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Sunday, February 05, 2017

Your Legislators Just Raided Your Piggy Bank Without Your Permission!


By Thornton Crowe

Just when you thought energy was already through the roof, along comes this...

Even though President Trump has only been in office for two weeks, many in our area are still grappling with tough economic times with jobs scarce and wage stagnation. Now, in a stunning move by Annapolis Legislators, Marylanders are about to experience incredible hikes in their electric bills as they overrode Governor Hogan's veto of the Clean Energy Jobs Bill (HB-1106) which favors solar energy over traditional electricity.

While the legislative body has made claims, as Jim Mathias puts it, "has no winners or losers," nothing could be further from the truth as this law now penalizes anyone who won't (or can't) partake in solar energy resources. Meaning, you can expect to pick up the tab for your solar-loving neighbors when the utility reimburses excess payments from solar customers based on actual usage verses estimated usage, which is paid in advance.

What does this mean for you? Well... a lot. Your electricity bills are about to go up an estimated 10% per 6-month period  (or more) because you will be picking up the checks the utilities are supposed to give solar customers as a type of kick back.

As many homeowners in Wicomico County know, all too often, there are simply too many trees surround their homes to install solar panel systems. Therefore, they are prohibited from participating in this 'green program' unless they want to destroy the environment by removing trees.

What kind of green program destroys the environment to produce clean energy - isn't this a bit of an oxymoron? Kill trees, go green?

Did anyone besides Hogan even bother to read this train wreck of a bill? Given all the other nonsense legislation that's come out of Annapolis over the years, what do you think? It's anyone's guess if the legislators even penned this bill. It could very well be like the Obamacare disaster which was penned by Big Pharma and every other special interest medical field group on K Street.

On a national level, this bill's passage may have a boomerang because just this week, the Trump Administration has executed through Executive Order a strict ban on new regulations on Americans and Businesses. With the inevitable confirmation of the new EPA Director Scott Pruitt, whose already stated the agency will go through massive changes, this may put the state at further odds with Federal law; which, as you know always usurps State law. Therefore, this could end up being proverbial egg on Annapolis's face for all the country to witness.

It's interesting to note that Sharee Sample Hughes - one who represents one of the poorest areas of Maryland, would vote to override Hogans veto, given this will literally crush her constituents under the weight of heavy penalties for non-solar consumers. For Mathias's base, this spells the same fate but further goes to squash the middle class that already lives in a paycheck-to-paycheck reality.

From his obligatory answer to Salisbury News inquiries, he claimed he has been 'in talks' with Hogan's "people" over the last few weeks and all was well... well, maybe for his ilk but it doesn't sound like his constituents will bode well with his feel-good balderdash under the guise of global warming nonsense.

While many will continue to chime in on how good it is for the environment - almost in unison - it seems the whole bunch is reading from the same prefab script, designed to keep you in the dark before your first rate hike hits your bill. Don't you think we deserve better than this charade?

The insidiousness of this bill was already enough to gain Hogan's veto and it should've been left at that; however, something seems to be dodgy here as it will be very expensive to everyone but solar consumers. Isn't this a bit like discrimination - expecting the majority to foot the bill for some 'protected' demographic?

So there you have it, once again Annapolis has gone out of its way to screw Marylanders out of millions while fat cat legislators could be pocketing bank from hardball lobbyists backing this disaster.

Could it be our legislators are getting some monetary reward for selling out it's voting base in this horrifically expensive deal? Does Maryland also have drain its swamp in Annapolis?

All in the name of green energy, right, folks?

And now, for my pat line.... How Say You?

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jim Mathias really sucks

Anonymous said...

These left wing bass-tards can burn in hell.

Anonymous said...

I say we all wage an all out war on that piece of crap Mathias.

Anonymous said...

