AT IDAHO POWER ‘Suburban Survivalists’ by Gillian Flaccus Associated Press Writer
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82 / 58 Full Circle Treated at Shriner’s Hospital as a child, Murtaugh’s Dan Hepworth plays in Kid, cubed the 32nd Annual North-South All-Star Late-day storms Catch up with three families with triplets, Family Life 1 possible. Shrine Football Game, Sports 1 Business 6 A LOT LESS GOING OUT >>> Idaho exports plunge to four-year low; decline outpaces national average, BUSINESS 1 SUNDAY $1.50 May 31, 2009 MagicValley.com Getting ready ups Crisis spurs ANDdowns spike in AT IDAHO POWER ‘suburban survivalists’ By Gillian Flaccus Associated Press writer SAN DIEGO — Six months ago, Jim Wiseman didn’t even have a spare nutrition bar in his kitchen cabinet. Now, the 54-year-old businessman and father of five has a backup gen- erator, a water filter, a grain mill and a 4-foot- tall pile of emergency food tucked in his home in the expensive San Diego sub- urb of La Jolla. Wiseman isn’t alone. Emergency supply retail- ers and military surplus stores nationwide have seen business boom in the past few months as an increasing number of Americans spooked by the economy rush to stock up on gear that was once the domain of hardcore Demand, resource issues drive up rates survivalists. See SURVIVAL, Main 2 for Idaho Power customers in 2000s Can it be? By Nate Poppino Average residential rates (combined base rate and PCA) Presidential 10 Times-News writer 9 2009: Regulators reinstate the tiers, this time for the base rate. campaigning 2004: Idaho Power starts charging 8 It’s a simple question: What are you being charged to different rates in summer months. turn on your lights, or sit at your computer? 7 returns The answer for Idaho Power Co. customers starting 6 Monday will be, simply,“more.” Tier 1 non-summer/ lone rate until 2001 to Iowa 5 Counting a price hike set to take effect in one day,the 2001: Regulators split a steep Tier 2 non-summer Cents per kWh Cents PCA increase into three tiers. Tier 3 non-summer 4 By Mike Glover basic foundations of the company’s average residential They reverse it a year later. Tier 1 summer Associated Press writer Tier 2 summer monthly bills will have increased by $21 since 1994. 3 Tier 3 summer DES MOINES, Iowa — That’s a roughly 37 percent increase since 1994, and a 2 56 percent hike in actual rates over the past 15 years. It’s been six months since 1 voters handed Barack Increases are never easy to sell, but the fact that they Obama the White House, 0 10 May 94 10 May 94 16 May 95 15 Aug 95 16 May 96 16 May 97 14 May 98 16 May 99 16 May 00 1 May 01 16 May 02 16 May 03 28 Jul 04 1 Jun 05 1 Jun 06 1 Jun 07 1 Mar 08 1 Mar 09 and in the minds of a lot continue to come in a recession has complicated Idaho SANDY SALAS/ Times-News of Iowa activists that Power’s attempts to explain them to its customers. means only one thing: It’s time to start the cam- Two basic components make up per kilowatt-hour for those two fees, The base rate has remained the decade, the utility’s residential paign again. most of Idaho Power’s rates: the base less than $59 a month for the average remarkably stable for the past 15 prices bounce up and down — most- 2012 already? rate, which serves as the foundation user of 1,213 kWh. years — 10 of which the company ly up, to the chagrin of its customers. Yes, 2 1/2 years before for the company’s charges, and an Electricity prices stayed roughly didn’t ask to change it. But even rate Complicating matters is a multi- Iowans gather for their annual charge called the Power Cost the same until this decade, which changes over the past few years have tiered rate structure. Until 2000, first-in-the-nation Adjustment, revised each year to opened with the turmoil of a costly paled compared to the effect of the Idaho Power’s residential customers precinct caucuses, early compensate the company for the energy shortage in the West. It was PCA. were charged one rate, no matter the presidential campaigning actual and projected costs of provid- the start of general fluctuations and Factor the PCA into the rates, and time of year or how much electricity has begun. ing power. a gradual climb in rates. Today, resi- they stay stable for most of the ’90s. they used. “We had a brief pause Fifteen years ago, the utility’s res- dential customers pay 7.57 cents per But a large spike appears in 2001 as Then in 2001, the Idaho Public for two or three months idential customers — its largest cus- kWh, or $80 monthly for the average Idaho Power attempts to pay for the tomer group — paid just 4.85 cents user of 1,063 kWh. Western energy crisis. For the rest of See POWER, Main 6 See CAMPAIGN, Main 2 Gates: N. Korea nuke progress sign of ‘dark future’ U.S. Secretary of By Lara Jakes and Vijay Joshi tary threat to the United States chip to secure aid and other Associated Press writers and he does not plan to