Many lower-income Chicagoans are about to catch a break on power bills

Winter temperatures bring increased energy usage at a time when energy supply prices are on the rise. This combination is causing many families across the country and right here in northern Illinois to feel the strain.

On Jan. 1, ComEd will launch a new low-income discount program to help income-eligible families manage their bills. The program will aim to cap electricity costs at 3% of customers’ incomes and 6% for homes heated with electricity.

As the Sun-Times has reported, the program offers sustained relief and builds on other support options such as the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, a federal and state program that provides a one-time payment to help with energy bills.

The low-income discount program will provide qualified enrollees with assistance for up to 12 months or longer, after which they can reapply or recertify through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program enrollment process.

Many customers will be automatically enrolled in the low-income discount program if they are already in LIHEAP or the Percentage of Income Payment Plan. Customers who are not currently enrolled in these programs can do so by visiting their local administering agency or community action agency.

It is a critical time to strengthen financial support for electricity customers. Over the past year, skyrocketing supply costs — which ComEd does not control and does not profit from — have contributed to rising customer bills.

This year, we’ve connected approximately 140,000 customers to more than $72 million in assistance. The ComEd Energy Efficiency Program has saved customers more than $12 billion since 2008.

These are significant advancements, but more work is needed to protect customers as costs rise due to supply failing to keep pace with demand.

We are at a pivotal moment, and this fall, the Illinois legislature took a strong step forward with the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which will incentivize more clean energy generation options and technologies, like battery storage, to help customers capture the benefits of more renewable energy.

No family should choose between keeping the lights on and buying groceries or medicine. That is why ComEd is urging customers to explore all available assistance programs, check their eligibility and enroll if they qualify.

With the low-income discount program, we can help more families manage their bills and maintain essential access to the power in their daily lives.

Gil Quiniones, president and CEO, ComEd

Offensive word choice

On Dec. 13, I celebrated my birthday at Drury Lane’s restaurant, Lucille, in Oakbrook Terrace, followed by a performance of the musical "Sister Act."

The experience was especially meaningful to me, as the show featured a 1970s theme, complete with the fashion and music of that era — a time that resonates deeply with me as a child of the '70s. The vibrant costumes and energetic performances brought back memories of cultural staples like Soul Train, as well as publications such as Ebony and Jet magazines.

The audience that evening was predominantly white, though there was also a notable number of Black attendees present. As the performance unfolded, a moment occurred that changed the tone of the evening for me.

During the show, one of the older white nuns asked if Sister Deloris Van Cartier was a "Negro." This line elicited laughter from most of the white audience members, yet I noticed that none of the Black people around me reacted or made a sound. For me, the comment was jarring and felt like a racial punch in the gut, overshadowing the celebratory spirit of my birthday.

I found myself questioning why such a racially charged comment was included in the performance, especially given the current tensions surrounding race in society.

The character of Sister Deloris, as portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg in the original movie, was never referred to as a "Negro." While I understand that adaptations may differ and lines can change from film to stage, I could not reconcile the decision to retain this particular remark.

Considering the ongoing prevalence of hate and racist rhetoric — including that emanating from influential places like 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — I believe the show could have made a more sensitive choice regarding its language.

Patricia Brantley, Maywood

One self-serving act after another

Just when you think Donald Trump can go no lower, he reminds us there is no bottom to his cruel and self-serving acts. Bombing of fishing boats allegedly carrying drugs and killing survivors — how do we know their purpose? No due process.

He speaks to the nation, and we expect a comment on the current state of the country, but we get bragging about his great economic efforts, featuring tariffs. Meanwhile, millions are being spent building a ballroom where he has destroyed part of the people's house. Prices of essential goods remain high.

He immediately insults a couple who were the victims of a horrific murder. He places plaques beneath the portraits of former presidents, defaming them and flattering himself. Will this behavior ever stop? It does not seem likely that common decency will have its day.

Philip S. Witt, Northbrook

Big win

What a sweet victory over the Packers! Seeing the Bears make such a spectacular comeback at the end of regular time and then much more forcefully and elegantly at the end of overtime was, truly, of historical proportions!

All of Chicagoland deserved such a triumph, especially over the Green Bay Packers!

Congratulations, big time, to DA BEARS!

Alejandro Lugo, Park Forest