Archive | October, 2014

Did you know that PG&E is allowed to pick the CPUC judge that hears their rate case application?

8 Oct

According to an article by Ellen Knickmeyer of Associated Press (10/7/14), “A PG&E representative acknowledged communicating with top commission officials to pick the judge for a PG&E rate case.”  After revelations of  other “back-channel dealings between utility executives and officials of California’s Public Utilities Commission,”  a judge is being asked to bar all private contracts between utility companies and their regulators. 

Well, for Pete’s sake – it’s about freaking time! 

Knickmeyer reports “In the hearing before a state administrative law judge, rate-payer groups and others criticized both PG&E and the utilities board for secret communications,”  after a PG&E representative actually admitted “communicating” with top commission officials to pick the judge for a PG&E rate case.  

As the kids say today, “OMG!” Put another “!” on that. And a double “G” ! ! 

These people are dirty, sheesh, the stuff they pull. They enrich themselves at our expense, they collaborate to steal from us!  That’s racketeering. And, that’s nobody’s fault but our own.  How many of you have written those letters/e-mails I been asking you to write? Get on it! Be sure to reference this storyThese people need a torch to their bottoms – that’s OUR JOB! 

 At last the local media seems to have come alive – I read this story in the Chico Enterprise Record. I don’t know if it was intentionally picked off the wire, or just by accident, but at last our local media is telling us something important.

Here’s the whole story:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/642501a737b148359847139e6a5e6086/regulator-sought-donation-california-utility

I’ll remind you all again, that rate increase hearing is tomorrow at Holiday Inn, two sessions at 2 and 6:30 pm. I might print a copy of this story and wave it at them. Should I ask if any of them were “shopped” by PG&E? Will any of you be there to back me up? 

 

Tags: , , ,

CPUC hearing on PG&E rate increase – Oct 9

7 Oct

The CPUC will be hearing public comments regarding PG&E’s proposed rate hike this Thursday,Oct. 9, at Holiday inn. There will be two sessions, at 2 and 6:30 pm.

I don’t expect them to give us much time, so please think about what you’d like to say, and put it into a very short statement. We may be limited to three minutes or less. We can be sure they will be hostile toward us.

One thing you can do is bring in as many of your old bills as you can round up, just hold up that stack, let them know you pay attention. Tell them your rates have been raised repeatedly and the baseline has been cut dramatically. PG&E is creating a hostile atmosphere for business and residents in our town.

Frankly, I’ll say, they’ve created anxiety and fear in our homes. We’ve all been making drastic lifestyle changes, cutting back our usage, but our bills aren’t going down.

But I also intend to ask some questions – what is the justification for this rate increase?  Where is the money going? How much of PG&E’s budget goes toward pensions? What portion of their own benefits and pension do PG&E workers pay?

Please join me – I will try to attend both sessions. Don’t be a patsy.

We will not get help from any of our elected leaders – they are too busy grandstanding on the steps of  City Hall, opening shopping season Downtown.

Tags: ,

What’s a little budget appropriation between friends? Time to “clean up” the budget!

3 Oct
4.4.
CONSIDERATION OF A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION/BUDGET MODIFICATION FY 13/14 The Supplemental Appropriation/Budget Modification addresses budgetary adjustments necessary for “clean up” of budget vs. actual expenditures in Fiscal Year 2013-14. (Report – Frank Fields, Accounting Manager)Recommendation : The Administrative Services Department recommends approval of Supplemental Appropriation/Budget Modification No. 2014-ASD-016.

 

I can’t post the report, because Debbie Presson loads the reports in such a way as they can’t be cut-and-paste, even though she promised she wouldn’t do that anymore. You can look at it here, if you can make heads or tails of the Suit Speak, get back to me.

http://chico-ca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=2&event_id=89&meta_id=41862

But a cursory reading says they want over $32,000 extra,  for  “salaries and benefits…expenditures exceeding revenues…bloat, fart, burp…”

 

 

Tags: , ,

Take a look at the city’s PG&E bills

2 Oct
This is just part of the city's monthly PG&E bill - the grand total for the month of

This is one of two checks made out monthly to PG&E by the city of Chico.

