Sunday, November 11, 2012

Boomerang!

It's interesting how a story can develop! A few days ago Gov. Cuomo was busy deflecting potential criticism of the state's response to Hurricane Sandy by bullying the utility companies with threats of public hearings and loss of state franchises because he felt that they were not moving fast enough.

Now it turns out that the worst problems with restoring power are found in the area served by the Long Island Power Authority --  a quasi-government agency formed by Mr. Cuomo's father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, to purchase the Shoreham, Long Island, nuclear power plant, shut it down, and pass the costs on to Long Island rate-payers. (Upstaters became saddled with increased electric bills when Mr. Cuomo, Sr., pushed for the Marcy-South power-line to deliver relatively "cheap" Upstate hydropower downstate to make up for decommissioning the nuke plant).

Current problems can be blamed on more than the usual ineffectiveness/inefficiency found in a government authority.  Per Celeste-Katz' post on the NY Daily News website Friday, the current Mr. Cuomo bears some responsibility.
. . .  some longtime politicos say Cuomo needs to look in the mirror when it comes to LIPA, a state authority that has been without a permanent chief executive officer since before he took office in 2011.Chief Operating Officer Michael Hervey has been serving as acting CEO since September 2010 when former LIPA head Kevin Law left to head a business trade group.“An organization needs leadership,” said a longtime top state official. “For the governor to talk about the bureaucracy — it’s a bureaucracy he’s supposed to oversee.”
In addition, three of the LIPA board’s six gubernatorial appointments, including chairman Howard Steinberg, are serving with expired terms. Cuomo has appointed just one new board member since taking office.
The NY Post details more of LIPA's long time failings.

Maybe Mr. Cuomo is right.  Revoke LIPA's franchise. Take control from the government, put it back in private hands, and make them earn a profit.  Government bureaucrats, particularly political appointees, have little incentive to perform well.

2 comments:

Buzzer said...

I grew up in Long Island in the 90s. I remember my teachers (public school... so union... thus super liberal and taught us strictly that all liberal things a the best ideals...) telling us that the formation of LIPA was the best thing since Long Island iced tea and that our rates were going to lower significantly compared to LILCO..

The exact opposite happened and the quality of service was the same.

Thanks unionized teachers, for brainwashing us and forcing us to incessantly bug our parents to vote in certain ways.

Dave said...

What an odd story, Buzzer. I thought it was only parents who were fooled by most teachers. Usually the kids have a much more practical assessment of educators.
Of course I'm pulling your leg, Buzzer. Yes it's true that over time teachers do influence their charges. And kids are so "fair-minded" they suck it right up.
Then they leave school and hopefully find work, where they see such a large portion of their earnings removed and spent on what some might view as liberal causes.
Stealing his money will wake the sleeping heart of a nascent conservative every time. There is hope after the classroom.