Utility’s rate hike request is appalling

Charles Carpenter, Henderson

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s front page article Monday “How can gas bills fall when rates rise?”:

One can never accuse Southwest Gas of being timid, or being lax, in insulting their customers’ intelligence.

Southwest Gas is trying to convince the Public Utilities Commission and us that two of the reasons for requesting a 5.9 percent increase in the general rate portion of our bills are to pay for company expenses including supplemental executive retirement compensation and the loss of equity in homes purchased from employees who relocated.

We do not have to be Wharton School of Management graduates to recognize the blatant raid on our wallets. Stockholders and customers should demand that Southwest Gas get out of the real estate business and the care and feeding of its retired executives.