Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday withdrew 154 appointments to boards across the state including four of the five Florida Public Service Commission members.
Scott withdrew the appointments in a memo to Sen. President Mike Haridopolos. The appointments were awaiting Senate confirmation.
Gov. Charlie Crist withdrew 283 appointments in 2007 when he took over after former Gov. Jeb Bush, according to the Associated Press.
Scott withdrew the PSC nominations of Chairman Art Graham, Ronald Brise, Eduardo Balbis, and Julie I. Brown.
Graham and Brise were appointed by Crist in July to fill seats left vacant when the Senate refused to confirm Ben A. "Steve" Stevens III and David E. Klement. Balbis and Brown were appointed in September after the PSC Nominating Council passed over Chairman Nancy Argenziano and Nathan A. Skop for reappointment.
Graham had pledged to improve collegiality on the commission after some members of the nominating council raised concerns about infighting among commission members. Skop and Argenziano had complained that the agency, like the Legislature, was dominated by utilities.
In addition to withdrawing the PSC members, Scott withdrew the appointments of Rhoda Glasco-Foderingham and Cari Roth to the Environmental Regulation Commission, Steven C. Bassett and Kathy Baughman McLeod to the Florida Energy and Climate Commission.
(Story copyrighted by Bruce Ritchie and FloridaEnvironments.com. Do not copy or redistribute without permission, which can be obtained by contacting brucebritchie@gmail.com.)
1 comment:
They are all industry picked and they will be back. This is just for show and a flexing of muscle.
The PSC doesn't even discuss large rate cases. They just let the utility and other interests stipulate.
Commissioner Edgar told reporters that she likes it when they stipulate these large cases because it makes her $130,000 a year job easy. I'd say so to.
Scott should just get rid of the PSC and throw it to the bosses of the PSC, the legislature. It would save billions and the people would know eaxctly who to go to for accountability.
The PSC is just used as a scapegoat anyway. Legislators can blame the PSC for the giveaways to the big utls and the commissioners take the hit, but get re-apppointed and keep the fat check salary.
Governor Scott do us a favor, start anew with the PSC appointees and push for the PSC to be disbanned. That will be a big $$$$ savings. Since the legislature tells the PSC what outcomes there will be anyway, why shold we pay for a PSC to shield legislators? But I know these same commissioners that were hand picked will be back. I am taking bets on it.
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