Okay you guys, this is getting a little ridiculous. Now we've got California power companies implementing progressive tax policies in their billing practices.
That's Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric charging you, the customer, based on how much money you make. So if you make more, you pay more.
This is so California!
(And yet another reason to flee the state if you haven't already.)
Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, and San Diego Gas & Electric submitted a joint proposal to the state's Public Utilities Commission last week that outlines the new rate structure. It follows last year's passage of Assembly Bill 205 which requires a fixed rate and generally simpler power bills.
Under the proposal, households will see a fixed rate covering basic electricity services and the utility company's operating costs on a scale based on their household income.
- Households with annual income from $28,000 – $69,000 would pay $20 a month in Edison territory, $34 a month in SDG&E territory and $30 a month in PG&E territory.
- Households earning from $69,000 – $180,000 would pay $51 a month in Edison and PG&E territories and $73 a month in SDG&E territory.
- Those with incomes above $180,000 would pay $85 a month in Edison territory, $128 a month in SDG&E territory and $92 a month in PG&E territory.
I'm sorry, but this is just simply unfair.
Just because I work my butt off every day to barely make it by in California on $70K per year shouldn't mean I have to pay extra for energy. Neither should it matter that I make over $180K. And if I'm a poor person I just feel kinda bad being able to pay less for power than the rest of the population.
SCE says approximately 1.2 million of its lower-income customers will see their bills drop by 16%-21%. Overall, rates will decrease by about 33% per kilowatt hour for all residential customers, the utility says.
Cool, but as a poor person I still feel kinda guilty for this.
Honestly, why not just throw a bunch of money at these poor people for their bills instead of openly allowing power companies to charge extra for high-income earners?
You can always just get the money back with your progressive taxes, and it won't be so obvious that you're slipping into state-run capitalism.
I hate to see stuff like this, but in a way I love it because more people will leave California as a result.
Pretty soon they'll be begging for conservative-minded people to come back and fix everything they broke. Until then, I'll continue to remind you that if you haven't left California you need to get yourself a U-Haul and get the heck outta there!
