http://www.standingupforillinois.org
Office of Lieutenant Governor
Lt. Governor Pat Quinn has vowed to use the office to be an advocate for taxpayers and consumers. His programs and initiatives help citizens throughout the state achieve a stronger voice in government to make their communities healthier and stronger.
In addition to being first in line of succession to the Governor, the Lt. Governor has several defined duties, including serving as chairman of the Illinois River Coordinating Council, the Illinois Delegation to the Great Lakes Commission, Governor’s Rural Affairs Council, Illinois Main Street Advisory Council, the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council and the Broadband Deployment Council.
Quinn Joins Quad Cities Legislators in Call for Utility Rate Freeze Extension
(MOLINE) – On Thursday, Sept. 28, at 10 a.m., Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn joined State Rep. Mike Boland (D-Moline) in urging the General Assembly to extend the state’s utility rate freeze and protect consumers from a proposed 25 to 55% hike in their electric bills.
“I applaud these state legislators for standing up to protect Illinois consumers from this outrageous money grab by the big utility companies,” Quinn said. “More and more of Illinois families’ household budget is going toward buying energy. After the record high gasoline prices this summer and the soaring natural gas costs last winter, this threatened hike in electric rates is a triple whammy. “
Boland, State Sen. Mike Jacobs, and State Rep. Patrick Verschoore (D-Rock Island) have pledged their support for HB 5766, the Electric Consumer Protection Act, sponsored by State Rep. Lisa M. Dugan (D-Kankakee). The bill would extend the current statewide freeze on electric utility rates until 2010.
During the nine years of the rate freeze, Exelon/ComEd’s profits have increased by 320%. Ameren’s profits have doubled.
“We’ve shown that this rate freeze protects consumers and still gives utilities a more-than-adequate profit margin,” Quinn said. “These giant utility companies are already making record profits. Now they want to make obscene profits. This law will help the people of Illinois, and it needs to pass during the veto session in November.”
Earlier this month, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced the results of a so-called reverse auction of electric power providers which will result in gigantic rate increases throughout Illinois.
“When this freeze was passed, the General Assembly expected competition between electricity providers to result in lower prices for Illinois consumers,” Jacobs said. “Now, however, the biggest buyer of electrical power – ComEd – is owned by the biggest seller of electric power. Without true competition, consumers need the protection of the rate freeze.”
“We have a responsibility to protect the people of Illinois from this outrageous rate increase,” Boland said. “If these utility companies refuse to offer Illinois consumers a fair deal, it’s our job to step in.”
Last week, Quinn sparked a statewide protest by urging Illinois consumers to send teabags along with their electric bill payments to show their outrage over the planned rate hikes. The teabag campaign has focused grassroots opposition and brought international attention to the big utility companies’ plans to shake down Illinois consumers.
On Monday, Quinn unveiled StandingUpForIllinois’.org’s new virtual teabags – eye-catching on-line images and animation that allow Illinois consumers to express their outrage on-line. Demonstrating the power of electronic democracy, StandingUpForIllinois.org gives Illinois residents an easy, effective way to communicate their concerns about the pending rate hikes to utility company top executives.
Quinn Calls for Consumer Teabag Protest Against Ameren Money Grab
(ST. LOUIS) – Today Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn urged Illinois consumers to send teabags along with their electric bill payments to show their outrage over Ameren’s unfair 40% rate hike.
“Back in 1773, the men and women who started this country dumped tea in Boston Harbor to let King George III know what they thought about his arrogant unfairness,” Quinn said at news conference outside Ameren Corp. headquarters in St. Louis. “Today, I’m encouraging Ameren customers to follow that historic example of citizen action and mail tea bags with their electric bill payments to protest Ameren’s arrogant unfairness.”
Quinn also urged the General Assembly to pass a three-year extension of Illinois’ electric rate freeze during the November veto session. “During the nine-year rate freeze, Ameren’s profits have doubled,” Quinn said. “This company is already making record profits. Now they want to make obscene profits.”
On Friday, Sept. 15, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced the results of a so-called reverse auction of electric power providers. The new power prices are expected to result in painful 40% rate increases for nearly 400,000 AmerenCIPS customers in 576 communities, including Quincy, East St. Louis, Mattoon and Marion.
“There is no real competition in this auction process,” Quinn said. “When AmerenCIPS’ parent company – Ameren Corp. – is the leading owner of generating plants in central and southern Illinois, it defies common sense to claim this power procurement system is competitive and on the square,” Quinn said.
“More and more of Illinois families’ household budget is going toward buying energy, ” Quinn said. “Illinois consumers are already hard-pressed from the record high gasoline prices this summer and the soaring natural gas costs last winter. Now AmerenCIPS customers are bracing for an average increase of $269 a year. It’s time for consumers to take a stand against the unfair rate hikes of Ameren and other utility giants.”