One need not look to Washington, D.C., or Juneau for injustice that is forced on people by those in power. We in Homer need to look no further than our city council. Let me explain: We all need fuel to provide the energy needed to live and we basically have three different kinds, namely, electricity, oil and wood. Now a fourth is soon to be forced upon us. Those who provide electricity and oil pay in full for the products and for its delivery to their customers who of their own free will choose to purchase it.
Neither of the oil companies have used the power of the city council to force the citizens of Homer to pay for oil tanks, tank trucks or other costs involved in its delivery even those oil trucks drive by the non-user. The same is true of those who provide electricity. I have not known HEA to charge a non-user just because the line crosses their property.
This is not true of the providers of gas. They have used the city council to force every landowner to pay for the delivery of their product whether it is used or not by that landowner. If it is used, more delivery costs are added. In addition, we also have the cost of new appliances.
Is this blind or premeditated injustice forced upon the citizens of Homer by our government?
To provide a level playing field and free choice, I ask the city council to remove the forced gas delivery charge or also force all citizens to pay for the delivery costs of oil and electricity for fairness or just treatment. Who knows? That just might bring the costs of our present fuels down, making them competitive with gas and save us all a lot of money.
I wonder how our council members can sleep after forcing such injustice on this city, including their unfair attack on present energy suppliers.
Ray Arno