As everyone has known, the storm which came though, also known as Hurricane Irene, devastated a large number of residences and businesses. It dumped two to three feet of water in homes and shops and took out electrical power for as long as eight days. It partially destroyed people’s lives and their livelihoods.

We’ve all asked ourselves why did this happen and could the pain have been reduced if utilities had been better prepared for a powerful storm such as Irene. Other than water gushing into homes, the loss of electrical power was certainly the worst element of the storm’s destructiveness.

Here we are, America, the strongest and richest nation on earth, and we are at the mercy of foreigners who are charged with the responsibility of keeping our electricity flowing into homes and businesses. LIPA gives the authority of keeping Nassau County lit and with power to a foreign country. It’s given such an important responsbility to National Grid, owned by some corporation in England. It seems that they feel that they are doing us a favor by keeping our poles upright and the electricity on. Isn’t that disgusting? We give foreign aid to England in order to keep them alive so they are able to build their infrastructure and they spit in the face of America especially to those who reside in Nassau County, simply the richest county in the nation (paying the largest amount of taxes in the country) and possibly in the world. How does LIPA react? With absolute stupidity, not even Gaul. Pure, unadulterated stupidity on LIPA’s part that National Grid “can have Nassau County residents as customers.” Seems to be that there are so many jackasses here in Nassau County and I can’t put it any clearer than that.

LIPA’s attitude is that they can sell us down the drain almost any time they want. And that is exactly what they have done to us. Isn’t it disgusting!

Now Governor Andrew Cuomo comes up with the thought that if National Grid doesn’t wake up a little bit, that LIPA could choose not to give them a major contract which will come up again in about a year or two. How do you like them apples? Now you’re telling me that we plan on rewarding National Grid, connected to a foreign country, with a multi-billion dollar contract which could again down the line keep most of us in the dark when another storm strikes our shores. Are you kidding me? Is the World Serious? I simply don’t understand this.

What ever happened to competition? When Governor Mario Cuomo was leading the Empire State he wanted to bring in competition which can and does lower prices for state ratepayers. Unfortunately, we don’t see that same attitude today of bringing in competition. Any time that Nassau County wants to dump LILCO/LIPA/National Grid, what happens is that they sell the same services to a foreign nation. This continues an age-old problem where those in power attempt to do anything and everything to bring the United States to its knees.

I would like to see the company or those responsible for selling utility services to National Grid severely punished. I would not mind whatsoever if the highest ranking official at National Grid were jailed for a case of incompetence during our recent storm which brought so much heartache, misery and lost savings when power went out to more than half a million Long Island ratepayers.

Anyone who helped National Grid capture their current Long Island utility contract could not care one little bit about the health and welfare of America. Going backwards is the exact opposite of going forward and going forward is the direction we, as a nation, need to be traveling. We are going backwards in time and there are those in powerful positions who are making fools of us all especially our political leaders.

Once again, as I’ve said before and I will say once again, throw the bums out, every damn one of them who have made a habit of embarrassing us on the international stage. Start at the White House and work your way right down and let us once again start from scratch.

LIPA as well as National Grid should belong to American companies where profits remain here in the United States. American citizens should be able to share in profits created from and by American firms. God help us because we’re in very bad shape.