O/T sad news story

I heard once that they would not cut power in sub-freezing temps. Not so true I guess.
news story

if you read the story it sounds more like a faulty device than the power company shutting the power off. you could probably say cheap junk from china but we don't know that for sure either. Sadder yet is that he's 91 years old and none of the neighbors checked on him.

As I understand it they put a device like a breaker on his house. That trips when he draws more power than they want him to have.But how do they expect a 93 year old man to go out in the cold and reset it. Must have been some real dumb A## that did this.Who ever ordered it should be charged with murder.They cannot tell me that town is not wasting more power than that man was using.

Sad story but a good lesson for all those that think the Gov't is going to take care of them guess what? THE CALVARY AIN'T COMING.And wonder why those two that are hanging around the outside of the poor fellow's house have time enough to Ham it up for the cameras but not enough time to check on the guy in freezing weather?

I'm feeling a little unsympathetic today. He owed $1100 in back charges for electricity. My electric bill is $100/month, with electric stove, electic hot water, and electric dryer. I would have to skip paying my electric bill for close to a year to get a charge that big. At any time he could have contacted the power company to work out a payment plan, it appears it decided not to. The fact that he had money clipped to the bill implies that he had actually had some cash available. He made a choice, it just didn't work out well for him.

Sorry to seem to calous here, I'm just kind of burned out from all the doom and gloom in the news.

His electic bill total is probably less than the mayors budget for the new coffee pot.

Sad, there is absolutly no excuse for this type of thing. That is why I'm so radical about foreign aid.

There are numerous folks in our own country that have paid taxes, but somehow slid onto their faces. And I best take my meds and a nap before I try to address the homeless issues.

Years ago neighbors were bonded, families took care of the elderly, if not the churches often kept watch. Life is different now days, and we all need to try to change the pattern.

If you notice the big dog said he felt the city did no wrong. Perhaps true, and no one let him die out of direct bad intent. Yet we should be asshamed of ourselves in the richest country in the world at one time.

I have never had the misfortune to need public assistance, but friends have. Each will tell you they tried, but it just is not worth the hastle, it would be better to eat out of a dumpster than expect something from our government for help.

This may not be the case as the article points out. I'm sorry to say that this may happen more in the future as well.

It is no doubt hard to screen out the crowd for hand outs, got to be a very tough skinned to be the yes or no person.

We have a couple social workers that help some that fall through the cracks on there own time after hrs. We also have some traveling nurses do the same thing free will. Top of the line citizens in my book.

Anybody remember a couple years ago I think in Iowa City, Iowa that nurses were taking drugs from folks that had died, and gave them to others that could not affored the drugs. This was their preferance rather than flushing them down the toilet. Mind you they did not prescribe drugs, rather offer the drugs to people that had the prescription, just not the money. It cost (I think three of them) their jobs.

On a related note, I have tried to track these nurses down, but ended up dead in the water. My fault for putting it off, so if anyone knows anything that will help me track them down, I would appreciate it.

Seems maybe you were told wrong. Power companies in my area of NY often shut down the power in sub or near zero temps when working on power lines. Seems they are less willing to do repairs/upgrades on live lines like they used to. This winter, our entire town has been shut down three times in non-emergency situations. Power company says they only have to warn people who have filed and have life-support electric devices.

Heres one for you. UGI cut natural gas to my rental property this past weekend. The tenants were trying to transfer service and somehow UGI cut service instead. UGI actually admited they made the mistake. Since the house is in a row, and it has an electric oven the tenants were able to keep it at 60 degrees all weekend...

Michigan is a mostly nnalert politians in charge state. The Lieburals campaighn on a "government will provide" platform. Be interesting to see what political party runs the town. nnalert get cussed for using and contributing to church and private charities to help people direct with a tax paid layer of political office workers- here the city manager is saying "the neighbors should check"- is he a nnalert? The local charities and churches in Madison, Wi area are providing some shelter to homeless and some energy assistance- but the local United Way favored by the politicians won't give them a share of office donations unless specified by contributing worker and the worker gets a reminder letter that it is against local council policy to give them money because of failure to support political agenda- worker advised to reconsider. I reconsidered and told them no deduction and dropped of money direct to Salvation army- started to get cussed by organizer for dept not giving 100% employees- told him to call United Way and verify they wouldn"t give to my charity choice- I had reciept from my donation so dept could say the Christmas push had 100% participation in charity giving.
This city administrator may be elected or selected by city council- ask how much political fund raising he has done last election and for who. Bad as the Kennedy elder heat assistance program- first $100,000.00 contributions go to pay Kennedy clan that is head of program. Private executives running sort of parrellel get $1.00 year and office expense, help 230 elderly and disabled get through winter, administrative expense less than 15% of contributions. Kennedy proposed and implemented program has 55% to 70% administraative expense. (Cynicism alert). RN

This is just a opinion as I dont know the whole story.

Why is every one angry at the power company?
Sounds like his gas was shut off so his furnace was inop. Or maybe his furnace was just not working.
Possably using space heaters to heat his home. That will break you pretty fast.

Maybe the power company could do better. But its not thier job to baby sit home owners.

Where was this guys family?
No way my Mother or grand mother is going to get her power shut off with out me knowing about it. Then I will fix it.

(quoted from post at 09:57:40 01/27/09) I'm feeling a little unsympathetic today. He owed $1100 in back charges for electricity. My electric bill is $100/month, with electric stove, electic hot water, and electric dryer. I would have to skip paying my electric bill for close to a year to get a charge that big. At any time he could have contacted the power company to work out a payment plan, it appears it decided not to. The fact that he had money clipped to the bill implies that he had actually had some cash available. He made a choice, it just didn't work out well for him.

