If you live in Maine, you’ve probably seen the TV ads trying to scare you into thinking that switching to public power will immediately cost a cool $13.5 billion. Don’t buy into this bad deal, because it will raise your taxes, the ad says. I have not made up my mind over the Pine Tree Power public utility proposal, but I know that these ads are deceptive, and the people doing the talking are not aware of very many facts.

First, the price tag. In fact, the price tag is yet to be determined.

Second, paying for it. The ad seems to think that the cost of buying the private utilities will become a burden to taxpayers. The buy-in cost needs a business perspective. When CMP was last sold, the buyers saw a company that would make enough profit to justify the sale price. We need to do the same. We need to ask the question: Can we pay for the new utility out of the new public power company revenue without raising electric rates?

I don’t know the answer to that question. I hope there is a Pine Tree Power supporter who does.

Peter Konieczko
Scarborough