As a follow-up to the manufactured swill that PATH filed as a response to WV intervenor Ali Haverty's discovery request regarding FERC USofA account 426.4 "Certain Civic and Political Activities", she filed another request for additional information on Thursday afternoon.

For whatever reason, the PSC docket clerk went off for her three-day weekend without posting the pdf files or sending out the notices for a whole plethora of new additions to the docket which were filed on Thursday.  However, you can see Ali's request here.

What's really interesting in Ali's request is a copy of an invoice from one of PATH's lobbyists that she included as an example of the type of detailed invoices that she's requesting for various vendors in PATH's 426.4 account detail.

Take a look at page 5 of her request to get a feel for what PATH's lobbyists are getting paid to do, paying particular attention to the line item I highlighted.  "Working with Craig Glazer of PJM to determine strategy."

But, wait a minute, both PJM and PATH claim that there's nothing funny going on here...  PJM is not biased or favoring the PATH project and their dealings are "transparent" and aboveboard.  If that's true, then PATH isn't getting their money's worth here. 

So, which is it?  Is PATH's lobbyist working to influence PJM actions, or are they throwing their money away on a lobbyist who's billing for work never performed?  You be the judge.

We've had a report by a landowner on the mountain that he confronted several people he caught creeping through the woods on his property late last week.  They handed him a copy of this letter as an explanation for their trespassing.

Despite what this letter says, these PATH contractors need your permission to be on your property!  If you have not given permission for PATH to conduct surveys on your property, these people are trespassing and should be dealt with accordingly.  If they refuse to leave immediately, please contact the Sheriff to have them removed.  Their letter does NOT give them permission to trespass on private property.

If you have signed one of PATH's survey permission forms, there's not much you can do about it, aside from rescinding your permission.  Information about how to rescind permission can be found in our Landowner Resources section.  Strangers creeping around your property like they own the place without prior notification is exactly the reason we have been advising landowners against signing survey permission forms.  By signing these permission forms, you are subjecting yourself to more of this rude, bullying behavior.

Louis Berger Group employees working as contractors for PATH have also been reported as lying to landowners in order to coerce them to give permission for these surveys.  Landowners have been tracked down at their jobs, harassed by trespassers who refused to leave, been told that they would have to pay for these surveys out of their own pockets if they refuse to give permission, and other self-serving lies.  You are not required to give your permission for these surveys! 

Although the letter states that these surveys are "necessary to satisfy federal and state regulatory requirements", this is a flat-out lie.  These surveys are being conducted by PATH in order to try to circumvent real federal surveys and present "surveys" that come to PATH-ordered conclusions.  Remember, PATH always comes up with the desired answer before approaching the problem.  These surveys are not in your best interests and have NOTHING to do with the Federal Environmental Impact Survey currently being conducted.

Be smart and don't let PATH push you around... and tell your neighbors!  One of the greatest things about living in Jefferson County is that we all watch out for each other.  Discuss this with your neighbors and take appropriate action!

Today, in the "Making the rules up as you go" Department, PATH Assistant General Counsel Randy Palmer came up with a whole new set of "rules" for PATH's 2011 Projected Transmission Revenue Requirement Open Meeting tomorrow in DC.  Perhaps we've tightened the screws with a little too much vigor lately and thrown him into a fit of pique?  Whatever the reason, here are the new "rules":

The purpose of the meeting is to explain the PATH PTRR for Rate Year 2011 which was posted on the formula rates page of the PJM website on September 1, 2010. Participants may ask questions and seek information regarding the 2011 PTRR. To the extent that the PATH Companies’ participants do not have the information available during the meeting to answer a question or information request posed during the meeting, participants may submit written information requests pursuant to the PATH formula rate protocols set forth in Attachment H-19B of the PJM Tariff. Written information requests should be sent to [email protected]. Depending on the nature of the information request, the submitter may be required to execute a Protective Agreement prior to receiving the response. Under the protocols, the current Discovery Period for submitting information requests will end on October 29, 2010.
Matters not pertaining to the 2011 PTRR, including matters pending before state and federal agencies, will not be addressed during the meeting.
Photography as well as video and audio recordings will not be permitted during the meeting or within the meeting premises before, during or after the meeting.

