Mayor Gondola’s controversial planned power outage program came to end this past weekend. Predictably, the Mayor’s office had a rosy outlook on the effects of mitigating electricity to its citizens. Cinniapolitans, on the other hand, had mixed reviews. While this administration scurries to recap and hindsight the program into digestible data for the public, the Chorus hit the streets to find out how Cinniapolitans managed their summers without daily electricity.

The two communities greatly affected by the power outage program were Centralis and Walesburg neighborhoods. First, we met with Centralis residents.

Overall, Centralis folks were forced into changing their daily routines that had become commonplace over the past 4+ years. “The biggest changes were going into the office again and budgeting for daycare again. I had a comfortable routine at home and was able to care for my school-aged children too. This amounted to a more stress free day-to-day and my kids would much rather be at home glued to their screens than at daycare glued to their screens,” said Gertrude Smith. “Personally, I was fine with these changes outside of the increased childcare expense and going back to the office. I do like my at-home time but it can get a bit repetitive,” she said.

Another Centralis resident, Josiah Prunk, said, “I was very against returning to the office, at first. But, going back, I saw co-workers I forgot even existed. That feeling of rediscovery got me through the initial difficulty of breaking my routine,” said Mr. Prunk.

Most of the Centralis residents to whom we spoke had similar sentiments as Ms. Smith and Mr. Prunk, it was an inconvenient change at first, but as the days and weeks went by, they became used to their new routines. Walesburg residents had a different perspective.

“I already had to go into work, ok? I’m what’s called an essential worker. The Thick Pickins shelves aren’t gonna stock themselves with fruits and desserts. So, it was zero change for me, other than pocketing a few extra dollars in the first month. Then, the crooks at Grover Electric realized they were losing money and increased the price of electricity. Now, I pay more for my electric bill and get less electricity,” said Newton Nutt

“It was a tough Summer. My elderly parents need air conditioning on the really hot days. So, it was a struggle to get them to the cooling centers or to a relatives house in Reunion on the hot days,” said Carmelo Freetown. “I hope this administration can justify uprooting people’s lives and yanking us out of our homes, all in the name climate change. I hope they can provide data to prove their cause. Otherwise, this program will not be accepted in Walesburg again,” he said.

While we wait on Mayor Gondola’s administration to present their findings, the positive feedback from residents is few and far between. Most of the Cinniapolitans we engaged had a negative opinion on the program. A segment of others were indifferent. But no individual provided the Chorus with a glowing review. Perhaps, when the Government decides to inform us of the results, opinions will sway. But, for now, this was a wildly unpopular program.