The decision by the OPALCO Board of Directors to spread the wealth of its $1,000,000 settlement among the 10,000 cooperative members on the island is not just a happy surprise, it’s a model of the simple but true island ethic of working together.
The board could have decided to use this “overpayment” refund towards paying for a major project or selecting a deserving group within OPALCO to reward, but they made the democratic with a small D choice to let cooperative members use the money saved from their account in whatever manner they choose.
The rebates for electricity use in the month of October will vary according to usage. Larger users will see a larger rebate on their October bill. As rising costs of doing business are passed on to the consumer, it would be great if the decrease in October’s cost extended this “October surprise” in a uniquely island way to business customers.
As the micro-credit small business loan phenomenon has shown, careful but small investments shepherded by small communities can turn struggling entities into healthy powerhouses.
How many people never buy lottery tickets because the odds are just too unlikely that we’ll win? Well, if we think of ourselves as “us” instead of “me” we just won a million-dollar lottery – an unexpected injection of revenue into our daily lives.
Yes, the credit amount could just be absorbed by our “general” household budgets, and that’s a decision every individual coop member will make. But wouldn’t it be great if we invested it in our local economy, helping non-profits or individuals in need or purchasing from local retailers?
There are many needs, or investments that we defer because our budgets are just stretched too tight. Now, with the shot in the arm from the OPALCO rebates, we can spend that money stocking up on local specials, starting plans for needed improvements, or maybe even taking advantage of the shoulder season to be tourists on our own islands and go on a nature cruise or horseback riding or stay at a local B&B.
A rolling “spread the wealth” habit could characterize these islands’ economy during the holiday retail season that sets an example of economic stimulus for the world.
We’ve done it before – eliminated the noise and nuisance of jet skis, rounded up an incredible $18 million in six months to preserve a mountain, rattled the cages of state legislators regarding schools and ferry fares – why couldn’t we make the west coast rock with the example of islands that set the standard both for conservation and for extending the cares of comforts and neighborhoods to a large community?
