Gerald Hocker Takes a Page Out of the Bush/Cheney Playbook
Gerald Hocker apparently doesn’t like that Maria Evans called him out on being so wrong about wind power. He has a guest post up on WGMD’s blog (of all places). The strategy appears to be to throw out as much BS as possible, in hopes of people hearing it so much that they start to believe it. So let’s clarify some of Rep. Hockers clarifications.
First, he says that he didn’t understand the bill when it was debated, but that his questions were answered incorrectly. But, as Maria pointed out, the part that he was fuzzy about is written in simple English, not some sort of legalese.
I would not have voted for HB 6 if I had known it was forcing Delmarva Power into a contract, especially a 25 year contract.
So on that point, I call “Bullshit” As for his assertion that his questions weren’t answered correctly, he offers no further examples. I’m guessing that he is just made it up.
HB 6 does require Delmarva to enter into a long-term contract with an in-state producer of electricity. The Bluewater Wind proposal to build a 150-turbine wind farm off the coast of Sussex County is the plan that has emerged from that process.
Correct! It does. Moving on.
However, Ms. Evans is apparently unaware that SOS customers buy only 28-percent of the power distributed by the utility. Thus, HB 6 places 100-percent of the cost of the wind farm project on the backs of Delmarva customers who purchase less than a third of the company’s electricity. That does not strike me as an equitable arrangement.
Let’s try it this way, Rep. Hocker: 100% of the benefit of the wind farm project will come to the Delmarva customers that promised to buy the power that BWW produces. We know how much wind is going to cost us for the next 25 years. Can you say the same about coal or gas? Do you think that the price of fossil fuels will drop in the next 25 years?
Furthermore, the remaining 10% that your bill proposes to expand the cost sharing to would be paying into the wind farm, despite garnering no benefit from it. Does that strike you as an equitable arrangement?
Then Hocker goes down the rabbit hole of it being unfair to force Delmarva Power into a contract with BWW.
I also believe it is an intrusive abuse of state power to force one private company into a long-term contract with another private company. I’m unaware of whether such a state mandate has ever been enacted, but I would argue that it is an improper use of that authority, regardless of its good intentions.
To this I simply ask if this would have been an issue if Connectiv or NRG were winners in the bidding process? Would they have been unsure about whether the contract should be 25 years?
Rep. Hocker, I think you are being disingenuous and specious in defense of a corporate paymaster, at the expense of the people of this state that have spoken consistently, intelligently and overwhelmingly in favor of the wind farm. You have positively identified yourself as part of the problem. You can be sure that we politically active people in the state of Delaware, on both sides of the aisle, will make a point of your stance on BWW in your next election.
Hey Geek, good job. I was trying to get something out on this but have been swamped all day.
I was told today that if you google him, Hocker is on record singing the praises of the 25 year lock-in clause…
Have a look at the legislation on this subject that Mr. Hocker introduced today: House Concurrent Resolution # 42. It includes lots of the language that he posted on the WGMD blog and directs the Delaware Energy Office to “examine the New Jersey approach to the development of an offshore wind farm and draft and submit to the Governor, Delaware Public Service Commission, Director of Office of Management and Budget, and the Controller General recommendations to encourage development of the Wind Proposal without the requirement of forced contracts.”
Can you say “Blue Ribbon Panel?” Can you say “politely yank on the emergency brake?”
Yeah, and it is such a BS argument. This is what the legislature wanted. Until the good old boys didn’t win the contract.
It is akin to trying to undo the butterfly ballot. The lot has been cast and you now have to man-up and say that BWW won fair and square. So much sour grapes.
Sour grapes indeed.
But new proposals need to use the BWW proposal as the new benchmark, and advocates for off-shore wind should start asking for punitive damages to be added to any other proposal that exceeds the BWW price lock in.
Hmmm. Yes, as a matter of fact. If a reasonable administration emerges from the elections the price of gas and oil might well drop. At least half of the increase in the price of oil and gas is a result of our weak dollar. Fix that and the price will drop like a stone.
