o/t things are getting bad real bad

a local woman pulled a shot gun yesterday when the electric company tried cutting her power she had 3 kids at home and couldnt pay her bill a buddy of mine said there was 23 cop cars at her house new paper sais she was addmited in the hospital im assuming the sych ward

I was told by a cop that the power company cant shut off your power in the winter time. I dont know how true this is.

If I was her neighbor and I knew she was not blowing her money on drugs or alcohol and was just a neighbor that was having a tough time and has 3 kids. I would have asked a few neighbors to go in with me on paying her bill enough to prevent shutting off, or pay it all up to date to give her a chance, or donated it myself. I mean 2-3 electric company employees and 23 cops??? up to 26 people that still have a job, probably good pay, if they all tossed $20 in a hat to help the mother out, would have been a much better example for the kids and the community. I've anonymously done this many,many times and I am not rich by no means. I dont know how I would react if I was put in a situation like that, I'd ask for help first, but some people jsut dont ask anymore because they are denied so often. Dont know what underlying issues are, but it looks like another poor person has to live like that while others in our country are living so lavishly, some getting millions of $ per game or per episode, or per "election"!

Better than what happened here a year ago. They shut off the power without checking to see if anybody was in the house. An old gal froze to death.

Sad that one persons car payment, could be enough to save anothers life.

I just watched the story on the 6:00 news. If I heard the story right, the cops knocked every window out of the house. I think the cops over reacted.
Rollie

Here in Maine, state law prohibits power shut-off between November & April, I think. Last year fuel prices were so high that some folks were using their light-bill money to pay the oil man. They had to have heat, but knew they could delay the power company until the spring.

Shame that some folks wind up in such a situation; better option is to do as suggested above and have the neighbors kick in a few bucks. After all, we're in this together...

-- Maine Fordson

I suffered a power failure a few years ago. Just me. Everyone around had power. I went in to the local office and asked them why they had cut my power off. Lady at Wis Pub Serv said: "We don't cut anybody's power off!" She said she'd get a truck out "right away". I did some shopping and went home. Power truck was in my drive and had already completed the repairs. I cannot say enough good things about Wisconsin Public Service.

In Ontario during the winter. No payment customers have the meter base pulled and a single pole 15amp breaker installed.
It's a little bit of power instead of none to run a sump pump, furnace, heat tracing, lights, a portable heater or a microwave with careful load shifting.
Keeps the non paying person's from living it up too.

Yep, WPS is very resposive. Anytime we have a fire or EMS call involving a pole, just give them a pole number and they are right there, day or night! Mom always says "that's for all the years your Grampa gave them". I know better but it's a nice sentiment.

Stay warm,
Bill

one way to get free heat and daycare!

You summed it up very well Dave. I know you and I agree on just about everything, and I sure wished there had been a different outcome. Like you, I am not rich, but by golly I'll be right there with you to help someone who is truly down on their luck.

I think the cops over reacted.


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If the shotgun had been pointed at you, you might think differant...

No kidding dhermesc!

That house woulda got a complimentary molitov cocktail too if I were in the cop's shoes!

B&D,now that's a dang good idea! Makes them live within their means!

Heck we get a 50a service at most places when camping with the motorhome.

Well said Dave, those are the gifts you can give, and feel good about yourself for ever. I'm afraid there will be many more to come.

Often those poor folks never got a break, but are grouped up in the crack head, drinking party crowd. And as I have said often, any one of us could wear those shoes some day.

And those that claim the government has many offices to help out.... well lets just say in kind words that they have no idea of what they say, I have friends who have tried, and that is simply one of the biggest totaly wrong assumptions any fortunate person can make.

As we speak there are numerous folks whos unemployment is running out, and no jobs--that will pay for the gas to get there. And I know alot of us say we scooped manure with a bent and broken shovel in the hot sun with a broken arm once, and all the other stories we are going to get dumped on us at any moment.

Many folks are giving up hope, and do not know what way to turn.

