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Old 09-01-2011, 09:44 PM
 
7,996 posts, read 10,362,820 times
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Electric, water rates increases proposed for 2012 | kvue.com Austin
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Old 09-01-2011, 09:47 PM
 
7,996 posts, read 10,362,820 times
Reputation: 15006
You know what is complete BS? I'm in Steiner Ranch. Technically, I'm not in the City of Austin, so I don't get to vote in any City Council elections. Even though these are the same jugheads who can raise my utility rates, I still can't vote for them or more accurately, against them. Talk about no representation.
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Old 09-01-2011, 10:15 PM
 
Location: Pflugerville, TX
22 posts, read 59,509 times
Reputation: 13
Grrrrrhhhhh!!!
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Old 09-01-2011, 10:18 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,283 posts, read 2,729,964 times
Reputation: 1040
Quote:
Originally Posted by mm57553 View Post
You know what is complete BS? I'm in Steiner Ranch. Technically, I'm not in the City of Austin, so I don't get to vote in any City Council elections. Even though these are the same jugheads who can raise my utility rates, I still can't vote for them or more accurately, against them. Talk about no representation.
Well, no one made you live out in Steiner Ranch..obviously, it's what you wanted.
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Old 09-02-2011, 12:23 AM
 
Location: Pflugerville
2,211 posts, read 4,837,354 times
Reputation: 2242
Quote:
Originally Posted by mm57553 View Post
You know what is complete BS? I'm in Steiner Ranch. Technically, I'm not in the City of Austin, so I don't get to vote in any City Council elections. Even though these are the same jugheads who can raise my utility rates, I still can't vote for them or more accurately, against them. Talk about no representation.

????


1) It's not the city council raising your rates, it is the company, . The city council is not deciding to raise your rates without representing you, unless I am reading this horribly wrong. Even though austin energy is asking the council to be able to raise their rates, if the council said no, they would just get you somewhere else. The council is not the driver in this scenario.

2) Texas is deregulated in it's utilities. Even way out the hell in Steiner ranch, you can choose to use another company other than Austin Energy. You are not being underrepresented because you always have the chance to change your electric provider.

3) Regardless of whether you live in Austin proper or not, you CHOSE to live in the Ausin metroplex. Just like I chose to live in Pflugerville. You rely on Austin utilities, so this is the boat you are in. You bought in an area that didn't provide you with utilities. You KNEW when you bought way the hell out in Steiner that there were pros and cons.

I just don't see what the problem is. Electricity is going to be increasing in price year after year after year. That is the nature of the world. Energy costs are going to rise, regarldess of whether you get to vote on it or not. Gas is going to go up, Electricity will go up, Water will go up, etc etc etc, REGARDLESS of how you would or would not vote.

These are finite resources. The more people who move here, the more the demand, the greater the cost.
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Old 09-02-2011, 05:49 AM
 
Location: Texas Hill Country
2,392 posts, read 9,629,646 times
Reputation: 806
Well,up here in CP/Leander we are not Austin Energy we are PEC,which if its a good company is up in question but the whole metro area is not served by Austin Energy. I am pretty sure out in Steiner he does not have a choice for power. I looked on Power to choose for the zip out there and it said he had no choices out there.
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Old 09-02-2011, 06:23 AM
 
1,961 posts, read 6,109,172 times
Reputation: 571
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayBrown80 View Post
????




2) Texas is deregulated in it's utilities. Even way out the hell in Steiner ranch, you can choose to use another company other than Austin Energy. You are not being underrepresented because you always have the chance to change your electric provider.
We have PEC in Cedar Park and nearest I can tell, I don't have a choice to get power from someone else.
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Old 09-02-2011, 06:35 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,245 posts, read 35,505,155 times
Reputation: 8587
Texas is deregulated, EXCEPT for municipal utilities and CO-Ops - which means Austin Energy and PEC are not subject to deregulation.

It is worth noting that Austin Energy and CPS (the San Antonio public utility) provide some of the cheapest electricity (if not the cheapest) in the state.
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Old 09-02-2011, 10:37 AM
 
Location: Cedar Park/NW Austin
1,306 posts, read 3,111,186 times
Reputation: 879
Last time I crunched the numbers, PEC was actually cheaper per kWh than Austin Energy. However, the membership fee is about $15 more so we get screwed over. Although...the rebate I allegedly get from PEC this year makes up for the difference.
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Old 09-02-2011, 09:37 PM
 
7,996 posts, read 10,362,820 times
Reputation: 15006
For the record, we DO NOT have a choice in energy companies. As a previous poster mentioned, Austin Energy is not subject to deregulation. So I am stuck with it. And if the city counsel has nothing to do with it, then why are they the ones voting on whether or not to raise rates? I don't mind being outside of city limits - in fact, I usually like it. But if there is an entity that affects us, we should be allowed to vote for them. In other words, I can understand not allowing us to vote in mayoral elections, but we should be allowed to vote in City Council elections, since it directly affects us.
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