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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Give Us a Bigger Break

Dear Source:
Wapa will give us, the average user a 18% break in LEAC for October (even though oil prices are 50% lower, & WAPA states the LEAC is 95% of our utility bill). What is WAPA doing with all that extra cash????? Where is our real LEAC????? WAPA, we are #1 in the highest utility rates in the US & its territories! That's not something good to be #1 at!!!
Bring it on WAPA! Tell us why. Make us understand this greed!
Regarding gasoline: I understand the rack rate for wholesale gasoline has decreased .75/gallon yesterday! Yey!!! But, even if the stingy gas station owners stopped colluding here, & gave us the .75/gallon savings they realized, our prices would be $3.51.9 (Racetrack, Lowest price @ $4.26.9, Exxon across the street is $4.27.9 as is Gasworks (finally) this week. I was told by the owners of Gas Works when they were about to open that since they don't have to purchase from Puerto Rico, & purchase from St. Croix direct, they can sell retail for .25 less a gallon easy. (They never did, they were .08 lower when they opened) Of course, this was when gas was $3.60 retail, now they wont even compete with the lowest price…. greed???
Here in St. Thomas, we are 35 miles from the second largest oil refinery in the western hemisphere, HOVENSA. Hovensa sells its refined gasoline primarily to the Northeastern United States, where gas is selling between $2.60-$2.75/gallon retail at its lowest price (I use our lowest prices to compare to their lowest prices, they have/we have higher prices, Domino's, give it up!). I'd have to think it cost more to deliver gasoline 1600 miles (as the crow flies) than it does 35 miles!!! In Kihei Hawaii where according to gaspricewatch.com they have the highest retail prices of all states & territories @ $4.19 today. We wishour prices were $4.19. Hawaii is 3000 miles from Los Angeles, where retail prices are $3.35 (California has VERY high gas prices due to their special formulations to reduce emissions & out outrageous taxes .40+!)!
So, what is going on here? Understand, we cannot compete with other markets/destinations as a tourist destination as Hovensa/WAPA is crippling us! Our people suffer with higher food costs (I have NOT seen any reductions in cost since WAPA gave us our meager 18%, I see the damage is done with these additional food costs & the retailers are keeping that $!
So, Hovensa, what will you do to set this right? What will you do for WAPA? And, what will WAPA do for us when we get this LEAC in order?
Donald Rand
St. Thomas

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