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Perspectives on Government
It’s hard to believe another year is behind us. Your municipal electric systems had a tough year in 2009 with all the changes at TVA, the Kingston Ash Spill, changing wholesale power rates, still-fluctuating fuel costs and reporting those fuel costs on the retail bill. TVA and your local municipal electric power system are doing everything possible to secure both future electric energy needs and remain competitive in the cost of electricity. We are blessed, here in the valley, to have dedicated public servants overseeing this most important necessity, electricity.
Regarding the second session of the 106th General Assembly, as usual TMEPA is monitoring the introduction of bills which may have an adverse affect on your electric company as well as those which would be beneficial to our operations. We’ll continue to address legislative actions involving the right of municipals to offer telecommunication services, fees for attaching to the electric poles by other companies and any other issue which could cost you, the customers of the municipal systems, more money. We encourage each of you to let your legislators know that Public Power deserves consideration when legislation is considered which could affect your cost or your service. After all, they serve the public as we do.
While “pondering” all that could happen in Nashville and what is happening in Washington, I began recalling some thoughts of people much wiser than I could ever be; so on a change in our normal “perspective,” I thought I would leave your with a few quotes from some of these very remarkable people regarding Government. Enjoy!
“…a long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT.” – Thomas Paine, Common Sense
“It may well be time to put principles above parties, character above campaign promises, and integrity above personal gain and simply do right to all.” – My Dad
“Those who seek absolute power, even though they seek it to do what they regard as good, are simply demanding the right to enforce their own version of heaven on earth. … Absolute power does corrupt, and those who seek it must be suspect and must be opposed.” – Barry Goldwater
“It may be true that the government that governs best governs least. Unfortunately, the same is also true of the government that governs worst.”– Jane Auer
“The government is merely a servant – merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.” – Mark Twain
“No man has a natural right to commit aggression on the equal rights of another, and this is all from which the laws ought to restrain him.” – Thomas Jefferson
“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned – this is the sum of good government.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” – Patrick Henry
“A Government that robs Peter to Pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” – George Bernard Shaw
Mike Vinson
Executive Director
Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association
