Catch-22

I see <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/02/09/build/state/45-utilityfees.inc">an article</a> this morning about the rising cost of natural gas and its affect on people. Now I heat with propane, it has gone up too, so I do understand the problems. The higher the price gets, the more people can't pay the price and get behind on their bill. This is where the catch-22 comes in. Since the gas company is not allowed to suspend service in the winter they are required to keep supplying fuel even though they know it's not going to be payed for. This means they have to charge more to people who do pay to make up for people who don't pay which then turns around and causes more people not to be able to pay which will start the whole cycle again.<br />n<!–more–><br />nNow, I am not advocating turning peoples heat off since they can't pay the bills but I would like to know how to stop this spiral of increases. This same scenario as I have layed out, people not being able to pay their bills, is one of the many reasons medical care is so expensive. Now I realize there are government program for people to help pay their utility bills in the winter, but now we are shifting the burden from the utility company and its customers to the government and its taxpayers. Admittedly this is a larger base of people to help pay the bills, but is it right that all taxpayers should foot the bill to heat some homes?<br />n<br />nI don't know the answer. Maybe someday if I get elected President I will be able to figure it out but until then I will just scratch my head and wonder at this conundrum.<br />n<br />n<b>The power to question is the basis of all human progress. Indira Gandhi</b>