Having sought public office as the Representative for the 103 Legislative District in the State, I have observed both the Local and State political activities with more than a passing interest. In fact, my concern and disgust with the political leaders of State and Local offices, precipitated that effort. It was obvious the State did not have leadership who’s qualifications were based on ability or qualifications to solve problems for the public. But rather, their abilities were deceit and ineffective short sighted political solutions to get votes. Unfortunately for Illinois, the leadership and their deficiencies to solve issues which had contributed to the rabid problems facing the state, were re-elected, inability baggage in hand.
Suffering citizens should not be surprised the newly re-elected leadership were unable to solve the impending problems with Power Rates, Health Care and unfunded State programs, etc. For even during the campaign season, questions about these issues were cleverly sidestepped by reading prepared generic answers authored by State leadership. It was politically efficient to deceive rather than suggest solutions. They failed to realize, that ineffective political solutions only caused the problems to exacerbate. For instance, the short sighted proposed rate freeze extension sponsored by Ms. Jakobsson, immediately failed after the election. It failed because its only purpose was to attract votes, rather than solving the impending Rate Increase problem.
On the matter of a solution for the Power Rate Increases, the State must first define and realize many facets of the problem. The first facet is recognizing that the State is at fault because of very bad legislation and a laissez-faire attitude for 10 years. It has taken 10 years to cause this problem and to even suggest it can be solved in a couple of months under restrictive timeline is irresponsible. The solution will take time and contain many comprehensive and effective parts, including State participation to correct its mistake. Secondly, the State must realize that the corporate leadership of the power company are very astute businessmen. After all, the state not only split the company but fixed and decreased the gross receipts for the power company by 20% for 10 years. But even under such inconceivable government interference, the corporate leadership of the power companies re-invented the companies and still remained solvent and made a profit for shareholders. By comparison, no one would ever suggest that if the State of Illinois lost 20% of its revenues with no ability to raise taxes, the present leadership of the State could even consider solvency. That being said, the very capable business minds of the power company should not be considered adversarial and a part of the problem, but rather a valuable asset to help solve the problem. Instead of signing an unpopular and unnecessary smoking ban legislation which, according to the Comptroller, costs the state nearly 80 million dollars, the Governor should not approve that deception and retain those tobacco tax revenues, concentrate on the major problems, and considering using all or a part of those tobacco revenues as a contribution to the solution of the Power Rate problem. That money could be used to pay the bond interest that would allow consumers to distribute only the rate increases over a period of 3-5 years.
3-5 years is more than adequate time to allow energy conservation planning by each individual home and business to implement energy saving policies to reduce energy costs by reducing usage. Unlike the State, people will not wait 3-5 years to change, they realize delay will cost them their money in the long haul. Additionally, the money saved by the power users will be spent anyway on other taxable products and the state will recover some of that money through normal sales tax methods. Secondly, the State should abandon turning back the clocks. That no cost solution to energy problems used in the 70’s was effective and saved nearly 8-10% energy production fuel costs over the year. Additionally, the daylight hours at the end of the work day increases productivity by 12% thereby reducing the costs of construction and other outside businesses because they can work at least an extra hour in daylight. Finally, there is no better way to encourage lower rates than allowing businesses to increase their operating revenues from multiple sources within the same company. Inexplicably, the State legislated the power company be broken into two more inefficient separate companies, one producing power, and another distributing power. That is like splitting General Motors into two companies, one producing Cadillac’s, and another producing Chevrolet’s. General Motors would not exist. The least expensive power and delivery is that which is produced within the same company because the combination of operating revenues from both sources, production and distribution, allows each service to be less expensive because of the cash flow influences of the other source. Any legislation to provide power rate relief, should allow the companies to re-combine and benefit from long standing business operational principals of diversity. These are inexpensive, hammerless common sense solutions which demonstrate to the citizens that the State does accept responsibility for bad law, allows consumers both time structured payment relief and also time to utilize the opportunity to vary their consumer habits.
These solutions also show good faith and encourage the power company to lower rates by allowing them to return to the type of company existing before the ill conceived legislation caused this problem. The continual Daylight Savings Time legislation has long been necessary and will not only have the side benefits of improving the quality of life, but will also allow more flexible consumer habits concerning energy consumption.
Fearless, qualified and determined individuals can find solutions, but the critical nature of these problems has overwhelmed our present leaders because of their lack of ability to solve problems. Political/personal fear of not being re-elected because of suggesting difficult answers, has hamstrung the entire process (“we were hamstrung by a total lack of knowledge”, Webster). It was once said, “Your family and business is not safe when the Legislation is in session” and nothing could be more true of the present leadership. NyQuil is not tasty, but it works. Time to solve the problem, or be replaced with those who can.
