Independent presents her arguments to the Civil Service Commission

My name is Elena Evans and I am running as an Independent for the Public Service Commission because we cannot afford increases in our electricity bills.

I'm not a Democrat. I'm not a Republican. I'm a working mother of two, and I'm sick of politicians who refuse to stand up for Montana taxpayers.

There is no other way to say it: our current Public Service Commission is a mess. The commission's job is to ensure “affordable, reliable and sustainable” public services.

Yet right now, all five elected commissioners are ignoring that responsibility, and working families and small business owners are paying the price for their mistakes.

Three years ago, a routine audit of the legislature revealed that public service officials were spending taxpayer money on air travel upgrades and expensive computer equipment.

The audit found that some commissioners even falsified documents so they wouldn't get caught wasting our money. The audit was so bad that one Republican senator called the commissioners “despicable” and another suggested that some commissioners should resign.

This year, a new audit revealed even more problems, including a toxic work environment and high staff turnover. To fix these problems, the audit said, commissioners need a code of conduct to ensure good behavior.

Let's get this straight. We pay each elected commissioner $115,000 a year to regulate Northwestern and other utilities. Yet instead of doing their well-paying jobs, they spend our tax dollars on flight improvements, falsify expenses, and vote to raise our electric bills by 28 percent.

These commissioners do not need a code of conduct. They must be voted out of office.

The toxic work environment leads to high turnover among employees who inspect rail lines. Our communities rely on these PSC employees to ensure vital infrastructure is in place, to keep our communities safe, and to ensure trains arrive at their destinations on time. PSC commissioners have discouraged PSC employees from doing their jobs.

As a lifelong public servant, I have always valued professional conduct, honesty and transparency. I am a trained geologist, water quality expert and former executive director of the Montana Association of Conservation Districts. I know how to create a budget and stick to it. I always read the fine print.

Earlier this spring, 158 volunteers from Stevensville to Libby helped collect and submit over 6,000 signatures to put a new independent candidate on the ballot. The desire for change in the PSC is clear.

If you would like to join the campaign to restore the public voice to the Public Service Commission, please visit ElenaForMontana.com.

And if you live in PSC District 4, I would be honored to have your vote this November.