Dear Source:
I find it fascinating that the PSC can refuse WAPA a rate hike, when the USVI government is not making good on their outstanding $18 million bill for energy!! Yes, it is unfortunate that businesses are failing, but is it solely due to electric costs? Everyone has had to make changes to their lifestyle, to account for fuel prices going sky-high, as well their trickle down effects on food/clothes/services that have had to increase rates to stay in business. Why is WAPA being held to a different standard?
Verne C. David makes a good point – if I didn't pay my WAPA bill, how long before they would cut my service? Why should any government agency have gotten such latitude for non-payments? Are any of these government agencies who are in arrears making any payments, partial or otherwise, to WAPA to try and bring their balances down? Nothing I have read indicates this. How can this administration allow this when doing their budget research? Without making payments, the government debt to WAPA grows, and how long can WAPA continue to do business with such enormous payments outstanding?
Maybe if the government paid its' $18 million debt, WAPA could upgrade equipment, improve services, reduce outages, and maybe, even (gasp) reduce its rates??
Greg Dombroski
New York and St. Thomas
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