Memorable messages
How co-op voices protect the power of your community
As we watch the news from Washington, D.C., it’s hard not to connect what policymakers are saying, with the advertising messages that sponsor those broadcasts.
The most memorable ads over the years seem to directly comment on the political process.
Do you remember the “Where’s the Beef” commercial from Wendy’s? Another that offered a great lesson showed Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Mean Joe Greene giving a kid his jersey in return for a Coke.
One that applies to cooperatives this time of year is the Verizon commercial where the repairman says, “Can you hear me now?”
Let me explain.
This time of year Kentucky electric cooperative representatives (as well as others from across the country) travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with our senators and members of Congress about issues that affect your electric service.
There are a number of issues important to the cooperative program today. A top concern is proposed power plant regulations. Public policies being debated right now will affect the future of power supply in this country for decades to come.
It’s enormously important that our elected officials understand the impacts on rates, reliability, and the environment before making these long-lasting, wide-ranging decisions.
Other issues of special importance to your electric cooperative are the protection of Federal Emergency Management Administration funds for cooperative use during emergencies, responsible energy-efficiency measures, and protecting the cooperative business model. These will all be discussed with our elected officials and framed around our core cooperative principles. Those principles provide the groundwork for safe, affordable, and reliable energy to you.
The officials we meet with in Washington know that their power comes from the towns in their home state. So in response to the question from the ad, “Can you hear me now?”—the answer we hear on these visits to their offices is a resounding “Yes.”
Electric co-ops are not the biggest or the most well-financed voices on Capitol Hill. But our voices are trustworthy and strong because we represent you, the men and women who vote, and who are the keys to the power of our local communities.
