Unquestioned

Two seats on the important Arizona Corporation Commission will be determined in the upcoming fall election. Interests -- special and otherwise -- are asking questions of the candidates.

There has been a flurry of questions and questionnaires for the candidates. Yet, there is one very fundamental question that has not been addressed directly to the candidates for the ACC.

THE BIG QUESTION is foundational not only to Arizona’s economics, but it is the cornerstone of any intention for the future of Arizona’s present citizens, as well as those imagined and hoped for future citizens. The answer to THE BIG QUESTION will reveal the vision for Arizona held by anyone who dares to respond.

Yet, for all of its importance, THE BIG QUESTION remains esoteric. It is a question that resonates with very few voters. It is both complex and subtle. It is a question that challenges the taproot of Arizona’s power, water, and money. It is a question that is embarrassing for those who understand the situation, as well as for those who should have understood the situation.

However, because the answer to THE BIG QUESTION is of critical importance to Arizona and its neighbors, because THE BIG QUESTION is almost never asked, because THE BIG QUESTION remains unanswered, and because the act of simply asking THE BIG QUESTION brings clarity, all the candidates for the two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission -- David Bradley, Brenda Burns, Jorge Luis Garcia, Renz Jennings, Gary Pierce, and Barry Wong -- are asked:

What do you propose to do in order to rationalize the structures of Arizona’s electric utility rate schedules so that these rate schedules no longer defeat the value of investments in solar energy and energy conservation, and to eliminate the hidden energy tax created by these rate schedules?