Premium
Utilities Cannot Pass to Ratepayers the Cost of Charitable Contributions
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1991.tb07111.x
Subject(s) - commission , politics , service (business) , empowerment , abortion , business , public relations , public administration , economics , political science , law , marketing , finance , pregnancy , biology , genetics
In 1970, the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) changed its policy to allow recoupment from ratepayers of corporate sums given as charitable donations. The New York Telephone Co. and Rochester Gas and Electric Co. took advantage of the PSC's empowerment and sought retrieval of costs expended as contributions to numerous charities, including politically and religiously active organizations. Joseph Cahill, a customer, challenged this forced funding of organizations engaged in activities and causes contrary to his political or personal beliefs, of religious institutions that expounded beliefs inconsistent with his own, and of organizations that promoted the right to abortion, to which he was opposed. The lower courts ruled for Cahill.