siebzy t1_j5o9x1v wrote
Remember - in November you can vote those useless assholes out of business.
Vote yes for Pine Tree Power.
guethlema t1_j5og4td wrote
Switching ownership isn't going to change the fact Maine has a very large number of trees per mile of overhead line, that trees falling is what cause most outages, and also isn't going to change the fact that labor for trades jobs like line workers and cutters is incredibly tight right now.
While there are benefits to changing ownership, removing CMP from the holding group who also owns utility trucks and crews in southern New England limits the amount of regional workers available to respond to local outages.
Demanding power returns immediately following an outage is just not feasible or cost effective in most of our rural communities - and it has never been the case here. Hell, many of us have relatives who didn't even get power until the 1970s or 1960s. Same with roads, the reality used to be after a big storm you would just have to take it slow for a day or two - now people are demanding highway speeds resume the second the snow stops falling!
I would personally instead request we have the governor put additional financial restrictions in the top officers of CMP. It helps improve the financial ethics of their operation without forcing unintended consequences.
P-Townie t1_j5p9kwf wrote
What unintended consequences? How would there be fewer workers under public ownership?
guethlema t1_j5pbxef wrote
CMP is owned by a regional company and as such they have direct ability to send trucks from their CT or wherever office if Maine is slammed with outages but not CT.
While we could absolutely create a regional response plan that shares resources with other utilities regardless of ownership, there is a real concern that response times to major outages would be less efficient if the combined ownership and sharing plan that exists currently is changed.
P-Townie t1_j5q5pqq wrote
Is there any evidence of that based on the experiences of the many consumer owned utilities in Maine and elsewhere?
guethlema t1_j5q9sw5 wrote
The evidence for cost of delivery in Maine, and across the nation, directly correlates to the number of trees, the distance of overhead wires, and the number of customers. I don't have the PowerPoint with me but I'm sure you can find similar data from across the country that shows this information. Maine's consumer owned utilities are in more densely packed regions of the state, or in areas (I think Van Buren has one?) Where the number of trees are fewer due to agriculture uses.
The evidence for ability to respond to down times is basic logic which applies to anyone with experience working for very large companies and very small companies, and a point that line workers have made throughout this debate. It's a lot easier to react to emergencies when you have a bigger pool of people who's job it is to react to those emergencies.
P-Townie t1_j5qyod8 wrote
> The evidence for ability to respond to down times is basic logic
Logic is not evidence; it's just the basis of hypotheses. Anyway, if we take over CMP Connecticut and the rest of the country can follow our lead. What's illogical is organizing society's needs based on private ownership and profit.
guethlema t1_j5r5l1e wrote
"Do you like private ownership or not" is the real question that people will be asked when they vote in November, as well as "are you pissed at CMP?"
As we push forward, the reality is the bill is probably going to pass. These questions do not deal with the reality that switching management and ownership may not have all the positive impacts we are hoping for due to the fact power so difficult to deliver in a rural state.
While I'm not trying to nay-say the transfer of power, what is lacking from the conversation is an earnest discussion of what the benefits of switching to consumer owned really will be, how long the transition will be, where there are real concerns etc. etc. etc. so that the transition can be as helpful as possible to consumers.
manual84 t1_j5ttwbm wrote
I hate that these ballot issues get turned into emotional ones "are you mad at CMP?" is how people will vote which should be irrelevant. Also, quite frankly, I have a feeling most Mainers don't give a shit whether or not they own the means of production. Most people just want to see lower rates at the end of the day. Is Pine Tree Power gonna give us that? I don't feel optimistic about it, personally, and I think everyone underestimates the total cost as well as the time the transfer will take, as there's a 100% chance it will end up in the courts. It kind of feels like a lose lose situation all around which makes me feel like our best bet is trying to get the PUC to be a little more functional as a regulatory body so that we can work with CMP to keep things working for everyone. But I am probably alone in this and can now look forward to people yelling at me for being some CMP shill or something. Which brings me back to my first point... we have got to remove our emotions from the equation and think logically and practically. Not that that will EVER happen, but it sure would be nice.
guethlema t1_j5tumyz wrote
Right??? It's like how fucking dare you have a functioning understanding of our government and request the public utilities commission do it's job instead of screaming into the sky about having a co-operative owned by 1.5M people - especially when this is a purple state and the results of removing a nonpartisan commission of professionals would be catastrophic if we went through 4-12 years of far-right ruling to completely defund the grid (looking at you, Texas).
