Скачать или смотреть Lesinski: "Power to the People"

Luray, VA - July 29, 2009 - More than 3,400 Shenandoah Valley residents have signed the "Power to the People" petition, which aims to prevent the latest round of power rate increases by Allegheny Power. The petition began as a Page County community initiative, but has since expanded to include Shenandoah, Rockingham, and Rappahannock Counties. John Lesinski, a candidate for Virginia's 15th District House of Delegates, was asked to spearhead the effort to raise awareness of the petition and deliver it to state officials. Lesinski and other concerned Valley residents will deliver the petition to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) on Thursday, July 30, at a 10am public hearing, located at 1300 E. Main Street, in Richmond.

In January, electricity rates were raised by 30% as part of a deal struck between Allegheny Power, the SCC, and the Virginia Attorney General's office. Allegheny returned to the SCC in April to seek another rate hike, which was temporarily granted until a hearing is conducted in September. At the hearing on Thursday, July 30, Allegheny will return to the SCC for a hearing to request yet another increase.

"Increased power rates are strangling Valley residents and small businesses," said Lesinski. "Our community cannot sustain this additional burden."

Since announcing his involvement in this effort last week, Lesinski has received dozens of emails and phone calls in support of the petition. Concern has been expressed by local residents and business owners who fear that they will not be able to pay for a third increase this year. Lorraine and John Early employ 10 people at Early's Carpet in Amissville. Since January, their electricity bills have gone up more than $300 per month. They are now concerned about how to maintain their staff and keep the business afloat.

"I'm not the type to complain," said Mrs. Early, "but these power rate increases are going to cost people their jobs."

Community service organizations are seeing the personal impact that increased power rates are having on Valley residents. Page One - a Page County-based nonprofit organization - provides financial and other forms of assistance to families in financial distress. According to Page One's Family Assistance Chairperson, Sandi Wood, financial assistance to families for power bills has doubled since last year. Page County has been hit with unemployment rates near 20% this year - among the worst in the Commonwealth. Requests for financial assistance in Page County have increased 55% since last year.

According to Wood, "Folks out here can't take another hit. We are greatly concerned about the impact of these power rate increases on the well-being of our clients."

Lesinski is calling on local residents to support the effort to prevent higher power rates by signing the "Power to the People" petition. He will work with community leaders to continue circulating the petition to concerned residents until the September 16 SCC hearing, which will address a 6% increase in electricity rates. People seeking to learn more about and sign the petition can do so by [email protected].

"Our community leaders and elected officials cannot remain silent on the economy," asserted Lesinski. "We must be proactive and bipartisan in order to bring relief to all of the folks out here who are struggling to make ends meet."

The effort to stop power rate increases is the latest in a series of activities that Lesinski has conducted to support local businesses and provide relief to financially strapped residents of the Shenandoah Valley. Earlier this year, Lesinski proposed an employee-based tax credit to small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The tax credit is intended to stimulate regional job growth and to offset the cost to small businesses for proposed increases in unemployment insurance benefits. Modernization of Virginia's unemployment benefits is required to make the state eligible for $125 million in Federal financial assistance. Lesinski has called on members of the House of Delegates to reconvene and pass an unemployment modernization bill. In May, Lesinski called on Governor Tim Kaine to declare an "Economic Crisis" in Page County to provide additional state assistance, in response to deteriorating economic conditions. In June, the Governor responded by deploying his Economic Crisis Strike Force to region to address economic concerns in Page County and the Northern Shenandoah Valley.
John Lesinski is a retired colonel in the United States Marine Corps and a successful commercial real estate broker. He worked for 16 years in one of the nation's largest commercial real estate brokerage firms. More recently, he established the Leland Group, LLC, which is a small business that focuses on bringing businesses into the Shenandoah Valley. Issues of job creation and economic development are central themes in his campaign.