When news broke of a 10-year, $20 million agreement between PPL Corporation and the Philadelphia Union for naming rights to a new soccer-specific stadium being built in Chester, it was considered a watershed moment for the Major League Soccer expansion franchise. However, not everyone in the area is happy to hear how PPL has chosen to spend their money, especially the company’s local customers who have seen their monthly electric rates go up over the past year.“They should give that $20 million to the people, if you ask me,” said Nancy Remaly, a local resident who claims her monthly electric bill has increased by 30% this year. “If they have that kind of money laying around, they should give it back to the people so they can stimulate the economy.”
Those sentiments were echoed by state Senator Lisa Boscola, who said the timing of the agreement just doesn’t sit right with many people in the area who are suddenly having to pay more for their electricity after state-imposed rate caps expired at the start of the year.
“People’s rates are going up 30%, and they’re spending $20 million to put their name on a stadium in Chester,” said Boscola. “It’s just cold and callous. If I were the CEO, I would not have done this.”
The Allentown-based company, which delivers electricity to approximately 4 million customers in the state, has fought back by trying to set the record straight. They say the stadium-naming agreement is part of the company’s efforts to build the brand of PPL Energy Plus, an unregulated retail electric supplier that focuses on large energy users such as hospitals and school districts, not PPL Electric Utilities, which serves individuals at the local level.
“[The agreement] does not in any way involve the public utility part of PPL,” said company spokesman George Lewis. “PPL Electric Utilities is not involved in the negotiations or the naming rights. The utility is not involved in any way. We want to make sure that is clear to people locally, because it’s been difficult for people to understand the separation of the company.
“We see this as a very good marketing opportunity because it’s a way to get our name out there in the Philadelphia area,” Lewis continued. “It certainly helps us get name recognition in the Philadelphia market and throughout the eastern part of the state.”
Whether residents are happy with the decision or not, PPL Park will officially open on June 27th in front of a national audience on ESPN2 when the Union take on Seattle Sounders FC. It will be the first of 13 home games scheduled to be played at the new 18,500-seat stadium in the club’s inaugural season.
Posts
4 comments:
Yeah, it doesn't really work that way. Corporations have money set aside for marketing and things like that. If they gave it all back to the people, your bill would reflect about a $2 reduction....LOL
Do you think if the time spent by some complaining and waiting for companies to turn their profits or marketing funds over to the general public was used to get an education or find a job the economy would be better? A state senator who could have extended the caps or proposed new caps has the stones to sit on the sidelines and call out the company? And correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that PECO/Exelon who serves the surrounding area?
Well it looks like the arrogance of Wall Street has finally arrived in Pennsylvania. The PPl company seems to have developed that same sense of entitlement to our money as the parasites on Wall Street. With our government's complicity, they extract money from us just because they can. If you believe the Morning Call, most of these deals were made behind closed doors in Harrisburg a few years ago. It is a clear example of forced transfer of wealth out of the hands of the public for the purpose of corporate gain. It is a slap in the face to every hard-working American. Public loss for privatized gain.
With a 30+ percent rate increase under their belt from January, they now want another 5% increase June 1. Then to spend twenty million dollars to name a soccer field in their name shows a level of arrogance and indifference to their customers that is almost incomprehensible. People are losing their homes because they can no longer afford to pay the bills to heat them. I know a couple whose monthly bills almost doubled in January as a result of the rate increase.
This has got to stop folks. If we could refuse to buy their product, obviously we would, but we need electricity. That is all the more reason for my total disgust with this company. Every dollar they take from us has been made through our sweat equity, and they could care less. It is time we say enough is enough. We have to go to the polls and use our vote to replace the politicians that are responsible for de-regulating companies like the PPl. This isn't the America I knew growing up. I want that America back, we all should.
first guy is right, however he is wrong in the fact that it would be more like 10 cents. 20 million / 10 yrs = 2 million/yr there are about 12,500,000 peeps in PA. Lets say there are 5 million households (occupied or not) not to mention all of the businesses that use far more than your house ever will. so you in turn end up getting like 10 cents back. I'm guessing you would rather have that dime to buy cable TV. Those are the people to go after. Time Warner, Comcast, Cox. No way cable should cost that much. Shame on all of them! But I do understand your concerns and I give you this. They could build wind turbines in the northern mountains of PA with that 20 million to help reduce your energy costs, or better yet put a few around the stadium to lead by example. I'm all for Clean Energy.
Post a Comment