I could only shake my head after reading Karl Grossman’s “True Public Power” column last week [Suffolk Closeup, Opinion, April 21]. He lauds the effort in Albany (where most bad ideas are born lately) to fund a commission of politicians to study the future of the Long Island Power Authority. As Ronald Reagan used to quip, the most frightening words he knew were: “We’re from the government and we are here to help.”
This commission led by eight of our stalwart legislators wants to enhance their self-importance by fiddling with the running of our electric grid here on Long Island and growing our bloated state government with yet another layer of incompetent bureaucracy.
Their goal is to create a civilian-run public utility that will apparently have elected members serving this public authority. This model will only bring politics and political insiders to a utility that needs neither to function well. Our experience with this in LIPA’s previous incarnation was rife with incompetence.
Giving our politicians more influence over our lives is the last thing I’m looking forward to. Is anyone expecting our rates to go down now that we will be introducing wind farming off our shores? Don’t bet on it. Long Islanders are treated like the sheep we are as the plans of our elites are explained to us as a better way to our future.
Frankly, the only good news in getting our power delivered has been the professionalism of PSE&G-LI in running our grid. Shoot this messenger if you wish (I own no PSEG stock), but I have seen great improvement in the maintenance of our electrical delivery system and accountability from management to address shortcomings as they are identified.
Yes, Superstorm Sandy was a come-to-Jesus moment for all of New England, not just PSEG on Long Island. I’m satisfied that Long Islanders are significantly better prepared, and recent storms have not produced outages that point to mismanagement.
Albany has been giving the citizens of New York one bad policy after another, from no bail for felons, to mask requirements for our children, to the gerrymandering of our Long Island voting districts, to this latest attempt at making it even less attractive to be a resident on the island.
Let us be, Albany — and, Mr. Thiele, don’t build this Trojan horse. We can live without a reincarnation of LIPA in our lives.
Ed Surgan
Westhampton
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