Three seats on the Levy County Commission will be fought for by many candidates through a primary and then a general election November 6, 2008. Perhaps the most difficult issue that the Commissioners will face in the next four years is whether to support construction of two nuclear power plants in southwestern Levy County. Candidates should be able to answer fundamental questions such as:
1. Do we need two Progress Energy nuclear power plants in the county?
2. Will county residents be safe in the event of a nuclear accident?
3. Does Florida need the nuclear plants? County officials recognize that tax money can be gotten based on the great cost of nuclear plants, if they are appraised according to the value of the plants. (How will property values near the plants be affected?) Will Levy County give Progress Energy tax incentives to build here? Is nuclear power the answer to global warming? If it takes sixteen years to get the permits and get the plants on line, are they the answer? Can we expect the Nuclear Regulatory Agency to do a better job of dealing with nuclear waste than it has over past years? So much for technical questions. The most important question that can be asked is, "Has candidate X accepted campaign funds from Progress Energy or any group that promotes nuclear energy?" The old adage that money is the mothers-milk of politics is particularly true when great economic gain is at stake. Be prepared for support groups with names like Citizens for Cheap Electricity. The many questions above should not be answered by claims of complexity, need for study or we'll do our best. Address your questions to candidates by name. And press them for answers. | 