stop Central Hudson rate hike (fact: CH made $27 million in profits in 2008)...

Hi all...

In case you didn't see this in post I made last week-- come out and speak up today if you can!...

[...and-- see below-- email all 25 of us at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us to pass resolution on this]

From the Poughkeepsie Journal Jan. 13th...

"Hearings Proposed for Central Hudson Rate Hikes" by Craig Wolf
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100113/BUSINESS/1130318/Hearings-scheduled-for-proposed-Central-Hudson-rate-hikes

Consumers who want to sound off about rate increases proposed by Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. can do so Jan. 26.The state Public Service Commission, which is reviewing the proposals from Poughkeepsie-based Central Hudson, has set two public statement hearings for that day. The first is at 11 a.m. in the Common Council Chambers, third floor at city hall, 62 Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie. The second is at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers on Broadway in Kingston. Central Hudson rates rose on July 1. A month later, a new proposal was made, which would go into effect this July if approved.
That proposal seeks permission to raise rates for electric and gas delivery service. It cites rising costs and uncollectible bills along with falling sales volume. The case has gone through testimony stages and brought objections from the trial staff of the state Department of Public Service and the Consumer Protection Board. Litigation in the case has been suspended because talks toward a negotiated settlement continue. The trial staff opposed Central Hudson's request to get $15.2 million more from electric customers and $4 million more from gas customer

Fact: Dutchess taxpayers as it is now already pay over $700,000 a year to Central Hudson through our county property taxes for electricity/power at county buildings all over Dutchess; I've gotten two resolutions passed in our County Legislature to stop inappropriate and unfair rate hikes like this (for many years now Central Hudson has been cranking in literally tens of millions in profits annually).

Join over 100 signed on to my http://www.PetitionOnline.com/FairRate -- stop C.H. rate hike now;
see: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/help-stop-newly-proposed-central-hudson.html !

From http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091027/BIZ/910270314/-1/BIZ1301 ...

Profits rise for Central Hudson's parent
By Michael Levensohn
Times Herald-Record
Posted: October 27, 2009 - 2:00 AM

POUGHKEEPSIE — Higher delivery rates for gas and electricity helped CH Energy Group boost its third-quarter profit to $5.6 million, or 34 cents per share, up from $3.2 million, or 18 cents per share, a year ago. CH Energy Group is the parent company of Central Hudson Gas & Electric, a regulated utility that serves much of Dutchess, Orange and Ulster counties. Central Hudson is in the middle of a rate case before the state Public Service Commission that will set rates effective July 2010. If approved as requested, it would increase average residential bills by 3.7 percent for electric and 3.5 percent for natural gas.

Pass it on...

[...and-- no reason to not hold Paterson, state leg.'s accountable for this too-- call 'em at (877) 255-9417!...]

Joel
242-3571/876-2488
joeltyner@earthlink.net

p.s. A number of folks have indicated to me their disgruntlement over Rolison/GOP's newly revised effort to stop Dem memorializing resolutions from even being allowed on to agenda for Committee Day; see:
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/January/20/DCL_mems-20Jan10.html (from last week)...

I'm not the only one who recalls all of the pontificating, polemicizing, and politicizing perpetrated by GOP county legislators for years during mtg.'s like Rolison-- through their memorializing resolutions in our County Legislature-- re: MTA payroll tax, cap on Medicaid, getting NYS to pay for state-ready inmates in our County Jail, natural gas drilling, etc....(let me know if you want even more details, folks)...

Fact: The vast majority of dozens of resolutions I've gotten passed have NOT been memorializations.
[see: http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/dutchess-progressive-help-make-it.html ]

However-- Rolison's already-announced drive (last week @ MidHudsonNews.com) towards eliminating debate/discussion on pressing issues from state budget, etc. that truly do affect us here in Dutchess (like CH rate hike) is troubling (this-- after I decided to do bipartisan thing and vote for him as Chair!)...

[again-- thx to Co. Leg.'s Doxsey, Kuffner for co-sponsoring my resolution to bring back stock transfer tax on Wall Street-- stop local tax hikes, state budget cuts email countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us!...
http://dutchessdemocracy.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-turned-in-my-paperwork-thurs-to-stary.html ]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[so-- again-- email 25 of us at countylegislators@co.dutchess.ny.us to get this on Feb. agenda, passed!]

WHEREAS, Dutchess County taxpayers paid $741,655 to Central Hudson in 2008 for power as a part of the county budget alone; Central Hudson's newly proposed rate hike will further drive up county property taxes, school property taxes, town property taxes, village property taxes, city property taxes, fire property taxes, and library property taxes, and

WHEREAS, families, businesses and local governments in Dutchess County are still reeling from the effects of one of the worst financial crises in our nation's history; we've all had to make painful sacrifices, and we expect Central Hudson to do the same and forgo this proposed rate hike, and

WHEREAS, as it is now already, last July 1st Central Hudson raised electricity delivery rates by 8.5 percent and natural gas delivery rates by 23.5 percent; CH Energy Group, the parent of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. of Poughkeepsie, has asked for another rate hike to go into effect this June, complaining of “inadequate revenues”, even though CH Energy Group has made tens of millions of dollars annually in profits for many years, and

WHEREAS, the Times Herald-Record reported last October 27th that “CH Energy Group boosted its third-quarter profit to $5.6 million, or 34 cents per share, up from $3.2 million, or 18 cents a share, a year ago”; CH Energy Group made over $27 million in profits in 2008, and

WHEREAS, Central Hudson's newly proposed rate hike, if approved by our state's Public Service Commission, would generate an additional $15.2 million in revenues from the delivery of electricity and an additional $3.9 million in revenues from the delivery of natural gas by raising the average residential electric customer's bill by $3.46 a month and the average natural gas customer's bill by $3.97 a month, and

WHEREAS, the increases proposed by Central Hudson would affect nearly 300,000 customers of all classes, including about 252,000 residential electric accounts and about 62,600 residential gas services, and

WHEREAS, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported in January that Public Service Commission's own trial staff has opposed Central Hudson's request to get $15.2 million more from electric customers and $4 million more from gas customers, and

WHEREAS, the Dutchess County Legislature and Poughkeepsie Town Board also both passed resolutions last year in opposition to Central Hudson's last rate hike,

RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature requests that the New York State Public Service Commission reject Central Hudson's newly proposed rate hike, and be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be sent to Governor David Paterson, the New York State Public Service Commission, State Senators Vincent Leibell and Stephen Saland, and Assemblymembers Greg Ball, Kevin Cahill, Joel Miller, Marcus Molinaro, and Frank Skartados.