When is going to stop?

[bobbbiez]

Boy am I pi**ed right now. Can't believe the gall of National Grid.

I'm re-reading yesterday's paper and saw what I missed yesterday and missed it because the article is small and buried in other news.

National Grid has asked for an increase in national gas delivery charges. The best part is the state Public Service Commission has recommended approving the 13.7% increase and the State utility regulators are considering the raise and will make a decision today.

National Grid is justifying the raise by stating the last increase in delivery rates was in 1996 but they didn't add they've gotten other service increases within the last few years. I know because I went to the public hearings speaking out against the raises.

This raise will generate $39 million for the company that is already doing quite well, but will put many more customers in debt who can't pay the high charges already. I can't believe this company is being allowed to ask for more when everyone else is hurting and hurting badly. When is someone going to address this issue and put some controls on National Grid?

[Swimmy]

That sounds borderline unlawful that there wasn't more obvious public notice. Go figure the paper would forget to publish anything leading up to it until the day OF! I notice they usually forget to announce anything until AFTER it has occurred. You would think that this would be ONE story the paper would not have overlooked so poorly.

[bobbbiez]

Well, not to my surprise today's paper states National Grid got the increase they were seeking. What a damn shame that no one is looking out for the consumer's benefit and allowed that to happen with out a fight.

Where the hell are all our legislators now? Question for Larry T since he is the only legislator who post here.

Larry, what's the deal? Why isn't any of our legislator's looking at National Grid and their raises in this time of crisis for everyone? There are people now who can't afford to pay the high cost of heating and there are companies either closing or cutting way back because of the bad economy but yet National Grid is allowed another raise. Something drastically wrong with this picture and I want some answers.

[dgriffin]

The state legislators have evidently turned things over to the Public Service Commission, an agency that used to have some teeth. No more. Not the state Insurance Commission, either.
Sold out, just like the legislators, probably.

Things might change in this state if we took Snicker's advice and voted AGAINST any name on any ballot that sounds familiar.

[bobbbiez]

You're right Dave. I have been voting that way for quite a few years and will continue to do so, but that doesn't help with National Grid and their raises now.

I can't believe when everyone is hurting so financially this company who makes mega bucks off of us is allowed to get every raise they ask for. Someone has to put some kind of control on them. National Grid is one company that has never hurt in any way but doesn't hesitate to hurt the consumer who most have no choice but to use their services. It's a damn shame and a crime against the consumer.

[concerned]

If you get HEAP who cares. The government just gives the money to then anyway and you can always get an emergency grant. You can also let Oneida County pay your gas and electric bill. Just bring them the shutoff notice and they help right away. I think a person can do this three or four times a year. What with the price of rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, clothing,vacations and jewerly it is great that this government is so willing to help us. And once the Nation Agreement is passed there will be a lot of extra money coming into the County to allow for more generous entitlements. If it doesn't pass then the property owners can always have an increase in taxes. Thats the whole purpose of owning property---to help the less fortunate through the taxes you pay.

[bobbbiez]

Concerned, some of us are just under the amount to be eligible for heap or any other assistance so that's not an option.

They don't take into consideration all the other increases one has to endure if you own a home, but we are the ones paying for many others to receive those helpful benefits.

Something has to be done with National Grid so we who live on fixed incomes and are not eligible for heap and etc can afford to pay their bills also. The ironic part of this is we're paying a ridiculously high price for heat and yet having to keep the thermostat down low we're not even comfortable in our homes.

[Ralph]

Maybe they should remember that National Grid is a British Company.

Nothing like sending our hard earned money to another country.
But then that is getting to be the norm as of late.

[Swimmy]

The problem with voting for the person who is not an incumbent in NYS is that often times the race is unopposed or the opponent is a token candidate for the sake of having an opponent, e.g. the race for destito's position. I'm sure if you put a viable candidate in play, like in the house of rep race, you'll see numbers voting for the new guy. And if the new guy still loses, it makes the incumbent think twice.

[jon hynes]

May 14, 2009 19:11:07 GMT -5 Swimmy said:

That sounds borderline unlawful that there wasn't more obvious public notice. Go figure the paper would forget to publish anything leading up to it until the day OF! I notice they usually forget to announce anything until AFTER it has occurred. You would think that this would be ONE story the paper would not have overlooked so poorly.

It seems the investigative reporters for the OD are all out in Chicago. Whenever we have a bad snowstorm or a hot summer day we are shown pictures of kids playing in the snow or running through a spray of water from the AP in Chicago.

