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Utility Watchdog Employees Furloughed


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Commissioner Brandon Presley of the Public Service Commission says most PSC employees were sent home.

July 3, 2009

Among the budget bills that failed to get to the governor's desk earlier this week were appropriations to fund the Public Service Commission and the Public Utilities agency. Without funding, the two state organizations are sending most of their employees home. The PSC is keeping on a skeleton crew of about 12 people, while Public Utilities shut its doors.

"We're now down to protecting rate payers with spit balls," PSC commissioner Brandon Presley told the Associated Press.

The PSC is tasked with regulating utilities—electricity, natural gas, water and sewer services—and telecommunications, requested additional staff for 2010. Mississippi House members approved the request; Senators did not.

The attorney general's office released an opinion yesterday saying the agency could not operate without a budget beyond its core functions. But Gov. Haley Barbour has indicated that he will call another special session once negotiators agree on a compromise, the story states.

"Having a special session is going to cost almost as much as we were asking for," Presley told the Clarion-Ledger.

Costs for a second special legislative session could be $60,000 or more, added to the $141,000 spent on the first special session that began last Sunday and ended Tuesday, hours before the 2010 fiscal year began.

 
posted by on 07/03/09 at 07:32 AM. [printer version]    Share |

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Nov 20, 2009 | 03:35 PM
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baquan2000: Goldenae - you pointed out a key element in your post, "the point is that he would even suggest such a thing. And the sad part is that from the polls, the people ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 02:55 PM
[Editor's Note] Love Thy Neighbor
Wintrhop Sargent: WMartin - At the church I attend, St. Andrew's Cathedral, there is no teaching or preaching about hate (unless you include the teaching and preaching AGAINST hate). I'm ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 02:10 PM
[Doyle] From Dixie, With Love
ladd: A fail-safe principle I've always sworn by: If the Kluckers agree with me about something, I need to rethink it.
Nov 20, 2009 | 01:39 PM
[Doyle] From Dixie, With Love
Goldenae: I would truly be ashamed of myself if I looked at life and others the way the some people do. Some folks can not put themselves in another person's shoes to save their lives. It is ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 01:27 PM
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Goldenae: Why is it so hard to understand that regardless of what we would like to think, there are different standards. That is quite obvious in Barbour's suggestion of ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 12:42 PM
[Doyle] From Dixie, With Love
Huckleberry: “a school that the Klu Klux Klan holds at bay” - Queen, for the reasons I wrote yesterday, I don’t think that statement accurately depicts the “chant” situation or the Ole Miss of ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 12:25 PM
Ivory Harris
Izzy: Great piece, Ward.
Nov 20, 2009 | 12:13 PM
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J.T.: WMartin, believing dogma is a far cry from Loving God, Self, Others. I understand your comment with my heart. And, the irony is that sometimes some in those religions that deem ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 12:00 PM
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baquan2000: I thought I made this point earlier, but I guess I didn't. I honestly don't think they will merge the schools. The easiest thing to do is cutback staff, ...
Nov 20, 2009 | 11:57 AM
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WMartin: They do teach faith I will grant you. It's the only way to get people to believe their fairy tales. Love, tolerance, justice and peace? Well we all know religions have no problem ...
 
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