This is a long, but VERY informative read. Municipalities in the state of Missouri are given a pretty long leash. This article really details how that affects some communities. I remember it was this time last year that I learned the municipally-operated utilities - electricity and water - here in West Plains were not obligated to recognize any sort of Cold Weather Rule. A gentleman waited in line to pay his bill late to avoid shutoff, kids in tow, and was informed that they had already sent workers to turn off his power while he was waiting. There was nothing he could do, short of paying more money he didnt have. And it was cold. The temperatures were dipping into teens at night and a major snowstorm was on its way. The City does not accept payment plans or partial payments or postponed checks - nothing that would ease the burden. And until about four months ago, the only way to pay the bill was to put it in the mail or pay it in person; the mail here somewhat more than occasionally runs slow, taking an extra day or two to deliver. For people who were waiting for their paycheck to pay and did not have reliable transportation, this proved to be a major dilemma. They had ten days past their due date to figure out how to get the money in the box, or be shutoff and pay an exorbitant reconnection fee. Thankfully, that burden has been somewhat alleviated by the advent of online pay options. All my outrage for that situation, in a community fairly hard hit by poverty where it seems the end game is to make a little extra money for the city on the backs of the poor, pales when I read this. What we witnessed last year is nothing.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 13:43:32 +0000
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