PUC outlines consumer protection rules
As the dog days of August approach and electric bills soar, the Public Utility Commission is reminding consumers of rules in place to protect them from having their power disconnected due to financial difficulties, especially during extreme heat. “Ensuring the power stays on for all Texans, regardless of their financial situation, is a top priority for all of us at the PUCT,” Executive Director Connie Corona said. Several utilities have suspended disconnections to allow customers to recover from Hurricane Beryl, which caused widespread outages, particularly in the Houston area. Consumer protection rules require electric providers to offer bill payment assistance programs, though electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities in Texas are not subject to this rule; however, most offer some form of bill assistance. Options include a payment arrangement or a deferred payment plan. Customers seeking assistance should start by contacting their electric provider. They can also learn what assistance programs are available in their area by dialing 211. Migrant apprehensions drop to 2021 levels The number of migrants apprehended by federal officers in June was at its lowest level in more than three years, according to figures released by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and reported by The Texas Tribune.Border Patrol agents apprehended 83,356 migrants in June across the southern border, down from 117,901 in May and the lowest since January 2021, the month President Joe Biden took office. “Recent border security measures have made a meaningful impact on our ability to impose consequences for those crossing unlawfully,” acting CBP Commissioner Troy A. Miller said in a statement. “We are continuing to work with international partners to go after transnational criminal organizations that traffic in chaos and prioritize profit over human lives.” Biden issued an executive order, effective June 5, that essentially ended granting asylum to migrants. Gov. Greg Abbott in previous statements has credited the state’s multibillion-dollar mission, Operation Lone Star, for the decline in migrant apprehensions, The Tribune reported. Texas second-worst state for women’s health outcomes A new report from a national women’s health nonprofit concludes Texas is among the lowest performing states for women’s health outcomes, Texas Public Radio reported. Only Mississippi ranked worse in the study by the Commonwealth Fund, which analyzed data on maternal mortality, insurance access and other factors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. One major issue is the lack of maternity care centers or obstetricians in many rural Texas counties, with 46% defined as “maternity care deserts.” The state also ranked last in the country for health care access and affordability. “It means that women enter their pregnancy having had less access to health care, particularly if they’re poor or low income, and in a poorer health situation than they would have been in had they had health insurance coverage,” said Sara Collins of the Commonwealth Fund. Feds OK SNAP hot-food purchases in Beryl-affected counties Federal food assistance recipients in 36 counties affected by Hurricane Beryl can use their benefits to buy hot foods and ready-to-eat meals, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced last week. The approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture applies to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Angelina, Austin, Brazoria, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Lavaca, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Victoria, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties. “The ability to purchase hot food is a necessity for SNAP recipients who are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Beryl,” said HHSC Deputy Executive Commissioner of Access and Eligibility Services Molly Regan. “Many families still cannot prepare meals due to power outages. No action is required of SNAP recipients to receive this additional benefit. To find local resources, such as food and shelter, dial 211 and select Option 1. Experts: Power outages likely to continue Experts say widespread outages such as that caused in July by Hurricane Beryl, and in recent years by other weather-related events, are likely to continue in the future because the state’s massive power grid is unprepared for severe weather events, The Tribune reported. The state had 210 weather-related power outages from 2000 to 2023, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy — more than any other state. In July, Beryl knocked out power to 2.6 million customers in Southeast Texas. That came on the heels of a mid-May windstorm, known as a derecho, that hit the Houston area with 100-mile-per-hour winds and knocked out power to 1 million customers. “It’s like the big, bad wolf: huff and puff and blow the house down,” said Michael Webber, an energy resources professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “And I don’t think any utility or city designs for weather like that, at least not weather that frequent.” The state’s stand-alone power grid will need decades of public investment in order to make it more resilient against storms, which down poles and power lines across Texas. “The current distribution infrastructure isn’t adequate apparently for the job at hand,” Michael Skelly, CEO of Grid United, said. “What level of reliability do we want to try to get to and what are we prepared to invest?” Both CenterPoint and Oncor have proposed investing billions to strengthen poles and wires, and install underground wires, but that will likely come at a cost to consumers. “Ultimately, the bill is going to get loaded onto the backs of the customers, whether or not they were pleased with how [the power outage] was handled,” Sandra Haverlah, president of the Texas Consumer Association, said.
