ON JULY 11, 2016 JOE EARMAN, CANDIDATE FOR INDIAN RIVER COUNTY (IRC) COMMISSION DISTRICT 3 POSTED A MAY 7, 2013 VIDEO OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY COMMISSIONER TIM ZORC MAKING A MOTION TO 1) DIRECT STAFF TO SEND CERTAIN LEGISLATORS, TRANSIT OFFICIALS,  AND OTHER RELEVANT PERSONS, LETTERS OF SUPPORT FOR THE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA (AAF) PASSENGER RAILWAY INITIATIVE…AND (2) AUTHORIZED THE CHAIRMAN TO EXECUTE THE PAPERS.

In his Facebook post, Mr. Earman accused Mr. Zorc of flip-flopping, from supporting AAF in 2013, to now, along with his fellow commissioners, actively fighting to stop AAF from speeding through the Treasure Coast.

https://www.facebook.com/Joe.earman/?fref=nf

Mr. Earman’s post, was not only out-of-line, it was trickery.  It was designed to deceive the public.

The fact is that while Mr. Zorc made that motion in 2013, the motion was passed unanimously by the Board of County Commissioners and Commissioner Bob Solari, perhaps the most current vocal opponent of the All Aboard Project, remarked that “the letter should be inviting and undemanding, with the County expressing that it would be pleased to have a station here.”

On May 10, 2013, Joseph E. Flescher, Chairman of the IRC Board of County Commissioners wrote both Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and Donald C. Robinson, President/CEO of AAF, as well as others (1) letters stating that at its regular meeting of May 7, 2013, the IRC Board of County Commissioners “authorized me to contact you to express our support for the proposed AAF passenger rail initiative and to also express our support for the proposed use of public rights-of-way needed to complete the project.”

2103 was then. 2015/2016 is now. At the time of the IRC Commissioner’s meeting on May 7, 2013 AAF represented that the project would be different than it is now with 110 mph trains planned to share the rail corridor with trains carrying hazardous materials.

Mr. Earman’s post is a particularly egregious accusation since Commissioner Zorc supported the train fighters as soon as the truth about AAF came to light. He has continuously been at hearings, meetings and rallies against AAF throughout the region.

If Commissioner Zorc flip-flopped, as Mr. Earman suggests, so did all the other IRC Commissioners, once they determined the scope of the AAF project had changed and they needed to do so.

What would be appropriate in our opinion, would be for Mr. Earman to issue a retraction and apologize for his trickery.

(1)

James Wolfe, District Secretary, FDOT – District 4 Offices

Representative Debbie Mayfield, Florida House of Representatives

Senator Thad Altman, Florida Senate

Senator Joe Negron, Florida Senate

Congressman Bill Posey, U.S. House of Representatives

Senator Bill Nelson, U.S. Senate

Senator Marco Rubio, U.S. Senate