North Mississippi: Brandon Presley Country

A poll out today shows us that Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley has worked hard enough to earn the high praise of his constituents. By a margin of five to one, Northern District voters have a favorable view of Commissioner Presley. This makes him more popular than Governor Phil Bryant and Senator Thad Cochran. Not a bad haul. 

PSC Commissioner Brandon Presley holds fundraiser

Presley, a populist who is well-known and well-liked in north Mississippi, will hold a fundraiser in the birthplace of his cousin this coming Monday night.  His supporters can be found on both sides of the aisle, as can be seen on the invite:

PSC Brandon Presley's Eulogy of Governor Bill Allain

With Governor Allain's passing, we mourn the loss of a true hero of Mississippi and her people.

If you haven't seen Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley's touching eulogy of Gov. Allain, now is your chance. Presley shares his personal anecdotes of Governor Allain's passion for helping others, and his strength to stand up against the powerful that thought they could control him.

Read the whole thing, it's worth it.

As a personal aside, I am grateful for leaders like Commissioner Presley that carry the torch Governor Allain ignited.

Gov. Allain Eulogy

Analysis: Public Policy Polling Releases Mississippi Results

This morning, Public Policy Polling released their automated polling data from their weekend in the field. Solely focused on the coming U.S. Senate race, PPP provides a ton of data on the state of Mississippi's politics, and this nerd will be up late enjoying the provided cross tabs. At the bottom of the post I've attached the full report, but here are a few of the immediate takeaways:

1. Senator McDaniel is a real threat to "establishment" Republicans.

PPP has noted that Cochran is in danger of losing his primary all along. Some of us at Cottonmouth have been saying that for a while. But the truly interesting thing to note is that despite McDaniel's lack of name ID among everyday Republicans, he still out-polls Delbert Hosemann as the favorite to win if Senator Cochran is not in the field. McDaniel is a threat to anyone in the field who might be deemed "main stream." This is due to one thing... 


2. The Mississippi Republican Party is now controlled by the Tea Party.

It is not safe to be anything other than combative anymore. Even the well-known and popular Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves polls dismally (3%) to others in the prospective field, and among the Republican primary voters, 15% consider themselves "moderate." When asked if they'd prefer Thad Cochran or "someone more conservative," 55% of Mississippi's Republican primary voters prefer the latter. But..

3. Aside from a swath of Tea Partiers, Mississippians are willing to look at other options, even if they have a (D) next to their name.

Despite what has been stated so far -- at least the three Democrats mentioned in the poll are competitive. The generally surveyed field was overweighted with Republicans 422 to 502, and yet Attorney General Jim Hood is head-to-head with every potential Republican nominee...Including Senator Cochran. If Chris McDaniel ended up with the nomination, former Governor Ronnie Musgrove, former Congressman Travis Childers, and Attorney General Hood would be in a statistical dead heat -- and this is among a weighted Republican populous. Perhaps PPP  even missed out on an opportunity to test another strong candidate, Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley, who may be able to tap into the public discontent. Because...

4. These numbers aren't off.

In the coming days, there may be some people here and there suggesting that these poll results are off-kilter or possibly even completely incorrect. (even though they were weighted for Republicans). For that reason, I asked Mississippi Democratic Trust Director Brandon Jones, who very flatly told me:

"This matches our recent survey of Republican Party primary voters. The Tea Party owns this Party now."

With that in mind, the DSCC may be chomping at the bit for Republican primary voters to choose their favorite Tea Party candidate. Because they don't necessarily hold the views of the rest of our state, and some "moderate" Republicans may be without a home.

PPP Release MS 1119

Ms GOP Senate Numbers-PPP

Will Mississippi be Nation's Nuclear Waste Dump?

Nuclear Power Plant Owner Mr. Burns from The Simpsons

Last night, the Clarion-Ledger reported that representatives of the Mississippi Energy Institute will speak before Senate Economic Development Committee to pitch the idea of making Mississippi the new home of nuclear waste.

Proponents argue that Mississippi is set to benefit from millions of dollars in federal spending, which Governor Bryant and his tea party base have long opposed, to support construction and on-site jobs. They also note that in the event nuclear power generation increases, our state will already have the capacity in place to store any waste products.

Opponents argue that Mississippi has been through this debate before. It did not go well then and likely won't go well now. Supporters of nuclear power include Northern Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley. Even he has stated his opposition to this plan noting, "As a pro-nuclear PSC who voted to expand Grand Gulf, I have to balk at making MS the nation's septic tank for nuclear waste."

Since the Fukushima disaster, discussions of nuclear energy and waste storage have been a touchy subject. Countries like Germany are taking steps to get out of the nuclear energy market entirely while countries like Spain have halted construction of new nuclear power plants. Germany and Spain decided to look to the sun to provide their energy needs. It has worked out to be tremendously beneficial for them.

