Electric customers scream all the way to the state capital

May 9, 2007 at 2:28 PM CDT - Updated July 26 at 4:55 PM

Electric customers scream all the way to the state capital
By: Arnold Wyrick

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The battle continues over hiked electric rates in Illinois. On Wednesday a dozen busloads of people from across the state converged on Springfield to take part in the P.O.W.E.R. Rally. It stands for, people organized and working for electric relief.

"Anytime you can go in person to somebody and deliver your pleas to them, you can probably get a lot more done, then with just a letter," says Greg Zidik of Marion, Illinois.

He was just one of the 50-plus people who boarded the bus in Marion on Wednesday morning. Each one of the passengers were AMEREN CIPS customers who are fed up with their hiked electric bills. "We've sent the copies of our bills and all of our information to our representatives, and to our senators. And if this is what it's going to take to show them the masses in action, then that's what we're going to do," says Mayor Evelyn Fuqua of Crainville, Illinois.

Granted each of the P.O.W.E.R. Rally participants were looking forward to voicing their complaints about the electric rates in Illinois. But they were also concerned about their neighbors, and wanted to voice their concerns too while in Springfield. "With Summer coming up I'm really worried about people that are going to go without their air-conditioners and fans. And we just need to bring these rates back down for everybody in this community and southern Illinois," says Marsha McGuire of Carterville, Illinois.

The buses rolled out of Marion and West Frankfort around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning.