Senate Kills Avista Customer Aid Bill

33 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

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  Arch_Druid on March 07 at 6:37 a.m.

  I think that Avista should not have raised its rates so high in the first place. Even more, that those who govern utilities should not have allowed Avista to raise its rates so high. And just as telling, Avista shouldn’t have been forcing ratepayers to pay for exorbitant salaries for its CEO. And I’ll also add that Avista could use its profits to upgrade its equipment rather than demand that ratepayers pay for that. In short, Avista already has benefited from a redistribution of wealth.

  And I can see where the Idaho GOP don’t much care for the poor and unemployed.

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  misc on March 07 at 8:07 a.m.

  Redistribution of wealth is the American way, so longs as the wealth moves to those at the top, not those at the bottom.

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  hmoffsuite on March 07 at 8:26 a.m.

  misc >>> “Redistribution of wealth is the American way”

  The American way is to provide equal opportunity for all Americans to achieve success. Those that achieve that success often work long, hard hours. They improve themselves through education, formal or otherwise. They improve their skills. They are the very best at every job they undertake and rise through the ranks because of attitude, ethic and job performance. Some take risks and endeavor to start their own businesses. This country is brimming with successful. wealthy folks that literally started with nothing but their own devices. In the American way, some get A’s and some get ‘F’s. Its all up to the individual. The non American way is to not give everyone a ‘C’ and call it a day. That is what redistribution of wealth achieves to do.

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  Rosalind on March 07 at 11:07 a.m.

  Idaho sucks.

  Those who grip tightly to hmoffsuite’s philosophy of the American Way are ignorant to reality. Especially right now.

  And the redistribution of wealth happens eventually anyway - this could have been a more direct solution. Instead, more people will be getting on food stamps (isn’t that at its highest); foreclosing on homes (because that’s helped America’s wealth); not buying necessities they can without (when people don’t spend money, that certainly helps our economy). Every little thing adds up.

  Idaho needs to wake up.

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  hmoffsuite on March 07 at 1:01 p.m.

  Rosalind >>> “Those who grip tightly to hmoffsuite’s philosophy of the American Way are ignorant to reality”

  If you think that America does not represent the land of equal opportunity, you are the one that is severely mistaken. No other Country in the history of the world has made opportunity available to its citizens to the extend of the USA. One recent example that I can think of is Barack Hussein Obama.

• 

  Me on March 07 at 1:59 p.m.

  Heck they should have passed it, I mean we could all just quit payin right? sweet!!

• 

  Rosalind on March 07 at 4:49 p.m.

  I just think that those who have the means to spread their wealth should. Allowing others to suffer so some can have big bank accounts is greedy and disgusting.

  “We could all just quit paying right?”

  Some people are so out of touch with the circumstance of living in poverty in America.

• 

  hmoffsuite on March 07 at 5:01 p.m.

  Rosalind >>> “Some people are so out of touch with the circumstance of living in poverty in America.”

  Poverty has been stretched so far by its definition, it is useful for the government but not reality. Most defined as living in poverty have 2 TV sets, a car or two, a place to call home, and many in pretty nice neighborhoods. The really downtrodden and homeless are another thing, and for those that wish to improve their circumstances, I feel sorry.

• 

  Me on March 07 at 5:39 p.m.

  Rosalind you are SO right - some people are completely out of touch. Do you know me? Do you know what I make, how I live? Do you know what I give? Do you know how I do or don’t help people? If I disagree that money shouldn’t be spread around by the GOVERNMENT then I am just greedy and disgusting right?

  Do you really think that those who ‘have’ will just continue to ‘take it’? I’m not talking about the gabillion dollar stinking rich people - I’m talking about people who have worked their whole lives, scrimped, saved, poured their hearts and souls into a business that has finally produced fruit to then have someone like you come along and declare they are greedy and disgusting.

  And PLEASE will someone tell me how our young people seeing this will have incentive to work?

  I grew up in poverty and I wanted OUT - and I did it myself. And now YOU have decalred me greedy and disgusting.

  I am NOT out of touch with living in poverty in America.

• 

  Sam on March 07 at 5:49 p.m.

  Me, curious: What are your thoughts on those people whose circumstance doesn’t allow them to move up and out of poverty? Children who live in homes with parents who are addicts who have no money and can’t provide them with an education passed a K-12 one? People who have no health insurance and continue to build up medical bills because their only choice are emergency rooms? People who end up missing one month’s bill and continue to accrue penalty charges built in to bills by corporations that continually cascade and get larger?

  And my second question is: Utilities already adjust their rates to cover costs for unpaid bills, but this bill would allow them to help struggling customers before they get to that point.

  If you disagree with this legislation, do you then believe that these struggling customers should lose their heat and electricity?

  Do you have a better solution?

