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So what? If people can't afford it, they shouldn't be using it. Should the government pay half the price of your next car for you because you can't afford it?


Clearly we'd have to have all provinces go off the government tit at the same time.

But you seem to think we're not already paying $1. We are. We're just paying it two ways (with the hydro bill and with taxes). If we went to market pricing, we'd have lower provincial taxes to make up the difference.

   

Middle class and poor Ontarians should live in the dark while electricity becomes a luxury for the rich?

Damn, you're pretty hardcore Lemmy.



Isn't going to happen.

   

So you think it's better that middleclass and poor Ontarians are subsidizing big businesses' power consumption? That's what's happening. We're paying it out the ass in taxes so rich corporations can get cheap hydro. How does it put poor people in dark by switching from $0.10 in hydro + $0.90 in taxes to $1.00 in hydro and no tax? It's still the same total amount: $1. It'd be a revenue-neutral change for everyone except businesses.

If you want to help poor people, give them money. You don't help them in the long run by piling up public debt.

   

You seem surprisingly aggressive in your opinion, but it makes me wonder what world you live in. I doubt that anyone in north-eastern North America is paying 10x what we pay for hydro, nor could they afford to.

It's only a few years ago that Timmins lost an entire smelting industry and thousands of jobs because the plant operations there were relocated to Quebec where hydro is considerably cheaper. Hydro rates affect our economy and our competitiveness on all levels, and calling for what you consider a "realistic" price on electricity ignores the heavy burden it would place on everyone from industry down to the individual consumer.

Your answer is not the one we need.

   

You're misunderstanding me. I'm not providing an answer, but rather clarifying the facts. You say people can't afford a 10x increase in hydro prices. But they already are. The other 90 cents doesn't appear out of thin air. It comes in the form of taxes and debt. It wouldn't cost anyone more out of pocket to pay the full price at the retail level rather than 10% to the power company and the other 90% in taxes or accumulated debt...unless the plan is to fuck our grandchildren.

I'm just addressing all the whining about "high" electricity bills. The fact is that the retail price of hydro in Ontario is the bargain of all bargains. The complainers are barking up the wrong tree. They need to find something else to bitch about.

   

I see your point, but I tend to think the core issue is mismanagement. Almost a billion dollars wasted in a gas plant cancellation tends to reinforce my opinion. So does the Liberals' "green energy" fiasco.

The sad fact (to my mind) is that even if we paid a LOT more for our electricity, taxes and debt would still not be addressed. I'm cynical enough to believe that politicians would find a way to squander the extra cash inflow without significantly touching taxes or debt.

   

K Lemmy I'm getting a very sweet hand crank sewing machine for christmas and I do have a tredle. I will learn to use them and stop bitching about eletricity

But I'm not going to stop bitching about the nobs on Queens Park or the other group on the hill. Or the stupid person who tells me she gets to bitch cause she didn't vote so none of the nobs are her fault!!!!!!

   

Don't forget the candles !

   

Along with old machines I have oil lamps...

Hey if I were to make period costumes I can charge more for the "whole" period thing happening...

   

Another Liberal boondoggle. Between the Green Energy Act, smart meters and having no real plan for Ontario's energy needs it's only because the Liberals have decimated the manufacturing sector and have driven demand for energy down in that sector that the rest of the province isn't living like North Korea with rolling blackouts. The Liberals forced everyone in the province to adopt these smart meters to change people's habits to use electricity in off-peak hours and did so by offering reduced rates during these times. It seemed like it never occurred to anyone that spreading out the usage doesn't change the fact that people are using the exact same amount of power, only now by offering reduced rates during off-peak hours your taking in less revenue. So now off-peak has to rise faster than the other tiers. Couple this with the fact the Ontario ratepayer has to pay for the Liberals gas plant fiasco and it's another scandal to add to the Liberals lengthy list.

   

You should do some fact-checking before hitting "submit".

   

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