Are we ready for higher utility rates? (Los Angeles: city hall, homes)

[Visit a Library]

Well isn't that just fine -- the city council agreed to a rate increase in exchange for a bribe from the DWP. So, in other words, we're being taxed via utility rates in order to skirt the ballot requirement for a tax increase. THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL, you no good bunch of criminals...

[bhcompy]

It's barely a rate hike, and LA DWP customers did not suffer like SCE customers during the energy crisis years back or pay for the aftereffects, since the DWP maintains enough power generation to cover the entire cities needs and then sell some to other utilities, which made them a pretty penny during the energy crisis.

End result, chill out, you're still paying less than SCE and SDGE customers, so it's not like your rate is unfair, and the rate hike is temporary and estimated to add $4 on each bill.

[LASam]

First of all, it seems like the DWP extorted the City Council more than they bribed them... considering they were going to withhold a transfer to the city coffers they had promised to make and were renegging on unless council approved the hike. Second of all, bhcompy, if you believe this rate hike is temporary and that they won't actually INCREASE the rate again three months, I have some nice beachfront property I'd like to sell you. IMHO, the larger impact of all this is that it affects businesses far more than individuals, and makes it all the more business unfriendly here. If the businesses keep getting driven out... we have catastrophic issues ahead of us.

[LASam]

Great article in LA Weekly about all this...

City Hall's 2010 DWP Debacle - Page 1 - News - Los Angeles - LA Weekly

[Dub D]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

It's barely a rate hike, and LA DWP customers did not suffer like SCE customers during the energy crisis years back or pay for the aftereffects, since the DWP maintains enough power generation to cover the entire cities needs and then sell some to other utilities, which made them a pretty penny during the energy crisis.

End result, chill out, you're still paying less than SCE and SDGE customers, so it's not like your rate is unfair, and the rate hike is temporary and estimated to add $4 on each bill.

For personal usage, its not a big deal. However, for business it is a major deal. There are tier usage levels. Most homes are Tier I. Local business depending on what they do fall into Tier II and III, the increase to them will result in hundreds each month.

[bhcompy]

I understand the tiered system. I still imagine the rates are better than what you get with SCE. I routinely fall in to Tier 4 with SCE during the summer months, and just maintaining Tier 1 is nigh impossible even during the dead of winter. I can only imagine what a business gets hit with under SCE, so I wouldn't go so far as suggesting it's any worse for business in LA considering the alternatives

[Visit a Library]

Now the rate increase is going to be permanent. Big surprise.

[Visit a Library]

So I guess by the lack of outrage in this forum, everybody has more money than they know what to do with these days?

[Visit a Library]

Well, at least we may be getting an NFL stadium or something...

[LASam]

Originally Posted by Read Culture of Critique

So I guess by the lack of outrage in this forum, everybody has more money than they know what to do with these days?

I think it's more due to people just expecting this kind of behavior from the government and not being surprised by it. Fundamentally, it's a back door approach to progressing green intiatives at the DWP. They put these initiatives before the voters in the form of bonds/tax at the last election, and the voters shot it down. So now they are pushing these initiatives through rate hikes. Pretty nifty, huh?