Again , a very good post Mr. Crowe .
I believe that on Sharee Hughs people who get assistance for their energy bills and many don't pay at all. This was a no brainer for her , she really doesn't give a crap. I did comment about this a few days ago , I have spoke with her and came to the conclusion that she is racist and does not like white people at all. She made Shore-Up a 99% black workforce and entitlement . She needs to be Trumped along with the others.

Anonymous said...

Jim Mathias is a Douche Bag and so many Douche Bag Republicans keep voting for him like they did Norman Conway. "Oh he is a nice guy." "He does good for the Eastern Shore." Yep, he really looks out for the Eastern Shore you bunch of Dumb Asses. We need to vote him out just like we did Norman Conway.

Now who can we put up to run against him? It has to be a newcomer to politics. Many have said Mary Beth Corroza will run against him. Well if she loses she loses twice because she lost to Jim and then she lost her House seat so we all lose. Do you see what I mean. Mike McDermott lost his seat through the illegal re-districting and he also lost the Senate Race to Jim. Jim has a lot of high dollar supporters so it is going to take some money to beat him. It took Carl Anderton to beat Norman Conway and he had nothing to lose so it was a win win for everyone.

Anonymous said...

Follow the money. Who stands to benefit from building these windmills that don't work? Follow the money!

Anonymous said...

Jim is a typical democrat

JoeAlbero said...

Every so often I'm going to come on here with some additional pointers to this legislation.

1. Did you know that when you sell your home with 20 year old solar panels on it, the new buyer has to agree with ALL contracts on that solar system.

2. Let's say you buy a 10 year old home, (typical) that has a fairly new roof, (shingles). Let's say in 10 to 20 years you have to replace those shingles and you installed, (let's say) solar panels from Solar City. You must hire a Solar City contractor to remove and reinstall those solar panels. What they tell you in 2017 it will cost you to remove and install them is one thing. Once they have you locked in, I'm told in 20 years that rate will go up to $20,000.00 to $30,000.00. So, what are you really saving in electric when you have to pay that fee down the road!

3. Fire. What do firefighters do when a home is on fire. In many cases they take a chain saw and cut through the roof in the critical area to ventilate the fire. What if that side of the roof is loaded with solar panels???

There is so much more to this bill that wasn't considered. The final expense, (even to those who choose to install solar) is absolutely ridiculous!

More to come...

Anonymous said...

You can also thank Martin O'Malley because he's the one that originally passed this initiative. Great going, Marty. By the way, we'd like that tax money back you stole from Maryland when you left the Governor's mansion! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Guess who was Jim Mathias' campaign manager and chauffeur? Do you remember that clown Josh Hastings? A friend of mine saw Jim Mathias about 2 years ago hiding in a dark corner of a romantic restaurant with Josh Hastings. And guess what? It was on Valentines Day. Wink, Wink!

Anonymous said...

Word on the street is that Julie Brewington posted on her Facebook Page that she is going to run for elected office again. I wonder if it will be the County Council or a House seat again?

She will lose again!!

Anonymous said...

Mathias does what he is told to do by the Senate leader who gave him the money to beat McDermott. Typical corrupt Maryland Democrat.

Solar and wind do not reduce the use of fossil fuels in this area.

Steve said...

I can't (in right conscience) put solar panels on my 27 year old shingle roof which needs replacing, so I wait for the next Elon Musk stink of solar shingles coming out next year (on your dime through increased electric rates) so I can pay to have a re-roof and what, 10% off my sunny day electric bills? Then my home is tied by contract to Musk so the buyers of my house are forced into going along with this "program"?

No. You buy something from me, I want it with no strings, so I'll be buying my own solar panels if they will pay for themselves. Otherwise, you get a house with a regular roof.

I'm not buying in to this crap!

And guess what. Installing solar and a windmill will both be money losers every day, every year.

DUH.

Anonymous said...

Democrats just love these feel good laws. Fortunately the democrats are in decline. People are wising up to what they really stand for. Why would anyone vote for someone knowing that it was going to cost them more money? There are a lot of uninformed people out there.

