Surcharges Imposed on Utility Bills

* “Edison Parent Kept $1.4 Billion in Tax Overpayments” (Feb. 10) reports that a state Assembly investigation reveals Edison diverted tax refunds to its subsidiary companies. So, if parents took their tax refund and gifted it to their needy children, would this be a crime?

The real outrage should be directed toward the decades of higher electricity rates to consumers and the surcharge taxes that municipal electricity departments divert to city coffers, possibly circumventing the “no tax without a vote” requirement of Prop. 13. As long as politicians can continue to hold inquisitions making large corporations out as villains, we will literally and figuratively remain “in the dark.”

WAYNE LUSVARDI

Pasadena

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Re “One Way to Switch Off the Power Crisis: Taxes,” Commentary, Feb. 9: The problem with Philip Verleger’s solution, a tax on energy use, is that it could lead to recession. A better way is to impose an excess-profits tax on the power-generating companies. Such a tax was imposed in World War II by the federal government. Since the profits are generated by supplying power here, California has jurisdiction to impose the tax and return the proceeds to the consumers.

GEORGE MAGIT

Northridge

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Re “Nuclear Power May Rise Again,” Feb. 9: I wondered how long into the current energy crisis it would take the nuclear industry to start up its propaganda machine. Of course nuclear power is an economical (read profitable) alternative if you don’t include that nasty problem of disposing of toxic waste that will pose environmental hazards for generations to come. The taxpayers are expected to pick up that tab in yet another corporate welfare bailout. But there was only a one-sentence mention of this problem at the end of your article.

JANET SHANHOLTZER COOKE

Santa Barbara

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While initially it seems to make sense that our energy is being consumed by all the gadgets in the huge trophy homes going up all over California (Feb. 11), I suspect many of those homes are dark most of the time because of the concurrent trend for people to commute for three to four hours per day. Who is home to use all those gadgets and consume the electricity? Does anyone really cook on those six-burner stoves?

MAUREEN ARRIGO

Redlands