -- do you have any opinions 7 regarding that -- 8 MR. SAXE: Objection. Are you finished 9 with the question? 10 BY MS. STINSON: 11 Q. -- that you would offer at hearing? 12 MR. SAXE: Objection to form; asked and 13 answered, ambiguous. Counsel indicated 14 yesterday on the record the witness has been 15 listed in an abundance of caution. I believe 16 that the position stated on the record by 17 counsel for the District was that presently 18 there is not an intent to proffer expert opinion 19 testimony through the deponent. 20 MR. NETTLETON: I'll join the objection, 21 but you can answer it. 22 THE WITNESS: My best understanding is that 23 because of the work that I have done, they want 24 me to state my professional opinion as to the 25 quality and the adequacy of the Hazen and Sawyer 165 1 analysis and they want me to state my 2 professional opinion regarding, you know, the 3 quality and efficacy and appropriateness of the 4 comments and criticisms. 5 BY MS. STINSON: 6 Q. So as not to be repetitive or go over all 7 that again, correct me if I am wrong, but it is my 8 understanding that you believe the work done by Hazen 9 and Sawyer -- well, first of all, you believe that it 10 overstates the impact on jobs, et cetera, in the 11 region; is that correct? 12 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form. 13 MR. SAXE: Objection; asked and answered. 14 THE WITNESS: I believe that significant 15 more effort needs to be put into looking at the 16 adjustments the industry can and might make as a 17 result of the changed economic situation that 18 might be presented by these scenarios that Hazen 19 and Sawyer are considering, and I support the 20 look at the 20 year time period. 21 BY MS. STINSON: 22 Q. Okay. And in going over some documents 23 relating to work by Polopolus and Richardson, you 24 generally agree with the criticisms of that work? 25 A. Whose? 166 1 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 2 MR. NETTLETON: I guess it is not an 3 objection. 4 THE WITNESS: The ones that I wrote? Yes, 5 I do. 6 BY MS. STINSON: 7 Q. And the ones written by Grace Johns in 8 Exhibit 14? 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. The ones in Exhibit 13, which are your 11 summary of observations from the meeting with 12 Polopolus and Richardson? 13 A. Uh-huh. Yes. 14 Q. And the comments in Exhibit 12, your memo 15 of December 23? 16 A. Yes. I agree with those. 17 Q. Do those exhibits I just referenced 18 generally outline your criticisms of the Polopolus 19 and Richardson work? 20 A. Yes. 21 MR. NETTLETON: I object to the form. 22 BY MS. STINSON: 23 Q. Are there any criticisms of the work done 24 by Polopolus and Richardson that are not reflected in 25 those exhibits we just went over? 167 1 A. I can't think of any. 2 Q. Now, obviously until Hazen and Sawyer 3 finishes its current work on the 20 year projections, 4 you cannot formulate any opinions as to the quality 5 of that work, I presume. 6 A. No, I can't. 7 MS. STINSON: I don't have any other 8 questions. 9 MR. SAXE: Are there any other questions? 10 MR. LIEBERMAN: Yes, I have more questions. 11 (Discussion held off the record.) 12 CROSS (Carl Woehlcke) 13 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 14 Q. Good morning, Dr. Woehlcke. My name is 15 Scott Lieberman and I am here today representing the 16 Florida Sugar Cane League, New Hope South and United 17 States Sugar. I am going to ask you some questions. 18 If there is anything you don't understand or you are 19 not certain of, please ask me to clarify it; 20 otherwise I will assume that you understand these 21 questions. 22 If I could start with yesterday when you 23 were talking about your past experiences, there was 24 no mention of any publicated writings. Do you have 25 any publicated writings that we are not familiar 168 1 with? 2 A. My main publication is the book 3 Transportation Productivity Analysis. During the 4 period when I worked for the contract research firm, 5 we typically, you know, would complete three or four 6 contract completion reports in a year. And at the 7 District I have been co-author on three or four 8 technical publications. 9 Q. And what would those be? 10 A. Waste Water Reuse Policy Options Analysis 11 and An Analysis of Water Demands in South Florida. 12 Q. What was that focusing on just general 13 water demands? 14 A. It focused on the price responsiveness of 15 urban demands. 16 Q. Did you center on any central region of 17 South Florida? 18 A. We were developing demand equations for all 19 of South Florida. The urban users. Those are the 20 only two that I remember. We have another class of 21 publication too that is like a technical memorandum. 22 I had people under me that worked preparing some of 23 those. 24 Q. And which would those be? 25 A. Oh, boy. I am only going to know them 169 1 generically, kind of. We did a study on how to 2 estimate the impacts of drought in South Florida, a 3 study on -- 4 Q. If you can remember, it would be helpful, 5 just for the record, an idea of the time frame when 6 these were prepared? 7 A. They were almost all prepared before 1985. 8 Q. How long before 1985? A general range. 9 A. Say between '78 and '85, which is when I 10 came to the District. And I didn't have one exactly 11 when I came, so it must be between about '79 and '85. 12 Q. Okay. 13 A. We did an analysis of land use and water 14 demands for Martin County, non-agricultural water use 15 in the Upper East Coast Planning Area. Those are the 16 separate publications that I remember. 17 Q. Okay. You also mentioned in your testimony 18 yesterday about having various meetings and dealings 19 with other experts and federal experts. If I could, 20 can we just discuss some people? Ron Lacewell; when 21 was the first time you met him? 22 A. Let me go back. I think probably there are 23 only two technical publications with my name on it as 24 an author. Those two that I remembered. I'm not 25 sure that there are others so let me change that 170 1 answer to two. Okay? 2 Q. That is sufficient. 3 A. When did I first meet Ron Lacewell? My 4 recollection is I first met him in the pre-meeting to 5 the Polopolus meeting, so that would have been, I 6 think December 15th or thereabouts. 7 Q. And had you heard of him professionally 8 before then or was that the first time you met and 9 became familiar with him? 10 A. I had heard of him professionally and I had 11 talked to him on the phone before that. 12 Q. In the context of the Everglades plan? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. And when did you start speaking with him in 15 the context of that? 16 A. My recollection is that I had a few phone 17 conversations with him about their opinion on the 18 quality of Hazen and Sawyer study. This would have 19 been in the time frame after I became reinvolved in 20 the contract review, so it would have been about the 21 time that Hazen and Sawyer started sending in their 22 drafts. 23 Q. So the focus of your contact was evaluating 24 the Hazen and Sawyer plan? 25 A. Oh, yes. 171 1 Q. And what was your understanding of 2 Mr. Lacewell's complaints to you or questions to you? 3 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. What was your understanding of 6 Mr. Lacewell's complaints to you about the plan? 7 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 8 MR. SAXE: Object to form. 9 MR. LIEBERMAN: Basis? 10 MR. SAXE: Assuming facts not in evidence. 11 I didn't hear the witness testify about 12 complaints. 13 MR. LIEBERMAN: He said the complaints of 14 Mr. Lacewell, I believe. If not, okay, I'm 15 sorry. 16 THE WITNESS: I don't recollect saying 17 "complaints". 18 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 19 Q. Your discussions about the plan, about the 20 Hazen and Sawyer evaluation, what was your 21 understanding of his opinions? 22 A. That he thinks it is a very good plan, a 23 very good study, adequate on which to base decisions. 24 Q. Were these conversations -- did you focus 25 on Dr. Polopolus' opinions? 172 1 A. Some of them took place, I believe, before 2 Dr. Polopolus' comments and some of them after. 3 Q. And the ones after, what was your 4 understanding of his opinions of Dr. Polopolus' plan? 5 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 6 THE WITNESS: Are we talking just about the 7 phone conversations? 8 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 9 Q. Yes. Or any other conversation you had 10 subsequent. 11 A. My understanding is that he thinks most -- 12 he thinks that the focus that Polopolus and 13 Richardson put on the study of firm survival is not 14 what we asked for in the RFP, is not typically an 15 economic impact analysis, and therefore kind of 16 represents a diversion of attention from what we had 17 asked Hazen and Sawyer to do. 18 Q. And what is your reaction to that? 19 A. I agree. 20 Q. Okay. How about Teofilo Ozuna? 21 A. Forrest Izuno? 22 Q. No. Teofilo Ozuna. 23 A. Never heard of him. I don't recollect ever 24 meeting the gentleman. 25 Q. Spoken with him? 173 1 A. I don't recollect him. 2 Q. How about Bruce Gardner? 3 A. I do not know him nor recollect ever 4 speaking to him. 5 Q. Are you familiar with him professionally? 6 A. No. 7 Q. Dr. Bromley? 8 A. No, I don't know him. 9 Q. And Bill Boggess? 10 A. I know him and I had spoken to him, met 11 with him over probably close to the last ten years on 12 occasion on District business. 13 Q. When was the first time in the context of 14 this Everglades plan? 15 A. I believe the first time was when he was 16 down at the District making a presentation on the 17 transferable Everglades restoration efforts. 18 Q. And have you had other meetings with him in 19 the context of the Everglades plan? 20 A. Yes, he participated in other meetings. 21 Q. Which meetings were those? 22 A. The one before and the one after the 23 meeting with Polopolus and Richardson. 24 Q. And who arranged for that meeting? 25 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 174 1 MR. LIEBERMAN: Basis? 2 MR. NETTLETON: Which meeting? 3 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 4 Q. The first meeting; the December 15th 5 meeting. 6 A. I'm not sure who arranged it. 7 Q. Was an agenda prepared for that meeting? 8 A. No, I don't recollect an agenda. 9 Q. How about the second meeting; the meeting 10 after the meeting with Dr. Polopolus, who attended 11 that meeting? 12 A. Mr. Saxe, Ron Lacewell, Lonnie Jones, Bill 13 Boggess, Chris Moline, Grace Johns, me, and Sally 14 Kennedy part of the time, and Pete Rhoads part of the 15 time. 16 Q. Do you know who arranged for that meeting? 17 A. Explain to me what by what you mean 18 "arranged for". 19 Q. Who set up the meeting, who organized it? 20 A. I'm not sure who organized it. 21 Q. Was there an agenda prepared for that that 22 meeting? 23 A. No, I'm not aware of any agenda. 24 Q. I'm sorry to switch between -- 25 A. I'm not aware of any agenda for that 175 1 meeting. 2 Q. I'm sorry to switch back between the 3 meetings. 4 Back to the December 15th meeting; do you 5 remember the issues that were discussed? 6 A. We discussed the federal economists' 7 opinion of the quality of the Hazen and Sawyer 8 report, we discussed what methods that Drs. Polopolus 9 and Richardson might have used, especially in 10 applying the FLIPSIM model. 11 Q. When you speak to that, what methods 12 Drs. Polopolus and Richardson used, what methods are 13 you speaking of in particular? 14 A. How they might have entered the financial 15 information, especially the things where it is not 16 obvious, such as the debt structure and the taxes and 17 the criteria for firms going out of production. 18 Q. Any other issues that you remember being 19 discussed? 20 A. I don't recollect any other issues. 