Spears Scolds Big Utility Companies for Increasing Rates on Local Families and Small Businesses
From a press release:
State Representative Candidate Calls for Blockage of Rate Hike to Save Consumers Money
PEORIA-Democratic Candidate for State Representative Bill Spears on Friday lambasted the state’s utility companies as they unveil the results of a power auction on Friday afternoon predicted to increase utility rates for consumers and small businesses by nearly 55 percent.
“The big electric companies promised to lower their rates through competition. That competition has never developed and now they want to use their monopoly to raise rates on customers,†Spears said. “The people of the 92nd District are working class people who cannot afford a rate increase of any kind. This power auction is a farce aimed at pillaging the pocketbooks of local residents and I won’t stand for it.â€
Last week, power companies held the auction approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission earlier this year which will allow electricity to be sold by generating companies through a bidding process. This decision also removes the ICC’s authority to conclude if power is being offered to consumer’s at the most affordable rate.
Spears believes that the auction, which is based on the premise of several bidders vying for electricity, is dishonest because very few companies were expected to place a bid in the auction process, thereby allowing current electric companies to maintain their stronghold on the state’s power market and the consumers wallet. As a result of the power auction, it is expected that consumers with a monthly electric bill of $100 could see their costs rise to as high as $155 per month with increased services.
To fight the rate increase, Spears is pushing for House Bill 5766 to extend the current rate freeze until 2010, hopefully allowing competition to fully develop in the state. Spears, who is facing Republican state Representative Aaron Schock, is also beginning to circulate petitions objecting to the rate hike. Spears says that once again, local residents must come together to do the work that their current legislator has failed to do.
“Local residents haven’t been getting the representation they deserve in the state legislature and Aaron Schock’s silence on this issue is deafening,†Spears said. “Aaron Schock has taken thousands of dollars from big utility companies and his silence reflects his lack of courage in standing up to big business in support of his constituents.â€
Spears, who is currently a member of the Peoria City Council, pledged to fight the rate increase from all angles.
“I will work with local consumer advocacy groups, senior citizen groups and business associations to implement a new law blocking this rate hike,†Spears added. “I have taken a very strong stance on this issue because I have met thousands of families who are struggling to make ends meet. Our goal should be to make things easier for local residents, not add to their problems because greedy businesses want to pad their profit margins.â€
Spears is asking local residents opposed to the electric rate increase to sign a petition voicing their objection. For more information or if you would like a copy of the petition, contact Spears’ office at (309) 637-1350.
,tags>Bill Spears,Aaron Schock
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
What the heck is this? Aren’t the utility companies being forced to make this change due to the power being sold on the open market? Isn’t the government, in efforts to foster “competition” in the electicity industry, the entity forcing this change?
Great, perhaps Mr. Spears will also lead the charge and get a petition together to repeal the garbage tax. “to come together to once again do the work that their local legislator failed to do.” I am sure those thousands of families that are struggling to make ends meet would love for that to be repealed. Talk about defeaning silence. One should clean out one’s own back yard prior to looking at the neighbors.
anon – that’s a great response. I think that the true character of an individual is revealed on the campaign trail and Mr. Spears has truly shown that he’s willing to “create issues” to increase his exposure rather than running on his record. as you point out, his record as a City Council member is less than spectacular — but wait, we do have more E-85 vehicles in Peoria. Woo Hoo.
I’m not sure how one can compare the cost of the “garbage tax” with the cost of heating one’s home… unless we’re in a 1961 void right now.
it’s the principle. If you’re going to fight for poor families then start with what you can do immediately. If you’re going to fight for crime, then start right here right now and the list goes on and on. to point out what you feel other’s are doing or not doing when you yourself aren’t doing it is rather hypocritical.
It was our own state legislators that caused this electric mess. They thought this would drive down rates. Can’t blame the electric companies. We are all screwed unless they vote to block it in November. As for the Garbage Fee, I agree. If Spears wants my vote, he needs to do something locally here like getting rid of the Garbage Fee. If not, then it’s just lip service and I get enough lip from politicans off my zipper.
This is just typical talk without any substance. The garbage tax is a good example. Bill Spears voting for sales tax increases on the city council is another. Voting to spend money on a baseball field AND the dry cleaner eminent domain debaccle. Voting to spend more money on the Civic Center instead of reducing that tax. Bill Spears, by his past actions, doesn’t care a lick about working class families’ pocketbooks in the 92nd.
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Bill Spears will vote to increase taxes in Springfield if he is elected. A statewide garbage tax, he’ll probably vote for it? New Olympic Stadiums for Chicago’s bid from our money in Springfield? He’ll vote for it. Bill Spears is a bigger threat to working class families’ finances than the electric companies are. Especially if his win helps give the Chicago Democrat machine a veto-proof majority. Spears will be a rubber stamp vote for whatever Madigan, Jones, and Daley want. All at Peoria taxpayers expense.
