Click: Benefits of “all-in” expansion not afforded to all TPU customers

Re: “Click: TPU shouldn’t subsidize cable system.” (TNT editorial 10/4).

In addition to Mr. “Ted” Coates’ fine points, there is the issue of Tacoma Public Utilities’ ratepayers who live outside of Tacoma City limits being forced to subsidize Click for the citizens of Tacoma.

In all that I’ve read about the reasons for TPU to fund a system that isn’t paying for itself, the main reason for subsidizing Click is because of the “benefits” it brings to its citizens. A cable system used to enhance TPU’s electrical system makes sense, but subsidy rates to provide “benefits” that don’t pay for themselves is utilizing TPU’s monopoly status and forcing non-Tacoma citizens to pay for these “benefits”.

Additionally, the City of Lakewood imposes a franchise fee on the dollar amount charged to Tacoma Public Utilities’ customers in Lakewood (same for other non-Tacoma communities). An increase in costs from TPU to subsidize Click gets another hit from the City of Lakewood.

Unless I missed the part where the “benefits” will be afforded to all of TPU’s customers, regardless of which community they live in,

this smacks of the infamous City of Tacoma Prop 1 street paving scheme/tax once again. Think Boston Tea Party.

This story was originally published October 7, 2016 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Click: Benefits of “all-in” expansion not afforded to all TPU customers."