Power 4 the People launches ‘SAVE-A-LIFE’ campaign

Another tragedy has occurred in Baltimore as a result of a utility shut-off. The community has once again felt the pain and loss from another house fire. This fire has taken the life of a 7-year-old girl and her grandmother in East Baltimore. The blaze resulted from candle use after the family’s gas and electricity had been shut off. Similar to Betty Godfrey, a 61-year-old woman in West Baltimore who lost her life to a house fire, their utilities were off for close to a year.

Power 4 the People activists display battery- powered lights and fixtures that they will distribute to those without electricity. WW photo: Sharon Black

In one month alone three people have died. This has taken place right after Baltimore Gas and Electric announced that approximately 84,000 households in Maryland are slated to have utilities cut off. This crisis is a result of the state having the highest utility rates in the country and the continuing economic crisis, which has left many workers without jobs.

Power 4 the People, a project of the Bail Out the People Movement in Baltimore, has initiated a campaign for a moratorium on utility shut-offs. Activists are demanding a people’s investigation into the health and safety impact of utility shut-offs; debt cancellation for unemployed workers, those hit the hardest by the economic crisis and those most vulnerable to excessive high rates including seniors, people with health problems and young children; and a roll back in gas and electric rates for individuals and small businesses.

In response to the recent deaths, the group has stepped up its efforts with an additional campaign called “Save-a-Life,” which has launched door-to-door canvassing in the community informing people of their rights, distributing brochures and collecting petitions, and offering battery-powered lighting to any individual without electricity.

At a press conference widely covered by television media, Renee Washington, a community volunteer with Power 4 the People, announced, “We are calling on churches, unions and community groups to reach out to their fellow neighbors and co-workers and become ‘Save-a-Life’ centers by collecting battery-powered lights and fixtures to distribute to those who have lost their power.”

Washington was defiant as she proclaimed: “We need to stop the shut-offs! But until we can accomplish that, it’s critical for all of us to go into our neighborhoods and communities and canvass each block to make sure everyone is as safe as possible. We need to especially protect our seniors and young children. The shut-offs are criminal and BGE needs to be held liable.”

Lydia Stokes, a former meter reader, also spoke at the press conference. She offered to read anyone’s meter by contacting her through the Power 4 the People office. The group will begin free counseling on people’s rights every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at its office at 2011 N. Charles St. (lower level) and help people wade through the system.

Power 4 the People is building a statewide campaign to stop utility shut-offs and roll back rates. The group will also present a letter to officials requesting that the main Maryland Energy Assistance Program center remain open at least one to two nights of the week to assist workers who cannot apply during working hours. The state and city need to fund more jobs to help reduce long waits and accommodate the larger numbers of BGE customers facing shut-offs.