People Begin Living Without Electricity and Water in California

People Begin Living without Electricity and water in California

I couldn't find statistics for local utility shut offs in my area, but I knew we would start to see more and more of this.

Houses everywhere are going vacant. People don't say goodbye, they don't leave a number, they just disappear. With their disappearance we add another vacant house to the street. But families living in housing without utilities is a new sight for me to behold. I spoke recently with a rep from So Cal Edison who, full time contacts residence who have had their electricity turned off due to non payment. She has a negotiator sent in and they work on a reduced payment. It's amazing to me, that now, it is becoming acceptable in California to camp out in your home.

People are losing their homes, losing their cars and losing their dignity. How are we going to afford kids clothes and school supplies for the coming year? How can we expect families to pay for all these additional costs when the economy is in the shape it in. I ask myself this everyday.

http://www.gazette.com/articles/upward-101773-light-aren.html
Requests for help paying utility bills surge upward
Comments 19 | Recommend 1
Light switches, furnaces and water faucets aren't the typical gauges of economic health, but at Pikes Peak United Way's 2-1-1 call center, they tell a tale of people who continue to struggle to pay their bills in a weak economy.

According to a report released Monday by the 2-1-1 Information and Referral Hotline, requests for utility bill assistance in the fiscal year ending June 30 jumped 20 percent from the previous year, outstripping requests for help with food and rent.

"That's by far the biggest spike in looking at data year-to-year," said 2-1-1 Center Manager Jessica Johnson-Simmons. "I would guess it would have something to do with recent utility hikes that have gone into effect, but it's also a case of clients just getting too overwhelmed with their...

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/these_days_washing_the_dishes.html
I feel horrible; I know my kids must feel horrible," said Maria Schultheis, who lives in the house with her husband and twin teenage sons. "I'm humiliated because I never had to live like this."

The town water department shut off the Schultheises' water about a month ago after the family fell behind on payments on a $1,700 overdue bill. John Schultheis -- a computer programmer who has been out of work for three years -- watched in disbelief as town workers turned off the water valve near the curb of his three-bedroom bungalow in a quiet middle-class neighborhood in the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany.

As the recession continues, utility companies say a growing number of New Jerseyans are falling behind on their electric, gas and water bills. For many, a flood of emergency funding in state and federal aid programs -- coupled with a state-imposed moratorium on utility shut-offs during the winter months -- has helped keep the lights on and the water flowing over the last few months.

But, with much of the state money gone and the winter moratorium ended, utility officials say more and more families like the Schultheises may be losing their electricity, gas or water service in the coming months.

"I do expect shut-off activity to increase the second part of the year," said Victor Viscomi, PSE&G's director of billing and revenue operations. "Some of the emergency-payment assistance money is drying up."

PSE&G, the state's largest utility, has seen a 10 percent increase in families behind on their payments, compared with this time last year, Viscomi said. Many of those are households that had never had a late payment until now.

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[TerrierBram]

... the truth is that this land of freedom is really a petrol chemical pharmaceutical holocaust with a Micky Mouse as camp guard. Jefferson warned for the Rothschilds, and since they own the FED, Jefferson got right, seen the current debt, health and happiness of the American people in general.

[CSATexan]

@krisjanelle12

So squandering money on Obamas pet projects is a step in the right direction??

And what does Bush have to do with anything??? He isn't in power Obama is.

[L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL]

@mystic81006 Ron Paul is for responsible people not anarchists his peoples revolution is for peace.They arNt the ones cheering for racist wars. As for how to be? You choose.Thats the whole point. Do you really Need to be told your doing ok to feel ok? srsly? Many parents are fearful for their children but we cant control them forever they are not our slaves.Educate them to b peaceful & responsible.Accountable.suppor­t & care for them thats all.

[L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL]

@mystic81006 face palm ..So you are pro war then? ..Slave to the system much? lol enjoy sopa,fema,& ndaa. If a pepper sprayed baton accidentally thrusts up your ass in the near future please dont mind its for a good cause mkay? Im gonna hazard a guess but your never wrong in your house are you ?

[mystic81006]

@L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL I do believe we need to live under law,need to my friend,If we had no laws set up we all would be living in a anarchy and all the serial killers would have a hay day.Now,I am not one for any Socialized society But,I am one for laws for human nature,And if our laws for human nature are destroyed we all will pay with out lives,this is truth my good friend.I see your point on freedom,but how free does a person need to be really?

[L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL]

We can choose our own destiny. I doNt need drugs or bigoted goverments telling me how to think feel or behave & i didnt turn into a criminal or a junkie.Neither do you sir. Ron Paul is the ONLY man that wants to END WARS & get bigoted goverments out of our lives. Where is your compassion for the victims of war? The worlds future generations are depending on people like you to stand up. Support Ron Paul for peace or support ANY of his opposition for war.Choose carefully.

[mystic81006]

@L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL I would rather have a drug dealer on the street corner who will get arrested in a bust then drug dealers in the super markets over the counter.As for any one taking profit from any drugs in our own system this is nothing more then a conspiracy theory my good friend.Do our police profit from drug busts?no,most all of the money found stays in lock up for courts and jury's,this is fact.

[mystic81006]

@L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL That is a poor argument and you know it,to say,would you buy them is a real poor argument and it is used to hide the truth to what we are already living in with strict laws.My kids will try them when they get older,If hard drugs are legal then there a good thing and there is nothing wrong with them and this is what we all would be telling our kids,kids experiment always,you take it once,you are hooked for life,this is truth my friend.

[L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL]

@mystic81006 ok...heres the thing. If hard drugs were legal would you go buy them? Guess what they are illegal & people can still buy them ok? The drug "war" is a farce.If you are a clean responsible person that wouldnt change if drugs were made legal.Dealers on our streets would be finished.I do get your concerns but fear & dispair woNt make things better. Does getting rid of scum dealers sound like a bad idea 2u? Our current leaders r LIARS sir.They profit from our misery.

[mystic81006]

@L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL If you want to talk education,look for the past to educate you,the past is the truth,you want education,look to the past on hard drugs and see how many to the millions of people who was addicted.

[mystic81006]

@L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL Why spare you the truth? millions are already addicted around the world,This is fact.There is already huge problems with drugs.Now I can understand weed,I don't smoke it but I understand it.But this nut job wants to make hard drugs legal,And this is a horrid thought and truth.The truth is we already went through this,You are not educated at all if you think it would be a good thing to make hard drugs legal.

[L0OOOooooOOOOOOOOL]

@mystic81006 Pls spare me your junkie stats lol. Im wide awake & from your own admission im NOT the one with my head in the clouds. Stupidity is also a disease, honesty & education is the cure. Even a good doctor cant save people who dont want to be saved i guess.