Tenney Writes Cuomo & Spectrum Regulator Demanding Action
Brindisi’s Empty Promises Only Delivered Spectrum Customers Higher Bills
Brindisi’s Empty Promises Only Delivered Spectrum Customers Higher Bills
New Hartford, N.Y.- This week, Claudia Tenney, the Republican candidate for Congress in New York’s 22nd Congressional District, sent a letter to New York Governor and the Public Service Commission (“PSC”), the state’s public utility regulator, insisting that state authorities take action on Spectrum’s repeated rate hikes, poor service, and monopoly power in many Upstate New York communities.
Read the letter to Cuomo and the NY PSC here
Despite pledges to “hold Spectrum accountable,” Anthony Brindisi has not stopped Spectrum’s rate hikes, cut their subsidies, ended their monopoly, or improved service quality. But Brindisi has taken over $360,000 in Spectrum-affiliated PAC contributions.
In her letter, Tenney, who opposed Spectrum’s state-granted monopoly, demanded the PSC withhold taxpayer subsidies to Spectrum until consumers are given a choice in service providers and Spectrum enact pricetransparency and offers advance notice of rate hikes.
Tenney’s letter pointed out that the PSC, which approved six (6) Spectrum rate increases since January 2019, hurting NY22 customers.
Tenney wrote: “Those six increases put an undue burden on the residents of the region. Many of these customers live on fixed-incomes, work from home, or have limited mobility. Often, they have no other means to communicate or receive information…Yet, Spectrum – with the approval of the PSC – is raising its rates when many customers, who have suffered business and employment income losses due to the economic crisis, can least afford it.”
Tenney noted that the Cuomo-appointed PSC granted Spectrum’s monopoly power in much of Central New York and the Southern Tier which enables that company to deliver substandard service at exorbitant prices without competition.
She continued: “In a free enterprise system, every Spectrum customer would be entitled to compare options, shop rates, and make their own decision to remain a Spectrum customer or take their business elsewhere…[but]… Spectrum’s monopoly power prevents an enterprising competitor from emerging to offer better, faster, and more affordable service.”
In May, Bloomberg News noted that Spectrum lobbied to block competitors from entering the Upstate New York market. Spectrum succeeded and will receive billions in taxpayer funds at the same time.