If illegal immigrants have their utilities turned off, Wong predicts it would keep costs down for everyone else.We're talking about a state where the temperature reaches triple digits on a regular basis. This is weather in which people are at actual risk of dying from the heat. You're actually going to exploit the immigration debate like this to get elected? That's a serious dick move, Barry.
"The [state] constitution gives the Corporation Commission specific authority to deal with rate-making which is setting the price that we pay for the electric, natural gas, telephone service, private water companies," Wong said.
Wong, whose grandparents immigrated to the United State from China, said his plan would start off by having utility companies verify the immigration status of new customers. He would then focus on finding existing customers in the country illegally.
Wong said he would give customers plenty of advance noticed before any utilities are shut off.
"You wouldn't shut down somebody's power the next day. You put people on notice," Wong said. "I think they have to make their own decisions. It's an individual responsibility of how they're going to take care of it themselves without the utility."
Has everyone in Arizona gone crazy? More here: Politician wants to pull the plug on utilities for immigrants. And here: Our view: Corp. Commission candidate wrongly using immigration to win support.
