COMMENTARY

MARK SCHUMANN

Until reading the most recent issue of Steven Faherty’s email newsletter, I thought his claim that the City of Vero Beach would net $156.5 million on the power sale was about the most outlandish thing the south barrier island utility activist and FPL ally had up his sleeve.

But, no.  Now Faherty, is now helping Laura Moss and Harry Howle, two city council candidates he hopes will start selling off Vero Electric piecemeal if elected. To that end, the outspoken, and often off-base utility activist claims,  “There has been essentially nothing proactive done by the two City Council incumbents over the past two years on the electric issues..”

What Faherty means, of course, is that the current city council has been unable to find a way to overturn established utility and contract law in order to enable Florida Power & Light to expand its customers base statewide by first acquiring Vero Electric. Never mind, of course, that FPL officials have made it clear they, too, have no new ideas for how to close the deal.

It matters not to Faherty, every the propagandist, that the current council has successfully worked with the Orlando Utilities Commission to achieve significant savings for the customers of Vero Electric. Faherty makes no mention of these important efforts to reduce rates. In fact, Faherty is doing what he can to derail these rate reductions. Why? Because a lower rate disparity between Vero Electric and FPL weakens the cause to which Faherty has seeming committed his twilight years.

Faherty is like a spoiled child who absolutely cannot stand not getting his way.  But unlike Faherty, elected officials like Mayor Richard Winger and Councilwoman Amelia Graves do not have the luxury of continually spouting off foolishness born out of a disconnect with reality.  Unlike Faherty, Graves and Winger have the responsibility to govern, and so they must work in the realm of what is possible.

For contractual and legal reasons which Faherty has never been willing to accept, the proposed sale of Vero Electric to FPL will not go forward, and least not in Faherty’s lifetime. Absent a sale, city leaders are doing what can be done to lower rates. Faherty be trying to mask this fact, but the truth is what it is, and the truth is not be be found in his “Utility Update” newsletter.