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Longtime PSC watchdog named a member

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VANSICKLER
Published April 24, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Sen. Nancy Argenziano once declared "war" on the commission that regulates rates for Florida's electricity, gas and phone.

She fought rate hikes and questioned cozy relationships between the Public Service Commission and the companies it regulates.

Now, the longtime PSC watchdog will become its newest member.

Gov. Charlie Crist on Monday named Argenziano, R-Dunnellon, as his choice to fill one of two vacant spots on the five-member PSC. The Senate is expected to confirm her soon, and she will take the job after the session ends May 4.

Democratic Sen. Steve Geller called Argenziano a "breath of fresh air" whose fearlessness in "taking a stand" will serve the PSC well.

As a senator and then as attorney general, Crist worked with Argenziano to fight rate hikes that hurt consumers.

"I knew that this was a human being of courage and character, who cared about the people of our state and the consumers of Florida," he said.

Argenziano pledged to work hard and to "learn what I need to learn" to make sound decisions.

"I am a quick study," said Argenziano, who was first elected to the House in 1996. "And I have proven myself time and time again."

She promised to be fair, and she downplayed depictions of her as "anti-utility."

"I am not anti-utility; I am fair. And sometimes some of the utilities didn't care about fair. They wanted more than fair, and that's not right with me," she said.

The move means Argenziano, a senator since 2002, will trade her 425,000 constituents for more than 18-million Floridians.

As a senator, Argenziano makes $30,996 per year. The four-year PSC appointments pay more than $132,000 a year.

Crist said he doesn't know yet when he will schedule a special election for the District 3 Senate seat, which covers parts of 13 counties from Citrus to the Panhandle. Expressing interest thus far in the Senate seat: Richard Corcoran, former chief of staff to Republican House Speaker Marco Rubio; state Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala; and state Rep. Charles Dean, R-Inverness.

Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at 850 224-7263 or svansickler@sptimes.com.

[Last modified April 24, 2007, 01:41:09]