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This BLOG has been setup to capture remarks regarding the Proposed EID Rate Hikes
Go to our website http://www.StopEID.org/
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Go to our website http://www.StopEID.org/
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Our website is now open but will be updated as we go along
ReplyDeleteNo one likes this rate increase. But, let's be accurate when discussing it. To what 28% increase do you refer? Is it the drought rate that was rescinded; or is it the change in rate structure that actually resulted in a rate DECREASE for low volume users (and a rate increase for some high volume users)? The 80% increase over a 5 year period is bad enough, without making it seem worse than it really is. Each EID rate payer should do the math to determine exactly what this year's 35% increase and subsequent increases amount to in DOLLARS, not in percentages.
ReplyDeleteHjnorris is correct in saying that the 28% was for the drought rate. Therefore the increase is 80%. The CARE team regrets this error. Please note that the website has been corrected, in less than 24 hours, to show an 80% increase. A review of the site stats shows only 8 hits as of this morning and that half of those were from the CARE team.
ReplyDeleteThe CARE team wants to present the most accurate information possible and will correct any errors in the website in the shortest amount of time possible.
Let's get real. If Costco, Raley's, Target, Walmart, etc. increased prices 35% they would never see us again.
ReplyDeleteLook at your last EID bill. If this rate hike goes into effect, in five years your bill will be 80% higher than the one you are looking at.
This rate hike is absurdly inflationary and must be stopped.
Care is beginning to receive comments that are highly critical of the proposed EID Rate Hikes. They will be posted on the website if the authors give permission.
ReplyDeleteMy inbox was full of comments in support of CARE's position on EID rate hikes. In the Last 24 Hours the Web Crawlers have found our site and it is now searchable. We are on the move!
ReplyDeleteThe current Rate Proposal is completely unacceptable and places no measurements or controls on EID to improve it performance and clean up its financial act. It must be rejected outright. The EID board and staff need to ask for a one year rate increase and provide thorough documentation and rationale for why the increase is required.
ReplyDeleteThe EID rate payers cannot bear the burden of a 5 year 80% increase.
As I understand it, the EID if facing some pretty tough financial issues. Obviously, we can't have them just go bankrupt.
ReplyDeleteI've had several people suggest that I write in to protest the increase. I'm fine with protesting, but I generally like to offer up alternative solutions that I will support.
Have residents who are protesting the increase offered up alternative solutions? I know residents don't want the increase, but I'm wondering what the better alternatives might be.
Presently the EID Board and Staff are in "sell" mode with the proposed rate increase. They are not in "listen to ideas" mode. If rate payers don't reject this outrageous increase, the Board and Staff will move ahead with it and listening to rate payer input will be a moot point. DONE DEAL. If rate payers want input, they must first STOP THE RATE HIKE!! Only then will EID be forced to go back to the drawing board and maybe listen to their rate payers.
ReplyDeleteOpen question. I see the CARE website promotes a zero increase position on rates. If rates are locked into zero increases, and EID does not find a way to chop about a quarter of its operating budget (per Sac Bee article), how long will it take before EID defaults on its bond payments? I'm trying to determine how much time we have to work with, before greater damage is done, possibly driving rates up even further. If we have a year to work with, that would be great. If it's 60 days, that could spell disaster. Can anyone here speak to that? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTrust Rob to come up with a well reasoned response to this issue. CARE does recognize that some increase may be warranted but questions “so much so fast.”
ReplyDeleteThe new rates the will go into effect on February 8th just 28 days from this posting. CARE does not think that EID has made a case for proposed rate. Also CARE does not think that the two workshops and one hearing is enough to debate over this issue.
I was not able to go to the EDH workshop last evening because of a conflict. Does anyone have a synopsys of what was discussed? Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest in the EID rate changes: The scene at the Fire House last night was lots of people and filled to over capacity. The Fire Department closed the room because it was over capacity which was 130 but I counted 165 plus. The lobby was reported to have another 50 with people coming and going for some time. I gave up my set to a news paper reporter who was standing in the lobby. Cars were park all along EDH Boulevard. I do not know why I knew that the Fire Station had parking for only 25 cars and EID didn’t. It was estimated that at least 95% of the people supported the CARE position on the Rate Increases.
ReplyDeleteEID did a slick presentation for about 40 min to tell us all about themselves and their high level of customer satisfaction. It was interesting but really did not say much more than was in their original announcement. They did offer to hold a second meeting in EDH if needed.
This morning my CARE@StopEID.org mail box had 84 emails all but one was highly supportive of CARE’s position. That email was kind of natural but wanted to express the importance of the issue.
Later today I will have post to the website with links new articles.