Hmmm. Well, let’s see. Natural gas is not directly effected by the weakness of the dollar, because it is domestic. Similar thing for coal. Now, if you want to talk about oil prices, fine. But that is not the issue here.
Hocker is a joke. On his WGMD guest post he said he didn’t know that HB 6 would mean a long term contract for DP&L.
“Admittedly, I misinterpreted HB 6 when it was debated in the House. In my own defense, questions that I and other legislators posed that would have revealed this error were incorrectly answered.
HB 6 does require Delmarva to enter into a long-term contract with an in-state producer of electricity. The Bluewater Wind proposal to build a 150-turbine wind farm off the coast of Sussex County is the plan that has emerged from that process.”
In August of 2007 he wrote a letter to the editor of the Coastal Point where he explains that HB 6 requires DP&L to sign a long term contract.
http://bethanybeachnews.com/content/letters_20
“As a result of the Electric Utility Retail Customer Supply Act of 2006, Delmarva Power is required to sign a long-term contract to purchase electricity from a new local generation facility. On May 22, the PSC issued an order requiring Delmarva Power to enter into negotiations with BlueWater Wind, Pepco subsidiary Conectiv Energy and NRG Energy, to hammer out this contract.
Of the three potential suppliers, BlueWater Wind is best known in Sussex County because of the company’s popular proposal to generate power through the construction of an off-shore wind farm. Conectiv and NRG (the operator of the Indian River Power Plant) could figure into the final mix by providing back-up generation capacity to the wind turbines.
The Public Service Commission is precluded from being involved in these negotiations but has received periodic notice that the talks are ongoing.
On June 22, Delmarva Power filed a “notice of appeal” on the PSC decision. The company says they did this to preserve their right to pursue possible legal action to protect their customers. The company maintains that it intends to negotiate in good faith and that the filing was only a precautionary move. Only time will prove the veracity of these claims.
As a legislator who represents southeast Sussex County, I have a great deal of interest in the outcome of these talks. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that state lawmakers and regulators may need to take additional action to ensure that downstate residents have access to new sources of clean, affordable power and that existing producers are held to higher standards of environmental responsibility.
The General Assembly does not reconvene until January. I hope that Delmarva Power and the parties with which it is negotiating will use the intervening five months to good advantage and make significant progress in reaching a mutually beneficial deal.”
Hocker is full of it. They closed the comments on his WGMD guest post so you can’t even tell people he’s full of it.
Hocker’s HCR #42 is a joke because Bluewater Wind’s New Jersey proposal is contingent on a long term PPA.
He doesn’t talk about his misinterpretation of HB 6 in 2007 and he doesn’t seem upset about the long term contract, either.
What up? You can’t comment on Hocker’s post on WGOP’s blog. Did he threaten to pull his ad dollars if he didn’t get an uniterrupted opportunity to spew Delmarva Power’s crap without people like Maria Evans bringing up the facts and making him look like an ignorant, red neck fool. She’s awful quiet these days. I’m guessing those whores at GMD folded like cowards and bitches when an advertiser and politician who is having trouble molding peoples opinion threatens to take a few bucks out of their pocket. So much for strong right wing leadership in the face of a minor political controversy. Take the money and bend over, stooges. What’s Hocker so worried about anyway?
Hocker has a potential challenger who used to work for GMD. Between Maria forcing Hocker’s hand with her pre-House hearing post and Randy as a political foe, I guess Gerald is acting like his guts are just a shimmering mass of jelly.
Good work liberalgeek and Peter Rabbit. Hocker has been caught in a series of lies and misstatements, as clearly demonstrated here.
To get the BWW contract approved by the General Assembly, there are bigger foes than Hocker standing in the way, like McDowell and Adams. The bunch of them are doing DP&L ratepayers and our state a great disservice.
Incidentally, WGMD radio has been inundated by DP&L messages containing misstatements of fact similar to what we see in Hocker’s piece. Therefore it is even more noteworthy and cowardly that WGMD has opted to cut off comments to Hocker’s piece on their forum.
