Before we lose power…

Post #67

Yesterday’s powerful storm uprooted trees, downed power lines, and left intersections dangerously unregulated by traffic signals.  An estimated 200,000 PEPCO customers lost electricity.

For some, this is cause for panic.  How can they watch their favorite program, work on their computer, or even read?  From a health perspective, nutritious food was lost, and those with health challenges needed to find respite from the heat.

Others see an outage as an excuse for a romantic evening with candles and a return to conversation.

Since I was knocking on doors when the storm blew through, I saw another result of the power outage.  An apartment building I approached could only be accessed with a magnetic pass that was not functioning.  Buzzing someone into the building wasn’t an option, as this was electrically controlled as well.  How was the young couple I encountered at the front door to get into their home?

Fortunately, we spotted a woman sitting out on her balcony.  She kindly agreed to come down to the first floor to let us into the building.  Her kindness and good luck made this work out just fine.

But what would have happened if a frail resident needed an ambulance?  How could a paramedic have entered the building, especially in the middle of the night?  What if it takes a few days to restore power to this [unnamed] community?  How will residents return to their apartments?

These are the kind of questions that should have been asked when the building’s security system was designed, but obviously weren’t.  When I served District 17 in the House of Delegates, I was well-known for asking questions about any proposal-- and expecting thorough answers from those responsible.  I’ve found that’s the only way to find flaws in a plan and figure out how to fix them before it’s too late. Asking questions is what led me to work to defeat a plan (and coming within six votes of doing so!) for purchasing new voting machines that wound up wasting over $100 million in taxpayer funds.  It’s a pattern I would continue in the State Senate if elected this fall. 

We are lucky to be living in an age that offers speed, comfort, innovation, and so much more.  But we should always ask plenty of questions about any new idea before putting it into effect.  I hope that building owner is crafting solutions now so residents are never stranded in the future.

I would love to hear from you, dear Blog reader!  Are there devices or processes in your daily life that wind up offering less that promised because no one thought through all the implications of their innovation? Do you think government does a good job of asking the tough questions about new programs, procedures and spending plans?  Send an email to Blog@CherylKagan.org or click on the "Comments" link below to express your views.  Please be sure to indicate which post (#67) you're addressing.

Thanks for reading.  I will post again soon.