------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Oct. 25, 2001 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
PROVIDENCE, R.I.: GROUPS STORM UTILITY HEARING DEMANDING: "NO SHUTOFFS!" By Michael Shaw Providence, R.I. On Oct. 11 Rhode Island anti-poverty groups invaded the offices of the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) to demand an immediate change in shutoff policies for utility customers who can't pay their bills. The Peoples' Utility Fairness Coalition organized the action. The coalition includes ACORN, R.I. Gray Panthers, Coalition for Consumer Justice, Parents for Progress, United Workers' Committee, George Wiley Center and National Peoples' Campaign. As winter approaches and the economic downturn hits more workers, approximately 7,200 households in this small New England state are scheduled to have their utilities shut off. These distressed families must cough up from 50 to 100 percent of their back bill to be reinstated. Fed up with being ignored since Oct. 7, 2000, when the Wiley Center petitioned the R.I. Division of Public Utilities to hold hearings concerning the antiquated shutoff rules now in effect, Oct. 11 became the date for confrontation with the PUC and its greed-based barriers to basic human needs. The goal of the intervention was to convince the members of the Public Utilities Commission to immediately adopt, on an interim basis, the coalition's recommendations for post- shutoff rules. These proposed rules embody a graduated forgiveness program like those already in effect in several states, so that low-income persons can reasonably meet their financial obligations by paying 10 percent of their back bills. The multinational gathering of several dozen outraged petitioners began with a rally outside the PUC offices on Jefferson Boulevard. Then activists stormed into the building and headed for a room where the three PUC commissioners were holding a hearing on long-distance regulation. James Lanni, assistant administrator for operations and consumer affairs, prevented the group from entering this hearing. The activists would not be put off, however, and forced Lanni to a separate hearing room where they vented their frustration and personal testimonies in front of the stonewalling bureaucrat. One Latino mother shouted that her heat has been shut off for months and that her four children are suffering health problems as a result. "Some utility's corporate profits are not as important as this woman's four kids. It's getting cold!" another woman screamed at Lanni. At first Lanni pleaded to the group that there was no way the commissioners could meet with them that day. However, he caved in when the angry crowd threatened to disrupt the hearing in progress. Lanni promised that the activists could meet with one or more of the commissioners later that day at 4 p.m. At that meeting Commissioner Kate Racine agreed to a special hearing on the shutoff issue to be held Oct. 23. Wiley Center leader Henry Shelton said that at that hearing the coalition will not merely demand that its progressive plan for shutoffs be implemented. It will also demand that the 7,200 R.I. households without utilities have their power restored immediately, before the cold of late fall sets in. - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
