Join the demonstration March 12! End Utility Shutoffs

[Detroitnerd]

Before this devolves into ranting about communism and poor people's feelings of "entitlement" [[har-de-har-har), there are some provisions that do not allow for shutoff.

For instance, Detroit Water cannot shut off water to municipalities for nonpayment of fees.

This is happening right now between Hamtramck and Detroit; a dispute is raging, and Hamtramck is putting its money into escrow while Detroit withholds other monies.

Just sayin' ...

[BagAJellyDonuts]

Who's going to be giving free rides to this demonstration?

If I'm going to demonstrate for anything, it better be worthwhile. I propose we make beer free.

[56packman]

This should go over well at the demonstration:

Washington, DC . March 4, 2011 - The Obama Administration is urging Congress and the Senate to pass sweeping legislation that will provide new benefits for many Americans: The Americans With No Abilities Act [[AWNAA) . President Obama said he will sign it as soon as it hits his desk.

The AWNAA is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.

'Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society,' said California Senator Barbara Boxer. 'We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they have some idea of what they are doing.'

In a Capitol Hill press conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi [[D) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid [[D) pointed to the success of the U.S. Postal Service, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of postal employees lack any job skills, making this agency the single largest U.S. employer of Persons of Inability.

Private-sector industries with good records of non-discrimination against the Inept include retail sales [[72%), the airline industry [[68%), and home improvement 'warehouse' stores [[65%).. At the state government level, the Department of Motor Vehicles also has an excellent record of hiring Persons of Inability [[a whopping 83%).

Under The Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million 'middle man' positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance.

Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given so as to guarantee upward mobility for even the most inept employees. The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations that promote a significant number of Persons of Inability into middle-management positions,and gives a tax credit to small and medium-sized businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires.

Finally, the AWNAA contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Non-abled, banning, for example, discriminatory interview questions such as, 'Do you have any skills or experience that relate to this job?'

'As a Non-abled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them,' said Ken Cox, who lost his position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, Michigan, due to his inability to remember 'righty tightey, lefty loosey.' 'This new law should be real good for people like me,' Cox added. With the passage of this bill, Cox and millions of other untalented citizens will finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Said Senator Dick Durbin [[D-IL): 'As a Senator with no abilities, I believe the same privileges that elected officials enjoy ought to be extended to every American with no abilities. It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her inadequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation and a good salary for doing so.'

[Richard]

QUOTE 56packman;229460]This should go over well at the demonstration

They would be on the ground laughing so hard that they would forget why they even came there in the first place.

Both ideas are equally amusing.

[firstandten]

I think this protest is the wrong way to go about this and this won't lead to anything but this leads to an issue thats not's going away soon. The poor, working poor and seniors on fixed incomes that live in the city many live in an older, energy inefficient housing stock where bills during the winter can and does bust their budget. I do think that there should be no shut offs during the winter. Currently there are no laws on the books on winter shut-offs.

If this situation isn't addressed you will get more people who will steal gas and electricity and use their stove to heat the house. When the next house fire that happens as a result of this kills some little kids everybody will be up in arms and DTE will be in damage control mode.

Many of the houses in the city already suffer from deferred maintenance issues so where are they going to find the money to winterize there houses for savings they may not be able to realize right away.

I think while saying this is an entitlement issue is true to a certain extent it begs a bigger question. as to why utility costs are so high and what are the companies really trying to do about it. And because these companies are monopolies they need to be in the forefront of trying to address what is a real problem.

[Hermod]

I think while saying this is an entitlement issue is true to a certain extent it begs a bigger question. as to why utility costs are so high and what are the companies really trying to do about it. And because these companies are monopolies they need to be in the forefront of trying to address what is a real problem.

The gas and electric companies are regulated utilities. The state reviews their costs and tacks on a fixed rate of profit. The current problem is the gas company has to purchase natural gas from the well owners and the electric company has to purchase the coal, gas, or oil to generate electricity from the suppliers.

While many of the DUers are dancing in the streets over the cost of gasoline going up to relegate the suburbs into unsustainability, the same guys are deploring the rise in cost of hydrocarbons on electricity and gas utility pricing.

The water company isn't a regulated utility, it is a gummint enterprise and they can rape and pillage at will.

[JohnnyFreddy]

I DO stand corrected.
Many of you make very valid points. Although we MUST have compassion in our lives for the unfortunates, we can ALL definitely cut-back on most of our consumptions.
Yes, I also keep my thermostat low, mostly because I don't like it hot, which it can
be when turned up. But I also realize from experience, that in order for things in life to be cheaper, one must conserve, cutback, and maybe even suffer a little, to get
what we want in life, and retain it.
Yes, I agree, one should work, and pay, and be responsible.
And yes, there are MANY programs out there in place already for needy people.
We here in America can be very spoiled, but we also work our asses off, for
that privilege. I feel 'no guilt' for that which I possess. I worked for it, and still do.
I put into the system, they should have to as well.
Yes, incentives to pay are accomplished by the threat of removal of services
if said payment is not received. Totally agree.
I just wish the Energy wasn't controlled by corruption and greed.
I just wish a system of checks and balances were REALLY in place, not just
lip service, like so much other bureaucracy in our system.
Every time one of these entities is caught with their hand in the jar, some ONE
takes the fall, nobody remembers who it is, and it all goes away in the news,
and the system stays corrupt, and they ALL continue to get rich and fat
off the backs of us poor morons who pay our utility bills religiously, and without
question...myself included.
I think this protest is more about...protest, then it is about free service.
People are being taken advantage of, kinda like how we're all duped into thinking
'BUY AMERICAN' is exactly that. Nothing sold in America is pure American anymore, including lines of bullshit fed to you by govt. sponsored energy cash
cows...feeding our politicians until their fat runs over into ....
...well never mind.
I vote NO on a proposal to make it illegal to shut-off utilities.
Place me back in line with the rest of the cattle.
Soylent Green is PEOPLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

[hamtown mike]

"Gas and electricity must be social rights guaranteed to everyone."
No, chopping down a tree and burning it in a fireplace or walking to the river with a bucket- those are rights. Gas and electricity are privileges. You enter into a contract with someone to provide it. Gas and electricity are not rights.

Cold? Go south.

This is just another attempt to offset the natural laws of cause and effect started off by poor decision making.