Kip Kohn, a suburban NY’er, was fed up with the fact his (one and only) power utility company (LIPA) was spending revenue on advertising.
I’ve seen the ads & I see his point. Why are they wasting resources on needless PR? They don’t have any competitors. To add insult to injury, LIPA is probably one of the most expensive power providers in the country (can’t cite).
My monthly bill is $265 electric and gas at home and $1800 at my restaurant. People in the adjacent incorporated villages with their own public utlities pay 1/2 that amount.
What did my newfound hero, Mr Kohn decide to do?
No, he didn’t post a pit rant, he probably dodn’t even waste his time calling to his state rep. or whomever to beef.
He decided to use his 1st Amendment right & directly took the Long Island Power Authority to task.
After snipping the ads from the local newspaper, he stuffed them in an envelope with his bill and scrawled “L.I.P.A. SUCKS” on the outside.
Unfortunately, in our terror-caused state of alert, the folks at LIPA thought his package contained something more dangerous than their own ads and had a police bomb squad handle it.
That earned Mr. Kohn a night in jail. In fact he faces up to 1-year.
He’s out on $500 bail and I hope he takes this small issue and runs with it.
With a little bit of grassroots sensibility, ambition and free publicity, maybe he can start a drive to end my local utility’s wasteful use of expeditures.