Can’t kick the cat, but it’s okay to dump on Hydro One

Edie Cairns | Oct 05, 2016

When I was a young girl, it was not uncommon to hear the expression, “Mad enough to kick the cat!” I never actually saw anyone kick a cat, but saying you might did not land you in jail or court. Those days are long past, so now when we are disgruntled or looking to lash out, we have to find other targets.

In Ontario, topping the list of bashable subjects rides Hydro One! Something wrong in your life; blame Hydro! Wishing you had more money; blame Hydro!

Remember in ‘98 when you trekked through the ice in your yard or fields with a box of cookies and a tray of hot coffee, grateful to find a team of orange-hatted workers toiling in the freezing rain, cutting trees and disentangling wires and cables to restore your power? Like kicking the cat, the time of appreciating the work that is done by those same men and women is long past! Current rhetoric declares them nothing but parasitic minions for Hydro One, that wanton juggernaut rolling over the unsuspecting population of this progressive province.

Yes the coal-fired generators are gone and the air will be better for our children and grandchildren. It’s true there has been a huge initiative to promote and support green source energy and this has created new jobs and Canadian industries. … but I hear, “I said I wanted those things, but I never put my hand up that I would pay for them!”

Recently I received the renewal notices for my driver’s licence and the tag for my car. Those fees have more than doubled in the last decade. Doesn’t that make perfect sense? We are constantly building new and better roads as well as maintaining the existing roads. We see the importance of infrastructure that is safe and in good repair.

Yes, the rates have nearly doubled for Ontario Hydro in that same time period. How does that compare to the price of fruit, gas or lumber? Then there is the luxury of living in the country. If there is a power outage in our area, the size of the GTO, a couple of thousand users are in the dark, instead of four to five million. We have hundreds of kilometres of lines through our area, which constantly need brush trimmed and trees removed. Like our municipal road maintenance budget, supporting the infrastructure consumes a large portion of the dollars pie.

I am able to budget for these increases but I am well aware that many others are not as fortunate and need assistance with meeting the rising costs. I am comfortable helping to pay for programs that will help those in need.

Have there been some mistakes made in the rate changes and instituting of the assistant programs? Of course! I just think we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Find another group to bash. I for one am glad those orange-hatted workers are on the lines and being paid a decent wage to be there. Complain about the weather and give Hydro One a rest.