Utility increases.Our local utility has just announced a 22.5% increase in the cost of water service to homes and businesses. This is after years of trying to get people to conserve water and curb water waste. Now that people are listening to them water usage is down. This has resulted in falling revenues, which necessitates a large increase in the price of water so they can maintain their revenue. They've stopped saying that that's the reason though. Too many people were pointing out the hypocracy of that line of thinking, and were pointing out that its their own fault water usage is down and perhaps they could find ways to reduce costs in the utility itself. Oops! That wasn't what they wanted.
Now they've entered a new line of reasoning they're trying to convince people of. They're now saying that those who use lots of water are currently being given a tremendous break by paying lower costs so they're going to be penalized by having to pay higher costs. They more you use, at the new rate, the more you pay. A nice try, but it ignores the fact that the increase is a blanket increase so even those who have little usage are being given a 22.5% increase. But they don't want us to recognize that fact. They just want us to feel good that the wasters are finally getting some sort of penalty. What it amounts to is - if you use little water you get a 22.5% increase, and if you use a lot, well, you get the same increase. Some penalty! The fact is that a lot of people are being penalized for being frugal in their water consumption.
Imaginary penalties. Distraction from the truth. Marketing spin. The assumption that everyone is less than a dull normal and can't figure this out. Just another pet peeve...
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