[jon hynes]

Ooops! Saturday May 16, 2009 - Front page headlines of the Local - 1B



NOT on Lincoln Ave. - (Quite a distance from Lincoln Ave)

I guess you have to be a resident of Utica to know that though.

The MHA plans to build the seven new single family homes on the former Lincoln School site bordered by Downer Avenue, Highland Avenue and Mathews Avenue.

[Clipper]

The OD reporters might have known the location of Lincoln School if they ever left the office. I think that they take MOST of their news stories off the wire or by telephone.

Most of us that are our age Jon, remember the days when the OD and Daily Press reporters were out and about, day and night, and they had Oriskany Joe photographing accident scenes, and Dante Tranquil photgraphing everything else, from fires to human interest stories.
Those were the days when reporters went out and uncovered stories through interesting investigative reporting, and the local section of the paper was full of local photos and news.

Reporters actually had to go out and take notes and write their stories. Now they receive half their material by email and internet sources and simply transcribe it into their own story, without leaving their seats or their donuts.

The hardest working folks on the upper stories of the OD building are the advertising sales people. I have sympathy for those trying to sell advertising in a paper that carries little news, and doesn't take enough interest in local affairs. One might think it was the New Hartford Observer Dispatch, or that it was supported strictly by political money. Human interest and actual news stories are many times conspicuously absent.

Even as recently as the 70's I can remember a real and live reporter being on scene when I responded to an incident with an ambulance. A REAL LIVE reporter with a notebook and a parka, huddling against the wind while taking notes at a fire scene or the scene of a crime. What happened to that kind of reporting? Do they need GPS to go any farther than City Hall?

You are just pointing out a weakness in reporting that has existed for a long time. Thanks for bringing it to light Jon. The OD is a joke, and their reporters need to get out and report. Not EVERYTHING comes in on the wire or over the computer. At the very least, they could verify such information as the location of a school building. I mean Geez. I suppose they would have reported Seymour School as being on Seymour Ave.

I also notice a hesitancy on their part to take a firm stand on an issue that is not popular, until the smoke clears and they decide which side of the fence it benefits them to fall over onto. Hell, maybe Donna needs to get out of the office, and see that there is a city around her and between her office and New Hartford. We might actually get some useful UTICA news. Heck maybe she could develop a relationship with the mayor, so we could get something out of city hall besides the usual "Angelo Roefaro said today".

[jon hynes]

The sad part of the situation is that we'll be sitting here in Utica without a local newspaper. It can't happen here though. Right, Richfield Springs? Heck we all get all the national news we can handle on TV.

The Observer can only raise the price of the Obituary columns so high, to keep the paper alive. Many of them, are now just mere links to Funeral Homes.

[Clipper]

There is an obit in the OD now that has been in everyday since early march. The woman's memorial service is May 30th. I can't imagine running an obit in the OD for that long. When my mom died, it was about $200 or more to put hers in for two days. That was for a fairly short obit, and it was in 2004.

Going back to my last post, I can remember when the newsroom listened to a scanner, and followed events by sending reporters to the scene. I guess they have given up that sort of enthusiastic pursuit of news stories.

It will be a very sad day when the OD shuts the lights off and closes the doors. There is a lot of history behind that newpaper. I can't imagine not having a local daily to read with my morning coffee when I get back there.

If Chanatry's and the car dealers ever quit advertising, the advertising revenues will be next to non existent. Chanatry's buys full page ads, and the car dealers keep the classifieds alive competing with each other.

I would hazard a guess that publishing the little shopper papers that they print now, is saving their biscuits revenue wise for now. Job printing is becoming more and more common among newspapers. Our paper prints a small paper that comes out weekly with all the entertainment news and restaurant ads. It is free and located in racks in all the local businesses. They must make out well with it simply on the advertising revenue, because it is always there and carries all the latest and freshest entertainment news and coupons for local food places.

[clarencebunsen]

Clipper,

I'm in agreement that I would feel a hole in my day without a daily paper. TV, internet, news radio don't substitute. I'm not as pessimistic about the inevitability of the OD closing. I don't know the financial numbers for the OD but I found the recent quarterly report from Gatehouse Media (the parent corporation) interesting.

Gatehouse revenues for first quarter 09 were down about $23 million compared to 08. Of that about $22 million was in advertising revenues. Revenue from the sale of newspapers was actually up about a half million. Maybe I'm being overly optomistic but to me that suggests that there are still a lot of people who find newspapers worthwhile.