Florida does it yet again

[packman]

Last edited Sat Apr 12, 2014, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)

Gotta love the 3 ring circus that is the Florida Legislature - here they give away 1.5 BILLION to utility companies (who, surprise-surprise) are the biggest campaign donors after the NRA. Hell, they even gave DUKE energy, which is the biggest Florida electrical utility, the right to raise consumer costs because they wanted to build a nuke plant. THEN, after collecting the money changed their mind about building the plant, but kept the money.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/12/1291480/-FL-Legislature-Gives-Utilities-1-5-Billion-For-NO-Reason

[HooptieWagon]

1. Old news, but correct.

It gets much worse, in fact. Westinghouse sued Duke for contracted $ before the plant was cancelled. Duke claims the work wasnt completed. Either way, we pay. Thats another $500 million. Then there's the DIY nuke repair that Progress Energy (forerunner to Duke) attempted. It failed, natch, as they had no experience and failed to consult experts. In the process of the shade-tree hack job, they damaged the reactor building beyond repair. We (the public) not only have to cover the costs of the failed repair, but also the costs of a permanent shutdown that will continue to rack up billions decades into the future. On top of this, the Public Service Commission, which is supposed to look out for consumer interests inre to utilities regulation, is in reality a group of industry puppets that rubber-stamp any and all rate hikes and expenses passed along to the public. Its a real fucking mess, and completely due to the utilities owning the Legislature.

[PCIntern]

2. So as Mitt Romney would say:

What's the problem? Corporations are people, my friend, and did you ever know anyone who didn't make a mistake?

Business as usual...

[HooptieWagon]

4. What I forgot to mention...

The legislation passed not only allowed for utilities to collect expenses for new nuke plants in advance (whether built or not), but also permitted tacking on profit to the expenses...15%, I believe. Naturally, costs sky-rocketed. Not only was there zero incentive to restrain costs, but in fact the more they spent the more money they made.

[PCIntern]

5. Now that's MY kinda company!!!!

Who says the project was a failure...?

Which reminds me of the great line in the film The Groove Tube:

"Their marriage was a failure
'Cause they had no genitalia!"

[onethatcares]

3. the total is actually 2.5 billion

paid by the ratepayers for nothing, nada, a wishsamich, silverlining in dukes pockets. NO WORK IS GOING TO BE DONE.

this state sucks more every day.

Then toss in the homeowners insurance fiasco and you can see how much the current crop of repuke pocket liners cares for the citizens.

btw. the speaker of the house for the 2020 session has already been picked. can you spell "gerrymandering"?

[n2doc]

6. And people keep voting the bozos back in office

You might think people would get mad enough to toss all incumbents out, or at least the ones serving on the committees that approved this stuff. But no. The cult of the fetus worshipper is strong in that state.

[Warpy]

7. My mother called the power and light company

Florida Plunder and Loot and that was 40 years ago when they first moved there. Those old boys do love those good ole boy Republicans in the lege and it seems they get rate raises rubber stamped after every election.

And my dad wondered why I'd do my own root canals with a Dremel and spackle before I'd move there.