[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 40 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H1858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      LET US HAVE FAIR COMPETITION IN THE ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, with all the talk about the supposed 
benefits of competition in the electric power industry, I say let us 
have really fair electric competition.
  Many consumers now enjoy the benefits of a municipally owned electric 
system, such as low rates and high standards and open governance and 
direct corporate democracy. Private power marketers should have to be 
as democratic and open as public power. This means they should;
  First, comply with State and local open meeting laws;
  Second, provide for a publicly elected board of directors;
  Third, permit the public election of all chief executive officers;
  Fourth, hold public hearings on budgets;
  Fifth, require compliance with State and local government conflict of 
interest regulations; and
  Sixth, not deduct advertising expenses from their income taxes.
  Really competitive power marketers would put into practice the high 
democratic standards of public power.

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