[Summering]

This man came from a time when electric bills were about 10 to 12 dollars a month.......
Seriously......
With electric heat, years ago........not even 100 per month. Yes, with electric heat...
Knowing his age, it comes to mind, that these charges were something people of his lifetime did not have to deal with.
I don't think that someone 93 should ever have to worry about an electric bill........
His age should have been honored. These outrageous fees the companies have gotten away with over the past decade.......are way, way, to much for that generation to contend with.
The story is sad, sad.......and a statement of these horrific times.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by wanderer74

And yet people are still saying just those kinds of things, that people who are on welfare are just popping out more kids to get a bigger welfare check, that people who are unemployed just don't want to work, etc. Nevermind that we officially have an unemployment rate above 10 percent and welfare reform has made it much more unlikely for the old style 'welfare queen' to successfully keep doing the same tricks. People say "go get a job at McDonalds" but even when I worked there as a teenager I saw men in their 40s, laid off from GM, trying to get hired there and get passed over every time in favor of a teenager with no work experience. Despite the fact that MI has been in bad financial shape for decades, I've never lived anywhere else where people were LESS sympathetic to the struggles of their neighbors. Here it seems like everybody is so afraid of somebody else getting something for nothing that they would rather see people freeze to death. Call me a socialist or whatever, but I think that people deserve to have the bare minimum basics of survival, especially in a state with a harsh climate and harsher job market. That motto goes "what would Jesus do?"...I'm pretty sure Jesus wouldn't let people die because they couldn't afford their heat.

Here here. It will be a good day when we learn a fundamental fact of the universe: the more you give, the more you get.

Imagine if we voluntarily built a society in which everybody - no matter how lazy or selfish or old or young - were provided the basic necessities to survive. From there, it is up to them to thrive or fail. But they would have the basics. That, to me, would be the mark of a truly great nation and a people who see beyond the primitive survival-of-the-fittest dogma that has infected our psyches.

Here we are bemoaning the death of one 93 year old. How many people, much younger than 93, are literally starving to death in places where heat isn't an issue every day? Again, we in America tend to sensationalize some of the most trivial things.

Say he may have lived another 8 years - that's reasonable. Imagine the last 8 years of your life, all that happened. This is a brutal line of reasoning that has no end worthy of humanity. I guess we should all just pick an age where "it doesn't matter anymore".

[michiganmom48]

Thank You I agree

[AnalyzeThis]

I am not by any means heartless and believe this was a tragic incident but how is the electric/gas or any utility company for that matter supposed to monitor the age/health/mental status of all their customers and somehow compensate them with free services for being elderly or physically/mentally incapacitated? I am just wondering from a logistical standpoint what would you all recommend the policy and implementation of the policy be? And what is the cut-off age to receive this benefit? 65? 70? Should we also extend this to families living in poverty? What about those who simply cannot afford to pay their bills? If you do for one, shouldn't you do for all? And then HOW would you do it.

[michiganmom48]

All I'm saying is to at leasat by phone or in person make sure the people understand that they are going to be shut off. Then perhaps there are some that at least the company could give help numbers to that could help them keep their services on. I do think that perhaps people of age should give an alernate number family or friend or caseworker that could be contacted if in fact service will be shut off. A lot of times when getting services they ask for another number to reach you at. I am not asking that everyone not pay but to put in safegaurds to at least pertect those who can't themselves. It may also be needed to allow people during the cold months to pay a small amount. I know they have a winter protection plan but I mean 20.00 for some. If they shut them off they don't get the money anyway and sometimes have to have someone go out and shut it off. I get that people need to pay what they owe. But what gets me mad is that people right now can't. It isn't that they don't want to or want to loose there home but they just don't have it. I don't see how it make sense to take someones home or car and then what. Alot of these homes are even being sold. Wouldn't it make more sense to lower the amount as much as you can and at least keep people paying at least for a while.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by AnalyzeThis

I am not by any means heartless and believe this was a tragic incident but how is the electric/gas or any utility company for that matter supposed to monitor the age/health/mental status of all their customers and somehow compensate them with free services for being elderly or physically/mentally incapacitated? I am just wondering from a logistical standpoint what would you all recommend the policy and implementation of the policy be? And what is the cut-off age to receive this benefit? 65? 70? Should we also extend this to families living in poverty? What about those who simply cannot afford to pay their bills? If you do for one, shouldn't you do for all? And then HOW would you do it.

