The Absurd becomes a “reality”

When the elected representatives of the public ignore the rule of law or the customs and traditions of socio-political organization of long-standing, chaos and uncertainty prevail. Pronouncements that make no sense can be categorized as “absurd.”

Certainly the rise of economic inequality, compounded by social inequality, in a formerly democratic capitalist state, like America, indicates that the experiment in democracy is teetering on the brink of extinction. America is already an oligarchy tending toward totalitarianism. Whether Clinton is elected to represent the softer side of the status quo or Trump the harder edge, the future looks a bit dim and more like “soft fascism” each day. Think Flint and Black Lives Matter.

In New Mexico both the Supreme Court and Public Regulation Commission have blinded themselves to their duties and twisted round their thinking in the desire to please themselves and the system they represent.

NM Supreme Court

Though the Court “reprimanded” an outlaw District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney from Taos for more than 100 violations of the Code of Professional Conduct, the Chief Justice Barbara Vigil said, as quoted in The Taos News, that court was “impressed by the lack of any bad motive” on the part of both men.”

Despite a history of “selective political prosecution” for more than a decade and a half and despite 100 violations of the code, the customs, and traditions, case law and practice, the court’s chief spokesperson has rewritten the language of “rules” in terms of the “absurd” and excused the “bad boys, la Buena gente, los hitos. Pobrecitos didn’t know any better.

NM PRCC

Meanwhile, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission defied both protesters and staff recommendations to side with Kit Carson Electric Coop’s motion yesterday to narrow the hearings to consider the following issues only:

1. Is the proposed split in cost recovery for the residential class between fixed
Monthly charges and volumetric charges a just and reasonable rate design?
2. Is KCEC ‘s proposed elimination of the inverted block structure for residential rates just and reasonable?
3. Does KCEC’s proposed rate design punish people in the residential class that are?
Willing to conserve energy, so-called “low users”?
4.Does KCEC’s proposed rate design for the residential class discourage energy conservation and the installation of renewable generation technologies?
5. Is the increase in the monthly fixed charge for the residential class just and reasonable?

The NMPRC has now restricted the discussion between protesters and the Coop to current and future issues re: electricity and disallowed discussion of Coop debt i.e. the member’s request to discuss profligate spending on diversified projects and the Trustee travel expenses. It’s like you’re applying for a credit card but refusing to tell the bank about household debt and car payments.

So now the Coop will get the rate increase, continue borrowing money, and spending it on the good times until the coop goes broke, thanks to both the state and federal government, which loans money to the Coop. But the members will pay the freight for the once and future party time trustees. The absurd is defined by the lack of logic.

Conclusion

During Donald Trump’s victory speech, the paragon of prejudice and paradox said he was a “unifier.” Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil said the boys at the DA’s office had no “bad intentions” despite getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar 100 times. And KCEC will argue that the Coop needs a rate increase because their “world of electricity sales and income” has changed but the current debt of “84 million” and proposed additional debt estimated at another $60 or $70 million means nothing, nada, mis amigos though they must pay the debt out of income from electricity sales.

We have entered the world of the “absurd,” a familiar condition to the Europeans after WWII when names like Camus, Ionesco, and Beckett defined the times in terms of this literary phenomena. But here in the land of enchantment and America the absurd has become reality.