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Last post by Thomas Thompson - November 04, 2024, 09:49:21 PMFrom Thomas Thompson, Monday, Nov.4, 2024
Request Conditional Convention address changes to the PSC
To The Louisiana Constitutional Committee
In addition to reforming our tax code, an important issue that must also be addressed at the State's Constitutional Convention is a change to the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC).
As discussed in the enclosed article, (click for article), the PSC's policies are as close to bribery as you could possibly get and call it legal.
1. Louisiana state regulators receive more campaign cash from utility and oil and gas sources than regulators in any of those other states except Alabama.
2. Entergy Louisiana, its executives and family members have given campaign donations totaling about $350,000 to commissioners. Cleco, the second largest electric utility in the state, and its executives have donated $206,000 to commission races.
3. Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm, gave more than $200,000 in campaign contributions to Louisiana PSC members before they unanimously approved — without discussion — Bernhard's purchase of Entergy Louisiana's gas distribution system in August.
4. The largest donors to the Louisiana campaigns, cumulatively, are regulatory attorneys and lobbyists who appear before the commission. Taken together, those firms have donated just under $1 million to commission races in the past 10 years.
5. In the other nine states that elect their commissioners, Arizona has public financing of campaigns for utility regulators, while Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama prohibit regulated entities from contributing to commission races. Commissioners in the six other states can accept money from regulated entities.
6. Louisiana is one of the rare states with no restrictions on when utility representatives — or anyone for that matter — can call or stop by to talk with commissioners. There are no requirements to keep records of those visits. Such an unrestricted open door practice is unusual in other states. It's basically as if a criminal defendant can talk with a jury and judge behind the scenes, without anyone knowing about it.
The Constitutional Committee Must Establish Strict Ethical Rules Such As:
1. Prohibit Commissioners from accepting gifts or payments from the utilities they regulate
2. Prohibit Commissioners from engaging in unreported private chats with representatives of the utilities they regulate
3. Prohibit Commissioners from being the ultimate arbiter of its own decisions
The current unethical behavior of the PSC is a disgrace to Louisiana and subjects all elected officials to accusations of corruption. The Constitutional Committee must take action to ensure the PSC works on behalf of citizens not the utilities, in order to regain trust in our elected officials.
Your consideration to this request is appreciated.
Tom Thompson
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Below is from the above mentioned article in the "Louisiana Illuminator" as published on Yahoo News)
Private calls and campaign cash:
Louisiana regulators' ties to the utilities they oversee
Pam Radtke
Sun, November 3, 2024 at 10:45 AM CST
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is one of the few in the nation where there are no restrictions on when, where and how often commissioners can communicate with the utilities they regulate. (Louisiana Public Service Commission YouTube channel)
This past April, days before a Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) meeting at a remote lakefront resort, the state's largest power company dropped a bombshell. Entergy asked the panel to vote, four months ahead of schedule, on an ambitious resilience plan that would cost nearly $2 billion.
A consumer watchdog group and the state's refineries and chemical plants formally objected, saying the process was "unnecessarily fast-tracked" and that Entergy had provided "insufficient information" to evaluate the plan, which included replacing and strengthening utility poles and power lines and protecting substations from flooding.
Despite these objections, the item was added to the commission's agenda. "This is (a) wholly undemocratic process," James Hiatt, who drove two hours to be at the meeting, told the PSC. "Why does it need to be rushed through today?"
Hiatt is the founder of an environmental advocacy group, For a Better Bayou. He said the list of resilience projects was illegible on the PSC's website.
It's probably as close to bribery as you could possibly get and call it legal.
– Simon Mahan, Southern Renewable Energy Association
Shortly before the meeting, big industrial power users, including Chevron and ExxonMobil, agreed not to oppose Entergy's resilience plan after a deal was reached to shift millions of dollars of its costs onto residential and commercial ratepayers.
Commissioners Davante Lewis and Foster Campbell, blindsided by the change, pushed the five-member panel for a postponement, but they were overruled, and the plan was approved.
Advocate: Residents, small businesses lack 'voice
The last-minute decision to saddle ratepayers with a greater share of the utility's costs, exemplifies the imbalance of power in Louisiana and what's at stake in the upcoming election for an open PSC seat. The winner will replace Craig Greene, a critical swing voter on the commission.
Residents and small businesses have almost no sway over the PSC, compared to utilities and big industrial power customers, said Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the Louisiana-based consumer group Alliance for Affordable Energy.
"Most residents in Louisiana have no idea who's making the decisions about how much their utility bills cost," Burke said. "At the same time, the companies that have an outsized voice in every decision-making room in our state and wield enormous political power...You can't possibly say residents have the same voice the fossil industry and utilities do."
One possible reason for that power imbalance: Over the last decade, nearly 43%, or about $3.5 million, of $250 and over campaign contributions to Louisiana commissioners came from utilities, energy-related businesses and their attorneys and lobbyists, according to a Floodlight analysis of the states that elect their utility regulators.
"It's probably as close to bribery as you could possibly get and call it legal," said Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, which works in Louisiana.
The PSC, in turn, has resisted measures that could curb utility profits, such as requiring them to encourage energy efficiency or add renewable energy to the power mix — actions that could not only save ratepayers money, but would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in one of the states most affected by climate change.
