AEL&P should show more care for city

Here is yet another letter regarding Juneau's favorite subject - Alaska Electric Light & Power Co.

My concern is the bigger picture for Juneau. As I am sure most of the public is aware, the United States is in an economic slump. President Bush is giving tax refunds to try to boost the failing economy. The housing market is at an all-time low, and here in Juneau, as it has been reported in the paper, and as I have seen it in the industry that I work in, the housing market is facing a huge slump. We are seeing a higher number of foreclosures and short sales than ever before.

Now, because AEL&P failed to properly prepare themselves for what has always been an obvious problem (they built in an avalanche zone), we, the consumers, are being told to go to the bank and get a loan if we can't pay our bill.

Well, that's pretty darn funny considering the banks are stretched because of late and delinquent payments, and the individuals who are scraping by are not going to be able to get a loan to pay their bill because of all of the other problems within the market today.

It is not just the lower income individuals that are facing huge problems, but the middle income people as well.

Juneau is supposed to be a community. Does AEL&P not want to be a part of this community? Do they not care about the people that have paid for their wages, their houses, their "extras" over the years? Why can't AEL&P help us and take responsibility for their lack of planning?

One other item that I wish AEL&P would consider is, not only are they affecting "John Q. Public," but they are also affecting all of the businesses in Juneau, from the grocery stores to the phone and cable companies. What is going to happen to the businesses that are going to lose customers because we have to cut spending for cable, phone, groceries, etc., just to pay our electric bills?

AEL&P is going to be responsible for pushing Juneau into an even bigger economic slump than we are currently facing. While I hope that company President Tim McLeod, et al, are feeling satisfied with the amount of money they will still be earning, the rest of Juneau is going to have to move to a different place just to survive. Then who is AEL&P going to be getting money from?

Great job, AEL&P, and thanks for caring about the community so much.

Jaime Purcell

Juneau