What life is worth

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StrangerThan -> What life is worth (1/27/2009 4:45:42 AM)
This story http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090126/ap_on_re_us/frozen_indoors is about a 93 year old man who froze to death inside his home after the power was cut for unpaid bills. He owed around a $1,000. The city is to review its policies but says they don't believe they did anything wrong. So what do you think? We all have bills to pay. I read this and know paying bills is a way of life, something we all have to do. I also know many elderly people barely make ends meet on the money they have coming in every month. Was it wrong? No. The city has the right to shut down power for non-payment. Is it sad? Yes. The dollar amount is meaningless. It could have been $100. The sad part is that the cost of human life is measured not in exact dollars, but in the ability to pay. I don't know his status in terms of weatlh, but what I envision are the old folks I know who have limited incomes, are struggling, and don't have the ability to get out and work. It is sad. Its also sad in terms that people will get out and scream, cry, moan and picket over the value of human life when attrocities occur or over abortions. Folks will spend years of their lives on one cause or another, even to the point of becoming fanatical about it. I wonder if the spokesperson for the city is a pro-lifer, or one who hates Bush because thousands of innocents have died in Iraq. I know someone in the city has to be one or the other. The ideals are so prevalent among the US population and so divisive. But that's different from the ability to pay, isn't it? I'm not sure sad is the right word.

kittinSol -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 4:52:04 AM)
I think shutting off the electricity on a vulnerable person because he didn't pay his bill, with the arctic weather we're going through right now, is criminal.

housesub4you -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:00:39 AM)
In Illinois the power companies can not shut off service for non-payment between the months of Oct thru March They made the law when this was happening in our state

sambamanslilgirl -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:04:53 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: housesub4you In Illinois the power companies can not shut off service for non-payment between the months of Oct thru March People's Gas does threaten to shut off your service in order to get you to pay your bill when it's overdue.

SilverWulf -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:15:56 AM)
<fr> In many places that I've lived the power and gas companies have been prohibited from terminating service during the winter months. Ok, I can see the point.. people literally freezing to death in their own homes is never a good thing. On the other hand are the scumbags who took advantage of it and would stop paying their utilities as soon as the magic date passed, and then work out payment arrangements to get through the summer months only to do it again the next winter. IMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. Letting people get away with not paying is like saying 'come rob the utility company, we can't do anything about it and you will get away scot free!'

sirsholly -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:20:18 AM)
the utilities in this area are not permitted to d/c service during the winter months, nor are they permitted to do so if you have a medical situation, and that includes phone service.

kittinSol -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:22:43 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: SilverWulf IMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. Your service should be terminated, or why not just make it that you should be terminated? It's so much more simple after all.

SilverWulf -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:39:12 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: kittinSol quote: ORIGINAL: SilverWulf IMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. Your service should be terminated, or why not just make it that you should be terminated? It's so much more simple after all. I suggest that people pay their bills for services received, and for this I get the suggestion I should die? Real nice. Not surprising, coming from you though.

sirsholly -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:44:54 AM)
quote: IMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. your opinion would equate to a death sentence for some. Is that fair, just because they cannot pay their bill?

Sanity -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 5:55:57 AM)
Mr. Obama should put his brave and scholarly vice president to work bumping heads and signing deals to build all the coal-fired electrical generating facilities and nuclear power plants that the American work force can put together. We have practically unlimited coal reserves, and the technology to burn it cleanly. It's criminal that anything like this should ever happen! Imagine - cheap power for the poor and to rekindle industry, and far less unemployment. What more could we possibly ask for?

corysub -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:02:26 AM)
I think that that utility did was manslaughter and the DA for that town should have a Grand Jury look for evidence of a crime and bring charges. Public Utilities are given a monopoly in their service area to serve the public. Their profitablity is determined by rates set by States based on return on investment with increases for fuel cost increases, etc. No other business has that kind of protection. Before sevice is turned off to anyone there should be a call made to that person to see what the problem might be and, if necessary, the issue should be turned over to welfare authorites to see if something can be worked out..but the power should never be turned off. Government is supposed to protect its people. When you think of all the hundreds of billions of dollars wasted on government programs and a "stimulus" to this waste from the Pelosi stimulus Bill it can make you sick. And once on the books, these programs don't go away. An example can be found in the synfuels program. President Reagan killed the U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation, set up by President Carter to make about $1.5 billion in grants and guarantees to develop new fuels, after it became a symbol of government failure and waste. But, rather than letting a dead program rest in peace, Congress passed a tax credit to replace the program shortly thereafter. This credit rewards companies for soaking, spraying or coating coal with substances ranging from diesel fuel to waste oil. Two decades later, the synthetic-fuels tax credit remains on the books and it costs taxpayers more than a billion dollars a year. You can pay a lot of electric bills for poor citizens with a billion dollars. http://www.progress.org/tcs132.htm