21 Q. And on those methods of Dr. Polopolus and 22 Dr. Richardson that you mentioned, how they extended 23 the financial structure and the debt structure, what 24 was your opinion of that? 25 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 176 1 THE WITNESS: That we didn't have enough 2 information. 3 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 4 Q. Concerning? 5 A. What the two doctors had done. 6 Q. In relation to debt structure? 7 A. Well, in relation to any of those. 8 Q. And what additional information would you 9 have needed? 10 A. Well, we would have needed, you know, 11 precise and detailed explanations from Drs. Polopolus 12 and Richardson and copies of the printout showing the 13 input and the outputs of the FLIPSIM model and then 14 follow-up showing whatever interpretations came out 15 of that, you know, or any post processing type 16 things, because they may not have actually got some 17 of the decision criteria directly out of the model, 18 that may have been assumed by relating that to the 19 outputs of the model. In other words, the model may 20 have only outputted some financial information, not 21 this firm went out of business. Okay? So they had 22 to do some translating there. Those are the kinds of 23 things that we would need to know exactly what they 24 did. 25 Q. Did you ever attempt to get this? 177 1 A. Yes. 2 Q. When was that? 3 A. At the meeting with Drs. Polopolus and 4 Richardson. 5 Q. You asked them for the precise details that 6 you just spoke of? 7 A. I asked them; not in the exact same words. 8 But they discussed, during the meeting, all the runs 9 that they had made and the results, and I asked if 10 they had any printout they could share, you know. 11 What I was asking for were, you know, the input and 12 outputs of the model. 13 Q. Did you ask for the translations directly 14 or just the printout itself? 15 A. Just the printout. 16 Q. Okay. And the meeting after, the meeting 17 following, was there an agenda prepared for that 18 meeting? 19 MR. SAXE: Objection; asked and answered. 20 THE WITNESS: Yeah. I don't recollect any 21 agenda on that. 22 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 23 Q. Which issues were discussed at that 24 meeting? 25 A. The meeting centered around the issues that 178 1 Drs. Polopolus and Richardson had raised. 2 Q. Specific detail of those issues? Can you 3 offer me some specific issues that were addressed 4 from the Dr. Polopolus and Richardson meeting? 5 A. Okay. The issue of debt was discussed, the 6 issue -- 7 Q. Please elaborate your recollection of that 8 issue; debt. I mean, when you say the issue of debt 9 was discussed; in what context was the issue of debt 10 discussed? 11 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. Counsel, if 12 you would like information from the witness, can 13 you tell him the information you would like 14 before he answers the question? 15 MR. LIEBERMAN: Unfortunately, I wasn't at 16 the meeting, so I am trying to find out what he 17 learned at the meeting. 18 MR. NETTLETON: Go ahead and answer if you 19 remember the question. 20 THE WITNESS: Okay. What I am trying to do 21 is lay out some of the areas that we discussed 22 and what I recollect about those discussions. 23 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 24 Q. That would be great. 25 A. Okay. Well, we discussed the fact that 179 1 Polopolus and Richardson were not using a baseline 2 analysis, had laid out what they expected to happen 3 to the industry without the impacts caused by the 4 SWIM plan, we discussed the debt structure 5 assumptions, the lack of data that there were, the 6 inappropriateness of using a kind of a farm model 7 when the firms in this case are much bigger than 8 individual farms, we discussed -- did I say the lack 9 of data on that? Okay. Would it be okay for me to 10 refer to this document to help jog my memory? 11 Q. Which document are you referring to? 12 MR. NETTLETON: Florida Sugar Cane League. 13 It is up to your inquirer here. Is that 14 the one you are referring to? 15 THE WITNESS: Yeah. 16 MR. LIEBERMAN: That would be fine. 17 MR. NETTLETON: Can we identify for the 18 record what it is? It is a document entitled -- 19 we identified this yesterday -- the Florida 20 Sugar Cane League Summary of Hazen and Sawyer's 21 Potential Economic Impacts Analysis, with 22 various subtitles, footnotes and qualifications. 23 THE WITNESS: Okay. We discussed the 24 criticism of the productivity assumptions, and 25 we discussed ways that in the future Hazen and 180 1 Sawyer could analyze productivity growth. We 2 discussed the information that Drs. Polopolus 3 and Richardson had provided us as background to 4 NAFTA and the impacts of that. We discussed 5 their ideas for future baseline projections, 6 which again usually focused on bad things that 7 might happen to the industry in the baseline. 8 We discussed that memo that I had provided on 9 the historical profitability. There was some 10 discussion, I think, on machinery replacement, 11 but I don't recollect what was said there. 12 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 13 Q. Dr. Woehlcke, did you take notes at these 14 meetings? 15 A. Yes. 16 Q. Did you produce those notes? 17 A. Yes. 18 Q. Those notes are all the notes that we went 19 through yesterday. I believe there are 15 or 16. 20 Were those all the handwritten notes from yesterday; 21 were those all your notes from those meetings? 22 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. Are you 23 referring to Exhibits, counsel? 24 MR. LIEBERMAN: I'm not certain if they got 25 entered yesterday. 181 1 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 2 Q. The handwritten notes that you showed 3 yesterday; did those represent all the notes 4 prepared? 5 A. At all of these meetings, to the best of my 6 knowledge. You know, I keep them in a file, and I 7 made a stack of everything that I thought I had. 8 Q. Did you ever summarize the notes into a 9 memo? 10 A. No. 11 Q. Okay. Now, if we can just go through some 12 of these issues, you said you discussed the debt 13 structure assumptions, the lack of data, the 14 inappropriateness of the model. Why do you feel the 15 model is so inappropriate? 16 A. First of all, because the focus of Hazen 17 and Sawyer's assignment is to analyze the potential 18 use of the land, not the financial stability of the 19 existing farms out there. 20 Q. So? 21 A. The second, the analysis that 22 Drs. Polopolus and Richardson did, treated a farm; 23 they created a farm level of operation at which they 24 analyzed this financial stability and viability. 25 Okay? But that is not what is out there and what is 182 1 out there is large, large firms and some small ones, 2 but they treated everybody as if the firm was the 3 farm. That is not true. 4 Q. Can you elaborate more on that distinction? 5 I'm not an economist. 6 A. The difficulty in handling the debt that is 7 on the land, if it does exist out there -- again, we 8 don't have the data -- would relate to the ability of 9 the firm to carry and finance that debt. That is 10 going to depend not only on the profitability of the 11 individual model farm or whatever, but on the 12 profitability of the firm in all its other endeavors 13 inside and outside the EAA. 14 Q. Let me just see if I can clarify this for 15 my own understanding. Like I said, economics -- I 16 have a hard time spelling it, let alone understanding 17 all of it. 18 The profitability of the firm you say 19 dictates the actual area, the size of the firm; is 20 that correct? Is that my understanding of what 21 you're saying? 22 A. No, I said the profitability of the firm 23 overall is what is important in determining their 24 ability to handle whatever debt structure there might 25 be on the land out there. 183 1 Q. If the land is not profitable because it is 2 going out of production or it is just not profitable 3 anymore, if we can make that assumption, does that 4 mean a big firm's better off taking a loss than a 5 small firm? 6 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. The question 7 is confusing. I think the underlying assumption 8 is not sound. 9 MR. LIEBERMAN: Well, that is what I am 10 trying to clarify. 11 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 12 Q. So if you could for me, Dr. Woehlcke -- 13 MR. SAXE: Would you re-read the question, 14 please? 15 MR. LIEBERMAN: I'll be more than happy to 16 rephrase it; try and work out something that he 17 understands better. 18 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 19 Q. Do you understand what I mean? 20 A. No. It doesn't fit in an economic 21 framework very well. 22 Q. Okay. You are talking about the 23 profitability of the firm to the larger firm. What 24 distinction for a large firm to have a loss of 25 profit, loss in the EAA, would it be for a large firm 184 1 to take that profit loss versus a small firm to take 2 that profit loss? 3 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 4 THE WITNESS: It depends on the large 5 firm's profitability without it, you know. 6 Maybe the large firm's losing money and it is a 7 problem for them, and the small firm's making 8 it. There is no necessary correlation between 9 size and profitability to start with. I 10 couldn't say. 11 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 12 Q. So what would then be your specific problem 13 with the inappropriateness of the model, if there is 14 no relation there? 15 A. Polopolus and Richardson are looking at 16 differences in the revenues and costs of the industry 17 that result from the actions of the SWIM plan, and 18 they are relating those to the ability of a 19 hypothesized farm to handle that. Okay? But in many 20 cases, the farm is not the same as the firm. The 21 firm is much bigger, has other business interests, 22 and the ability of the firm to carry the debt is what 23 I believe is relevant. 24 Q. Can you expand more on this concept of the 25 ability of the firm to carry the debt? You just 185 1 stated in your answer that it depends on the ability 2 of the firm to carry the debt. Can you just in an 3 economic sense expand on that, why that is so 4 important to you? 5 MR. NETTLETON: Object; asked and answered. 6 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 7 Q. Can you clarify it then? 8 A. All this has secondary importance because 9 the primary focus is on the use of the land rather 10 than the survival of the firm. Okay? 11 I am trying to make an additional point; 12 that even if we were doing a survival of the firm 13 analysis, say if Polopolus and Richardson had done 14 it, then I would critique and criticize what they did 15 because they are not looking at -- they are saying 16 that if, for instance, considering it like if you're 17 a homeowner, okay, and you have a mortgage and your 18 income goes down, and you decide you have got 19 problems making your mortgage payment, you might face 20 the loss of your house. Okay? But if you're a 21 landholder that has -- and I'll make a hypothesis -- 22 20 profitable other land holdings and you're facing 23 the loss on this one, okay, financially you can still 24 afford, you know, to support the debt and to keep the 25 land in production. 186 1 Q. Okay. Keep with this hypothesis; in your 2 numerous years of economic experience, if you're this 3 land holder, with 20 other profitable properties and 4 one that is not profitable, wouldn't it make sounder 5 economic sense to sell that property, or to have to 6 leave that property because there is no reason to 7 support it, if you're making money on 20 other 8 properties? 9 A. You are going to make your decision based 10 on your long-term expectations of the profitability 11 of that enterprise, and you are going to also base it 12 on what you can get, you know, for it when you sell 13 it so -- 14 Q. What if that property has no future? 15 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 16 THE WITNESS: If the property has no future -- 17 meaning what? 18 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 19 Q. Meaning there is a -- for whatever reason -- 20 around the area that piece of land will not come back 21 into what it once was worth or, if it's a house or a 22 commercial property, it's been condemned -- there is 23 no -- you can't get proper zoning -- for whatever 24 reason -- that, in essence, it goes, quote, out of 25 production. 187 1 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 2 THE WITNESS: You're creating scenarios 3 that are really hard to answer because they are 4 not clear as to what the economics of the firm 5 and its options are. You are not laying them 6 out in a way that I can relate to them. 7 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 8 Q. Really simple. Really generally then -- 9 I'm sorry -- if you have these 20 properties and you 10 have the one property -- let's just assume, for 11 whatever reason without inserting facts, just 12 hypothetically, that that property is just going to 13 continue to diminish in value, there is nothing that 14 can ever been done to it to increase its value again -- 15 would you keep that? Are you saying that the firm 16 should keep that property -- that the landowner 17 should keep that property -- if there are 20 others? 18 Just because he has 20 doing well, he should keep the 19 one, even though it is going to continue to never do 20 well for him again? 21 A. Well, the firm would look at what it could 22 get for selling it, and, based on what it could sell 23 it for, it would re-evaluate its options as to 24 whether to continue to operate it or not. Okay? 25 The firm won't look at what it paid for it; 188 1 in other words, that is kind of like a sunk cost. 2 Okay? So if you made a mistake, you may have to eat 3 it. Okay? But they would look forward and they 4 would have to project what they expect their revenues 5 and costs to be. 6 Q. I am saying assume -- just to stay on the 7 hypothetical assumption so we don't have to worry 8 about confusing detail -- assume there is no future 9 for it, you're never going to get it -- it is just 10 diminished in value -- it is a worthless piece of 11 land now except for the real estate value -- 12 MR. NETTLETON: I object to the form. He 13 is trying to answer the question and you're just 14 not happy with it because variables are 15 involved. He has answered it that way, and I 16 don't think he can answer it the way you want 17 it. 18 THE WITNESS: Hazen and Sawyer used the 19 criteria that if the land is not able to be 20 farmed so that they can cover their costs of 21 farming, even if the value of the land 22 diminishes, that the land does go out of 23 production. That is how it goes out of 24 production in Hazen and Sawyer's analysis. I 25 believe that is the sound way of analyzing that. 189 1 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 2 Q. Okay. You also mentioned that -- I'm sorry -- 3 to go back to this meeting; now, with the numerous 4 people that you had ideas from, were you discussing 5 ideas for future base lines? 6 A. Uh-huh. 7 Q. What were those ideas? 8 A. Well, we talked about the importance of 9 future subsidence, we talked about the importance of 10 productivity improvements, we talked about the 11 importance of changes in federal support policy, and 12 that could come about through NAFTA or other trade 13 agreements or through changes in those policies. We 14 also talked about whether there might be a scenario 15 that tried to reflect Cuba becoming free and entering 16 into the world market more in a way that might affect 17 the price support system and supply/demand balance in 18 the United States. 19 Q. What would be that effect of Cuba entering? 20 A. I don't know. We would have to analyze it. 21 Q. Just based upon your 20 years of 22 experience, just what would your opinion be? I mean, 23 is the price of sugar going to go up or go down? 24 A. My experience from 20 years is you can't 25 answer questions offhand like that. 190 1 Q. Let's say sugar. 2 A. We do not answer questions offhand like 3 that. 4 Q. So you really can't answer? 5 A. Give me a lot of the specifics about, you 6 know, -- 7 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 8 THE WITNESS: -- about what is going to 9 change in Cuba, how the United States policy is 10 going to respond, and then I would have to -- 11 you know, I do not have U. S. Sugar supply and 12 demand equations in my head. I would go analyze 13 it. 14 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 15 Q. Okay. Going back to NAFTA; yesterday you 16 said, you know, you couldn't tell if Mexico -- I 17 believe, you mentioned something about, you wouldn't 18 be able to determine if Mexico was going to come and 19 just enter the world market -- I mean enter this 20 NAFTA -- 21 A. I was repeating a point made by 22 Dr. Polopolus that apparently the impacts of NAFTA 23 depends on whether Mexico establishes itself as a net 24 exporter of sugar to the United States. 25 Q. And what is your opinion if they do; if 191 1 Mexico does become a net exporter of sugar in the 2 United States? 3 A. Generally, it would tend to mean more 4 competition and lower prices. Other things in the 5 federal policy being equal, how much -- you need to 6 analyze -- 7 Q. That is exactly what I am trying to -- I 8 mean -- I'm not asking you to analyze. Just 9 generally, would they be lower? Would the same 10 situation happen, for instance in the GATT 11 negotiations, if the agricultural price supports are 12 removed? 13 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 14 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 15 Q. If the United States could no longer 16 institute agricultural price supports to the sugar 17 industry, as GATT did, did you consider that 18 possibility? 19 A. Hazen and Sawyer analyzed, already, the 20 case in which there are no price supports and took a 21 look at what it appeared the world market price would 22 be, and that was their scenario; one that showed 23 prices lower than would be, had the industry 24 continued to operate out there even under the 25 baseline. 192 1 Q. Did you ever consider --I know the 2 Caribbean Basin Initiative has a sugar provision in 3 the sense that sugar isn't as freely traded as our 4 other products. It limits the products without tax. 5 Are you familiar with that? 6 A. No. 7 Q. Okay. You mentioned that you just talked 8 about these ideas you had for future baselines. What 9 was ever done about these ideas? Did you ever relate 10 them to Hazen and Sawyer? 11 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 12 THE WITNESS: Hazen and Sawyer was in 13 attendance. I mentioned that Grace Johns and 14 Chris Moline were at that meeting. 15 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 16 Q. Are they being instituted in the next plan 17 action? 18 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 19 MR. LIEBERMAN: On what basis? 20 MR. SAXE: Ideas he had about future 21 baselines? What do you mean by that, counsel? 22 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 23 Q. Okay. You talked about that. You focused 24 on productivity, new federal support policies that 25 could be added to the baseline; correct? 193 1 A. They are alternative baselines. 2 Q. Do you know the status of these; whether 3 they were ever incorporated in Hazen and Sawyer? 4 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 5 THE WITNESS: I testified I don't know what 6 the exact work statement is for Hazen and 7 Sawyer. I expect that we would be considering 8 these. 9 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 10 Q. Okay. I am going to just ask you a few 11 questions off the documents we went through 12 yesterday; some additional questions. 13 Exhibit 1: If you have Exhibit 1 there, if 14 you can just look at Exhibit 1. In number 2, the 15 last sentence, "A memorandum report" -- do you see 16 where I am talking about -- "will be prepared 17 presenting the sources of the differences and 18 providing the evaluation of their soundness as 19 alternatives to the initial analysis". Do you see 20 where I am talking? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. Do you know if this report was ever 23 prepared? 24 A. No. What was prepared was a summary memo 25 following the meeting with Polopolus and Richardson 194 1 as well as a memo, I think, in this time frame, 2 explaining, you know, Hazen and Sawyer's response to 3 the initial questions. That is -- how, you know, the 4 question to be addressed is -- how do we respond? 5 And it was responded to by several memos. 6 Q. Which memos? 7 A. Memos by Hazen and Sawyer to Pete Rhoads. 8 Q. And did you review these memos? 9 A. Did I review the memos? 10 Q. Did you get copies of these memos from 11 Hazen and Sawyer to Pete Rhoads? 12 A. I recollect getting a copy of the memo that 13 followed the meeting with Polopolus and Richardson. 14 I think there was another memo. 15 Q. And that is the memo we have that has been 16 produced? 17 A. Yes. 18 Q. You think there was another memo? 19 A. I think there was a memo sent shortly after 20 the original presentation by Dr. Polopolus, but I'm 21 not sure. 22 Q. And where's that memo? 23 A. Gee, I don't know. 24 Q. You don't know if that memo was produced? 25 A. I don't know whether I have a copy. If I 195 1 have a copy, it was produced. 2 Q. Did you read a copy? Was that part of your -- 3 A. My memory is too hazy on that. 4 Q. But you do remember this memo that you 5 reviewed? 6 A. I am pretty sure there was a memo. 7 MR. LIEBERMAN: Counsel, we don't have a 8 copy of that. Since he did review it, we would 9 like a copy of that memo. 10 MR. NETTLETON: He says he doesn't even 11 remember if there was one. I mean -- 12 MR. LIEBERMAN: I thought he said he didn't 13 remember if -- 14 THE WITNESS: I think there was one, but 15 I'm not sure. 16 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 17 Q. Can you please check and see if that memo 18 exists? 19 MR. NETTLETON: Well, he's produced all of 20 his documents. He has no obligation to go back 21 and start searching through the District for 22 things. 23 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 24 Q. Well, did you base any opinions or ideas 25 off of this memo? 196 1 MR. NETTLETON: He doesn't remember it, so -- 2 THE WITNESS: I don't remember. 3 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 4 Q. Okay. Dr. Woehlcke, if I could ask you to 5 look at what is marked as Exhibit 2, under Technical 6 Improvements, number 2, that sentence; "...land not 7 economic," -- the second sentence. 8 A. Uh-huh. 9 Q. If you could just explain what this means; 10 what you mean by that sentence? 11 A. One of the options that industry has is if 12 it proves to be uneconomic for one crop, they may 13 shift its use to another crop. And in most of its 14 analyses, Hazen and Sawyer had not at that time 15 provided enough information to convince me that they 16 had thoroughly looked at the issue of what substitute 17 crops might come in. 18 Q. Are you satisfied with their analysis of 19 that now? 20 A. Yeah. 21 Q. You are satisfied? I'm sorry? 22 A. Uh-huh. 23 Q. And in your opinion, what is their 24 conclusion on that? 25 A. The major conclusion is that they have not 197 1 been able to find a good substitute for sugar cane. 2 Q. And you agree with that finding; that there 3 is no good substitute for sugar cane? 4 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 5 THE WITNESS: I agree they haven't found 6 any. 7 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 8 Q. Do you know of any, personally? 9 A. No. If I was, I would have told them about 10 it. 11 Q. Now, you mentioned -- I just wanted to 12 clarify something. You mentioned about the benefits 13 report evaluations of a benefit report yesterday. 14 Did you review the updated benefits report? 15 A. Define "updated benefits report". 