They died for corporate profits
Fires resulting from gas and electric shutoffs have
killed many poor people in the Baltimore area. Members of the
Baltimore All-People's Congress described some of them at a
May 26 protest in front of the home of the president of
Constellation Energy.
Rachel Dorsey was an independent and proud
75-year-old woman living on a fixed income. Like tens of
thousands of people she found it hard to pay the bills.
Baltimore Gas & Electric cut off her service in June
1999. She withstood the cold and dark for more than 15
months. Her house-bound brother who lived next door had also
been cut off. On Oct. 29, 2000, she returned from the
hospital and was preparing to move in with relatives when she
died in a terrible fire. The match wasn't lit by BGE, but the
company created the conditions.
Lily-Bell Posley and her young grandchildren died
in a fire on June 10, 2000, at 129 Amity Street in the
Poppleton neighborhood. Posley was a wheelchair user.
Neighbors awoke to the screams of the children. They tried to
get to them but were pushed back by the smoke and heat. BGE
had cut off service to the household in July 1999 for
non-payment of bills.
The family had twice sought help from the city to pay the
bills. The first time, BGE officials said the family owed an
outstanding balance of $1,256.99. But when the family came
back with the money BGE demanded $3,784.50. The family
scraped together $1,649. Their lives were lost while BGE held
out for another $1,634. Neighbors put up a memorial sign near
their home that read, "I'm sorry to hear such a thing like
this could happen."
Saevonne Lessington, aged 3, died in a fire at 4:30
a.m. in the 2300 block of Terra Firma Road in Cherry Hill on
March 5, 2000. BGE had cut off service three days earlier.
Candles were being used for light. The family had pulled the
money together and had already paid BGE. Service was supposed
to be turned back on the day the fire happened. Even today,
BGE officials claim it's no big deal that so many are being
cut off because most people re-establish service within a few
weeks. Saevonne Lessington's horrible death shows that if the
power is off at all--no matter for how long--there's a danger
to life.
Two brothers from the Feick family, aged 5 and 10,
died in Gambrills, Md., in September 1999. BGE had cut off
service to their home. The family was using candles for
light.
Rainey Jefferson, Rannie Kellam and
Brandon Jefferson were killed in a fire on Oct. 6,
1998, in Southwest Baltimore at 315 North Arlington St.
Rainey Jefferson suffered from throat cancer. BGE had cut off
their gas and electric three months earlier. The family had
tried in vain to get help with the bill, but couldn't. They
were forced to use candles for light.
Juanita Roy, Francine Roy and three young children
died in a fire in January 1998 in the 5200 block of Norwood
Ave. after BGE shut off the power. Charles Williams tried
unsuccessfully to rescue them from the raging fire. Neighbor
Deborah Lunn said, "They were just trying to keep their
babies warm, and five people lost their lives." The family
was using a kerosene lamp for light.
--Sharon Black
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS
:: SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page