It's like saying the only option to cleaning out a messy garage is to burn it down and build new.
manual84 t1_j5tv4fh wrote
Couldn't have said it better myself. And you make a great point about the purpleness of this state. I love the idea of revolution, of trying something new in theory... but in practice? People need to get real. Let's organize the garage.
P-Townie t1_j5r7r4w wrote
> what the benefits of switching to consumer owned really will be
We will have more control.
Every other benefit can come from that.
jarnhestur t1_j5oqsed wrote
CMP isn’t great, but wait until CMP turns into the DMV. That’s not an upgrade.
indyaj t1_j5p30im wrote
I realize this is probably an unpopular take but I've never had a major problem with the BMV. You can do most of it online, they reply to emails promptly, solve issues quickly and, believe it or not, they're generally nice people. If government power does it like they do the BMV, it'll be infinitely better than CMP.
ohjeeze_louise t1_j5pds17 wrote
Yeah, BMV and the state tax office has responded to all my calls and emails in under 24 hours, I’ve been very pleased
indyaj t1_j5pf1y9 wrote
I've even had positive interactions with MDOT, the water testing lab and other state agencies. Of course this is since Mills was elected.
It was so bad under Lepage. I guess it doesn't work as well when you defund government, fire the employees and lay waste to morale.
edit: word
P-Townie t1_j5p9tje wrote
Because private cable companies and health insurance are not bureaucratic nightmares?
jarnhestur t1_j5pwam7 wrote
Nope. But I can cancel my cable and my HR team can put pressure on my insurance company. Even with CMP, the PUC has oversight.
We have zero recourse with the government.
P-Townie t1_j5q4nwo wrote
Pine Tree Power would have oversight from the Maine Public Utilities Commission. You can't cancel your electric service any differently now than you could under public power, so that's not an argument for private ownership. You sound privileged to have an HR team that will fight for you.
keanenottheband t1_j5qnefq wrote
Do you even live in Maine? The DMV is not an issue here
jarnhestur t1_j5rqtb4 wrote
Yeah, you got me. The Maine State government is awesomely run.
FITM-K t1_j5pft4h wrote
I've never had a negative experience with a BMV in Maine, and I've been to at least three different locations at various times. If our power and service were as friendly, helpful, and efficient as the BMV experiences I've had, that'd be great!
jarnhestur t1_j5pvkoz wrote
Serious question - have you ever tried to get them to do something they didn’t want to do? They basically tell you to go screw and you have zero recourse.
Granted, CMP isn’t great, but I have no idea why people love government agencies so much.
FITM-K t1_j5px5iw wrote
> have you ever tried to get them to do something they didn’t want to do? They basically tell you to go screw and you have zero recourse.
It sounds like you're referring to some specific experience here. Not sure why you're being vague about it. But no, that hasn't happened to me. I have asked for minor not-in-the-job-description type favors a couple times (like making an extra copy of something) and they have always been happy to oblige.
Even if they weren't, though, would that really separate them from the customer service at most corporations? It's like pulling teeth to get most companies to do even the things they ARE supposed to do, because doing things costs them money and they know if they make it hard enough, many people will just give up.
> but I have no idea why people love government agencies so much.
Because government agencies have the goal of providing a service to you, not extracting the maximum profit from you while providing as little service as possible.
(And because many of us have traveled and lived abroad, and have seen firsthand what it's like when government services are actually well-funded).
jarnhestur t1_j5q09b2 wrote
The only experience I would classify as painless is anytime I’ve had to go in on a snow day and it was empty. I’ve had to argue with some employee at MV that yes, I really needed a REAL ID compliant license. She kept telling me they aren’t required and while I assured her that’s true, as a frequent flying it’s less hassle to have one. That was a 5 minute conversation after an hour long wait.
I won’t even get into my IRS story. Government agencies have zero interest in providing any real customer service.
I have spoke to CMP a few times and while it’s never a pleasant experience, they aren’t any better or worse than our government.
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