Take Control of Electric Bills

Another consumer rights matter involves the monopoly on electricity here on Oahu.

Here is how some have described their electric bills of late: "How come the fox is running the hen house?"

What does that mean?

It means the very entity that provides us with electricity is also in complete control of distribution, generation and overall supply of electricity.

In other words, when a consumer tries to cut down on his or her electric bill with solar, or other renewable sources, the consumer is penalized with an even higher rate to make up for the electric company's revenue loss.

The more the electric company loses out by patrons weaning themselves off of the electric company's power source, the more losses in revenue accumulate for the electric company. Hence, rates go up across the board to make up for revenue losses -a lose-lose for the consumer.

I introduced Resolution 12-62 to get discussions going on how consumers should be rewarded for deploying their own independent power supply. The resolution should not be construed as a guise to be against the electric company, but rather as a means to find out how we can get the fox out of the hen house.

A town hall meeting is scheduled from 6 to 8:30 p.m. May 29 at Ewa Makai Middle School. The school is located at 91-6291 Kapolei Parkway.

The meeting will feature prominent guest speakers who are knowledgeable about how we can implement a better relationship with the electric company and turn that effort into savings for the consumer.

There is a petition out there circulating to address the opinion that there is a monopoly on electricity and that such a monopoly should be dismantled. To check out that petition effort, click here.

HART VOTE MARCH 21

The vote on the three Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Bills:

31,32,33 - was EIGHT in favor and ONE opposed . . . with myself being the only NO vote.

I will not condone the outrageous salary for the executive director of HART ($321k with all the perks per year - and it cost taxpayers $150,000.00 for that one job search position alone to be filled - executed on the mainland because HART believed no one locally was smart enough or talented enough to run HART - that only someone from the mainland possessed the capabilities to play the figurine of head honcho).

I will not support the HART budget with the frivolous downtown office rental space included to house some 90 HART personnel to promote rail propaganda; not support the reckless contracts to Ansaldo and other companies that are giving jobs to foreigners and mainlanders over our own talented workers; not support the payment for trinkets to indoctrinate our citizenry with misinformation and false hopes; and, I will not approve of a HART budget that has to borrow money because the feds have not kicked in their share, or approve of any budget for HART that takes one penny away from the bus, handi-van and the like - which this budget proposes.
The biggest risk thus far taken by HART in my opinion, is proceeding on this project with three lawsuits still pending . . . but as HART stated, if you believe this - it will be better for the taxpayer to build it and tear it down later if need be than wait to do it right from the beginning. Someone please ask Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty to come to Honolulu and sing - "Stop Dragging My HART Around."