Anonymous said...

this is a bad deal for MOST of the citizens in this region. Shame on Mathias and Sample-Hughes...put pressure on them and don't let up. call, call, call until you drive them nuts...they will get the pic. don't let this issue die. keep it before the public.

Anonymous said...

Sheri Sample Hughes is just looking out for herself. She came from nothing, but now she has lots of perks being a Delegate. She was a wet noodle on the county council & always acting like an attack dog to those who served with her. Let's get someone to run against her in 2018 & get rid of her & maybe she will get a real job.

Anonymous said...

I have regretted many times not giving Mathias a citation instead of a warning many years ago when I stopped him.

Anonymous said...

6:46. You're absolutely correct. Like Washington, it doesn't matter what is BEST for your constitutes , it's all about which bureaucrats can scratch the others back. I would like to see an investigative reporter look at the political donations from the utilities to our elected officials. How do we get that information?

Anonymous said...

Mathias we know what he is , it just a matter of price.

Anonymous said...

Fines because you can't afford insurance now fined because you don't want a product. Maryland is a really really bad state to live in. It would be better to go bankrupt let the house go and save your money and move.

Anonymous said...

The utility companies saw this coming and have been roping people into contracts to install solar panels on their house. You get a break on your rate but they retain ownership of the panels. Now the huge checks they have to write to panel owners go to themselves.
Annapolis politicians just pulled a reverse Robin Hood on us all.

Anonymous said...

HOW can a judge give rights to refugees who are not even in AMERICA ?

Anonymous said...

Liberal fed judges who couldnt careless about the majority of americans FIRE ALL OBAMA JUDGES.

Anonymous said...

I haven't seen that figure 10% anywhere. I've seen most people can expect an increase of 1.50-1.60 per month

Anonymous said...

Its long been known that legislators in md were flat out crooks.
This MUST be Federally investigated, its the only way to get away from these strong armed bandits.

JoeAlbero said...

12:13, NO ONE but a liberal troll would make the statement you just did. We have been following this bill for over a year now and guess what, NOWHERE does it even come close to suggesting what you just said. Only someone deeply involved in this would make such a defensive/protective statement, you've been blogged. So let's see, who could it be. JM or SSH?

Anonymous said...

I got a price to put solar panels in my back yard. the price $60 -70,000, guess there won't be any solar panels here.

Anonymous said...

i will just keep cutting down the trees around my house and burn them in the woodstove till they are gone and then maybe solar would be a good idea......what a bunch of idiots....like someone said earlier,follow the money

Anonymous said...

We should be able to choose whatever type of energy use we want, without penalty. Corrupt politicians catering to special interests is why Trump was elected in the first place. But the Dems still rule in MD and the majority of voters will have to respond to rid our shores of these leeches.

Anonymous said...

Solar costs 3.5 times more than what we currently use. Forcing 25% solar will up utility bills. Here is the calculation. If you currently pay $3000 per year for electricity you will now pay $4875 (see calculation below).

Current annual costs $3,000
Less 25% - 750
Solar @ 3.5 times more 2,625

Equals $4,875 (more than 60% increase)

These costs will be hidden in the early years because of the SRECS which charge suppliers for not installing enough solar. We still pay for the SRECS, but we pay for them through the products we buy so its costs is disguised as something else. As SRECS values diminish, more of the solar costs appear on our electric bills. Germany and Ontario are already suffering from this new form of economic plight knows as energy poverty.

Anonymous said...

Mathias doesn't care, all he's worried about are his votes so he can go back to Annapolis every year and rub shoulders with all the other liberals. HIs day will come...

Anonymous said...

The older I get the more I realize that liberals are really that stupid. Liberalism is a disease that needs to be eradicated from politics once and for all. You can't fix stupid it only gets worse.

Anonymous said...

Your monthly electric bill should serve as a reminder to vote people like Sample-Hughes and Mathias out come next election. If it weren't for them, this would've never happened.

Thornton Crowe said...