Louisiana law also lets commissioners engage in unreported private chats with representatives of the utilities they regulate — "ex parte" communications that are banned or subject to strict reporting requirements in many other states.
And the commission, an independent body under the state constitution, is the ultimate arbiter of its own decisions.
"I don't know of another public service commission (in the country) that has the law. level of authority and the breadth and depth of jurisdiction without any — I don't want to use the word oversight — but any other controls," Burke said.
Louisiana commissioners paid a fraction of other states
Louisiana is one of 10 states that elect public service commissioners. According to data analyzed in a months' long Floodlight investigation, Louisiana state regulators receive more campaign cash from utility and oil and gas sources than regulators in any of those other states except Alabama.
Technically part-time officials, Louisiana commissioners are paid $53,000 a year, $90,000 less than the average paid to commissioners elsewhere: Mississippi pays commissioners $135,000 a year; Texas, $200,000.
"I'm doing it for God and country, for sure not what the pay is," Louisiana Commissioner Mike Francis said.
Floodlight's investigation found that power companies and fossil fuel interests have given at least $13.5 million to elected utility regulators in the 10 states where PSCs are elected since 2014 — or about 35% of all direct campaign contributions of $250 and above. This total does not include untold millions funneled through political nonprofits that handle dark money, which are not required to report their donors.
The analysis found that over the past decade, Entergy Louisiana, its executives and family members have given campaign donations totaling about $350,000 to commissioners. Cleco, the second largest electric utility in the state, and its executives have donated $206,000 to commission races. Neither responded to a request for comment about their donations.
Floodlight also has reported that Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm, gave more than $200,000 in campaign contributions to Louisiana PSC members before they unanimously approved — without discussion — Bernhard's purchase of Entergy Louisiana's gas distribution system in August.
Louisiana commissioners who responded to Floodlight said campaign money doesn't influence their decisions. "Hell no, I do what I want," said Campbell, a member who has served on the commission for 21 years. In the last decade he's received 34% of his campaign contributions from utilities and fossil fuel sources.
Francis said utilities support him because "they feel like I'm a good, solid businessman who's going to vote what's politically right, not what the polls say."
The largest donors to the Louisiana campaigns, cumulatively, are regulatory attorneys and lobbyists who appear before the commission. Taken together, those firms have donated just under $1 million to commission races in the past 10 years.
Mahan, of the Southern renewable group, sees irony in the fact that these paid utility advocates often argue for higher profits — and higher energy rates — with their fees ultimately coming from customers' pockets.
"Oftentimes, this is ratepayer money," Mahan said. "I mean, this is money that's going from electric bills to pay for these consultants, and then the consultants are turning around and using it for campaign contributions."
Louisiana's PSC does not oversee Entergy New Orleans, which is regulated by the New Orleans City Council. In 2022, the council approved an ordinance prohibiting members from taking contributions from entities they regulate. The Louisiana PSC is examining how much of such political spending can be included in electric rates.
One of those lobbying firms, Southern Strategy Group, has donated $104,746 to commissioners, Floodlight found. Brad Mittendorf, a partner at the lobbying firm, sees no harm in doing so.
"Campaigns are the seed corn of democracy. Unless we conclude that only rich folks should run for office, or we adopt public financing for campaigns — an idea about as popular as Alabama's football team in Louisiana — candidates have to raise money to run for office," said Mittendorf, who along with his wife has donated $40,000. "Our contributions are our acknowledgement of that fact."
In the other nine states that elect their commissioners, Arizona has public financing of campaigns for utility regulators, while Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama prohibit regulated entities from contributing to commission races. Commissioners in the six other states can accept money from regulated entities.
Commission uniquely situated to address climate change
Louisiana's PSC is not overseen or directed by the Legislature or the governor and is therefore uniquely situated to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the oil-friendly state by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels to produce electricity. But it rarely does.
In fact, based on figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Louisiana is tied for last among the 50 states for renewable energy use, with just 3% of its electricity coming from renewable resources.
The amount of energy from solar, wind, hydropower and biomass is so low that industrial users this year convinced the PSC to let them build their own renewable energy generation to help power their operations.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when nearly 900,000 Louisiana customers were out of power — some for weeks — community advocates pressed for rooftop solar, which allowed residents in the nation's 12th sunniest state to generate some of their own electricity. The Legislature adopted tax credits that, combined with federal credits, covered up to 80% of the installation of rooftop solar.
But after failing to win the solar industry's support in his 2014 re-election campaign, Commissioner Eric Skrmetta urged Louisiana legislators to end the credits, calling them a "solar subsidy."
Then in 2019, the Louisiana PSC put another dagger into the heart of solar, slashing the amount homeowners receive from selling their excess power back to the utilities — making rooftop less financially feasible for consumers.
But in recent years some members have been advocating for renewables and sustainability in new ways — namely Lewis, fellow Democrat Campbell and swing member Republican Craig Greene.
The three commissioners in January voted 3-2 to pass an energy efficiency program operated by an independent third party — the first such program in the South. Lewis, Campbell and Greene have taken the smallest portion of campaign donations from fossil fuel companies and utilities, 11%, 34% and 34%, respectively.