One old lady in Kalamazoo died this year from frostbite, and pnemonia from having the power off for 4 days. Kinda surprised me, I didn't think it could be shut off. Maybe they didn't know who to appeal too, I think if the asked to get into a program, they would have got in.

Remember, she pointed the gun at the utility worker and he left the scene and called the cops. So nobody was in danger. Do you think it takes 23 police officers to handle that situation? If the power co. wanted to shut the power off, it could have been done at the pole.

Rollie

They can't shut off the power in winter here in PA. I recall a case a couple of years ago a woman in Pittsburgh was running up a huge monthly bill because she kept the thermostat at 78 degrees. Electric company tried to get her to turn it down but there was nothing they could do.

I worked for a couple of guys from Minnesota, we used to say "Minnesota nice". You got some good people up there.

Just protecting her brood,my hen does the same thing with its beak,
This an end of the road reaction, but does anyone recognise that?
Seems to me there is no compassion. 23 cop cars for one woman with a shottie, that's not an over reaction!, from the shows I see on the TV it's a wonder she didn't get the Sh@@ belted out of her. Guns, Guns,Guns even the ASPCA are decked out like Police and what I observed seem to have the same powers.
'Was there a Negotiator?
and what policy does the Company have for slow payers, obviously cut it off and freeze.
Let this be a Company lesson to all our clients.
If things get worse, it won't be the last.

I guess she forgot to turn off her TV. If she'd have done that, this all would've gone away...according to what I read here.

Several years ago, a fellow my wife worked with at the time was always sick with colds and flu one winter. He finally owned up to my wife that his utilities were shut off. He'd gotten so far behind that he couldn't get caught up enough to get them turned back on.

My wife talked to our church, and the chuch put up enough money to get him caught up. Once he was caught up, he could handle it again.

I feel for the people down on thier luck things can get real bad and you have to rob Peter to pay Paul. That being said times in the USA are really good in conparison to the not so distant past. A couple of posts ago talked about Government services and how people think there are enough to help. The real problem is there are too many Government services. People are not self reliant enough to keep food on the table and provide for thier families. If the government would let us keep more of our taxes many more people would have funds for charitable works through the private sector where the dollar for dollar impact is so much greater. All in all it is a sad state of affairs when you think about it. my Tu cents.

I'm a self-employed heavy equip. mechanic and have been for the past 12 years with 19 years total experience, and I cannot find a job.

Early Oct. '08 I had glaucoma surgery on my left eye so for all intents and purposes I'm as good as blind in my left eye, the Dr. says he can fix it with another surgery but I cant afford to pay the amount that my ins. wont cover to try to have it fixed.

Govt. programs, HAHAHA, I inquired about TEMPORARY disability just to help get thru this surgery and recovery process, no dice they say, since I can still see out of my right eye I should be fine. They wont even talk to me seriously about dadgum food stamps because I am for right now still current on my bills thanks to some cash I had stashed from better times that I used the last of this month for the house payment.

Dont know if I found someone hiring if I could even keep pace since my depth perception and dexterity have gone I have to feel for everything, what little I have got to do at the shop sure seems like it's taking a long time to get done. Remember me and my family when/if you pray.

if they had taken all the money watsted on cops they could have paid the bill--- here they are hiring anyone who can drive to be a cop when they hear a siren they go crazy chasing it stopped one of our trucks today because the gooseneck did not have a tag our reason ky does not require one STUPID STUPID cop the only ones dumber are the dot boys

Just out of curiosity, why doesn't Kentucky require a tag (assume you mean license plate) on a gooseneck trailer? I've never heard of such a thing.

Same in TN; non-commercial trailers are not tagged, but...........truck must be licensed for weight of truck plus trailer. Farmers/cattlemen typically have at least Class II (16000 #) or Class III (20000 #)license plate on their 3 quarter or 1 ton trucks. Weight classes based on my CRS memory........

It would save $50-75 a month, which can help a lot with the electric bill.

