Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Tuesday, March 04, 2003 Page: 3A
WWho would you believe? A nun under oath with nothing to gain, or a
multinational corporation gunning for a rate adjustment?
I’m siding with Sister Susan Norwalis, a nun from Hanover Township. Here’s
her story.
Curious about a proposed surcharge, Sister Susan says she spoke with a
customer-service representative of Pennsylvania-American Water Co. on the
phone several months ago. The employee told the nun that the Pennsylvania
Public Utility Commission is a real cream puff when it comes to allowing the
company to pass on fees to customers.
Sister Susan told her tale last week while testifying at a PUC public
hearing in Wilkes-Barre against a facility protection fee being sought by
Pennsylvania-American.
“The (Pennsylvania-American employee) who answered told me … that the
PUC in Pennsylvania was liberal in allowing PAWC to pass on fees to its
customers, while in other states the utility commission protects consumers
from added charges.”
Wow! The employee’s comments aren’t relevant to the rate request, but
they’re real interesting – as intriguing as one of Steinbrenner’s boys saying
the umpires favor the Yankees.
Officially, Pennsylvania-American considers the PUC a fair and impartial
body, according to Pennsylvania-American Director of Communications Joi M.
Corrado.
And frankly, it’s hard to imagine an employee of a major utility saying
such a thing to a customer.
Plus, Sister Susan’s story can’t be confirmed. She called a regional
customer-service center with lots of employees, and can’t recall the name of
the woman she spoke with.
But Corrado says Pennsylvania-American doesn’t record phone calls from
customers, so Sister Susan’s story can’t be refuted either. And who would want
to try? She’s a nun, for heaven’s sake. You take her word for it, right?
Not Pennsylvania-American. Their lawyer called Sister Susan a liar. Here’s
how.
Accusation raises nun’s ire
After her initial inquiry, Sister Susan filed a written objection to the
proposed fee with the PUC. She also jotted down what the customer service
representative told her about the PUC, in case the commissioners were
interested.
Pennsylvania-American got a copy of the complaint, and a company attorney
responded in writing, Sister Susan says.
Incredibly, the lawyer denied that the statements attributed to the
customer-service representative regarding the PUC were ever uttered.
Sister Susan, who has a reputation for truthfulness, takes offense to being
called a liar.
“I want you to know that what I wrote was a true statement and I take
exception to that denial,” she told a PUC administrative law judge.
Right on, sister. You don’t have to prove anything to the PUC. The utility
does.
And so far, all Pennsylvania-American has proven is that it qualifies as a
dumb and dumber company.
Because it’s dumb for a utility company – even through a customer-service
representative – to call the PUC a pushover. And it’s even dumber to call a
nun a liar.
Call Jones at 829-7215 or e-mail caseyj@leader.net.