Regarding Rob on January 8, 2010 9:08pm:
ReplyDeleteWe the residents are not responsible for EID's financial condition; so by all means, let them go bankrupt. I would offer a solution IF I was an insider and had information pertinant to offering up a solution, but, I'm not and I don't.
Also Jonj on January 4,2010 11:34am stated "If Costco, Rayleys, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. increased prices 35% they woulkd never see us again" and he is exactly right; unfortunalty in our situation, there is no other competition to give our business to. In essence, unless we move we will be held in this postion for many more years than one might think and thats why we need to make a stand.
Regarding the protest: I myself have copied flyers and a generic letter and have gone door to door spreading the word and getting signatures on the letters, then looking up the residents APN # and mailing the letters in to the refered address. But I am only one man and would need a crew of volenteers to hit the most concentrated areas to make a larger difference.
Its time for action. Action will prevent the migration of badly needed businesses and residents away from El Dorado County. If you are willing to volunteer then please get a hold of me. Glen gb.bhard@gmail.com.
I am concerned when I read that any fellow resident would take action that they believe will help to force EID into even greater financial distress. My hope is that most residents are taking actions, whatever those might be, that they believe will help the situation at EID, not compound it.
ReplyDeleteWe own EID. It is ours, the public. We hire the people who run it. EID's assets are our assets. We bought them. This is not GM, the mega-banks or Wall Street. This is a resident owned utility.
I believe we should be seeking the best solution to shore up EID, not take it down. Cost cutting. Rate increases. Negotiations with our creditors. They should all be on the table.
EID's publicly elected board members feel the proposed rate increase is the best solution. Obviously, many feel it is not. Competing proposals should be put on the table for the public, and the EID board, to study.
Legally forcing the EID into a zero rate increase situation, which could happen if enough residents send in the CARE letter, could result in ownership and control of EID shifting from the residents over to the bondholders. At that point we, the residents, will have lost what little control we have at EID. We would essentially become minority owners. I don't think that is in our best interest.
Instead, I believe the best approach, for right now, is to convince the EID board to delay implementation of their increase. Not legally force it off the table, just delay it. This might allow for all ideas to be shared, input to be provided and then a final decision made. Who knows, this might be a huge rate increase. Or, maybe it's something else.
At this time what I ask of the EID board is that they figure out a way to engage more with the public. Have many more meetings. Educate us. Let us see if we reach the same conclusion as you did for solving this, or if we prefer a different solution.
Right now people are acting on emotion. We need time to settle down and look at the facts, and then make the tough decisions for moving forward.
Thanks for reading this one individuals opinion, even though it might be a minority opinion.
Rob with all do respect, you sound as if you have a some sort of relationship with the EID. Even though you may not have a relationship with them I support your idea and advise you to do your best to convince the EID to delay implimentation of their increase. In the mean time I seek to stop it.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your statement when you said "EID's publicly elected board members feel the proposed rate increase is the best solution." Those same board members also oked their budget and all other financial decisions.
Regarding your statement"Right now people are acting on emotion", your partially right. The residents of El Dorado County have been given a very short time slot to rise and protest, right now, like EID we are scattering to pull together. On the other hand financially this increase could push a lot of us over the financial edge. When it comes to my families well being, I will fight, and our well being is at stake.
Volunteers please contact me at gb.bhard@gmail.com
NEWS ALERT- Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District plans to raise rates. Before I tell you how much, I must let you know that we in El Dorado County pay roughly 3x as much as residents in Sacramento.
ReplyDeleteOK hold on to your seats... SRCSD propose to raise rates by .50 cents per month. WOW that calculates to about a 1.41 percent increase. EID 60+ percent increase - SRCSD 1.41 percent increase, could someone please make sense of this.
The problem with EID is complete mismanagement that starts from the top. EID is a very top heavy company. Most of the cutbacks have been taken from the workers. The workers have been fighting for their jobs for years now because of the budget issues. When layoffs happened, the workers were laid off. When benefits were slashed, they were slashed from the workers, not upper management. We need to start holding accountable the people who put us in this mess. It is the direct cause of mismanagement of those in charge. Now, once again, they want to cut 1 million from the workers budget. This means there will be less workers actually on the streets keeping our waterways clear, and helping to fix the sewer lines if they leak and cleaning up spills. The General Manager of EID specifically stated that there would be no cuts from the engineering or management. What many of you may not realize is that the management is still collecting $2000 a year for added gym memberships for them and their families. Do you think the workers have this benefit? No they don't. Did you know that EID has 10 HR reps on the payroll. That is just insane. That is 8 too many if you ask me. There is so much more that I could go on for a very long time, but I won't. Start looking into WHY they want to target the rate payers for more money. It's because the upper management of EID does not want to make cuts that directly impact them. In order to stop the rate increases, we need to stop the waste. We need to cut back on the size of the management and the luxuries afforded to them.
ReplyDelete