Deregulation does not work
RAY CRYER Rusk

Like so many, I find dissatisfaction with the rates ofTXU/SESCO.

I called a computer generated phone number which was given to help customers select an electricity provider. I was told however, that in our areano one could choose any other company but TXU. That did not sound valid to me, so I called the Public Utilities Commission. They also said that only TXU is available to us.

I called Cherokee Coop. and again this was verified unless you happened to live in a subdivision that is covered by both. Further, that even in these few cases, TXU charges a very large fee for releasing you.

When TXU hosted a meeting with consumers in Jacksonville last year to prepare us for a rate increase, they informed us that the increase would be 62 percent. My increase has been far larger than that.

In former times, utility companies, being regulated, were limited to a 14 percent profit. They could only raise their rates to insure that healthy amount of profit. No more.

One of the financial magazines suggested buying TXU stock which had risen 42 percent. The CEO of TXU is paid an obscene salary, and God knows how board members are compensated. It is we, the customers, who must feed that great greed. PUC has long had a reputation for being a rubber stamp for the utility companies, and now, with deregulation, they are unable to do anything significant even if they so desired.

We could save money by disbanding that impotent commission altogether.

Deregulation is a disaster everywhere. It was presented to create competition and thus give us lower prices and better service. However, the few electrical giants see to it that this will not occur.

I am told that the rules for this debacle were written by Kenneth Lay and passed into legislation by his good friend, Gov. George W. Bush. It appears Kenneth Lay is able to victimize us even from the grave.

It is shocking to me that while others across the state have choices, we in East Texas must accept whatever rate TXU decides to charge. I accuse our legislators - those who we elected to guard the voter's interests of -either being gutless, in the pocket of big business, or apathetic to TXU having its foot on our neck.

Nations and cultures decline, not in a sudden dramatic downward movement, hut because they are betrayed by professionals in power who once had the trust of the citizenry.

Lawyers were once held in high esteem, that time is past. Must politicians further degrade their profession?

People will die in the predicted hot summer to come for lack of air conditioning. I do not know how many, but is it worth a single life to pad the already gorged pockets of TXU?

It may be that people will have to take to the streets or attend TXU stockholders' meetings to ask embarrassing questions.