16 Q. That was your term yesterday. I have that 17 from you yesterday. You were talking about an 18 updated benefits report. I guess -- 19 A. Just for clarification, since we are 20 calling the very last version we got from Hazen and 21 Sawyer the project completion report, there is a 22 project completion report for the benefits, and what 23 we did there is between the draft and the final, in 24 the areas that were changed, were there were changes, 25 I was faxed the sections where there were changes and 198 1 reviewed those. But then the final report was sent 2 over to the Office of Everglades Restoration, and I 3 do not recollect, nor do I believe I have ever 4 received or looked at, a copy of what was sent to 5 them. 6 Q. So you reviewed only the changes from the 7 draft to the final? 8 A. Yeah. 9 Q. Did you report these, your review or your 10 analysis of this, to anybody in particular at the 11 District? 12 A. We had proposed certain changes based on 13 this memo in our discussion with Hazen and Sawyer, 14 and I discussed generally -- we then had 15 conversations with the subcontractor, Hazen and 16 Sawyer and myself. Okay? And I discussed with Pete 17 Rhoads in general what we decided to do, you know, to 18 improve the report. 19 Q. What was the theme of that discussion with 20 Pete Rhoads? I mean, what is the general decision? 21 What was the general decision you discussed with him? 22 A. They were going to, you know, complete most 23 of the changes that we had requested, but they 24 weren't going to -- 25 Q. When you say "the changes we requested", do 199 1 you remember those changes specifically? 2 A. Those changes mostly related to a better 3 explanation of the source; what was used, what they 4 meant by "loss of wetlands". It related to improving 5 the estimate for the low level productivity approach 6 and the low level contingent value, and explaining 7 some of those studies better, and adding some more 8 guidance as to "well what does this report mean and 9 how might it be used in --" 10 Q. And again I am just clarifying; but you 11 don't know how these were implemented because you 12 haven't seen the final report? 13 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 14 THE WITNESS: What I know is that I 15 reviewed sections that were to be changed. The 16 whole report wasn't going to be changed. So I 17 reviewed the sections that were to be changed. 18 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 19 Q. Did you prepare a memorandum on this 20 review? 21 A. No. 22 (Thereupon, a recess was taken.) 23 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 24 Q. Okay. Dr. Woehlcke, if I could, I believe 25 it is marked as Exhibit 3; a July 27 memorandum. 200 1 A. Uh-huh. Yes. 2 Q. The second page, the last paragraph, 3 starting four lines up, "There also needs to be 4 more" -- do you see the part to which I am referring? 5 A. Second page in the last sentence. 6 Q. Last sentence underneath Economic Impact at 7 the bottom. 8 A. Oh, okay. "There also needs to be" -- 9 okay. 10 Q. What do you mean by that? 11 A. What I mean by that is that, you know, we 12 set out with this economic impact statement to 13 provide the information the Board wanted and needed 14 to make decisions. We had very little experience to 15 go on as to what they might want, and I consider the 16 distribution and the impacts on the existing owners 17 to be part of the information that the Board would 18 want and to be useful in their decision making. 19 Q. To focus in on the first part, "There also 20 needs to be more sensitivity." What do you mean by 21 "sensitivity"? 22 A. Analysis. The analysis needs to include 23 that to a great extent. 24 Q. And how would you propose that? 25 A. To try to get actual information on the 201 1 profitability of the firms out there and their 2 ability to handle, you know, what debt they do have, 3 and the ability to handle it so that something could 4 be said more definitively about the likelihood that 5 the present firms, you know, may go bankrupt or be 6 forced to sell part of their lands or do something 7 like that. 8 Q. Now, did you ask for information from Hazen 9 and Sawyer subsequent to these comments and memos, 10 this July 27, specifically addressing this memo? 11 MR. SAXE: Could you read the question 12 back, please. 13 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 14 was read by the reporter.) 15 THE WITNESS: I had conversations with 16 Grace Johns about her responses to these 17 comments and what she was doing to the draft 18 final report to address these comments. 19 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 20 Q. And what did she do in response to these 21 comments and your conversations? 22 A. All the comments or specifically this one? 23 Q. Specifically first just this comment. 24 A. I think they tried to explain better the 25 difference between the concept of land staying in 202 1 production and the firm's viability and survival so 2 the Board would understand what their analysis 3 addressed. 4 Q. And do you think that is done to your 5 satisfaction now? 6 A. That part is done to my satisfaction. 7 Q. When you say "that part," are you referring 8 to there is another part that is not done to your 9 satisfaction? 10 A. The goal of my comment was that there be 11 more information available, which there isn't. 12 Q. What type of information were you hoping to 13 have available? 14 A. Information on the profitability of the 15 firms and their debt structure. 16 Q. Did you ever try to obtain that 17 information? 18 A. I did not. 19 Q. Did you ever ask Grace if she tried to 20 obtain it? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. And what was her response? 23 A. It was part of their information request 24 from the industry. 25 Q. Did they receive it, to your satisfaction? 203 1 A. My understanding is they did not receive 2 any of that. 3 Q. Okay. If you could please look at what has 4 been marked as Exhibit 4, and number 3 under Task 4: 5 If you could look at the second sentence, "This is 6 good as a baseline, but potential adjustments need to 7 be discussed such as bringing other lands into 8 production," et cetera, et cetera; what do you mean 9 by "other land"? 10 A. One of the direct impacts of buying some of 11 the lands for the STAs is that those lands do 12 directly go out of production, and one of the ways 13 for the industry, for instance, to supply additional 14 cane to mills would be to bring more land into 15 production, whether it is by the land within the EAA, 16 unintensively used lands within the EAA, or lands 17 outside the EAA, such as in the sand lands areas to 18 the west. 19 Q. When you say "unintensively used lands in 20 the EAA", to which are you referring? 21 A. Well, I noted that Hazen and Sawyer has -- 22 there is in Hazen and Sawyer's data reflecting the 23 tax assessor data, which indicates significant 24 pasture lands still out there. That is unintensively 25 used, in my view. 204 1 Q. I'm sorry? 2 A. That is unintensively used in my view. 3 Q. Are you aware of any other lands that 4 aren't being farmed intensively? 5 A. My understanding is that some of the sod 6 lands are not being farmed intensively, but that may 7 have to do strictly with the slack demands for sod 8 during the current recession and lack of housing 9 construction. So it may only be temporary. 10 Q. And then when you say toward the end of 11 that sentence "trying to affect the price support 12 programs to adjust revenues", how do you propose 13 that? 14 A. These would essentially be industry efforts 15 to convince their Congressmen and other 16 representatives that they deserve a better break 17 because they are paying for part of the clean up and 18 gee, can't something be done in the way the price 19 support program is run to assist them? 20 Q. So in essence you're encouraging like a 21 lobbying effort? 22 A. I am saying I expect a lobbying effort. 23 Q. And do you have an opinion whether you 24 think that would be successful and that that is an 25 actual fact that needs to be considered? 205 1 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 2 THE WITNESS: I think it needs to be 3 considered, yes. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. Do you think it is likely? 6 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 7 MR. NETTLETON: Objection; form. 8 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 9 Q. What is your opinion on affecting the price 10 support programs? Do you think a lobbying effort 11 will be successful? 12 A. I would want to analyze it before I would 13 venture an opinion. 14 Q. You have no just basic reaction? 15 A. Worth looking into. 16 Q. And then towards the end of that paragraph 17 on the next sentence you then say, "On the other 18 hand, if profit opportunities are good elsewhere and 19 resources (e.g. the mills) are portable..." What 20 info do you have that the mills are portable? 21 A. My understanding is that the capacity has 22 been added onto gradually, and so it can be -- I 23 think therefore it indicates there is a possibility 24 that it could be adjusted by components, too. 25 Q. Do you have any information -- have you 206 1 done any -- 2 A. No. 3 Q. Do you have any direct knowledge that the 4 mills are portable in this manner? 5 A. I remember reading, although I do not know 6 where, of a case where a mill was essentially bought, 7 picked up and moved and plunked down in another 8 location. 9 Q. Just a simple process you remember it 10 being? 11 A. No, I don't remember it being a simple 12 process. I just remember reading that that had 13 occurred. 14 Q. Do you remember where? 15 A. No, I don't. 16 Q. And what mill it was referring to? 17 A. No, I don't remember. 18 Q. Do you know the last year a mill was 19 established in the EAA? 20 A. No. 21 Q. Do you have any idea of the cost of 22 establishing these mills? 23 A. No, I don't know those numbers offhand. 24 Q. And you have personally conducted no actual 25 investigation of the portability of these mills? 207 1 A. No. 2 Q. Or any section of these mills? 3 A. No, I have not conducted an investigation. 4 Q. So you are not certain whether this is a 5 true mitigating factor since you aren't certain about 6 the portability of the mills? 7 MR. NETTLETON: Object to the form. 8 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 9 THE WITNESS: I wanted to see these issues 10 addressed in the Hazen and Sawyer report. 11 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 12 Q. And were they? 13 MR. SAXE: Objection; asked and answered. 14 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 15 Q. I am talking direct portability as a 16 mitigating factor. 17 A. No, I don't recollect anything to that 18 effect. 19 Q. Do you remember ever discussing this 20 portable issue with Grace Johns? 21 A. I'm not sure. I think we may have 22 discussed portability; mill portability. 23 Q. And what was your remembrance of her 24 opinions? 25 A. I think she had some information that 208 1 indicated that it was portable, but I'm not sure. 2 Q. Did you ever discuss this with Pete Rhoads 3 personally, outside of this memo? 4 A. Did I ever discuss that particular issue? 5 Q. Yes. 6 A. I don't believe so. 7 Q. If you could turn the page and please look 8 at the last item, number four; I believe in your 9 testimony yesterday, when you were referring to this, 10 you said, "they found no other crop". Who are 11 "they"? 12 A. I don't remember saying they found no other 13 crop. What was the context? 14 Q. You were talking about studies of what 15 other crop could be done; their alternative farming. 