Letter: Is there a SOLUTION for us?

Thankfully the warmer weather is approaching. Hopefully, your Liberty Utilities bill should decrease for a while - unless or until another 40 percent monthly rate increase occurs. YES, it’s true. A 40 percent increase in your monthly service slid in starting in January.

When I got a $600 bill in January (not including my GAS heat), I almost died of shock. I thought it was a mistake even with the Christmas decorations. NOPE! Sadly, I may never decorate again. The representative on the phone was a wonderful woman and I’d never want her job. She said she was getting over 50 calls a day with people crying, cursing, and much more abuse. She told me about the 40 percent increase and she definitely wasn’t too happy about the way it happened either. A conglomerate with a total monopoly on its customers gouging them to that degree, Coincidently, the first phone option anymore is payment plans. One thing I know is that taking this out on the representative was neither fair nor productive.

I have a 1,500-square-foot house. How could one utility bill devour so much of a monthly income? Now I realize more than ever why our community’s infrastructure is in the shape it is with businesses having no employees, or unable to keep their business afloat! I understand now why so many people are moving to the valley where it is more affordable and Liberty Utilities is not their provider. A (for the MOST part) unknowingly increase to that degree for just one NEEDED service pushes residents struggling already into great sacrifice. Based on my 39 years living on the South Shore and having a B.S. in studying population demographics, what I am seeing is not good for our community’s well-being. I have watched and taught in our schools. I’m willing to bet that such dramatic increases risk food and shelter alternatives for families and kids! At the very least, downgrades the quality of life for so many with manual jobs.

There are many people who live here who have great financial resources and security. But why would the choice be to pay so much more monthly when that money could be used for other things? But that is the ABSOLUTE problem.

Look at Liberty Utilities service areas. We here have NO CHOICE. This conglomerate did not consider the impact such a hike could have on our population. The upgrades may have been surely necessary. And I, for one with medical needs appreciate having service mostly throughout this winter and storms. However, as many people have expressed to me, the costs incurred by the giant were one time while we as trapped consumers pay this rate every month until they as a corporation decide to hit us again! MAYBE this would be easier to digest had this 40 percent increase occurred in increments that could be planned for. How do we stop this from happening again? It may be delusional to think we as people could reverse this outrageous rate increase. But there is strength in numbers even against giants that monopolize this community.

As I stated before, the next few seasons may bring some financial relief with warmer weather, longer days, and less laundry. But, beware and prepare because who thought this was possible? Did anyone else have any idea this was coming? Any recourse we can take? If this topic does not affect you, or, you are a Liberty Utilities employee, disregard it at your leisure.

This is about solutions. It just is not right that such drastic raises can be imposed to jeopardize the well-being and quality of life for so many. It IS personal. I implore you to rally together as Tahoeans! Change, like prayer, is more powerful in numbers.

With great love for my community.
Sincerely, Kim Barcellos