Dear Editor,
I see that the Cabinet Secretary has indicated that the electricity tariff hike in Linden will begin to take effect in July.
I for one am not surprised at this pronouncement. The arguments in favour of prolonging the status quo in Linden have been ventilated. The administration will not be swayed, and there are reasons for this.
Consumers on the coast and in other GPL served areas have little patience with Lindeners wanting to avoid the rates they are paying.
The fact that they ought not to be paying such rates except for GPL’s inefficiencies and corruption is not in their minds significant. So in this regard, Lindeners are on their own, and the administration knows it.
The Region 10 results at the last elections are relevant. The ruling party campaigned with a confidence that suggested that all who wanted to share in the power and its obvious benefits should come along.
The opposition parties, and especially APNU, seemed not to take Region 10 for granted and thus had a spirited and most effective campaign. The results seemed to be an unpleasant surprise to the administration, and so Linden must now be considered a lost cause electorally. In this context, increases in electricity tariffs must be considered along with the ongoing lack of concern for residents’ suffering related to the continued lack of investment and job creation, continuing dust pollution, and appalling quality of work from contractors.
These all, among other factors, speak to a government that does not care.
There must be an expectation that Lindeners might take to the streets to vent their frustration at the increase.
For a government that is struggling under the burden of daily revelations of egregious corruption, the calculation must be that such a development will distract the rest of the populace, and help sap the energy of the opposition.
Time always tells.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