Too often the politics in this state stink, and this is one more glaring example!!!
Hocker is a big GMD advertiser. He probably threatened to pull his ads if they didn’t kiss his ass. Isn’t that extortion? Meanwhile Hocker gets to play both sides of the fence so he can kill the wind farm and then talk about how much he wanted it.
Randy Nelson should run against him. Hocker’s never had to seriously defend his seat and it would be great to see Hocker implode in a debate. Hocker can’t have DP&L debate for him, they can only write his blog posts.
Dogless claims, “At least half of the increase in the price of oil and gas is a result of our weak dollar. Fix that and the price will drop like a stone.”
Right. That’ll be a cinch. While we’re at it, almost all the fuel your car uses is employed overcoming the laws of physics. Find a way around them and our problems will melt like — oh, like Dogless’ brain on a warm day.
I did not say it would be easy Al. We have not ALWAYS had such a weak piece of crap currency.
No, we haven’t. But unless you know of somebody’s plan to raise revenues and cut spending so we don’t have to borrow tens of billions of dollars to make ends meet, it won’t recover anytime soon. In other words, Plan B isn’t just for backup anymore.
Good point Al. I think a restoration of the dollar is possible, just not with the big three in play today. And maybe not with the big two parties either. The Republicans have lost all fiscal legitimacy and the Democrats are not even going there.
Anybody get the feeling Maria Evans might suffer the same fate as Mr. Nelson. She’s bucking the system. Not playing the corporate, money game. Supporting wind over Delmarva Power. OUTRAGEOUS!
Maybe she can start on development. That’ll speed her exit.
Maybe Hocker can give a speech on how to stop new business from coming to Delaware. Just follow his example of crushing new enterprise. I imagine they really want that wind power deal to go to Connectiv. Keep it in the incestuous family. Make sure you get your kickbacks and political donations. And make sure you can charge whatever you like instead of a fixed long term price. “If it doesn’t burn and pollute, it doesn’t earn.” Gary Stockbridge
Nelson can beat Hocker and Hocker knows it. Nelson is everything Hocker is not, bright, intelligent, articulate and honest. He’s not part of the good ole boy Sussex County clan with rotting teeth driving around in pick-up trucks. Hocker is scared of him, that’s why he’s working with GMD who has their own motives. All they care about is money with their chessey shows and dumbed down audience. The public knows what Hocker’s is doing. The more he tries to lie, the more it becomes obvious. The public is tired of people like Hocker keeping the public down.
Must be very embarassing for that radio station to be so beholden to a political leader. I guess the succeeded in shutting up one of their on air people. So much for freedom of the press and free speech. For the right, free speech is only if they agree with you. Just like less government, except when we want to spy on you.
Yes, looks like GMD made Maria Evans shut up. That is wrong.
No. It isn’t WGOP. Some hosts actually use their brains and take a fair approach to topics, do you even listen to the station or simply disparage without evidence or on here say? Try really listening to Michael Savage for a few nights.
Randy Nelson probably would not win against Hocker and he was not fired from the station, he quit.
I don’t know Ms. Evans, but I do respect her work. On the other hand, anyone with an ounce of integrity would have already “quit” a job that silences its employees for ad dollars or political allegiances. Says a lot of the radio stationss true motives and agenda. I wonder what they would say if it happened at Air America? or the nightly news?
Editor’s note: There is a great deal of sockpuppetry going on in this discussion. The next one will result in a full accounting of the offending comments.
First and foremost Hocker is a sociopath. And I just love the comments by post #21, reality check; right on. And unfortunately, he got re-elected which means that there are alot of rotting-teeth rednecks who support his stupid nitwit.
I got news for you dummies who voted for him … you are dumbass redneck truck driving nitwits. Smile, lets see your teefums. I hope yall didn’t procreate … is it just me or has anyone else noticed that there’s a unusally large population of handicapped rotting toothless people around here who look like they’ve had sex with a close relative? It’s creepy, Hocker.