Mississippi has seen its fair share of energy production disasters. Recent oil and natural gas spills in the Gulf of Mexico have severely damaged ecosystems, crippled industry, and diminished tourism - all of which impact our quality of life and weaken our state's finances. God forbid another major hurricane devastate the Coast. A super storm and nuclear waste? What could go wrong?

Nuclear power generation is not likely to gain momentum anytime soon. In 2012 alone, sustainable energy sources like wind and solar made up nearly 50 percent of new energy additions in the United States. Sustainable energy production is growing rapidly with the assistance of forward-thinking governors and state legislatures wishing to diversify their energy mixes. It's worth noting that as sustainable energy markets grow, nuclear energy production will likely remain where it is today, if not lower.

What is Governor Bryant going to do? Will he tell the federal government, as he typically does, "thanks, but no thanks" and walk away from the deal? Could he ignore his tea party principles, accept the federal money, and upset his base? Will he shake his fist at the federal government with one hand while quietly taking the money with the other? He has painted himself into another tight corner on this one.

Picking on the Wrong Commission

Many of you remember last year's "Sunshine Act" that sought to strip the Attorney General of his authority. It seems that they are at it again, this time taking on the Public Service Commission.

According to Patsy Brumfield over at the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, "Twin bills before the Mississippi Legislature aim to strip the Public Service Commission of its powers to investigate public utilities."  If you have a quick minute, I suggest you read the whole thing.

These bills follow a 2011 investigation in which the Public Service Commission investigated the management of the North Lee County Water Association, which led to an indictment of its former executive director, and new management. 

Perhaps the most telling part of the PSC's value comes from Brumfield's interview with the North Lee County Water Association's new board President, Dan Clemons:

“Nothing would have ever changed at North Lee without the Public Service Commission,” Clemons said, expressing his concerns about the bills.

He recently reported improved operations and expansive plans to upgrade the water system.

“If the PSC hadn’t come in,” he noted, “the Health Department would have had to shut us down in another two or three years.”

With all of this talk about a new Sovereignty Commission, what's wrong with one built for public service?

Mississippi Power seeks end run to raise rates, Mississippi Supreme Court says no

In connection with the ratepayer-funded construction of their Kemper County lignite coal power plant, Mississippi Power sought to raise rates for their customers an additional $20 a month to cover cost overruns. The Public Service Commission voted to disallow the increase, so Mississippi Power decided to appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court. The Court rejected Mississippi Power's request to raise rates yesterday in an 8-0 decision (Chief Justice Waller did not participate). Here is the Order from the Supremes:

Think the Beef Plant was a disaster? Wait until you get a load of this

For years now, Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley (D) has been leading a fight against the construction of the lignite coal Kemper County by Mississippi Power. Presley had some pretty powerful enemies in this fight, with both then-Gov. Haley Barbour (R) and then-Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant (R) leading the charge for the plant's construction. It's not that Presley hates coal, or is anti-energy. It's that he's firmly against fleecing the ratepayers of Mississippi. Which is, of course, exactly what is now happening.

Here's some background: Mississippi has fairly large quantities of lignite coal. As far as coal goes, lignite ain't good for much. But a new, untested technology hopes to change that. The idea is that rather than burning the lignite, it is gasified instead to produce energy to harness and send down transmission lines to ratepayers. Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, started throwing its political weight around to get the Public Service Commission to allow them to raise rates to fund the construction of a lignite plant in Kemper County. And it worked, and the rates for Mississippi Power customers went up.

But on the road to cheap energy paradise, things went very predictably haywire.

Mississippi Business Journal UNLOADS on Boyce Adams

WOW is an understatement. In one scathing post, the Mississippi Business Journal says Northern District Public Service Commission candidate Boyce Adams (R) is "either lying or uninformed...."

Here's the link.

Boyce Adams is closing the gap between himself and Steve Simpson in the race for Worst Campaign

In another strange move, Northern District Public Service Commissioner candidate Boyce Adams, Jr. has decided to use "robocalls" for his campaign with a strange voice on the other end (more on that in a minute). First of all, I wonder how many North Mississippians will trust a PSC candidate to actually enforce the "Do Not Call" law if he makes solicitation calls. "Rolls Royce Boyce" should have used better judgement than making these calls when incumbent Brandon Presley is extremely well-known and well-liked for his fight against telemarketers, at least according to extensive polling of the Northern District. Adams' decision to make robocalls can only help Presley by angering voters. Sure the calls are legal, but this is a terrible move on Adams' part. I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, seeing as we're talking about a guy that falsely claims to have a degree in everything from Biology to International Economics, when in he in fact doesn't.

