Your Opinion: Make rate hike debate transparent

Dear Editor:

During a recent KRCG newscast the veil came off, at least for my eyes, from those opposed to the law to let Ameren collect costs upfront for environmental and safety permits for the second nuclear power reactor.

At the legislative witness stand an activist lady from St. Louis, a kindly soul who has devoted tremendous personal time and resources to oppose most of mankind's uses of nuclear reactions, was saying that it isn't fair to have customers pay for the costs of permits up front.

Those against nuclear power will move from issue to issue to fight it, their purpose being to stop it. Right now the issue is premature rate increases.

Concerned citizens that sincerely oppose the upfront rate increase should carefully look into the motives and funding source of groups that ask for their support and/or money. The rate increase issue should be a transparent discussion of dollars and cents apart from the safety of nuclear power.

Being a customer of Three Rivers Electric Coop, I know that the future cost of coal energy will rise, especially if we elect leaders at the top that allow the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. A $1- or $2-a-month increase that leads to long-term energy production will be all right, assuming the application of proper scrutiny by the Public Service Commission and reasonable commitments by Ameren.

We can be thankful for the freedom for citizen activists to watchdog government policies and we should only accept honesty in the activist's motives.

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