STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND AND FIRST ENERGY JOIN FORCES TO TAKE CHOICE AWAY FROM CITIZENS AND CONSUMERS?

In recent days, there has been a multifaceted rhetorical assault on the exercise of "free choice" by Stark County citizens and consumers.  And, its just not rhetorical.  In Stark County, the words (reference:  Commissioner Tom Harmon - see below) told us what we already knew about Stark County commissioner action in December, 2008 to "impose" a 0.50 sales/use tax on Stark Countians.

CASE 1


COMMISSIONER TOM HARMON

On September 30, 2009, Commissioner Tom "I'm too dumb to come in out of rain" Harmon "let the cat-out-of-the-bag" in saying “We didn’t believe it would pass ... " (Canton Repository, Government officials, residents debate merits of sales tax hike, Robert Wang) as the reason why the commissioners denied Stark Countians the right to vote on the proposed increase.

Of course, after the fact, when it became obvious that he had done great political damage to county government officials' effort to retain the imposed tax; Harmon, reportedly, didn't mean to say what he said.

Although Harmon has a smooth (urbane) manner about him, when one examines what he has to say; it usually turns out to be "nothing" or, worse yet, he damages his own cause.

CASE 2


FIRST ENERGY PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS

The SCPR took note of the First Energy plan from an Akron Beacon Journal yesterday (Betty Lin-Fisher) to distribute by hand two fluorescent light bulbs to each and every Ohio Edison customers.  Ohio Edison serves part of Stark County.

What did not appear in the Lin-Fisher piece was the fact that customers were having $21 added to their electric bills to pay for the "unasked for" distribution.


First Energy is under the gun from the Public Utility Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to enact conservation measures.

Of course we consumers know who pays for anything that First Energy does.

But to force "unasked for" light bulbs at a super-premium price of $11.50 each on consumers of electricity shows the unmitigated arrogance of company officials.

So enter the politicians.


CASE 3



GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND

After the Ohio Supreme Court struck down his plan to place thousands of slot machines at Ohio's racetracks in order to generate about $900 million to balance the 2010-11 state biennium budget "without a vote of the people, he came up with an alternative "anti-democracy" plan.

What was that?

"We will 'freeze' the final year of a voted on (by the Ohio General Assembly) income tax decrease," he says.

So it is hard to take when Strickland weighs in on the First Energy plan (see below) to force $11.50 per fluorescent bulb on Stark County users of Ohio Edison electricity.

Why so?

Here is what Strickland had to say, in part, in a letter he wrote to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) asking that the First Energy Plan be delayed:  "the bulb program has been thrust upon them without their approval or prior knowledge."

Isn't this good that the governor wants to stop the First Energy abuse of its customers.

Indeed, but highly hypocritical and Strickland needs to take the logs out of his own eyes.

What the governor needs do in addition to his "stop First Energy action," is to put the brakes on himself and his arrogating to himself the role of taking away of "citizen say" on Ohio's revenue raising decisions.


FINAL WORD

Whether its local or state, "it is becoming fashionable to take choice away from citizens and consumers!"