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A Steady Diet Of Coal

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 9, 2008

"Let them eat cake" is how Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder characterized his four colleagues' refusal to listen to hundreds of citizens on the TECO franchise agreement. Forty-two TECO customers pointed out numerous shortcomings in the franchise agreement, while Councilwoman Mary Mulhern held up a huge stack of letters pleading for a better deal.

But council members Charlie Miranda, Joseph Caetano, Gwen Miller and Tom Scott don't care about thousands of new green industry jobs that will never come to Tampa and don't care that as America moves rapidly to renewable energy with the Obama economic recovery plan, Tampa will miss the boat, getting higher utility rates instead as coal zooms upward in cost.

TECO, deeply invested in coal, has no serious plans to ever move away from this dirtiest way to generate electricity. Will TECO give Tampa a serious commitment to renewable energy now that it has what it wants? Doubtful.

Let them eat cake? Let them eat coal.

PHIL COMPTON

Tampa

The writer is regional representative of the Sierra Club's Florida office.

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