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It was a cold day, with fresh -knee deep- snow... downtown Denver had cars slipping and sliding everywhere. For some reason the snow plows and sanding was not at its best.
Yet, more than a dozen protestors, representing various organizations, were out speaking to the high utility bills they have experienced in the last three months. Those there, were serious about asking how a utility company could be so cold and heartless on Valentines Day.
Fox 31 News in their evening news went something like this:
The little caption on the lower right read 13 degrees at 9:06
newscaster Libby Weaver was speaking, ...bills are in the mail and tonite people told Xcel these bills are to high...
on the TV screen you hear a protestors yelling "Stop the Price Gouging"...as his warm breath quickly become a cold foggy stream...
Libby Weaver continues, ...Protestors at Xcels Denver headquarters say the power companies rate hikes were unfair, especially to the elderly, disabled, and other low income families....
on the TV screen...protestors walk around with sign, shivering as they walk with frosty breaths...signs that say "XPEL XCEL ADOPT A CO-OP", and "GREED IS OUR CREED" [ as if said by the ] PUC & XCEL [ who are seen as ] PARTNERS", and "XCEL MISMANAGES WE PAY THE DAMAGES"...and a protestor is seen passing out talking points
...that read
WHY WE MUST ACT!
-natural gas prices may be even higher next winter
-Xcel does make a profit-in transporting the natural gas
-Our elected officials have no long term solutions-only short term ones that allows Xcel to continue to gouge us
-This so called "crises" may be an excuse to drill on public land
-The poor and low income among us are struggling to pay outrageous energy bills
-Small businesses are feeling the negative affect of this also
THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO:
-begin the discussion on more economically and environmentally friendly alternatives
-bring people from labor, environmental groups, low-income, small business owners, and the average person together to come up with a viable solution that would benefit us all
THE ONLY CHANGE THAT WILL OCCUR IS A CHANGE WE DEMAND! WHY WE MUST ACT!
On the TV screen...a protestor speaks....Mark Burnbaum...Its greed without compassion and that's not an answer for the average individual...on SSI and SSDI and the poor and the elderly...
Mark Stutzs spokes person [spin master] for Xcel speaks...Most of what we have had increases...ah...eh...[are] unfortunately....have been on natural gas supply are for the 4 increases for the cost of gas and infrastrutures to provide gas in the community...
newscaster Libby Weaver continues...now in the last year Xcel has raised natrual gas rates 4 times the biggest was a 40% hike earlier this month...a federal report out tonite says 41% more Coloradans are seeking government help to pay their gas bills this year...
TURN TO CHANNEL 2 NEWS....their caption reads 9 degrees at 9:43...
Ernie Bjorkman speaks....Protestors in Denver ...they say their tired of paying more to stay warm...and they want Xcel to know about it.
TV screen....protestors in the cold air walking with signs that say "GREED IS OUR CREED..PUC & EXCEL PARTNERS", "XCEL PASSES GAS", "XCEL MISMANAGES WE PAY THE DAMAGES", "DEREGULATE THE PUC", and "STEALTH PRICE GOUGING"...
Protestor Mark Burnbaum speaks...the people who can't afford to pay it sTill have a right to be warm, this isn't a 3rd world country...it's starting to feel like it...his cold breath streaming
Mark Stutz speaks...its kind of unfortunate..ah..eh..in the sense their protesting to the gas cost adjustments and the rate cost...all that has happened with Xcel company in the past 8 months and has not generated any additional income for the company...cold breath streaming from his mouth...
Ernie Bjorkman speaks...Xcel says the extra money...there has been 4 rate hikes .. has paid for the higher price of natural gas and to maintain its service...
Obervation, Comment, and Opinion:
Looking at the 2/15/2001 Denver Post, written by Steve Raabe, Denver Post Business writer... page 8C, their graphic...the highest natural gas price only lasted less than 10 days in and around Christmas day 2000 [ thanks for the Xcel Xmas present ]...and then dropped...dramatically. The high was around $10.50...and then as of Valentines day 2001 is was $5.86...and the Denver Post writes "Shuttlesworth said many experts don't share his view that natrual gas prices will increasingly show a link to economic indicators. For example, he said a recent index of national manufacturing activity hit its lower point since 1991"
...[this says to me that gas an oil producers are doing this on their own]...also the Denver Post continues "Meanwhile, natural gas prices plunged more than 8% Wednesday [Valentines day] to a 3 month low after an industry report signaled that U.S. supllies would be sufficient for the balance of the winter heating season"
...[it doesn't naturally mean that the highest price hike that lasted 10 days in December 2000...will be the reason we have to pay it from now on...or have been paying for 3 months???]
ASK the PUC and XCEL to address that...I'd like to hear their answer
...and not from Mark Stutz...he didn't address XCELs mismanagement, greed, price gouging...or if the PUC and XCEL are partnering in this perceived scam...
Al Soto, Metro student
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