The Harrisburg Water Authority announced yesterday that, effective immediately, they’re raising premiums by thirteen and a half percent.

The move is considered questionable, considering that nothing dramatic has occurred to spur the increase. Nothing, that is, except for consumers conserving water.

Does anyone else find this to be appalling?

Here we are facing the highest gasoline, natural gas, electricity and oil prices; and Harrisburg decides to up our rates because they’re doing less business.

We, as a city, have decreased our demand for public utility water–and they decided to charge us more anyway.

Logical thinking (in my mind, anyway) leads me to the notion that if a product or service isn’t selling as well as it used to, a business should lower the price of that good or service.

Imagine, for a minute, that your local grocery store decided to increase the price of a loaf of bread because people just aren’t buying as much bread?

Or how about if your favorite pizza shop raised the price of a slice because business was slowing down?

Chances are, you’d change grocery stores or pizza shoppes.

But in the case of Harrisburg Water–you don’t have that option.

Monopolistic methods are creeping into our daily lives more and more each week. Energy prices are through the roof; gasoline prices fluctuate with no reasonable cause; natural gas is becoming less and less affordable with each season…and health care–don’t even get me started on that.

A stamp which once cost thirteen cents now costs nearly forty.
Your gas bill which once was around forty bucks per month is now near two hundred.
Electricity; once considered one of the least expensive utilities, will now set us back an average of a hundred and fifty bucks per month.
Gasoline, when I started driving, cost eighty five cents per gallon. Now we traverse the highways and bi-ways seeking out anything less than three bucks a gallon.

Yes, the cost of living is increasing daily. But why?

The City of Harrisburg claims “the dramatic decline in sales volume is something we could not predict,” said The Harrisburg Authority ChairmanFrederickk Clark. “While we’re certainly proud that it appears people are conserving water, the reality is a loss in sales volume puts an incredible strain on our operations. The declines we’ve seen this year have made it difficult to meet our obligations since we continue to battle increased energy related costs for fuel, natural gas and other petroleum-based supplies. Costs have also risen dramatically for employee benefits and healthcare.”

Oh, right–sorry. I forgot. All of these increases equals an increase in passing the buck.

How about adjusting your business practices to adjust to the current market place? How about decreasing profits? Oh, that won’t fly.

The times they are a changing. But when are we going to catch up? When are we, as a community and society, going to decide that “enough is enough” and take the power back?

It’s not too late, it’s up to us.