Francis and Skrmetta, who each received about 50% from those same interests, opposed the program. Skrmetta called it "a waste of money" and held up approval of the program for almost two hours, filibustering and debating witnesses and other commissioners while audience members chanted "Vote! Vote! Vote!"
Of the three candidates running to replace Craig Greene — Jean-Paul Coussan, Julie Quinn and Nick Laborde — Coussan has received 27% from utility and fossil fuel interests, Quinn has received 26%; and Laborde, who is refusing donations from utility companies, has received none as of Oct. 31.
'Educating the commission'
Louisiana is one of the rare states with no restrictions on when utility representatives — or anyone for that matter — can call or stop by to talk with commissioners. There are no requirements to keep records of those visits. Such an unrestricted open door practice is unusual in other states.
The communications, called ex parte, can work both ways, Lewis said, describing such conversations as "very frequent and very deliberate."
He said, for example, utilities reach out to update commissioners on the status of negotiations in cases, and Lewis contacts utilities if he finds a proposal to be unacceptable. Lewis said without any parameters on those communications, "I do think it is a little bit harmful to the people of Louisiana."
The utilities spend that one-on-one time "educating" commissioners about complex regulations and pending decisions, said David Cruthirds, a regulatory attorney who spent 11 years observing and writing about the PSCs in the Southeast and Midwest, including Louisiana.
Cruthirds said utilities often consult with commissioners before formally proposing rate changes and new power generation, among other issues, trying to determine what kind of deal the commissioners are willing to accept.
"By the time it gets filed, it's half litigated," he said, giving residential customers little opportunity to influence the outcome.
Added Cruthirds: "It's basically as if a criminal defendant can talk with a jury and judge behind the scenes, without anyone knowing about it."
Before the April vote on Entergy's resilience plan, Skrmetta said he had spent an "enormous amount of time" talking with Entergy about it. Burke, the Louisiana consumer advocate, said Skrmetta never reached out to her organization.
Erin Hansen, policy director of Together Louisiana, a nonprofit grassroots organization of churches and community groups that would like to build community solar arrays, said she was shocked to discover most people who regularly attend the monthly commission meetings are the executives, lobbyists and attorneys paid to be there.
In that room, she said she's observed how things are done — and hopes to use what she's learned to help the people served by her organization.
"I'm learning about what's possible," Hansen said, "as long as you have three votes at the Public Service Commission."
Request Conditional Convention address changes to the PSC
To The Louisiana Constitutional Committee
In addition to reforming our tax code, an important issue that must also be addressed at the State's Constitutional Convention is a change to the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC).
As discussed in the enclosed article, (click for article), the PSC's policies are as close to bribery as you could possibly get and call it legal.
1. Louisiana state regulators receive more campaign cash from utility and oil and gas sources than regulators in any of those other states except Alabama.
2. Entergy Louisiana, its executives and family members have given campaign donations totaling about $350,000 to commissioners. Cleco, the second largest electric utility in the state, and its executives have donated $206,000 to commission races.
3. Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm, gave more than $200,000 in campaign contributions to Louisiana PSC members before they unanimously approved — without discussion — Bernhard's purchase of Entergy Louisiana's gas distribution system in August.
4. The largest donors to the Louisiana campaigns, cumulatively, are regulatory attorneys and lobbyists who appear before the commission. Taken together, those firms have donated just under $1 million to commission races in the past 10 years.
5. In the other nine states that elect their commissioners, Arizona has public financing of campaigns for utility regulators, while Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama prohibit regulated entities from contributing to commission races. Commissioners in the six other states can accept money from regulated entities.
6. Louisiana is one of the rare states with no restrictions on when utility representatives — or anyone for that matter — can call or stop by to talk with commissioners. There are no requirements to keep records of those visits. Such an unrestricted open door practice is unusual in other states. It's basically as if a criminal defendant can talk with a jury and judge behind the scenes, without anyone knowing about it.
The Constitutional Committee Must Establish Strict Ethical Rules Such As:
1. Prohibit Commissioners from accepting gifts or payments from the utilities they regulate
2. Prohibit Commissioners from engaging in unreported private chats with representatives of the utilities they regulate
3. Prohibit Commissioners from being the ultimate arbiter of its own decisions
The current unethical behavior of the PSC is a disgrace to Louisiana and subjects all elected officials to accusations of corruption. The Constitutional Committee must take action to ensure the PSC works on behalf of citizens not the utilities, in order to regain trust in our elected officials.
Your consideration to this request is appreciated.
Tom Thompson
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Below is from the above mentioned article in the "Louisiana Illuminator" as published on Yahoo News)
Private calls and campaign cash:
Louisiana regulators' ties to the utilities they oversee
Pam Radtke
Sun, November 3, 2024 at 10:45 AM CST
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is one of the few in the nation where there are no restrictions on when, where and how often commissioners can communicate with the utilities they regulate. (Louisiana Public Service Commission YouTube channel)
This past April, days before a Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) meeting at a remote lakefront resort, the state's largest power company dropped a bombshell. Entergy asked the panel to vote, four months ahead of schedule, on an ambitious resilience plan that would cost nearly $2 billion.
