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www.insideHALTON.com |O A K V IL L E B E A V E R |Friday, March 10, 2017 |6 Editorial Masking true cost of hydro won't fix it Our hydro bills may be going down this summer, but don't pop the bubbly ju st yet. W hile Ontario residents will see an average 25 per cent reduction on the bottom line, what they w on't see is what it' s going to cost future genera tions and the current structural inefficiencies and ongoing bad planning that make electricity expen sive for us in the hrst place. Ontario Premier Kathleen W ynne announced the savings this m onth saying it was the fair thing to do. She heard from families struggling with their bills and struggling to understand why rates have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, because the history of hydro and its mismanagement is such a long and complicated one, politicians looking to distract would-be voters beneht from its current complexity People don't get it and don't have the time, the comprehension or the willingness to hgure it out. W h at they do get is how hard it is to pay a huge bill. So W ynne' s Liberals are waving a shiny 25 per cent hydro cut over here, while over there, our ex pensive hydro system continues to plod along. The lower bills com e from rehnancing the term of payment the Province owes to private power providers -- from 20 years to 30. So we're deferring costs to future generations in order to get some immediate relief. And we're incurring about $ 2 5 billion in extra interest charges over that time. Additional relief will be coming through lowincom e and rural subsidy programs, but that too com es at a cost of $2.5 billion over the next three years charged to Ontario's treasury and taxpayers. As tempting as it is to celebrate lower bills, with an election year in 2 0 1 8 , we need to hold all parties to account to do more than float distractions. Ontario generates more power than it knows what to do with and w e're forced to sell it to our neighbours at a discounted rate. Sometimes we have to pay for them to take it. The sale of Hydro One has locked us into guar anteed contracts with private power providers whether we need that power or not. There' s little transparency as to the details of pri vate contracts and that takes accountability right out of the system. W e need a comprehensive plan and a system overhaul. Keep that in mind when you're told to celebrate your June power bill. It' s not nearly enough. The O akville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to: The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 5046 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 or via email to ablackburn@ oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. "C o n n e c t e d t o y o u r C o m m u n i t y " TheE 5046 Mainway Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 General Inquiries: (905) 845-3824 Classified Advertising: (905) 632-4440 Circulation: 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington (905) 631-6095 Volume 55 | Number 15 The Oakville Beaver is a division of ·* m e t r o l a n d m e d i a ·* C o n n e cte dtoy o u rc o m m u n ity ® Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. NEIL OLIVER Vice -Pre siden t and Group Publisher of Metroland West KELLY MONTAGUE Regional General Manager DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director ANGELA BLACKBURN M anaging Editor RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director LORI ANN GZOVDANOVIC Business Manager MARK DILLS Director o f Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution KIM M O SSM AN Circulation Manager Letter to the Editor The Oakville Beaver is a proud official media sponsor for: · 'CCAB Recognized for Excellence by Thanksforthe kindgesture inrestaurant I m e t up w ith m y fa m ily on Feb. 2 4 at Turtle Ja c k s in O a kville fo r dinner. W e had a lovely se rv e r nam ed Erin, w h o asked if it w a s a sp ecia l o cca sio n . I did have to a d m it th a t it w a s m y birthda y a s m y fo u r gra n d d a u g h te rs w e re h a n ding m e b irthda y card s and little g ifts th a t th e y had m ade fo r m e. I did n otice tw o yo u n g w o m e n a t a nother ta b le , w h o o c ca sio n a lly g la n ce d a t u s and I th o u g h t th a t p e rh a ps w e w e re b ein g a little noisy, a s w e can g e t in th e gen eral hubbub o f a resta u ra n t. W h e n it cam e tim e to a s k fo r th e bill, our se rv e r told us th a t it had been paid for, in fu ll, by th e yo u n g w o m e n and sh e handed m e a little note from th e m , w is h in g m e a ha pp y b irth d a y and sa yin g w h a t a lovely fa m ily w e are. Indeed, m y da u gh ter and her hu sba n d are ra isin g fo u r kind, ca rin g and w on de rfu l g irls (of c o u rse , a s th e Granny, I'm biase d) and th e re a re m a n y fa m ilie s in O a kville d o in g ex a ctly th e s a m e th in g , s o I c a n 't im agine w h y th e y c h o s e u s? ! I w a n t to sa y a huge thank-you to th o s e th oughtful yo u n g lad ies fo r m a king m y birth day s o sp e c ia l, and reaffi rm in g m y faith in k in d n e ss and g e n e ro s ity to w a rd s oth e rs. Canadian Comm unity N ewspapers Association A c c r e d it e d < Local Media,,,relation Proud Official Media Sponsor For: C(MFmdfy_ OPC O n t a r io P re s s C o u n c il D efen d in gprin cip lestoin sp irepu blictru st The Oakville Beaver is a m em ber o f the Ontario Press Council. The council is located a t 80 Gould S t., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M 5B 2M7. Phone 4 1 6 -3 4 0 -1 9 8 1 . Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event o f a typographical error, that portion o f advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance fo r signature, will not be charged for, bu t the balance o f the advertise m e nt will be p aid for a t the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Sue Stopford, Glen W illiams, Ont. Pud SPECkLESftBTSTUDI0.C0«