Shame on you, Dalhousie University!
Flash popped me a note this morning to tell me that a friend of mine is being presented with an honourary degree at Dalhousie University at the convocations next month - thanks! However, I was distressed to see that in the same slate of honours, Derek Brown, one of the main backers behind privatizing Nova Scotia Power is also being so honoured.
Someone smarter than me is going to have to tell me how privatizing a utility and creating a monopoly, is in any way good for the province. Good for the shareholders, sure, but me? Yes, I understand that power rates would have gone up anyway because of the cost of energy, but now we the rate-payers, are forced to support a profit! And in the meantime, we have had layoffs of staff and maintenance personnel that have resulted in increasing and longer disruptions due to severe weather and insufficient maintenance.
I might be convinced that privatizing government utilities is a good idea - but never, never, never into one single company that can then distort and control the market as it sees fit. It's not like I can opt to get my electricity from NB Power.
Dalhousie University, my alma matre, shame on you!
[Update: There are some others in the list that are entirely worthy, I'm just using this as an opportunity to bitch about privatization;)]
Someone smarter than me is going to have to tell me how privatizing a utility and creating a monopoly, is in any way good for the province. Good for the shareholders, sure, but me? Yes, I understand that power rates would have gone up anyway because of the cost of energy, but now we the rate-payers, are forced to support a profit! And in the meantime, we have had layoffs of staff and maintenance personnel that have resulted in increasing and longer disruptions due to severe weather and insufficient maintenance.
I might be convinced that privatizing government utilities is a good idea - but never, never, never into one single company that can then distort and control the market as it sees fit. It's not like I can opt to get my electricity from NB Power.
Dalhousie University, my alma matre, shame on you!
[Update: There are some others in the list that are entirely worthy, I'm just using this as an opportunity to bitch about privatization;)]