8:51AM if Mathias were that worried about votes, he wouldn't have voted to override Hogan's veto on this bill. He is only worried about self-enrichment. How much money did he get from the real writer of this bill? aka the Lobbyists for solar energy.

Anonymous said...

To 12:13 AM Poster that said;

'I haven't seen that figure 10% anywhere. I've seen most people can expect an increase of 1.50-1.60 per month'

My response: You really need to stop drinking that Kool-Aid. I can tell you exactly how this is going to play out. Drive down the street and look at some of the solar panels being installed. On the surface - one would believe that he/she is getting free electricity. And in reality - he is. But look at all of the poor neighbors - and especially the poor neighborhoods - who do you think will be paying for all of the surplus electricity - IT ISN'T THE UTILITY - IT'S ALL OF THE ORDINARY UTILITY CUSTOMERS! They are going to raise the electricity rates on all of the customer base to subsidize the installation of solar panels. Now let's fast forward just a moment into the future - MACRO out the scale - and then ACCELERATE THE RPS (RENEWABLE PORTFOLIO STANDARD - HB-1106)- NEWLY REQUIRED PERCENTAGES - VUALA - Marylander's are soon to experience rising electricity costs as has never been encountered for.

First the scenario will start out like this - there will be more and more frequent submissions to the PSC for electricity rate increases. It may even justify Time-Of-Use type of billing - whereby the rates will be charged and adjusted by the time of day use. Passing this legislation is setting the stage to open up PANDORA's BOX.

Thank you SBYNEWS for exposing this!

Anonymous said...

I swear, it seems as though the politicians are only worried about sponsoring legislation for the simple fact that they have sponsored something - and have no qualms about it's true effects on their constituency. WRONG! I hope both Mathias and Hughes get sacked come election time. What a financial blow to the eastern shore and particularly the poor and minorities.

Anonymous said...

Reply - 7:28 PM Poster

You are absolutely right. That's all the Democrats seem to do is to try and make themselves feel good while all the while - the voters back home have to suffer the consequences of their actions. I just don't get it!

Anonymous said...

JoeAlbero said...
12:13, NO ONE but a liberal troll would make the statement you just did. We have been following this bill for over a year now and guess what, NOWHERE does it even come close to suggesting what you just said. Only someone deeply involved in this would make such a defensive/protective statement, you've been blogged. So let's see, who could it be. JM or SSH?

February 4, 2017 at 5:50 AM

I was wondering the same damn thing when I read that comment. I am so damned sick and tired of dealing with Democrats that I can't wait for that Civil War to start!!

Anyone who votes for a Democrat is a TRAITOR!!

Anonymous said...

In many other states, this type of activity would be classified as being illegal. In many other states - this type of legislation would be under the auspices of 'price fixing', and/or fall under 'corruption law' and designated as 'racketeering'. But not here in Maryland. Mathias and Sample classify this type of legislation as being 'Progress'. Well if this their so-called 'Progress' then they can both GO RIGHT STRAIGHT TO HE_ _!

Anonymous said...

I tremble every January, when the Maryland legisture convenes. Everytime the session convenes they irrepairably damage our economy.

Anonymous said...

I wish Trump would intervene and override the override of the Governor's veto. Maybe then the Democrat's will back down.

Anonymous said...

IMHO, if much of this information leaks out about how Jim Mathias and Sharee Hughes voted for this legislation, it's the end of the road for them.

Anonymous said...


Very flattering but really outdated photo of Liberal Jim.

He's just bad, bad news for the pockets of regular people.

Anonymous said...

To 5:21PM - Trump's philosophical view is for every (1) new reg. - then (2) existing regs. have to be removed. And so I hope someone from SBYnews or the Trump admin. goes and confronta Mathias and Hughes and informs them their is a new Sheriff in town. IMHO - both Mathias and Sherri Hughes ought to be recalled.

Anonymous said...

