Dear Editor:

When is enough, enough ?As some of you know there is a Petition going around in the South Okanagan (Osoyoos – Oliver) area and hopefully now it is into the Kelowna, Penticton and Kootenay areas in regards to the outrageous rates that a lot of people have encountered from FortisBC.
What the people are paying is far more than what they should be paying compared to what they were paying a year ago .
I never gave it too much thought until I was reading an article on the lnternet from the Vancouver Sun that was published on April 25, 2013 where it gave out the donations that a lot of the individual companies such as Fortis had donated to the political parties .
For example, Fortis donated $524,500 to the NDP Party and $518,000.00 to the B.C, Liberal Party for the 2013 provincial election.
The only reason that the NDP Party was given more than the B.C. Liberals was because the NDP was leading in the polls.
When Fortis applied to the B.C. Utilities Commissioner to increase rates, was this donation mentioned at the same time?
I totally think not. As a matter of fact I can almost guarantee that it was not mentioned.
So how is it then that the application was awarded to Fortis to raise the rates and some of the profits were to be used for political reasons?
ls Fortis in bed with whoever wins the election? lt kind of makes a person wonder .
Is electricity not an essential product that the majority people of B.C. need?
The utility companies were supposed to operate for the people in a sensible manner, but the way I see it, they are all about filling their own pockets and I know for damn sure it isn’t my pocket that is getting filled .
This has to stop immediately.
Why is our hard-earned money going out to support these political parties when perhaps we don’t agree with the party?
lf you use the utilities, then you should pay for them but not to have our dollars going to some political party.
lf your rates skyrocketed as ours did then I ask the people who  use Fortis to please find the local petition being circulated and sign it.
lf you agree, as many others do, that we feel we have been shut out as far as being able to dispute our high costs for using Fortis power then do your duty and stand up for your rights.
As one person mentioned when he talked to Fortis in regards to the increase in his utility bill, he was told by Fortis that if he felt his rates were too high then perhaps he should buy a smaller home to accommodate his needs .
This is a very rude comment and no doubt in my mind FortisBC doesn’t give a damn about any of us.
It is time the rates were rolled back to a reasonable rate so we all can afford to enjoy the services . The money that was donated to the political parties should be reimbursed to the people by Fortis.
We have no alternatives to receive power and Fortis knows it.
That is why we are being gouged. lt has to stop. Do what you can to find the petition and sign it.
Thank you very much for letting me speak out on this important matter.

Ivan D. Vlahovic
Osoyoos, B.C.