Thursday, November 29, 2012
Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | New Photo Gallery
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Thursday, November 29, 2012 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | New Photo Gallery |
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OpinionFielder’s Choice Kind folks in Lucedale This vacation week story starts with the last day. That’s because two people, who helped my family, deserve to be at the top. Close to Nowhere Blink and holidays are over After another nice family Thanksgiving holiday, I have resigned myself to the fact the holidays might as well be over. Monday at work, I faxed the annual letter about Santa Claus letters to area elementary schools and set the reminder fax on my desk — not only to remind teachers, etc., but to remind me — that Santa Claus is coming and faster than he ought to! The Preacher’s Corner You meet the nicest people in train stations My father would not want to be remembered as a gentleman who picked up ladies at the train depot, but that is exactly what he did at Thanksgiving in 1955. As it happened, the two ladies were my grandmothers, and therein lies a tale! Letters to The Editor Getting the shaft What a breath of fresh air for four aldermen to finally realize, and publicly say, that there is a problem with the utility department here! I am proud that they decided to stand up and try to help the people in our town. Pitching a hissy fit and refusing to sign, as that seems to be a regular thing with our mayor on matters which adversly affect the majority of us living here, does not shine a positive light on him. It seems something hinky is going on that causes him to refuse to sign and his only reason is because he doesn’t have to? What a lame excuse, and an elementary one at best. I don’t remember being made aware of the “hastily arranged public meeting,” which was held November 1, to discuss the matter of our utilities. I must have missed that memo somehow, because had I been aware, as I am sure many others as well, I would have attended to voice our very valid concerns. In a recent article with a Q&A with a TVA representative, she stated, “TVA is concerned that HSUD is disconnecting and reconnecting delinquent customers in a way that forces paying customers to subsidize non-paying customers, which increases rates for everyone.” Also, “Our goal is to ensure rates for all customers are fair, equitable, and that rates are as low as feasible.” I know if everyone is honest, they, too, have believed what we have for years, which was also covered in the Q&A - “TVA cannot support a local power company forcing paying customers to subsidize customers who fail to pay their bills. People who are working hard (to pay their bills) should not be required to pay someone else’s utility bill.” Herron said in that article that their role is to protect those customers. Running a “de facto welfare plan” is, in and of itself, unacceptable. For those of us who rob Peter to pay Paul every single month, it is wrong on every level. When it takes over an entire paycheck that comes in bi-monthly to pay for utilities, it leaves nothing else at the end of the month, including groceries. What is an incidental? What is being able to pay everything on time? What is being able to purchase some little what-not that your child begs for at the store but you have to simply say “we cannot afford it” and why? Because there is nothing left at the end of the month by the time the utility bill is paid. It is nice to be over $400 in the hole when a paycheck hits because of the utility bills we are paying, let me tell you! It is pitiful that an outside entity is willing to help those of us who are, and have been, overpaying utility bills to help those who haven’t been paying and the city is not. The city should be looking out for everyone as a whole, or are there just a few of us who are getting price gauged to pay for those who don’t? It is a crying shame that we do without, literally, to keep on our power (wearing sweatshirts, socks and covered in blankets while at home to keep warm) so others can sit in toasty warm homes (and businesses) and not have to pay a single penny to keep power! A travesty, I tell you! As I sit and compose this letter, I look around at all of the appliances we have lost due to “brownouts” in our city - under the counter ice maker, microwave/vent-a-hood, refrigerator. When my husband called to tell them that was the reason our appliances died, he was told to get a serviceman out to write up an estimate. Well, with our utility bills running from $600-$900 monthly, who can afford a service call for someone to come out and tell us what we already know? Not to mention that my husband works in that field and can attest to the fact that brownouts caused the appliances to die? So as we have power, by the skin of our teeth, we can barely afford food to put in our refrigerator that is, at best, keeping a tepid temperature. I wonder when the financial restitution checks will be coming in to those of us who have overpaid the utility department for months, some years, on end? What budget does the gas money come from for city officials to drive around in city vehicles for personal use (I am not talking about the HSUD workers...more those who work at city hall and the P&R department)? To my knowledge, they are not driving Priuses or anything that would be gas savers. Corporations all over this country are tightening their belts because of the economy and yet we have a city that is spending money hand over fist. Where is the logic? You do not spend what you do not have! The city most certainly should be running on their own budget and not relying on any revenue generated by the utility department or any other city department. Well, I have put my business out for all to read and I am sure my grandmother is spinning, but I figure we are not the only ones suffering from this injustice. Hopefully others will follow and stand up for us, the citizens in our town who are getting the shaft! Thoroughly irritated, |
    
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