PSB Accused Of ‘False Advertising’
By ABC-7 Reporter Darren Hunt
EL PASO — The Stormwater Utility has been under fire since the city created it. Tuesday, itscommercials informing the public of the need for stormwater management came under fire.
Gerald Miller, president of El Paso’s New Car Dealers Association, has been extremely critical of the Public Safety Board’s management of the new Stormwater Utility.
Miller, along with others, has gathered signatures in an effort to force city council to take the utility out of PSB Chief Ed Archuleta’s hands. “Does anybody remember this guy,” asked Miller.
He also went on to criticize a commercial the PSB produced, claiming it pulled out a Coke bottle dating back to the 1940’s out of a city pump station. The commercialclaimed the station had not been cleaned in more than six decades.
“Anybody see what’s wrong with this picture,” asked Miller,”Ed, you know?”
Miller said the 12 oz. Coke bottle found could not have been from the 1940’s, adding Coca-Cola did not introduce the bottle until 1955. “I can’t get away with false advertising in my business and you as elected officials can’t get away with false advertising,” he said.
Still, there is one big problem with Miller’s claim. The commercial does not state they found a Coke bottle.Instead, it states,” We uncovered a bottle made around 1945.”
ThePSB was quick to point out Miller’s error. “That bottle was in fact from Nicholson’s Bottle Company, a locally owned bottler that was in existence at that time,” said John Balliew, the Director of Operations for El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU).
“It clearly was not a Coke bottle,” Ed Archuleta, the presidentEPWU. “We did not portray it as a Coke bottle but a soft drink bottle that had a particular date of the 1940’s. All we’re trying to do is educate the public,” he added.”
Millerthen pointed outthePSB spent about$35,000 a month airing commercials. PSB officials confirmed the money came from the new Stormwater fees,defending it as part of theirplan to inform the public of the need for a Stormwater Utility.
