Wednesday, May 7, 2008

The POLITICS the PUC and BEL PLAY!

How asinine can the Chairman of the PUC get: he says that "B-E-L is not obligated by law to pay out dividends!" Who are you kidding – do you think that BEL and its shareholders are in business because they love you? John Avery is the former Editor of the Guardian Newspaper who was known to use the pages of that paper to vent as an outspoken critic of the rate setting process between BEL and the PUC. So, how low can you go to play politics for your UDP masters? The new UDP administration appears to 'have it iinn' for BEL. This same administration readily admits that it cannot stop the rise in the price of fuel at the pump, but in the same breath, via their recently appointed PUC Chairman, it is saying that BEL is not entitled to get an increase in its rate, in a business where the cost of fuel is predominant.

And BEL? Well, if they were not playing politics, I don't know what to call this: for weeks before the recent election they spent big bucks running a high class, expensive ad campaign for several weeks BOASTING that despite the big increases in the cost of fuel, BEL was successful in keeping the electricity rate unchanged. I wonder why! And then, a week or two AFTER the election, they bawling that they NEED an increase in the rate because of the uncontrollable rise in the cost of fuel!

So, Mr. PUC and Mr. BEL, please stop playing politics with electricity rates! Let's get real! Electricity affects everyone and all aspects of the economy; it’s TOO BIG to play politics with, using us the consumers as pawns.


Comments welcomed.

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