This candidate brought to you by ... a risky court ruling (Kerr | The Tennessean)

[struggle4progress]

... Here's a real example going on right now of the risks. Piedmont Gas, the company that provides the juice that lights many a Middle Tennessee furnace, wants to charge customers higher rates if they use less gas. As nutty as that sounds, Piedmont argues that if it encourages conservation, that would cut its profit.

Last year, Piedmont joined with two other gas companies to try to get the Tennessee legislature to pass that law.

In a win for voters, the legislature turned the utility down. (Piedmont is now trying to get it done through the Tennessee Regulatory Authority.)

If the Supreme Court ruling had applied to state lawmakers, Piedmont could have spent as much money as its top bosses wanted to support the campaigns of lawmakers on the committee key to getting its proposal passed. And lawmakers would have an easy out: "Hey! We didn't ask for that! We didn't know they were going to spend it!" ...

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100124/COLUMNIST0101/1240372/Gail+Kerr++This+candidate+brought+to+you+by+...+a+risky+court+ruling

[Hekate]

1. KnR