Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Love the NBC News headline which reads "Did an Unpaid Bill Lead to Poisoning Deaths of Dad, 7 kids?" It conveys that somehow the blame isn't on a faulty generator or the father's inability to pay a bill, but rather with the evil utility company that shut off his electricity.
This is a tragic story for certain. But as someone who has on occasion been exactly in the same circumstances, I feel well qualified to point out how unfair that sort of story angle is. The father tried to figure it out without relying on the generosity of others and I respect that. And he had no idea that the unit would fail, I get that too. But he should have known to leave the generator outside for proper ventilation. It's not rocket science, even I know not to use a gas grill inside my house.
A family friend suggested that they system had failed the father. The mere suggestion that this was anything more than a bad decision is insane. The man figured out how to secure a generator, he figured out a way to fuel it, shouldn't he have also figured out a way to run an extension cord from the unit so he could keep it outside?
Tragic, pure and simple but definitely not a commentary on today's society.
NYC makes landlords provide heat. The politicians have created a perfect storm for people to get desperate and try any measure to get heat and stay warm in this very and very bitter NYC/NYS winter. Up my way three houses burnt down one with lives lost. They were supplementing with space heaters.
gas stoves etc:
I used a wood stove on top of the utility bills and still the bills with no change in usage TRIPLED compared to a year ago.
I blame the politicians all around for using "energy" as a political tool to bully each other for "policy" implementations. I blame the corporations irrational greed for immense salaries with total disregard for human life, charging unrealistic high prices of commodities that are NECESSITIES. Manslaughter charges belong to the politicians and the corporate administration. People had a choice steal energy to stay warm or freeze and not be able to function. There comes a point when paying is not an option, because their is nothing left to pay with. THIS COMES BACK TO THOSE IN "LEADERSHIP" administrative positions. Indirectly they are the cause of these deaths. They should have known people can only take so much and pay so much considering the downturn in economy of all households across the board except, for the upper one 1%. Redistribution of wealth gone too far.
No; my read is that they moved into the house last November and had been stealing electricity up until March 25th, when the power company finally discovered and removed the jury-rigged meter.
In a perfect, or better world, this guy would have electrocuted himself hooking up the stolen meter. At least that way those 8 kids might still be alive.
I can't help think..if he were in that dire straits with those kids why didn't his mother (their grandmother) take them all in until he could get the electric bill paid ?
Why is everyone so gun ho to blame the electric company for this?
Because some people believe that others should pay for their necessities.
In a perfect, or better world, this guy would have electrocuted himself hooking up the stolen meter. At least that way those 8 kids might still be alive.
Well, the post above yours has established that - of course - it's Obama's fault.
Because some people believe that others should pay for their necessities.
True that. It's becoming quite obvious lately from the people in Detroit crying for free water to this.
Is that the latest entitlement or right..free utilities ?
NYC makes landlords provide heat. The politicians have created a perfect storm for people to get desperate and try any measure to get heat and stay warm in this very and very bitter NYC/NYS winter. Up my way three houses burnt down one with lives lost. They were supplementing with space heaters.
gas stoves etc:
I used a wood stove on top of the utility bills and still the bills with no change in usage TRIPLED compared to a year ago.
I blame the politicians all around for using "energy" as a political tool to bully each other for "policy" implementations. I blame the corporations irrational greed for immense salaries with total disregard for human life, charging unrealistic high prices of commodities that are NECESSITIES. Manslaughter charges belong to the politicians and the corporate administration. People had a choice steal energy to stay warm or freeze and not be able to function. There comes a point when paying is not an option, because their is nothing left to pay with. THIS COMES BACK TO THOSE IN "LEADERSHIP" administrative positions. Indirectly they are the cause of these deaths. They should have known people can only take so much and pay so much considering the downturn in economy of all households across the board except, for the upper one 1%. Redistribution of wealth gone too far.
Nice rant.... and has nothing to do with the thread topic.
They usually do!
Most won't really tell you about them unless you ask
Gotta make that money for the stock holders.
the prices are through the roof because it is tied to the stock market, which it should not be because this is a bare necessity.
The help that they give you is "deferred payments." If you don't have the money even for that, it is of little use. Deferred payments also put you in debt indefinitely because the prices keep rising nonstop.
The only logical answer is to stop gouging, the public recklessly with no though on how the public can sustain heat safely, and without going into debt, or burning themselves up with supplemental heating devices. In the 21st century putting the US public back into the 1800 century standard of living and down to a third world nations is egregious wanton disregard for the public or public health. As Obama and the CEO of the utilities company go golfing, spending 400K on one two week vacation. I'd prefer if they spent my tax$ on paying heating bills for people in poor housing conditions.
So what you're saying is that if the Utility company didn't shut off their power, these people would have still died?
No, they would have not died, however, if the alarm clock did not work for many people on the GermanWings flight that crashed, they potentially would have been alive as well because they potentially would have missed their flight; alarm clocks to blame?
The only blame is on the father, no one else.
The father was stealing electricity; you think the utility company should just allow someone to steal?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
you said it right..
