STOP THE AIC RATE HIKE NOW

The Arizona Corporation Commission and Ajo Improvement Company are asking for a 300%+ rate hike for water, sewer, and electric service in Ajo, Arizona. AIC or Ajo Improvement Company is owned by FreeportMacMoran, a huge mining company with corporate headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. Ajo is a tiny Colonia, a former copper mining town.. Copper mining operations ceased in 1985 after a bitter strike. At that time the mine was owned by the Phelps-Dodge Corporation. Freeport bought the mine in 2007. PD made substantial improvements to the infrastructure before Freeport finanalized the merger.
Now Freeport and the ACC are asking for a rate hike that would essential destroy the town.
A group of citizens have gotten together to develop a movement to protest the rate hike, however, these ACC guys really play hardball and do not seem to care about the results of utility rate hikes throughout the state. Arizona is a poor state...lots of retirees and more land dedicated to Indian Reservations than any other state in the union.
what we want is to circulate a petition along with an information campaign. our hope is to stop the raise hike until the courts can make a decision about whether or not the hike is justified and/or can be absorbed by a small, poor community...then hopefully, stop the action by the ACC and AIC...thus saving the community.