The Price of Power, Here we Go Again!

It amazes me that even after dozens of stories about the often excessive “Price of Power,” electricity stories still generate dozens of emails to the NBC5 in box.

The latest target of angry electricity buyers, Cirro Energy.  I did a story on a man who’s contract expired and Cirro raised his rate from .10 per KWH to .23 per KWH.  That more then doubled his monthly bill.

Cirro insists it warned the customer that his contract was about to expire but acknowledged it never told him his rate could more then double.  The customer then asked to negotiate a lower payment for the bill, he said Cirro would only negotiate if he resigned a new contract, he didn’t.  The customer used the word, “Strong arm.”

When chatting with an Executive Vice President of Cirro, he kept saying once off the contract customers are at the mercy of the spot market.  When asked if 100 percent rate hike is excessive? He replied, not if the market calls for it.

There didn’t seem to be any comprehension on either of our parts.  I didn’t really see his point and he didn’t see mine.  I often find myself breaking complex issues down to the simplest denominator.  In this case, a 100 percent rate hike, with no warning, (except your contract is about to expire and your rate could go up) is extreme and could be argued that it’s just plain wrong.

Tales From the Crypto

Everywhere you go in North Texas people are fascinated by the recent Cryptosporidium outbreak that has already caused more then 100 people to become ill after a trip to their local public pool/lake.  Terms like “hyper” and “super” chlorination” are now common place on the evening news.

Sadly it all stems from people who don’t practice good hygiene or parents who don’t watch their kids closely enough.  Babies should wear water diapers and kids and adults should use a bathroom not the pool.  If people follow those simple rules, no one gets sick.

There is help though.  Plano uses a Ultra Violet light filter that is said to be 150 times more powerful then the sun.  Needless to say the UV filter kills everything in the water.  Plano only uses the UV filter on the indoor pools but is considering installing them on outdoor pools.

The UV filters are expensive, 60-thousand dollars each.  Even so, being the germ freak that I am, every pool should have one.  If they don’t, you won’t see me in it!

It’s Hot as Hell and I’m Not Going to Take it Anymore!

1. “You get used to the heat.”
2. “It’s a dry Heat.”
3. “I’d rather have this then 20 degrees any day.”
4. “It’s not that bad out.”
5. “The heat keeps me loose.”

Those are all quotes I heard from delusional people on the golf course today.  My quote to them, “Gimme a break!”  It’s 105 degrees outside!

I actually have a few other quotes of my own referring to the Texas Heat Wave we are experiencing:

1. “This sucks!”
2. “It’s Hot as ****!” (Feel free to substitute any four letter word)
3. “I can’t take it anymore!”
4. “I’m F-ing dying out here!”
5. “Honey crank the AC some more!”
6. “Is God angry with us about something?”
7. “Summer in Texas is like spending 4 months on the surface of Mars.”
8. “Water Please…. No pour it over my head!”
9. “I’d kill for October in New England right now!”
10. “This Sucks!!!”  (The first one only had one exclamation point.)

Burglars Beware!

A Houston Grand Jury declined to indict the 62 year old man who shot and killed two burglars fleeing his neighbors house.  The decision to give vigilante Joe Horn a pass is causing quite a stir.  The case, as the New York Times puts it, is raising questions of ethnic bias, property rights and self defense.  For me the case boils down to one simple fact… two men shot were low life burglars with no regard for the law or society.  I really don’t care what their families say, the moment you decide to break into another man’s home any goodness you may posses is gone with the wind.

If those two thieves don’t break the law, they never get shot.  Remember being burglarized is a terrifying ordeal.  A stranger rummaging through your personal belongings is scary enough, God forbid you are home when two crooks come calling.

The legal problem for Horn is, it wasn’t Joe Horns house and the 9-1-1 operator told him to stay inside.  Instead, Horn confronted the men with a shot gun, and may have even shot the thieves in the back.  I still say the thieves are responsible for putting Horn in that position.  When two burglars rob your neighbors house, who is to say they don’t come back and rob your house?

Warning to potential burglars: White, black, Hispanic or Asian, if a burglar comes to my house I will have no problem killing you on the spot.  Anyone who threatens the safety and security of my family be warned.  I also hereby give permission to my neighbors to shoot and kill anyone trying to break into my home.  My worst fear is that my wife and dog are home alone when a thief comes calling.

I do know I have one very big neighbor who lives across the street from me, he keeps a 9mm handy at all times.  He has already saved my wife and dog from an attacking pit bull.  Lets hope he doesn’t have to save them from no good, low down, thieving burglars. 

There is one more reason the Grand Jury refused to indict Horn.  We are in Texas.  Gun rights and property rights rule the land.  There is no Texas Jury that would ever convict this man, why spend thousands on a trial that prosecutors can’t win.

Electric Companies Do it Again….

The nations energy crisis is not just affecting our pocket books but apparently the rising cost of electricity is putting some small electric providers out of business.  Four companies just up and left the Texas market leaving 36-thousand customers high and dry.

The state is switching those customers but many were not told of the change and the new plan is in some cases 40% higher then their old one.

Many of the customers even had a contract with their provider.  If the customer broke the contract they would have been forced to pay $200.  One viewer raised a valid point, insisting the electric companies should be forced to live up to the same standard… If the company breaks the contract it should pay the customer $200.  What’s fair is fair!

The companies leaving Texas are:

1. National Power
2. Pre-Buy Electric
3. E-Tricity
4. Riverway Electric

Just In: Arson Photos

The Governor’s mansion is gone.  Investigators say the massive fire was set by an arsonist.  They even have surveillance tape of someone leaving the mansion moments before the fire.  Excuse me Capitol Police, but what the hell happened?  Click Here for Photos

Not only is there a 10 foot iron fence around the mansion but there were also Texas Dept. of Public Safety security guards on duty, apparently they were sleeping.  I guess everyone is in relax mode when the Governor doesn’t live there and all the expensive art work is in storage.  Still, somewhere in Austin, Top Brass is screaming and yelling about who “messed up.”  My guess is they are using words much harsher then “Messed Up.”

I am sure whoever was on duty is now in a state of depression.  For a security guard, this is about as bad as it gets.  Short of someone being attacked at the mansion, a destructive fire is the worst thing that can happen, especially when it was set on purpose.

Who ever snuck by the guards is either now laughing or on the run.  Let’s hope the state fire Marshall gets the last laugh when he puts the idiot who set the fire behind bars.