Regarding the July 14 Enron/PUD article, I am still floored when the PUD comes across that they are doing us a favor by not increasing our rates.
Fact: January 2001, the PUD signed a record high rate contract with Enron. (Incompetent).
Fact: (Same month) Raised our rates 33 percent.
Fact: October 2001, nine months later, raised our rates again 18 percent, making it a 51 percent increase in 10 months.
Fact: The next month, Nov. 28, the PUD ends its contract with Enron. So, where is our break?
Fact: April 2001, 15 months after their mega increase, they lowered rates by 5.1 percent (how generous!). We are still at a 45.9 percent-plus increased rate.
Fact: As of this month, five years after Enron, and we are still paying the 45.9 percent increase, even though now they are blaming the increase on the Bonneville Power Administration.
We are still paying for it. Because it’s gravy for them, they do not want to give us a break. It’s like state government; when they adopt a new tax, even if it’s supposed to be “temporary,” they get like a kid in the candy store and keep it in place.
The PUD and our politicians are peas in a pod. They can’t stop taking advantage of us, by whatever means and as often as they can. I don’t understand why they all think we have a money tree in the back yard. (I guess they must have one. Oh, yeah, it’s us.) I figure they owe us a fair decrease since we have been overpaying for almost six years and still going! But I am sure greed will prevail.
By the way, as someone pointed out to me, we are also paying an inflated city tax because of that mega increase and continue to do so. Also unfair!
Jean Holtrop
Edmonds
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