Local water rates are fine

A.T. VanHook, Piny Grove, Ky.
Commonwealth Journal

July 01, 2009 10:08 am

— Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to a previous one sent by Mr. Wiles concerning the proposed increases in utility rates.
What Mr. Wiles may not be aware of is that Pulaski County residents pay some of the lower rates in the state as well as the country, although at times I know it doesn’t feel like it.
The bottom line is everything is going to get
more expensive – deal with it.
I doubt the PSC is going to try and block this hike any faster than the rising cost of milk; in fact, they are probably wondering how we have been getting it so cheap for so long.
Don’t get it wrong, nobody loves paying more bills than they have to. I do, however, think that distancing ourselves from reliance on dirty coal is an excellent idea. Yes, it’s cheap; is it is good for the environment.
What do you think?
Mr. Wiles stated the following in his statement: “Once again this is a politician hung up on power that wants to build a legacy on other people’s backs.”
What are we doing by encouraging dirty coal, an industry that’s been so devastating to the environment in Kentucky.
I’m sure many people who would read this would roll their eyes cursing all the tree-hugging hippies out there. It may be so, but honestly does anyone want a coal slurry pond in their backyard?
What’s cheap and easy is not always right.
This is not to say we all have to go broke to keep the lights on. In my home we rarely pay more than $100 for water-electricity combined. We heat with a wood stove in winter (downed wood we cut; again not the easiest, but definitely cheaper). In the summer we operate with one window AC unit, for the whole house.
Some people may not believe it, but you can live without central heat and air and a swimming pool in the back yard.
This recession is teaching people what they should already know – not to have more than you need.
We should be trying to conserve our resources in the first place, maybe the silver lining of a price increase is that it gives people the motivation to do so.
A.T. VanHook
Piny Grove, Ky.