Years ago, we tried pushing for a rate cap on the predatory phone costs in prisons and jails. We made points about family unification, rehabilitation, reentry, and human dignity. While Commissioner Foster Campbell was entirely on our side, unfortunately Commissioner Lambert Boissiere III made himself scarce during the hearing. Eventually, the FCC put a modest cap on phone rates which had nothing to do with our state regulators. Imagine our surprise to hear Mr. Boissiere talk at our candidate forum about the issue as though he were a champion, as though he brought down the rate, which still stands at $17.20/hr to talk on the phone with your children. 

Davante Lewis and Greg Manning have both pledged to not take funds from the industry they regulate. This is a sharp contrast to the incumbent Boissiere, who is 99% funded by the industry. He claims it is fine because, “it is legal.” Louisiana law prohibits a regulator taking “anything of value” from those they regulate, yet some seem to believe that bribery through campaign contributions is legal under Louisiana law. Perhaps it is (for now). This is why we do the work we do. 

At our forum, both Lewis and Manning knew quite well that there is blame to go around for Entergy losing a metal transmission tower from a windy Hurrican Ida. Primarily, billion-dollar Entergy not maintaining their equipment, and regulators who let Entergy do whatever they like, like Boissiere, are to blame. It was rather stunning to hear Boissiere say at our forum that nobody was to blame, because “the tower worked until it didn’t.” We know that if he ever changed the oil on his car, he understands what “maintenance” is. We fear that given another term, his “replace it after it breaks” approach is too dangerous to regulate Entergy’s half-century old nuclear power plants so close to New Orleans and Baton Rouge. 

Voters Organized to Educate proudly endorses Davante Lewis for Public Service Commissioner. We feel confident that not only does Davante have the safety and interests of the “public” in his heart, he also has the work ethic and skills to roll up his sleeves and sift through utility documents that may be meant to hide the pollution and profiteering that must come to an end.