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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1978)
opinion ars Energy measure deserves our support Ballot Measure 4 would grve Oregon voters an opportunity to bring local control to electric service by easing formation procedures of Poeple s UWrty Dis tricts fPUDsj. It should be passed. Current state la* requres two elections to set up a PUD. The first establishes district boundaries and elects a board of directors; the second grants the board authority to se* bonds, an essential budgeting power for any agency. The procedure has proved so cumbersome that Oregon has only four operating PUDs. while Washington restoents. having taken advantage of less obstructive laws, enjoy both 80 percent pubic - utility service and the lowest rates in the country Vote ‘yes’ on 9 If Ballot Measure 9 passes, private, investor owned utilities in Oregon would no longer be allowed to charge the cost of borrowing money tor construc tion projects in their rate bases. The so-call “Construction Work in Prog ress (CWtP) charges are unfair and unjustified BaJtot Measure 9 deserves a yes vote The Public Utility Commission (PUC) has the authority to allow inclusion of these interest costs in utility bils on a case-by-case basis. This practise had been prohibited until 1970, when Portland General Electric Co., stung by cost overruns at the Trojan nuclear plant, convinced the PUC to bail them out. PGE's rates doubled between 1970 and 1975, as the cost of financing the plant shifted from the stockholders to the customers. Oregon’s private utilities realize the threat Measure 9 poses for continuation of this advanta geous arrangement and have spent $113,284 statewide to arrange its demise. To alow CWIP charges in the rate base is to take away the utility customers’ voice in the type or cost effective ness of the generating facilities thus fi nanced. CWIP forces consumers to pay the partial cost for plants that may never produce a single kilowatt for their unwilling investors. Ballot Measure 9 would prevent this unfair sub sidization. Missouri voters passed a similar initiative in 1976 and sent the private utilities in that state a dear message: No more pay as you go, but Cash On Delivery. Oregon should do the same. Bale* Measure 4 woukl reduce this two-election process to a single vote, transfer governing authority over PUDs from the State Energy Department to county comrmsstoners and allow the board to issue revenue and generai-obhgation bonds to establish and operate the new utility. Measure 4 does not set up PUDs itself; it only smpifies the process should consumers desire one. No blank check is given to the elected board of directors of a new PUD to levy taxes in a community. General obligation bonds may be issued only with the approval of local voters. Oregon s legislature has fated to encourage formation of new PUDs that under present law have first access to cheap hydropower from the Bonneville Power Administration. Indeed, the legislature has helped complicate the formation procedure now on the books, thus serving not consumers but well financed, special interests. Oregon's private utilities have spent $162,701 so far to defeat the measure statewide and similar amounts to prevent formation of specific PUDs, in cluding the proposed Emerald PUD in rural Lane County. Measure 4 represents a challenge to the unjusti fiable profits that private utilities obtain through their monopolies of electrical service. The public deserves a fair choice on the nature of its access to a critical resource. We urge the ap proval of Measure 4. IMPURE WITHIN SSCORT SERVICE Russian derfc tore ^ F/XE& UP Lane needs PUD Voters in Eugene’s outlying areas have a chance to approve formation of the Emerald People’s Utility District (EPUD) with passage of Ballot Meas ure 22. We think they should do it. The proposed EPUD is one of five PUDs on ballots across the state. It would incorporate the Cot tage Grove, Veneta, Junction City, Lowell, Coburg and Creswell areas into a public utility that would take over utility service from Pacific Power & Light Co. Passage of 22 includes establishment of a five-member board of directors. This board would have the authority to levy a tax of one-half of one percent of the true cash value of all taxable property within the proposed district. This tax, which spreads a cost of $26.68 per person over a maximum 10-year period, is to finance an examination of the costs of acquiring PP&L’s facilities. Further financing of PUD operations through general obligation bonds must be approved by a vote of the public. Public utilities are non-profit entities with prefer ential access to cheap hydor power. They do not need to pay dividends to stockholders or support a fleet of highly-paid executives. As a result public utilities such as EWEB and the Springfield Utility Board have been able to offer lower rates than PP&L or other private companies The Emerald PUD represents a great opportu nity. It should be supported. Page 4 Section A vours Lane recallers I am not a supporter of Lane County Commissioner Archie Wein stein. I probably won't vote for him in the future. Nevertheless, I do protest (your editorial not withstanding) the mis-use of his recall, and the current abuse of the initiative recall so ram pant in our society. The initiative recall was designed to remove officials for gross incompe tence It was not meant to be a rally ing cry for every self-interest group who disagrees with the views of an elected official. Has Mr. Weinstein commited a crime? Has he caused grave public scandal by the conduct of his per sonal life? Has he misspent funds, failed to accept responsibility? Has he refused to make decisions? No. What then, has he done? It seems that Mr. Weinstein s “crime” is that he has made some pretty unpopular economic decisions. That, sir, may (or may not be) an error of judgment; but, it hardly fits a definition for mal feasance. Let's be honest. The initiative recall to replace Mr. W. is nothing more than another blatant attempt to re move an official by a group of people who simply don’t like him. The spon sors really could care less whether or not Archie “fails to perform the duties of his office.” What they do care about is his blunt personality and his definition of government economics. Unfortunately, the public is now caught up in the initiative recall euphoria. Recalling officials is now the “in” thing to do. This is a trend that will lead to disaster. The continued abuse of the initia tive recall will inevitably result in pub lic apathy. Then, a really undeserving official will remain in office because a now disinterested public cried wolf too often. The initiative recall is not a toy. R.D. Sincavage senior, education Backs divestiture This letter is a copy of one sent to Mr. Jeff Warren, chairer of the Uni versity Bookstore Board. The letter, read by Douglas Huneke at the Oct. 18 Campus Chris tian Ministry Staff meeting, has the complete support of staff. Loei Murphy secretary, public relations, Cooperative Christian Ministry The staff of the Campus Christian Ministry is pleased with and suppor tive of the Booksotre Board’s deci sion to divest itself of stocks with corporations doing business in South Africa. We realize that this is a difficult position to take. At the very least, you have acted rather than remained in different. History will judge the effective ness of all our work for majority rule in South Africa. We believe divestment is a moral choice in a situation where there are few other options. Again, thank you for taking this action. Douglas K. Huneke Presbyterian University Chaplain Wednesday, October 25, 1978
