"Best Practices" #1 - The Trophy Case 03/03/2011
Let's take a look at some of the power company "Best Practices" that PATH has used on their opposition over the past 2 1/2 years. "Best practices" is a business buzzword used to designate a technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or reward which is regarded as more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. when applied to a particular condition or circumstance. The idea is that with proper processes, checks, and testing, a desired outcome can be delivered with fewer problems and unforeseen complications. Best practices can also be defined as the most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people. The first "best practice" we're going to examine in this series is The Trophy Case. This particular "best practice" belongs to Allegheny Energy, although for all I know AEP does it too, they're just better at not getting caught. It became quite evident to me over time that Allegheny was the PATH partner that got dropped on its collective head a time or two too many, resulting in a distinctively diminished mental capacity (okay, these guys are just DUMB!) The existence of a "trophy case" was revealed by PATH/ Allegheny Energy Assistant General Counsel Randy Palmer at the Harpers Ferry federal EIS meeting in July of 2010. After he made some snide remark about one opponent's StopPATH t-shirt, we decided he must be jealous because he didn't have a great group of friends with their own special t-shirts like we have. We decided to heal his bruised "fee-fees" by giving him a t-shirt of his own so he could pretend to be a part of our cool club. He told the people who presented it to him that he "collects this stuff" and had a trophy case for it. Whether it's a personal trophy case or a corporate trophy case, I don't know, but that's just sick, dude! Trophies are things that serial killers collect! The serial killer often takes something known as a trophy or souvenir, of no obvious value except to him in his fantasy world. The item is known as a trophy if it is seen as a symbol of achievement and a souvenir if it is to remind the killer of the crime. Randy also made off with one of our StopPATH hand fans at the meeting and although I told him he could have one of our "Oh no, we won't glow!" bracelets, I don't think he had the nerve to go ask the people minding the information table for one. So, it's an Allegheny Energy "best practice" to collect trophies from the citizens they victimize so they can gloat, laugh, feel good about themselves, pave the road to hell, or whatever it is they do with their booty after they get their project built. Wow! That's one of the dumbest "best practices" I've ever encountered! The next instance of trophy collection by an Allegheny Energy employee occurred two nights later at the Frederick EIS meeting crime scene. Senior Attorney Jeff Trout collected a photograph of a protest sign taped in the back window of an opponent's vehicle. Trout needs to work on his technique -- he walked right past me and did his collecting in plain sight and in broad daylight. Duh, Jeff, sloppiness is how serial killers get caught! Although he didn't mention that the photograph was for a trophy case (I think he was probably concentrating on not wetting his pants instead, after being confronted about his actions), I can't imagine what else he could have been planning to do with it. "Best Practices", Allegheny Energy style! These guys have so much to teach their new co-workers at FirstEnergy! Jeff's little photography spree kicked off a bit of "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" that resulted in "Best Practice" #2 - The Company Policy on photographs at meetings. Up next -- stay tuned!   CommentsFunny you should mention best practices. That is exactly what Allegheny told the WV PSC they would use when they cleared land and built roads to build the TrAIL. Turns out those practices weren't so "best." Keryn 03/04/2011 4:31am
Excellent idea! Might be worth another trip to Charleston. Da hillbilly 03/04/2011 4:52am
Oh the list could go on and on and on ... these monkeys have ammused me so many times in the past couple years ... Poison Candy 03/04/2011 5:42am
They need a new case for thier PATH trophies. Pam 03/04/2011 5:53am
Today's Journal has a letter to the editor by Jim Haney, President WV Operations FirstEnergy. You all need to read that to get another big chuckle. At least we, the ratepayers, didn't have to pay for that as we did the big full page ad of nothing in yesterday's paper. Da Hillbilly 03/04/2011 6:41am
