Public forum seeks solutions to CUC problems

Customers of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. will be asked to formally dispute their bills in a community forum being organized by a lawmaker and a private citizen.

The organizers of the event, Rep. Tina Sablan and Ed Propst, said the public forum is intended to provide a venue for discussing short-term and long-term solutions to the Commonwealth’s power crisis. It will be held Tuesday, June 17, starting at 6pm at the Multi-Purpose Center in Susupe.

An initial list of action items will be presented for public comment. Ratepayers will also be urged to formally dispute their CUC bills.

“The disputes will serve not only as an act of protest against ever-increasing rates and a continuing lack of transparency and accountability at CUC, but more importantly as an act of solidarity by the long-suffering people of the CNMI to demand the efficient, reliable, and affordable utility services we all deserve,” read a statement issued by the organizers.

“The goal of improved utilities demands not only short-term relief and decisive action by the local government, but also decisive and organized action by the CNMI’s ratepayers, and long-term planning that involves the participation and cooperation of our entire community. The forum … is just the first step toward mobilizing our community toward that goal,” the statement also said.

Sablan, in an interview, said the call for billing disputes is justified, given the legal questions surrounding CUC’s move to double the rates on May 3, 2008. She argued that CUC violated the law when it changed the rates in the middle of the billing cycle. A legal counsel for the House of Representatives has issued an opinion supporting this claim.

Press secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr. said the administration welcomes suggestions from the community on how to deal with the power crisis.

“We understand there’s a lot frustration in the community. It is a frustration we also share because of the oil prices that we do not control. Everyone knows that cost of fuel has been skyrocketing,” said Reyes.

He added that the state of the power plant, which had been neglected for many years, is a major challenge for the government. “We’re doing our best to fix that problem,” he said.

But Reyes said it is “irresponsible” to urge the public to file billing disputes if there is no mistake in their billing. He said that the administration or CUC should not be blamed for the higher rates, which reflect the price of fuel.

The organizers said the forum is for finding solutions, not pointing fingers. “We are not a lynch mob. We’re not calling for riots. We’re only calling on people to be involved,” said Propst.

They called on the public to “come with an open mind, your best ideas, at least three friends, and flashlights [in case of a power outage].” They also encouraged carpooling.