T.U.S.K. Takes To Airwaves Opposing Arizona Corporation Commission Candidate Doug Little; Lover of Tax Hikes, Lapdog For APS
(PHOENIX) He was one of the very few echoing Arizona Public Service’s call to tax Arizona’s rooftop solar energy choice out of existence last November before the Arizona Corporation Commission. Now, he’s even supporting a new property tax on leased rooftop solar equipment supported by only 5% of Republican primary voters. The new tax would hurt existing and future users such as seniors, schools and churches. And now he – the unqualified, Republican tax hiking Doug Little – wants to join the Arizona Corporation Commission.
Being supported by hundreds of thousands of dollars from the APS utility he would be charged with regulating, there can be little doubt that when the monopoly says jump, Little will do so. When they ask him to fetch new rate hikes before the commission, he will query how far they want him to run, and raise? When they quietly try to recapture the millions they have spent on political activity over the past 18 months? No problem.
“While a very serious matter, sometimes a little humor can be just what is needed to convey a very important message that should concern every Arizona Republican,” Barry Goldwater, Jr. said. He is the Chairman of T.U.S.K. the group behind the television advertisement. The organization formed in early 2013 in response to APS proposals to place massive new taxes on rooftop solar in Arizona.
TUSK’s television advertisements started airing Sunday. Here is a link. As it noted at its formation, the group is backed by contributions from rooftop solar companies with smaller amounts from Arizonans that have contributed to the cause.
Only after being scolded by Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns last year did APS reveal how much ratepayer money it had spent to kill solar in Arizona. It amounted to at least several million dollars. APS has continued the practice in 2014 utilizing numerous dark money organization to hide its contributions in order to benefit its hand picked candidates, Tom Forese and Doug Little.
“Republicans don’t need or deserve a liberal lapdog and tax-hiking disciple of the monopoly that seeks to hurt the thousands of seniors, schools, churches and others that have made solar an important energy choice,” Goldwater, Jr. said.
To learn more about T.U.S.K. visit www.dontkillsolar.com.
T.U.S.K. believes that rooftop solar is similar to a charter school—it provides a competitive alternative to the monopoly. Monopoly utilities aren’t known for reducing costs or for driving business innovation, but the solar industry is. Solar companies have a track record of aggressive cost reduction. The more people use rooftop solar, the less power they need to buy from the utilities. Energy independence means smaller profits for the utilities, so they are doing everything they can to stop the spread of independent solar.