Baltimore utility rates up
Community group protests, demands no shutoffs
By Steven
Ceci
At a rousing March 31 rally in front of the Baltimore Gas
& Electric Co.'s down town offices, over 250 protesters
proclaimed their resolve to stop gas company shutoffs and roll
back utility rates.
The BG&E supplies gas and electric service to Baltimore
and the surrounding areas. Recently, it has doubled and tripled
rates. On March 31 a mandated moratorium on winter shutoffs
ended, allowing the company to shut off service to anyone who
cannot pay the bill.
Despite resolutions from the Baltimore City Council,
BG&E and the Public Service Commission have refused to
extend the moratorium.
The Committee to Stop High Gas & Electric Bills of the
All People's Congress says this will affect thousands of
Baltimore and Maryland residents who are unable to keep up with
rising bills. The committee has charged the power companies and
gas monopolies with greed and price fixing.
Walter Williams, a retiree and member of the committee,
said: "The pipes have been in the ground for over 200 years.
There is no excuse for this kind of price gouging. It is
illegal and we intend to fight it. It is not that people don't
want to pay their bills--they can't."
Jeff Bigelow, representing union workers, explained how this
is a "fight for unions." He said: "Christian Poindexter, the
president and CEO of Constellation Energy Group, the parent
company of Baltimore Gas & Electric, makes over a million
dollars a year. His salary alone could probably pay for the
bills for all of you gathered here today. These imposed price
increases are about capitalist greed."
Towson State University student Robin Bridges and youth
committee volunteer Tony Weeks spoke about the problems of
young workers trying to start lives of their own. Bridges
proclaimed, "People's needs must come before profits." Bridges
has a small apartment and received a turn-off notice for a bill
of $1,000.
The protesters lit candles to demonstrate what many people
will be forced to do when their utilities are shut off. They
are demanding that the governor intervene under the Emergency
Powers Act: roll back rates and stop utility turnoffs because
of the health and safety concerns and financial ruin facing
workers and poor people throughout the state.
On March 30, reporters visited the home of Elnora Watson for
a news conference. Watson's bill was over $2,300.
Watson and her grandchild have severe asthma. She pointed to
a nebulizer machine that is powered by electricity, saying,
"Without it I will be forced to go to the emergency room, or
worse--my grandbaby may die before we can get help."
Watson is scheduled to have her electricity turned off.
Protest organizers also called out the names of the children
and families who have died in house fires as a result of gas
and electric shutoffs. The crowd vowed to dedicate their
efforts to all the children of Baltimore and Maryland to
prevent these kinds of disasters.
The protest ended with Sharon Ceci, who chaired the rally,
burning a pink turn-off notice she had received on March 30.
She likened her notice to the pink slips that workers are
receiving from Mayor Martin O'Malley and many businesses across
the country.
Ceci said: "We are not ashamed of these slips, because
together we can fight back and win. We will take this fight
from Baltimore to Annapolis to the White House!" The protesters
roared in approval, vowing to continue the fight and chanting,
"We're fired up, can't take it no more."
The All People's Congress has set a committee meeting for
April 9 at 6 p.m. at the downtown library, Poe Room, 2nd floor.
APC organizers invite those interested in petitions and other
activities to call (410) 235-7040.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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