16 A. I believe I was referring to Hazen and 17 Sawyer who found no evidence, you know, in their 18 research that there were other crops and therefore 19 they didn't assume any. 20 Q. Now, if marginal costs are greater than 21 revenue from production, what should these lands be 22 used for? 23 A. When the marginal costs get to be greater 24 than the revenue -- and we are including in here the 25 costs, you know, the necessary adjustments in the 209 1 land values that are possible -- then the land, 2 essentially, would not have an economic value other 3 than -- I'll call it a residual land, speculative 4 type value. 5 Q. So you didn't find any other -- just to 6 clarify -- you didn't find any other kind of cash 7 crop equal to sugar? 8 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 9 THE WITNESS: My understanding is Hazen and 10 Sawyer did not find any other crop that could or 11 they felt would likely come in and substitute 12 for sugar in the case where the situation in 13 sugar had deteriorated to the point where sugar 14 was no longer viable. 15 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 16 Q. Now, interjecting what Dr. Polopolus' 17 opinions are, he then would say the farm is out of 18 production; correct? 19 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 20 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 21 Q. Your understanding. 22 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 23 MR. NETTLETON: Calls for speculation. 24 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 25 Q. Not to speculate. Your understanding. 210 1 A. He said the farm is out of production when? 2 Q. When, this cash crop is no longer viable 3 because of marginal costs being greater than the 4 revenue from production. 5 A. Would he agree to that? I believe they 6 agreed to that in our meeting, yes. 7 Q. Taking that into consideration and into 8 consideration that there is no alternative crop, what 9 else would you recommend doing -- 10 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 11 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 12 Q. -- with this land? 13 MR. SAXE: Assuming facts not in evidence. 14 The witness has not testified there is no 15 alternative crop. 16 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 17 Q. On a hypothetical and in a hypothetical 18 sense. 19 A. Well, what are we talking about because, 20 you know, you're saying on some of the land that 21 Hazen and Sawyer projects -- 22 Q. Just in a hypothetical situation, so we 23 don't have to get caught up -- 24 A. What is the hypothetical? 25 Q. Marginal costs are now greater than the 211 1 revenue for production, there is no other alternative 2 to this agriculture that is as presently there, it is 3 no longer viable. What else would you recommend 4 doing with this land? 5 A. I'm not recommending things to be done with 6 the land. I am an economist trying to analyze what 7 people would decide to do with the land if that 8 situation did arise so that the agriculture really 9 wasn't profitable. And, you know, when we say the 10 costs are greater than the revenues, we need to take 11 into account the fact that land values in agriculture 12 can deteriorate, and those are not fixed costs to the 13 use of the land. Okay? But if we do reach that 14 point, as Hazen and Sawyer did for some of their, you 15 know, some of the land, what might happen to that, 16 what might people decide to use it for? I'm not 17 really sure. 18 Q. Now, in task 6 there, Number 3, sugar 19 mills, farms; do you see to which I am referring? 20 A. Right. 21 Q. Have they been evaluated now in the current 22 plan as a joint enterprise? 23 A. Yes, I believe that the mills and the farms 24 have been evaluated as a joint enterprise. 25 Q. And you agree that is proper? 212 1 A. That is the proper way to go. 2 Q. And why is your opinion that is the proper 3 way to go? 4 A. Okay. I believe it is the proper way to go 5 for a couple of reasons. One is that even if they 6 are separate enterprises, if you have a fixed 7 investment in the mill, and you consider that as a 8 fixed investment, you will then look at, you know, 9 your marginal revenues and marginal costs for keeping 10 that mill in operation. And if the marginal revenue 11 of getting more -- you know -- the results from 12 getting more cane exceeds the marginal costs of 13 getting cane, you would be willing to bid up the 14 price of the cane to mill. Okay? And that 15 essentially integrates those two. The other reason 16 is the fact that much of the operation out there is, 17 in fact, a vertical enterprise of corporations. 18 Q. And so when you say it needs to be 19 considered as a joint enterprise, what about the non- 20 large vertical corporations to which you are 21 referring? 22 A. The first rationale that I gave is a reason 23 why it is still appropriate, even if they are 24 separate corporations. The mill would be willing to 25 bid up the price of the cane, given it's fixed 213 1 investment, in order to keep that as long as the 2 marginal revenue, you know, from processing that cane 3 would exceed the marginal cost of the processing and 4 of obtaining the cane. So they would bid it up. If 5 cane became in short supply, that is what would 6 happen. 7 Q. Do you envision cane becoming in short 8 supply? 9 A. I envision an initial impact on the supply 10 of cane from land going out of production in the 11 STAs, and I suggest that the ability of the industry 12 to adjust to that by more intensively farming, 13 bringing new lands into production, shifting crops 14 within the EAA and other responses on the supply side 15 of the cane should be looked at. 16 Q. Getting back to this intensivity of the 17 farming; if, as an economist, if you were 18 recommending to a large corporation, wouldn't you 19 recommend maximizing your intensity? 20 A. No. 21 Q. Why not? 22 A. Bringing an absolute maximum yield 23 generally entails raising costs to very high levels 24 in the same way that achieving zero pollution would 25 raise costs of pollution removal. You try to reach 214 1 an extreme and the costs tend to run up. There tends 2 to be a point somewhere below absolute maximum in 3 production or pollution removal or whatever at which, 4 you know, the revenues cease to exceed the costs. 5 But you would stop when you reached the point where 6 the marginal revenues and marginal costs were equal. 7 Q. That is the point at which you stop; is 8 that what you're saying? 9 A. Uh-huh. In your intensity of operation or 10 whatever. 11 Q. And costs from cleaning up and costs to now 12 have to maximize your intensity in new areas, these 13 will lead to this revenue, to that point of revenue 14 exceeding -- 15 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 16 THE WITNESS: It is not a foregone 17 conclusion. That is why we had -- 18 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 19 Q. But that is where you're basing your claim; 20 is that correct? This evolution? 21 MR. SAXE: Objection to the form. 22 THE WITNESS: I think you have to restate 23 that question. 24 THE WITNESS: I believe you're putting 25 together different things and I can't really 215 1 make sense out of that. 2 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 3 Q. You said factors that would make you reach 4 that point that it is no longer viable would be, for 5 instance, I believe you stated in your testimony, 6 would be things like having to comply with new 7 pollution regulations. 8 A. They could be fixed costs or they could be 9 marginal costs. 10 Q. And you also mentioned as another factor 11 that would get you to that point of viability not 12 being worth it; the maximizing your intensity is 13 another built-in cost. 14 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 15 Counsel, my understanding of this colloquy 16 is the witness is testifying as to your point 17 about maximizing the intensity of yield and drew 18 an analogy to pollution clean up as an area in 19 which marginal costs can exceed marginal 20 benefits as you approach a maximum state. Now 21 you're mixing apples and oranges. It sounds as 22 though you are trying to draw the witness back 23 into a discussion of firm profitability or firm 24 survival. Would you clarify the question you 25 want the witness to answer? 216 1 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 2 Q. I don't think I am trying to mix apples and 3 oranges as much as I am -- you're saying apples can 4 lead you to, in essence, downfall, or not having it 5 worth viability if marginal costs exceed, and then 6 you're saying oranges -- as you call them, apples and 7 oranges -- also can bring you to that point. So if 8 you combine apples or oranges, or if you combine 9 these two revenue things that would make your costs 10 go up, that would get you there twice as fast, 11 wouldn't it? 12 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 13 MR. NETTLETON: Objection to form. 14 THE WITNESS: No, I don't think I can give 15 a specific answer to that. I think the 16 fundamental thing is, you know, we do expect 17 things like the per acre charges that Hazen and 18 Sawyer were asked to analyze to affect the 19 profitability of firms, and we feel our Board 20 would be interested in that and in, you know, 21 what effect that might have on, you know, the 22 employment and the land use in the Everglades 23 Agricultural Area. So we expect there to be 24 impacts of the Everglades plan actions, given 25 the scenarios that they were asked to analyze. 217 1 That is why we wanted to analyze them. But how 2 much and whatnot is contained in the Hazen and 3 Sawyer analysis. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. If I could ask you to go to document 6 -- 6 MR. NETTLETON: Exhibit 6 you mean? 7 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 8 Q. I'm not sure if we clarified it for the 9 record yesterday, so I just wanted to make sure when 10 you say from "Dick", you are referring to Dick March. 11 A. I am referring to Dick March. 12 Q. It is the third paragraph at the bottom of 13 that. The last sentence. You have, "If soil 14 subsidence and loss of soil productivity are 15 considerations, I would expect to see a gradual 16 decline in yield, rather than the constant yields 17 which are assumed". Do you agree with that? 18 A. Other things being equal, one might expect 19 that. 20 Q. Can you clarify that? What do you mean, 21 "other things being equal"? 22 A. Well, given the productivity of, the 23 varieties of, and the intensity of the farming effort 24 that the farm enterprises put into the lands, and so 25 on and so forth, you know, those would also affect 218 1 the trends in the yield; okay? So other things being 2 equal -- I mean, if you weren't able to improve your 3 variety of productivity or the fertilization 4 practices or weed control practices or -- you know, 5 there is a whole host of ways that they could 6 improve. So, over time, you are going to see the 7 effect of a lot of factors, not just in -- but other 8 things being equal, that might be something that you 9 would expect. 10 Q. So you would agree with that, absent these 11 other factors? 12 A. No, I don't agree with that. I agree that 13 it is something that you would look at. 14 Q. Why don't you agree with it then? 15 A. It is like a hypothesis; it is not based on 16 data and information. 17 Q. So in your reaction to it, without data and 18 information, why would you not agree with it? 19 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 20 THE WITNESS: Because I generally don't 21 agree to things unless I have something to back 22 it up. You know, I would want the data and 23 information to back it up. I would say, "Gee, 24 that sounds like a definite -- you know, it 25 sounds like a possibility. We should look into 219 1 it, you know. We should ask Hazen and Sawyer to 2 look at, you know, whether there is information 3 that would allow them to project those changes". 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. When you say "those changes", which exact 6 changes are you referring to? 7 A. The changes in yield over time due to 8 subsidence. 