CANTERBURY OKAY WITH HIGHER UTILITY RATES
Written BY Cheryl Musgrave
MAY 1, 2024
It is hard to believe candidate Amy Canterbury’s casual attitude toward high utility bills and rate increase requests. Just last week she wrote “If the people are convinced it is needed, they will accept it.” (Courier & Press April 22, 2024)
Canterbury’s shocking statement evidences an indifference to the harsh reality…….Do the 7,000 plus families that had their utilities disconnected by CenterPoint “understand”?
Consider the statement made by Canterbury’s former boss (until her retirement last month), also the Senior Vice President at our local electric monopoly. He said that affordable electric rates can exist only in a “utopian world”. Is it becoming clear how disconnected Canterbury and her big business backers are from the daily reality of working-class families? (Courier & Press April 24, 2024)
Canterbury’s thoughts on educating the public overlook the harsh reality faced by many families whose budgets are already stretched.
Vanderburgh County’s median household income in 2023 was $58,839. The choice between putting food on the table, keeping a roof over their heads, and paying exploding electric and water rates is a stark one when the paycheck falls short.
These families don’t need an education about why utilities need even more of their hard-earned money, especially from someone who earns over twice that amount herself.
At the recent public rate increase hearing on the requested electric rate increase, where was big corporation, highly paid ($151,583} not-for-profit employee Amy Canterbury. Missing, nowhere to be seen, not fighting for you.
In contrast, I spoke against the proposed utility rate increases at the state hearings not just once, but twice. The first hearing was to oppose increased water rates and the second was to oppose an electric rate hike request. I work to solve the problem and stick with it — no matter how long it takes.
Cheryl Musgrave
You have my vote Mrs. Musgrave,
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