Here are some newsworthy items from the past week:

Former Speaker of the Arizona State House of Representatives Andy Tobin was appointed to fulfill ACC seat vacated by Commissioner Susan Bitter Smith

Andy Tobin, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) commissioner appointed to replace Susan Smith who resigned in disgrace, got busted for being even more conflicted than was previously known. That story is here.

          Meanwhile, as the Arizona Legislature moves full speed ahead with the Andy Tobin Protection Act, which would change conflict of interest law at the ACC just so Tobin can vote on issues in which he is currently conflicted, two Democrats running for the ACC have asked Tobin to resign and hinted at a lawsuit should the Andy Tobin Protection Act pass. Their letter to Tobin is here. I think they need to do more than hint.

          Judge Randall Warner, the same guy who, improperly, would not let me change judges in my appeal against an ACC decision, ruled yesterday that not one of ACC commissioner Bob Stump’s text messages retrieved from the phone he illegally discarded is a public record. We are expected to believe that? The story is here.

          Last Thursday I went to an APS “stakeholder” meeting for people involved in APS’s upcoming rate case which is to be filed June 1. APS spewed much self-congratulatory nonsense and unabashed, shameless propaganda I felt like I had stumbled into a cult.

          Indeed, the first APS speaker made it clear that APS’s presentation would not be about the specifics of their rate case but about their “core values” and ‘who we are as a company.’ Oh thanks, I drove 2 hours one way for this bilge?

          The speaker actually had the gall to say that before APS did anything they asked how this would benefit their customers. Oh sure, and What Would Jesus Do?

62 year old Don Brandt
Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer; Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, APS at Pinnacle West Capital

Does anyone think that question is asked before APS CEO Don Brandt gets $11M per year? Does anyone think that question is asked before APS spends millions on political donations?

          My eyes rolled so often I almost got dizzy.

          I don’t know how many times I heard the word, “sustainable” — probably an unsustainable amount of times. This from the company that ripped out over a million working electric meters so they could replace them with meters that only last 5 to 7 years, and are now having to replace those meters. See ya at the landfill, APS.

          Regarding APS’s proposed “demand charge,” one of the attendees asked exactly how APS determined a customer’s demand. He said that previously APS had referred him to their “smart” meter manufacturer who in turn referred him back to APS. Instead of answering the question, he was given an email address and asked to send in his question. How lame is that? All these APS department heads in the room and they don’t even know how their technology works.

          An APS speaker touted “demand charges” for all customers as the way to make solar fair to everyone. Huh? APS solar customers comprise 3.333% of the their 1.2 million customers. Personally, I am not nearly as worried about them as I am about APS itself.

          The gal in charge of customer service went on so long about “customer education” that in the Q&A after her talk I had to tell her that, as an APS customer, I did not need APS to “educate” me.

          Before the meeting started a few APS execs came to shake my hand and introduce themselves. I enjoyed the opportunity to decline accepting their hands which, in my view, are covered in the blood of “smart” meter victims and the dirt of deceit.

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