Ohio electric utilities are scheduled to deregulate at the end of 2008.
According to a report by USA Today and The Christian Science Monitor, electric bills have gone up in every one of the sixteen states, plus Washington DC, that have deregulated their electric utilities.
So why is Ohio still continuing down the path of this failed policy ?
To date, deregulation in the energy sector has not produced competitive prices in Ohio. It wasn't that long ago, that Columbia Gas of Ohio supplied natural gas in Medina County for around 50 cents per Ccf. Since then natural gas utilities have been deregulated and current prices are hovering around $1.15 per Ccf.
I fail to see how consumers benefited from the deregulation of home heating gas supply.
Using electricity is like having roads, we just can't do without it. And we have come to depend on our government to plan for and facilitate the supply of this essential commodity.
Why then, is our state government abandoning its responsibility to the public and leaving us at the mercy of the electric utilities ?
In 2007, Governor Strickland introduced senate bill 221 to protect Ohio consumers from soaring electricity prices. The bill passed in the Ohio senate 32-0, but it has yet to see the light of the day in the Ohio house.
I urge Ohio house speaker John Husted and Medina County representatives – Bob Gibbs and William Batchelder to do the right thing and HALT our perilous slide to electric deregulation.
They MUST ACT NOW !
Sincerely,
Jack Schira
Democratic Candidate for the Ohio House, 69th District.
(330) 225-0937
5147 White Pine Drive
Brunswick Ohio 44212
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4 comments:
Dear Jack,
Your blog is excellent. In the winter of 1999-2000 Ohio Republicans deregulated natural gas with hardly a stir. The public hardly knew what hit them when their gas bills doubled overnight. Why? Republicans pulled off their usual deceit. They covered their greed in beautiful, emotional language by assuring their faithful that they were participating in free markets, competition, and getting government out of their lives. Few caught on.
So, what is happening? Hundreds of millions in profits are being pocketed by natural gas providers simply because Republicans think it is okay to gouge and make money in any fashion. Deregulating life's necessities is particularly lucrative because everyone has to have heat, electricity, medicine, etc., and everyone is forced to pay. Just like in Communist countries, there is a guaranteed pool of payers, i.e., the citizens. Deregulating the necessities means profit for the few and gouging the many.
What I don't understand is why the churches do not see through this and continue to support Republicans. How can the churches support people being forced to choose between, heat, electricity, medicine, food, insurance and general health care? Is it not unjust and immoral to force the population into those choices?
Jack, you have raised important issues. You must continue that in your campaign and get yourself elected.
Jack, great post. It is great to see your campaign reaching out to voters using a blog. Very smart.
Dear Charles & Kyle,
Thank you both for your kind words.
Charles, thank you for your in-depth feedback. I have read and reread your comments, they go to the heart of the problems we will face if electric deregulation is allowed to take effect.
George Santayana wrote - "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
Thank you for refreshing our memory of the natural gas deregulation debacle.
The guy that Jack is running against sits on the following committees:Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities, Insurance (Chair), Judiciary and Public Utilities.
This Batchelder fellow received gigantic amounts of money from many interested parties representing anti-consumer legislation.
Batchelder recently received a single $10,000 payment from the CEO of FirstEnergy, Anthoney Alexander.
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