9 Q. Did you ask Hazen and Sawyer to look into 10 those changes? 11 MR. SAXE: Objection to form; asked and 12 answered. We had extensive testimony about the 13 exhibits describing Dr. Woehlcke's input to 14 District staff concerning what Hazen and Sawyer 15 might look into in future work, and unless there 16 is some reason to go back over that ground, it 17 is unduly burdensome to reask the same questions 18 again and again. 19 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 20 Q. I don't think we are asking the same 21 questions. I am talking specific response to this 22 memorandum to you. You said you would look at it. 23 You just stated before that you want look at it and 24 say, "Hey, that is a possibility and we need to do 25 some analysis". Did you ask Hazen and Sawyer to do 220 1 that analysis? 2 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. Misquoted 3 the witness. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. I am attempting to characterize what you 6 said. 7 A. I had discussions with Grace Johns about 8 the data on which they based their yield belts, which 9 are closely related to depths to muck, and I 10 discussed with her the time period for which they had 11 that information, which I believe was fairly long, 12 and those data establish that for those yield belts 13 there are significant differences. I don't know 14 whether Hazen and Sawyer specifically looked to see 15 whether those data could yield a time trend within 16 the yield belts or not. 17 Q. Do you remember ever asking Grace to 18 specifically do that? 19 A. No, I don't think I asked her specifically 20 to do that. I know that Hazen and Sawyer did include 21 in the report an overall productivity improvement 22 that again kind of net the impacts of all of these 23 different things that may affect productivity. 24 Q. Okay. In the next paragraph after the 25 quotation you have, "The water supply and flood 221 1 control implications of maintaining higher water 2 tables need to be discussed and related". What 3 exactly did Dick mean by this? 4 A. I don't know. 5 Q. What did you understand this to mean when 6 you read it? 7 A. My guess as to what he would mean would be 8 that if you are maintaining higher water tables, you 9 may need to irrigate less frequently, but that when 10 significant rains come, you would want to be able to 11 drain faster or you would have higher water levels in 12 your fields than you would without because you 13 started from a higher level. 14 Q. Did you ever ask him specifically about 15 this? 16 A. I don't recollect doing that. 17 Q. Would the implications of a higher table, 18 as you just referenced, be impacted by BMP standards? 19 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 20 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 21 THE WITNESS: Say that again. 22 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 23 Q. It's okay. We can go by that one. 24 Now, would you agree that with differing 25 BMP standards, yield changes would be important? 222 1 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. 2 MR. SAXE: Object to form. 3 THE WITNESS: Say it again. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. Would you agree with differing BMP 6 standards, yield changes would be an important 7 analysis tool? 8 MR. SAXE: I'm sorry. What was the last 9 word? 10 MR. LIEBERMAN: Analysis tool. 11 MR. NETTLETON: Same objection. I don't 12 understand the question. 13 THE WITNESS: What do you mean by different 14 BMP standards? 15 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 16 Q. Well, there are proposals for various BMP 17 standards in the models, correct, that Hazen and 18 Sawyer conducted? 19 A. Okay. 20 Q. So with considering variable levels of BMP 21 standards -- 22 A. Who is considered that? 23 Q. Hazen and Sawyer. 24 A. No. 25 MR. SAXE: Objection. 223 1 THE WITNESS: They have essentially one 2 level of BMP standard. That is what's in the 3 existing rule. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. But aren't they considering a range of 6 costs as a result of these BMP standards? 7 MR. SAXE: Counsel, what do you mean by BMP 8 standards? Maybe that will help clarify the 9 question. 10 MR. NETTLETON: I would also like to just 11 object to the word "standards". I don't know 12 that there is such a thing as a BMP standard. 13 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 14 Q. Due to the impact of using best management 15 practices. 16 A. To comply with the existing rule, that is 17 what Hazen and Sawyer had to put into their analysis; 18 what would the farmers have to do to comply with the 19 existing rule? And what they put in was their best 20 estimate of what the farmers would do. 21 Q. Now, did they use a varying -- did they 22 just pick one estimate or did they use varying 23 estimates? 24 MR. NETTLETON: Object to form. Can you 25 specify what estimate you are talking about? 224 1 MR. LIEBERMAN: The BMP estimate he just 2 mentions and references. 3 THE WITNESS: Are you talking about the 4 estimate of what the farmers would do? 5 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 6 Q. Yes. 7 A. What it would cost? Like are you 8 specifically asking whether they always used a range 9 of costs for the BMPs? I don't believe they used a 10 range of costs. 11 Q. Now, we can then go back to the letter. 12 Under P5 there is a sentence, "The analysis examines 13 costs of BMPs" and you are telling me that they 14 didn't, or they did -- 15 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 16 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 17 Q. -- do this; examine cost of BMPs? 18 MR. SAXE: Objection. 19 THE WITNESS: Where are you? 20 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 21 Q. 6 under P5, the last sentence. It starts 22 with, "The analysis examines costs of BMPs." 23 MR. NETTLETON: What is your question? I'm 24 sorry. 225 1 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 2 Q. Did you just testify -- I am just confused 3 here. I am trying to clarify. Did you just testify 4 that BMP costs -- they didn't examine range of BMP 5 costs? 6 MR. NETTLETON: That is the previous 7 sentence, I think, but you can answer. 8 THE WITNESS: They analyzed the cost of the 9 BMPs and chose to present a central best 10 estimate rather than a range of costs is my 11 recollection of what is in Hazen and Sawyer. 12 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 13 Q. Did they do a similar -- and then the 14 sentence goes on -- "...but yield changes in response 15 to BMP implementation are not included." 16 A. And we followed up with that as to, you 17 know, what best information Hazen and Sawyer had 18 which indicated that there would not be significant 19 yield changes. 20 Q. And that was the extent of the follow-up? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. And then if you could turn to the last 23 page, please, the second sentence, "I was glad to see 24 that the runs made with the four percent and nine 25 percent reductions in sugarcane price"; to which runs 226 1 are you referring? 2 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. You are 3 assuming facts not in evidence. Is this a 4 comment by the deponent or a comment by Dick 5 March? 6 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 7 Q. Did you see these runs that Dick March is 8 referring to? 9 A. I saw in the Hazen and Sawyer report that 10 for the mills which supply the areas directly 11 affected by the purchase of land for the STAs, Hazen 12 and Sawyer estimated impacts on those mills and 13 formulated those as differences in the prices that 14 they could offer the farmers, and that is where the 15 four and nine percent reductions come in. 16 Q. So these runs that are in the Grace Johns 17 reports -- 18 A. Are in the Hazen and Sawyer reports, yeah. 19 Q. Second sentence before the end, three lines 20 up, four lines up from the end, same last paragraph, 21 "As mentioned elsewhere, a major missing piece of the 22 analysis"; what was this major missing piece as of 23 7/8, as of July 8, as of the time of this report? 24 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. This is not 25 the witness' comment. It assumes -- 227 1 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 2 Q. What is your understanding of what Dick 3 March is referring to? What is the major missing 4 piece? 5 MR. NETTLETON: I would object in that you 6 didn't finish reading the sentence. 7 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 8 Q. "As mentioned elsewhere, a major missing 9 piece of the analysis seems to be the impact of BMPs 10 on yield." 11 A. Dick March is saying that he would like to 12 see Hazen and Sawyer specifically analyze and discuss 13 what the potential impact of the BMPs on the yield 14 will be. 15 Q. Was this ever done? 16 A. I don't recollect exactly in the report 17 what Hazen and Sawyer now, you know, in the 18 completion report, now says about that. I recollect 19 discussions with Hazen and Sawyer in which they 20 talked about essentially the professional opinion of 21 Del Bottcher that there will not be significant 22 impacts on yield. 23 Q. And what is your understanding of what Del 24 Bottcher's professional opinion was? 25 A. He was one of the major researchers 228 1 conducting research on BMPs in the EAA. 2 Q. I am saying what is your understanding of 3 why he felt it wasn't important? 4 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 5 MR. NETTLETON: Objection; form. 6 THE WITNESS: Who? 7 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 8 Q. Del Bottcher. 9 A. He didn't say it wasn't important, he said 10 he wouldn't think it would happen. 11 Q. And what is your understanding of why he 12 didn't think it would happen? 13 A. I don't know why he didn't think it would 14 happen. I didn't talk to him about it. 15 Q. Do you understand why the farmers consider 16 this -- do you understand why the farmers consider 17 this important; this factor? 18 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. Counsel, are 19 you -- 20 MR. NETTLETON: Speculation. 21 MR. SAXE: -- saying that the farmers -- 22 MR. LIEBERMAN: I am speculating if the 23 farmers consider this important, do you know 24 why? 25 MR. SAXE: So it is a hypothetical 229 1 question? 2 MR. LIEBERMAN: In essence. 3 MR. NETTLETON: I object. I'm sorry. I 4 just object. You're asking a hypothetical and 5 then asking him to speculate about your 6 hypothetical. 7 So you can answer it to the extent you can. 8 THE WITNESS: After all that, would you 9 repeat the question? 10 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 11 Q. If we assume, in a hypothetical sense, that 12 the farmers consider this important, why would you 13 think that the farmers would consider it important? 14 A. I believe the farmers would consider it 15 important because they are dealing with fairly high 16 value crops, and that the costs of the BMPs are 17 really not that big compared to the value of the 18 crops, so even small percentage reductions in yield 19 even on a periodic basis could be more significant 20 than the actual cost of the BMPs to their enterprise. 21 Q. From any possible discussions you may have 22 had with Dick following this memo, do you know why he 23 considered it so important? 24 MR. NETTLETON: Object to characterization 25 and form. 230 1 THE WITNESS: I don't know. I don't 2 recollect any discussions with him specifically 3 about that. 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. In connection with this, you mentioned that 6 originally the plan, the Hazen and Sawyer plan, was 7 supposed to be a 20 year analysis. 