A consumer watchdog group and the state's refineries and chemical plants formally objected, saying the process was "unnecessarily fast-tracked" and that Entergy had provided "insufficient information" to evaluate the plan, which included replacing and strengthening utility poles and power lines and protecting substations from flooding.
Despite these objections, the item was added to the commission's agenda. "This is (a) wholly undemocratic process," James Hiatt, who drove two hours to be at the meeting, told the PSC. "Why does it need to be rushed through today?"
Hiatt is the founder of an environmental advocacy group, For a Better Bayou. He said the list of resilience projects was illegible on the PSC's website.
It's probably as close to bribery as you could possibly get and call it legal.
– Simon Mahan, Southern Renewable Energy Association
Shortly before the meeting, big industrial power users, including Chevron and ExxonMobil, agreed not to oppose Entergy's resilience plan after a deal was reached to shift millions of dollars of its costs onto residential and commercial ratepayers.
Commissioners Davante Lewis and Foster Campbell, blindsided by the change, pushed the five-member panel for a postponement, but they were overruled, and the plan was approved.
Advocate: Residents, small businesses lack 'voice
The last-minute decision to saddle ratepayers with a greater share of the utility's costs, exemplifies the imbalance of power in Louisiana and what's at stake in the upcoming election for an open PSC seat. The winner will replace Craig Greene, a critical swing voter on the commission.
Residents and small businesses have almost no sway over the PSC, compared to utilities and big industrial power customers, said Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the Louisiana-based consumer group Alliance for Affordable Energy.
"Most residents in Louisiana have no idea who's making the decisions about how much their utility bills cost," Burke said. "At the same time, the companies that have an outsized voice in every decision-making room in our state and wield enormous political power...You can't possibly say residents have the same voice the fossil industry and utilities do."
One possible reason for that power imbalance: Over the last decade, nearly 43%, or about $3.5 million, of $250 and over campaign contributions to Louisiana commissioners came from utilities, energy-related businesses and their attorneys and lobbyists, according to a Floodlight analysis of the states that elect their utility regulators.
"It's probably as close to bribery as you could possibly get and call it legal," said Simon Mahan, executive director of the Southern Renewable Energy Association, which works in Louisiana.
The PSC, in turn, has resisted measures that could curb utility profits, such as requiring them to encourage energy efficiency or add renewable energy to the power mix — actions that could not only save ratepayers money, but would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in one of the states most affected by climate change.
Louisiana law also lets commissioners engage in unreported private chats with representatives of the utilities they regulate — "ex parte" communications that are banned or subject to strict reporting requirements in many other states.
And the commission, an independent body under the state constitution, is the ultimate arbiter of its own decisions.
"I don't know of another public service commission (in the country) that has the law. level of authority and the breadth and depth of jurisdiction without any — I don't want to use the word oversight — but any other controls," Burke said.
Louisiana commissioners paid a fraction of other states
Louisiana is one of 10 states that elect public service commissioners. According to data analyzed in a months' long Floodlight investigation, Louisiana state regulators receive more campaign cash from utility and oil and gas sources than regulators in any of those other states except Alabama.
Technically part-time officials, Louisiana commissioners are paid $53,000 a year, $90,000 less than the average paid to commissioners elsewhere: Mississippi pays commissioners $135,000 a year; Texas, $200,000.
"I'm doing it for God and country, for sure not what the pay is," Louisiana Commissioner Mike Francis said.
Floodlight's investigation found that power companies and fossil fuel interests have given at least $13.5 million to elected utility regulators in the 10 states where PSCs are elected since 2014 — or about 35% of all direct campaign contributions of $250 and above. This total does not include untold millions funneled through political nonprofits that handle dark money, which are not required to report their donors.
The analysis found that over the past decade, Entergy Louisiana, its executives and family members have given campaign donations totaling about $350,000 to commissioners. Cleco, the second largest electric utility in the state, and its executives have donated $206,000 to commission races. Neither responded to a request for comment about their donations.
Floodlight also has reported that Bernhard Capital Partners, a private equity firm, gave more than $200,000 in campaign contributions to Louisiana PSC members before they unanimously approved — without discussion — Bernhard's purchase of Entergy Louisiana's gas distribution system in August.
Louisiana commissioners who responded to Floodlight said campaign money doesn't influence their decisions. "Hell no, I do what I want," said Campbell, a member who has served on the commission for 21 years. In the last decade he's received 34% of his campaign contributions from utilities and fossil fuel sources.
Francis said utilities support him because "they feel like I'm a good, solid businessman who's going to vote what's politically right, not what the polls say."
The largest donors to the Louisiana campaigns, cumulatively, are regulatory attorneys and lobbyists who appear before the commission. Taken together, those firms have donated just under $1 million to commission races in the past 10 years.
Mahan, of the Southern renewable group, sees irony in the fact that these paid utility advocates often argue for higher profits — and higher energy rates — with their fees ultimately coming from customers' pockets.
"Oftentimes, this is ratepayer money," Mahan said. "I mean, this is money that's going from electric bills to pay for these consultants, and then the consultants are turning around and using it for campaign contributions."
Louisiana's PSC does not oversee Entergy New Orleans, which is regulated by the New Orleans City Council. In 2022, the council approved an ordinance prohibiting members from taking contributions from entities they regulate. The Louisiana PSC is examining how much of such political spending can be included in electric rates.
