Did you know LIPA is run by political appointees?

Cuomo’s LIPA fail

Gov. Cuomo charged full-tilt-boogie into New York’s public utilities this week — and none of them has his knickers twisted tighter than the hapless Long Island Power Authority.

He’s even threatened to lift LIPA’s franchise, complaining that some 200,000 customers remained without power yesterday, some two weeks after Superstorm Sandy.

“We gave them a franchise because they represented themselves as expert in doing this,” said the governor. “They failed.”

Well, indeed they did.

And it was a failure years in the making.

Now Cuomo’s searching out the guilty parties — but he would do well to look in the mirror before he travels too far down that road.

Then he needs to call in state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who yesterday was in blame-deflecting mode, too — demanding that Washington initiate a more aggressive response to what he called “a Katrina-style disaster.”

First, LIPA.

A state-authorized independent analysis undertaken after Hurricane Irene last year found LIPA to be an outdated, barely competent organization.

The agency had ignored a 2006 recommendation that it update its management system, which runs on an obsolete 25-year-old computer language.

During Sandy, LIPA used memo pads and dial-up Internet access — rather than smartphones and tablet computers — to track power outages.

For years, the agency has neglected such critical tasks as maintaining rotting poles and trimming trees around power lines.

Moreover, LIPA officials ignored these criticisms because they were convinced Irene was a once-in-a-lifetime disaster.

Obviously, they were wrong.

So where do Cuomo and Skelos come in?

Unlike Con Ed, LIPA is not an operating authority; it contracts its day-to-day operations to a company called National Grid.

Calling the policy shots is LIPA’s 15-member board of directors — whose members are all non-utility professionals and are named by the governor and two legislative leaders.

Butone-thirdof the board seats are currently vacant. Other members are serving even though their terms are expired — having been appointed by Cuomo’s predecessors.

In fact, the governor — who controlsnineseats — has made justoneappointment to LIPA’s board since taking office; five of his six current appointees are holdovers.

Skelos has yet to fill the vacancy in one of his three slots.

And LIPA has been without a permanent board-appointed and Senate-confirmed CEO since thePaterson administration.

Cuomo’s spokesman says its “preposterous” to suggest that a full complement of new appointees would have mattered.

That’s patent nonsense.

If Hurricane Irene and its subsequent operational analysis didn’t move the governor to makeanygovernance changes whatsoever at LIPA, the only reasonable conclusion is that he just didn’t care.

Harsh. But fair.

Cuomo can point all the fingers he wants. But some of them are pointing right back.