In All Fairness It Is An Attempt To Reduce Student Debt

McTurd screws up as usual with our money

Monday, November 27. 2006

Cash for those who don't pay for hydro

First it was Ottawa sending $250 energy rebate cheques to jailbirds.

And now this: Queen's Park is sending out electricity relief cheques to people who don't pay hydro bills.

"My daughter is living in Barrie and sharing a home with other college students, and she got a cheque for $60," said a Sun reader, who asked not to be identified.

He explained that his daughter, 20, does not pay for hydro, but with the high cost of post-secondary education she can use the money.

Another reader emailed me: "My friend rents and does not pay for utilities, and she just got a cheque for $120. I'm a homeowner who struggles with hydro bills, and I get nothing. It's not fair."

It's all part of Dalton McGuinty's Ontario Home Electricity Relief program, which is dishing out one-time rebate cheques to help low-income families cope with skyrocketing electricity bills.

Here's how it works: Families with annual incomes up to $23,000 get $120, with the payment reduced by 1c for every $1 over $23,000 up to $35,000.

Single people, who earn $14,000 or less, get $60. Again, the payment is reduced by one cent for every $1 of income over $14,000 to a maximum of $20,000.

Meanwhile, McGuinty's energy minister, Dwight Duncan, who stiffed taxpayers of $789 for a lavish lunch while on a Europe junket last year, is sitting on more than $500 million in rebate money owed to Ontario's residential hydro users, who overpaid their bills.

The overpayments are due to the difference between last year's pegged power rates and the actual cost of power.

Posted by Editor