But wait, it gets worse. The crazier aspect of the robocalls is who is on the other end of the line. Adams' has apparently talked retired PSC Commissioner Bo Robinson into making the calls. This is the same Bo Robinson that was sued not once, but TWICE by former employees for sexual harassment while in office. Robinson and Presley had a falling out when Presley dismissed a certain female employee (on Presley's first day). Presley objected to Robinson having her on the payroll at approximately $65,000 a year when she only reported to the office a few days a week. (Talk about your government waste.) I really wonder how many folks would feel comfortable taking that robocall if they knew the history of who was waiting on the other side?

Boyce Adams...a PhD in Lying?

Depending on which source you consult, PSC candidate Boyce Adams, Jr. has a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Economics, International Economics, International Business, Political Science or even Biology. Adams has crowed all year long that he knows about how to create jobs because he has a degree in economics. He went on Paul Gallo and talked about his knowledge of economics, and he has bragged all over North Mississippi about his now famous degree in economics.
 
Boyce Adams, Jr.'s bio from his daddy's company says that he has a degree in "International Economics". Then you have his campaign website and literature that says he has a degree in plain old "Economics". Then we have his Linkedin page where he says that his degree is in "International Economics" and “Biological Sciences” (A biology degree?!? I mean really, Boyce. Come on.) Lastly, Adams apparently told the Mississippi Business Journal last year that he has a degree in "International Business" All this makes you wonder what kind of college degree Boyce the Younger, really has. So I decided to do a little checking.
 
Despite claims he’s made on his campaign website, in online professional profiles, and in news articles, records show that Mr. Adams does not officially have a degree in Economics. According to information provided by the National Student Clearinghouse, the official provider of degree verifications for Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt’s registrar, Boyce Adams, Jr. received a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies in May 2007. Vanderbilt’s registrar’s office stated over the phone that Interdisciplinary Studies degrees are awarded to students who choose their own courses of study in a variety of areas.  While it’s possible that Mr. Adams could have chosen an emphasis in economics or business coursework, his Interdisciplinary Studies degree is not and should not be considered the same as a standalone economics or business degree, according to Vanderbilt. 
 
Here is the information verified by Vanderbilt registrar's office:
 
INFORMATION VERIFIED
__________________________________________________

Name On School's Records: BOYCE ELKIN ADAMS, JR.
Date Awarded............: 05/11/2007
Degree Title............: BACHELOR OF ARTS
Official Name of School.: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Major Course(s) of Study: POLITICAL SCIENCE
                          INTERDISCIPLINARY
Dates of Attendance.....: 08/27/2003 to 05/11/2007
 
(Sources: Vanderbilt University, Office of the Registrar, Sep. 2, 2011; National Student Clearinghouse, Boyce E. Adams, Jr., degree verification, accessed Sep. 6, 2011)
 
Did Boyce hire George O'Leary as a campaign consultant?

Boyce Adams, Utility Execs and More Smoking Guns

As if we haven't seen enough to know that Boyce Adams is the hand-picked utility company's candidate, this week brings even more evidence.
 
Boyce Adams announced on his Facebook page today that he had been endorsed by the "Bully Bloc", a PAC supposedly dedicated to helping Mississippi State University. Well, take a guess who the founder of "Bully Bloc" was. You guessed it, a utility company executive. Don't take my word for it, here's the article that shows that Haley Fisackerly, the President and CEO of Entergy Mississippi was the group's founder.
 
Not only was Fisackelry the founder, he STILL sits on the executive committee. Again, don't take my word for it check it out here. Scroll to the bottom and you'll find Fisackerly's name.
 
So far we have learned that Adams supports the largest rate hike in Mississippi history ($2.8 billion), calls current Commissioner Brandon Presley a "bully" for fighting rate hikes, has a former Chief Financial Officer of a regional utility company running his campaign, and now he accepts the endorsement of groups founded and run by utility executives whose companies are regulated by the PSC!
 
It seems that at the very least Boyce Adams has a real judgement problem. He must actually think the Public Service Commission is there to protect the utility companies rather than the people.

Is Boyce Adams the utilities' candidate? Yep. Here's your smoking gun.

Ever since Boyce Adams entered the Northern District Public Service Commissioner's race, a lot of folks have suspected that he was a utility-backed candidate, or would at least be in the utilities' back pockets. As reported here last week, when current Commissioner Brandon Presley had harsh things to say about rate hikes and corporate greed in his kick-off speech, Adams called Presley a "bully." (Still stunned by that, by the way.) Adams then went on to say he would have voted for the largest rate hike in Mississippi history ($2,800,000,000). (Which is, most assuredly, even more stunning than calling your opponent playground names.)

