The wingnut world is one that sees everything through a haze of superstition and greed. Science is alien in that parallel universe.
So they're sure to be cheering the latest efforts by utility giant Duke Energy - which has a monopoly in Cincinnati and other areas.
Duke is now asking local governments in northern Kentucky to oppose the Obama administration's efforts to fight climate change. Dook claims that new rules to limit carbon dioxide would raise customers' rates by almost 40%.
Nice try, Duke, but this information is simply wrong. I have no idea where the company gets this statistic from. But it isn't so - because power companies elsewhere that have already taken steps to limit carbon dioxide haven't seen their rates go up.
Duke claims that if the new rules are passed, Kentucky would no longer be known for inexpensive energy. Well, it isn't now - thanks to Duke and rubber-stamp so-called regulators.
Regulators give the energy giant almost every rate hike it asks for - so really Duke is using our money to lobby local governments against the new rules. And they're doing it with regulators' blessing. When you pay your power bill, this is where your money goes.
The Campbell County Fiscal Court hasn't decided yet whether to jab the serrated knife of greed and bad politics even deeper into our rib cages. After prodding by Duke, commissioners are considering drafting a resolution to use our tax dollars to lobby Congress against climate change rules.
Such a resolution should be rejected out of hand. But of course, our merry fiscal court was also known for using our tax dollars to establish a one-time county holiday honoring a certain right-wing private school (after the school had been criticized by others for years for encouraging student bullying). So Campbell County isn't exactly a progressive stronghold.
Corporatism means monopolies have regulatory bodies do their bidding by letting them charge us higher rates - then use this money on lobbying efforts for public officials to stall progress on fighting climate change. The wingnutosphere basks in this corruption.
(Source: http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090502/NEWS0103/905030347)
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Utility uses our money to fight climate change rules
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
You can expect energy rates to go up, Tim. Reducing carbon emissions drastically to levels sought by the Obama regime will be neither cheap nor easy. You're going to bitch and complain about it right here on the Pail, but someone's going to have to pay for it. You want this and you're going to get it.
ReplyDelete