County’s ‘media consultant’ already cranking out the propaganda

COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

The County Commission has hired Rick Oppenheim of RB Oppenheim Associates to carry out a statewide propaganda blitz attacking the Florida Municipal Power Agency. This picture of Oppenheim appeared Aug. 9, 2010 on the Florida Public Relations Association's website following the association's 2010 annual conference. — The County Commission hired Rick Oppenheim of RB Oppenheim Associates to carry out a statewide propaganda blitz attacking the Florida Municipal Power Agency. This picture of Oppenheim appeared Aug. 9, 2010 on the Florida Public Relations Association’s website following the association’s 2010 annual conference, at which Oppenheim’s firm celebrated it’s 25th anniversary,

Less than two weeks after coming way from a Florida Public Service Commission hearing with nothing but a $100,000-plus legal bill in their hands and egg on their faces, Indian River County officials are moving ahead with plans to press for a political solution to the stalled sale of Vero Electric.

Less than a day has passed since it was first reported the Indian River County Commission is spending taxpayer money on a “media consultant” to further the Commission’s plans to fight with the Florida Municipal Power Agency in no less than 20 cities across the state, and already Rick Oppenheim of RB Oppenheim Associates is cranking out propaganda for the County.

“Are you ready to see some sparks fly regarding a blistering audit of an electric utility purchasing cooperative serving more than 2 million Floridians?,” Oppenheim wrote.

Stretching the truth almost beyond recognition, Oppenheim claimed the Auditor General’s report charged the FMPA with “inappropriate business practices and outrageous spending,” (emphasis his).

For starters, the Auditor General’s findings are preliminary and tentative. Secondly, Openheim’s characterization of the audit is pure propaganda, fit for publication in the island weekly.

If anything is inappropriate and outrageous in all this it is the County Commission’s utterly wasteful spending on a PSC filing that backfired and on lobbying efforts and a propaganda blitz that will only serve to solidify the image of the Indian River County Commission as a governing body run amuck.

2 comments

More wasted tax money by our commissioners. Its all a political smokescreen.

The current County Commissioners as a group have set out to destroy FMPA – which is not perfect by any means. But then neither are they because no one is. There are members of the C.C. for whom I voted and was convinced were working FOR everyone in IRC. I’m not so sure anymore. It is upsetting to have faith in someone and discover how much of the people’s money has been spent to supposedly secure a lower electric rate. At the same time, the VB Council – current one anyway, is attempting to cut rates and make changes as best it can. Yet, it, too, must spend taxpayer money to stand up to the IRC Commissioners….AND the well-heeled (at least we think so) Indian River Shores leaders. Politics NOT at its best. We deserve better leadership from the County.