Letter to Editor
June 18, 2008

Get ready to brace yourself. Another wave of increases are on the way to poke you where it is going to hurt. It is going to cause another squeeze on the income of households. On the front page of the USA Today newspaper, June 16, one headline read "Utilities raising price of power." The article informs us that we should expect higher bills because of surging fuel costs.

According to the article it reports that the utility companies all across the United States are raising electric service prices. Prices are skyrocketing nearly 29 percent. The reasoning behind this they stated is to mosty pay for soaring fuel costs and power companies also want to pay for new plants and refurbish power grids.

When and will the electric shock of the power company hit home here. For some it may of already struck, while for some it could be that next bill you receive.

In the same USA Today edition there was an editorial cartoon. The cartoon dictated a large flooded area of water. A couple and their dog are sitting on top of their car. The caption above them stating " It's receding, now we can see all our other disasters." While the water decreases they can see $4.00 gasoline, a grocery store with food prices increasing, a flag pole with the dollar bill as a flag, a mailbox with debt bills jammed inside, and a home for sale sign.

In my view, as well as some others, it appears that we were in a better stage of an economy prior to starting this war in Iraq. Electric, food, gasoline, lumber, prices all were reasonable in 2001. The state of forecloure's, mortgage rates and property values held stable. The 9-11 incident was indeed a tragedy. The economy was not in a downturn spin cycle as it is now. Americans had jobs that they do not have now, they are pinching pennies trying to get by.

Edward L. Hale
Carrollton, OH 44615