OPINION: Utilities gives others' money

Colorado Springs Utilities will continue its award-winning "philanthropic" program next year, despite layoffs and burdensome proposals for sharp rate increases that will only make life harder for people struggling to get by.

The city-owned utility plans to decrease its philanthropic budget by $25,000 in 2009, but that means it will still give away well in excess of $300,000. That's chicken feed, relative to Utilities' billion-dollar budget. But it remains indefensible for a city-owned monopoly which provides essential services that citizens must buy, to use any portion of ratepayer money for charity.

At least one member of the Colorado Springs City Council understands the absurdity of charging customers for water, sewer, electric and gas and spending portions of the proceeds for charities the ratepayers may or may not support.

"I don't think they should be doing it during these hard financial times," said Councilman Jerry Heimlicher.

He's right, but he might go one farther. They shouldn't be doing it ever. Profitable businesses and individuals should give to charity with reckless abandon. One cannot give away too much, if the giving is a choice. But Colorado Springs Utilities isn't a private business. It's a government-sponsored monopoly with involuntary customers who have no choice but to pay. To bill them, and spend some of the money on charity, is to redistribute their wealth. It's giving away other people's money, which isn't charitable at all. Let the customers give to the charities of their choice, and bill them only for water, waste water, electric and gas.