Richard Kessel, president and chief executive officer of the New York Power Authority, visited the company's Rome plant Friday to announce up to $700,000 in power authority funding to help Owl Wire retain 172 jobs. The grant came from the authority's Industrial Incentive Award programAnd where did the "Industrial Incentive Award program" get its funds from? Our electric rates (among the highest in the country)! And where did the Power Authority get its power to do this from? Our State Government..
While I suppose we should be happy that a local firm is getting a grant to keep local jobs in place, what about all the other businesses who are struggling to pay NY's outrageous electric bills (becoming more outrageous as former Gov Patacki's "Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative" "cap-and-tax" scheme kicks into high gear)? What about US . . . and our own residential electric bills?
The question that needs to be answered: Why are Upstate NY's electric rates so much higher than other states who compete with us for jobs? Especially so with all the hydropower we have on our door steps . . .
If you are a regular reader of Fault Lines, you know the answer to that question.
When we have to "redistribute the wealth" from working families to make electricity affordable for the businesses who employ them, can economic collapse be far behind?
6 comments:
"The question that needs to be answered: Why are Upstate NY's electric rates so much higher than other states who compete with us for jobs?"
The same reason we have a water crisis at Hinckley, the power companies have the elected officials in their pocket.
I like how you put 'Wealth' in quotes...
I see what you did there. :)
Several corrections- the Industrial Incentive Award has nothing to do with electric rates or state government. NYPA is not your retail electric company and gets no money from the state. The monies for Owl comes from a NYPA economic development program. I'm glad Owl got the money- if they didn't someone else would. This is from Richard Kessel.
No, but the money does come from taxpayers. So... That has something to do with our tax rates.
Hey - I'm looking for an energy cost reduction too!
If I don't get it, I'm going to leave the state!
What is the criteria for this type of incentive? Why should only some get it? I checked into this a few months back and was told all of this funding was used up....now Owl gets it???
UNFAIR and UNEVENLY DISTRIBUTED
You must not live in Rome, home of the Griffo/Destito cabal. Of course Owl Wire is in Rome, but that's just a coincidence.
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