--->Paul

Gotta have a 'gunslinger/cowboy' attitude around 'here' to be a cop; shoot first/talk later. Not 3 miles from where I'm sitting, they shot and killed a fellow in a car in a tiny parking lot 'cause he didn't stop quick enough to suit 'em; said he was trying to run over 'em. Given the size of the lot, the man couldn't have run over someone in a wheelchair. Three cops in West Memphis followed a fellow who wouldn't stop for a minor traffic infraction; out of the city; out of the county; out of the state. Shot and killed driver and passenger as he was driving away from them. They were indicted and given diversion. They're back on the job today. In N. Mississippi, thugs broke into the home of an old couple........looking for drugs. They were in their late 70s/early 80s; both were injured and taken to hospital. The thugs were cops with search warrants; just not for those people or that address. Mayor said, "Well, they just need more training". I could go on and on.........

You could call your Congressman..I believe the number is 867-5309.


Couldn't help myself

I believe that is true here in Minnesota.

Maybe a little overkill....
But, if they identified themselves as cops and she flashed a gun, she should have been told once (twice max) and taken out. Granted, she shouldn't have had her power shut off, but waving a gun in a guys face for doing his job isn't the answer. 2nd Ammendment gives us rights, but it also gives us responsibility. What do you think goes through a cops head every time he has to respond to a call like this or even walk up to a car he/she pulls over. Put yourself there.


Dave

Keep a good mind about yourself if you can, that is half the battle. This is widespread in our area, and heat for houses is pretty rough for the less fortunate.

After a very expensive child custody battle, I was down and out to say the least. I got a truck load of debt, that I had no idea existed till court.

rice, oatmeal, potatoes,and frozen corn kept our bellies full.

It has been eighteen years trying to get out from under that rock, and not so sure I ever will. Once you get the bankers hearing the word divorce, they get nervous, and the mental strain of constant calling can get ya down.

But those years have passed very fast, and all will be ok in the end, because you can't take it with you.

You will be just fine, and you will enjoy the humor on here of all those that think you walk in to the government office, and cary a bucket of money out. I was born and raised to proud to try for help, but that was a big mistake.

Being in business for yourself makes it tough, because they think you can be busy, but they have no idea of what it takes in insurance, upkeep, and the time you spend with non billable hrs.

This does indeed give you more time to enjoy the family during hard times. All will get better, just takes a little longer than it should.

Our county cops are the biggest danger in my home town. If there is any emergency they think sixty to seventy through our twenty MPH town is ok. Often it is said a small child or elderly person could get hurt or killed. I say my butt, anyone on the streets are in danger. They are often going to a real big deal, like a car in the ditch, EMS is there already (with many flshing lights) no injuries, and they still fly through our town.

We now have a new sheriff, the old one was our biggest concern in any trafic accident if he was responding. It cost him the election would be my guess.

Alot of cops are kids who got the crap beat out of them on the playground, and now they are packing heat. You would assume that the white house contacted then every half hr for their advise, or a report on the situation in our county. Barney acted the same way.

Don't get me wrong, I have alot of cop friends, and I can say anythink that crosses my mind and needs to be said to them. It does tick me off when they won't let me use their gun, or drive their squad cars. And I'm a tax payer to I remind them. We pull alot of pranks on them, but yet we realy respect their jobs.

If indeed their was no danger at the time to any cop, shooting into a house with kids is not acceptable at all. A lady with a shotgun? why not shoot the gun out of her hands, or her in the foot? 23 cops and no tazer used? Cops are faced with alot of fast decisions that attorneys get to replay over and over to make the cops out to be wrong. That is unfair as it is for me to judge this, when I certianly do not know a certian single fact whatsoever. News media gets things and facts so messed up, they should be held responsable often.

This story would relate to my ribbing our cops. If they had 23 cops at the scene, it could only mean one thing-----it had to be in or next door to a donut shop.

The last words I have are from a man who once said. When they take everything away, and you have no way to turn.......Now..they have set you free! A lady with unpaid light bills, would suggest there were far more unpaid bills, and the lady may have just decided to go postal because she could not take it any more.