eddie k wrote on July 19, 2008 01:45 PM: I think your compensation for former CEO and Chairman Walt Higgins is a little off, aprox 300%. Don't take my word, Get an anual report from 6 years ago and compair it to the last one. You have to search through to find all the numbers. Nevada Power mite belive housing allouances and bonuses are not part of his pay but I do.

No Longer A Proud Employee wrote on July 19, 2008 01:04 PM: Sierra Pacific Resources and some people in management positions like to treat the Union as the enemy. The truth is the “Union” is nothing more than the company’s employees banding together to help each other protect their jobs. We are not the United Auto Workers of America who asked for outrageous benefits and were granted those benefits by the auto manufacturers. If the company was in dire straits and asked the employees to take a cut in pay and benefits it would be a different matter especially if the upper management took a cut also. A company that sees it’s expenses skyrocket due to poor management and then asks the public to “pay up” is not a good practice regardless of whether or not the PUC approves the increase. THE INCREASE IN FUEL COSTS ARE ONLY PART OF THE RATE INCREASE. Since the merger of Sierra Pacific Power and Nevada Power all eyes are on Wall Street. SPPC and NP are no longer “local utilities”. Prior to the merger the main focus of these companies were on 1) rate payers, 2) employees. Now all that matter are the shareholders at the expense of the rate payers and the employees. If SPR was owned by the CEO I would say “He/She can run the company anyway they want”. However, they do not own it. They have been entrusted with the efficient and proper operation of a corporation. They have treated their positions as a personal wealth builder (to the extreme). I look forward to the day when I can, once again, be proud of my company. After all, it’s my company too!

Justthefacts wrote on July 19, 2008 07:40 AM: I am tired of the whining of the ME generation, who think that the elderly, the poor, the single mothers, and the people on welfare should shut up, sit back, and just accept whatever their situation may be. They obviously have no appreciation of the freedom that we have in this country to speak our minds. They can apologize all they want for the wealthy and their tactics, but they cannot stop us from addressing the needs of those of us in the middle and lower classes. Just because they have no concept of human decency does not mean that it is not a goal to strive for.

Actually TOTC, why don't you move to North Korea? You would find conditions there much more to your liking. You wouldn't have to listen to complaining then, would you?

Ugly American wrote on July 18, 2008 10:32 PM: This is a monopoly, *created* by the government. The government only allows Sierra Pacific wearing the mask of Nevada Power to do it. That is not a free market. That is government control, just like Cuba.

re dobbole

Socialism is what Sweden & Norway have. Those who benefit most from the system should contribute the most in taxes. Businesses are all private property. For the record, Norway has a national pension surplus of $380B USD for 5M people & just 2.3% inflation. They also have a longer life expectancy, higher standard of living & lower crime.

Communism is what the USSR & China had. Those with government connections steal everything and stick the workers with the bill - like Fannie Mae & Freddy Mac have done.

20 plus year employee wrote on July 18, 2008 09:07 PM: Consider this. If you worked at a company for over 20 years and all along thought you had a pension, only to find out after 20 plus years of service that the amount you thought you would have for a pension is 70 percent less - wouldn't that be enough to make you want to go on strike? This is not whining from people who are lazy and don't want to work. This is about hard working people who are having something taken away from them after many long years of service. This is just not right, especially when its being done by people who keep getting richer and richer. Forget about how much an executive should or should not get paid. What they are trying to do to their employees is wrong. Many non-union employees have left the company over this already. The union is trying to prevent it from happening from them too.

Yahoo Finance Message Board wrote on July 18, 2008 08:58 PM: I think discussion has been good. To continue after today, Yahoo has a message board that would be a good forum to continue this discussion. Go to Yahoo.com - on the left, select Finance. In box that says "get quote" - type SRP (Nevada Power / Sierra Pacific stock symbol). Then, under news & info, click on message board. This is an excellent forum to continue discussing. You have to put up with certain blowhards and know-it-alls ( like ID lightspeedme), but overall a great way to communicate.

anon wrote on July 18, 2008 08:21 PM: I love that Nevada Power is yet again using figures from the almighty Towers and Perrin. This is a company that is sickly fat with money from NPC lining their pockets. When the power company wants to tell us customers that they really are not the most expensive in the market they get Towers to compare us to power companies in San Diego and Los Angeles. When they want send out propaganda and try to snow the employees and customers about their tactics the again pay Towers and Perrin. They ignore the wages and discount programs of LA and San Diego and now pay them off to " all of the sudden" compare our market to some poe dunk state in the south or east coast. I would love to buy a dream home for $85,000 but I am not prepared to move to the Appalacian Mountains yet. I am sure my wage compared to an average worker there looks MASSIVE but its not our market. Come on NPC we are not stupid and we see through your tactics all the time. Quit insulting our intelligence stop raping us for our A/C demands (this is a necessity not a luxury) and stop bullying and craping on your employees! There are many many customers who support the union and believe what they say about your NON maintenance and reliability. I live in an area where my power goes off several times a month. I feel like I should get to know the line guys and customer service because I call so much to find out why its out AGAIN. Its obvious you do not care about power delivery or reliability or customers getting sick. But hey make sure you donate to another community program to mask your crap.

Tired of the crying wrote on July 18, 2008 08:09 PM: I am tired of all the old people, poor people, signle mothers, and welfare queens crying about their power bill.

If you don't like it, cut back or don't use it.

Electricity is not a Right! It is like anything else, you pay for it or go without.

/s/
Customer Service

NV Power Management- wrote on July 18, 2008 08:03 PM: Our senior execs are worth what they get paid. After all, your bills have skyrocketed and they were able to get this approved through the PUC!

Remember the full page ad in the paper last Sunday from the company. We are setting the stage for another massive increase.

As far as the IBEW goes, be happy your dues paying members are employed. You are replaceable.

Another Anonymous wrote on July 18, 2008 07:31 PM: The "job" of most of these overpaid execs tends to be to cut back anywhere they can to make the company attractive for sale. So they cut salaries and retirement and anywhere else they think they can. Except their own salaries, of course. Then they walk away with a big fat check.

For what? For pillaging? For making the workers lose what they were promised? For making their jobs just a little more hazardous?

And don't kid yourself, I'm sure most of these guys didn't put themselves through school, starting with community college, paid for by working at McDonald's at night. Four years of a "good" college (don't forget to join the frat so you can "network" later) and then an advanced degree so your first job can be a good one. Sorry, I had to pay my own way, so I guess I wasn't offered the Master's degree in corporate thievery.

They figure employees won't say much because they need the jobs, especially in these times. As a Nevada Power employee and IBEW member, I have to say it is very intimidating to speak up when you know your boss can make your life a living hell. And they do try sometimes.

Those of you outside the company have no idea of the kinds of tactics that have been used lately. But if you need to pay the rent, you keep your mouth shut. Just smile and try not to cause any waves. But now it has just gone so far that employees have to stand up for themselves. "Up to 70%" is not a small figure when you're talking about cutting the pension of a loyal and hard working 30 year employee.

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