COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

In a scene from the movie “Gettysburg,” Confederate General James Kemper explains “secession” to a curious and puzzled British military attaché. Kemper likens a state legislature’s act of withdrawing from the Union to a British citizen exercising his right to resign membership in a gentlemen’s club.

Following Kemper’s simplistic justification for secession, General Lewis Armistead says, “James, all arguments melt before the searing heat of your fiery logic.”

I was thinking of that memorable and comic scene recently, when I read utility activist and political operative Glenn Heran’s latest letter to the editor published in the Press Journal.

“I have long believed member cities can leave the FMPA in a fair and equitable manner that does not harm other members or bondholders. This is done simply by selling our underlying FMPA assets,” Heran wrote.

There is a lot Heran does not say in his latest letter to the editor. He ignores the fact that Vero Beach has contractual obligations to buy electricity from three FMPA power projects. He also fails to explain that no qualified buyer has stepped forward to assume Vero Beach’s obligation to share in the cost of supporting those projects. Quite simply, without a buyer there can be no sale.

What Heran termed a “$26 million FMPA surcharge,” was, in fact, a fee Florida Power & Light proposed to assess the customers of Vero Electric. This is just one example of how Heran displayed the skill of an FPL “external affairs” specialist in spinning the truth.

Heran, of course, also did not mention that he previously vowed to travel the state urging cities to sell their municipally owned electric utilities to FPL. The utility activist and political operative said nothing of his past involvement in forming and running electioneering communications organizations funded almost entirely by FPL. Why Heran’s dogged, almost blind loyalty to FPL?  One has to wonder.

FPL’s most loyal and vocal ally in Vero Beach also said nothing in his letter about the significant steps City leaders are taking to lower electric rates.

Being a single-minded, singe-issue activist, Heran gives no consideration to the many ways Mayor Richard Winger, Vice Mayor Jay Kramer, Councilwoman Amelia Graves and Councilman Randy Old are working to bolster Vero Beach’s finances, step up the City’s efforts to save the lagoon, improve morale among valuable employees and maintain vital services. Heran does not care about Vero Beach. His only interest is in handling Vero Electric over to FPL.

Believing he should have what he wants simply because he wants it, Heran argues for a change on the City Council.  His letter to the editor is a clear signal that he, his generous patrons at FPL, and other pro-sale activists, are prepared to do everything within their power to elect two new council members who will join Pilar Turner in handing the keys to the city to FPL, while imposing their Tea-Party brand of “limited” government on the people Vero Beach.

Unfortunately, whoever Heran and FPL support in the next city council election, if elected, will not succeed in concluding the power sale.  In the process of trying, though, they will drive off competent and loyal employees and run the city into the ground.