  I want to be clear: I’m not attacking you at all. You probably don’t know me well since I just got back, but I’m a nosy journalist and I like to ask questions of people on there so we can continue the dialogue.

  Of course, now that some of the liberals on here aren’t showing up (i.e. ~ ThomG) I don’t get to pick on them as much, either. ;)

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  Rosalind on March 07 at 7:03 p.m.

  Yes, what will motivate young people to work hard if they hear that living in poverty will give them a lower rate for utility bills? Wow. That will completely stall the forward movement of the next generation. Low Rates for Low Income! What a DEAL! I’ll be the first to sign up to live in poverty for THAT.

  Guess what Jimmy? If you’re so poor you can barely buy groceries, guess what? You can get a low rate from Avista!

  Oh wow Dad! That sounds amazing. I can’t wait to be that poor. It sounds FUN!

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  Me on March 07 at 7:09 p.m.

  Actually Sam, I don’t so much have a problem with the bill or it passing or not. My Avista bill just went up a ton this year and I don’t see that ending. I really had a problem with Rosalind’s statement:

  I just think that those who have the means to spread their wealth should. Allowing others to suffer so some can have big bank accounts is greedy and disgusting.

  That gets me in the gut. It does not sit right with me in a FREE society. It also doesn’t sit right with me that someone assumes - ‘person has money = lets people suffer”. I know we all need to pay our SHARE to help each other, but the notion that THIS person or group gets to decide what THAT person should do - because they feel that they have too much rubs me the wrong way. And at the same time we have very little or no say in what it actually means to help people. To me you don’t just hand over money and make people dependant. You need to have programs that help people get OUT.

  As for:

  Me, curious: What are your thoughts on those people whose circumstance doesn’t allow them to move up and out of poverty? Children who live in homes with parents who are addicts who have no money and can’t provide them with an education passed a K-12 one? People who have no health insurance and continue to build up medical bills because their only choice are emergency rooms? People who end up missing one month’s bill and continue to accrue penalty charges built in to bills by corporations that continually cascade and get larger?

  My family did not have the money to provide an education past k-12 for us - they also didn’t have health insurance much of our lives. I, and my parents had our power turned of many many times in my life ??? I actually find it a strange question “do you think these people should really have their heat turned off”? I guess we just always knew that no pay, no power.

  I may be totally ignorant on true true down deep poverty, and people having absolutely no way out as you describe. I toured St. Vincent DePau a couple years ago, their tranistional housing, programs, help help help. They are doing good things and I support them all I possibly can.

  I have been without a job, I’ve been married and both of us without a job. Lukily we did not live beyond our means and our unemployment insurance got us through. We took jobs that wern’t the greatest or just what we wanted, but they got us through to better times. This was in the last fairly big recession in the early 80s. Interest rate on our house was 19% and we lived in a little town in Montana with not much industry.

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  Me on March 07 at 7:13 p.m.

  Yeah Rosiland because it will all just end there and that is all they will get, just a lower power bill.

  funny.

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  Sam on March 07 at 7:39 p.m.

  What else do they get, Me?

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  Me on March 07 at 9:06 p.m.

  I thought I explained my stance pretty well in the above WAY too long post.

  I’m going to go write on my blog about my dog and a trip I’m making to Yosemite this summer.

  We are in a new era. I support our President and will not say awful things about him like so many did about our previous one. I have hope that things will get better.

  I hope that we do still have a society that rewards those who work hard, strive to do better.

• 

  cantyoureadthesigns on March 07 at 9:36 p.m.

  I don’t understand this Idaho program… What the problem is…?

  In WA, Avista funds Project SHARE:

  “To help support those most affected by rising energy costs, Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA) has contributed $200,000 to Project Share, an emergency energy assistance fund managed by Spokane Neighborhood Assistance Programs (SNAP) and other community action agencies in Avista’s Washington and Idaho service areas.

  Project Share, a fuel-blind fund, provides emergency assistance to pay for any type of heating fuel, including electric, coal, wood, propane, and natural gas. It is administered by community action agencies throughout the region as a one-time grant given when other avenues of assistance have been exhausted. Recipients of Project Share assistance do not have to be an Avista customer.
  …
  Morris added that Avista funds its contribution to Project Share from shareholder earnings and does not impact customer rates.
  …
  Avista customers who would like to help those in need with their energy costs can conveniently contribute to Project Share through their monthly Avista statement – simply write the contribution amount in the Project Share line on the Avista bill and add the contribution to the energy payment.
  …”

  http://avistacorp.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=17

  That article is a little dated, but Avista still has the program. It’s primarily funded by shareholders and customers who CHOOSE to donate to the fund.

• 

  hmoffsuite on March 08 at 10:14 a.m.

  Me >>> I may be totally ignorant on true true down deep poverty, and people having absolutely no way out as you describe.”

  Here is an item from one who has been there …..

  http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/sparker/2009/sp_02091.shtml

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