If Spears cares about working class families, where is his proposal to eliminate or even reduce taxes on poor people? How about upping the standard deduction from $2,000 to $20,000 for the working class? How about capping state gasoline taxes so the tax per gallon doesn’t increase when the price does? How about cutting the state tax on electric bills and phone bills and gas bills and cable bills? Empty rhetoric. Not that WonderBoy is much better, but at least he won’t be controlled by Madigan.
Naw, he’ll just be controlled by LaHood and Leitch.
You say that he doesn’t care about the pocketbooks of those working class citizens and yet… Im not fully buying that theory myself. Spears works HARD to help those in need because he has BEEN there and DONE that and knows what its like to get kicked in the teeth. You list so many things he SHOULD be doing, and yet… think about it. You wanna tree in your front yard but think that if you plant the seed the tree will be there tomorrow? He’s doing what he feels is right, he’s facing criticism and … what are you doing? You’re criticizing his actions but are YOU running for office? We all would do different things were we in the hot seat, but imagine if it were you getting razed for your actions that others deem “Not good enough”…
Nice try Spearsey. So let’s hear exactly what Bill Spears has done to let poor people keep their money instead of taking it from them for the un-necessary things I mentioned? Been there and done that doesn’t cut it at all. What has he done for the working class poor while in office, besides vote to take their money for things they can’t afford to use or enjoy? It might’ve let more people visit Jimmy’s fabulous bar more often and helped sales.
What am I doing? Next time do a bit of research before attempting to call someone out. I filed to run for Governor, as a matter of fact. Filed to run for Peoria City Council twice and State Rep. also, so you can’t accuse of me of not being willing to put myself out there. I put candidates for US House, US Senate and President on the Illinois ballot, managed two US Senate campaigns, appointed and served on the State HAVA committee, created an activist organization to make elections more free and equal, challenged election laws in the courts to have them ruled unconstitutional, got legislation introduced to ease ballot access laws, and now I am working on getting legislation introduced and supported next session to increase the Tuition Tax Credit, up the standard deduction for poor people, reduce the state income tax, and cap the gasoline tax. Off the top of my head.
People don’t care about the lack of political competition much, but even ignoring that, the tax issues I’m working on now will let the working class keep what they work hard to earn. I get that Spears is against increased electric bills. So why isn’t he at least against wasteful government spending at the expense of the working class based on his previous actions? Things he has a lot more power over (when in elected office) than electricity rates, as someone else mentioned.
Is he for or against the 67% state income tax increase? Is he for or against the $150 million extra the state collected in gasoline taxes this year because of the higher prices? Does he support Madigan for Speaker? I get “razed” all the time, it’s just part of life. Sometimes I even deserve it, like Spears’ record does right now.
It would seem logical that Schock will be controlled by LaHood and Leitch, but it doesn’t matter much at this point. Leitch has no power at all in Springfield and it wouldn’t change anything if he did control Aaron. Madigan controls the entire agenda in Springfield, Leitch and LaHood control nothing. That could be very different in the future though, I’ll grant you. Aaron owes Ray big time with all the National help he gets from Republicans. Aaron’s using local Republicans for connections to Republican money everywhere, and Spears is getting the Madigan treatment to pick up more D seats.
Bill Spears is going to be a great representative for the 92nd District precisely because he knows what it means to work for a living and raise a family on the wages you earn.
I remember Bill, as a young man, working a full time job and a second night and weekend job, driving a crappy car, saving every dime he could. You might want to consider how impressive it is that Bill has worked hard for himself and, as soon as he was able, he began working for others, too. Communities are built on folks like Bill Spears and the Spears family.
I have nothing against Mr. Shock personally, I don’t know him. But I’ve seen his record and am aware of some of the discredited right-wing policy beliefs he espouses. So let’s not pretend that the TAX & TAKE Republican party is up to the job of working for people who earn a check or own a small business. Running up massive federal and state debt is not a tax cut. Collecting tax dollars and pumping them away from schools, streets, police, fire and into the hands of big well represented industry is not fair and equitable taxation. It is also, by the way, NOT conservative economic policy.
Bill Spears is going to be elected. I’d hope that some of you will work within the community to support him when he gets to the statehouse. Bill Spears has made a positive difference in everything he’s undertaken. And WE can too.
I like Bill Spears as a person and would wholeheartedly agree with everyone who says nice things about him. However, I also think that Aaron has the same admirable character qualities. However, due to my more conservative fiscal beliefs – I have more faith in Aaron to run it right in Springfield than I do Bill. Neither are my first choice for the more liberal social views I hold. but I disgress.
Bill is not currently an independent thinker on the Peoria City Council – if he was, he’d probably do a much better job. He is way to much influenced by those individuals like Nichting, Sandburg, and others rather than doing what he thinks is correct. They will be the ruin of him if he’s not careful. If he’d show some independence from them he’d be better off and might get might vote.
I wonder how Aaron is going to vote on the “same sex amendment” which will be introduced in the State legislature soon? Then tell me about his “admirable character qualities”. And don’t give me your liberal social view crap to justify it.
Roman, Aaron won’t be voting on that because there is no way Madigan is going to let a bill like that come to a vote. I would be curious how he would vote if Madigan didn’t control the House.