SacBee: Californians Should Have To Choose Between Basic Needs And Utility Bills

Sticking in the People’s Republik Of California, we see this piece in the Sacramento Bee by California state senator Shannon Grove, which also fails to identify the reasons power bills and basic needs costs have skyrocketed

Californians shouldn’t have to choose between basic needs and paying their utility bills | Opinion

Utility bills in California are going up faster than people’s incomes, leaving residents with less money for basic needs. Instead of paying for necessities like food and housing, more and more of our money is going toward utility bills.

There are some startling numbers from a recent report by the California Public Advocates Office: in the past decade, the cost of electricity from Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has gone up by as much as 127%. Costs have risen under Southern California Edison by 91% and by 72 under San Diego Gas & Electric. Meanwhile, the overall cost of living, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, has only increased by 28%.

Despite household incomes having gone up by about 40% and the minimum wage (having) doubled in the same time frame, over 3 million minimum wage workers in California — about 19% of the workforce — are disproportionately feeling the impact of these rising utility costs. This means that utility bills now make up a bigger chunk of our budgets than they did ten years ago.

I wonder why that could be?

As California pushes toward cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, the costs of this shift are hitting those who can least afford it the hardest. A recent survey from KQED found that a quarter of Californians are struggling to pay their utility bills, forcing them to make tough choices between staying warm or putting food on the table.

Hmm, so, all that push for “green” energy has made energy costs a lot more expensive? Who would have thought it? But, I have zero compassion, because most Californians have voted for this, especially the low income folks, who vote Democrat in a high proportion. If they want to be part of the doomsday climate cult, then they need to deal with the results of their beliefs. If they bought into the belief that everything would be lollipops and unicorns, well, they should have done critical, adult thinking.

We need to rethink our approach to energy policy in California. Instead of rushing towards unrealistic goals that hurt the most vulnerable, we should focus on creating sustainable, affordable solutions that benefit everyone. This includes a diversified energy approach to keep costs competitive and rates affordable for households and businesses.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, for example, has continued to grant operating extensions for the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo. Nuclear power is a bogeyman for green energy enthusiasts, but — as the governor recognizes — it provides plenty of low-cost, carbon-free electricity for the state. Exploring additional opportunities for nuclear power should be considered for its reliability and affordability.

Well, good luck with that, Shannon. You know that the Democrats will not allow this to continue, and will certainly not allow future next-gen nuclear plants to be built and put online. And, Shannon is not a Democrat: she’s a Republican. You couldn’t really tell from the way she was buying in to the green push like a Warmist, but, not a full cultist. She’s not helping.

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