One of those lobbying firms, Southern Strategy Group, has donated $104,746 to commissioners, Floodlight found. Brad Mittendorf, a partner at the lobbying firm, sees no harm in doing so.
"Campaigns are the seed corn of democracy. Unless we conclude that only rich folks should run for office, or we adopt public financing for campaigns — an idea about as popular as Alabama's football team in Louisiana — candidates have to raise money to run for office," said Mittendorf, who along with his wife has donated $40,000. "Our contributions are our acknowledgement of that fact."
In the other nine states that elect their commissioners, Arizona has public financing of campaigns for utility regulators, while Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama prohibit regulated entities from contributing to commission races. Commissioners in the six other states can accept money from regulated entities.
Commission uniquely situated to address climate change
Louisiana's PSC is not overseen or directed by the Legislature or the governor and is therefore uniquely situated to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the oil-friendly state by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels to produce electricity. But it rarely does.
In fact, based on figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Louisiana is tied for last among the 50 states for renewable energy use, with just 3% of its electricity coming from renewable resources.
The amount of energy from solar, wind, hydropower and biomass is so low that industrial users this year convinced the PSC to let them build their own renewable energy generation to help power their operations.
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when nearly 900,000 Louisiana customers were out of power — some for weeks — community advocates pressed for rooftop solar, which allowed residents in the nation's 12th sunniest state to generate some of their own electricity. The Legislature adopted tax credits that, combined with federal credits, covered up to 80% of the installation of rooftop solar.
But after failing to win the solar industry's support in his 2014 re-election campaign, Commissioner Eric Skrmetta urged Louisiana legislators to end the credits, calling them a "solar subsidy."
Then in 2019, the Louisiana PSC put another dagger into the heart of solar, slashing the amount homeowners receive from selling their excess power back to the utilities — making rooftop less financially feasible for consumers.
But in recent years some members have been advocating for renewables and sustainability in new ways — namely Lewis, fellow Democrat Campbell and swing member Republican Craig Greene.
The three commissioners in January voted 3-2 to pass an energy efficiency program operated by an independent third party — the first such program in the South. Lewis, Campbell and Greene have taken the smallest portion of campaign donations from fossil fuel companies and utilities, 11%, 34% and 34%, respectively.
Francis and Skrmetta, who each received about 50% from those same interests, opposed the program. Skrmetta called it "a waste of money" and held up approval of the program for almost two hours, filibustering and debating witnesses and other commissioners while audience members chanted "Vote! Vote! Vote!"
Of the three candidates running to replace Craig Greene — Jean-Paul Coussan, Julie Quinn and Nick Laborde — Coussan has received 27% from utility and fossil fuel interests, Quinn has received 26%; and Laborde, who is refusing donations from utility companies, has received none as of Oct. 31.
'Educating the commission'
Louisiana is one of the rare states with no restrictions on when utility representatives — or anyone for that matter — can call or stop by to talk with commissioners. There are no requirements to keep records of those visits. Such an unrestricted open door practice is unusual in other states.
The communications, called ex parte, can work both ways, Lewis said, describing such conversations as "very frequent and very deliberate."
He said, for example, utilities reach out to update commissioners on the status of negotiations in cases, and Lewis contacts utilities if he finds a proposal to be unacceptable. Lewis said without any parameters on those communications, "I do think it is a little bit harmful to the people of Louisiana."
The utilities spend that one-on-one time "educating" commissioners about complex regulations and pending decisions, said David Cruthirds, a regulatory attorney who spent 11 years observing and writing about the PSCs in the Southeast and Midwest, including Louisiana.
Cruthirds said utilities often consult with commissioners before formally proposing rate changes and new power generation, among other issues, trying to determine what kind of deal the commissioners are willing to accept.
"By the time it gets filed, it's half litigated," he said, giving residential customers little opportunity to influence the outcome.
Added Cruthirds: "It's basically as if a criminal defendant can talk with a jury and judge behind the scenes, without anyone knowing about it."
Before the April vote on Entergy's resilience plan, Skrmetta said he had spent an "enormous amount of time" talking with Entergy about it. Burke, the Louisiana consumer advocate, said Skrmetta never reached out to her organization.
Erin Hansen, policy director of Together Louisiana, a nonprofit grassroots organization of churches and community groups that would like to build community solar arrays, said she was shocked to discover most people who regularly attend the monthly commission meetings are the executives, lobbyists and attorneys paid to be there.
In that room, she said she's observed how things are done — and hopes to use what she's learned to help the people served by her organization.
"I'm learning about what's possible," Hansen said, "as long as you have three votes at the Public Service Commission."
#2
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Service Providers
Last post by Lee Longstreet - August 23, 2024, 11:01:51 AMFrom "NextDoor", This guy says he pick up any scrap metal, appliances, etc.
Jeffrey Hebert 985-415-0715
Jeffrey Hebert 985-415-0715
#3
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Taxes
Last post by Lee Longstreet - August 12, 2024, 09:25:47 PMAugust 12, 2024
Why more taxes?
In recent years the influx of new residents less impacted by homestead exemption have automatically contributed to a permanent increase in St. Tammany's tax base. They have more expendable income and pay more in property taxes, yet it is still a rare occasion to see a public works vehicle, much less doing anything.