build concessions — only to later Defense Robert up American troops in the renege on promises — has Gates, right, looks at SINGAPORE — North region. But the North’s efforts worn thin the patience of five South Korean Korea’s progress on nuclear pose the potential for an arms nations negotiating with the Minister of National weapons and long-range mis- race in Asia that could spread North, Gates said. Defense Lee Sang- siles is “a harbinger of a dark beyond the region, he added. “I think that everyone in the hee during their future’’ and has created an At an annual meeting of room is familiar with the tac- bilateral meeting on urgent need for more pressure defense and security officials, tics that the North Koreans on the reclusive communist the Pentagon chief said past use. They create a crisis and the sidelines of the government to change its efforts to cajole North Korea the rest of us pay a price to Shangri-La Asia ways, U.S. Defense Secretary into scrapping its nuclear return to the status quo ante,’’ Security Summit on Robert Gates said Saturday. weapons program have only he said in a question and Saturday in He said the North’s nuclear emboldened it. answer session after his Singapore. program does not “at this North Korea’s yearslong use point’’ represent a direct mili- of scare tactics as a bargaining See GATES, Main 3 AP photo Crossword ......Classifieds 7 Kids Only ........Family LIfe 6 Obituaries ..........Business 5 Dear Abby........Classifieds 5 Jumble ............Classifieds 5 Sudoku ............Classifieds 4 THE WAKE OF AN ICON Horoscope ......Classifieds 5 Movies ..................Opinion 7 Your Business ....Business 2 Looking back at GM > Opinion 7 MORNINGMORNINGMain 2 Sunday, May 31, 2009 BRIEFINGBRIEF- Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho Pat’s Picks Three things to do today P HOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY Pat Marcantonio • The “Caritas Chorale College of Southern Idaho Sings Broadway” with volleyball team’s Eagle cocktails and hors d’oeuvres Grass Doubles Volleyball at 5 p.m. and the concert at Tournament. Check in 5:30 p.m. at the Gail Severn starts at 8:15 a.m. with the Gallery, 400 First Ave. N., games at 9 a.m. for coed Ketchum. The cost is $40 teams at the soccer field and space is limited. behind Eagle Hall. The • Go early and wander entry fee is $40 per team farther up the road to the with discount for CSI stu- Sawtooth National dents. Recreation Area and appre- ciate the plentiful scenery Have your own pick you of the Pioneer, Boulder and want to share? Something White Cloud mountains, that is unique to the area the Big Wood River, Stanley and that may take people by Basin and more. surprise? E-mail me at • Play or watch the [email protected]. TODAY’S HAPPENINGS ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT “Caritas Chorale Sings Broadway,” 5 p.m. cocktails and hors Photo by CLARENCE E. BISBEE/Courtesy of Twin Falls Public Library d’oeuvres and 5:30 p.m. concert, Gail Severn Gallery, 400 MYSTERY PHOTO: A large group of people pose in front of a bank. If you have any information regarding this image, please e-mail the library First Ave. N., (opposite corner from Perry’s), Ketchum, $40, at [email protected]. seating limited, 208-726-5079. FESTIVALS AND FAIRS Twin Falls Western Days, “Western Ways and Western Days: Survival Continuing the Tradition,”at Twin Falls City Park, with entertain- Continued from Main 1 of whom report sales spikes its page views triple in the that if the banks disappear, ment at noon, Emily Eldredge; 12:30 p.m., Wild Nights; 1:45 These people snapping up of up to 50 percent. These past 14 months to nearly you have no idea where your p.m., Eddie Haskell Band; 2:45 p.m., Cobalt Blue; 4 p.m., Alpen everything from water companies usually cater to 137,000 unique visitors a money is.’’ Flow; 5:15 p.m., RoughDraft; and 6:30 p.m., Renegade. Free, purification tablets to ther- people preparing for earth- week. Jim Rawles, a self- Those preparing for the 543-4911. mal blankets shatter the quakes or hurricanes, but described survivalist who worst echo those thoughts survivalist stereotype: they informal customer surveys runs the site, calls the new- and say learning to be self To have an event listed, please submit the name of the event, a are mostly urban profes- now indicate the bump is comers “11th hour believ- sufficient makes them feel sionals with mortgages, from first-time shoppers ers.’’ He charges $100 an more in control amid brief description, time, place, cost and contact number to SUVs, solid jobs and a who cite financial, not nat- hour for phone consulting mounting uncertainty — Suzanne Browne by e-mail at [email protected]; by twinge of embarrassment ural, disaster as their pri- on emergency preparedness even if it seems crazy to fax, 734-5538; or by mail, Times-News, P.O.Box 548, Twin Falls, about their newfound mary concern, they say.