Your letters for Nov. 15, 2024
By NewsPress Now
Your letters for Nov. 15, 2024
American Water rate increases
I attended the city hall meeting with the Public Service Commission and American Water to express my objections over the outrageous increase American Water is asking for. Here are my points I made to them.
Some facts the public needs to know:
The CEO, Susan Hardwick of American Water, has a salary package of $7,720,825. This does not include board members and executive salaries.
The average salary for an employee of American Water is around $88,203, an hourly rate of $42 an hour. The highest earners which are in the top 75 percentile are paid over $99,616.
American Water INC paid 58.79% of company earnings in dividends to their investors. This is really good for investors, but we are paying the returns!
American Water in 2023 paid $414,414 dollars in contributions to political people and a total $2.3 million in lobbying activities.
In 2023, Evergy had a 7.2% rate hike that on average increase a bill from $143.33 to $175.39 a month.
In May 2023, American Water received an average of $18 a month, a 27% increase. Now they are at the trough once again asking for a 43% increase.
When the PSC approves, and they will, these increases on our utility companies rounded up have increased about 50%.
I urge the commissioner and the utility companies to stop this annual fleecing of the public. These companies see the public as a bottomless pit of money and entitlement. I say use your profits for improvements like families have to manage their money to meet expenses. Retirees will receive a 2.5% increase in Social Security, and you are asking for a 47.3% increase. When I purchase an item or make improvements to my property, I can’t just call Social Security and ask for a raise. I have to manage my money.
Here are some interesting facts about American Water:
Total assets: $30.3 billion, an increase of 9% from last year.
Net income: $1.5 billion, a decade high.
Operating revenues: $4.2 billion, an increase of 11% from 2022.
Capital expenditure: $2.6 billion
At a glance, it would appear American Water is living very well off the public. It’s all on Google!
Richard Sharp
St. Joseph
Thank you, veterans
On the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour of 1918, the guns of the Great War at long last fell silent. In the century following that solemn moment, our nation has recognized every November that many Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who have gallantly answered the call of duty to join our Armed Forces in order to secure the blessings of liberty for our posterity and ourselves. Whether our service members are stationed on American soil or in far-flung locations around the world, our military stands ever ready to make any sacrifice necessary in order to preserve our freedoms and defend our cherished values.
Thank you to all our veterans who continue to serve our nation as part of the federal workforce. We remember your service today and every day.
Paul Bacon
Hallandale Beach, Florida