8 A. Yes. 9 Q. Do you know who made the decision to cut 10 back to ten? 11 A. No, I don't. 12 Q. Do you have any idea why it was cut back? 13 A. I don't remember the specifics of the 14 discussion at the time that I was told that it had 15 been cut back; as to why. I would be guessing, and I 16 might be just making up reasons that I have, so I am 17 not going to say. 18 Q. As an economist, what would be your reasons 19 to change? What is the value of the ten year plan 20 versus the 20 year plan? 21 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. Which 22 question do you want answered? 23 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 24 Q. What is the value of the ten year versus a 25 20 year plan, considering which one to go with? 231 1 A. I can't think of any values of doing a ten 2 year analysis rather than the 20. 3 Q. Can you think of any values of doing the 20 4 rather than the ten? 5 A. Yes. 6 Q. What would those be? 7 A. It provides a better estimate of the value, 8 it provides a better estimate of the impact as it may 9 actually occur, given the fact that the charges are 10 expected to occur over this longer period of time. 11 Q. So you believe -- I'm sorry. 12 A. So in that sense, it would be more 13 appropriate, I think, for the policy decision. 14 Q. So you believe it would have been more 15 valuable to keep it as an original 20 year plan 16 rather than having cut it back to a ten? 17 A. Yes. 18 Q. If you can refer to P5 on the first page, I 19 just want to know if you can read just the last 20 sentence of that paragraph. 21 A. Yeah. 22 Q. Drawing on your 20 years of experience as 23 an agricultural economist, I mean, do you think the 24 yield changes should have been included? 25 MR. NETTLETON: Objection; asked and 232 1 answered. 2 THE WITNESS: Well, I didn't have the 3 fortune of going to school of agricultural 4 economics; okay? I have worked in the area of 5 agricultural economics, but I'm not a 6 agricultural economist. I do believe they were 7 included to the best of the information 8 available; which is that the person we had 9 working on the BMPs in that area did not feel 10 that there would be significant impact, and the 11 no one else provided any other information to 12 the contrary. 13 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 14 Q. So do you agree or you don't agree? I'm 15 sorry. 16 MR. NETTLETON: Objection to the form. 17 MR. SAXE: Objection to the form. 18 THE WITNESS: I agree it is important. I 19 don't agree it wasn't included. The result of 20 the assessment was that there was likely to be 21 little impact. So you're including the 22 consideration, and your answer is generally 23 negative. You don't expect a significant 24 impact. 25 MR. SAXE: Could you mark that. 233 1 THE WITNESS: That is the best information 2 available. 3 MR. SAXE: Could you mark that answer, 4 please. 5 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 6 Q. Going back to the ten and 20 year decision, 7 was a 20 year analysis actually started originally 8 before it was cut back to a ten year analysis? Was a 9 20 year analysis started? 10 A. I recollect that the 20 year analysis was 11 called for in the actual work statement. 12 Q. Do you recall if it was ever actually 13 commenced? 14 A. That is in the period of my noninvolvement 15 between the evaluation of the contractors and the 16 first review of the task statements and I did not 17 know at that time that it even had been changed. 18 Q. Do you have any knowledge of any disks or 19 runs that were ever done on the initial 20 year? 20 A. No, I have no knowledge of that. 21 Q. If you could go to Exhibit 7, I believe it 22 is marked page 2, under number 3, in that last 23 sentence on the last line, you say, "... consider 24 factors" -- 25 MR. SAXE: Excuse me, counsel what exhibit 234 1 are you on? 2 MR. NETTLETON: 7 3 MR. LIEBERMAN: 7 4 MR. SAXE: You're saying the deponent says 5 "you consider factors"? 6 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 7 Q. Well, the letter is from Hazen and Sawyer, 8 and it says on the last sentence under numeral 3 --I 9 am just trying to see if Dr. Woehlcke can clarify 10 this for me. 11 MR. SAXE: Are you going to read the 12 sentence? 13 MR. LIEBERMAN: If you would like it read, 14 we can read it in. 15 MR. SAXE: Because I'm not seeing what 16 you're referring to. 17 MR. NETTLETON: It is right here. 18 MR. SAXE: Go ahead. 19 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 20 Q. "When evaluating the second ten-year 21 plan,(sic) these assumptions should be reevaluated to 22 consider factors..." -- which factors? 23 MR. SAXE: You did not read the whole 24 sentence, counsel, and you misread it. It 25 doesn't say "plan", it says "period". 235 1 MR. LIEBERMAN: Excuse me. 2 MR. SAXE: Would you read it correctly or 3 shall I volunteer? 4 MR. LIEBERMAN: If you would like to do 5 some prose for us -- 6 MR. SAXE: "When evaluating the second ten- 7 year period, these assumptions should be 8 reevaluated to consider factors that would 9 increase or slow the gains in raw sugar 10 production efficiency." Now, what is the 11 question? 12 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 13 Q. Do you know which factors are being 14 referred to here? 15 A. I don't know what Grace had in mind when 16 she wrote that. 17 Q. Just in context, nothing directly from the 18 actual letter, but in context to number 4, commodity 19 prices, on the next page, do you expect the Federal 20 Sugar Program to remain unchanged for the next ten to 21 20 years? 22 MR. NETTLETON: Objection; asked and 23 answered. 24 MR. SAXE: Same objection. 25 MR. NETTLETON: Calls for speculation also. 236 1 THE WITNESS: I would wait to see the 2 analysis. That is why we have to analyze it. 3 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 4 Q. What about the loan rates for sugar grown 5 in Florida? Will the loan rate -- do you think that 6 will remain at 18 cents per pound or do you think it 7 will increase? 8 A. I don't know. I would want it analyzed. 9 Q. And then if the Federal Sugar Program were 10 abolished and the U. S. bought and sold sugar on the 11 world market, what would be the impact of this action 12 to the sugar industry within the EAA? 13 A. Say that again. 14 Q. If the Federal Government, you know, 15 abolished the sugar program so the U. S. bought and 16 sold sugar in a world economy, in the world market, 17 what would be the impact of this action on the sugar 18 industry within the EAA? 19 A. I believe the Hazen and Sawyer analysis of 20 their scenario one, which I believe covers that case, 21 you know, is a good analysis and indicates that the 22 sugar industry in the EAA would not be viable in that 23 situation. 24 Q. Do you think that raw sugar per acre 25 figures measure mill efficiency properly or a good 237 1 way of measuring it? 2 A. Measuring mill efficiency in what? 3 Q. Trying to figure out maximizing intensity 4 with the mills being efficient in their productivity. 5 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 6 THE WITNESS: It is clearly a combination 7 measure because it goes back to the acres, so it 8 would also reflect efficiencies on the farm. 9 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 10 Q. Referring to number 8, yesterday you 11 mentioned that the FLIPSIM program was being 12 abandoned; is that correct? 13 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. 14 MR. NETTLETON: Are you talking about 15 Exhibit A? 16 MR. LIEBERMAN: No. I'm sorry. Numeral A 17 when discussing yesterday -- 18 MR. SAXE: I don't recall the witness 19 testifying a FLIPSIM program was being 20 abandoned. 21 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 22 Q. That the new report would not be using 23 the -- is the new report going to use the FLIPSIM 24 model? 25 A. My understanding is that it will not use it 238 1 for the calculations. 2 Q. Do you know why the decision was made to no 3 longer use it? 4 A. It is not the most convenient calculation 5 vehicle, and for the analysis that needs to be done, 6 Hazen and Sawyer can expand their existing spread 7 sheets to cover the 20 year period. The standard 8 FLIPSIM model apparently does not go out for 20 years 9 and you would -- if he had to purchase and be trained 10 on a 20 year version of that model, which 11 Dr. Richardson told us was available and we might be 12 able to get permission to use -- 13 Q. If this was available and you had 14 permission to use it, do you think it would be more 15 efficient? 16 A. No, because the FLIPSIM model -- the way 17 that I remember the formulation of the recommendation 18 from Dr. Johns is that because the FLIPSIM model 19 contains so many other farm policies and other 20 variables, it is not the most convenient and 21 efficient calculation method for the analysis that 22 needs to be done here. 23 Q. So that's your understanding of Dr. Johns 24 and why she is no longer using it? 25 A. That is my understanding. 239 1 Q. If you can refer to document 8, please, we 2 discussed it a little this morning, the optimal plan, 3 but in paragraph two you mention or this memo 4 mentions, an updated economic impact analysis after 5 the optimal plan. Is Hazen and Sawyer -- will Hazen 6 and Sawyer be doing this analysis? 7 A. I don't think any decision on that could be 8 reached at this time. I believe District's standard 9 practice would tend to make me, you know, go out for 10 competitive bid, but I don't know the intricacies of, 11 you know, contracting. 12 Q. Now, in the optimal plan -- I am just still 13 confused by it -- you said Pete Rhoads -- early this 14 morning you mentioned something to the effect, and 15 the testimony will exactly -- the record will exactly 16 state -- that Pete Rhoads expressed that alternatives 17 are being evaluated and to seeing things on an 18 optimal plan. What does this mean? In essence, what 19 is the optimal plan? 20 MR. SAXE: Object to the form. 21 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 22 Q. In your understanding. 23 A. What is the optimal plan? Again, my 24 understanding is that the Board had asked that 25 alternatives be considered, and we have contracts out 240 1 to consider the alternatives, including treatment 2 alternatives and BMP alternatives and, you know, 3 staff is to report back to the Board with the results 4 of those alternatives and recommendations as to 5 whether to continue to implement the existing 6 measures, the measures in the existing SWIM plan, or 7 other measures to, you know, to achieve the water 8 quality goals required by the settlement agreement 9 and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act. So that, I 10 believe, is what he's referring to as the optimal 11 plan. The request from our Board that these 12 alternatives be analyzed and that we report back to 13 them to see whether something different should be 14 recommended. 15 Q. So the plan will represent a range of 16 alternatives? 17 A. I don't know exactly how he expects to 18 present it to them. 19 MR. NETTLETON: Object. 20 THE WITNESS: Alternatives are being 21 considered in these studies. 22 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 23 Q. Can I refer you to document 9, please, 24 Dr. Woehlcke. I believe we have got two 9s. No, it 25 is 10 we have two of. So document 9, we have two 241 1 numbers here, and paragraph two, for an accounting of 2 gross acre per gross acre we have a $236 accounting 3 in paragraph two, and then I believe you calculated 4 $149 per acre in paragraph three; is that correct? 5 That's your calculation; 149 per acre? 6 A. Let me look. Yes, it is $149 per acre. 7 Q. What, in your opinion, accounts for the 8 difference from the 236 to the 149? 9 A. I don't know. 10 MR. SAXE: Objection. Can you clarify, 11 counsel? Were you asking whether or not the 12 $149 figure here was calculated by the deponent 13 or that it was from -- 14 MR. LIEBERMAN: I am mainly concerned if he 15 has an idea of why the $149 calculation varies 16 from the $236 calculation. 17 THE WITNESS: No, I don't. We went over 18 that extensively yesterday. 