About 50 people staged an unusual rally at the statehouse yesterday to protest high heating bills.The protestors gathered ’round a barrel of burning furniture to dramatize the plight of those who can’t pay their heating bills. As one person wielded a saw to cut up the chairs and an old baby crib, Jackie Robinson of Des Moines wondered aloud if her neighbors would come up with the money to pay their utility bills.Merlene Mulder of Des Moines hopes legislators examine utility company records. She says the prices shouldn’t go up that high.Representative Ed Fallon of Des Moines organized the event, and got official permission to stage the burn on the capitol steps.
