GrassRoots Institute: ‘Looming Utility Tax Proposal Would Harm Millions of Californians’
This is a press release from the GrassRoots Institute (GRI) of Mendocino County:
LOCATION— GRI General Meeting on January 28th at noon at the Caspar Community Center (15051 Caspar Road, Caspar, CA 95420)
Last year, the Legislature passed AB 205, a new law that would add a Utility Tax to everyone’s electricity bill. This Utility Tax is uncapped, with unlimited potential to grow. Now the monopoly utilities and their aligned organizations are proposing the highest Utility Tax in the country—between $30-70/month for all non-CARE or FERA ratepayers, just for being hooked up to the grid.
A deep dive into the data, submitted to the record by the Clean Coalition, shows that the Utility Tax proposals will increase electricity bills for millions of working and middle class people across California. The proposals will hit particularly hard for people who live in apartments or homes that use less electricity.
The Utility Tax will also discourage all forms of energy conservation, such as turning off the lights, putting in new windows, or installing solar panels. It would undermine our state’s clean energy goals and diminish our ability to control our electricity bills.
Even a Utility Tax of $30 / month would increase bills on millions of working class and low-income people who live in apartments, condos, and other homes that don’t use much electricity.
Utility Tax proponents say their proposals will lower bills on low-income people. They are not telling the whole story. It is true that CARE and FERA customers would see small and temporary decreases in their monthly electricity bills. But there are millions of people who do not qualify for CARE or FERA, who live in an apartment, who are low income, and who are struggling to make ends meet. For example, a single mother making $40,000/year living in an apartment, she’s just above the CARE cutoff. Her bill will increase immediately.
Let’s also remember that rates and this uncapped Utility Tax will continue to go up, and up, and up. A Utility Tax just rearranges deck chairs on the Titanic—harming millions of working class people and frontline communities in the process.
It is likely many state Legislators voted for AB 205 without realizing what was in it. But the fact is that the Legislature created the Utility Tax. To make things right, the Legislature needs to repeal the Utility Tax provision in AB 205 before it goes live in July 2024.
It’s not too late to stop this, and your voice can make a difference. Please join us at the GRI General Meeting on January 28th at noon at the Caspar Community Center (15051 Caspar Road, Caspar, CA 95420)
Clean Coalition Rebuttal Testimony
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
This is what happens when you rely on the government.
Get off the grid…
Nice thing to say for the very small % of us who can afford the opportunity to be off the grid. Otherwise it’s naive and blind to the millions of people who are stuck in positions without that option. ‘Government’, per se, is not the issue; government policies that favor (rate payers) rather than business interests, a very active citizenry, an accessible and fair court system are better solutions than simply giving up our responsibilities to fight for better representation.
The criminal traitors we have elected in Kalifornia make sure Humboldt’s citizens pay 104% times the national average per KW hr. ,and 100% times more than Sacramento County for electricity.
I’m off grid, so I don’t follow Humboldt rates. If what you share is true, the question would be why they would be charged more? Location? Less people with a smaller voice in pushing back? Vendetta?
The larger issue here is that we have an excellent citizens group, the GrassRoots Institute, who is pushing back. You gonna support / advocate for them?
California is a single party state. The party decides who gets to run, not the citizens, and they are putting people in office who are making laws to bennefit their cronies. They are building wind farms and solar arrays and making billions of dollars and forcing you to pay for it. The government is corrupt and it is scamming you. Your options are to pay them, leave the state, or get off the grid…
Spot on Bud.
So where did Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Deukmajien and Pete Wilson come from? As I recall they were all Republicans. We are not a single party state but I agree that whichever party is in power loves to rape the citizenry financially. I am plotting to get off the grid
Government is certainly the main issue here. Regulatory compliance costs get passed onto the customer and make it impossible for any potential competition to get off the ground. PG&E has 0 incentive to innovate or lower costs because they’ve locked in “too big to fail” status from the state.
It’s not a coincidence that the states with the most regulatory intervention are also the states with the highest energy costs.
This is a very important issue! An excellent example of how active, informed and caring citizens can make change! This also reflects the importance of small, indy media like RHBB. Thank you Kym!!
They haven’t stopped anything
Not yet. But since some of us are not willing to just roll over (or move, vote in right wingers, or sell our/their homes to get off the grid), we will work against such unfairness. Stay comfy in your armchair as you critique the process, feeling all high and so wise.
70 bucks, drop in the bucket when it comes to taxes paid this month.
OIC = only in California