January 27, 2009

A winters tale - from Michigan

A sad story from Bay City, Michigan. From television station WNEM:
WWII Veteran Freezes To Death In Own Home
Bay City Electric & Light Restricted Power To Man's Home After Not Paying Bills

Officials in central Michigan say a 93-year-old man who owned more than $1,000 in unpaid electric bills froze to death inside his home -- where the municipal power company had restricted his use of electricity.

Neighbors and friends of Marvin Schur want answers as to how this could happen.

�Now that we do know it was hypothermia, there�s a whole bunch of feelings that I�ve got going through me,� said Jim Herndon, a neighbor of Schur�s. �There�s anger, for the city and the electrical company.�

Bay City officials said changes are on the way in an attempt to not let another instance like this happen again.

An autopsy determined Schur, 93, died from hypothermia in the home he lived in for years.
There is a huge difference between running a business and having some common compassion. With the record cold weather, they should have waited until spring to deal with the matter of the unpaid bills. They could easily tell that he was using electricity for heat just by watching the meter. Putting a restrictor on it was just a slap in his face -- being able to have light but no heat. What a way to die... Posted by DaveH at January 27, 2009 9:39 AM