Conflict-of-Interest Smart Meter Politicking in PennsylvaniaCatherine J Frompovich House Bill 2200 had amendments, and the Freeman Amendment in particular, is discussed in the House Journal. Were Smart Meters (SMs) really mandated or actually supposed to be voluntary, since the history of that bill, according to the House and Senate Journals, seems to indicate something totally different than what is being forced upon electric power company customers like PECO, an Exelon company. Heres a brief, but clear account, of the history of PA House Bill 2200 as it worked its way into becoming Act 129 of 2008. February 11, 2008 House Journal pp. 386-403 PN 3218, p.390 It only makes sense to say smart meters should go to consumers who can save money by installing them. Those who can save by having a smart meter, it would make sense for them to have smart meters in their home. Mandating it across the board mandates that everybody pays whether they save or not, and that just does not make sense. I am very concerned that we continue to ignore the consumers by making more mandates and increasing their costs, whether it is through mandating meters, through trying to have some kind of a surcharge, all these things at a time when their electric costs are going up anyways. So although on a case-by-case basis, smart meters might be a good thing to do, making a 100-percent mandate does not make sense. So I am opposing this amendment. PA State Rep. Mr. Godshall states: PN3218, p.391 PA State Rep. Mr. Godshall PN3218, p.393 PA State Rep. Mr. Saylor says, PN3218, p.395 PN3218, p.397 February 12, 2008 House Journal, pp. 430-432 HB2200 made its way through the PA House and went to the Senate for their consideration and more amending. PN4429 PN4526 The bill meets with final approval in the Senate! October 8, 2008 Senate Journal, pp. 2626-2631 Question: So, why are PECO and other utility companies sending out shut off notices to customers who dont want them and dont have to have them in accordance with the above statement by State Senator Tomlinson? Apparently, utility companies are not abiding by the law, or its proper interpretation as written, as these discussions of the bill and amendments document. PA State Senator Mr. Boscola Question: If Pennsylvania State Senators feel they passed a bill that would not mandate smart meters for every single ratepayer, how come PECO and other utility companies can break the law and shut off electric power to fully-paid customers? PA State Senator Mr. Fumo The Senate approved-bill goes back to the Pennsylvania House. The discussion does not mention anything about whether the meters are mandated or not. HB2200 is signed into law as Act 129 by Governor Edward G. Rendell. An Implementation Order is then devised by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Smart Meter Procurement and Installation Implementation Order was adopted at the June 18, 2009 Public Meeting. Entered June 24, 2009. Docket No. M-2009-209655. Question: What gives the PA PUC the totalitarian right to interpret the law using this language? The Commission believes that it was the intent of the General Assembly to require all covered EDCs to deploy smart meters system-wide when it included a requirement for smart meter deployment in accordance with a depreciation schedule not to exceed 15 years. This Writers Comments: No other intent can be construed from the language of the Pennsylvania Senators and Representatives as printed in both the House and Senate Journals of record. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission acted under false pretenses thereby imposing burdens of all sorts, including financial, that the state legislators did not want and genuinely expressed concerns about. PA Act 129 of 2008 is, therefore, an illegal act for many reasons, including violating an individuals constitutional rights, but more importantly because the PA PUC interpreted law by its belief, which is contrary to the legal method of law-crafting in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Consequently, Act 129 of 2008 must be rescinded and stricken from Pennsylvania State Law as it violates Pennsylvania citizens legal rights to redress, due process, and to function as an informed consumer with consumer protection rights that must be exercised by a state agency, the PA PUC, and a corporate business, PECO. Furthermore, the PA PUC by making its interpretation on belief with regard to mandatory smart meter installation, created possible conflicts of interest for utility companies including mandating services to consumers be on a take it or leave it basis without giving customers realistic opportunities for choice, as PA legislators voiced and amended the bill to state, or to negotiate terms that would benefit their specific needs, especially for those who have medical issues and legitimate fire/explosion safety concerns since so many smart meters cause house fires. The PUCs interpretation consequently interferes with customers being able to obtain the service they want, i.e., RF-free analog meters. Therefore, PECO will shut off their electric power service, even if all their bills are paid in full. Thats not what the state legislature wanted! Since, the PA PUCs belief and interpretation of what Act 129 actually says and state legislators intended, wrote and said on record is printed in the House and Senate Journalsand contrary to PECOs and the PA PUCs actionsit should be incumbent upon the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the States Attorney General to investigate immediately if possible collusion occurred between the utility companies and the PA PUC in order that the smart meter roll out could be enforced mandatorily so as to allow PECO to procure the federal funding if PECO met a certain criteria for installing smart meters, regardless of consumers wishes, concerns, and complaints. Someone in Harrisburg has to explain why this ought not to be investigated as probable cause for collusion regarding smart meter mandatory roll outs in Pennsylvania: Furthermore, to reiterate what Pennsylvania state legislators said: Representative Saylor: ..it still needs to be a consumer choice, not a General Assembly mandate onto consumers that is going to cost them more in their electric bills. Representative Benninghoff: I think it is important that we are smart about our energy use, but I also think we have to think about what governments role is in mandating such a thing. Representative Gabig: but it is not going to be the utilities that pay for it because we took care of them in our amendment; they are taken care of in this Freeman amendment. The big utility companies and corporations, they are all right with it; they support this, but the customer, well, you are going to pay the freight for this mandate, this State mandate. Senator Tomlinson: It also contains language in there that we will have smart meters. It is not mandated, but allows for the deployment of smart meters through a depreciation process, through new home construction process, and through the depreciation of 15 years, and for anyone who wants to purchase a smart meter which they feel will help them manage their electric load better. Senator Boscola: We also made sure that smart meters would not be mandated for every single ratepayer. Senator Fumo: In addition, we did not mandate smart meters, but we made them optional. The Pennsylvania State Legislature immediately must resolve this totally illegal, un-American, totalitarian, tyrannical approach to consumerism as erroneously interpreted in PA Act 129 of 2008, plus the unlawful subjugation of consumers rights by PECO and the PA PUC in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. What the PA PUC believes and what are the facts surrounding the amendments, etc. to the passage of HB2200 actually are, are at total variance. Pennsylvanians are suffering dramatically in many aspects of their daily lives because of the over-reach by the PA PUC and PECO, an Exelon company. Who in Harrisburg will correct this over-reach and abuse by a state agency by introducing legislation to prevent such consumer abuse from ever happening again? References: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_von_Bismarck Catherines latest book, published October 4, 2013, isVaccination Voodoo, What YOU Dont Know About Vaccines, available on Amazon.com. Her 2012 book A Cancer Answer, Holistic BREAST Cancer Management, A Guide to Effective Non-Toxic Treatments, is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle eBook. Two of Catherines more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into Whats Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008) 