Top Left Header
Header
Opinion
Arrow
Title - The View from Dundas
Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
The benefit of public utilities
By Phillip Blancher
OurHometown.ca

The benefit of public utilities
The manufactured belief that publicly-owned utilities like Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One, Cornwall Electric or Rideau-St. Lawrence Utilities are for our own good, is a falsehood. Public ownership has morphed over the decades from being for the common good, to another form of high taxation and waste.
PHOTO CREDIT - CornwallElectric.com

South Dundas - March 31, 2015 - The manufactured belief that publicly-owned utilities like Ontario Power Generation, Hydro One, Cornwall Electric or Rideau-St. Lawrence Utilities are for our own good, is a falsehood. Public ownership has morphed over the decades from being for the common good, to another form of high taxation and waste.

When the Hydro-Electric Commission of Ontario, predecessor to Ontario Hydro, Hydro One and the like, was first created it was to bring electricity to the masses. Then as time went on, that role was to ensure that there was economical electricity for those masses. This would spur growth, industry and jobs. To see this, look no further to our own area where so much was changed 60 years ago in the name of progress, the Seaway, and for hydro-electric generation.

Yet successive governments from Rae to Harris, Eves to McGuinty and now Wynne have done their best to try to change the system, and it has failed. The Green Energy Act is the latest of a long line of bungles that has helped bleed the wallets of Ontarians dry.

If a publicly-owned utility is to be for the public benefit, then it should be run like it. Electricity rates need to go down, cost-effective methods of generation need to be deployed first, not last, and while the companies should not be run at a loss, it should be revenue neutral and control costs.

The electric utility model as it stands in Ontario now is broken, and we are going broke for it. To call the current model a public benefit is a blatant lie to the users of the system. Either change the model to one that is for the public good, or just sell it off and be done with it. What we have now is unsustainable.

Follow Me on TwitterPhillip Blancher is a writer, web geek and communications professional by trade. He has written for a number of publications in Eastern Ontario and Northern New York State and also was a weekly morning show contributor for two area radio stations. As a resident of South Dundas for the last seven years, this long-time political buff has taken on an appreciation of small-town/rural life while also being a father of four and a soccer coach. Blancher's columns on OurHometown.ca will cover a range of his interests from politics, parenthood, local history and on his favourite NHL team, the Buffalo Sabres. If you have questions or wish to contact Phillip, you can email him at pblancher@ourhometown.ca






Title - Story Count
8,404 Stories & Growing Daily...

To date OurHometown.ca has posted a total of 8,404 stories! News, sports, hockey, lifestyle, opinion and more!

Be sure to check out our Columnists archives or, why not Contribute a Story yourself!

OurHometown.ca offers a very generous revenue sharing opportunity for our Columnists. If you are interested in learning more details about writing for us, please send us an EMAIL.
Five places you didn



Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS Follow Us with E-Mail Updates!


Title - More Headlines
Click on Photo or Story Title for more info
Most disruptive European fintech companies
TFSA Limits: what you Need to Know
Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce  calls for urgent Provincial support
FAO Statement on Ontario
GetInTheLoop partners with WE Regional Chamber
OurHometown.ca News Database Last Updated:
Jan. 28, 2024 @ 1:06 PM EST






Footer

Free Sitemap Generator