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Name calling and condescendence as a strategy

9/9/2010

18 Comments

 
My friend,  Esther, recently sent me a link to a 2009 interview with AEP CEO Michael Morris entitled, "You have to tell people the truth".  I think Morris wouldn't know truth if it snuck up and bit him on the rear end, but I found it quite interesting nonetheless.  You can watch the video of the interview (you have to join to see full version, but it's free) or read a summary.  In the interview, Morris states that demand forecasts are often wrong (really?  you mean like PATH's fictional "need"?)  He also runs on and on about how transmission should be regulated at the federal level.  It is essential that the allocation of cost be spread to all ratepayers because the "benefit" of an interstate electric transmission grid will inure to everyone who lives in this country (rah, rah, wave your flag!)  If transmission were under federal control, you would see a "tremendous amount" of transmission capacity added to the system. Sure you would -- AEP and other energy companies would be lining up to build new transmission at no cost to themselves and rake in a hefty return on equity, exactly the motivation behind PATH.  Beware of what he's saying here -- AEP has plans to circumvent state-held control of transmission decisions and have the cost of building his "national grid" paid for at your expense. This bears watching.

But here's where it gets really interesting -- Morris starts talking about "NIMBYs" and the "inertia in this country" that causes people to say "nothing in my backyard" when they flip on the light switch.  So, Mikey, what's in YOUR backyard?  Swimming pool?  Tennis court?  Stable of expensive foreign sports cars?  Until you're willing to trade backyards with a few friends of mine, shut your pie hole! It's really easy to call names and pontificate when it doesn't affect you, isn't it?  He goes on to say that "the American people are equally bright (reference to earlier comment about AEP employees being bright) and all you have to do is tell people the truth".  In that case, we've been doing your job for you for the past two years -- telling the American people the truth, and they get it.  Oh boy, do they get it!  They all know that PATH is a greedy scam.

And, what about Allegheny Energy's take on "NIMBYs, BANANAs and NOPEs"?  First, I just have to get this out of my system -- QUIT ABUSING THE APOSTROPHE!  An apostrophe is used to show possession or to take the place of missing letters in a contraction.  It is NOT used to indicate a plural noun.  Okay, now back to the show...

Aldie Warnock of Allegheny Energy actually embarrassed himself giving this inspid presentation at a NARUC meeting.  He listed the following "problems" with transmission expansion:  NIMBY's, BANANA's, NOPE's (yes, I'm shuddering), Viewsheds, Federal Lands, Heritage Zones and Conservation Easements.  I've got one more for ya -- LACK OF NEED!  He then goes into the problems they encountered with the TrAIL line.  Pay particular attention to slide 18, TrAIL Timeline, "November ELECTIONS!", this will come into play later in this post. He details his "Public Opinion Findings" that just make me laugh!  How out-of-touch with the actual public is this guy?  Most of these are the absolute truth and can't be fixed, except for the last two:  "Third party validation can impact the business communities views" (shudder again) and "Residents listen to their local business and industry". Aldie, nobody believes anything FERC, DOE, and especially PJM, say anymore -- they've cried wolf regarding the need for PATH a few too many times to retain any credibility. As far as residents listening to local business and industry -- nobody believes them either, and because they're local we already know their reputation and word travels fast when power company-funded front groups are mixed into the equation. Bad idea!

He finishes up with the "Lesson's Learned" (shudder), but it's readily apparent that Allegheny Energy hasn't learned these lessons at all!  "Education, Education, Education, Early and Often!"  The ship has already sailed on this one, and PATH wasn't on it.   Oops!  Beat to the punch by the opposition!  "Very clear and concise messaging"  Ship.   Sailed.  The minute you hired Charles Ryan Associates. "Tours for Media and Public Officials" -- we all know how great that one worked out, don't we?  Can you say public relations disaster?  "Third Party Validators" -- great idea, if you had any real friends at all and didn't have to pay them to pimp your project.  "Companies need ALLIES".  See answer to last bright idea.

If you thought that was pathetic, Holly Kauffman of Allegheny Energy revamped the presentation (and cleaned up some, but not all, of the apostrophe abuse) and presented it again at an EEI meeting.  Holly adds "WIFM (What's in it for me?)" to the list of "problems".  Great -- but you don't have anything to offer.  Anything at all.  She also adds two slides entitled "Public Concerns" and offers this unintelligible gem, "Can't see electric when line is overloaded".  ???  If you think that's bad, she also offers some information that is JUST PLAIN WRONG, such as: "Lack of Understanding of the Legal Process".  Apparently she must have been referring to herself because under this heading we find, "Right to access properties to do studies necessary for CPCN and permits".  PATH has no such right!  Do you suppose this is where Louis Berger Group got their instructions?

