Group’S Effort Is For Consumers
The American Association of Retired Persons is involved in another tussle with USWest over basic phone service.
“For the second year in a row, we are the only consumer interest group to stand up against efforts by USWest to charge people more for basic service,” John Peterson, AARP’s top man for Washington state, told me. “This is a major effort with us.”
“Two years ago,” he said, “instead of granting a requested rate increase for local service, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission directed USWest to give consumers a refund.”
USWest subsequently appealed the WUTC’s order to the Washington Supreme Court. The state’s highest court rejected the company’s appeal months ago.
By now, all USWest customers should have received a letter from the company explaining that refunds will be applied as a credit on phone bills, according to Ron Roseman, AARP legal counsel. Persons who are no longer customers of USWest may contact the company for refunds.
Meanwhile, in a separate application, USWest has received an increase of $3 month in the basic rate. USWest probably earned that hike, says Peterson.
“But now,” Peterson reports, “USWest wants regulators to separate the very lucrative Yellow Pages portion of their business from counting as part of their revenue in calculating the rates they can charge for basic phone service.
“The phone company wants to take the revenue it gets from local Yellow Pages and invest it overseas instead of offsetting local phone rates,” Peterson said. “We say `no.’
“In all this,” says Peterson, “AARP’s primary effort as intervenor is consumer protection - protection not only for the elderly but for children and small business. Our seniors and small businesses basically built this country and the phone service. Today’s children will build the future.”
“We will take a stand on children’s issues this legislative session,” promises Washington Senior Citizens Lobby chairman Bruce Reeves of Olympia.
“It’s a crime that we have so many homeless and hungry children in our state, and we aren’t going to bat for them. These are our grandchildren, for heaven’s sake.”
A combination of spending constraints will make money extra hard to come by this session, said the seniors advocate. “So we have to get our priorities straight. I think seniors can exercise wisdom here.
“I am working with the Children’s Alliance of Greater Seattle Area, and we will join with them to present a united front on children’s issues,” Reeves said. “Right now it’s everybody for themselves and against everybody else - we are far, far too divisive.”
Should the Spokane and Washington Senior Games be called the Masters Games?
Masters doesn’t smack of old fogy the way some people seem to think the word seniors does.
Organizers of the games are well aware that many older baby boomers and others past 50 wince at the label seniors. What’s a better word? Readers are invited to express an opinion.
Cheer up. The National Cancer Institute reports that depression increases cancer risk. Researchers believe chronic depression can suppress the immune system’s ability to seek out and fight cancerous cells.