Special Session: Drilling for a Gusher of Campaign Contributions

Raise your hand if you think Gov. Charlie Crist's call for a special session is anything other than a fund-raising opportunity.

Hands down, this is a blatant ploy to soak up more campaign contributions heading into the November elections. How? By tacking on plans to give tax incentives for utilities to diversify and explore renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

The state House passed HB 7229 to incentivize investor-owned utilities (and bypass the Public Service Commission), but the Senate let the bill die in the waning hours of the 2010 session.

Now Crist and lawmakers are looking to sweeten the pot, and you can bet that utility giants like Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy will turn on the money spigots to get their way. It's the same old political exercise: You scratch our back and we'll scratch yours.