You may remember Christopher X. Brodeur from his unexpectedly successful run for mayor, or from his spectacularly unsuccessful fight against aggravated harassment charges that landed him in the clink for six months last year. Well, he's back, and he's taking the fight to a new enemy: the Con Edison bill printing department! From an email he sent us this morning:
Have you seen the new, larger Con Ed bills, which of course waste more paper and create tons more landfill and recycling costs for taxpayers? Why is no one in charge of preventing this waste? Nevermind that the added cost by Con Ed gets passed on to you and me in our "larger" bills.
WHY can't we socialize electricity exactly as we did police and fire services, public libraries and public parks? The NYPD sends out zero bills a month to pay for its service, versus Con Ed's 5 million envelopes a month. That's insanity at best. The head of Con Ed gets paid about 3 times more than the head of the USA, (The President) which is a perfect illustration of how the "free market" is as inefficient economically as possible. Before they "deregulated" the electric industry, the head of Con Ed was getting a much lower salary. Now, our rates must keep skyrocketing to pay for the expanded salaries and expanded waste, while Con Ed reduces repairs and servicing of its lines to fund these enormous salaries. (See: the "blackout" in Queens this year.)
There is no logic to Con Ed being for-profit in any way, except to line the pockets of hyper-capitalists. If deregulation makes sense, then why doesn't the government open police, fire, and military services to "competition"? Why doesn't the FDNY send out 5 million bills every 30 days to pay for its services? Because they know it wouldn't work and would be catastrophic. Government is bad, but big business is far worse and far more expensive.
Why will the media not even discuss this issue?
Preach on, CXB-- waste not, want not! Everyone who's able should sign up for e-bill, which eliminates all of the paper. The rest of Chris' letter, after the jump.
