NOTE (10/27/14): As far as I can tell, this letter below that I sent to the Enterprise Record two weeks ago has never been published. My guess is, Little didn’t like the way I treated Debbie Presson. Little isn’t a journalist, he’s a corporate shill. He isn’t interested in running a community forum, he’s too busy trying to run the community. Good bye Enterprise Record, I wish I could say “It’s been nice!”, but instead I’ll say, “With friends like you, who needs enemas?”
Election time again, and Dave Little is sitting on the letters section of the newspaper like a dog in a manger. Instead of expanding the letters section at this time, he narrows the passage, only lets in letters that he feels are directly related to the election. So, this letter I sent 10 days ago is still waiting to hit print. I think it’s okay if I run it here, since it will only be in the paper about 24 hours anyway. I’m afraid people have already forgotten the PG&E rate increase.
I’d like to see Brown get voted out in two weeks but I know that’s an ice cube’s chance in Hell. So, you might want to write to him and ask him why he accepted that kind of money from PG&E and then appointed their employees to the Public Utilities Commission. Ask him about the communications between his office and PG&E during the San Bruno hearings.
Those commissioners, by the way, make over $100,000 a year – the judge who literally sat on our hearing makes about $112,000 with another $30,000 in benefits. Remind Jerry Brown, the average California taxpayer makes just a little over $40,000/year.
The CPUC hearing regarding the PG&E rate “changes” was very enlightening. Judge Jeanne McKinney explained, PG&E will not see an increase in revenues, instead, they will “change the way revenues are collected.” She spelled it out very clearly – lower users will pay more, higher users will pay less. This action was made possible by the state legislature with passage of AB 327.
Twelve speakers at the 2:00 session pointed out, the CPUC is supposed to encourage conservation of energy, but this plan encourages higher usage. Worse, as Julian Zener pointed out, lower users are usually those who can’t afford to use more. The burden of higher rates falls disproportionately on the poor, while the wealthy who can afford to use more electricity will be rewarded with lower rates. At the same time they are decreasing the CARE discount by 25 percent.
The CPUC is currently embroiled in a scandal involving inappropriate negotiations with PG&E in the aftermath of the San Bruno explosion. E-mails released by PG&E last week show the governor’s office was also involved. PG&E gave Governor Jerry Brown $50,000 for his 2010 campaign and another $25,000 for his 2012 campaign to raise sales tax.
We need to change the way the CPUC operates. Currently, the governor fills this board with employees from the utility companies. Please join Chico Taxpayers Association, help change this statewide spoils commission to a network of boards elected and accountable locally.
Juanita Sumner, Chico Ca
Chico Taxpayers Association 