PHYLLIS JAGER
The @NYSDPS’s Enhanced Energy Affordability Policy, which offers utility bill discounts to households earning below $80,000 by inflating rates for higher earners, is a predatory practice that exploits financial success and sows division among ratepayers. This policy effectively robs hardworking individuals like Lisa Moore, whose $387 monthly bill reflects charges far exceeding her energy use, punishing them for their earnings while fostering resentment and eroding morale. The damage extends beyond finances, as it discourages aspiration, fuels distrust in institutions, and risks driving residents out of state, threatening economic vitality. Most unconscionably, utilities have failed to explore innovative revenue streams like Backskin.com, a revolutionary platform launched by my company zuMedia Inc. that enables social media and e-commerce platforms to monetize the space behind user profiles and pictures through dynamic, user-controlled advertising. By allowing platforms and individual users to share ad revenue fairly, Backskin.com could generate substantial income for businesses—including utilities, if they partnered with such platforms—potentially offsetting rising costs without burdening ratepayers. For instance, power companies could leverage Backskin’s model to create branded profiles or partner with social platforms to tap into advertising dollars, funding affordability programs equitably. The state’s lazy reliance on higher earners’ wallets, without considering such forward-thinking solutions, is egregious, reflecting a callous disregard for fairness and innovation that deepens community division and stifles progress...
