Questions to answer
My PG&E bill shows charges for the following:
Generation
Transmission
Distribution
Public Purpose Programs
Nuclear Decommissioning
DWR Bond Charge
Competition Transition Charges
Energy Cost Recovery Amount
Taxes and Other
There also is Conservation Incentive credit.
It would be good if the BOS would tell us which of these charges (and credits) would continue if a PG&E customer switched to the Community Choice Aggregation.
Has our BOS been able to find out whether or not CCA continues to have general support in Sonoma and Marin counties? Has CCA kept its promises in those counties?
If one changed to CCA, would PG&E accept back that person to resume PG&E service?
Where does that 2 percent come from? What was the cost reduction promise to Marin and Sonoma county residents?
I think our BOS should find answers to questions like mine and of all others who will ask their own questions and publish them, and then have a series of open meetings to discuss the subjects.
Lake County may be very lucky that people here will have an opportunity to have power supplied by CCA, or it may be that something which sounds too good to be true is just that. We will have to depend upon our BOS to find the facts. And the sooner, the better.
Don K. Moeller, Kelseyville
Dollar General: A Formidable Economic Force
Having never created a job in my life, it causes me to pause and reflect when someone states they will create not one, but 10-12 new jobs in Middletown and 1,600 new jobs in California.
Rated 175th on the Forbes 500 with over 12,000 store locations nationwide, Dollar General is an economic force. The corporation wants to build 300 new stores in California this year alone. They are smart, they are accomplished, and they are coming to Middletown.
Following a recent Middletown Area Town Hall (MATH) meeting, I asked District 1 Planning Commissioner Joe Sullivan how the commission voted on Dollar General’s proposed Nice and Clearlake Oaks store locations. He said the outcome was 5-0 in favor of each store.
Opponents of a Middletown location are often passionate and sometimes loud. But can they persuade? They must convince three commissioners in order to block the application. Given the popularity and early successes of the Nice and Clearlake Oaks stores thus far, this is unlikely.
Two divergent views about how a Dollar General store might impact our community emerged during the MATH meeting. Mark Gilchrease of Dollar General said that other businesses like it when their commercial neighbors are prospering because it results in more “foot traffic” for all. Whether it results in increased sales for all is another matter.
Others countered that a “small box” retailer is not a good fit and is unwelcomed here. They argued that a Dollar General store will drive existing merchants out of business. One local merchant went so far as to state Middletown will become “a ghost town with Dollar General at one end.” Hyperbole notwithstanding, her point deserves consideration.
A Dollar General store location in Middletown will most certainly impact let’s say Hardester’s market share and bottom line in the short-term. This could reduce the amount they budget for payroll. Decisions will have to be made. However, the long-term impact to the store is less predictable.
During my fifteen years in Middletown, Hardester’s has added a deli, baking company, and a robust organic produce selection. The store’s look, size, and inventory have changed. I might add that I have never had a disappointing experience in any of their stores. They rate an A-plus in customer service.
Dollar General creates competition and existing businesses will be nudged to improve their game. Leadership often calls for us to focus on opportunities and then seize them. Like Hardester’s, many businesses will become more proactive and adapt.
In my opinion, the local Dollar General issue is not an either/or, win/lose proposition. I don’t believe Middletown’s charm, culture, and future will necessarily be lost if Dollar General joins our community.
Perhaps a careful and measured mix of economic interests is needed for our town and county to prosper.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
Mike Tabacchi, Middletown