I live in unincorporated Slidell but go to Kenner, Metairie & the gulf coast every week on random days and not a day goes by without seeing public works crews maintaining or improving public spaces in those municipalities. So with those areas levying less tax it seems something is wrong in St. Tammany. Jefferson even includes millages for their levees and public transportation. In St. Tammany maybe the various agencies should get less and the parish operations like public works and code enforcement should get more. Millages for fire, schools and the corner especially seem out of balance. And for me, the internet has replaced the library.
The first step is comparing yourself to other areas and realizing there is a problem. I suspect dedicated taxes are the root of the problem. Every agency wants to grab as much tax revenue as they can and some of them likely get more than they need.
Taxation by politics is a poor way to do things. We need an unbiased, non-political, office of independent inspector general. The inspectors general's primary mission would be to review the allocation and funding appropriateness of the various parish agencies. The end goal would be a ballot proposal to reallocate dedicated taxes based upon a needs and appropriateness basis. Having an inspector general making the recommendations would also take the political pressure off of our elected officials.
Some resources on taxation is included below:
St. Tammany Parish Assessor Website - loaded with info
https://stpao.org
State of Louisiana millages by parish
https://lla.la.gov/resources/assessors-and-millages/maximum-millage-reports?parish=1045&year=2023
Jefferson parish:
https://app.lla.la.gov/maximummillagereports/104523.pdf
St. Tammany Parish
https://app.lla.la.gov/maximummillagereports/106923.pdf
Look up any Louisiana tax bill here complete with millages
(Louisiana Tax Commission Parish Tax Roll database)
https://www.latax.state.la.us/Menu_ParishTaxRolls/TaxRolls.aspx
Note, the assessor's office is a state of Louisiana (not parish) agency. They do not set the tax only appraise the value of property. Your vote determines the tax via millages taxpayers approved. Now we need outside help to determine if we voted correctly.
Check the forum at http://www.eiohforum.com for additional info.
(click below for a printable copy)
Why more taxes?
In recent years the influx of new residents less impacted by homestead exemption have automatically contributed to a permanent increase in St. Tammany's tax base. They have more expendable income and pay more in property taxes, yet it is still a rare occasion to see a public works vehicle, much less doing anything.
I live in unincorporated Slidell but go to Kenner, Metairie & the gulf coast every week on random days and not a day goes by without seeing public works crews maintaining or improving public spaces in those municipalities. So with those areas levying less tax it seems something is wrong in St. Tammany. Jefferson even includes millages for their levees and public transportation. In St. Tammany maybe the various agencies should get less and the parish operations like public works and code enforcement should get more. Millages for fire, schools and the corner especially seem out of balance. And for me, the internet has replaced the library.
The first step is comparing yourself to other areas and realizing there is a problem. I suspect dedicated taxes are the root of the problem. Every agency wants to grab as much tax revenue as they can and some of them likely get more than they need.
Taxation by politics is a poor way to do things. We need an unbiased, non-political, office of independent inspector general. The inspectors general's primary mission would be to review the allocation and funding appropriateness of the various parish agencies. The end goal would be a ballot proposal to reallocate dedicated taxes based upon a needs and appropriateness basis. Having an inspector general making the recommendations would also take the political pressure off of our elected officials.
Some resources on taxation is included below:
St. Tammany Parish Assessor Website - loaded with info
https://stpao.org
State of Louisiana millages by parish
https://lla.la.gov/resources/assessors-and-millages/maximum-millage-reports?parish=1045&year=2023
Jefferson parish:
https://app.lla.la.gov/maximummillagereports/104523.pdf
St. Tammany Parish
https://app.lla.la.gov/maximummillagereports/106923.pdf
Look up any Louisiana tax bill here complete with millages
(Louisiana Tax Commission Parish Tax Roll database)
https://www.latax.state.la.us/Menu_ParishTaxRolls/TaxRolls.aspx
Note, the assessor's office is a state of Louisiana (not parish) agency. They do not set the tax only appraise the value of property. Your vote determines the tax via millages taxpayers approved. Now we need outside help to determine if we voted correctly.
Check the forum at http://www.eiohforum.com for additional info.
(click below for a printable copy)
#4
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Taxes
Last post by Thomas Thompson - August 12, 2024, 12:44:39 PMSubmitted to NextDoor & www.eiohforum.com on Aug. 12, 2024
Voters must redistribute mileage allotments in a fair and equitable manner.
Our property taxes fund 13 public agencies that support vital infrastructure and quality of life amenities. We, as taxpayers, must prioritize and redistribute our dollars properly in order to maintain affordability.
Before we approve the next tax renewal, we need to ask: is the cost worth the benefit, can the agency maintain good service for less, or can our tax dollars provide greater cost benefit elsewhere, i.e. storm surge flood protection that currently has no mileage funding?
