And as I have pointed out before, they always schedule their public meetings at the most inconvenient times for the public. The meetings should be at 1pm on Saturday, when most people can come.

Hi all and to crazymom - Well crazymom do you see how EWEB gets is money just as we discussed under the U of O light story. All this conserving energy and gas and on anything else is a catch 22. if we conserve the govt does not get enought taxes and has short falls so they raise the rates. Just like the gas issue about 8 months back everybody cut back on driving when gas got up to 4 dollars a gallon and what happened the local govts said we are not getting enough money from the taxes. So up go the rates (5 to 6 cents in Feb in city of eugene) and the taxes. Now is the big push for the electric cars, people use less gas so the taxes on gas go up and not only that govt has to spend money to put in electric charge stations at taxpayer expense. They get you coming and going.

Now, I never said anything about EWEB cutting the assistance they offer to help with electricity, which by the way does not help if the bill is not in the name of the unemployed, even if the income of the person combined with the household still puts the household under their poverty guidelines. I am not usually against the rate increases but since they have already increased the rates twice this year, I do not support this increase. Like was stated by two other people on this feed, EWEB is footing 40% of the costs for the UofO upgrade(which I support this project), then I feel that EWEB can put off their third rate increase in a years time. If I raised my prices every time the products I use at work go up, I would no longer have any customers left! But as customers of EWEB, we have no choice as to where we get our electricity from.

Crazymom needs to check her facts. EWEB has provided more than $12 million in energy assistance since 2009 for low-income customers and customers who have lost their jobs. In 2012, EWEB will increase its level of assistance to $2.7 million. The FEDERAL Governmnet has slashed energy assistance while EWEB has increased it levle of help.

It is unseemly that EWEB first agrees to foot 40% of the cost of changing UO's light bulbs and then turns around with 2 rate increases. If they are going to fund projects with our tax dollars and then increase rates, it would be fair for us to have a vote in which projects they commit to.

Hey, Bobsmom, it might interest you to know that EWEB is footing 40% of the "light-blub change out" at the U of O...that is 40% of $681,000. I'm thinking if they can afford to do that, then perhaps they don't really need to raise our rates. Again...for the 2nd time in 2011. See this article for details: http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/University-of-Oregon-to-save-98-000-a-year-with/WvyHuEYjEkiobIuQ5t982w.cspx

Hey, Crazymom, it's not greed--it's a fact that Bonneville has raised their rates, so EWEB has to raise their rates. What have you done at your house to conserve electricity, or is that too crazy to wrap your head around?

Wow, just as we are finding out that the energy assistance to low income people is being cut. Hearing that Oregon is the 3rd hungriest state in the nation. Oregon has the seventh highest daycare costs in the nation. All of this on top of having some of the highest unemployment in the nation. Way to go EWEB, your greed will never stop amazing me!!