Editorial for April 5, 2007 edition:


Don’t take a hike

Last week, our Page 1 story focused on a pair of Northeast-based roofers who allegedly have been ripping off senior citizens. Our Page 1 story this week is on a different kind of scam — the Philadelphia Gas Works’ bid to rip off seniors, juniors and everybody in between.
The gas agency’s request for a massive rate hike is enough to give most customers a bad case of heartburn.
PGW wants to stick it to its customers. It’s legalized extortion by the most vital of public utilities — give us more cash so we can pay our fat-cat officials, or we’ll go bankrupt.
If PGW’s customers are smart, they won’t let the company get away with it, and in fact, they don’t have to stand for it. This is an election year. You can bet the politicians are listening to you.
Take advantage of your captive audience. When their political butts are on the line, they’re 1,000 percent more likely to pretend to care about your frustrations and maybe even go to bat for you. The obscene cost of staying warm is a big issue for them.
How much more money should PGW get? Zilch. Zero. Nada. In fact, PGW should not only not raise its rates by $107 million, it should reduce them by that much. Surely the savings can be realized by cutting the salaries and benefits of PGW’s executives and by getting as tough as tough can be on deadbeat customers. Somebody doesn’t pay his gas bill? Tough apples. Cut his service immediately. Don’t wait until winter is over.
Just to be fair, since PGW is a public utility, let’s see if any elected official has the guts to introduce a bill that would allow the current proposed rate hike, and all future ones, to be decided by PGW’s customers — the voters — in a binding referendum on Election Day. What could possibly be more fair and pro-consumer than that? ••

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