Correction: My Story on PIPP Was Wrong

Virginia’s Department of Social Services (DSS) has prepared a plan for the implementation of a cap on electricity costs for low-income customers of Virginia’s two main utilities. My report on June 27 that the plan was “missing in action” was wrong.

For the most interested, you can find the DSS draft here, and it envisions the Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) beginning in November of this year.

I owe apologies to the folks at DSS who clearly have been working on this, and obviously they were working with both utilities to get to this point. I also falsely implied it had dropped off the radar with the Glenn Youngkin Administration, and unfairly implied that the various advocacy groups who supported this had lost interest in it. My post was so irredeemably wrong and unfair I just deleted it.

Part of my reason for the post was to flush out what was happening, and I appreciate the reader who had seen the document and referred to it in a comment. He provided the link above. But the commentary was mine and I regret the errors. I will now dive in a bit deeper and perhaps file a later report on what is being proposed.

Fifty-one years ago last summer, covering my first American Legion League baseball game for the Petersburg Progress-Index, watching a local team (and being asked to keep the official scorebook) for the first time, I wrote a story that included the wrong names of the player who scored the winning run and the player credited with the RBI. The editor made me take every angry phone call. The feeling rushes back.

-SDH


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Comments

11 responses to “Correction: My Story on PIPP Was Wrong”

  1. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    Not to worry. Appreciate honesty in reporting. Makes your posts even more believable knowing you own up to human error.

  2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    We demand perfection!! – lol…

  3. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    That American Legion game. It could have been worse. You could have reported the RBI as a touchdown.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      I was handed the official scorebook and was told that as the reporter on scene it was my job to keep the book AND make the ruling on errors! You’re right, just getting a couple of player names mixed up was pretty minor given my responsibility. (Oh, and I shot the photos, too, that summer.)

  4. Ronnie Chappell Avatar
    Ronnie Chappell

    Thanks for correcting the error, explaining it, owning it and reporting what is actually happening. It only enhances your credibility.

  5. Paul Sweet Avatar
    Paul Sweet

    To err is human, but it takes a computer to screw things up beyond recovery.

    Thanks for being honest about it, instead of the usual tendency to double down on a misstatement on political topics!

  6. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Everyone makes mistakes. The tough part is admitting them. As Ronnie Chappell said, your credibility is strengthened.

  7. Donald Smith Avatar
    Donald Smith

    This is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen, of a writer not only owning up to, but owning, an error. Well said, and kudos for saying it.

    One of my battalion commanders said that, if you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not being bold and daring. I think Churchill said pretty much the same thing. The people who don’t make mistakes are the people who stay on the sidelines.

  8. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Wondered where it went. Accidentally closed my browser and when I reopened it was 404.

    Long memories are sometimes a curse.

  9. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    Hey, we all are human, meaning we err. Admitting it and moving on is the only sane way to operate. Getting defensive and doubling down on error leads to insanity. I personally find that getting out the mustard and ketchup helps the crow go down easier, but not enough to make it fun.

  10. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    Thanks Steve! Appreciate the honesty.

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