To the editor:

I had to respond to the Viewpoint of July 16. “PUD: A high cost and high risk venture” by Michael Luis.

His use of the term “government run electric utility” for the proper term of public utility district is supposed to be scary.

He talks about the rejection of some kind of PUD in Iowa. I don’t know about you but whenever

I think of Whidbey Island I always think of Iowa and how the utilities board there rejected some kind of PUD proposition. I can’t help but wonder why he gives no background on the members of the Iowa Utility Board. Who are these people?

He goes on with the scare and says how expensive it will be, how complex and how it’s better to leave it to the “markets” to “take care” of those little people on that island.

What he doesn’t talk about is who’s paying for his copious wisdom that he is so generously sharing with us.

What he doesn’t talk about is the fact that PSE rates are the highest in the state. What he doesn’t talk about are the generous payouts to the private owners of PSE. It is disingenuous of him to try to scare people with the specter of higher taxes and not tell the truth about future power rate hikes by PSE to make it more profitable to the private owners. I would pay a little more in property taxes to have my own utility than take my chances with the people that have demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt their profit is more important than the public’s need for reasonable power rates.

If keeping PSE on Whidbey because they really have the “public” interests at heart sounds too good to be true it probably is.

It would be easier all around if people like Mr. Luis would be up front with being a shill for corporate interests above the interests of the people.

He was absolutely right in saying “buyer beware,” and I’m not buying it Mr. Luis.

Dan Freeman

Clinton