WWII vet frozen by city gov.

[Steelharp]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090126/ap_on_re_us/frozen_indoors

That's just wrong. Here's the "murderer's" contact info...

http://www.baycitymi.org/manager.htm

[BrasilNuts]

"I've said this before and some of my colleagues have said this: Neighbors need to keep an eye on neighbors," Belleman said. "When they think there's something wrong, they should contact the appropriate agency or city department."

It wouldn't have mattered if they called the appropriate agency or department, he was already dead! I tried to send him an email to tell him what and idiot he is and that he should lose his job, but it seems their server is shut down...good!

[VERO1]

I heard on Paul Harvey at noon, that when they did go in, the utility bill was on the table with a large amount of cash clipped to it. Apparently the fellow was to sick to get out to pay the bill!

[chipperi]

Makes you want to puke. I wrote a rather vile E-mail to the city manager and the letter below to all the state reps and senator for that area.

Here re the addys if anyone else is as pissed as I am

Reps:

andycoulouris@house.mi.gov

jeffmayes@house.mi.gov

JimStamas@house.mi.gov

Senator:

SenJBarcia@senate.michigan.gov

You are all probably already aware of a recent murder in Bay City MI in your district. I am referring to Bay City Light and Power placing an electric limiter on the home of a 93yr old WWII veteran with out informing him the limiter was being placed, or how to reset it. The result was an American Hero that had survived war, being killed in his own home due to Hypothermia. The real kick in the pants is when they found the body they also found his electric bill on the table with cash clipped to it. Apparently he was too sick to go pay. I am aware in some states it is illegal for power companies to terminate or limit the power during certain months or when the temperature is below a certain pre-determined limit. Also with everything being computerized these days they should have known immediately that he was elderly. I would strongly encourage you to immediately introduce and pass a bill to prevent this from happening again. I would also like to see the city of Bay City investigated for possible criminal actions.

I am not asking this for my vote, as I live in TN. Instead I would ask you to do this because it is the right and responsible thing to do. Bay City is obviously not capable of determining right from wrong.

Chip Iley

Piney Flats,TN

[Guest mcclearypl]

Hello Chipperi

I also sent an email to the city accusing them of murder. There is no excuse in the world for this to have happened. The story I read did not say he was a vet or I might have delivered the message in person. I did send this information out to my master email list of over 500 law enforcement people it contained a link to the city and I requested they also let them know how they feel. There is no way, no how this should happen in America to anyone but to a 93 year old vet it is unforgivable. The city manager and department head of the electric department should be arrested and charged in this case. Please everyone that reads our posts please let them know how you feel about this.

[Guest mcclearypl]

This link worked I used it

http://www.baycitymi.org/manager.htm

Edited January 28, 2009 by mcclearypl
wanted to delete link was in another post

[Farman]

I need to be the “DEVIL’S ADVOCATE” here… As much as I love our vets, including, my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my dad, uncle and son, I cannot (with the info from a newspaper) blame the city manager for Mr. Schur’s death. Do you really think the city manager or another city employee has “the responsibility” to knock on the door and ask why the resident hasn’t paid their utility bill? If EVERYONE went above and beyond, the crew that installed the “limiter” would have knocked on the door to advise the homeowner what was happening, maybe they did and there was no answer. I may tend to put more blame on the neighbors, especially Mr. Pauwels, who evidently had a key to Mr. Schur’s home and would check in on him often (?). He should have done more for his neighbor; maybe he did as much as he could. Maybe Mr.Schur was getting a little senile and was refusing all the help others were trying to give. As a firefighter-paramedic and my wife, as a municipal code enforcement officer used to see this type of situation quite often and most of the time it was the “homeowner”, for whatever reason brought on the “situation” themselves. Did the city have an “reassurance program”, where the single home-bound resident had to call in to the police department each a.m.? Were there other programs to keep track of the homebound that lived by themselves? Maybe “O” will have his Civilian Security Force out to check up on deadbeats in the near future. I usually don’t get editorial and write like this, but “in wine there is truth” and I wanted to say my peace. Take it with a grain of salt and check my signature.

P.S. However, I want to thank you guys for expressing your feelings to our elected officials, who may, do more to prevent this type of thing from happening again.

