Good Economic News?

When talk turns to economic news, very little,if any, is good these days. We hear about layoffs, plant closings,packages of stimuli and no telling what else. Well, I would like  to share a brief bit of economic good new, relatively speaking.Here in Elizabeth City,NC  our City Council just voted for a 4% increase  in our electricity rates.Why the City Council you ask and  why is this good news at all?

Easy and complicated at the same time. First, the easy part. Last September if my records are correct we were blessed with a 14% rate increase so all is relative, even though that is a total of 18% in less than a year. Now for the more complicated part. Why is the City Council involved? One word- ElectriCities, a word not necessarily well thought of around here. According to their website they are ” a not for profit government service organization representing cities, towns and universities that own electric distribution systems.”

As best as I can understand Elizabeth City has been involved in this organization for  a number of years. I guess it may seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, maybe not so much. The more  I see  and hear the more I long for the days of Duke Power and the Southern Company who were electric utilities period.

But, again referring to the above referenced website, one of the benefits we receive as ElectriCities members is that customers have a voice in the activites of their electric systems.Sure, they do, just keep on believing that.

Want another rate increase with that?

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