I’m not a Democrat. I’m not a Republican. I’m a working mother of two, and I’m tired of politicians refusing to stand up for Montana taxpayers.

There is no other way to say it, our current Public Service Commission is a mess. The mission of the commission is to provide “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.

Two years ago, NorthWestern Energy, an energy monopoly with 405,000 electric and 212,000 natural gas customers in Montana, asked for a massive 28 percent rate increase on electric and gas service for residential and business customers. The commission approved the request by a 5-0 vote.

This month, the monopoly again turned to the Commission, requesting another significant increase: 8% for electricity and 16% for natural gas.

When was the last time your salary increased by 2%? How long has it been since you got a double raise in just two years? Working people never make that much money, but NorthWestern expects double profits year after year.

To make matters worse, NorthWestern has not provided quarterly balance sheets or profit and loss statements for public review. That’s like you or I demanding a salary but refusing to provide a time sheet. Without this basic documentation, it’s impossible to decide whether this massive rate increase is justified. It’s also difficult to determine whether NorthWestern is generating power in the most “affordable, reliable, and sustainable” way.

One thing is certain: the behaviour of individual commissioners is anything but reasonable.

Three years ago, a routine legislative audit revealed that Public Service Commissioners were spending taxpayer money on flight upgrades and expensive computer equipment. The audit found that some commissioners even falsified documents to avoid being caught wasting our money. The audit was so bad that one Republican senator called 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 address these issues, the audit suggested that directors needed 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. But instead of doing their well-paid jobs, they spend our tax dollars on flight upgrades, cheat spending, and vote to raise our energy bills by 2%.

These commissioners don’t need a code of conduct. They need to be voted out of office.

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

Earlier this spring, 158 volunteers from Stevensville to Libby helped gather and submit more than 6,000 signatures to put a new independent choice 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, visit ElenaForMontana.com. And if you live in PSC District 4, I would be honored to receive your vote this November.