Zwick: Now not the time for SRP to raise rates on low-income customers

4 comments:

• chatmandu002 posted at 11:31 am on Thu, Sep 6, 2012.

  Posts: 1005

  Cynthia,
  Apply your numbers and cry about the poor. But when the stated goal of the president is to increase the cost of electricity then there is no other choice than to raise the rates. You are calling for larger increases on others to save the poor and those making up to 150% above the poverty level. How many more of the middle class will return to the poverty level with this increase? Wouldn't it be better for the federal energy policies to lower the cost of electricity instead of increasing the costs to pacify a political agenda.

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• Engaged Voter posted at 1:16 pm on Thu, Sep 6, 2012.

  Posts: 1070

  "when the stated goal of the president is to increase the cost of electricity"
  Wow. Just...wow.

  "Both APS and Southwest Gas recently agreed not to raise rates for low-income residents"

  So according to chatmandu, SRP is obeying a top secret order from the president...and APS and SG are ignoring it. Sounds legit. LOL

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• Arizona Willie posted at 2:59 pm on Thu, Sep 6, 2012.

  Posts: 1909

  Well the writer was writing understandable sentences -- until the next to last one.
  Then she said " The space between where they are now and where they end up could be the difference between what they pay now and what they’ll have to pay if their rates go up. " and, although I've read it several times, I just don't understand it. What is " the space between where they are now and where they end up "?

  I do congratulate her for getting through 15 paragraphs before the Arizona heat got to her. Far far better than many who post here.

  Now that I've exited nit picking mode [rolleyes] I have a question.

  Ms. Zwick you say that approx 670,000 people in SRP's territory are below a certain level and are poor.

  What percentage of SRP's customer base is that?
  I'm a lifelong Liberal with a capital L and I sympathize with the poor == but at the same time I acknowledge the problem SRP has.

  You complain because the poor can't pay the SRP bill, well SRP has problems paying IT'S bills too.
  APS can afford to give poorer customers a break because it has been overcharging them for years ( in my opinion ).
  I < personally > believe that SRP has held their rates down as low as they could.The only way they can lower rates, or charge lower rates to the poor == is if they raise the rates on everyone else.
  I believe in the progressive rate Income tax and I can go along with progressive rates on utilities too == but that's me == there would be thousands of people screaming for someone's head.
  And understandably so. I've heard people complain about electric bills almost $500 and I'm sure there are many over that.Poor people aren't the ONLY one's who have trouble paying their electric bill.

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• chuckles3 posted at 8:34 am on Fri, Sep 7, 2012.

  Posts: 276

  After 48 years, the War on Poverty is the longest,most expensive war in our history. Apparently we have lost, and the liberal answer-"we just need to spend more" is growing hackneyed.

  Perhaps it is time to either: A. Redefine poverty-the thousands of dollars in benefits the poor receive are not counted as income when poverty is defined, B. Maybe, just maybe, re-examine our policies, or both.

  And by the way, one of the reasons rates are rising is to pay for "Green" energy subsidies mandated by our Politicians and appointed officials.

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