Pardon me while I laugh myself silly, but I see exactly where each "rule" came from.  I guess I should put my screwdriver down for a bit before he goes postal.  If this guy thinks he's getting one step ahead of me, he'd best think again.  Creativity is my middle name and "no" is never an answer, but always considered a challenge.  Keep on keeping on there, Captain Acrimony, and I'll see you tomorrow.

We can generously allow him to win a battle or two but what he doesn't realize is that he's losing the war.

We're a scary bunch, folks!  When we throw off the sheepskin of "calm" that PATH continually tries to smother us with, it's apparently a police matter.  Read this story in the Town Courier (if you're one of the ones who can't get this link to work, click here) about how PATH's paranoia about the prospect of citizens "raising their voices" during their Charlie Foxtrot "Public Meeting" resulted in an advance request for police presence.

Ridiculous!

Just another heavy-handed attempt to bully and intimidate the citizens, who will not be cowed into silent acceptance of a greedy, unneeded corporate initiative that intends to devalue or take their homes, endanger their health and dip into their pockets.

We will continue to voice our disapproval as loudly as possible and there's nothing PATH can do to silence us.  Hey, PATH, can you hear me now?

I think we may have seen the last of PATH's "Open House" style public meetings.  Last night's "public information meeting" was one gigantic, flaming, disorganized Charlie Foxtrot from beginning to end.  Last night, PATH's "public" consisted exclusively of opposition group members and angry people.  There wasn't an uninformed, malleable sheep in sight!  Instead of the expected, rental, green-shirted goons, we were treated to what appeared to be the entire arrogant staff of PATH headquarters, with hand-written, adhesive name tags, no last names.  "Hi, My Name is... Death & Ruination".  This didn't play too well with "the public" because the usual disingenuous answers to pointed, intelligent questions only served to fan the flames of public repugnance for all things PATH.

In addition to the regular cast of characters, they added in Matt Sutton, Director of Strategy and Research at Charles Ryan Associates, PATH's overpaid PR firm.  Since he didn't bear a name tag on his snazzy pink (again) shirt and didn't talk to "the public", I assume he was there to "observe" again.  I really wouldn't care if he spent all his time chatting with the other power company guys and playing on his iPhone if I wasn't sharing in the cost of his "services".  At a cost of over $3.1 million ratepayer bucks last year, CRA ought to be hustling just a little more.  I want to see Pinky doing some jumping jacks while he runs his mouth next time!

Other characters included jolly, old Jim Fields and his side-kick, whose name I do not know, so we'll give him a nice, country nickname.  I think I'll call him.... Puddin'.  These two guys show up at most of PATH's public appearances and act as their bouncers (aka "Security").  However, Jim and Puddin' seemed to be redundant last night with the addition of two "undercover" deputy sherrifs hired for the occasion (with the publics' money, remember that).  Were they expecting trouble, perhaps?

Also present was some kid from Truescape, the New Zealand company that prepared the video & photo simulations of the substation that the meeting was intended to showcase.  Try though he did to explain all the inconsistencies in the display, he seemed to be in way over his head.  Do you know what we call what you presented last night here in America?  We call it bullsh*t, son.

