DISCUSSION: OELSLAGER IS NO MATCH FOR OHIO'S BIG ELECTRIC UTILITIES - BY HIS OWN WORD?

UPDATE: FEBRUARY 03, 2009

It has been pointed out that Representative Oelslager did write a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on January 14th objected to the 52%/62% increase request. The objection was received by the PUCO on January 26th and can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.

A STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) source relayed the following description of an exchange he recently had with state Representative Scott Oelslager regarding the source's attempt to have Oelslager excise from SB 221 the right of Ohio electric utilities to "veto" unliked Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) decisions on rate increase requests.

Readers of The Report are reminded of the drumbeat that The Report has going trying to rev up consumers and Ohio statehouse elected officials (including Stark's, to wit: Oelslager (R-51), Okey (D-61) Schuring (D-29), Slesnick (D-52), Snitchler (R-50)and Shiavoni (D-33)) to stop the exorbitant increase (52% over 3 years - residential; 62% over 3 years - business) requested by American Electric Power (locally, Ohio Power).

Only Snitchler and Schuring have put in objections with the PUCO.

A very anti-consumer measure included in SB 221 was a provision giving electric utilities a "veto" over the decisions of the PUCO which modify a utility submitted rate increase request.

All members of the Stark County delegation to the Ohio General Assembly have been contacted and asked to introduce legislation to take out the veto power (which was the pet project of former Speaker of the Ohio House Jon Husted and nurse-maided by Stark Countian John P. Hagan (R - Marlboro) who is now term-limited out of the Ohio House but who was chair of the House Public Utilities Committee when the veto power was inserted).

All that can be said for Scott Oelslager is his candor (why aren't the others acting on the request?)

Here is the source's description of his exchange with Oelslager and the source's analysis of how the veto power got in the bill:

What is more concerning is the comment that Scott Oeslager gave to me, "If this is legislation is going to change it has to come from someone allot [sic] higher than me." This tells me that this was truly a power brokered deal from the top of the State Legislature.

Has Oelslager been in Columbus too long or has Oelslager been in Columbus too long!!!!!!