I was reading Boni's blog for the first time in a couple of weeks. She was ranting about CUC. We are all ranting about CUC. A nony in the comments section points out, rightly, that all the griping in the world does nothing...what we need is the money (and I would add, a plan to spend it). Ed jumps in to say even if we had the money, what he calls the OBN would waste it.
Here is my take on it:
Let's use OPM, other people's money.
Why? Because Marching is a waste of time. Suing ourselves is a bigger waste of time, because if we win, we lose since we are the ones who have to pay.
So here is a solution that will actually work: get the activists/advocates/to spearhead a Popular Divestiture Petition that if passed by the 2/3rds majority needed, forces the gov't to divest itself completely of CUC and allow a competent private firm to come in and do what is necessary to get the power on reliably.
Forces, as in an immediate order to sell at whatever (if anything) they can get someone to pay for it. There are small population power producers that specialize in just our dilemma. One or more will want to come into this market and make a buck. If this is backed by a competent PUC to oversee the monopoly and prevent it from abuse, we have our wish come true: we don't have to think about the power any more and we can get on with the important things that need to be done.
The rest of the rant: Why bother to read the published outage schedules? You know there is a 50/50 chance that it will occur on or around the published time anyway. You may bet your bottom...err bottom on the fact that you will also experience one or more other unscheduled outages as well. I agree with Ken, most of expect one of these days the power will blink a few times, switch out and just not come back on for days or weeks. I hope we are in time to do something before that happens.
Popular Petition forcing divestiture. It will work. But only if we force it to happen.
Here is my take on it:
Let's use OPM, other people's money.
Why? Because Marching is a waste of time. Suing ourselves is a bigger waste of time, because if we win, we lose since we are the ones who have to pay.
So here is a solution that will actually work: get the activists/advocates/to spearhead a Popular Divestiture Petition that if passed by the 2/3rds majority needed, forces the gov't to divest itself completely of CUC and allow a competent private firm to come in and do what is necessary to get the power on reliably.
Forces, as in an immediate order to sell at whatever (if anything) they can get someone to pay for it. There are small population power producers that specialize in just our dilemma. One or more will want to come into this market and make a buck. If this is backed by a competent PUC to oversee the monopoly and prevent it from abuse, we have our wish come true: we don't have to think about the power any more and we can get on with the important things that need to be done.
The rest of the rant: Why bother to read the published outage schedules? You know there is a 50/50 chance that it will occur on or around the published time anyway. You may bet your bottom...err bottom on the fact that you will also experience one or more other unscheduled outages as well. I agree with Ken, most of expect one of these days the power will blink a few times, switch out and just not come back on for days or weeks. I hope we are in time to do something before that happens.
Popular Petition forcing divestiture. It will work. But only if we force it to happen.
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