As we are now facing another rate increase proposal from Commonwealth Edison, it appears to me that Commonwealth Edison owes all of its customers a few explanations.
First of all, Edison should explain the high rates paid to its companywide construction, clerical and office support staff. Such rates are much higher than corresponding pay in industry and are due to the union contracts of such personnel. All Edison construction crews are paid the artificially high union scale while guaranteed 52 40-hour weeks per year.
Second, Edison should explain the size of its engineering staff and whether an industrial firm in the private sector would have an engineering staff anywhere near the size to perform similar tasks.
Third, Edison should improve its maintainence scheduling of the electrical system. The receent power outage ws due to an extremely lax cleaning of the high voltage insulators at the Crosby station on West Division Street. Such cleaning in similar privately owned substations such as at steel mills is performed at least monthly.
Fourth, Edison should really be ashamed of its officials visiting companies neighboring the Crosby substations. to inquire of any pollution on their part. Edison certainly appears to be laying a basis to squirm out of any negligence related liability in connection with the power outage. Such maneuvers are especially distasteful when Edison`s coal-fired plants discharge tons of particulate into the air, albeit operating within the limits of their discharge permits.
