Guest Editorial Submitted by Richard Overman:

It’s time for Welch and northeast Oklahoma to stand up to Empire District Electric Company. Empire District wants to raise all of our electric bills by 33%. What can they be thinking? We are just beginning to emerge from one of the worst economic times our nation has seen since the Great Depression. Senior citizens got no social security cost of living raise. Thousands of people are still unemployed and unable to find work. Electricity isn’t a luxury, it’s an necessity. Empire didn’t even give us the courtesy of any local hearings to answer our questions and hear their justifications. There is only so much we can do to conserve and cut our costs. There will be a public hearing Thur., Jun. 17, in Oklahoma City. There was a notice in your electric bill the month before last from Empire saying they are requesting the rate increase.

To accommodate the people of northeast Oklahoma, the Corporation Commission has decided to hold a teleconference in Tulsa Thur., Jun. 17, at 1:00 p.m. for us to appear. The hearing will be held at the State Office Building located at 440 S. Houston in downtown Tulsa. I encourage the people of Welch to turn out at that hearing in force. We can carpool and split expenses. If enough people want to go, we might be able to make other arrangements for transportation. If you would like to appear as a witness, you should contact Lisa Roberts at 405-521-2264 and ask to be put on the agenda. For more information about the rate increase or the hearing, contact Richard Overman at ksboy_53 <at> yahoo <dot> com or call 918-788-3071. There is at least one car going from Welch at this time that is not full.

If you cannot go to the hearing, you can go to http://www.occeweb.com/Divisions/CS/Forms/Maincomp.htm and post a comment under the “Feedback” link and ask that your comments be entered into the record of the hearing. Let’s stand up together and do everything we can.

Richard Overman

We publish guest editorials from time to time. The opinions expressed in guest OpEds are those of their identified authors and are not necessarily those of WelchOK.com or its staff. But they may be. You just never know.

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