u/VoteChrisJustin

A lot of you saw my Service My Pole video (it's past 500,000 views and 60,000 shares now, thank you). People kept asking in the comments if I'm actually serious. I am, 100%. I believe that funny, shareable content is the most effective way to run a campaign in 2026, and here's the story behind it.

Utilities win by being boring. They put out 800-page filings and send in armies of lawyers and engineers to bore everyone to death so they get what they want, billions at a time. So I flipped it: make utility regulation engaging enough that people actually want to share it. Hence the reverse mullet: party in the front, business in the back!

The car in the shop

Imagine you buy your 16-year-old a brand-new car, hand them a monthly maintenance budget, and say "take care of it, I trust you." They never change the oil, skip the timing belt, and spend the maintenance money on themselves. Years later the car keeps breaking down.

Now imagine you'd also promised them a guaranteed cut of whatever a new car costs, every single year. Of course they want the most expensive car on the lot. Do you hand over the keys, or set some standards first?

Louisiana handed over the keys

The Public Service Commission spent six years writing rules for how utilities have to maintain the grid you already pay for. The rules were never adopted. Then in April 2024, Entergy filed a motion on a Monday asking the Commission to skip the normal hearing process on a $9.6 billion grid plan. That Friday, the Commission approved the first $1.9 billion on a 3-2 vote, with no judge and not one customer group in support. Four days.

Commissioner Davante Lewis said it on the record that afternoon: "Entergy filed this framework on Monday, it was added to the supplemental agenda on Wednesday, and here it is Friday at 12:10 and we are trying to take up the merits of this proposal."

So you pay three times: once for the maintenance that got skipped, again to catch it up, and then a guaranteed 9.70% return per year on top. Commission staff suggested trimming that return for this plan. Entergy refused.

After my video went viral, Entergy started running ads about all their grid investments. You already paid for that work, more than once, and you're paying for it again. Entergy reported about $900,000 of advertising sitting in the costs it recovers from you. They're charging us to advocate against our own interests!

Why I'm telling you this

Most people are tired of being outraged all the time, and I don't blame them. We all know we're getting taken advantage of, and the receipts are sitting right there in the dockets. What's been missing is someone who can pull them out and make the story easy to understand, fun to share, and hard to forget.

Our bills are up about 50% since 2020. Our power is out three times as much as Florida's. Our commissioners are funded by the utilities they regulate. We can do so much better!

I'm an engineer, not a politician, and I'm running for the PSC in District 1 to help.

https://preview.redd.it/yxro4k983h5h1.jpg?width=3213&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e8682f0767a5a082dc9979ee62a6c98d385651f

The PSC regulates utilities throughout Louisiana, determining how much we pay for electric, gas, and water.

You may know me from the Service My Pole video (500k+ views and counting!) which calls attention to our laughably bad infrastructure. Check out ServiceMyPole.org!

I previously consulted for the Commission and was fed up with all of the waste and poor decisions in utilities’ favor. Utilities file 800-page reports that most Commissioners are not qualified to understand, so they ask those very utilities (who fund their campaigns) to explain it to them. We can do better!

I’m running in District 1 and will be on the ballot on Nov 3rd. You can check if you’re in district at map.votechrisjustin.com.

New Orleans utilities are mostly regulated by City Council but they often work and share ideas with the LPSC.

Ask me about leaning poles, data centers, running as a No Party candidate, Magnolia Water, or anything else!