Sorry to seem to calous here, I'm just kind of burned out from all the doom and gloom in the news.

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Gee Whiz Mathias NY, The guy was 93 years old. I suppose you know some people that age that are sharp as a tack mentally, but there are more that are slipping a little. Pardon me but my opinion of you just went SOUTH. The Good Lord may bless you but I won't ask for you.
Don

Stuff like this breaks your heart. But, it's not the cities or power companies fault. Where were his family and neighbors? That's part of the price you pay for living in a "free" society. Gov't is NOT responsible for you. So get used to the idea of withe taking care of each other or hearing a lot more stories like this. It stinks, but it's the truth.

$100 a month. Wow wish I had that. In the winter mine is $450. Used to be quite a bit less but rates went up and our coop screwed up the pre ordering last year and we have a $50 month power cost adjustment on top of any regular charges.

My heating oil bill was $500/month last year (from November to March). This kept my drafty 1200 sqft house at 60F. I have a couple electric space heaters that I use to offset fuel oil, they raise the electric bill by around $10/month.

The article didn't mention a heating bill, it only mentioned an electic bill. It's possible he also owed money for heating fuel and was attempting to heat the house with electric. The acticle raises a lot more questions than answers.

The man had no children and his wife had died years earlier.

They put the limiter on his power on the 13th and his neighbors found him dead 4 days later.

The City Manager then proceeds to blame his neighbors for not checking up on him enough.

I'm pretty sure this kind of thing would not be allowed in Minnesota. You just don't freeze people out of their homes if they can't pay. Not to mention the property damage that will result from freezing pipes. Wait until the temperature gets above freezing. It's not like the power company is going to go broke if they can't collect $1000 before the thaw.

I agree.

A man froze to death.You think you are entitled to do that because an electric company can put a limiter on somebodys electricity?Then blame it on his family thats dead,and his neighbors that look like they are barely hanging on themselves.You would have been better off not saying anything as to take up for that blundering bunch of fools that froze an old man to death.

they can do this now because of government programs that r there to help if you cant pay your bill problem is you got to be so bad off to qualify that you will lose your home so then y do you need power? thats our government for you

Joe looks like a good day to go swimming down by the Pickwik mill..what do you think ???

let us all check on our elderly neighbors and relatives. It is still winter.

Let's pretend you're the neighbor, would you check on him everyday, maybe change his diaper or feeding tube, how bout pay his bill? You relieved the Gov't and the Utility of any responsibilty so how far are you willing to go or have ever gone?

You been down there a time or two ??

Thousands around the world are dying by the minute because they can't afford fuel, food, medicine, etc. That's life. It's only news here because it happens so infrequently in the USA. I will tell you that there are thousands of people in the US that are living in a self imposed squalor, I've seen people living in situations that would make you gag. And they had a choice not to. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. And often you can't make someone save themselves. It's sad, but it will keep happening for eternity, that's just the way it is.

We should eliminate all hydro, water and gas meters. And just pay the utility company from the county or state taxes. That way nobody will die from the lack of utilities.

The man froze to death because he tried to steal more than 15amp of electricity and tripped the breaker.
He would have been fine with one 1200W heater, a couple of lights and the tv.
Who knows what was going on in the 93yr old's mind. Ask bankers about people with money hoarded away and living in poverty.
This 93 yr old may have had all kinds of cash. Growing up in that era he may not have trusted banks.
A buddy on mine works in the City of Toronto fire dept. Every once and a while they respond to a rooming house fire etc. When overhauling the scene and performing a secondary search. They find numerous rolls of cash hidden and smoldering in mattresses, coffee cans etc.

Wow!!!!! I run a whole farm, my highest electric bill ever was $73. Typically $50-55. Oil for heat, but I do have an electric water heater, cattle use water from the electric deep well.

Someday I'll get on the ball & get a little more grain handling equipment, & will get up to $100 some months.

--->Paul

[Bill Shafer said, "As I understand it they put a device like a breaker on his house. That trips when he draws more power than they want him to have.But how do they expect a 93 year old man to go out in the cold and reset it. Must have been some real dumb A## that did this.Who ever ordered it should be charged with murder.They cannot tell me that town is not wasting more power than that man was using."]

How many people are smart enough to turn off all the breakers except for the furnace and a few lights? Most on this forum are, but we are not the average American. And then how does anyone expect a 93yo to know this or be able to, especially in the temps we have been having the last weeks?

Did anyone send a worker out to see if he needed any help?

I'm sure the neighbor was watching and checking up on him but I don't expect they did every day.

Cant be cut during winter months here.

As the population ages this type of thing will become more of the norm. Utility employees are a lot like government employees, everything is black and white. Now they have the power of deciding who lives and who doesn't. What a reward for a world war II veteran, some third eschelon clerk at the power company decided he had lived long enough. The news said they found his power bill with cash clipped to it. I wonder why he didn't just get in his car and run down to the power company office and pay it?

I am outraged that a citizen could persish due
to what is corporate/goverment/utility greed!

We take care of our neighbors if we have to, that's life. We know enough to contact people to get them further help. It's call making a choice and taking responsibility. Dollars to donuts there were charities or programs that would have helped this guy. We take of my inlaws too and we adopted 3 kids. What the h e ll have you ever done? Complained that GOV'T should have 5 people standing by to wipe your butt so you don't have to be bothered?

How about YOU pay his bill big mouth? What have YOU ever done? All you do is come here and whine like a little girl about the nnalert. You have an answer for everything and it usually involves YOU stealing out of someone elses pocket by using GOV'T to do it. And yet you're hypocrite enough to say your in favor of gun rights while running your mouth about how great the nnalert are, even though they want to take away your rights.

Your opinion has ZERO value here windbag.