The House debated SB 31 for about 3 1/2 hours today. This is the bill we've reported on several times already, which would do an end run around the Public Service Commission (PSC) and allow Georgia Power to charge us, its individual customers, in advance, for the planned construction of a nuclear plant.
How ever one feels about nuclear power, this bill was terrible for consumers.
The main argument of those who supported the bill was that it would save consumers a huge rate hike in the future by allowing Georgia Power to charge us a little bit at a time so that we wouldn't have to pay interest on interest later. This was nonsense.
Rather than demonstrating that with bits of the back-and-forth debate, we'll instead give you the Minority Report.
It's rarely used, but if something about to pass is egregious enough, a legislator can call for a Minority Report. This allows, at the end of debate, for an important group to speak. Those members of the committee that sent the bill on to the full Senate who voted against the bill when it was in that committee - in other words those who were on the losing side when the bill was voted out of committee - are allowed 20 minutes to speak about why they opposed the bill, and their report is printed up and given to all Senators.
Democrats Brian Thomas and Dubose Porter gave the Minority Report.
Thomas dismantled the arguments of the bill's supporters with the skill and precision of the archaeologist that he is. (Yes, he really is an archaeologist - pretty cool.)
First, he crushed the argument that this plan will save consumers money. Of the money that we would have added to our Georgia Power bills in fees that's supposedly going to prevent us from paying interest on interest:
Only 25% - $500 million - is going towards that goal of paying as we go so that we don't pay interest on interest later on.
50% - $1.1 million - is going straight to Georgia Power as profit. (They call it "return on equity".)
25% - $500 million - would go to paying taxes on that profit.
So, rather than saving us money, 75% of the extra fees we're charged will go towards Georgia Power making bigger profits.
Second, he said that this was not a referendum on nuclear power. The PSC will decide on construction of nuclear plants March 17 at its next meeting.
Third, he pointed out that it's not a referendum on jobs in Augusta. Those jobs will arrive if and when a nuclear plant is built there, which has nothing to do with this bill.
This bill was only about how Georgia Power gets its money.
Dubose Porter informed younger members that when a scheme like this passed through the Georgia Legislature many years ago, it became known as the "Retirement Bill," because so many members lost their seats for voting for it.
Of course, this valiant effort didn't take the day.
The converts to the church of Georgia Power ignored the many unanswered questions, and didn't seem to think it mattered if we had to fight to get them answered later. Apparently their votes were lined up in advance.
The bill passed 107-66, with about 20 Republicans voting against it and about 20 Democrats voting for it.
With so many people and groups opposing it, it's a tough loss to take, because legislators admitted that they had gotten very few to zero calls in favor from constituents. That's not the way things are supposed to work.
Showing posts with label georgia power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label georgia power. Show all posts
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
It's always fun to be a spectator
They’ve been dragging their feet down here under the Gold Dome, but this week things are picking up big time.
Sen. Fort introduced a bill to impose a moratorium on the death penalty. SB 175. Shalom.
Johnny Isakson announced his intention to run for his U.S. Senate seat again in 2010. Lots of people gathered around, but no one asked the question..."Six more years of what, exactly?"
There are some whispers that they may be reconsidering the long break between March and June. Maybe we’ll get a better feel for that when Gov. Perdue holds his press conference on how more federal dollars might influence the state’s budget.
On top of that, this week we’re staying on top of hearings on Sunday Sales and School Vouchers, and the Senate version of the GSU professors sex Inquistion. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/02/02/sex_experts_legislature.html
And there's still Georgia Power's plan to get us all to pay in advance so they can build a couple of nuclear reactors in Georgia. The first one is not even scheduled to begin construction until 2016. And even this first plant has not yet received all approvals. Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown reflected eloquently from the well this morning and bemoaned the Senate vote to approve this sweetheart deal. Actually his booming voice reflected too...one of the better raise-the-rafters speeches heard in a long time. Sometime speaking with authority has its proper decibel level.
It’s always nerve-wracking to have 2 or 3 committee hearings to get to every afternoon, but now there are 2 or 3 at the same time – in different buildings.
Sen. Fort introduced a bill to impose a moratorium on the death penalty. SB 175. Shalom.
Johnny Isakson announced his intention to run for his U.S. Senate seat again in 2010. Lots of people gathered around, but no one asked the question..."Six more years of what, exactly?"
