COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

Reading the island tabloid’s recent “editorial” advice on who should and should not run in the coming City Council election, it is clear that newspaper’s “editorial board” has only two criteria for endorsement: electability, and a commitment to pursuing the sale Vero Electric to FPL, regardless of the cost and negative impact on the city.

Though the paper has twice endorsed Tracy Carroll, it now appears she will not receive its blessing this time around.  Essentially, the paper is throwing the Vice Mayor under the bus, not because she has been arrogant on many fronts, but because her arrogance and unmitigated gall has, in the opinion of the island weekly’s editors, made Carroll a “long-shot” for re-election.

The island weekly’s editors don’t seem concerned about Carroll’s behavior, or the damage she is doing to the city, just her electability.  They wrote, “Tracy Carroll, a strong ‘yes’ vote on the sale who doesn’t seem to realize her arrogant behavior on other fronts has made her a long-shot for re-election, still seems determined to run.”

Another strong proponent of the sale of the electric system is Utility Commission Chairman Scott Stradley.  Stradley is also a member of the board of the Taxpayers Association, an organization which has argued for further slashing city services -a favorite theme of the island weekly.  Regardless of these strong pro-sale, limited-government “credentials,” Stradley, like Carroll, will not get the nod from the island weekly’s editors because he is, in their view, “unelectable.”

In will now be interesting to see what position the editorial board of Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers takes in its endorsements.  To date, the Press Journal’s editorial board has maintained nothing short of blind allegiance to FPL’s efforts to take over Vero Electric.

The paper’s editors must surely have felt they were rising above principle when they endorsed Carroll two years ago.  Should they commit that act yet again, it will say volumes about whether the local daily newspaper is committed to FPL or to the community.