Read her rendition of "Opposition Topics".  Holly's confusion intensifies here because some of these are actually power company strategies, such as:  the entire concept of fearmongering, among which she details "Federal Government will over rule State's Authority" (how many times have they played the FERC card in the PATH case?); "Fear of neighbor retaliation if ROW is signed" (they put this idea in landowners' heads to coerce them to sign); and the best one, "Put public officials on the spot before elections" (remember Aldie's TrAIL Timeline?)  The last one is a real screamer, "Not held accountable like utility to be factual in statements".  Oh, boy, if someone is holding the utility accountable for their lies, there's a HUGE debt waiting to be paid!  The rest of these topics are true... does the truth hurt so much that you need to try to garner sympathy by mentioning them?

See slide entitled "Other CPCN Hearing issues".  Holly continues to whine about landowners not allowing them to do their surveys before having a permit in their hand; and "Agreements reached between parties in case were viewed cynically because negotiations are confidential".  No, Holly, they were viewed cynically because the PSC staff recommended that TrAIL's permit be denied and Governor Manchin's interference with "closed door" meetings is what got you your permit.  It was crooked and illegal, you twit!

It's time to write a new chapter in their book of strategy. They're being soundly pummeled by the opposition on all fronts.  Must be because their strategy sucks.  After PATH is defeated, maybe I'll let them know exactly what went wrong.  Or maybe I'll just pack up my bag 'o tricks and move on to their next project ;-)


Addendum:  For more about how FERC, power company, coal company and political players arrogantly conspire against us "little people", visit Calhoun Powerline for quotes from the 2005 Charleston Love Fest, such as Chairman Wood of FERC who said, “[I] hope we don’t have that transmission project become common dinner table talk for the average citizen before we actually take care of it.”
18 Comments
AngryLandowner
9/9/2010 05:53:45 am

Pontificate. HA!!!!! The PATH parties do not pontificate. They probably don't even know what that word means lol. Pontificating is usually done by intelligent people or philosphers. Not money greedy pie holers like PATH. The scenario probably is more like this (picture a bunch of obese tools sitting around a table...sort of like jaba the hut except not as smart):

Power Companies: Hmmm how can we make money?

PJM: OH..I know..I know!! We will say we have a need and that the grid is bad!!

Power Companies: COOL!!! Lets do it! We will call FERC and see if they will help. We will also go procreate with each other and give birth to PATH

PATH: <<POP!!>> Hi guys..I'm Here!!

Power Companies: PATH, go forth and tear apart the land and waste the time and money of WV people.

PATH: Okeydokey! Can I have some help?

Power Companies: Sure..Jackson Kelley can help you...there is a guy named Melick who will do your bidding. Sort of like a receptionist for you.

PATH: Ok great!!!!!! Melick..get your sweet A$$ in here and bring that pad of paper and pencil wiith you. I need you to type up a letter to the PSC. None of us have our stuff together so we need you to activate your blowhole and come up with a reason as to why we are so clueless.

Melick: Oh golly gee...I don't know..I just don't know what to say in the letter. I'm fresh out of ideas. I don't really think you know....I just do as I'm told. What do you think I should say Power Companies?

Power Companies: <<deafening silence except for the old man asleep at the head of the table ..named Paul...he's snoring>>

Melick: Is anyone there? I DONT KNOW WHAT TO SAY..HELLLLP ME PLEEEAAASEEE!!!!!

PATH: Uhhh..hmm. Say...say our schedules are aligned..and then put some big words mishmashed in there and then criticize what other people have written. That will confuse the PSC and make them think we are on the ball.

Melick: Oh ok!! yay!!! <<skips into the other room singing>> I just love to write letters. Begins clicking away on his keyboard..

(stay tuned for part II)






Reply
SuzieQ
9/9/2010 06:40:38 am

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!

Reply
Darling WV Girl By Day and Badass By Night
9/9/2010 07:00:55 am

ROFLMAO!!!!!!! Give us Part Two! Give us Part Two!!!

Reply
EZ
9/9/2010 08:39:36 pm

Allegheny continues to embarrass AEP!
they're like AEP's deformed little brother that's been let out of the basement accidentally

Reply
Rachelle Channell
9/9/2010 11:56:58 pm

I agree with EZ. I think it is time to focus on AEP for awhile. It's obvious that Cyveillance works for them IMO. Hey AngryLandowner, go to pathofdestruction and shoot me an email..I want to talk to you about hosting your "work" to amuse the rest of us as we fight.

