Once upon a time, there was a quaint little town, in a collar county of Chicago, it’s name was Huntley. It was a growing little burg, nice people, nice neighborhoods, the kind of place where you could forget to close your garage door overnight and your lawn mower would still be there in the morning. The homes had beautiful vistas to look at and despite the occasional train going through town, it was as quiet as a wildlife sanctuary. Then, one day, ComEd happened.
ComEd, or Commonwealth Edison, is a company owned by Exelon. A large conglomerate that is larger and more heartless and soulless than ComEd itself. But, I digress. ComEd decided that it needed to bring more power lines through Huntley and connect them to other power lines somewhere else. They decided that they had to run said lines as close to homes as they could, even though there was another available route that went past fewer if any homes, and was probably a more direct route. So now, because of Commonwealth Edison and their inability to plan, think or care, my neghibors and I have high voltage towers being built approximately 200 ft from our back doors. The great news though is that ComEd said that they will pain them the color of the sky so that they will blend in. WTF DOES THAT MEAN?!
We are going to have towers, thanks to ComEd, rising up where beautiful trees used to be. We are goign to have humming wires all night long so we will keep our windows closed so that we will have to use more air conditioning so we will have to pay Commonwealth Edison more in delivery charges. No, we won’t be paying them for the electricity because Huntley switched to a municipal aggregate plan or something that is cheaper. They could do that but they couldn’t stop ComEd from building towers in my back yard.
I am not complaining about this only for me, this is for my neighbors as well. Some of them will have it worse than I will, some will have it slightly better. All of us will have ugly towers to look at all the time in our back yards. I hope all of my neighbors go on Zillow and find out what their home was worth last month. This way, when our property values decline even more, we can send ComEd a bill. I know I will. In fact, I challenge a representative from Commonwealth Edison (one that actually has power to do something) hold a meeting with me and my neighbors, in person, preferably at one of our houses (so they can see what they are doing) to tell us how ComEd is going to compensate us for the loss of money, sleep and health that we will endure because of these towers. That is why I am saying Commonwealth Edison so many times. I want them to see this. They are cowardly. I can guarantee you that NO ONE from ComEd will contact me and my neighbors. ComEd … MAKE ME A LIAR!
I wanted to do a few things in protest: spray paint their truck windows black, super glue the door locks … stuff like that. I didn’t. I hope someone takes my ideas and runs with them though. I will even enjoy being questioned about it. I am just too clumsy to do it myself. I would hurt myself I am sure. Unfortunately, ComEd or Exelon has the Illinois Commerce Commission apparently on their payroll, since they were the ones that approved the route through the residential neighborhood, instead of across empty fields. More corrupt government. Is it libel or slander if I say that? If I say that it is my opinion that the ICC took bribes to approve the power lines on the route that they did? Meh. Oh well. Signatures, local input and resident blow back apparently don’t mean anything. I bet they are appointed positions and not elected ones.
I had a lot more vile in my brain for this earlier but the margarita mellowed me a bit. What I do ask is that you all help me out a bit. Forward this, like it, do whatever can be done so that this will rise in the ranks of the interweb and Commonwealth Edison might actually see it. As I said, I doubt they have the gall to reach out to the residents along Kreutzer Rd in Huntley who are being told basically “hope you love where you live because good luck selling your house now!” I think that ComEd should offer to pay off our mortgages for us, or at the very least pay off our SSA taxes. Will they?I doubt it since they won’t even pay for a fridge of food when the power goes out.
Speaking of Kreutzer Rd. The little farm house on the south side of Kreutzer seems to be empty now. I think ComEd came in and forcibly relocated the family. I wouldn’t put it past them since the family didn’t want to towers on their property. ComEd probably had them whacked. Is that enough slander to get noticed?
Come on Commonwealth Edison an Exelon Company. Have some balls and heart and do something to help the people you are screwing.
You know the streets you are affecting so I don’t need to give you my name and address. Just get your corporate asses over to the other side of the pond and do something.
Thank you, and goodnight.
Voicesinmybrain 