(Ohio) Utility watchdog agency surprised by depth of budget cut

[upstatecajun]

Source: Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 12:12 PM
By Dan Gearino



Ohio's consumer advocate for utility issues would lose more than half of its budget under Gov. John Kasich's spending plan, a cut that the agency says would lead to higher utility bills.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel gets $4.1 per year million in Kasich's proposal, down from the current $8.5 million. The budget pays for about 75 employees, including a team of attorneys that represent consumers before the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, a call center that takes questions and complaints from customers, and a public-outreach office that publicizes ways that customers can reduce their energy bills.

"We know there is a spirit of budget cutting and fiscal reform, but few if any people here expected this kind of a cut," said Marty Berkowitz, a spokesman for the agency. "We really feel it does damage to the citizens and the consumers because we are their advocate."



Read more: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/03/16/consumers-counsel-surprised-by-degree-of-funding-cut.html?sid=101

---

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Liberal-Ohioan/195130570504421

[Marthe48]

1. Well Marty

Thanks for caring. Better keep a low profile, because Komrade K-Suck will close the place down, if you advocate for the citiznes of Ohio. He didn't want to be governor to help people. He wanted to be governor to destroy our state.

[plumbob]

2. Higher utility bills? Good, the plan works as designed!

Not even surprised.