Honesty: It’s Still the Best Policy

By now you’ve probably heard of Nextdoor.com – heck, you’ve probably been badgered to join. If you’re already familiar with the “neighborhood social media” site, feel free to skip to the next paragraph; if not, read on for background. It’s a website for those who are geographically neighbors instead of “friends.” You can connect with people in your housing addition, school district, little town, etc. – share information about what’s going on, announce garage sales, complain about potholes, and the like. There is, of course, a “social” component, which is why we’re here right now.

Not long ago, a Nextdoor member posted a broadside to more than 5,000 local members. She asked that people contact their state senator to ask him to oppose a bill in the Indiana legislature. Her post said,

“High electric prices to get worse if Senate Bill 309 passes: If you are concerned about high electric pricing, contact your Senator and oppose senate bill 309. Senator Merritt is supporting this bill for utility increases.”

I’m a little more aware of what’s going on in the state legislature than the average Joe, and this was news to me… so I looked the bill up. The gist of the bill is, as summarized in a recent Indianapolis Star story,

“Senate Bill 309 would eliminate a discount homeowners and businesses receive when they buy back extra energy they had sent to the electric grid because they had generated more than they needed."

A little reading and puzzling through the language of the bill convinced me that it has nothing to do with raising electric prices on average homeowners. I pointed this out and also pointed out that contacting Senator Merritt wouldn’t do much good since he is one of two senators who authored the bill. Not long after, a third party pointed out that the woman who had originally posted the “warning” about increased electricity prices is partner in a business that sells… wait for it… home and commercial solar power systems. Yeah: distributed generation, which would be affected by the bill. As for your average homeowner? Not so much – in fact, probably not at all.

She took the thread down, but not until after a bit of public shaming (and a surly, passive-aggressive reply on her part):

“Then don't contact your representative, no problem. I didn't write a novel outlining the bill and how it affects everyone, instead a tiny brief on my thought and why it's something we should speak for or against. All your choice. I've clarified to make you happier.”

So much for operating an honest business: when did honesty cease being the best policy?

copyright © 2017 scmrak