COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

Approximately 40 people turned out Wednesday evening for what had been billed as a town hall forum where citizens could ask questions of utility “experts.”  The event, so sketchy even Florida Power & Light didn’t send spin doctors to participate, turned out to be little more than a pro-sale rally where a handful of the sale’s most militant supporters gathered to pool their indignation, anger and ignorance of the facts.  Any one who went to Wilson’s forum hungry for the truth surely left with an empty stomach.

After receiving a report on what was said during Wilson’s blame fest, I was reminded of advice a friend shared recently.  “Where ignorance is an enemy, intelligence an adversary, and illogical an opponent, those of sound minds are well served to tread carefully,” he wrote.

Wilson’s “town hall forum” featured as its panel of utility “experts,” Tim Zorc, Glenn Heran and Scott Stradley, none of whom have formal utility experience, and all of whom are unequivocally committed to the sale of Vero Electric to FPL come hell or high water.  Zorc is a builder. Heran and Stradley are both accountants.

When Heran first began building public support for the sale in 2008, he touted his credentials as a Certified Public Account to lend credibility to financial models he and Dr. Stephen Faherty presented showing the City would net $156.5 million in cash from the sale. Heran and Faherty claimed the interest earning from the $156.5 million would replace the current $5.5 million return on investment the City earns on the electric system.

Wilson, somewhat less optimistic than Heran, promised voters during the 2009 city council election the City would net $90 million on the sale.  Now it appears far more likely the 34,000 customers of Vero Electric will have to kick in $26 million to hold the deal together.  You have to wonder what Heran, Wilson and company consider hell or high water.

As comments and questions were taken from the underflow crowd, Wilson’s fellow “chamber” board member, Mark Mucher, scurried around the not-so-crowded room with a portable microphone. Between questions and comments, Mucher elucidated the many nuances of the sale.

Included in a Press Journal report on FPL President Eric Silagy’s recent field trip to Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers headquarters in Stuart was a side-bar story announcing the so-called town hall meeting.  By presenting Wilson’s list of invitees without confirming which ones had actually agreed to attend, Scripps’ announcement on Wilson’s behalf was more than a little misleading.  For example, anyone who attended last night’s meeting expecting to hear from representatives of FPL, the Florida Municipal Power Agency and others on a long list of invitees who knew better than to participate in a Wilson-orchestrated side show, must have felt duped.

Personally, I know of two people who went to Wilson’s “forum” to see who else might be there.  Of the 40 or so people who showed up at the Elk’s Club last night to learn once and for all whether the sale of Vero Electric to FPL will ever be concluded, and to decide who will be burned in effigy if the sale falls through, could it be that at least half of them were there simply to count the crowd?

By the way, Wilson initially announced a membership goal of 100 for his new “chamber.”  By mass mailing unsolicited invoices for membership dues to businesses throughout the community, the new Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce president may have fooled at least a few bookkeepers into sending him checks.  I know of at least one instance where this happened.  Has anyone seen a list of the new “chamber’s” members?  You have to believe anyone who would pay to be a part of Wilson’s “chamber” would be proud to have their name published along with Wilson’s other generous supporters.  Surely the new “chamber” is not going to be a secret society.