[JViello]

Here folks, you want to see just how MUCH your state legislature controls the utilities?

This is ONE section out of I believe 330

DPUC T16-11

DPUC Regulations

I used to have to sort through all that crap when designing a new data network for large companies. What a mess.

You need to be calling your legislators and holding THEM and the DPUC accountable for this if you have a problem. They are one one's at the helm.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JViello

You need to be calling your legislators and holding THEM and the DPUC accountable for this if you have a problem. They are one one's at the helm.

Yet these guys are pretending to "crack down" on utility companies by "forcing them" to restore power faster. Ahh...politics.

[adamz]

Originally Posted by JViello

You're asking faster than I can reply. See my post above.

However to answer your question specifically, it's Local 420 Union and the DPUC that are in fact causing this problem.

If said utility can't generate power because of legislation, they have to purchase it and resell. If said utility is told they can only charge X, that dictates their income. Now if Union 420 says workers demand Y pay...I think you can make your own conclusion here.

It's real easy to demonize the company, but when you really understand all the factors at work here, I think you'll find is the government and unions that are the real culprits...as it always seems in this state.

We have two...TWO beastly nuke plants here sitting pretty much idle. You want job creation? Fire those bad boys up and start exporting electricity from our state. The jobs that industry would create are anything but low paying. You're talking several thousand high paying jobs.

I agree with you about the nuke plants.

However, despite your claims to the contrary, you are in fact defending the electric company's management. Doggedly.

You blame a union and the government, which is not surprising given what I know about your political leanings. (I would like to point out that blaming the union is in effect blaming the union members, which is in effect blaming the very linemen that everybody is so worried about defending. I'm just saying....)

I ask you this: can you GUARANTEE me, providing facts and figures to back it up, that CLP has maintained enough crews to handle a storm like this? I provided a link- admittedly to an opinion piece- that stated they had not. What is your source?

In your world, it's always unions and government to blame. Well, they are often to blame, it's true. So is corporate greed, AKA maximizing profits. Are you incapable of considering that possibility?

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Yet these guys are pretending to "crack down" on utility companies by "forcing them" to restore power faster. Ahh...politics.

Yep...

Originally Posted by adamz

I agree with you about the nuke plants.

However, despite your claims to the contrary, you are in fact defending the electric company's management. Doggedly.

You blame a union and the government, which is not surprising given what I know about your political leanings. (I would like to point out that blaming the union is in effect blaming the union members, which is in effect blaming the very linemen that everybody is so worried about defending. I'm just saying....)

I ask you this: can you GUARANTEE me, providing facts and figures to back it up, that CLP has maintained enough crews to handle a storm like this? I provided a link- admittedly to an opinion piece- that stated they had not. What is your source?

In your world, it's always unions and government to blame. Well, they are often to blame, it's true. So is corporate greed, AKA maximizing profits. Are you incapable of considering that possibility?

Let me throw a monkey wrench in your well thought out trap for a minute.

It's not corporate greed. It's GREED PERIOD.

What drives corporate profits? Greedy shareholders wanting an unrealistic return.

What limits the amount of crews on hand that will make them overstaffed on regular times? The greed of union bosses who hold the company hostage for unrealistic wages. (They can only hire so many crew to sit on "stand by" and still hit earning expectations.)

It's the greed of politicians who love the power and campaign funds special interest groups provide.

It's the greed of the consumer who always wants it as cheap as possible.

It's possibly the greed of OTHER power companies that go to higher paying states first.

It's not just the corporation, it's us. We the people have become greedy on every aspect of life including yourself pining for electricity in an "acceptable" time frame, during THE worst power outage in the history of our state.

And it's not my political ideology that's pointing to the problem, it's factual. The power company is controlled by the state, and the unions. Period. The DPUC (PURA now) IS THE OVERSIGHT for the things you are complaining about. Call them, and ask them why they didn't make sure CL&P had enough crews on hand for such an emergency. (Hope you're ready for a 25% hike in your bill.)

[JViello]

I really, really can't stress enough how much your legislature and DPUC are the one's to really get cheesed at here.

This is the state statues that the state run DPUC have drafted in Hartford that controls CL&P

TITLE 16* PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANIES

They apparently didn't do the very thing they passed.

16-245: (The "Department" they speak of is the DPUC)

(h) The department shall maintain regular communications with the regional independent system operator to effectuate the provisions of this section and to ensure that an adequate, safe and reliable supply of electricity is available.

(i) Each licensee shall, at such times as the department requires but not less than annually, submit to the Department of Public Utility Control, on a form prescribed by the department, an update of information the department deems relevant. Each licensee shall notify the department at least ten days before: (1) A change in corporate structure that affects the licensee; (2) a change in the scope of service, as provided in the licensee's scope of service plan submitted to the department as part of the application process; and (3) any other change the department deems relevant.

That's just scratching the surface. There's a few thousand pages I don't feel like reading through.

So don't let legislators or the DPUC play the "we didn't know" deal. This is the same DPUC that looked aside as a guy making $100,000 per year only showed up for work 3.5 hours a day and then gave him his job back.

[hiknapster]

Agreed on all accounts.

Except you glaringly stop short of blaming the corporation owner or owners that directly benefit and are as greedy as everyone else.

You go so far as to point at the politicians paid off by the lobbyists but not the people that actually hired them.

