I'm Pissed and I Don't Feel Like Linking
I read about my electricity rates in my newspaper last week and it pisses me off for many reasons. By the way, by "my newspaper" I mean the Chicago Tribune and it's not point in my linking to them because they won't let you read the story unless you're a member anyways. Another thing to piss me off.
So, I was reading about my electric rates, which my paper warns me to "prepare" for them to "skyrocket." Because we have "enjoyed" a rate freeze which expires next year. And now, our deregulated utility will get to bid for electricity to find us the lowest rate. Except they're bidding from their own parent corporation, which generates electricity from nuclear plants built from and maintained by taxpayer funding.
Hooray! Another win for the regular Joe!
Do you know who bid for the contract? Excactly two groups. The afore-mentioned parent corporation, Exelon, and an unamed "loose consortium of investors." Wow! The free market at work! Are they sure the rates will "skyrocket?" Because this sounds like a boon for consumers!
Fuck me. This is another in a long line of non-discretionary items rising exponentially in cost. Food. Medical. Gasoline. Utilities.
But, hey, I can buy a DVD player cheaper than ever! Doesn't that feel good?
I'm also highly pissed at the Tribune, which wrote another colossally skewed piece of pro-corporate garbage without investigating. I think they just copied the ComEd press release word for word. In almost the last paragraph, they mentioned that
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing to halt this debacle . They didn't explain her position. Instead they claimed, "Her action may halt the auction, possibly resulting in even higher rates." Too bad they couldn't install a audio chip to play, "Boo, hiss!" Yes, that villain is trying to stop the good, generous power company from providing us with the cheapest, most reliable forms of energy at a rate that barely allows them to reap the highest profits for any electricity provider in history. It brings a tear to the eye!
And you gotta love the Illinois Commission. I can't recall a single instance under any administration, Democratic or Republican, where they denied an industry's request. I feel so protected. And like it matters who the hell I vote for anymore.
So, I was reading about my electric rates, which my paper warns me to "prepare" for them to "skyrocket." Because we have "enjoyed" a rate freeze which expires next year. And now, our deregulated utility will get to bid for electricity to find us the lowest rate. Except they're bidding from their own parent corporation, which generates electricity from nuclear plants built from and maintained by taxpayer funding.
Hooray! Another win for the regular Joe!
Do you know who bid for the contract? Excactly two groups. The afore-mentioned parent corporation, Exelon, and an unamed "loose consortium of investors." Wow! The free market at work! Are they sure the rates will "skyrocket?" Because this sounds like a boon for consumers!
Fuck me. This is another in a long line of non-discretionary items rising exponentially in cost. Food. Medical. Gasoline. Utilities.
But, hey, I can buy a DVD player cheaper than ever! Doesn't that feel good?
I'm also highly pissed at the Tribune, which wrote another colossally skewed piece of pro-corporate garbage without investigating. I think they just copied the ComEd press release word for word. In almost the last paragraph, they mentioned that
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing to halt this debacle . They didn't explain her position. Instead they claimed, "Her action may halt the auction, possibly resulting in even higher rates." Too bad they couldn't install a audio chip to play, "Boo, hiss!" Yes, that villain is trying to stop the good, generous power company from providing us with the cheapest, most reliable forms of energy at a rate that barely allows them to reap the highest profits for any electricity provider in history. It brings a tear to the eye!
And you gotta love the Illinois Commission. I can't recall a single instance under any administration, Democratic or Republican, where they denied an industry's request. I feel so protected. And like it matters who the hell I vote for anymore.
posted by Ubermilf at 6:56 AM
6 Comments:
The following message is from my husband, Dave:
Could you place the following on Ubie dark. I was unable to do so.
Thank your local politicians for bringing forth deregulation. Utilities forced to freeze rates while waiting for competition to begin. From where? Now everyone will be "shocked" when the rate freeze ends. (Get it, shocked? I kill myself). Imagine freezing gasoline prices for the last 10 years then removing the restriction. Watch for a return to regulation in the coming years to protect the consumer.
I'm just wondering how this could possibly be considered a free market with no competition and taxpayer-funded power plants.
We're paying for the broomstick they're ass-raping us with.
Whenever I read anything like this, my blood gets all angered up Abe Simpson-style.
I'm all for a free market. Wake me when we have one.
wow - here in London, we've just had _exactly_ the same diatribe delivered by our power & water utilities (like, word-for-word, down to the skyrocket metaphor). Truly amazing, how subtle they are.
Mind you, we dont have independent DA's, so noone is suing to stop it.
The CT legislature approved a 22.4% rate hike for Connecticut Light and Power this past spring.
The utility company cited global spikes in fossil fuel prices and other factors.
Included among those other factors are the increase in purchases of energy efficient applicances which have lowered demand.
Now when Ford has a lower demand for pick up trucks, do they raise the price or cut back on expenses?
I can't make this shit up.
What I particularly like are the radio ads from the power company telling us now we have been "enjoying" cheap rates for the past 10 years. Why are they spending money on advertizing? They have a captive consumer group. I'd rather have them knock a nickel off my bill.
Post a Comment
<< Home