Posted on 07/24/2013 3:41:52 PM PDT by DManA
The City owned gas company is asking for a 3.5% rate hike for "capital improvements".
The real reason for the rate hike is hidden way down in the text:
The natural gas department has scheduled $6.9 million in improvements between 2014 and 2017.“
These are improvements that are being mandated by regulatory authorities,” Benning said. “They’re non-negotiable unless we want to get fined.”
What usually happens as well, is that a portion of the utility rate increase is co-opted by local or state government as additional taxes as well, as a condition of allowing the increase.
Government regulations, once again killing the working man. Brought to you by leftist puke democrats.
This is not news, it is BAU. Where I live has water up the yin-yang, but we pay dearly for it as part of an EPA settlement on the antiquated sewer system in the older parts of the city. BTW, my home and subdivision are seven years old, and has state-of-the-art sewer and drainage. Doesn’t matter, too bad for me.
Could be worse. Could be Colorado where you have to pay a tax to collect rainwater off your roof to water your garden.
Same thing here in Central Contra Costa County, California. Only ours is with the Sewer District. Almost the same verbiage, but with the additional note that the funds “will also be used to shore up pension contributions.”
In Ohio, the customers were doing such a good job conserving electricity, that the power company had to raise rates to pay for employee pensions.
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