2024 Mileages
Tax District 37 (Eden Isles)
Public Agency Mileage % of taxes
School Board 58.34* 44.78
Fire Dist 32.41** 24.88
Law Enforcement 10.31 7.91
Slidell Hospital 6.75 5.18
Library 5.35 4.11
Mosquito Dist 3.1 2.38
Alimony (Parish Maint.) 2.89 2.22
Juv. Center 2.49 1.91
Assessment District 2.31 1.77
Coroner 1.94 1.49
Council on Aging 1.69 1.3
Drainage 1.69 1.3
Animal Shelter 1 0.87
Total 130.27
*The combination of all 7 school board mileages
** In addition to a $39 Parcel Fee
Just two agencies (School Board & Fire Dist.) receive 69.66% of our property taxes leaving only 30.34% to fund all other public agencies.
It is absurd to spend 70% of our taxes on just two agencies! Are these two agencies good stewards of our money? Do they really need all that money to provide good services? I believe the time has come to vote against "THEIR" tax renewals and force them to reduce their spending to a level that is reasonable and affordable.
(click below for formatted, printable download)
Voters must redistribute mileage allotments in a fair and equitable manner.
Our property taxes fund 13 public agencies that support vital infrastructure and quality of life amenities. We, as taxpayers, must prioritize and redistribute our dollars properly in order to maintain affordability.
Before we approve the next tax renewal, we need to ask: is the cost worth the benefit, can the agency maintain good service for less, or can our tax dollars provide greater cost benefit elsewhere, i.e. storm surge flood protection that currently has no mileage funding?
2024 Mileages
Tax District 37 (Eden Isles)
Public Agency Mileage % of taxes
School Board 58.34* 44.78
Fire Dist 32.41** 24.88
Law Enforcement 10.31 7.91
Slidell Hospital 6.75 5.18
Library 5.35 4.11
Mosquito Dist 3.1 2.38
Alimony (Parish Maint.) 2.89 2.22
Juv. Center 2.49 1.91
Assessment District 2.31 1.77
Coroner 1.94 1.49
Council on Aging 1.69 1.3
Drainage 1.69 1.3
Animal Shelter 1 0.87
Total 130.27
*The combination of all 7 school board mileages
** In addition to a $39 Parcel Fee
Just two agencies (School Board & Fire Dist.) receive 69.66% of our property taxes leaving only 30.34% to fund all other public agencies.
It is absurd to spend 70% of our taxes on just two agencies! Are these two agencies good stewards of our money? Do they really need all that money to provide good services? I believe the time has come to vote against "THEIR" tax renewals and force them to reduce their spending to a level that is reasonable and affordable.
(click below for formatted, printable download)
#5
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Non-Categorized - Misc. Neighb...
Last post by Administrator - August 04, 2024, 10:51:39 AM...
#6
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Magnolia Water Upgrades Blog J...
Last post by Lee Longstreet - August 04, 2024, 10:45:55 AMReceived July 2024 Magnolia Water upgrades blog.
see attachment
see attachment
#7
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Magnolia Water
Last post by Lee Longstreet - July 10, 2024, 08:57:10 PM #8
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Debbie's post ref. Magnolia Wa...
Last post by Lee Longstreet - June 14, 2024, 12:29:30 PMPosted for > Debbie longstreet
Eden Isles
•
June 13, 2024 (also posted on "NextDoor")
•
Magnolia Waters Ribbon cutting presentation that took place on Tuesday June 11th with President & CEO of CSWR, Josiah Cox and St Tammany officials.
Many residents of Eden Isle as well as our surrounding neighbors were upset because they were not notified this was taking place and probably felt robbed of the opportunity to address their concerns. Myself as well as resident Lee Longstreet, my brother-n-law, happen to be in the right place at the right time.
I did an on camera interview with fox 8 and Lee had the opportunity to speak in detail with Todd Thomas, Senior VP regarding the malfunction of sensors in our water tower and other issues.
The entire presentation was recorded and for those of you that would like to listen I will provide you with the link to access this as well as my interview, and Lee's discussion with Mr.Thomas.
All of your concerns are our concerns! During the presentation, Josiah Cox stated, " our hope is to continue to scale the company and to be able to bring down costs for some neighbors." Eric Skrmetta our public service commissioner is in charge of approving our water rate increases. I stated to him I agree that our system needed updating and I understand we would have an increase on our water bill but many residents have seen a 300 plus percent increase! Many residents are on a fixed income, retired and single parents. This is not affordable for many residents. His response to me, Another system in LA was upgraded and other work that was done in other places is a shared cost across the system. He said many things go into the equation. Cost of repairs, maintenance, workers, (he mentioned other things but lost me after he said and the stockholders need to make money. He then said once there is stabilization, we should see smaller increases as we go forward. I was not happy hearing this. I reiterated some neighbors state their water bill is higher than their electric bill. I also stated that communication regarding boil water advisory's is not timely and we often do not receive notification until several hours after an occurrence. He is aware and they are working on this.
The website to hear the presentation is Http://www.eiohforum.com Then click on, "enter the forum" .
Under subject, magnolia water started by Lee Longstreet
Post #3 - fox 8 interview filtration upgrade. Below that you can access the recorded audio of the ribbon cutting presentation by clicking on the "play" arrow
Post #4 - Lee's article regarding the conversation with Todd Thomas senior VP on the different issues with our water tower malfunctions.
Also you are welcome to add your comments on this forum but in order to do so you will need to create a user name and password. If you later forget your user name or password it cannot be recovered so write it down in a safe place. You do not need to have a log in to read the forum or any other topics of interest you may want to read.