There are some whispers that they may be reconsidering the long break between March and June. Maybe we’ll get a better feel for that when Gov. Perdue holds his press conference on how more federal dollars might influence the state’s budget.
On top of that, this week we’re staying on top of hearings on Sunday Sales and School Vouchers, and the Senate version of the GSU professors sex Inquistion. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/02/02/sex_experts_legislature.html
And there's still Georgia Power's plan to get us all to pay in advance so they can build a couple of nuclear reactors in Georgia. The first one is not even scheduled to begin construction until 2016. And even this first plant has not yet received all approvals. Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown reflected eloquently from the well this morning and bemoaned the Senate vote to approve this sweetheart deal. Actually his booming voice reflected too...one of the better raise-the-rafters speeches heard in a long time. Sometime speaking with authority has its proper decibel level.
It’s always nerve-wracking to have 2 or 3 committee hearings to get to every afternoon, but now there are 2 or 3 at the same time – in different buildings.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Day 16, Part II - Dateline: Fantasy Island (Part III)
And connecting the dots between the last two posts:
Did we mention that Georgia Power has exempted its corporate customers from the rate hike? That's right - it's only we individual customers who get to pay the extra fees.
Did we mention that Georgia Power has exempted its corporate customers from the rate hike? That's right - it's only we individual customers who get to pay the extra fees.
Day 16 - Dateline: Fantasy Island (Part II)
Wednesday, February 12
Well, the Senate passed the bill written by 70-some Georgia Power lobbyists to allow the electric company to bill customers, in advance, for the costs of building new nuclear power plants. (That’s not a typo, 70 lobbyists.) The monthly additional consumer charges will help pay for plants that have not yet even been approved for construction.
Usually the Public Service Commission oversees the rate increase process, but the legislature usurps power here as a favor to their corporate benefactors. Why a bill to step in now? The PSC’s own staff researchers recommended against approval of the Georgia Power scheme. Inquiring minds want to know why the PSC has rolled over and allowed the regulatory power to be taken away. Could it be that they would have likewise knuckeled under to their corporate friends and voted for approval against staff recommendation and they don’t want to be blamed? Shame.
Well, the Senate passed the bill written by 70-some Georgia Power lobbyists to allow the electric company to bill customers, in advance, for the costs of building new nuclear power plants. (That’s not a typo, 70 lobbyists.) The monthly additional consumer charges will help pay for plants that have not yet even been approved for construction.
Usually the Public Service Commission oversees the rate increase process, but the legislature usurps power here as a favor to their corporate benefactors. Why a bill to step in now? The PSC’s own staff researchers recommended against approval of the Georgia Power scheme. Inquiring minds want to know why the PSC has rolled over and allowed the regulatory power to be taken away. Could it be that they would have likewise knuckeled under to their corporate friends and voted for approval against staff recommendation and they don’t want to be blamed? Shame.
Day 15 - Dateline: Fantasy Island (Part I)
Tuesday, February 11
Another corporate bailout sails through as Delta and others get fuel tax breaks further reducing the state’s income to fund budget shortfalls for services. Said Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam from the well: "It is incumbent upon the state of Georgia to educate our children; it is not incumbent upon the state of Georgia to bail out private companies." In other words, with all the cuts we've made to services like education this year, why on earth would the House vote to reduce the state's revenues?
Georgia’s legislature has been giving out tax breaks to corporations for a long time. There isn’t even a list of who has received long-forgotten favoritism. And no one evaluates whether the breaks are still appropriate. The conservative mantra has been that tax cuts are best given to business so they can trickle down benefits to everyone. And how has that theory been working out for us? Time to look at who gets what, why they got it and did they do what they prom ised in exchange for the break.
Another corporate bailout sails through as Delta and others get fuel tax breaks further reducing the state’s income to fund budget shortfalls for services. Said Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam from the well: "It is incumbent upon the state of Georgia to educate our children; it is not incumbent upon the state of Georgia to bail out private companies." In other words, with all the cuts we've made to services like education this year, why on earth would the House vote to reduce the state's revenues?
Georgia’s legislature has been giving out tax breaks to corporations for a long time. There isn’t even a list of who has received long-forgotten favoritism. And no one evaluates whether the breaks are still appropriate. The conservative mantra has been that tax cuts are best given to business so they can trickle down benefits to everyone. And how has that theory been working out for us? Time to look at who gets what, why they got it and did they do what they prom ised in exchange for the break.
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