[towerclimber37]

I need to be the “DEVIL’S ADVOCATE” here… As much as I love our vets, including, my great-grandfather, my grandfather, my dad, uncle and son, I cannot (with the info from a newspaper) blame the city manager for Mr. Schur’s death. Do you really think the city manager or another city employee has “the responsibility” to knock on the door and ask why the resident hasn’t paid their utility bill? If EVERYONE went above and beyond, the crew that installed the “limiter” would have knocked on the door to advise the homeowner what was happening, maybe they did and there was no answer. I may tend to put more blame on the neighbors, especially Mr. Pauwels, who evidently had a key to Mr. Schur’s home and would check in on him often (?). He should have done more for his neighbor; maybe he did as much as he could. Maybe Mr.Schur was getting a little senile and was refusing all the help others were trying to give. As a firefighter-paramedic and my wife, as a municipal code enforcement officer used to see this type of situation quite often and most of the time it was the “homeowner”, for whatever reason brought on the “situation” themselves. Did the city have an “reassurance program”, where the single home-bound resident had to call in to the police department each a.m.? Were there other programs to keep track of the homebound that lived by themselves? Maybe “O” will have his Civilian Security Force out to check up on deadbeats in the near future. I usually don’t get editorial and write like this, but “in wine there is truth” and I wanted to say my peace. Take it with a grain of salt and check my signature.

P.S. However, I want to thank you guys for expressing your feelings to our elected officials, who may, do more to prevent this type of thing from happening again.

I would have to say that it's not the officials' responsibility to tell the man that he needs to pay his bills...

BUT! that man was 93 years old. so..for what, 80 some odd years of his life he apparently had no problem paying is bill...a little late perhaps but the thing got paid. WTF? do these widgets think he's all the sudden going to change and NOT pay his bills? so he's a deadbeat because he paid his bill late? heh.

this "I want it now or I'll make you pay" attitude that government officials have is retarded.

yes. I think someone should go to jail..for criminal negligence resulting in death.

[Farman]

“Maybe “O” will have his Civilian Security Force out to check up on deadbeats in the”

This will be my only rebuttal to any comments about my post. Deadbeat was a poor choice of wording. Perhaps "check on customers who are a little behind in paying for services rendered" would be better. (How many months is $1000 in arrears?)

The circumstance of Mr. Schur's death is not unusual and tragedies like this have happened in the past and are going to be more and more common in the future due to the economic times. It happens everywhere, in the summer and winter to the poor and infirmed. The infirmed, elderly and the very young die from heat stroke because they can't afford the electricity. In the winter they can’t afford heat. I don’t like it “you” don’t like it, nobody likes it.

As gun owners and freedom loving people we want less government, but we want government to look out for us?????? We still pay our taxes, complain about how much we pay and still expect “nanny” to look after us.

I know and we all know there are times when we need assistance, but some would rather die then accept it. Sometimes, when you're 93, you don't know you need help or be cognizant of the fact that you can ask for help. You may just feel you're giving up your independence if you ask or accept it.

I DON’T WANT THIS TO BE A RANT. I just wanted to say we can’t always blame our government for everything, especially without knowing everything about the situation (and you don’t always get all the facts from the media). As a matter of fact I’m going back to look at guns & leather

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

BUT! that man was 93 years old. so..for what, 80 some odd years of his life he apparently had no problem paying is bill...a little late perhaps but the thing got paid. WTF? do these widgets think he's all the sudden going to change and NOT pay his bills? so he's a deadbeat because he paid his bill late? heh.

You assume that for the past 80 years he's been paying on time. Maybe so. Or maybe he's been late and overdue many times. I don't know, and neither do you, and that's why I'm not going to make any assumptions here.

And having accrued a balance of over $1000 indicates that either he was a bit past "late" or else his house cost a heck of a lot to heat.

I am NOT saying that he was a deadbeat, craphead, pissant, or anything of that nature. I am NOT saying he deserved what happened to him. He didn't.

But all this talk calling the power company people "murderers" is just ridiculous IMO.

[Guest jackdog]

I find it hard to believe that the state does not have a standard to control this sort of thing. At this point it really doesn't matter who was at fault the poor man is dead.

[Smith]

It really is unfortunate, but I think calling them "murderers" is over the top. I know here in Nashville a quick call would prevent this sorta thing and if he had family or friends they should have borne the responsibility more than the government. The fact people knew his condition but didn't check on him till after the fact says a lot. I doubt it was all that preventable aside from someone checking on him round the clock.

I will say for some of the elderly these things will always happen. I have checked on many an elder in the summer and they will be bundled up with the heat on and 90 degree weather! I'll be sitting there sweating bullets while they complain about how cool it has been. There is a reason so many have strokes in the summer. At that age their bodies will lie to them. It's unfortunate all around.