The theory is that there is strength in numbers. That is one reason why I started the South Dade Municipal Coalition with Pinecrest and Cutler Bay leaders.
Teamwork means that you assist others on their items of importance, at least if you expect support from your fellow team members on issues important to us. Palmetto Bay remains little more than a spectator. See: Palmetto Bay is missing in action on this important fight to protect the quality of life for our South Dade Area, FPL’s plan to place transmission lines along U.S. 1. Again, Kudos to Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner and South Miami Mayor Dr. Phillip Stoddard who have shown true leadership and dogged determination in this tough effort. Please also see FPL Transmission Line Administrative Hearing begin today (After 4 years of preparation) - and without Palmetto Bay.
No one is
against power lines; it is all about when we finally get the power lines where they
belong: underground. When if not now? How long do we wait? Hurricane Andrew was
1992 and there has not been much, if in fact any, progress on undergrounding
the power lines. And nothing will happen until
enough people get involved and are willing to stand up politically and
financially to work for positive change.
So then,
why does Palmetto Bay continue to have their collective heads in the sand on
this one? A two minute courtesy speech, reading off talking points given you
moments earlier by others is insufficient. Teammates
need to be on the same page and push together. Palmetto Bay remains stuck in
neutral on this effort. There is occasional lip service, but no action.
Coral
Gables has been a very active in the effort.
The Palmetto Bay mayor and council need to see the significance of this
issue. Read the Howard Cohen report in
the Miami Herald: Coral Gables mayor, attorney talk with state pols about FPL lines. Coral
Gables Mayor Jim Cason and City Attorney Craig Leen traveled to Tallahassee
earlier this month to meet members of Gov. Rick Scott’s cabinet who will vote
on Florida Power & Light’s plan to run two towering power-line corridors
through Miami-Dade County.
Cason, at Tuesday’s regular Commission meeting,
reiterated the point that the lines should be placed underground at the
utility’s expense, rather than through Coral Gables’ coffers since the
superhighway corridor doesn’t serve just Coral Gables and would have a negative
impact on aesthetics and property values.
Barring that option — FPL says undergrounding
the lines would come at an additional cost of $12 million to $16 million per
mile and wasn’t without its own potential costly maintenance problems in storms
— “We made our point why we think the alternate corridor is the least-worst
option,” Cason said.
Florida Administrative Law Judge D.R. Alexander
will make his recommendation to a siting board headed by Scott and his Cabinet
on Dec. 6 in Tallahassee. Scott and his Cabinet will make a decision in the new
year.
If Coral Gables doesn’t prevail, Leen said that
he, along with Cason, would return to Tallahassee in January or February for
another cabinet meeting to advocate for undergrounding or the alternate
corridor and would appeal the decision.
This is in stark
contrast to Palmetto Bay leadership who cannot really account for why they go
to Tallahassee or demonstrate any purpose or results from Tallahassee other
than Mambo King or Death By Chocolate social gatherings.
Thank you
Pinecrest, Coral Gables and South Miami for setting an outstanding example of
inter-governmental relationships. My we all benefit from your collective
leadership even where some of our own local leaders appear to stay silent on
the issue, at least until there is a victory parade where they can jump in
front of. For certain elected officials, it is not about who does the work
that is important, but when can they claim the credit?
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