Edison Information Was Misleading

As a recently laid-off, five-year Edison meter reader, I had to respond to the misleading information presented by the Southern California Edison representatives in your article Aug. 12.

Edison Vice President Stephen McMenamin’s comments were more interesting for what he didn’t say than for what he did: All Edison ever had to do to resolve problems with “yards that are locked, yards that contain dogs, where we’ve had difficulty reading over the months or years” was to utilize the tools already available. There are numerous state laws that address these issues directly and provide avenues for relief. In my five years at Edison, in the Thousand Oaks District Office, these tools were either not used to the full extent possible or simply not used at all.

Mr. McMenamin goes on to say that “We’ve done it only in direct response to concerns expressed by the meter readers.” This statement would be a 180-degree turnaround from my experience. Meter readers were given virtually no support whatsoever in resolving access problems. Supervisors either ignored requests for help or turned the problem around and blamed the absence of a meter reading on the meter readers.

FRANK R. WISSLER

Newbury Park