There's a big old Atmos gas pipeline running through this county and some have gas leases with Atmos (which was formerly TXU Gas, formerly Lone Star Gas; that TXU Gas sounds like an interesting background). Anyway, they supply gas to some parts of this county, and now they want a $63 million rate hike. TRC is going to hold hearings next week about this. But why would anyone balk about paying MORE for gas, to the tune of $4 more per month? Just might be the expenses this company has, which get CHARGED BACK TO CUSTOMERS.

State law allows utilities to pass on legitimate business expenses to ratepayers. The municipal group examined hundreds of pages of company documents and complained about spending it considered unreasonable.

Those items include the artwork[$75,000 worth], $1,722 in airline tickets for an executive and his wife to attend President Bush's inauguration, eight office chairs that cost $2,000 apiece, a $2,640 dinner for 30 at a fancy Dallas restaurant, and at least four other group meals that cost more than $3,000 apiece.

"This is not inappropriate at all. This is part of doing business," Atmos spokesman Ray Granado told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"You need a roof over your employees' heads. Any business would do that," Granado said. "Artwork is the same. In my office, in any normal office, any business is going to have prints on the walls. It's part of an office environment."

Incidentally, Atmos doesn't seem to be faring too well in OTHER states, either.If you live in Tennessee, rather than Texas, you will see a rate CUT... why? Because state regulators said Atmos is making too much of a profit and told them to reduce their rates.

Tennessee customers of Atmos (AT'-mus) Energy will will see a reduction in their natural gas bills this winter.The Tennessee Regulatory Authority today ordered the Dallas-based utility to reduce its rats by six (m) million dollars.

The Tennessee attorney general's consumer division had been fighting to reduce Atmos rates for about two years. The agency says Atmos was making too much of a profit.

Hey, look at this-how much will customers in Tennessee save?

T-R-A officials said the reduction per customer should be about four dollars per month

So while Texans will be paying MORE by about 4 bucks, Tennesseans will be paying about 4 bucks LESS.

Remember that Sid Miller is all for deregulation of natural gas, coming up soon. Here's what he and Ernie Casbeer had to say about it. AUDIO -As Ernie Casbeer said "If PUC can't keep rates fair NOW BEFORE deregulation, same will apply after deregulation".