Another Tax/Fee Hike

Thanks again, state Democrats.

The latest reason that utility bills are going up around the state has nothing to do with keeping the lights on.

A new surcharge on utility bills, tacked on as part of the budget that was passed in June, will be used to pay the salaries and benefits of district attorneys in counties across Wisconsin.

The prosecutors are being paid from a fund originally designed to help poor people pay their utility bills and weatherize their homes. The extra fee, which hits We Energies customers in December, is the latest in a series of budget maneuvers that have sent a total of $166 million from electricity ratepayers to non-energy-related state government purposes since 2002.