Metro East Sun

A local resident said he doesn't believe state Sen. Christopher Belt (D-East St. Louis) and Rep. LaToya Greenwood (D-East St. Louis) are fairly representing their constituents.

Dave Barnes said both politicians are only out for themselves.

"In my opinion, [neither] Mr. Belt nor LaToya Greenwood represents their constituents," Barnes said in an interview with Metro East Sun. "Voters had the opportunity to oust Greenwood when I opposed her. People below Belleville don’t want change. They are only out for themselves but the people continue to elect them."

Earlier this month, a group of black residents protested regarding their lawmakers, saying they didn't feel represented after Belt and Greenwood supported a bill known as the Downstate Clean Energy Affordability Act, which many residents do not support.

Both lawmakers have accepted donations from Ameren, who backs the legislation, Belleville News-Democrat reported.

Resident Walter Byrd told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that politicians continue to say things will get better, but he questions how as no lawmaker is doing anything about any of the problems in the area.

Belt is also listed as an employee of Commonfields of Cahokia Public Water and Sewage District but will not elaborate on what he does there.

Metro East Sun previously reported that local residents were frustrated with Belt's actions.

“Sen. Belt continues to demonstrate how out of touch he is with the people in his district and that he has no interest in hearing what they have to say,” Mark Cavers, president of the Illinois Opportunity Project, said in a news release.

Cavers wrote that Belt's behavior shows he is out of touch.

“Sen. Belt’s behavior and attitude towards those he is supposed to serve is typical of many out-of-touch politicians in Illinois," he said in the release. "Families and voters deserve a seat at the table. Instead, they are ignored by an unresponsive government. Sen. Belt has shown they will always put special interests before people, especially when they are immune to the consequences of their bad policy decisions.”