Quote:
Originally Posted by Munchkin03
By providing a public service, utility companies--both public and private--are, in a way, "in the social services business." It's not as if they're preventing credit cards from cutting off charging privileges to people who can't pay! It's not good public policy to cut off power during the winter in Michigan to 93-year olds. Apparently, the state utilities feel the same way; many private utilities have something in place already.
I'm glad the money went to the hospital and not the guy's sorry ass nephew.
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I too am glad it went to the hospital.
I'm not pro cutting off old people in the middle of winter, but I don't think the power company is the one with the responsibility of figuring out how a mentally impaired old guy is supposed to pay his bills if he is basically putting money in envelopes but can't get the bills in the mail or to the office.
I think that someone should do this for the old guy or someone should ensure he is living in a facility that provides working heat if he's not competent to provide it for himself.
But I don't think the power company has the responsibility to do actually collect bills from the mentally impaired every month.
Even if we decide that it's in the public interest to do this, it would make more sense to provide one set of helpers as opposed to each utility having their own help-the-elderly-pay their bills staff.