Letter: City should not rush FPL renewal

Letter: City should not rush FPL renewal



Ed Slavin
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 07/18/08

Editor: St. Augustine City Commissioners will hold a public hearing July 28 on proposed Ordinance No. 2008-13, which would extend for 30 years the Florida Power & Light franchise to operate in the city of St. Augustine.

The franchise doesn't expire until June 2009. What's the rush?

If the FPL-drafted franchise agreement passes, St. Augustine and St. Johns County residents will be deprived of the once-in-a-generation opportunity to buy out FPL and start our own city-county electric system.

Let's consider the possibility of public power -- like Jacksonville, Orlando, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Clay County and other Florida towns -- 25 percent of Florida's population has public power (and almost 100 percent of Tennessee residents).

St. Augustine may be too small to take on FPL by itself, but why not work together with St. Johns County and Jacksonville?

Tell commissioners not to rubber-stamp yet another horrible franchise deal with another poorly-regulated utility monopolist. Remember the rush to judgment on Comcast's cable television franchise? Our city got snookered, with citizens stuck with a bad deal for 15 years.

City commissioners don't know how to negotiate with powerful corporations.

The hasty FPL franchise renewal deal must be stopped.

At least two new city commissioners will take office in December. Let them vote. Let's all vote on it. There's plenty of time to consider a referendum for a St. Augustine/St. Johns public power system, buying FPL's equipment and negotiating with JEA, Gainesville and Clay Electric to buy power.

Let's stop monopolistic FPL's 30-year franchise deal. What's the hurry? (Campaign contributions?) Let's learn more. Ask questions. Demand answers. Don't let city commissioners sign our rights away. Let's stop coddling ruthless, energy monopolists. Let's start planning for our energy future, right here.

Speak out on July 28th at City Commission at 5 p.m., 75 King St. It's our future.

Ed Slavin

St. Augustine


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