So, some digging around was in order. Adams's campaign was registered with the Secretary of State as "Friends of Boyce Adams" on March 7th (six days after he qualified) and a guy named John Bowen is listed as the Director of this group of "friends." (I guess Adams might call him his "#1 friend" or one of his "three best friends that anybody could have.") (Here's a link to the Statement of Organization for Friends of Boyce Adams.)

Well, does anyone care to guess what Mr. Bowen's occupation was back before he became Adams' campaign director and #1 pal? Wait for it...wait for it...Chief Financial Officer for a regional utility company! Don't take my word for it, check this biography out on Boyce Adams' daddy's business website.

So now I guess I understand why Boyce Adams, Jr. said he would vote for the largest rate hike in Mississippi: the utilities are running his campaign.

A teaser before the weekend...

From a Boyce Adams press release talking about the Kemper County Coal Plant:

"Commissioner Presley should be interested in new technologies and ways to put our state to work, and not on increasing the regulatory burden with Obama-style regulation."

Fun with this next week, I promise.

I can already tell this Brandon Presley-Boyce Adams race is going to be fun

When Brandon Presley kicked-off his reelection campaign for Northern District Public Service Commissioner earlier this week, I posted a few colorful quotes of his. Well, his opponent, Boyce Adams, responded by calling Presley a "bully."

I'm serious.

And then Adams, in what can only be judged as one of the worst political move since Walter Mondale said he would raise taxes if elected, Republican Boyce Adams said that he would have voted for the largest rate increase in Mississippi's history.

This race all boils down to whether or not you're a ratepayer or a utility owner. Adams is clearly in the pocket of the utilities, with his yard signs currently being distributed by a local utility in north Mississippi.

So if you are in upper management of Mississippi Power, I can't blame you for voting for Boyce Adams. But if you're virtually anyone else in northern Mississippi, you're going to have to work hard to explain why you'd vote for someone who has already announced he'll vote to take money out of your pockets to give to the utilities.

Presley, on the other hand, had this colorful quote for SuperTalk listeners yesterday at lunch: "If my sweet little mama could come back from the grave and ask me to vote for a 45% rate hike, I'd tell her I couldn't do it."

Get your popcorn ready. This one's just starting.

Public Service Commission meets tomorrow, and you can watch online

Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley worked very hard to make certain that the Public Service Commission's meetings are broadcast live on the internet. There's one tomorrow at 10 a.m. Here's the agenda, and here's the link to watch live.

Brandon Presley wins another one for the consumer

As we reported last week, Entergy was found to have violated their agreement with federal regulators by selling its cheapest energy to other corporations instead of to ratepayers.  Of course, Entergy is now appealing their loss, hoping to find a judge that will tell them it's OK to use their monopoly to stick it to us, the common folks.  And of course, Entergy wants to us to foot the bill for the appeal, too.

The Mississippi Public Service Commission (PSC) had another idea, though.  Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley put a motion for a new rule before the three-member PSC that would prohibit Entergy from passing along their legal bills to the consumer when Entergy's been found in violation of the law.  The motion carried two votes to one.  Here's what Commissioner Presley had to say about it:

“This is real simple: consumers should not have to foot the bill to sue themselves. Nothing is fair about asking the people, who are owed money, to pay for the other side in a court case. That would be like asking the people who win a case in court to pay for the losing side’s legal fees.” Presley said. “No utility customer should have to be paying to fight against their own wallet.”

The Mississippi Business Journal's Business Blog has a post up on this, and they tell us who voted against the rule:  Southern District Commissioner Leonard Bentz.  With the Governor vetoing wind pool money, isn't life already expensive enough on the Coast, Commissioner Bentz?

Presley says Entergy customers should quickly receive millions in refunds per judge's order

Commission Chairman Brandon Presley announced that a recent decision by a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) judge should quickly translate into millions of dollars in refunds to customers of corporate utility Entergy Mississippi.

Presiding Administrative Law Judge Jon P. Dring of FERC on December 9th found that Entergy had violated its System Agreement and had sold lowest cost power to third parties for corporate profits rather than to its ratepayers, as required. Judge Dring's order says that the shareholders of Entergy should be required to refund the amount of overcharges plus interest for the transactions in question from 2000 to 2009.

“Having this order in hand, Entergy should immediately take steps to make these refunds and not put shareholders interest above the public interest by trying to delay this process.” Presley said. Presley says those refunds should be sent directly from Entergy Mississippi to their customers by check. “Entergy
Mississippi needs to be prepared to write checks back to their customers who have been overcharged. This should not show up as a credit, there should be a check in the mail.”

Presley said that obvious reforms are needed to protect against future corporate violations and that he plans to work to get those protections in place quickly.