Published: September 27, 2008 09:37 pm         

Rate hikes

We know why PSC doesn’t want the ‘Public’s’ phone calls

Natural gas, electric, water, sewer — take your pick — “Public” utility rates continue to climb, much to the ire of the citizenry.

Want to complain?

Then you’ll have to contact the regulatory body set up to address “Public” utility business, that being the “Public” Service Commission.

But don’t bother calling. It’s the position of the PSC that phone calls can’t be adequately documented. Therefore, it’s a waste of the consumer’s time.

You must file your complaint in writing so that it can legally become part of the formal record; the legal bases must be covered.

Understandable, but it doesn’t really assist many West Virginians. And while voices may well be heard over the phone at the PSC headquarters in Charleston, they just don’t count according to the way business is currently conducted.

That’s wrong.

Again, we hear the PSC legal counsel’s argument when it comes to the filing of a rate increase complaint and that it must be written documentation. However, this is a roadblock and just another level of frustration with the government for Joe “Public.”

Delegate Linda Sumner contacted the PSC about it last week and got stymied, as well. But she says the PSC should be able to assist in much the same way lawmakers do by allowing residents to call office personnel and assistants, give specific information and have their opinions heard and considered. They must provide their name and address to make it official.

“At least they could get an understanding of how many people are concerned about a rate increase,” Sumner said. “At least it could be counted as a concern.”

Seems legitimate to us.

But wait a minute, hold the phone. We know why the PSC really doesn’t want phone calls; it’s because they don’t want to deal with the “Public” any longer than they have to.

That, and the pressure we have put on the PSC commissioners to respond to the outcry, would be overwhelming.

It’s just easier for the “Public” Service Commission to slap a muzzle on the “Public,” rather than getting a real idea as to what citizens think.

Maybe the PSC should be renamed the Utility Service Commission; it’s befitting.