COMMENTARY
ED TAYLOR
In the beginning, quite a few years ago, I was a believer. Not a goofy looking double fist pump in the air believer but one who was willing to sacrifice quality of service for lower electric rates. Now years after negotiations began and almost a year after Craig Fletcher, Pilar Turner and Tracy Carroll triumphantly celebrated the signing of a more than likely unread contract “selling” our electric system to Florida Power and Light (FPL) . . . here we are.
Yes. Here we are.
I still write my checks out to the City of Vero Beach for electricity. How about you?
I’ve watched the ever evolving FPL spin cycle with rotating numbers like a slot machine on Ritalin along with their concerted (and blatantly obvious) effort to buy a member of the city council last year. I’ve listened to their spin doctors with the continual carnival barker numbers juggling act and wish they could be placed under oath and subject to perjury charges when applicable. At this point one is tempted to toss around the name of P. T. Barnum. I am not so inclined since I know the “T” represents his mother’s maiden name and I have traced my family tree. Cousin Phineas would be proud of FPL’s playbook.
If the referendum that was held back in March of 2012 were held today, do you think that it would pass favorably by a 2 – 1 margin? Having witnessed the lengths FPL can stretch truth and ethics; do you think it would pass at all? Hopefully the election last November dumping FPL ringer Tracy Carroll indicates that the voters of Vero Beach have put aside their listless attitude and are actually paying attention to what is going on with this embarrassing effort to sell an electric system.
The best information we can get out of FPL spokesperson, Amy Brunjes, is that attempts to complete the sale are “complex”. Let’s see, we are dealing with the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Throw in FPL and the City of Vero Beach (COVB) along with probably a few more surprises and we are stuck with something as complex as trying to read Shakespeare from a bowl of alphabet soup.
We now know that it is going to cost a lot more, than whoever thought of this, anticipated to get out of pre-existing contracts with FMPA and OUC. FPL cannot assume ownership while these contracts are still in force (well I guess they could but the city is still bound by the contracts). In a moment of candor, Ms. Brunjes told the city council that any costs associated with getting out of our pre-existing contractual obligations would just be passed on to “whoever is getting the power”. Guess who that might be Mr. and Mrs. Vero Beach Electric Customer? She also gave incorrect information to the council claiming that FMPA would be addressing the Vero Beach sale in February (which was later rebutted by FMPA General Manager and CEO Nicholas Guarriello). Mayor Richard Winger relied on this now known to be false information to postpone a request from Vice Mayor Jay Kramer to address the possibility of providing lower electrical rates to city customers while the sale is still pending.
The mayor relied on inaccurate information from FPL to defer an item from an elected councilman who placed a legitimate item on the agenda (which was ultimately addressed at the next meeting after it was determined that the issue was delayed based upon incorrect data).
“I can’t say how disappointed I am,” Mayor Winger said shortly after the council voted for a slight rate reduction at the next meeting following Brunjes wrongfully announcing that the sale would be concluded “in the very near future”.
When Charlie Wilson announced the creation of his new FPL Chamber of . . . excuse me, make that the new Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce in January, he told the council that the primary three goals of the chamber would be the promotion of tourism, economic development and involvement in governmental affairs. Wilson appears now to be cheerleading an upcoming “town hall meeting” via a radio promotion where we can more than likely expect the usual presentations from the FPL drones along with other invited participants (as of this date, the new chamber does not have a website to announce the parties who will actually be present to participate).
At least we now know what Wilson meant when he skimmed over “involvement in governmental affairs” in his presentation before the council. Is the motto “Think Vero First” or “Think Florida Power and Light First”?
I don’t watch a lot of television, but when I do it seems that I frequently see an FPL commercial proclaiming that they are “changing the current” and “it is all about you”. We all know that is not true. It is all about the bottom line and obtaining maximum profits for the electrical utility monopoly wannabe stockholders. Does anyone actually think that FPL gives a whit about the ratepayers in Vero Beach? If so, I have some very rare and valuable coins I would like to sell you cheap; but that could be my very distant cousin talking.
I am beginning not to like Florida Power and Light.
Indian River Guardian 
There’s really no difference ultimately to the consumer. Neither FP&L nor Vero Electric gives a whit about its customers.
Last week Vero Electric provided us with a power outage for a couple of hours for the unusual occurrence of rain in Vero Beach. In other words, we are getting the same old, same old. Isn’t that the very definition of insanity?
Ed, this is a great article regarding what seems to be happening right before our eyes. Seems like a second tier of propaganda being put out there by the usual suspects in order to grab yet more low information voters.
I was invited to participate and have declined….read my invitation and my response to the invitation to participate on Bea-isms.article titled: Bea Gardner gets invited.
Yes, Vero Beach DOES care about its utility customers. Rain is often accompanied by wind, which sometimes causes branches to hit power lines…..and only a couple of hours – compared to the inconvenience suffered by the folks in Georgia and northward, that’s insignificant. We were told rushing into the deal with FPL would secure a bright and sunny future for us – and save us really big bucks. Who in their right minds go head long into a deal when they haven’t sorted through those “little” glitches that can happen. I understand Mayor Winger seriously wanting to believe what he was told, but it is pretty certain that he won’t make that mistake again. And we’re seeing further evidence of the inaccurate information we were fed by those on FPL’s bandwagon. Well, thank you, Ed. I like the way you lay it out on the table for all to see.
Great article Ed ! One of the most informative pieces on the topic.
After the 2004 storms, most Vero Electric customers had their power restored in a number of days. In fact, after the second storm, I had my Vero Electric power back on the very next day. Not so for some customers of FPL, who waited several weeks to have their power restored. You have made it clear how you long to be a customer of FPL. Be careful what you wish for.
I have been a customer of FPL in the past so I have a basis for comparison. I really have no preference. However, I do want to enjoy the lower rates that my friends enjoy.
You may have no preference, Pat, but the facts are what they are regarding the length of power outages after the 2004 hurricanes. There was no comparison – no comparison! I really do hope for you that you can become a customer of FPL as soon as possible.
Ed, better late than never but I wanted to post this. I was invited to speak however, I declined. You can read all about my invite on Bea-isms in a post called Bea Gardner got invited.