Not a brain tumor, just a need for cataract surgery
Fear is one of those things that weigh heavily on our minds, even if it is probably unwarranted. I remember the first time I had cataract surgery; I was so relieved that my vision issues could be corrected that I was elated. I looked forward to the experience. Let me back up and explain my circumstances. I was driving from Dallas to Houston to provide some kind of training for a group in a single parent family program. At some point during my commute, I winked or shut one eye briefly and discovered I had no vision in the other eye. It was a total blackout out. That discovery activated a high level of fear for me. I can be so dramatic in my thought processes. I knew immediately that I had a brain tumor. It never occurred to me that a cataract could cause blindness in one eye. The next morning, as I made my way to the location where I was to provide training, my first priority was to telephone my eye doctor. He requested that I come for an afternoon appointment. Consequently, I cancelled the training and headed for Austin. Subsequently, being told that I had a cataract was the best news I could imagine. I remember when the General had cataract surgery. For years her eyeglasses were as thick as the bottom of a coke bottle. She figuratively couldn’t get out of bed without having her glasses. Cataract implants had improved significantly since I had mine and reportedly, she would no longer need glasses. From her advantage, the surgery was a miracle. The General had worn glasses since the fourth grade. I’m not sure how large the selection of frames was during her childhood, but I’ve had extensive experience accompanying her to shop for glasses. I know that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, but she was worse than I am. Historically, she considered all the options before selecting what she wanted. Did I mention that she never looked at the price on any set of frames before deciding? I guess some folks would call it accessorizing without regard to cost. She wanted frames that were…“Is subtly ostentatious a descriptive phrase?” She didn’t want to call attention to herself, but she wanted the outlook (how’s that for describing a set of frames) of a power broker. She is a woman confident of her ability and it is never challenged because she always presents herself as though failure is not an option. Oh the stories I could tell. The first selection of frames was just the beginning. The first time she talked me into going with her to pick out glasses, When she picked out the frames for her new glasses, I thought we were done. In reality, we had only just begun. First came the regular (subtly ostentatious & expensive) pair of glasses. The next selection of frames was for prescription sunglasses. They, too, are subtly ostentatious and expensive. I know what you’re thinking. Trust me, I suggested “clip-ons” and you would have thought she’d just discovered a character flaw (mine – not hers). Three strikes and you’re out. Three sets of frames and you could be a candidate for needing a second mortgage on your home. I get it, I really do. Of course, she had to have a special pair of glasses to wear while she’s sitting at the computer. “Are you kidding me?” “Absolutely not; nothing but the truth, the whole truth, so help me God.” She bought three sets of glasses at one time. Following her first cataract surgery (two weeks before her second one), she thought it had been a mistake. Initially, she could not see all that well. At least that was her story, but she was still able to decipher the credit card bill without difficulty. She never looks at the total of the bill without scrutinizing every line and comparing it with a stack of receipts. God help me if she doesn’t have all the receipts. I can truthfully say that the General having cataract surgery (the most expensive kind that well exceed what insurance would cover) was a bargain. It negated the need for eyeglasses, except for inexpensive readers. She purchased her first pair of readers before she could really see clearly. Of all places, we were in the grocery store. She picked up a pair of purple readers (glasses) and put them on. She asked me, “How do these look?” What was I supposed to say? “Stunning” would have been a little over the top. It also would have been anything but the truth. So here’s the deal, the glasses looked like a $4 pair of readers, but “give me liberty or give me death”, I wasn’t going to say that to her. “Oh, they look fine”, was the only thing I could think to say. I took the glasses from her, put them in grocery basket, and headed toward the back of the store to get milk. When I returned, she was still looking at readers. By now she had two other sets for me to see. “Which do you think would look better on me?” “Why ask me?” The obvious answer is that she asked me because she couldn’t see. I suggested she buy all three. Instead, she settled on the purple ones. Well, she’s come a long way since them. If you don’t believe me, come over and play of game of “I spy”. I bet you can locate a set of readers somewhere in every room. It makes me crazy.
