Martha Hogerty, an often outspoken critic of utilities and deregulation, is retiring at the end of the year as head of the Missouri Office of Public Counsel.

"I love this job, but all good things must come to an end ... and I want to come home to Kansas City," she said.

Hogerty, 58, became public counsel in 1989, making her tenure the longest of the four persons who have headed the office. Previously she spent eight years at the Missouri Public Service Commission, where she was an administrative judge. She is past president of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates.

The Office of Public Counsel is a state office that represents consumers on utility issues. She said her office has saved consumers about $80 million on an annual basis, mostly from reductions in proposed rate increases her office opposed.

Among the highlights of her tenure were additional safeguards for consumers as deregulation and more competition got under way in the telephone industry. She said a low point was agreeing to Southern Union Inc.'s purchase of Missouri Gas Energy.

"I regret signing that," she said.

The Office of Public Counsel has often been critical of the utility. In 1997, Hogerty's office succeeded in getting Missouri Gas Energy to pay more than $2 million to settle a complaint about sloppy billing practices.

At times since then, the utility has strived to improve its public image. But, Hogerty said, there have continued to be problems, including Missouri Gas Energy's recent reluctance to follow more lenient rules in reconnecting customers whose accounts are past due.

Hogerty was skeptical of the benefits often cited for deregulation. For example, the telecommunications industry said deregulation would give consumers more choices in local telephone service. But she said most consumers have seen almost no change.

"It's a joke," she said.

Hogerty also opposed moves to further deregulate electric utilities. The problems with deregulation in California and the financial difficulties at energy trader Enron Corp. show that a conservative approach, which Missouri has taken, is the right one, she said.

Hogerty, a lawyer, kept a residence in Kansas City and rented an apartment in Jefferson City during the time she worked there. She said she has no immediate plans except to become a full-time Kansas City resident and become more involved in the community.

Her replacement at the Office of Public Counsel has not been selected.

Kasas City Star

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001