COMMENTARY

“Isn’t it interesting that when Faherty’s south barrier island allies held a meeting with County Commissioner Bob Solari to plot the ousting of the current leadership to the South Beach Property Owners Association, they did not open the meeting to the public?

“Former Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, is a master at pointing out and making fun of hypocrisy. Imagine the show he could produce based on the antics of the likes of Faherty.”

MARK SCHUMANN

South barrier island utility activist, Steven Faherty, who along with fellow activist Glenn Heran once assured the public a power sale would net the city $152 million, regularly sends out an email blast titled “Utility Update.” Faherty’s presentation of the “facts” is about as one-sided as last night’s performance by MSNBC’s debate moderators.  Like the CNBC team, Faherty doesn’t seem at all interested in disseminating information. His priority seems to be firing ammunition at all those who do not share his view of reality.

If there are any truths to be found in Faherty’s newsletter, they are half-truths at best. For example, Faherty presented links to two recent letters to the editor published in the Press Journal, both critical of Vero Beach Mayor Richard Winger and Councilwoman Amelia Graves. But Faherty did not also include a link to the newspaper’s endorsement of Vero Beach Mayor Richard Winger.

Faherty continues to try to characterize the Florida Municipal Power Agency as some giant, nameless, faceless corporation that is socking away million in profits and overpaying its executives. (Somehow the utility activist and Florida Power & Light alley has confused the FMPA with FPL, a corporation whose CEO makes more than $14 million a year.) In truth, the FMPA is nothing more or less than an association of municipalities, including Vero Beach, that own and operate their own electric utilities.

Faherty also persists is making the false claim that the FMPA rejected FPL’s offer of $52 to million to resolve the contract issues blocking the sale.  Faherty is intelligent and informed. He knows better. Conflicting bond covenants the FMPA has with its bondholders and those the Orlando Utilities Commission has with its bond holders prevent the OUC from taking on Vero Beach’s FMPA power supply and power purchase commitments. Without a buyer, there can be no sale. Faherty, apparently, refuses to accept this.

Faherty’s newsletter has become so disconnected from reality it is hard to read it without laughing, or at least smiling. What I found most humorous in his latest release was criticism of the Indian River Neighborhood Association for hosting a luncheon to introduce its two endorsees in the Vero Beach City Council race, Amelia Graves and Richard Winger. The organization’s board of directors had previously interviewed all five candidates individually. Somehow, Faherty seems to think the three candidates the IRNA is not endorsing, Laura Moss, Harry Howle and Brian Heady, should also have been featured at the luncheon.

Isn’t it interesting that when Faherty’s south barrier island allies held a meeting with County Commissioner Bob Solari to plot the ousting of the current leadership to the South Beach Property Owners Association, they did not open the meeting to the public?

Former Daily Show host, Jon Stewart, is a master at pointing out and making fun of hypocrisy. Imagine the show he could produce based on the antics of the likes of Faherty.