MissMorrigan -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:09:41 AM)
This, I have an issue with because you have failed to take into consideration the frail, the infirm and other highly vulnerable people who may not be able to leave their homes to pay their bills, or have someone close to do it for them... or perhaps you did take that into consideration and just didn't give a flying... The supply companies should evaluate each individual's circumstances before undertaking a decision to terminate a service. You'll find, on the whole, people are honest and forthright regarding their circumstances, and there are many genuine cases of hardship. For a company to disconnect a service to anyone that is considered vulnerable isn't sad, it's downright criminal. quote: ORIGINAL: SilverWulfIMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. Letting people get away with not paying is like saying 'come rob the utility company, we can't do anything about it and you will get away scot free!'

colouredin -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:15:12 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: SilverWulf IMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. Letting people get away with not paying is like saying 'come rob the utility company, we can't do anything about it and you will get away scot free!' Yeah and the poor little utility companies, gosh they dont half get a raw deal I agree with you, I think its terrible, I say who needs him anyways, he was 93 he wouldnt have lived much longer, screw him whats the death of a few people just so long as the utility companies get all their money. [8\|]

sirsholly -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:17:51 AM)
how about those with medical situations...having nothing to do with the cold weather? My late husband was on a dialysis machine at home every day. Should they have the right to terminate the service, knowing there was this type of situation? (they are not permitted to do so, provided the needed forms are submitted and signed by the doctor)

MissMorrigan -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:21:05 AM)
No, it shouldn't be dependent on any kind of weather, holls, it's about VULNERABLE persons regardless of time of year, whether they be elderly, have medical reasons, etc.. No one should have their supply terminated without the company having investigated their case. Edited to add: This kind of bloody-mindedness on the part of the suppliers makes me sodding angry - it's now making me do the housework and I HATE doing the housework! It's all very well the supply company declaring they have done no wrong, I am quite sure they believe they haven't - it's about high time these fuckers were forced to accept that customer service means actually providing a quality of service to their customers - or face stiff penalties. quote: ORIGINAL: sirsholly how about those with medical situations...having nothing to do with the cold weather? My late husband was on a dialysis machine at home every day. Should they have the right to terminate the service, knowing there was this type of situation? (they are not permitted to do so, provided the needed forms are submitted and signed by the doctor)

sirsholly -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:24:02 AM)
i agree, MissMorrigan. But it seems SilverWulf feels a persons situation should not be an issue at all...just terminate their service and let them fend for themselves. How sad.

MissMorrigan -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:30:36 AM)
Yeah, Holls, but he/or she (don't know which) need to realise that they, too, will face a time when they are vulnerable and I sincerely hope they are treated with more compassion than they extend to others.

rexrgisformidoni -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:36:17 AM)
I find the old timers death repugnant. Even here in arkansas, they can not shut power off in the winter months (at least thats my understanding). Granted there are people who will take advantage, but if situations can be proven to be dire, then for hells sake, cut people some slack. If you're just a dirtbag, then come spring, pay up sucker. They need to investigate this old mans death and charge the parties responsible for his death.

RCdc -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:47:51 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: SilverWulf quote: ORIGINAL: kittinSol quote: ORIGINAL: SilverWulf IMO, if you don't pay your utility bill your service should be terminated no matter what time of year it is. Your service should be terminated, or why not just make it that you should be terminated? It's so much more simple after all. I suggest that people pay their bills for services received, and for this I get the suggestion I should die? No one suggested that but you, your words were simply shrunk and processed into a coherant sentance. the.dark.

kittinSol -> RE: What life is worth (1/27/2009 6:48:42 AM)
Yep.

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