When did we become a nation of apologists for big business owners? And I say this as a business owner. Of course I'm a small business owner which means I get the shaft more than most. No tax breaks or corporate welfare for me.

You'd think those big corporate owners are candidates for sainthood and food stamps and not the guy working 16 hour days up on the pole.

Originally Posted by JViello

It's not corporate greed. It's GREED PERIOD.

What drives corporate profits? Greedy shareholders wanting an unrealistic return.

What limits the amount of crews on hand that will make them overstaffed on regular times? The greed of union bosses who hold the company hostage for unrealistic wages. (They can only hire so many crew to sit on "stand by" and still hit earning expectations.)

It's the greed of politicians who love the power and campaign funds special interest groups provide.

It's the greed of the consumer who always wants it as cheap as possible.

It's possibly the greed of OTHER power companies that go to higher paying states first.

It's not just the corporation, it's us. We the people have become greedy on every aspect of life including yourself pining for electricity in an "acceptable" time frame, during THE worst power outage in the history of our state.

And it's not my political ideology that's pointing to the problem, it's factual. The power company is controlled by the state, and the unions. Period. The DPUC (PURA now) IS THE OVERSIGHT for the things you are complaining about. Call them, and ask them why they didn't make sure CL&P had enough crews on hand for such an emergency. (Hope you're ready for a 25% hike in your bill.)

[JViello]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Agreed on all accounts.

Except you glaringly stop short of blaming the corporation owner or owners that directly benefit and are as greedy as everyone else.

You go so far as to point at the politicians paid off by the lobbyists but not the people that actually hired them.

When did we become a nation of apologists for big business owners? And I say this as a business owner. Of course I'm a small business owner which means I get the shaft more than most. No tax breaks or corporate welfare for me.

You'd think those big corporate owners are candidates for sainthood and food stamps and not the guy working 16 hour days up on the pole.

No, I don't stop there...Not at all. Sure there are executives who "get by" just like there are union slobs who "get by". I could have put it in more detail I suppose but if you don't think most executives don't work crazy sickening hours and sacrifice pretty much every day, not just emergencies I would say you are being disingenuous.

But, lets be factual here as well. The "owners" are the shareholders. And yes, sometimes the majority shareholders are in fact, the uber wealthy. Warren Buffet just made a fricken pile of money with his 5 billion investment in BOA, and got preferred status and other perks that grandma's mutual fund doesn't.

You don't get any tax breaks as a small business owner (Small business is defined as companies under 500 employees)?

Really? No "meals and entertainment" write offs? No equipment depreciation? No mileage write offs? If you work from home you don't write off the portion of your home dedicated to "work space"? You don't pay your cell phone from the business? Travel expenses? Etc..

Perhaps you need a new accountant.

[Cambium]

Just wanted to throw in a stat in here....

63 Counties in Connecticut. 169(I think) Cities

Lets use 900 trucks/crews. Thats 14 trucks per county.
They had 4 days to prepare for this. Did they think that was enough backup?

Here's a little video for you.

Time to wake up and put urgency into the situation. I'll never forget approaching them and hearing them say they were waiting for a list. . I dont know about you but I know where I'm going the day/night before. And I have breakfast at home or a 10 minute coffee break.


CL&P Urgency to Restore power - YouTube

[hiknapster]

I clearly touched a nerve.

I own an auto repair shop. No, I don't write off business lunches and I have none of the enormous tax breaks that big corporations enjoy. In fact, I barely get any tax breaks. The reason is that I can't afford to lobby politicians to get them so when bills come around that might give me a helping hand friends of big business vote them down. Senate Republicans Vote Against Helping Small Businesses | Political Correction

I don't need an accountant. I need a lobbyist.

But this is getting way off track. I will no longer respond.

I hope you all get your power back on.

Originally Posted by JViello

No, I don't stop there...Not at all. Sure there are executives who "get by" just like there are union slobs who "get by". I could have put it in more detail I suppose but if you don't think most executives don't work crazy sickening hours and sacrifice pretty much every day, not just emergencies I would say you are being disingenuous.

But, lets be factual here as well. The "owners" are the shareholders. And yes, sometimes the majority shareholders are in fact, the uber wealthy. Warren Buffet just made a fricken pile of money with his 5 billion investment in BOA, and got preferred status and other perks that grandma's mutual fund doesn't.

You don't get any tax breaks as a small business owner (Small business is defined as companies under 500 employees)?

Really? No "meals and entertainment" write offs? No equipment depreciation? No mileage write offs? If you work from home you don't write off the portion of your home dedicated to "work space"? You don't pay your cell phone from the business? Travel expenses? Etc..

Perhaps you need a new accountant.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by Csiko

Never lost power here, thanks Wallingford Electric.

Everyone I know who had CL&P in North Haven only got their power back yesterday. I found that to be a bit much. A lot of people keep telling those without power that it could be much worse, or to just deal with it. I don't entirely disagree, but that's awfully easy for people with power or a generator and internet access to say.

That would truly be a miracle for CL&P to get the power back on in North Haven yesterday, since CL&P doesn't service North Haven. UI does. Also, there were trees down across the roads until yesterday - they couldn't turn the power back on, until the trees were removed from the lines, and the lines replaced on the poles and re-strung to the homes. They couldn't -start- that work til the trees were moved - which wasn't complete until yesterday morning. My area of North Haven lost power for an hour on Saturday. We were prepared to do without power for up to 4 days, and we had a contingency plan in case we learned we'd be out long than that.