Politics & Government
Opinion Poll: Privatize LIPA?
Sachem community weighs in on recent report suggesting the dissolution of LIPA in favor of privatizing electric utility.
Yesterday we posted news on our Facebook page of the findings of the Moreland Commission. The commission was empaneled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the wake of what many perceived as the massive failure of LIPA to be prepared for the devestating damage wreaked by Superstorm Sandy.
The Moreland Commission has recommended that LIPA be shut and replaced with a private company. We asked our Facebook followers to voice their opinions on the matter. Here are some samples of those opinions:
From Stephanie Volpe: "Lipa is just lilco with a different name. If a private company will give us better service and better rates then we definitely should replace lipa."
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From Michele Favaro: "I am concerned that any change will result in higher costs to pay back all of the LIPA debt. LI has had decades of poor power management options. LIPA/LILCO were both the same problem- highest rates in the country, poor management, lots of problems. What private company is going to come in and provide us with real emergency plans, upgrade our power grids and LOWER our costs?"
From Linda Simpson Napolitano: "Why would anyone think that a private company would charge less!!! That would never happen! Don't privatize it! The State should just help it organize itself better! Privatizing it will only cause higher rates!!!!"
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From Sean Turner: "Didn't the state say that a private company (LILCO) wasn't capable of properly running the utility, so the state took it over."
From Meredith Larsen Volpe: "It's a double edged sword we got rid of LILCO so we didn't get taken advantage of my a private co yet it seems more of the same with LIPA I think whatever we do we need better ADVANCED planning and MORE heads need to roll when they do wrong by the public. It was a Free for all for so long much like most of our government we used to be "for the people by the people" now it seems we are just for the people that we are governed by and the hell with the rest of us!!!"
Want to weigh in? Reply to one of the points raised in this story? Drop a comment below to have your voice heard.
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