Cash dividends paid to Evergy shareholders in 2022 were $534,800,000; up from $497,900,000 in 2021 and $465,000,000 in 2020. If Evergy can afford to pay dividends in an amount well exceeding their recent $218 million requested rate increase, then why didn't they use the necessary capital from these funds instead of handing them out to investors? It obviously wasn't an excess available for a dividend payment, if they are immediately claiming they need the money back in the form of rate increases. This shifting of the burden from the public to the benefit of "shareholders" and executives is abhorrent!