A real relief plan

Governor Palin proposes giving grants to energy companies to provide some temporary relief from energy costs.

What I’d like to see is Matanuska Electric Association having to use the almost $8,000 of mine they have collected from me over and above the actual cost of providing me electricity for the past decade.

When a regular business has money left over after paying expenses, it is called profit. When MEA has money left over after expenses, it’s called margins, thus making that money totally different from profit. After 20 years we are supposed to get these margins, aka capital credits, but MEA hasn’t done so in years.

The amount MEA has overcharged me and is holding on to — and making a return on — would pay my electric bill for about the next four years.

Now that would be real relief.

James Garhart

Wasilla