Big bucks spent on power plant debate

Supporters and opponents of the Springfield power plant proposal are spending big bucks to pass/defeat the June 6 issue.

The Vote Yes for Local Power Supply Committee, an off-shoot of the Coalition for Building a Better Tomorrow, has spent $126,969.28, according to the latest records on file with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The group has raised $147,306.63 this election cycle, some of which has been used to support causes other than the power plant issue.

In the last month, the group has received $63,097 in contributions. Who's giving? Labor unions, current and former CU employees, the Chamber of Commerce, Empire Bank, architecture firms, and Jack Stack-affiliated companies. Stack co-chaired the Power Supply Task Force whose work ultimately recommended a coal-fired power plant to the city. Stack, who doesn't live in the city and won't vote on the issue, offered his endorsement of Southwest 2 in a recent op-ed piece. Stack's companies gave $9,750 to the coalition.

The committee paid $14,000 to a Springfield firm for a poll that found 51% in support of the plant, 29% against and 20% undecided. More than $80,000 went to an ad firm to buy radio and television ads.

The leading opposition group, Ratepayers for Affordable Utilities, has already spent twice what it did to defeat the power plant in 2004. Back then, the group spent $12,470.72. This time around, they have spent $26721.43, mostly on printing and mailing a four page "voter's guide." Chief contributors include Ozarks Coca-Cola (whose vice president Sally Hargis was also on the Power Supply Task Force) Penn Enterprises (a laundry firm), and Positronic Industries.