During our first foray into the meeting, we had our attention called to a "situation" brewing between my new friend, Jerry, and PATH EHV Manager Mike Hosier.  Jerry was giving Mike his opinion of the PATH project, and Mike was pretending he didn't have a last name or a job title.  Now that was a real smart way to defuse a tense situation, wasn't it?  I blame it on the PATH demon who possesses Hosier.  No one ever expects a demonic entity to have studied Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People".  During this exchange, we took several photos of the action with our cell phones, all within plain sight of both Jim Fields and other PATH staff members.  When Hosier finally ran out of things to say, he beckoned for the "undercover" deputies, who pulled Jerry aside to give him an authoritative talking to.  I guess they were really getting into their "thug" bouncer roles because they refused to give Jerry their names and when he demanded to see a badge, it was flashed so quickly it could have been an acquisition from ToysRUs.  Nevertheless, Jerry persevered and managed to be permitted to stay.

Not so for at least 5 other people, who were bodily ejected from the meeting or asked to leave for various "infractions" of "company policy".  One gentleman was escorted by the two "undercover" fellas, one on each side, all the way down the hallway and out the building doors.  His infraction was telling one of the company Vice-Presidents (or other self-important drone) his opinion of the PATH project.  Others were ejected for "raising your voice".  Yours truly was "asked to leave" for taking a picture.  Somewhere in between the beginning of the meeting when we took pictures of Jerry and the last hour of the meeting, a "company policy" was developed that prohibited photography at this "public meeting".  Said "policy" was given to Puddin' to relay to me.  He informed me that, according to "company policy" if I took any more pictures, I would be asked to leave.  So, I took his picture.  And he asked me to leave.  And I did.  It was more fun outside with the "ejected" crowd anyhow :-) 

StopPATH WV President Roger Eitelman spent some time in a discussion with the representative of PJM who was present.  He actually had a last name and a business card!  He also admitted to Eitelman that PJM has plans to add another 765kV transmission line plus two more 500kV lines exiting the Mt. Airy substation.  Since the site is ringed by 1300 homes, there's no room for any new ROWs.  Are they going to start dissecting surrounding neighborhoods to make way for all these new lines?  Time will tell.

StopPATH WV "people person" Debbie Royalty introduced herself to PATH assistant general counsel, Randy Palmer, and soon had Palmer happily agreeing to host one of PATH's transmission towers in his backyard in Greensburg, PA.  Gosh!  That's awful nice of Randy, isn't it?  Just in case it doesn't accidentally end up there during a future reroute, we've got lots of very fine half a million dollar homes here in Jefferson County that will end up with PATH in their backyards... and they're for sale!  C'mon on down, Randy!  You can get yourself a real bargain!

Finally, here's a freebie for Todd Meyers -- don't ever lie to reporters!  He probably thinks reporters are just little chess pawns that he moves around the game board as he does his job.  NEWS FLASH!  Reporters are overworked, underpaid, under-appreciated human beings who don't have any particular affinity for arrogant suits who lie to them and treat them like they're stupid.  Someone ratted him out today, and in the spirit of the press, my sources are confidential.  Meyers was one of the ones who tried to hustle reporters away from the demonstrators outside Allegheny's office in Frederick last Thursday by personally escorting them to their cars and insisting that they immediately leave for the substation site or they would not be permitted to attend the other half of the event.  Todd, you dimwit, reporters aren't stupid and are exceptionally capable of following up with later interviews!

In summation, PATH has struck out again in Frederick County.  Isn't next week's Zoning Appeals hearing going to be fun?  See you all there!

Imagine you're Allegheny PR schmucks Todd Myers or Mark Nitowski (c'mon, you can at least pretend that you'd sell your own soul for a buck, can't you?)  You get up one morning expecting this, and instead you get this.

Surprise!

This is the first time I've ever planned a surprise party on two days notice, invited a thousand of my closest friends, and retained the element of complete surprise.  Either I'm getting better at this, or the guests of honor are getting dumber and easier to fool.

This morning, PATH had planned a special "media event" at the downtown Frederick Allegheny Power office where they intended to provide propaganda to the media, show them a simulation movie (created by shyster production company Truescape) of the proposed substation at PATH's terminus, and rack up a bunch of puff piece stories.

