A VIDEO TO WATCH: IS IT THE "ARROGANT" ELECTRIC POWER OR THE AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER?

UPDATE:  06/10/2010 11:30 AM - Here is a copy of the actual e-mail text from AEP's David Wheeler to County Administrator Mike Hanke.

We are in the process of defining the economic impact AEP Ohio has on the many communities we serve.  

We elected  to look at the county level as the basis for allocating our tax,payroll, purchased goods / services and philanthropic impacts.  I was astounded to learn that in 2009, AEP Ohio spent $71,595,940 in Stark County.  We spent just under $31,000,000 in purchased goods and services and nearly $11,000,000 in property and payroll taxes.

I thought you might find this interesting.  Have a safe day.

David M. Wheeler
General Manager, Community Affairs
AEP Ohio

ORIGINAL POST

According to an e-mail received by County Administrator Mike Hanke, it appears to the  SCPR that American Electric Power (AEP/Ohio Power) is looking for a little love in its service area.

One of the places is with the Stark County commissioners?

A strange place, indeed, 

The e-mail sender (David Wheeler, General Manager of AEP's Community Affairs and Economic Development) sent what apparently could be construed to be a private? communication to "County Administrator" Hanke (i.e. Hanke is shown on the accompanying video as saying that he asked Dave for permission to share its contents with commissioners and  got permission to do so).  Perhaps, Administrator Hanke has a little explaining to do about the implication of private?  Didn't he receive this e-mail at the office?  If so, per force of the situs of receipt by a public official, it would be a public document. Why would permission to share be needed?

The SCPR has asked Hanke for a copy of the e-mail on the premise that it is a public document.  It will be interesting to see what his response is.

In the e-mail Wheeler talks about the large financial expenditures that AEP makes within Stark County and therefore impliedly boosting the Stark County economy.

But nowhere does he talk about the 23% in rate increases that Stark County's Ohio Power customers are to being subjected to over 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The SCPR applauds Commissioner Bosley for coming right back at Hanke with the "what about the huge amount of the dollars AEP is taking from Stark Countians via the gigantic rate increases" (paraphrase)  point upon Hanke finishing his "Stark County education moment" on behalf of AEP.

Further kudos to Commissioner Steve Meeks for asking AEP, with Hanke as facilitator, to fund a new grandstand presumably for the Stark County Fairgrounds. 

The only worse place for AEP to be looking for Stark County love may have been with the Plain Township trustees.  In particular, Trustee Louis Giavasis who was the most active, vocal and energetic Stark County government official opposing the AEP original increase request.

One would think that the likes of AEP would just go away and hide when it gets it way with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).

It appears that the PUCO cut AEP original request about in half.  But many of us of Stark County are not buying that line.

The Report believes that companies like AEP, as a matter of predesigned calculation, ask for unrealistically high rate increases as a first initiative so as to give the PUCO room to cut the increases actually granted to make the PUCO look like it is consumer friendly.

AEP is happy, the PUCO is happy and unsophisticated consumers are happy.

But for those of us who have insight into how the game is played; we truly understand that we have been gamed by American Electric Power and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

That's how arrogant these folks are!!!

And they want to be loved? Watch this intriguing video of the exchange between Administrator Hanke and Commissioners Bosley and Meeks.

DISCUSSION: WILL THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF OHIO (PUCO) CONSIDER AEP'S USE OF CORPORATE AIRCRAFT (PERSONAL USE) IN ITS RATE INCREASE CASE?

UPDATE: From a source: "... THE 2007 FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] filing for AEP, and Mike Morris' compensation package include $289,865 of "Personal Use of Company Aircraft.'' (Michael G. Morris-Chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer)

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) passes on a little tidbit to readers about what AEP (Ohio Power) is doing with some of the revenue it raises from electricity users.

The tidbit is from a friend of The Report who has connections inside the utility world, to wit:

A friend of mine was at a party with some of the AEP big shots and she said they were bragging that the company owns three jets -- and makes them available to the bosses for personal travel. I'm assuming we're paying for that, too.

Do you wonder whether or not member of the Stark County legislative caucus has any interest in looking into this bit of information?

How about it Oelslager, Okey, Schuring, Slesnick, Snichler and Shiavoni?

DISCUSSION: STARK COUNTY LEGISLATORS COST STARK COUNTY $55,200 IN 2009 ($140,000 - 2011?) ON COUNTY BUDGET VIA UNFUNDED MANDATE!

Who should pay for the operation of the Stark County Law Library?

Lawyers and other users - right?

Not right.

In its collective wisdom the Ohio General Assembly including Stark Countians Kirk Schuring (R - 29th Senate), Scott Oelslager (R - 51st Ohio House), John Hagan (now term limited out R- 50th), John Boccieri (now 16th District congressman - but then D - 33rd - Senate), Steve Slesnick (D 52nd - Ohio House) and Mark Okey (D - 61st which included a part of Stark County) voted to reverse direction on who pays for the operations of the Stark County Law Library.

Now yours truly is a lawyer and a dues paying member of the Stark County Law Library.

But should I and my colleagues-at-the-bar and other users of the library be subsidized by Stark County taxpayers?

A resounding no! - so says the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report).

Kelli Young of The Repository reported on 1/22/2009 that a Stark County Board of Commissioners obligation to pay for the library on a phased out basis was abruptly reversed in December, 2008 when the Ohio General Assembly completed action on HB 420 to re-institute - immediately - an non-reimbursed (from state of Ohio funds) mandate that Ohio's counties (of course, including Stark) pay for the operation of county law libraries.

If you were to ask any of the supporters of HB 420 whether or not they are in favor of "unfunded mandates," undoubted they would also say an unequivocal no.

What these legislators hide behind is no one pointing out chapter and verse where the rhetoric doesn't match the action.

One of the missions of The Report will be to go and check on how these folks vote on "unfunded mandates" and report to Stark Counties name, rank and serial number of the offending legislators.

There is nothing like a "high intensity light" on an legislative activity to put the actions in the public spotlight.

So thank you Stark County - courtesy of your Stark County legislators - for the subsidy.