Both democrats Mathias and Hughes have gone about as low as you can go against their constituents. I hope they soon reap what they have sown.

Anonymous said...

I just got back from a 7 day cruise in the Bahamas and was shocked by all of this. Talk about living in a swamp, we are neck deep in mud. I hope the residents start the pumps quick - Drain the Swamp - and recall the basta_ _ds.

Anonymous said...

From what I can glean about this law, it is an absolute financial disaster for Marylanders that will wreak havoc for residents and especially the poor.

Anonymous said...

Eliminating Solar Renewable Energy Credits and the Production Tax Credit and all the MD Energy Incentives that we pay for thru EMPOWER on our monthly utility bill would halt installation of this garbage.

Look at your electric bill to see what you pay ever month for our State government to screw us.

Anonymous said...

You don't read bills when your taken care of.

Anonymous said...

Solar produces a spec of energy while taking up hundreds of acres of our productive farmland. It represents the industrialization of the Eastern Shore and along with it comes more power lines. The power generated will not be consumed here. It is shipped to Baltimore and New Jersey via those power lines. The ratepayers where solar is placed are the ones being charged for its transmission. See case Public Service Commission Case #9393.

Anonymous said...

To 10:25 Poster - Ref. EMPOWER Fund

You've got that right, the public would be much better off if the utility controlled slush fund (EMPOWER) were to be completely eliminated. The only beneficiary for this fund is your utility.

Anonymous said...

All of the eastern shore counties should secede from the western part of our state. Even Frederick County realizes the inequities. But for those of us that habitat the lands east of the Chesapeake Bay, we have really and truthfully been taken to the cleaners. And Norman Conway is as much to blame until finally his day of reckoning came upon him. And the same should goe for Sharee Sample Hughes and Jim Mathias. They would be much better served if their Districts were on the western shore as opposed to here on the eastern shore.

Anonymous said...

Is there any chance the electric companies 'donated' (bribe)some $$$$$$$ to their election campaign? Maybe a week vacation for two in Vegas or Jamaica?

Anonymous said...

You think Mathis gives one rat's ass what we thinks!! he still in bed with the industry he got them what they wanted! he's done his job! screw us

Anonymous said...

10:25 I don't see any of those things on my electric bill. My average is about $90.00/month. Oh, I forgot. I moved out of MD and no more DPL.

Anonymous said...

It's been almost 50 years since I have seen a $90 electric bill. My last month's electric bill was $379 and I have a 1056 SQ FT rancher.

Anonymous said...

Maryland Farm Bureau recognizes Utility Scale Solar on productive farmland is detrimental to farming but the Somerset Farm Bureau President's son, Brian Johnson, just collected $1.6 million bucks so they support it. Wonder were Charles Otto stand on this. His best buddies cash in while Somerset citizens property values tank. These people are his constituents too and represent his voter base. Hope those cashing in have not contributed to his campaign. Mike Hall was the first to cash in at more than $2 million.

Anonymous said...

Are you on DPL? I have heard many people saying this!

Anonymous said...

The whole MD utilty industry is fraught with corruption. Even when Warren Buffett bridge loaned the French outfit that bought the Calvert Cliffs nuclear facility and walked away with a cool 30 million that included a 14% return.

Anonymous said...

DPL is super expensive! Their rate hikes have been legendary and it's seems they're about to escalate even higher. 436P is not alone. Every customer feels it. It got really bad when they stalled their smartmeters. It's legalized customer shakedown!

Anonymous said...

Yes I am on DP&L. And I have to admit that it seems as though my electric bill is much higher with smart meter.

Anonymous said...

11:35
Mine is also high and I have about the same size house. While we use a pellet stove in the winter for heat my bill still never gets under 200 dollars. I remember when there used to be a discount if you went over 1000 watts per month. Anything over 1000 was discounted 50%. They don't do that anymore. I refused the smart meter and mine is high. It is DP&L rates. They are about 30 to 40 percent higher than the rate some of my family pays that live in other areas.