19 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 20 Q. And if you can turn to the chart, please, 21 next page, when you have as your source Sugar and 22 Sweetener Report, for instance, you know, on the 23 first, second and the fourth line -- do you see what 24 I am referring to? 25 A. Yeah. 242 1 Q. Does that mean that in every column your 2 statistics came from the Sugar and Sweetener Reports 3 as your source? 4 A. Yes. They presented a time series. 5 Q. So your conclusions then are based on data 6 from the Sugar and Sweetener Reports where it is 7 marked, so noted? 8 A. Yes. These profit estimates are based on 9 these data from the Sugar and Sweetener Reports. 10 Q. So every time it says Sugar and Sweetener 11 Reports, those are directly from the Sugar and 12 Sweetener Reports, your data? 13 A. Directly from the table quoted, and those 14 tables are Xeroxed -- 15 Q. Right. 16 A. -- in the subsequent pages. As I said 17 yesterday, very reproducible. 18 Q. I'm sorry? 19 A. It is very reproducible. You'll see 20 exactly what I did. 21 Q. This is the table you're referring to, the 22 figure marked 4-2, raw sugar yield per harvest acre, 23 that you referred us to yesterday -- 24 A. You are referring to that now? 25 Q. Right. 243 1 A. I wasn't referring to that when I was 2 talking about that. 3 Q. Right. But we later came to this table. 4 A. Yeah. You had that table, yeah. 5 Q. Do you have a copy of the table? 6 A. No. It should be in the report, though. 7 Q. As you see, it runs from 1964, if you need 8 to look at it, to '90. 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. Do you know why this time frame was chosen 11 for this table? 12 A. That was part of our discussion that we had 13 with Drs. Polopolus and Richardson about the time 14 frame. The end date, I think, was constrained by 15 what the latest data available were at the time that 16 Hazen and Sawyer constructed the table. The early 17 date I think Hazen and Sawyer said that they picked 18 because they wanted to represent the efficiencies 19 with all the existing mills out there and because of 20 the industry being relatively much smaller if you 21 went back much farther. So it is the period in which 22 kind of like the existing large industry with the 23 existing mills have been out there, and that is what 24 they wanted to reflect in their estimate of the 25 efficiency improvements. 244 1 Q. Now, when Hazen and Sawyer made this 2 selection, did you review it or did you have an input 3 in it or recommend a time frame to use? 4 A. I did not. 5 Q. Do you have knowledge -- 6 A. You know, it was in the report as far back 7 as I remember. 8 Q. Do you have knowledge of who was involved 9 in the decision to select that time period? 10 A. Hazen and Sawyer selected it, as far as I 11 know. 12 Q. Are you aware that their period starts with 13 the lowest production acre in 1964 and ended with the 14 highest value ever recorded? 15 A. I am aware of that, as it was pointed out 16 by I believe it was Dr. Richardson at our meetings, 17 because they presented that information. That's when 18 I became aware of that. I'm not sure it is the 19 highest ever recorded. I know I went back after that 20 meeting and checked the subsequent year, which is now 21 out, and that is also a very high year. It may not 22 be quite as high as the number that I believe shows 23 for 1990. In other words, that end point is not 24 isolated any more; it has another high point going 25 with it. 245 1 Q. Do you have runs on these other high points 2 and other years that were run? 3 A. I don't. 4 Q. Do you know if there was ever any other 5 runs done of different years? Maybe taking it, for 6 instance, 1970? 7 A. Drs. Polopolus and Richardson presented 8 some alternatives statistical analyses that they had 9 done, but I'm not sure whether they did it for 10 different time periods or not. 11 Q. Do you know of any Hazen and Sawyer may 12 have done? 13 A. I don't know of any that Hazen and Sawyer 14 did. 15 Q. And you didn't personally do any? 16 A. No, I didn't do any. 17 Q. Dr. Woehlcke, if I can refer you to 18 document 10, I believe now we have an A and a B, I am 19 looking at the November 18th one that starts with the 20 subject "A Perspective". 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. If you could turn to, please, page 4, at 23 the top of the page, that very first sentence? 24 A. The one that begins, "The proposed" -- 25 Q. Yes. 246 1 A. Okay. 2 Q. The assumptions to which you refer, did you 3 ask Dr. Polopolus for those at the 12/16 meeting? 4 A. We asked, yes, because they are essentially 5 the assumptions that say that when the firm goes out 6 of production, that the land will permanently go out 7 of production. Yes. We talked about that. 8 Q. And farther down, I believe it is the third 9 sentence, "The breakdown they have appeared" -- do 10 you see what I am referring to? Same paragraph, two 11 sentences down. "The breakdown they have appeared to 12 assume is that debt problems cause bankruptcies among 13 the agricultural enterprises." Is it unusual for 14 that problem to cause bankruptcies? 15 MR. SAXE: Excuse me, counsel. Where are 16 we reading? 17 MR. LIEBERMAN: Page 4, I believe, of 18 document 10, a copy "A Perspective". 19 THE WITNESS: No, that is not unusual. 20 Again, that is the first of a sequence of things 21 that represents the breakdown that they are 22 referring to. It is not just the first item. 23 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 24 Q. On page 5, under Final Observations, the 25 last paragraph -- 247 1 A. Yes. 2 Q. It is really almost the entire paragraph, 3 if you want to review it, but I want to focus on the 4 last two sentences. 5 A. Okay. 6 Q. You start the second-to-the-last sentence 7 with, "Providing assurances that these conditions of 8 further uncertainty will not prevail", how would the 9 District provide such assurances? 10 MR. SAXE: Objection to form. Counsel, are 11 you asking how might the District provide such 12 assurances, because I don't read anything that 13 says the District would or will. 14 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 15 Q. Well, when you refer to providing 16 assurances, are you referring to the District 17 providing these assurances? 18 A. I believe I was mostly reflecting on the 19 District providing them, although I suppose others 20 could. 21 Q. And how would you propose the District 22 provide them? 23 A. Well, if the District had the authority to 24 make an agreement that, you know, what is required by 25 the interim goals of the settlement agreement, I 248 1 guess it is -- or I'm not sure exactly where the 2 specific interim goals are -- but if the District had 3 authority to agree that those would be -- that would 4 constitute the sole responsibility of agriculture, 5 that if there were further stringent, more stringent, 6 requirements, that those costs would be borne 7 elsewhere. That was the kind of thing that I would 8 have in mind as something that, you know, if it could 9 be done would help provide that assurance so that the 10 farmers would consider not just the burden of the 11 existing fees and BMPs, whenever what they are 12 actually going to be is provided, but that, you know, 13 they would consider only those rather than having to 14 consider those plus the possibility of additional 15 further fees that could further hurt the financial 16 condition. 17 Q. To your knowledge -- 18 A. That I believe would reduce the possibility 19 that there would be economic impacts. Again, because 20 it would focus on the existing burden rather than on 21 two things, which is existing burden and worrying 22 about the future burden. 23 Q. To your knowledge, does the District have 24 such authority? 25 A. I don't know. 249 1 Q. But if the District does have such 2 authority, you would recommend it? 3 MR. NETTLETON: Objection. 4 THE WITNESS: No, I did not say that. I 5 said that these are ways that we could enhance 6 meeting the goal of having minimal economic 7 impact. They would have to weigh that against 8 other goals, and that is a job done by the 9 Governing Board. 10 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 11 Q. Okay. If we could briefly look at document 12 11, towards the middle of the letter you are asking 13 Grace to look into baseline estimates. What I am 14 really concerned with is do you expect a response 15 from Grace to this letter, to these conversations 16 which you reference here? 17 A. At this point, no, I don't expect a formal 18 response from her. 19 Q. Do you know what she is now evaluating or 20 looking into in relation to this? 21 A. I expect to see the whole question of what 22 the baseline profits would be -- your starting point 23 from the historical takeoff into the future -- to be 24 just completely re-evaluated in the 20 year analysis. 25 The 20 year analysis, as I understand it, is not 250 1 just, "Well, we are going to take the ten and extend 2 it for two more years, or ten more years, but we are 3 going to go back and re-look at everything starting 4 from the present." 5 Q. And that is the wrap up of what you assume 6 from that; just that it will be looked at? You don't 7 expect any further memos from Grace regarding this? 8 A. A memo from Grace explaining just why her 9 historical -- her baseline profits seem to be so much 10 lower than historical, no, I don't expect a memo on 11 that. I expect that we are just going to basically 12 redo the analysis going out over a 20 year time 13 frame. But we'll have the baseline estimates to more 14 clearly start from. 15 Q. Okay, Dr. Woehlcke. Document 12 -- just 16 because I'm not certain -- you mentioned something -- 17 that the starring underneath the date is because of 18 when you turn on your computer that day? 19 A. I bought a program that is supposed to have 20 a tickler feature, and if you put something in, a 21 document, with the two stars before it, it is 22 supposed to come right up and tell you, you know -- 23 Q. So is this prepared on your home computer? 24 A. No. This is done at work. 25 Q. I'm not sure if it was in the record 251 1 yesterday, but I just want to make certain. You did 2 author this letter? 3 MR. NETTLETON: Which letter? 4 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 5 Q. Or this document we are looking at? 6 A. Document 12? I authored both pieces. 7 Q. Now, you stated yesterday something to the 8 effect, and the record will show exactly, the reason 9 why you had this meeting is, "We wanted their input". 10 Who is the "we"? Referring to the federal input. 11 A. I was referring generically to the 12 District. 13 Q. Why is it important for the District to 14 give the federal witnesses an opportunity to have an 15 input? 16 MR. SAXE: Objection. Assuming facts not 17 in evidence. Federal witnesses? 18 BY MR. LIEBERMAN: 19 Q. Excuse me. Why was it important to have 20 these people -- 21 A. We want to get good input from all 22 interested parties. 23 Q. Well, obviously Polopolus and Richardson 24 weren't invited to this meeting before the meeting. 25 A. My understanding of this was that the 252 1 District originally tried to set up a meeting at 2 which all the economists would sit down, but that the 3 fact that the federal economists would be at the 4 meeting was objected to by the Sugar Cane League, or 5 whoever would make Polopolus and Richardson 6 available, and, therefore, since they couldn't meet 7 with us at the same time. We were meeting with 8 Polopolus and Richardson, they wanted to have an 9 input to this review process. 10 Q. Who is "they"? I just want to stop you. 11 Who do you mean; "they wanted to have an input"? 12 A. I believe the federal economists and the 13 people that decide what meetings they come to. 14 Q. So the people that decided what meetings 15 the federal economists come to are the ones that 16 wanted this meeting? Is that what you're