To the editor: Sammy Roth's column is detailing the problems of rates increases for the necessary improvements to the electricity grid (“forest fires are driving by California's electrical invoices. Legislators must act”, March 20). However, the question of who must pay significantly leaves aside the only part that should be at the top of that list: the shareholders of these companies owned by investors. He mentions that some of the increases in past rates include a 10% gain for their investors, but never include them in the discussion of who should pay.
These investors have earned the negligence of these companies for decades and continue to earn from the new increases in rates that have new baked profits, according to Roth. Talk about how pain should feel pain through all taxpayers who benefit from the reduced risk of fire, but neglect people who benefit from rates increases. It seems to me that pain should be shared with them first.
Robert Rosenblum, Woodland Hills
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To the editor: It is not necessary to read more in Roth's column to find the answer to control electricity costs. According to its column, burying the lines is “a safe but expensive way to avoid ignitions during dry and windy climate.” Once this investment is made, the problem of fires initiated by defective teams would be a debatable point. Public services such as southern California Edison should suspend the shareholders' payments until their lines are buried so that their clients are finally stored from significant collateral damage caused by their public security energy closures, the damage that SCE refuses to recognize, much less reimburse their losses for their losses.
Bill Waxman, Simi Valley