turn back one page Pam and you will see the same ad ran as yesterdays, only slightly smaller this time. it seems as if first Energy or Pot Ed. or whatever their name is these days has no trouble continuing to waste my money! But I sure am glad to hear Mr. Haney is my friend. BTW, wasn't Mr. Haney the name of the panhandling peddler from the show Green Acres? Coincidence? arnold ziffel 03/04/2011 7:07am
where's my lipstick? Pam 03/04/2011 7:10am
Haven't read the entire paper yet so I missed that ad. I must have a new carrier because my paper used to be here by 5:20 a.m. but now it's been coming later so I don't have the chance to peruse it as thoroughly anymore before I leave for work. Yes, Mr. Haney was the peddler. ??? 03/04/2011 7:13am
What is really weird here is it looks like Palmer is grinning in the picture. Who has actually ever seen that man smile? It is really creepy what floats his boat. Keryn 03/04/2011 11:12am
But.... Haney is supposed to be president of the WV subsidiary, Mon Power. But on the other page we get told their name is Potomac Edison, which is the MD subsidiary and run by some other guy. Keryn 03/04/2011 11:15am
??? - you've got a point!!! :-) PWH 03/04/2011 12:46pm
I'm predicting that their next industry conference power point presentation will be entitled 'TRANSMISSION LINE SITING - What noT To doo?????' and feature all the Best Practices featured here along with reference to wild animals, misspellings and tortured punctuation. Da Hillbilly 03/04/2011 12:51pm
Just can't get enuff lipstick on this pig, yet still they try ... Hey PATH guys ... IT'S STILL A FRIGGIN' PIG! ALWAYS WILL BE! Reminds me of a Micky Gilly song "They All Get Prettier at Closin' Time." However, what Micky fails to mention is that 12 beer fox turns into a Hound Dog by morning. Pam 03/04/2011 1:39pm
Hey, check out the response of Potomac Edison on the Maryland PSC's website regarding intervenors requests to put conditions if they refile. It's going to make you laugh. They are crying little children. Curran also makes reference to the substation and who has jurisdiction. WahhWahhhhhhhhhhh 03/04/2011 2:33pm
PATH called the wambulance again. yuckycandy 03/04/2011 2:43pm
Allegheny may be the dumb ones, but AEP gets left holding the doggie bag at the end. Allegheny may be the one behind all the shady harassment, but they ceased to exist 2 days before the PATH project came to an end. They didn't mind ruining their corporate name because they were planning to get rid of it anyway. Now they're First Energy and have washed their hands of PATH and all the nastiness associated with the project. AEP should work up a good merger so they can shed their bad image now too. That's probably not going to happen so they get left with a big black smudge on their name while the Allegheny bastards skip away to start new life. AEP got punked! JustMe 03/06/2011 5:12pm
Translation of what they are asking for in MD (can anyone say smoke and mirrors?): "Dear Commissioners - we are tossing in our hand...(wink wink). We will be back, but could you please do us a favor? First, pretend this is not a withdrawal. Pretend this case is in abeyance so we can build on anything we have pretended to have achieved. Pretend you decided the substation issue was already decided and from here on out, it is OK just where we want it, you know, pretend you have firmly settled that you have jurisdiction over it even though you don't. Then also pretend that the new law that says you don't have jurisdiction didn't really happen and pretend the MD Court of Appeals won't have something to say about it when comes back up to them (wonder how those sneaky people will get it there). And pleeeez Commissioners don't make us get tarred and feathered again by those bad people in Frederick County...just pretend that going there once is enough. And one more thing...please clear the way for PJM to let our new mom & dad inherit the substation site quietly and be able to bury the mess we made there...and if you do all this for us, we promise to pretend that we want you to be impartial and fair. And by the way, thanks for all those years of letting us be the bully in the playground and pretending we were not. We will miss that now that real people have figured out that they are the ones paying the membership fees to the club. Oh yes, and thanks for letting us keep up the charade that FERC backstop authority still means something and keeping the secret that PAPA PJM isn't on their hit parade any more because they are too much of a hot potato in the courts. So long (sniff sniffle, waaah)" Leave a Reply | AuthorStopPATH WV blog is written by members of StopPATH. All opinions expressed are those of the individual author. 
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