Check #2 - for one month of PG&E the city of Chico lays out about $160,000.

Check #2 – for one month of PG&E the city of Chico lays out about $160,000.

I don’t know how many times I’ve sat in meetings Downtown, shivering cold. No matter what time of year, the air conditioning in that building seems to be running full-tilt boogie.  I can’t stand refrigeration, I get over cold, then over hot, it’s hard to sit still and concentrate. When I paid a visit to the city building recently, I noticed everybody in there was dressed as if for Winter, wearing sweaters over long-sleeve shirts. I realize, they want to look business-like, but I think they can do that in less clothes. Having to pay this kind of money to air condition the management types who insist on three piece suits in July is an onerous burden for the taxpayer. Get a pair of Bermuda shorts Chris and Mark! 

When I read the rate increase proposal from PG&E I couldn’t help but wonder what that would mean to the city of Chico. I finally decided to take my own personal time and go down to the city to view the utility bills. I knew it would be high – there’s not just lights and ac for the big building Downtown, the city owns properties and little office buildings all over town. They also pay for street lights and electricity for irrigating all those community green ways and the stupid  medians and sidewalk greenery along public streets. So, it really adds up.  The grand total for the period from August 14 to September 14 is over $160,000. 

Now, the irrigation and some of the lights are paid for by “assessment districts” – homeowners are assessed for this maintenance in their property tax bills.  

This list shows the funds from which the money is taken to pay the amounts in the bills. I think some of these accounts are homeowner assessment districts.

This list shows the funds from which the money is taken to pay the amounts in the bills. I think some of these accounts are homeowner assessment districts.  This is just one page I found, there were others.

It’s not a very big portion of this bill though. Most of this bill is for electricity used in city owned buildings.

Yes, I think the city wastes a lot of electricity. I think they have way too many lights and computer stations running for no good purpose. Also, since they laid off so many employees, they have a big empty building Downtown that is still sucking a lot of juice. One suggestion I’d make is close the third floor and shut off the power up there. 

When Ann Schwab  formed the Sustainability Task Force, she said the first priority would be too look over city properties and see where the belt could be tightened. Frankly, I don’t even think she found a belt. I think Mark Stemen needs to get his priorities in order. Stop messing around in our private business, and turn that butt-candle to the city of Chico. Don’t even talk to me about roof tiles until you’ve reduced the city’s electricity usage Mark – I want a 20 percent decrease before this latest PG&E rate hike kicks in. 

One month's electricity to run the sewer plant.

One month’s electricity to run the sewer plant.  This is only a fraction of the sewer budget – most is made up of salaries, benefits and pensions – check the city budget.

I can't find any explanation on this bill, see any address here? Over $2200 for what? And over $2300 last month. I smell air conditioning.

$2200 a month for lights and air conditioning at the animal shelter. Again, this pales in comparison to the salaries and benefits in that budget. 

Almost $100 a month to light a sign at DeGarmo Park.

Almost $100 a month to light a sign at DeGarmo Park.

This is what it costs to run a traffic signal for a month.

This is what it costs to run a traffic signal for a month.

I took pictures of page after page, not all of them – one bill was 158 pages long – but whatever caught my interest. 

$254/month to keep lights on at the Stansbury Home?

$254/month to keep lights on at the Stansbury Home?  That’s more than twice the bill my family had in our 1800 sf home, and we lived there 24 hours a day.

This is still part of that $122,000 bill - look at the details - over $300 for "gas procurement"? What the hell?

This is still part of that $122,000 bill – look at the details – over $300 for “gas procurement”? What the hell?

 

One other conclusion I’ll draw from looking at these bills – the  rate increase is going to hurt the city. They’re going to use it to try and stick us for some sort of tax. 

Well, off to work. 

 

Tags: ,

Newer Entries →