West Virginia Public Service Commission

All comments, unless otherwise noted, are from Joan C. Browning.

November 5, 2009
 
Ms. Elaine Harris
 
CWA Representative
eharris@cwa-union.org
Phone: 304-342-2023
Fax: 304-342-7511
 
Dear Elaine,

The Communications Workers of America’s fervent campaign to make Verizon stay in the land line business in West Virginia is, I believe, incompatible with reliable and reasonable telephone service. For more details about my and our community’s opinion of recent outrage that Verizon committed on southern Greenbrier County see the enclosed op-ed pieces that I wrote for the Mountain Messenger newspaper.
 
I understand, and agree with, your effort to keep good paying union jobs in the state. Our recent experience, however, failed to find any Verizon personnel in the state even now. Some of us could not understand the Verizon “customer service” persons on the telephone because, frankly, they do not speak English and we doubt that they live in the United States . We were told that Verizon would take eleven days to repair one telephone pole because they have no repair people stationed in West Virginia .
 
Frontier may or may not be an improvement in land line customer service. Frontier does, however, extend high speed internet way out in the remote and isolated parts of Greenbrier County . Verizon has refused to extend it to me, although I am just across the Greenbrier River from Verizon high speed internet.
 
West Virginians need good jobs. We also need a telephone service that serves.

Sincerely,
 
Joan C. Browning
PO Box 1147
Lewisburg WV 24901
joan@joanbrowning.com

Want to know the three individuals, two of whom may decide any question, who control service and costs for all companies providing public utilities: electricity, natural gas, telecommunications, water and sewer services. How much of the “public” does these three Kanawha Valley men represent? Here’s the link to the West Virginia Public Service Commission’s web page, “Meet Our Chairman and Commissioners” http://www.psc.state.wv.us/Bios/default.htm

Have you ever heard of any of these Public Service Commissioners? If they were on the ballot, would you vote for these Public Service Commissioners?

Note that service to consumers is almost the last of tasks that the West Virginia Public Service Commission “will work tirelessly to assure.”

Mission Statement of the Public Service Commission We support and promote a utility regulatory and transportation safety environment that balances the interests of all parties and pursues excellence through quality. We do so to ensure that reasonably priced and reliable utility services are available to all customers, and to increase business investment, job creation/retention, and the state’s overall economic competitiveness. Vision Statement of the Public Service Commission With the support of its skilled, knowledgeable and dedicated professionals, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia will continue to be a nationally recognized leader in utilities regulation and transportation safety. We will work tirelessly to assure:

1. Impartial and efficient resolution of all jurisdictional issues;
2. Public safety through inspections of motor carriers, railroads, and natural gas pipelines;
3. An increase in business investment, job creation/retention and the state’s overall competitiveness;
4. An improvement in the standard of living and quality of life for the people of West Virginia ;
5. That consumers receive the best value in utility service from financially viable and technically competent companies; and,
6. That utilities receive an opportunity to earn a fair return on their investment in regulated services

The West Virginia Public Service Commission is the creature of the West Virginia legislature. The West Virginia legislature has created the Public Service Commission that suits the members of the legislature. The legislature has the power to change the Public Service Commission. So long as the legislature fails to change the Public Service Commission, citizens may presume that every member of the West Virginia Senate and the West Virginia House of Delegates approves each and every West Virginia Public Commission action and policy. The West Virginia Public Service Commission’s “Commission History” web page is at http://www.psc.state.wv.us/hist.htm

For what it’s worth, and it is, in my opinion, almost worthless, the West Virginia Public Service Commission’s “Consumer Complaint Procedures” and download a copy of FORM 1-FORMAL COMPLAINT FORM at http://www.psc.state.wv.us/complaints/default.htm or contact

The toll-free number is 1-800-642-8544.
A customer service representative will be glad to help you.

Or file a Request for Assistance electronically,

Or write to:
Public Service Commission of WV
c/o Customer Assistance
201 Brooks Street
PO Box 812
Charleston , WV 25323