At age 65, electric is cut in half.......No school taxes for over 65 and the town tax would be halved. Leaving the elderly with funds to pay the household bills.
If someone has a problem, as this elderly man did.......He gets help like
AIG, like Bank of America, Citi Bank ...and all the "big wigs" who are now buying new jets and spending your taxpayer money. Yep, its your money.
I'd rather help this man rather then pay the bonus of the AIG heads.......
Lets help our local people, rather then the high and mighty.......Holding million dollar parties and spending like there is no tomorrow because no restraints were put on the funds given them.....Why?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Bluefly

Here here. It will be a good day when we learn a fundamental fact of the universe: the more you give, the more you get.

Imagine if we voluntarily built a society in which everybody - no matter how lazy or selfish or old or young - were provided the basic necessities to survive. From there, it is up to them to thrive or fail. But they would have the basics. That, to me, would be the mark of a truly great nation and a people who see beyond the primitive survival-of-the-fittest dogma that has infected our psyches.



Say he may have lived another 8 years - that's reasonable. Imagine the last 8 years of your life, all that happened. This is a brutal line of reasoning that has no end worthy of humanity. I guess we should all just pick an age where "it doesn't matter anymore".

It's a tragedy, for sure. But not all tragedies require a "solution" or change in policy. The guy was 93 and lived alone. It's not like he had 40 years ahead of him and left a house full of young ones to fend for themselves. How about celebrating the life he led and move on.

In addition, by the time the utility puts a limiter on your box, you've already been served several notices that you're past due.

[virginia farm girl]

Originally Posted by AnalyzeThis

I am not by any means heartless and believe this was a tragic incident but how is the electric/gas or any utility company for that matter supposed to monitor the age/health/mental status of all their customers and somehow compensate them with free services for being elderly or physically/mentally incapacitated? I am just wondering from a logistical standpoint what would you all recommend the policy and implementation of the policy be? And what is the cut-off age to receive this benefit? 65? 70? Should we also extend this to families living in poverty? What about those who simply cannot afford to pay their bills? If you do for one, shouldn't you do for all? And then HOW would you do it.

The cable company I worked for, at one time, would call on customers' homes that were about to have their cable services cut off for non-payment. If you would do this for cable, why not necessary electrical services!?

Hire people to do this. It would help lower unemployment and, most importantly, help the elderly, sick, mentally handicapped, babies, etc. in danger of freezing or worse...

This is the United States of America. It is about time we stopped thinking only about ourselves ... our futures depend on it.

[wanderer74]

Originally Posted by virginia farm girl

The cable company I worked for, at one time, would call on customers' homes that were about to have their cable services cut off for non-payment. If you would do this for cable, why not necessary electrical services!?

Hire people to do this. It would help lower unemployment and, most importantly, help the elderly, sick, mentally handicapped, babies, etc. in danger of freezing or worse...

This is the United States of America. It is about time we stopped thinking only about ourselves ... our futures depend on it.

The problem with that is that it would cost the companies money to hire people to do that. More and more companies are getting rid of positions altogether or replacing full-time employees who get benefits with part-timers or contractors who don't get benefits. Business these days is driven solely by profit and labor seems to be seen as an enemy of profit rather than something that creates it. (Then of course the more people whose hours are cut or who lose their jobs entirely, the less money available to pay for those services...)

[Driller1]

He had the money people!!!