HomeMy WebLinkAboutVillages deserve state power subsidies 9-19-91Villages deservest
THE JUL AL CPETheHickeladministration's cutstopowersubsidiesintheBushhurtallofus-and it's depending on usnottonoticeortocare.
Apparently,denizens of the thirdfloorhopetheitingdivideandconquer'technique pi urban against rur:residents will be successful onceagain.It's true the state budget may notalwaysbeabletosupportthedirectpowersubsidiesithasaeevidediinrecentyears.But the sudden budgetductionthatchopped20percentTeenfrownrogramthisyearisnotthewayalileheyAsasightedapproachtoanenormous!difficult problem,it is unfair and wiendupcostingusmoremoneyinthelongrun.'ower-cost subsidies have beenaroundforalongtimebutthePower,;Cost Equalization program itself wasestablishedin1964aspartofagener-al government policy designed tobringruralpowercostsmoreinlinewiththoseinurbanareas-and toassisteconomicdevelopmentinthe
Bush.
The same astronomical oi}pricesfatteningstatecoffersweredrivingsmallruralelectricsystemsbroke.Villagers then,as now,had very lit-
Ue cash income,and the doublingandtriplingoffuelpriceswasdevas-
tating to local economies:The way power cost j
works,in overly simplistic terms,isthattheAlaskaEnergyAuthorityde-,;cides which utility costs are reason-able,and then subtracts 8.5 cents perkilowatthourthatvillagerspaythemselves.The state pays 95 per-cent of the rest of the bill,up to 750kilowatthoursamonth.The other 5
rcent is paid by the consumer.here are 103 utilities and 174 com-
munities benefiting from the pro-
gram.
ANNABEL”="Bickel siministrationac
LUND Dots ee Hen:
This year,the Alaska ant eo :-thority estimatedtheamount pt mon-|fee epproved the furding,aut intureapthefunding,and in |SC eenThecuttookeffectinTheHickelemAngusthon”
cursing the power will forcetreeationefforttathethevil-lages.For the most part,,lagen Fore ost par Geohspendthrifts,wasting money andpower,and the idea that Natives arenotinterestedconservationisisafalseone..Rural households use just about ,half 'the amount of 'electricityto|'which residentsinurban Alaska Electrical
program.The high ensis are incen .
ate power™+
Kore b xr heuitherAauenny i ai
i +
'Subsidies
.eontate will have no choicebuages,tho sale wll have no choiceLibertariantorealizewhatamessthatwouldbe..Power was t into the Bushnotonlybecausecommunities
sepa decided,ag a mat-electricity 'would im-standard of life.We built
_shiny metal housing units"seemed like a good idea at the time.
Sometimes it may not 8seemm likeit,but we're all in this together.wemwrenseeeed them in some cases,SYIdW3NVANNC:AGLN3StWVWOE:8$L6-02-6:2RSALTYOHLNYADYSNSWV-