And while we know Belizeans are eating lots of chicken and less eggs, what was that Stan Marshall said about who's smoking what?
It's morphed into folklore and passed as fact that Fortis President Stan Marshall once said he doesn't know what the people at the PUC are smoking.
We've certainly reported that in this newscast and - heard the Prime Minister refer to it a few times in interviews as well - in fact back in 2008 when the smoking thing first came up, even the opposition fired off a heated release. But what if he was never referring to the folks at the PUC? That's what Chairman John Avery told us last week and we had to go back to the tape in May of 2008 to check - and guess what, he was right:…
John Avery, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
"Jules the thing is as far as I am aware Mr. Marshall in all fairness never said that about the PUC. As far as I am aware Mr. Marshall was referring to an article that he read in a newspaper the previous weekend and he was smoking he doesn't know what the author of the article was smoking."
Jules Vasquez
"You take it as personal insult?"
John Avery, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
"No, for some reason people keep saying that he said that about the PUC but he didn't."
Stan Marshall
"Just before I came over this evening I pick up a copy of the central paper - there is an article n it talking about a March application, apparently someone had made an argument that we should instead of buying high cost power from our affiliate BECOL we should have bought it from the low cost Mexican supply. I don't know what they are smoking."
Jules Vasquez
"So you didn't feel personally insulted?"
John Avery, Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission
"No, listen Jules these men they are businessmen, they own property they want to maximize their profits. I cannot be vexed with someone who wants to do that. Now basically I as far as I am aware he didn't say anything like that about the PUC."