Eden Isles
•
June 13, 2024 (also posted on "NextDoor")
•
Magnolia Waters Ribbon cutting presentation that took place on Tuesday June 11th with President & CEO of CSWR, Josiah Cox and St Tammany officials.
Many residents of Eden Isle as well as our surrounding neighbors were upset because they were not notified this was taking place and probably felt robbed of the opportunity to address their concerns. Myself as well as resident Lee Longstreet, my brother-n-law, happen to be in the right place at the right time.
I did an on camera interview with fox 8 and Lee had the opportunity to speak in detail with Todd Thomas, Senior VP regarding the malfunction of sensors in our water tower and other issues.
The entire presentation was recorded and for those of you that would like to listen I will provide you with the link to access this as well as my interview, and Lee's discussion with Mr.Thomas.
All of your concerns are our concerns! During the presentation, Josiah Cox stated, " our hope is to continue to scale the company and to be able to bring down costs for some neighbors." Eric Skrmetta our public service commissioner is in charge of approving our water rate increases. I stated to him I agree that our system needed updating and I understand we would have an increase on our water bill but many residents have seen a 300 plus percent increase! Many residents are on a fixed income, retired and single parents. This is not affordable for many residents. His response to me, Another system in LA was upgraded and other work that was done in other places is a shared cost across the system. He said many things go into the equation. Cost of repairs, maintenance, workers, (he mentioned other things but lost me after he said and the stockholders need to make money. He then said once there is stabilization, we should see smaller increases as we go forward. I was not happy hearing this. I reiterated some neighbors state their water bill is higher than their electric bill. I also stated that communication regarding boil water advisory's is not timely and we often do not receive notification until several hours after an occurrence. He is aware and they are working on this.
The website to hear the presentation is Http://www.eiohforum.com Then click on, "enter the forum" .
Under subject, magnolia water started by Lee Longstreet
Post #3 - fox 8 interview filtration upgrade. Below that you can access the recorded audio of the ribbon cutting presentation by clicking on the "play" arrow
Post #4 - Lee's article regarding the conversation with Todd Thomas senior VP on the different issues with our water tower malfunctions.
Also you are welcome to add your comments on this forum but in order to do so you will need to create a user name and password. If you later forget your user name or password it cannot be recovered so write it down in a safe place. You do not need to have a log in to read the forum or any other topics of interest you may want to read.
#9
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Magnolia Water
Last post by Lee Longstreet - June 12, 2024, 02:58:08 PMJune 11, 2024 (10am) Magnolia Water Ribbon Cutting Ceremony - answers to problems
At the event, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Todd Thomas, Senior VP and operations manager for about 15 minutes. My interests were primarily "quality" and "reliability". The water quality problem should be taken care of by the new filtration system.
Unscheduled complete loss of water supply is a safety, security and sanitation issue ...
It turns out that the water supply reliability problems resulting in boil water alerts were caused by multiple electrical problems. We went over each cause and effect -
* Electrical supply instability - fixed with installation of a new service transformer installed by CLECO.
* Backup generator problems - change over switchgear was defective (generator would auto-start but not go on-line)
* Water Tower level sensor - Sensor was adjusted too low. Normally, when the water level drops in the tower the sensor tells the well pump to start refilling as needed. It turns out the level sensor was set too low. If the water pressure drops an alarm is sent to the maintenance team but because the water level was set too low the tower would simply run out of water by the time maintenance could arrive. Mr. Thomas assured me these problems have been fixed.
It was refreshing to talk to someone who knew in detail of each of the problems & fixes causing our water outages. Let's hope this solves our water reliability problems.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the interview with Josiah Cox, CEO - CSWR by WWL-TV regarding water system upgrades,
> click here
At the event, I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Todd Thomas, Senior VP and operations manager for about 15 minutes. My interests were primarily "quality" and "reliability". The water quality problem should be taken care of by the new filtration system.
Unscheduled complete loss of water supply is a safety, security and sanitation issue ...
It turns out that the water supply reliability problems resulting in boil water alerts were caused by multiple electrical problems. We went over each cause and effect -
* Electrical supply instability - fixed with installation of a new service transformer installed by CLECO.
* Backup generator problems - change over switchgear was defective (generator would auto-start but not go on-line)
* Water Tower level sensor - Sensor was adjusted too low. Normally, when the water level drops in the tower the sensor tells the well pump to start refilling as needed. It turns out the level sensor was set too low. If the water pressure drops an alarm is sent to the maintenance team but because the water level was set too low the tower would simply run out of water by the time maintenance could arrive. Mr. Thomas assured me these problems have been fixed.
It was refreshing to talk to someone who knew in detail of each of the problems & fixes causing our water outages. Let's hope this solves our water reliability problems.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the interview with Josiah Cox, CEO - CSWR by WWL-TV regarding water system upgrades,
> click here
#10
(Click Here) to return to Topics / Re: Magnolia Water
Last post by Lee Longstreet - June 12, 2024, 02:21:51 PMFox8 Filtration Upgrade, (click here) for interview with local resident
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(Audio of Ribbon cutting ceremony)
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(Audio of Ribbon cutting ceremony)