PSC candidates come to Great Northern Fair

Both District 1 Public Service Commission candidates Randy Pinocci and Doug Kaercher were at the Great Northern Fair last week campaigning for the upcoming election in November; and both spoke about the fair and the progress of their campaigns.

Each was at a booth in the commercial building.

Finance Director and City Clerk for Havre Kaercher, a Democrat, said Thursday the fair seemed to be effected this year by the heat and was just a bit slow. He added that because the fair is only once a year people should always feel encouraged to come out and enjoy everything it has to offer.

Kaercher said that for the previous two days he and his wife had come to operate the booth from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

He had been to the new Chuckwagon building, he said.

"It's a beautiful building and very well set-up, and being as hot as it is, everybody loves the air conditioning," he added.

Pinocci, a Republican, was at a booth with City Council President Andrew Brekke, and he said it was his first time at the Great Northern Fair, adding that he was having a great time.

He made signs especially for the fair and wanted to come Wednesday but had to wait for them. The balloons he brought seemed to be going over well with the kids, he said.

Brekke said traffic for the fair was a little slow Wednesday but was picking up for Thursday, adding that he thought that the heat played a factor in the turnout.

Both Kaercher and Pinocci talked about their candidacies.

Kaercher said his long-time public service experience is what makes him qualified, adding that he has 30 years of experience including on Havre City Council, Hill County Commission and the State Tax Appeal Board.

He has always gravitated to leadership positions, he said, and has an abundance of skills from those jobs that give him the necessary tools for the PSC.

"It represents more of where my experience lies in that it is similar to taxes in figuring out what these companies are worth and what is a reasonable rate of return for them," Kaercher said, "so that the consumer will always have the best rate that they can get and still keep the industry healthy."

Pinocci, a one-term state representative, talked about progress that he views as a possibility for the future.

"We're focused now on showing how the Republican views energy over the Democrat's stance on energy," he said.

Barack Obama made it his goal while he was president, Pinocci said, to shut down every coal-fired facility in the United States, with the EPA particularly wanting to shut down Colstrip to replace it with wind or solar energy, Pinocci said he believes that would double the energy rate.

"Solar and wind is not as dependable as coal," he said. "Coal runs 24/7, wind is only working when the wind is blowing, solar is only working when the sun is out, and it is more expensive for the rate payers."

Pinocci added that he is pro-coal and doesn't want to lose the union coal jobs at Colstrip, and that he wants to see a coal-fired facility just down the road from Havre. He added that if there was a coal-fired facility down the road the surrounding communities might see rates going down.

He said with the extra income in the economy from having one or two coal facilities on the Hi-Line, the community can possibly put the extra revenue into building four-lane roads 30 miles east, south and west, using coal to fund it.

He added that Montana has twice as much coal as Wyoming does and, because of Wyoming's use of coal, the state has money to spare for schools and infrastructure.

"This is called the Treasure State, there is a pick and shovel on our flag and we need to get back to that," Pinocci said. "Let me get into the natural resources that are right here locally and we can start funding some really neat projects."

Pinocci has in the past received high ratings from organizations like the Montana Family Foundation and National Rifle Association.

Kaercher said his campaign is going pretty well and that he is going out to as many fairs and parades as possible, where he is getting all kinds of input as well as receiving good responses.

His campaign has received endorsements from groups including the Montana Chamber of Commerce and The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. He added that there is a good cross of people that believe he is a reasonable and responsible candidate.

One issue that sparked his interest in running for the PSC was the winter storm last October, which resulted in many fallen trees and branches as well as power outages from Chester to Malta, for up to a week for some customers.

He said that when the PSC came to town Oct. 30 to assess how the power outages were handled, it was at the worst possible time because the situation had not had the chance to play through. Kaercher added that they could have done it in a little better fashion and let the situation play out without the controversy that was tied to it.

"I think in situations like that, you need to let the situation play through, 'cause you don't know what the end result is when you're in the middle of it," Kaercher said, "and then you come back and you do it on a fair basis, you come back and discuss it with the consumer and discuss it with the industry and you try to find out where the weaknesses were and where the strengths were and see if you can do it better. But to try and figure that out when you're still in the middle of cleanup and operations, just doesn't give everybody a fair shake."

Kaercher said the PSC needs more balance within the organization and that he can supply that balance.

"I look forward to listening and working with the consumers and the industry, making this work so it is beneficial to everybody as a state," he said.

"I have the experience to represent the public the best way possible," he added.