Reply
NONE
9/10/2010 03:47:30 am

If that's their strategy and demonstrates the mental prowess of their employees no wonder they're getting their butts kicked

Reply
not published
9/10/2010 06:22:37 am

these guys cannot even properly wield an apostrophe and we are trusting them to keep the lights on.
scary!~~

Reply
Da Hillbilly
9/10/2010 06:48:56 am

A HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!

Reply
JustMe
9/11/2010 02:17:46 pm

Mr. Morris? The guy with the good ole Enron days canned quotes? Wasn't he retiring?(oops, someone forgot to tell his colorist) I think Allegheny pullled him out of the attic to take the fall for firing all the hard working people in Ohio to save executive salaries. Convenient. Old King Coal got a little too merry. The fun soap opera is that he is now setting grovelling successor wannabes against each other. Last count there were 4. Quiz time - send all the web crawlers out. Can any one name the 4 with knee patches? No one wants to step on the ole'dude's toes, but I'll bet behind the scenes the doors are politely and gently opening toward the sunset. BTW, that's the same sunset view that hard working folks living in Mount Airy MD are supposed to lose for the "good of all." The great populist PATH Grand Central railyard of EHV power (the 'Kemptown' substation). Now why would NIMBY" ' "s object to sacrificing their democratic, Constitution loving, landowning dreams for the good of all? Wait a minute...does that sound a bit un-capitalistic?....OOOH..I'm so Confuuuuuused!

Reply
Cindy Lou Who
9/12/2010 03:44:19 am

I wonder who's going to get fired this time for uploading and leaving stuff on the internet that they don't want us to find! LOL Priceless!

Reply
JustMe
9/13/2010 10:00:53 am

Hey Cindy, I know... Let's ask Randy! Maybe there will be some line items on their "true-up" for software and fake-geeks who try to clean up their web act. I'm a big picture kinda person and I find a great message in all this. 5 years ago the corporate espionage frame of mind may have had some effect. Now, they get caught. By the time their boardroom insiders (who don't even understand BBs and E-mail, and choke on worms when tweeting) sit down to approve another salespitcher who claims to know technology -- consider the risks -- do somoe loss analysis -- consult a bean counter... Regular people have long since hop-hop-hopped away to nibble on fresh green turf. No wonder all the real computer brains want nothing to do with these old 'paradigms.' (yes, I selected a nice word) The most talented geeks don't even have to report into an office and would never grovel. They are hidden in plain sight where the NIMBYs, treehuggers, pitchforkers and hillbillies are supposed to be - and they can sleep at night! Three cheers for "We the People." (Will they add "WEPE's" alongside BANANA's???) Thanks for this delightful topic Keryn! Lighten"'"s our spirit" ' " s!

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Keryn
9/13/2010 08:17:46 pm

Agreed, JM, hidden in plain sight! That's what happens in when you "assume" you're routing your transmission line through the backyards of a bunch of hillbillies. When you assume, you make an ass out of u and, well, u again, in this case!

Hmm... what do these folks do for a living (or what have they done in the past)? The average person transitions through three different careers in a lifetime. When I got through three, I retired, in order to create a fourth that takes the best out of the other three and makes it enjoyable.

Ask Randy? He'll just boldly lie right to your face. What's the point? Not only is he a lawyer, he's PATH's lawyer. Two strikes.

Reply
Da Hillbilly
9/16/2010 04:00:48 am

You know Randy ... Ya got two strikes already and we ALL knows what happens @ three ... YERRRRRRRR OUTTTTT!

Reply
Keryn
9/17/2010 10:52:51 pm

Who's our pitcher for this inning?

Reply
Da Hillbilly
9/20/2010 11:52:03 pm

Or a "catcher" perhaps ... eh Randy?

Reply
Keryn
9/21/2010 05:50:53 am

Naughty! Stop!

Reply
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    About the Author

    Keryn Newman blogs here at StopPATH WV about energy issues, transmission policy, misguided regulation, our greedy energy companies and their corporate spin.
    In 2008, AEP & Allegheny Energy's PATH joint venture used their transmission line routing etch-a-sketch to draw a 765kV line across the street from her house. Oooops! And the rest is history.

    About
    StopPATH Blog

    StopPATH Blog began as a forum for information and opinion about the PATH transmission project.  The PATH project was abandoned in 2012, however, this blog was not.

    StopPATH Blog continues to bring you energy policy news and opinion from a consumer's point of view.  If it's sometimes snarky and oftentimes irreverent, just remember that the truth isn't pretty.  People come here because they want the truth, instead of the usual dreadful lies this industry continues to tell itself.  If you keep reading, I'll keep writing.


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