BryanMD

When workers at the French power company want to protest management actions they sometimes sabotage their own company and cause blackouts for thousands of their own customers.



It was the second time in a week that blackouts had hit the Paris region as striking gas and electricity workers adopted radical tactics to support their call for a 10 per cent pay rise and an end to outsourcing of jobs.



The movement got off to a slow start. “We’ve been on strike for three weeks but at first no one paid any attention at all,” he said. “It was only when some of the guys started cutting the electricity and gas that things got moving.”



The militants armed with a map showing the substations and keys to the locks can shut down power to thousands of homes in a few minutes.



Earlier this week the activists sought to win public support by switching 350,000 customers from peak to off-peak tariffs — a 50 per cent saving. They also restored power to hundreds of households that were cut off because they had failed to pay their bills.

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March 2010: On the road with my RV. California is first primary destination then it is off to Eastern OR, Northern ID and Western MT for drycamping and fly fishing until Labor Day.

Faultfinder1

Sounds like something BGE customers ought to learn to do - restore their own power and stop Constellation's dominance. I am dern tired of hearing about people dying because they had to use candles for light because they couldn't afford the utility bill.

www.faultlocating.com

LawnGuyLandSparky

There's nothing wrong with protesting, there should be more, not less, and they should be more... "in your face."

brian john

You have the option of paying the bills for them. either that or have the laws changed so those that can't afford electricity get it free and the rest of the users pay the bill..Oh wait give Obama a few more weeks.

All for protesting, just not so blatant

crazyboy

There is a difference between vandalism and protesting though.

Faultfinder1

Electricity should be affordable for everyone, even the poor 60 year old woman living downtown with a 13" black and white TV. Those are the people suffering from the ridiculously high rates for electricity the most - and those are the one's dying just trying to survive. Yes, I can pay their bills for them as you suggested - but wouldn't it make more sense to have the BGE/Constellation money machine step up and do one thing that doesn't involve profit taking?

www.faultlocating.com

brian john

Yes then they make less profit, investors see it as a bad investment and they follow the path of GM, no investors (YOU AND ME) and no BGE, no electricity.

Our rates are low move further north if you want high rates.

There are many programs to help the needy but who are the truly needed? Americas latest hero the mother of 4 pregnant with number 5 and no baby daddy or octomom? Old folks in a heart beat and as noted there are programs, what about the crack addict or other drug abusers.

And where do we stop how much can we all give, do we not deserve to keep SOME of the fruits of our labors.

BGE-.12 cents a kwhr
VA POWER .08 cents per kwhr
NYC .15 cents

Think about what is involved in getting that kwhr, digging coal. building plants, burning coal all the transmission lines transformers upkeep, wages benefits. Is it costly yes do they deserve to make a profit yes and this profit is CONTROLED BY YOU through the Maryland Legislature. Oh and this legislature kept the rates unrealistically low for several years and forced BGE to raise rates to make up lost revenue, remember the fuel crisis last summer well BGE does not get that fuel for free. So now trhey have to make up some.

It is in your hands.

VOTE THEM OUT AND DONATE MORE.

MDShunk

I'm not sure why some people always automatically see profit-making companies as "they enemy". The more profit they make, the bigger enemy they seem to be. Perhaps someone can explain that to me?

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480sparky

Because 'they' are making more money than 'me'.

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This message is hidden because Forgery, Honda Racer, JackBoot, LawnGuyLandSparky, milehiwire and user 5941 are on your ignore list.

Faultfinder1

Wow, this is getting all complicated and political - I might have to graciously bow out of this one shortly!
All good questions and all good points being raised here - and that shows how so much is tightly woven to so much else. No simple answers to be found, but I still have one question - If these huge money machine companies are turning incredible profits and their owners/board members can take million (or billion) dollar bonuses, why can't they give a little back in order to lower prices for everyone?

www.faultlocating.com

brian john

They do give back donations and buying mega houses, airplanes, boats, cars keeping the economy going>

Steve what is your service area? May have some profits for you!

Faultfinder1

Steve what is your service area? May have some profits for you!

Sorry, don't know how to properly quote what someone else said. I can design websites but can't figure out a message board! HA!

brianjohn - if you were referring to the information on my site, I can go pretty much anywhere. I am in the process of getting my own LLC and will be teaming up with DisTran Sales in the very near future. We will be traveling from NJ to SC giving training classes on a wide range of outdoor electrical equipment. My specialty of course will be underground fault locating, but DisTran carries quite a few other lines of tooling/equipment. As I understand it, we will be taking jobs doing fault locating where others are unable to locate. That's just from what I found out during a meeting with the man last week, so I am still pretty much open and available.
Did that answer your question? I hope...

www.faultlocating.com

brian john

When you are up and running IM me on this site.

To quote someone hit the quote button on the bottom right

Faultfinder1

Ya know - you'd think I could see that big 'ol "Quote" button sitting down there! Ha!

Yes, I will definately get in touch with you, now that you've gotten me all curious and all. Anyone know if we allowed to post personal email addresses on here? That might be easier for me. Thanks!

www.faultlocating.com

brian john

Better to send it in a private IM left click on the users name select send message.