Instead, a determined, protest sign-bearing group of about 30 PATH opponents from CAKES, Sugarloaf Conservancy and StopPATH WV swooped in 10 minutes before the event began and slowly walked up and down the public sidewalk in front of Allegheny's building.  The press came running to us while the PATH guys stood inside the lobby doors with drool dripping off their chins (except for Mr. Angry who stood outside with his arms folded, clearly exasperated).  They had no clue.  Hah, hah!

Their event only lasted about an hour, after which the press came back to spend more time interviewing the protesters and tipped us off that PATH was sponsoring a real Martha Stewartesque tent soiree for the media on the substation site (paid for by you in your electric bill), so we all piled into vehicles and headed for CAKES property right across the street from the site to await the return of the press from the ratepayer-funded propaganda soiree.

When the StopPATH group finally headed for home, we were quite amused by the black sedan sitting on the side of the road near the intersection at the end of Bartholows Road with its flashers on and bearing Pennsylvania plates that banged a screeching u-turn and fell in behind our little caravan.  I hope they soon hire a real driver, because it was too easy to thwart them.  I took a picture of the car, because it had a really creative protest sign in the back window, and as we passed I recognized the passenger as Mr. Angry from the morning's protest.  After leaving them in the dust, we came upon Mark Nitowski (who drives like my Granny, btw) impeding traffic in the fast lane of I-70.  After making eye contact, he tried really hard to pretend he didn't notice us.  Seriously?  Get a grip, fellas!  We're laughing at you!

Congratulations to the opposition for very effectively shutting down PATH's propaganda machine today!  What a follow-up to last night's victory at the Planning Commission!

Now, I need your help... send me links to any of the resulting news stories you happen upon, dear readers.  Due to sheer volume, I soon lost track of the media outlets who interviewed us.  And remember to say "thank you" to PATH for getting all that press coverage for our cause!

And also send PATH these words of advice...
"Stay out of Frederick County, Maryland --  you're not welcome here!"

Press links:

Frederick News Post
NBC25 WHAG

That's it for now... looks like the rest of PATH's audience was a bunch of weeklies.  Remind me to ask PATH this question, "What if you threw a party and no one came?" We might have to bring our own press the next time we crash one of their press conferences.   Just one more disappointment from the PATH folks...

NBC25 used PATH as the subject of their daily news poll on the website.

Final Tally:

65.6% (427 votes) said PATH is not needed.
17.2% (112 votes) said PATH is needed.
17.2% (112 votes) said they needed more information.

Could public sentiment about PATH in the tri-state be any clearer?

Looks like PATH is planning to have a bunch more trespassing "accidents".  From their website:

Starting in August and continuing through October, multiple contract survey crews will be working in public highway rights-of-way for the PATH project. Each contract survey crew, consisting of two or more people, will be using conventional and GPS (Global Positioning System) surveying equipment. The purpose of this activity is to support preliminary engineering studies for the PATH team. This surveying will not require the contacting of private property owners.


No, this doesn't mean they are considering routing PATH up the median of the interstate.  It means that they will be utilizing what they believe are public road rights-of-way to do their surveying.  Your property has road frontage (it doesn't have to be a highway) and as part of this, your property bordering the road is under easement for operating and maintaining the roadway.  This doesn't necessarily mean that your particular easement is "public" for PATH's purposes.  However, considering PATH's track record with "accidental" trespass on numerous properties in order to carry out their "surveys", be aware that many more "accidents" could reasonably be expected to happen, so keep an eye out and know the width of your particular easement so you can determine when the trespassing begins.  If you have questions about this, consult an attorney.


If you're lucky enough to live in a subdivision with a privately maintained road system, you have every right to ask them to leave immediately.


You could wake up one morning, open the blinds, and come eye-to-eye with a PATH survey crew set up on the edge of your property along the roadside, with no prior notification or request for permission.


There are lots of great dogs on death row at your local animal shelter.  Adopt one... or more!  They truly are a man's (or woman's) best friend.