COMMENTARY
“Vero Beach’s ‘break-even’ number has been public for weeks, if not months. For Wixon and her editors to characterize the City Council’s action this week as “upping the price” is just more propaganda aimed at aiding FPL.”
MILT THOMAS
A front page story in this morning’s Press Journal carries the headline “Council raises electric offer.” According to reporter Colleen Wixon, “The City Council all but killed a potential $30 million deal with Florida Power & Light Co…..by upping the price by $17 million.”
As a reporter, Ms. Wixon could have easily found out the city’s position for some time now was that it needed at least $47 million for the Shores portion of Vero Electric in order to protect the remaining customer base from continent liabilities related to that portion. As a community publication, the Press Journal and its editors should know that publishing a misleading story (on the front page) is not in the community’s best interests, especially with an election coming in 13 days.
The only possible excuse for the Press Journal getting this story so wrong is that its employees so seldom receive raises that they have forgotten the meaning of the word.The real reason for this morning’s misreporting is the Press Journal’s persistant bias in covering FPL’s efforts to acquire Vero Electric. We all know that the Press Journal has sided with FPL from the beginning (and we all know Treasure Coast Newspapers president is married to an FPL executive).
As a neighboring community, Indian River Shores, one of the wealthiest towns in America, has spent nearly one million dollars suing the City of Vero Beach/Vero Electric (unsuccessfully so far) over the “burden” of higher electric rates that could run into the hundreds of dollars more than FPL rates for their multi-million dollar homes. Even our very own Indian River County attempted to sue City of Vero Beach/Vero Electric, taking their case all the way to the Florida Supreme Court, where the had the heads handed to them in the form of a stinging rebuke from the Justices.
Then there is FPL, the instigator of all this litigation and pressure to force the City of Vero Beach to sell a major asset only to prove to its shareholders that it can fuel growth by knocking off small community utility systems. Unfortunately, Vero Beach has been its first target thanks to a previous city council that opened the door exclusively for them.
Vero Beach is clearly the David in this David and Goliath story, although Indian River Shores, Indian River County, the Press Journal and FPL have had no success achieving their number one objective, defeating “the little guy” on the block. David turned out to be the good guy in that scenario and at some point, the general public will realize that little Vero Beach is the good guy here as well.
Vero Beach officials hired a team of five utility experts and rate consultants. This team evaluated the likely risks and financial impacts of carving up the system. In doing so, they concluded a sale of Vero Electric’s Shores customer base for less than $42.5 million, plus provisions to cover contingent liabilities, would have negative impacts for everyone but Shores residents. (For a detailed description of the City’s $42.5 million estimate see: Vero Beach, Shores, FPL representatives to discuss number for a ‘partial sale’ July 26.)
Based on the work of five consultants and rate experts, Vero Beach officials contend a partial sale at anything less than $42.5 million, plus something to cover contingent liabilities, will lead to higher rates and higher taxes for everyone else. Vero Beach’s “break-even” number has been public for weeks, if not months. For Wixon and her editors to characterize the City Council’s action this week as “upping the price” is just more propaganda aimed at aiding FPL.
Indian River Guardian 
The three Councilmen were unwilling to accept the $30 million because it was felt the remaining customers on Vero electric could be burdened with ‘holding the bag’, based on the information from experts whom they believed. That is why a counter-offer of $47 million was made to FPL, even though the City Council were pretty certain it would not be accepted. FPL wanted the Indian River Shores customers on their terms. Why the two dissenting Council members would not say ok to the counter-offer, I don’t know. Mrs. Turner, suffering from bronchitis, was not feeling well at all. Mr. Howle may have not understood the question. FPL had placed an August 25th deadline on our accepting their $30 million dollar offer. It was a lot more interesting than the newspaper article made it sound.
I forgot to ask my question. How do we get Vero Beach citizens to become informed? I have no clue. jb
Sent from my iPad
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Cathy, you are, I think, being too kind. Howle understood what was being said. He just became flustered when he realized he had been maneuvered into voting against a sale. Essentially, he voted against letting FPL (and the Shores) know the current council would be willing to make a sale at the City’s “keep whole” price.
Why Wixon wrote what she wrote can be summed up by mentioning two names (!) Bob Brunjes ,Press Journal boss (2) Amy Brunjes FP&L executive and wife of Bob. Need we say more? Wixon, Reisman, Bob Brunjes only report what they think will muddy the waters and put pressure on anyone who will not sell the electric company at any cost. For that matter when was the last time the Press Journal wrote a negative article about Pilar Turner or Harry Howle? Did they ever look into who contributes money into Turner, Howle or Solari campaigns? The answer is “NO” and they never will .The fact that the city hired experts to come up with an true and honest cost means nothing to these biased people.The Press Journal is a terrible excuse for a newspaper. When it comes to the sale of Vero Electric you can count on the paper to play fast and loose with the facts and never give two sides to the story. Objectivity is never used when writing about the sale. Blame it on the names above.