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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHere's an idea from the Obama budget: Sell the nation's largest public utility: TVA
The Obama administrations 2014 budget is calling for a strategic review of the Tennessee Valley Authority, opening the possibility that the largest U.S. public utility could be sold.
TVA officials seemed to have been caught off guard by the budget proposal released Wednesday. Board Chairman Bill Sansom and President and CEO Bill Johnson said the proposal was unexpected.
At this point we dont know what the strategic review might include or what options might be explored, Sansom says in a statement. In the meantime, we will continue operating TVA in a sound financial manner in support of the people of the Tennessee Valley and the interests of the Federal Government.
Although TVA does not receive taxpayer appropriations, the utilitys expenditure of borrowed funds does count in the federal deficit.
<snip>
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2012/president/candidates/obama/2013/04/10/obama-budget-hints-sale-largest-public-utility/jLRO8YbF9LOwqXlCHEK3LP/story.html
Bigmack
(8,020 posts)bluestate10
(10,942 posts)federal electrification programs should be sold off also. The largely red states whose citizens thumb their noses at government in majority fashion should get a taste of what market electricity rates look like, like everyone else in the country. The change will finally present the majority of red state voters that repeatedly elect republicans with the image of the absolute stupidity of their voting patterns.
UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)Fuck em.
ljm2002
(10,751 posts)..."that repeatedly elect republicans with the image of the absolute stupidity of their voting patterns."
Please explain again how that will work.
1 - The DEMOCRATIC President proposes a plan to review the TVA
2 - This results in the TVA being privatized
3 - The electric rates go up for red states who "repeatedly elect republicans"
Now again: how does this make them more eager to vote for Democratic candidates?
cordelia
(2,174 posts)Being called stupid does SO much to help Democratic candidates!
It does SO much to help us in "red" states get the Democratic message across!
Sarcasm.
Bandit
(21,475 posts)There is absolutely nothing in Republican ideology other than the abortion issue that benefits them in any way, yet they keep voting Republican...What other word could you use to describe that behavior?
Javaman
(62,534 posts)lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Public power was one of the best ideas to come out of the new deal.
I live in an area served by public power. A half-hour down the road, my brother is served by an investor owned utility (Puget Sound Energy)
Despite the fact that about 7% of my power bill is used to subsidize the operations costs of the investor owned utilities (like PSE), my brother still has higher prices for power.
A couple of years ago, a severe windstorm went through the area. My area, being closer to the coast, was hit harder than inland areas. My PUD had the power up within a day or two to every house and business in its service area. Four days after the storm, I went to my brother's house in Olympia, the state capital, and found that street signals and lighting were still out.
Investor owned utilities suck, and our government which caters to them sucks even harder.
FSogol
(45,525 posts)lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)FSogol
(45,525 posts)electrical power in a scheme that was outdated by the end of WWII? It is no longer cost prohibitive to bring electricity to Tennessee. The TVA and the REA are no longer necessary.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)The TVA doesn't take any tax dollars, their operations are funded through power rates, and in 2011 they paid $530 million in tax equivalent payments to state an local governments.
Their rates for power are lower than investor owned utilities, because ALL for profit companies gouge their customers.
http://www.tva.com/abouttva/keyfacts.htm
FSogol
(45,525 posts)lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)If you think Duke Energy would have been a better steward in that regard, you deserve what you get.
http://www.tn.gov/environment/kingston/
FSogol
(45,525 posts)Obsolete or still needed?
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)The USDA manages a number of programs in the name of rural development, and utilities are one of them.
The need for electrification is not as big as it once was, but promoting telecommunications access in rural areas is very important.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/Utilities_Assistance.html
FSogol
(45,525 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)FSogol
(45,525 posts)DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)...that's what one must expect from an 80's Republican trying to impress his corporate friends.
trof
(54,256 posts)That'll work.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)trof
(54,256 posts)UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)Jack Sprat
(2,500 posts)The last Republican candidate that I recall planning to privatize TVA was Barry Goldwater in 64 and thankfully he never won election. Obama is now flipping from moderate Republican to Conservative. Maybe the Heritage Foundation plans to run a southern power company and has promised him a job as CEO when his term is out.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Autumn
(45,120 posts)the Koch brothers? The Heritage Foundation likes it.
forestpath
(3,102 posts)dawg
(10,624 posts)kenny blankenship
(15,689 posts)Maybe ENRON would be interested in a no interest govt loan to take over this little concern and whip it into shape? Oh wait, deregulation and privatization already showed us what they lead to: Enron.
magellan
(13,257 posts)ladjf
(17,320 posts)badtoworse
(5,957 posts)Selling it as one entity would give it market power, something that be detrimental to the ratepayer.
Jack Sprat
(2,500 posts)for millions in the southeast due to TVA's privatization, then you know it's real. Although Alexander is a senator from Tennessee, TVA provides power for portions of Miss, Ala, KY, VA, NC, and GA as well. Although it's infrastructure is old and needs updating, that applies to most public infrastructure all over the country where it has been ignored for so long. We have nuclear plants with dangerously old infrastructure in need of renewal, too.
This seems to be a trend with selling off public institutions to waiting profiteers, who are more than willing to take control of them and turn big profits. The former TVA consumers will be in for a rude awakening when they find themselves receiving private utility bills from a private corporation. Barry Goldwater was the last presidential candidate to suggest privatizing TVA. So Barack Obama is now drifting into the conscience of a conservative.
UnrepentantLiberal
(11,700 posts)woo me with science
(32,139 posts)woo me with science
(32,139 posts)99Forever
(14,524 posts)What could possibly go wrong?
Tom Rinaldo
(22,913 posts)Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)BlueStreak
(8,377 posts)That's already effectively what has happened. At least we should make the corporations pay a couple billion bucks for it.
We'll even include a nice frame.
IDemo
(16,926 posts)progressoid
(49,999 posts)We need more theme parks in America!
kenny blankenship
(15,689 posts)in no time.
JPZenger
(6,819 posts)Yes, I don't understand why Obama hasn't proposed federal budget cuts that hit government spending in rural areas of Red States.
Why does the Tennessee Valley get to have electricity that is a fraction of the cost of the Northeast US? Why are we subsidizing rural airports where no one wants to fly? Why are we propping up the price of sugar, which could cost the federal govt. a fortune in certain years, and which increases the costs of other products?
AgingAmerican
(12,958 posts)Republican wet dream