Another monthly gas and electric bill and several more inserts telling me about proposed rate hikes that will cost us all more money. It's not like this happens once in awhile, it's just about a monthly occurrence as San Diego Gas and Electric crams rate hikes down our throats continuously, approved by what is supposed to be the consumer watchdog, the California Public Utilities Commission. That's like the fox guarding the hen house, folks, as these rate hikes get approved and rubber stamped time and again by people we're also paying to watch out for our interests.
My utility bill in summer, when we cooked little with the gas over, didn't use heat, was about $45 dollars. Now it has about $40 added to that and we don't cook any more, eat out more often, don't have air conditioning, use fans the same as we always have when it's hot, and have no big new appliances. Thus, we figure over about the past five or six years or so, our bills have increased about 80 percent so the electric company can make more money, because they just can't tell you they spend that much on producing electricity to deserve those type increases.
Oh, remember how they screwed us when there were power shortages and rolling blackouts a number of years ago? How they raised the rates and made windfall profits? How the shortages were actually contrived and the lawsuits flew fast and furious and we all got some relief in the form of rebates and lower rates? Well, the gougers are making up for it once again, and also making up for whatever they have lost or will lose in the lawsuits, as a result of the recent years wildfires, that allegedly were precipitated to some extent by their equipment. They're starting early perhaps?
You all remember that when the going gets tough, the tough get going; but when times get tough for the working class, we just get screwed a bit more by the utilities like SDG&E and the water district, and others who pick the best times to make sure to bleed their customers dry. But to be sure, they want to continue their overtures in the literature about the "low income" households being eligible for assistance and special rate consideration. Out here, friends, we all know who that means, and it isn't who we think in most cases it should be. If you have a bunch of people living together but only one reports minimal income or welfare, they'll likely be eligible, regardless of what the others make as long as nobody knows. Then you and I who pay the regular residential rates pick up the slack for those no loads. Really sucks, doesn't it? Another perk of welfare and our broken immigration system.
Welcome to California. Now if you're not going to make a positive contribution to the economy...go the hell home!
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