Yes that is right. The economy is in the trash in Stanislaus County with unemployment hovering around 20%, 12.5 % of all homes (21,000) have been foreclosed on within the last 3 years.  MID will raise our rates in 2011. How much? I guess 11% just to keep on the up and up. Maybe more? Here is why.

I attended the MID board meeting today, October 12. While discussing the budget for next year, we learned two things:

1. The Operating budget jumped from $375 Million to approximately $393 Million or roughly $18 million dollars.  This is a 6% increase from 2010.

2. The amount of Customers MID has today, is approximately 5% less than the amount of customers that MID had before this great recession (I call it a depression). This sounds low to me, but it’s all I got.  I am going to assume that these customers dropped out primarily in the last year. In order to make up the lost revenue from the 5% to pay the 6% increase in budget, it’s up to who’s left. Who is left? That’s right, the current ratepayers. Cough up 11% my kindred brothers, MID is on the move.

Inflation is at 1.2% so even if the average Social Security Recipient received their COLA, which for the second year in a row they won’t, they will still need to pay 9.8 % more for electricity. Let’s put electricity into perspective. Probably the 3rd or 4th largest monthly bill you have.

Of course we did hear that the Woodland III power plant should be coming on line. We didn’t hear the revenue projections of that project. Will it be a Peaker, that can put money in MID’s pocket? or is it just another power plant to feed the lines to Modesto? I don’t know. I would like to know.

Here is what I do know: I know a lot of people who can barely afford to live getting hit with three or four hundred dollar electric bills.  I have heard the rude service, the condescending “pay up or we’ll shut you off,” rhetoric. It’s time to stop this. We are too early for Nogrid, but we can plan on it.

If you have the time, attend a MID board meeting and make your voice heard. The more people we have the better off we will be.