Just a couple of things of note from the past week.
One story you may have missed was that fat juicy pay raise some at Powerex have received. Never heard of Powerex?? Well it's the power export arm of BC Hydro. Seems that several of the top management people there are in line for pay raises of hundreds of thousands of dollars!
In story in the Vancouver Sun it said that Thomas Bechard will now be making $432,950 a year (a 65% increase since 2008-09) ... Mark Holman's pay has jumped by 70% and he will now be earning $678,898 ... while get this, Robert Campbell will be going from an annual salary of $196 thousand, to nearly $630 thousand ... an increase of 320%.
Oh by the way in case you had forgotten, earlier this year our friends at BC Hydro had been asking a 50% rate increase over the next 5 years.
Meantime in April the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) did approve an increase of $5 to $6 per month on the average residence, which went into effect two months ago (May 2011). According to a story in BC Hydro's website, there is currently a Revue Requirement Application in progress, and depending on the outcome, the BCUC could order BC Hydro to provide refunds or credits to each of us, should the rate be lowered (don't laugh --- stranger things have happened -- yeah right).
On April 21, the BCUC determined that the Revenue Requirements Application for Fiscal 2012-2014 should be suspended until the completion of the ongoing provincial government review of BC Hydro. The review panel's recommendations will inform an amended BC Hydro rates application to the BCUC, expected to be filed later this year.
The bottom line to this?? Well it is interesting to note that BC Hydro requested a rate increase earlier this year --- NOW BC Hydro execs at Powerex are getting a big fat pay raise.
Another quick note you may have missed is that former BC NDP leader Carole James will be running again as a candidate in her riding in the next election, and I congratulate her on that decision. While I am not an NDP supporter, I do believe she very much has the well-being of her constituents in mind.
Speaking of running for election, Chad Moats will be seeking the NDP nomination for the Kamloops North Thompson. Moats led an unsuccessful recall campaign against Liberal cabinet member Terry Lake, who he now hopes to unseat through the ballot box in the next provincial election.
Meantime ... the 'Stickman" battle continues for the hearts and souls of taxpayers. As announced this past week, we will now have a few extra weeks to get our ballots in as we decide whether to retain the HST (which will continue to tax an additional 20% more items) --- or go back the the original PST / GST tax which taxed far less items.
That's it for today ... I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops.
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